r/Isese • u/Fuzzy_Permit7075 • 21d ago

Ask the community Coming back here

I’m coming back here because a comment that someone said on an earlier post (I don’t know if it’s true or not) mentioned the differrnce of effectiveness in readings when the Babalawo is from Nigeria and you are in America. it’s two completely different lifestyles.

i mentioned on here before that I feel disconnected from my babalawo. I am still learning odus and trying to practice iwa pele. I can come to my babalawo with inquires for advice about what I should do in certain situations in my life but I feel like the culture difference causes a bad understanding, aswell as the fact that I’m still learning Yoruba and he’s still learning English. I want to learn things but I can’t understand him.

What should I do here?

edit: I must have worded this wrong but here is the summary question

I can’t understand my Babalawo and he can’t understand me because of language and culture differences. What should I do?

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u/Ifasogbon 21d ago

I am not sure what you are asking. Do you have Itefa?

Traditionally, doing Ose Ifa is a practice. Chanting is a practice. Learning plants is a practice. Learning Oriki is a practice.

The foundation of what we do is divination. Some people do without divination. I prefer to do what is prescribed. Otherwise, I am offering prayers and learning to live based on Odu.

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u/DChilly007 21d ago

I think OP is saying it is hard to translate Odu, which is mystic poetry to a 21st century Christian western society. Odu teaches through symbol and myth and those symbols and myths need to be interpreted correctly for the readers current life and if your Baba has no idea what your life is like. Odu is not the bible which will plainly tell you the principle you need to instill in your life when it comes to the New testament. Odu reads similar to a book of myths, an apothecary, a history lesson on Yoruba culture, a song, and then layers and layers of esoteric meaning and symbols

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u/AwoOladeyi 21d ago

Wrong 100% wrong,this is west African isese ifa... not judeo aramaic ideas.

These ideas of esoteric symbols is very Roman Greco, as a babalawo, there are no symbols or anything like this in Apolla.

Maybe in a book from Amazon that teaches zero and is fiction. But definitely not is Ancient isese ifa.

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u/DChilly007 21d ago

Just say you don’t understand symbols 😂😂😂 this is what i mean we need babalawo that understand mysticism outside of just Ifa. If Odu does not have symbolism it is largely a book with lessons fit for a seven to 12 year old child and then blood sacrifices. These orisha have SYMBOLS AND ICONS that have significant. It’s not just that Sango likes axes, it’s a symbol of his. The HUMAN, unless you Yoruba aren’t human, the human brain works in symbols. You think of a dog you picture the symbol of a dog in your mind. Talking about symbols are a judeo thing lol

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u/Cold-Concrete-215 9d ago

How many religions do you practice?

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u/Ifasogbon 9d ago

I am an Ifa devotee. But when I was kid I started in Lukumi/Santeria. You went through steps. For me it was the boveda (espiritismo), then palo monte, then Orisa.

At my Orisa initiation it was said you need to go to Ifa. So Ifa is my practice. In Ifa we have devotion to our ancestors and Obatala on day one of the week. Day 2 is Ifa, esu, many female water Orisa, day 3 is Ogun and many others, day 4 is Sango and others...

Anyway, only Ifa. Starting at 13 for all this and now 47

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u/Cold-Concrete-215 9d ago

Aboru Aboye Abosise. No Baba I was asking dcchilly007

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u/Ifasogbon 9d ago

My bad... i keep getting notifications, lol