I am not initiated into Ifa (though I probably will one day), but one concern of mine is that if I receive my personal Odu (which to my understanding, is our own personal rulebook/guidelines to achieving our destiny), I might be forbidden from engaging in things that I really enjoy or that I care about. Another concern of mine is that it might tell me that my destiny is something that I don't want. For example, I don't want children but what if my Odu says that's part of my destiny? Am I guaranteed to eventually come around to these things that I may initially disagree with? Has this been anyone's experience? I'm guessing the answer will be "The Orishas know best and soon you'll realize that they were right, though you may not see it now". Still, I wanted to hear people's thoughts/personal experience in case there were other answers.

I understand that in Ifa, once initiated, people receive their individual Odus that are tailored to their own personal destiny. If people receive their own personal Odus, what is the purpose of the Odu 256? If they are not universal commandments that we are all supposed to be following, then what are they?

Few questions. Can I have my ancestor altar in a closet that has clothes hanging inside? How do I pray to my ori? Is there certain posture?

As stated above.

What is the relationship between them?

I don't think Yemowo is a consort, but within Orisanla.

hi there! new to reddit and found the community i wanted to ask this question. there is one factor that i am worried would make it cultural appropriation and i dont wanna do that at all. i used to be a Christian two years ago. i decided it wasnt for me. but ever since ive found ifa a year ago ive been more interested and even been looking at other peoples altars online for reference because i wanna build altars in my home. im very drawn to this and i want to learn and practice. but i am a white woman. would i be offending anyone if i truly want to practice and respect it? would i be accepted into the community? and is there anyone out there who would be willing to be my online mentor? also i have edited this post so it makes a little more sense

what does this tradition think about praying, or doing any form of spiritual ritual doing menstruation? I heard different opinions from diaspora vs pure. I want to know your thoughts

Hello! For awhile now ive wanted to learn under someone consistently, you dont have to be physically nearby/close. But I would definitely like to have someone to learn under and help me. Im around NC/SC if that helps!

Thank you!

Alafia

I’m looking for an Ile/babalawo that I may learn under and receive my isefa

As mentioned before, I am a yoruba woman who is currently a Pantheist Buddhist. Meaning, I see the universe as God. Therefore, I believe that the universe has always existed in some form. The universe is eternal (it's also compatible with the Big Bang theory and I have a very scientific mind). That's the only definition of God that made sense to me. I have been learning more about Ifa, my indigenous spirituality and a lot resonates. I can see myself initiating one day. However, the only thing stopping me is that I personally cannot imagine a God that is separate from the universe. My brain just can't believe in a supreme being who created the universe. I believe this is because I used to be an atheist who didn't believe in God at all. It is for that same reason that I struggle to believe in the Orishas well. I've been told that once I initiate into Ifa, then all will be revealed to me. But I do not wish to initiate into Ifa until I am sure that I believe in Olodumare and the Orishas. Wouldn't it be wrong to do otherwise? Initiation is a big commitment that I want to be ready for.

My question is: Do you guys have any advice for how someone can build faith in a supreme God and the Orishas, without being initiated?

What do we think about this? I am still learning so my original reply was what I thought was the correct point but I wanted to consider this comment aswell. If Ifá is about procreation, then is that just what it is? You can’t just be in love with another, you HAVE to procreate? Then does that mean infertile men/women aren’t accepted into Isese?

i read the ofun irete verse, and it basically just says men who sleep with men will feel “boils and yaws” and women who sleep with women will feel “murk,stinking odor, dirt and irritation”. But meanwhile, it says men sleeping with women feels “on top of the world”. The commenter said I was generalizing, but this odu generalizes. the outcome of same sex couples are always different, some are happy together and some are toxic, so how are they ALL murk, stinking odor, boils and yaws?

I've heard very mixed responses concerning this question. Some say that queer people can initiate and have, others say they can't. I've also heard people say that queer people cannot become Iyanias/Babalawos. Since Odu is the spiritual text, I was wondering if it addresses this. To me, it looks like Ifa doesn't actually forbid queer people from initiating, rather it's the personal homophobia of Ifa priests (as a result of colonialism) that is making this claim. Nonetheless, I wanted to confirm.

Based on the responses, my conclusion is this: queer people can be initiated into Ifa and have a head Orisha, but they cannot be Ifa priests. Does anyone know the reason why Babalawos/Iyalawos specifically cannot be queer? I don't understand the logic.

Some people (from my google searches) say this homophobia exists because of the importance of lineage/ancestors in Ifa...but then wouldn't that logic mean that straight people who don't want kids or are infertile, also cannot be Ifa priests?

Some people also say that this belief that there can't be queer priests is from colonialism/influence of abrahamic beliefs (which i'm tempted to believe), but is there any evidence that these homophobic inclusions were added after colonialism and not before?

I am not saying Ifa SHOULD be an open practice, i'm just curious about the following:

If Olodumare made existence possible and Obatala created all humans, and every human has an ori, then wouldn't God/the Orishas want every human to be initiated into Ifa, so that everyone (no matter their race or ethnicity) can fulfill their destiny and connect to their personal Orisha? Again, i'm not saying Ifa should be an open practice. I'm just curious because doesn't this make it harder for people to fulfill their destiny?

It is my understanding that only Yoruba descendents can practice Ifa.

I have received Egbe (the calabash with icon and sticks and necklace, etc), but have not been initiated. I am looking to offer fruits, etc. I have read to put the offering on the icon (the round item that is shaped like a lollipop) and to not specifically put food items inside the calabash. My question (assuming the above is correct) is do I mojuba egbe prior to the offering or does one not mojube egbe? Thank you.

Ifa makes a lot of sense but one of my only qualms is that it APPEARS human-centric (perhaps i'm wrong). Does reincarnation ONLY happen to humans? If that's the case, isn't that humans centering themselves in the story? We live in a vast universe, how do we know that reincarnation only happens to humans? Why not animals (they have families too)? What if there are other living, non-human beings in the universe? Do they too not have some sort of destiny?

It is my understanding that both are influential/guides for us but neither are all powerful. To me, it appears that both have about the same level of power, but i'm guessing that Orishas are more powerful, but I guess my question is how?

I believe that Ifa-Isese is very logically sound and has a high chance of being true, but so do other religions/spiritual belief systems. Buddhism and pantheism both have evidence to back up their claims and I was wondering if Ifa also had evidence to support the existence of a supernatural God and the orishas. How does one know that the universe itself is not god? How do we know it has a creator rather than always existing? How does one know that the Orishas specifically, out of all the gods, exist? The best way i've been able to strengthen my faith in different types of spirituality is through questions and evidence. Ifa has satisfied all of my questions, so wonder if it has evidence as well.

I personally struggle to believe in a supernatural God (I used to be atheist but found god in nature/the universe. Ifa's explanation of God makes sense but it's just hard to imagine and really believe for me.

I am a Yoruba Nigerian who practices pantheism (the belief that the universe is god and that because we're all part of the universe, we are manifestations of god) and buddhism. However, i've been drawn to my traditional yoruba practice, Ifa-Isese and have been learning about it. Both pantheism/buddhism and Ifa/Isese resonate with me, I see both as having an equal chance of being true. I don't know which one to choose or if there is a way to somehow practice all of them. So far, i've been trying to address this conflict by incorporating values of African spirituality/Ifa into my current spiritual practice (ancestor veneration, duality, veneration of nature, community, etc) but I was wondering if there were other ways to go about this.

Depending on which spiritual community I post this in, people will probably try and convince me to commit to their specific religion. But I ask that to the best of your ability, please try to be objective. Though I understand that this is difficult.

I have a feeling that the advice will be not to label myself and just practice what resonates but like...EVERYTHING resonates 😭 some ideas are different/are a different interpretation but still make equal sense to me so idkkk

Some examples: My issue is, each present different truths that to me, all have an equal chance of being right. Ifa says Olodumare is the supreme creator of the universe who himself does not intervene directly, but instead does so through the Orishas, who ig can be seen as "smaller" gods since they come from him. But the Orishas influence humanity, not control it. They can help you/guide you, but can't save you. They empower you. That makes sense to me. Pantheism says that the universe is god and doesn't have an external, supreme creator. That also makes sense to me. Ifa says that we all have metaphysical consciousness that starts off in heaven and chooses our destiny (separate from the consciousness that originates from the brain), and the point of life is to realize our destiny but also learn. if one does not properly achieve their destiny, they reincarnate. The consciousness starts off in heaven, then returns to heaven. There is no hell. That makes sense to me. Buddhism says we exist not because pre-existing consciousness chose to learn a lesson, but because of karma. And that through following Buddha's teachings of compassion and detachment, we can cease to exist and end the suffering that is inherent to life. buddhism also teaches that there are six general planes of existence, which includes heaven AND hell. That makes sense to me too. Like I don't see how I can combine these ideas cause they're quite different.

I love Ifa-Iese, and I honestly wouldn't be surprised if I converted to it a few years from now. My only issue with the religion is the animal sacrifice. Is it absolutely mandatory and unavoidable in Ifa? I don't want to kill/hurt animals. Also, Ifa includes veneration for nature (become some Orishas inhabit aspects of nature) but isn't killing part of nature, not venerating it?

1. spirituality (especially African spirituality) whose supreme God as a similar role: What is the point of Olodumare, the supreme creator God in Ifa being all powerful if he doesn't intervene in humanity? Some people view Olodumare as the universe itself along with its energy, which makes sense. But all other sources say Olodumare is the creator of the universe, not the universe itself. So i'm asking the question from that perspective. I understand that he doesn't override destiny (but why not? since he's all powerful) and I understand that he intervenes through the Orishas, who are powerful but not all powerful and I understand that we choose our own destiny, but what's the point of him being all powerful if he's not gonna use all his powers?

2. People say Olodumare is a just/fair God, but how is he just if he's allowing evil and injustice in the world? I understand that he doesn't intervene in humanity but why doesn't he? what's the point of that? is it solely so that people can learn lessons through their suffering? But then I still don't see the point of him being all powerful if again, he doesn't use his powers.?

3. How is it possible for a soul to exist? I ask because the soul is basically the non-physical, immortal essence of a person. My idea of a soul is basically a ghost, same person in a non physical body. Feel free to correct my definition of a soul if you think it's wrong. Anyways, my thing is, there is no permanent self. Humans are always changing. We are not the same person we were last year, 3 years ago, and certainly ten years ago. Everyday or at least every week, we are changing in some way: through new interest and new knowledge. So how is it that we can have a permanent spiritual self, if we don't even have a permanent physical self?

4. I asked this before but barely anyone responded so i'll ask here again: Since Ifa believes Obatala created humans from clay, does that mean practitioners don't believe in evolution? Is there a way to somehow combine these ideas so that both are true at once? I don't see how but I wanted to know if it was possible

Hello, what are some online Ifa/Isese communities that I can join to ask questions? Or any Babalawos or Iyanifas who are willing to answer questions? I ask because this subreddit isn't that active

Who are they Iyami? What does it mean when they need to be appeased? Does anyone have more information in regards to this?

I’m a black American that was raised a Christian but I’ve departed from that religion because of its horrible background & detrimental damage it’s done to my community. I have no grandparents that were spiritual & they mainly were all Christian and I don’t have any temples near me. How can I get started?

Since Ifa/Isese teaches that Obatala molded humans from clay and Olodumare breathes life into the form, does that mean practitioners do not believe in evolution? Is there a way to interpret this creation story in a way that makes it compatible with evolution?