The Yoruba spiritual calendar year begins the first week of June at the Agbonnerigun, or Ifa festival which is held each year in the sacred city of Ile Ife. All the Orisas are invoked and prayers are said for the entire world. Offerings are also made to the Orisas.
The blessing of wealth/money is the prediction for the year, which came down in the Odu, Ogbe Ogunda. Along with the blessing of wealth, the elders wish you the blessing of wisdom to move your life, relationships, your community and your dreams forward in a positive way. Ire O!
The Ifa temple is located on top of the Itase mountain. I’ve never been inside the sacred temple, nor have I ever had the opportunity to attend the yearly Ifa festival. But attending this yearly celebration is definitely on my growing “things to do” list.
When I reflect on the Ifa festival, I reflect on a comment made by Yoruba scholar Wande Abimbola, in his book, “Ifa Will Mend Our Broken World.” Abimbola says “There isn’t a single holiday to celebrate any traditional event in Africa. Not one! They have holidays to celebrate many Muslim and Christian events in Africa, but not one day is left for traditional people.”
As the sacred and philosophical teachings of Ifa continue to spread worldwide, we pray that our own people will make peace with our spiritual traditions and see the value of transmitting them on to the next generation. Ire o!
Film producer, James Weeks, says he’s guided by three things: the power of visions, the power of stories and the wisdom of the heart.
And once you allow yourself to be guided by these three principles, you can’t go wrong, he insists.
That’s how Weeks began a recent speech at Harvard University. The charismatic, Oakland-based producer was on campus to discuss the core themes of his upcoming documentary film, Across The King’s River, which goes into production in the summer of 2012.
Directed by Emmy-award filmmaker, Stanley Nelson, Across The King’s River explores the sacred and healing traditions of Africa while following Weeks and his daughter on their quest for transformation in the Motherland.
“It’s essentially a film about finding and fulfilling your life’s purpose, but we also hope to inspire others to follow their visions,” Weeks explains.
Why does he always emphasize visions, stories and the heart?
“It’s simple,” he says. “If you’re not clear about your vision, you’ll be tempted to stop when you should move forward. Stories are important. The story of who you are and where you’ve been can bring healing to others. The heart is a seat of high wisdom and you must learn to trust it. The heart always knows, but the head always doubts,” Weeks says.
Across The King’s River gives viewers a rare glimpse of three African cultures: the Yoruba of Southwest Nigeria, the Lebu people of Senegal, and the Dagara of Burkina Faso. The film also explores the connection between African spiritual traditions and modern science.
Donna Christensen, Virgin Islands Delegate to Congress, strongly supports the upcoming film. “As a doctor and as a student of history, I am interested in learning about any new perspectives that this documentary will share with the world. It is an important link to how humans have dealt with health and healing throughout the centuries. It can only add to what the scientific and historical community knows about the experiences of people on this planet.”
Charles Finch, M.D. former Director of International Health at Morehouse College, says, A documentary detailing the ideas, philosophies, and healing approaches of a group of Yoruba sages – with a special focus on Ifa – is timely and germane to the challenges facing the 21st century.”
In this delightful lecture punctuated with humor, insight and personal anecdotes, Chief Babalawo Oluwole Ifakunle, affectionately known as the “Babalawo of Harlem,” gives an overview of Ifa divination and the role it can play in our lives.
I recently met Baba Ifakunle at a conference at Harvard University entitled “Sacred Healing and Wholeness in Africa and the Americas.” The symposium and the lecture was organized by Funlayo Wood, a doctoral student in African and African-American studies at Harvard.
“We can see into the future if we know how to read signs and symbols. It’s about the synchronicity of life,” says Baba Ifakunle, a professional diviner who was initiated into Obatala and Ifa more than 20 years ago. “Divination is an attempt to see beyond our five senses and to understand the root causes and solutions to issues that we might be facing.”
“Ifa is about balance,” he adds. “The work that I’ve done has been rewarding to me. It has been life – changing to me and to others.”
I was struck by Baba Ifakunle’s warmth and sincerity when I met him. It was refreshing to meet another Awo who is passionate about his craft and the clients he serves. In the lecture below, Baba Ifakunle talks briefly about his childhood, and how he was visited by Spirits at an early age.
He also discusses Obi divination, the importance of “iwa” (character) and how ancestral energies and problems are sometimes transmitted from one generation to the next. And he spoke of how “diviners are born – not made”. Baba Ifakunle insists that one of the ultimate goals of a diviner is transcendence, becoming one with the universal energies.
As a student diviner, I was inspired as he recounted how Ifa divination helped him cure one client of cancer. And I laughed when I heard the story about the African who could have won the New York lottery but unfortunately did not. Oh well!
For more information about Baba Ifakunle, or if you’re interested in readings, orisa-inspired products, or to book one of his dynamic lectures, you can visit him at Baba Ifakunle’s website
The power of visions, the importance of stories, and the wisdom of the heart! I began my speech at Harvard University on April 13th with these gems that guide me on my journey as a filmmaker.
I’ll share a clip of that speech in a few days, but for now I just want to thank Funlayo Wood for having the vision and the tenacity to organize the day long event that was entitled: Sacred Healing in Africa and the Americas.
Even though “Across The King’s River” is still in pre-production, it was a huge step for us to kick off our first major speaking event at Harvard. The best is yet to come.
But back to your visions and your stories and trusting the wisdom of your heart! Your visions and your experiences are interested in YOU. They are trying to take YOU somewhere. Are YOU ready to go?
“An ancient legacy worthy of the most profound reflection! A classic of African and world literature! One of the great sacred texts of the world!”
This is how one leading African-American scholar describes the Odu Ifa, the sacred, texts of the Yoruba people of Southwest Africa, that traditionally, were transmitted orally from generation to the next.
In his book, Odu Ifa: The Ethical Teachings, Maulana Karenga, best known as the founder of Kwanzaa, says: “The Odu Ifa is a corpus of sacred texts designed to answer questions of human life through the process of divination. But they also contain a wealth of knowledge and teachings in various fields including, art, ethics, literature, medicine, history and religion.”
“We are told throughout the texts that we must be good parents, sons and daughters, friends and fellow human beings and that we should respect our elders and ancestors, with the understanding that our togetherness in harmony enhances our ability to bring, give and receive good in the world,” says Karenga.
“The Odu Ifa also reminds us of our obligation to the earth. It urges us to avoid plundering, polluting and depleting the earth in our pursuit of wealth and comfort,” adds Karenga.
There are a total of 256sacred odus in Ifa, and it is believed that Orunmila, the orisa of wisdom, brought these mystic symbols from heaven to earth to guide humanity and to help people shape their lives. The first two disciples of Orunmila were Akoda and Aseda. It is said that Akoda taught Ifa divination to the world and Aseda served as an advisor to the elders.
Orunmila knows the past, the present and the future, and is sometimes described as a scholar who speaks all languages or as “the little black man whose head is full of wisdom.” It is believed that Orunmila witnessed the creation of the universe and can unlock the secrets of your destiny because of his intimate knowledge of all things.
In one of the sacred texts of Ifa, Orunmila says: “Great wisdom is the key to getting great wisdom. If we don’t learn great wisdom, we can’t learn strong medicine. If we don’t learn strong medicine, we can’t cure serious illness. If we can’t cure serious illness, we don’t earn great wealth. If we don’t earn great wealth, we can’t do great things.”
Other verses stress the importance truth, humility and character: “He ran briskly, he walked smartly. Sharp, brisk marching is Tiger’s style of movement. Orunmila was descending from heaven to be honorable on earth. They said that when Orunmila gets to the world, he must not show any arrogance or pride. That he must comport himself in lowliness and humility. Orunmila got to the world; he acted humbly. He was never proud. He accommodated everybody. He won honor and dignity.”
The Odu Ifa also represent energy patterns. “The odus are divine forces which are applicable to every event in the past as well as in the future. Each odu indicates that there is an order and pattern in the events of human life,” says the late Afolabi Epega, in the book, Obi Divination.
“For every major event in your life, you need an odu to guide you,” Epega adds. “The odus represent all the activities in the universe. There are 16 major odus. The first two major odus, Eji Ogbe and Oyeku Meji are the two cosmic forces that represent male and female energy.”
“Ejiogbe represents the masculine force and Oyeku meji represents the feminine force. Ejiogbe and Oyeku Meji gave birth to the remaining 14 major odus. Like the universe, each odu consists of a pair of opposites: finite and infinite, odd and even, hot and cold, positive and negative, good and evil, male and female. The odus are regarded as the expanding and contracting principles of human experiences,” says Epega.
This concept of duality, known as yin and yang in Asian philosophy, extends to every aspect of life and creation. The notion of absolute good or absolute evil does not exist in Ifa. Good and evil are merely two sides of the same coin. Being ill, for example, is not good, but it can be good if it forces you to re-examine your lifestyle, reflect on your values and shift your priorities. Getting a promotion at work is good – but it is also bad if it causes jealousy or gives you undue stress.
The key to understanding Ifa? It’s all about balance, character, reverence for the spirit world, the orisas and the ancestors.
It’s also about patience. Tons of patience. The Yorubas say “one who cannot follow ants – cannot follow Ifa.”
For more information about Ifa, be sure to see the upcoming documentary feature film Across The King’s River. Visit www.acrossthekingsriver.com
