Sixteen Principal Odu
Name	1	2	3	4
Ogbe	I	I	I	I
Oyẹku	II	II	II	II
Iwori	II	I	I	II
Odi	I	II	II	I
Irosun	I	I	II	II
Iwọnrin	II	II	I	I
Ọbara	I	II	II	II
Ọkanran	II	II	II	I
Ogunda	I	I	I	II
Ọsa	II	I	I	I
Ika	II	I	II	II
Oturupọn	II	II	I	II
Otura	I	II	I	I
Irẹtẹ	I	I	II	I
Ọsẹ	I	II	I	II
Ofun	II	I	II	I
Sixteen Principal Afa-du (Yeveh Vodou)
Name	1	2	3	4
Eji-Ogbe	I	I	I	I
Ọyeku-Meji	II	II	II	II
Iwori-Meji	II	I	I	II
Odi-Meji	I	II	II	I
Irosun-Meji	I	II	II	II
Ọwanrin-Meji	II	II	II	I
Ọbara-Meji	I	I	II	II
Ọkanran-Meji	II	II	I	I
Ogunda-Meji	I	I	I	II
Ọsa-Meji	II	I	I	I
Ika-Meji	I	I	II	I
Oturupon-Meji	I	II	I	I
Otua-Meji	II	II	I	II
Irete-Maji	II	I	II	II
Ọse-Meji	I	II	I	II
Ofu meji	II	I	II	I

Ifá refers to the system of divination

Divination

Divination is the attempt to gain insight into a question or situation by way of an occultic standardized process or ritual...

 and the verses of the literary corpus known as the Odú Ifá. Yoruba religion identifies Orunmila

Orunmila

In the Yoruba religion, Orunmila is the Yoruba Grand Priest and custodian of Ifá. This source of knowledge is believed to have a keen understanding of the human form and of purity, praised as being often more effective than remedies; his followers and priests are known as Babalawo.- Mythical...

 as the Grand Priest; as that which revealed Oracle divinity to the world. Such is his association with the Oracle divinity; in some instances, the term "Orunmila" is used interchangeably with Ifá.

Originating in West Africa

West Africa

West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of the African continent. Geopolitically, the UN definition of Western Africa includes the following 16 countries and an area of approximately 5 million square km:-Flags of West Africa:...

 in the form of a stringent Yoruba

Yoruba people

The Yoruba people are one of the largest ethnic groups in West Africa. The majority of the Yoruba speak the Yoruba language...

 philosophy; celebrated in traditional African medicine

Traditional African medicine

Traditional African medicine is a holistic discipline involving indigenous herbalism and African spirituality, typically involving diviners, midwives, and herbalists...

, Santería

Santería

Santería is a syncretic religion of West African and Caribbean origin influenced by Roman Catholic Christianity, also known as Regla de Ocha, La Regla Lucumi, or Lukumi. Its liturgical language, a dialect of Yoruba, is also known as Lucumi....

 (referred to as Lukumi), Candomblé

Candomblé

Candomblé is an African-originated or Afro-Brazilian religion, practised chiefly in Brazil by the "povo de santo" . It originated in the cities of Salvador, the capital of Bahia and Cachoeira, at the time one of the main commercial crossroads for the distribution of products and slave trade to...

, West African & Diaspora Vodou, and similarly in Orisa'Ifa lineages all over the globe.

Yorùbá canon

In the Yoruba religion, divination

Divination

Divination is the attempt to gain insight into a question or situation by way of an occultic standardized process or ritual...

 gives priests unreserved access to the teachings of Orunmila

Orunmila

In the Yoruba religion, Orunmila is the Yoruba Grand Priest and custodian of Ifá. This source of knowledge is believed to have a keen understanding of the human form and of purity, praised as being often more effective than remedies; his followers and priests are known as Babalawo.- Mythical...

. Esu

Eshu

Èṣù is both an orisha and one of the most well-known deities of the Yoruba mythology and its related New World traditions.He has a wide range of responsibilities: the protector of travelers, deity of roads, particularly...

, is seen as being in charge of justice and the transportation of ebos, one said to lend authority (ase) to the oracle during provision of direction and or clarification of counsel. Ifa divination rites are claimed to provide an avenue of communication to the spiritual realm

Spirit

The English word spirit has many differing meanings and connotations, most of them relating to a non-corporeal substance contrasted with the material body.The spirit of a living thing usually refers to or explains its consciousness.The notions of a person's "spirit" and "soul" often also overlap,...

.

Togo canon

In Togo

Togo

Togo, officially the Togolese Republic , is a country in West Africa bordered by Ghana to the west, Benin to the east and Burkina Faso to the north. It extends south to the Gulf of Guinea, on which the capital Lomé is located. Togo covers an area of approximately with a population of approximately...

, Ifá is known as Afa, where the Vodou deities come through and speak. In many of their Egbes, it is Alaundje who is honored as the first Bokono to have been taught how to divine the destiny of humans using the holy system of Afa. The Ifa Divination system was added in 2005 by UNESCO

UNESCO

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...

 to its list of "Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity

Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity

The Proclamation of Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity was made by the Director-General of UNESCO starting in 2001 to raise awareness on intangible cultural heritage and encourage local communities to protect them and the local people who sustain these forms of cultural...

".

Divination

Performing Ifa divination is called Ifa dida or idafa (or dida owo and ounte ale). Ifa dida / Idafa is performed by a Babalawo or Iyalawo or iyanifa (an initiated priest or priestess). Babalawo can be translated as "father of the secrets" while "Iyalawo" {mother of secret} or sometimes "Iyanifa" means "mother that has Ifa(i.e. its blessing)". The babalawo or iyanifa provides insights about the current circumstances impacting the life of a person requesting this information and provides any necessary information to aid the individual. Awo is a reference for devotees in Orisa worship. It includes Babalawos, Iyalawo,Iyanifas, Babalorishas, Iyalorishas and even uninitiated devotees.

Etiquette

Initiation into Ifa requires rigorous study. A Babalawo must learn and understand each of the 256 chapters (Odu) of Ifa. The minimum of four verses will of necessity include ebos and ooguns (medicine) that are embedded and relevant to each of the verses, plus other issues that complement divination. An accomplished Babalawo must know about ten verses of each of the 256 chapters of Ifa (256 Odu Ifa). Regardless of gender, whoever aspires to practice Ifa must have this qualification. In essence, Ifa practice does not preclude a woman provided such woman acquires the required qualification.
Odu—a special Orisa—can only be received by a Babalawo who decides to perform the special initiation that will allow him access to Odu. In essence, initiation into Ifa is the first step towards initiation into Odu. A woman cannot be initiated into Odu. This is because since she already has a womb, she has no need to receive Odu. It can be said to be redundant.
Character Traits of a Awo: Orunmila demands humility from his priests and priestesses, therefore, a Babalawo should be an embodiment of patience, good character, honesty, and humility.

On the other hand, in Cuba and parts of Nigeria such as Ode Remo, the position of the Iyanifa as a divining priestess of Ifa is hotly contested on the grounds that in the Ifa Odus Ogunda Ka and Oshe Yekun, no one can become a full Awo Ifa without the presence of Odun, and in the Odu Ifa Irete Ntelu (Irete Ogbe), Odun herself says that she would only marry Orunmila

Orunmila

In the Yoruba religion, Orunmila is the Yoruba Grand Priest and custodian of Ifá. This source of knowledge is believed to have a keen understanding of the human form and of purity, praised as being often more effective than remedies; his followers and priests are known as Babalawo.- Mythical...

 if he promised not to permit women to be in the same room as her. These views appear to be confirmed by books published in Nigeria as far back as the 19th century. For instance, the eminent Yoruba author James Johnson

James Johnson (Reverend)

James 'Holy' Johnson was a prominent clergyman and one of the first African members of Nigeria's Legislative Council.-Early Life:James Johnson was born in Sierra Leone in 1836 to liberated African parents of Yoruba origin....

 wrote in one of the most detailed early descriptions of Ifa that "Whenever this should be the case, a woman would receive from a Babalawo only one Ikin or Consecrated Palm nut called Eko, which she would carry about her body for her protection, and whenever divination should recommend and prescribe to her sacrifice to Ifa, she would, for the time being, hand over her Eko either to her husband or to her brother, or any other male relative according to prescription, who would include it in his own Ikins for the purpose of the worship and sacrifice in which she would participate." William Bascom, the foremost academic authority on Ifa up until the time of his death, also stated that "only men can become babalawo" and that he never encountered a single female Ifa priest acting as a diviner during any of his extensive field studies in the cities of Ife, Igana, Meko, Oyo, Ilesa, Abeokuta, Osogbo, Sagamu, Ilara, Ondo, Ijebu Ode or Ekiti in Yorubaland in 1937-38, 1950–51, in 1960 and 1965, nor did any of his informants mention such a thing. Sources from Yorubaland

Yorùbáland

Yorubaland, or Yorùbáland , is a cultural region in Nigeria, Benin, and Togo that includes the indigenous territory and cultural reach of the Yoruba people.- History :-Settlement:Oduduwa is regarded as the legendary progenitor of the Yoruba...

 going back to the mid-19th century clearly state that only men can become Ifa diviners.. The idea that any woman's womb is the equivalent of Odu, the force that created the universe, is not a tenable one to traditionalists. This is the theological equivalent to a man who might want to claim to be a Babalawo without initiation due to the virtue of having male genitalia as does the Orisha Orunmila.

Apetebi is a title given to the wife of a Babalawo. Apetebi is the name Orunmila gave to his wife, whom he cured from leprosy before giving birth to his child. This is from the Sacred Odu Ifa Obara Ogunda.

Iyanifa is the title of an initiated female priestess of IFA.

Process

Special instruments are used to assist in the divination

Divination

Divination is the attempt to gain insight into a question or situation by way of an occultic standardized process or ritual...

 to transcribe Orunmila

Orunmila

In the Yoruba religion, Orunmila is the Yoruba Grand Priest and custodian of Ifá. This source of knowledge is believed to have a keen understanding of the human form and of purity, praised as being often more effective than remedies; his followers and priests are known as Babalawo.- Mythical...

's wisdom through the diviner. The items used for divination include:

• a group of sixteen Ikin
  Oil palm
  The oil palms comprise two species of the Arecaceae, or palm family. They are used in commercial agriculture in the production of palm oil. The African Oil Palm Elaeis guineensis is native to West Africa, occurring between Angola and Gambia, while the American Oil Palm Elaeis oleifera is native to...
  
  , commonly known as sacred palm nuts, which are used to create binary
  Binary file
  A binary file is a computer file which may contain any type of data, encoded in binary form for computer storage and processing purposes; for example, computer document files containing formatted text...
  
   data
• Dust from the Irosun tree (Iyerosun)
• a vessel for the seeds (Ajere Ifa)
• a divination tray (Opon Ifa).
• a tapper instrument (Iroke Ifa)
• a fly whisk (Irukere Ifa)
• beaded belts for the babalawo/iyanifa to wear (this is not required)
  • another form of divination is with the Opele, though Ikin is considered superior
• Ifa dida, meaning Ifa consultation also sometimes referred to as Dafa
• Odù (see Odù Ifá below) revelation (one of possible 256 combinations) and the oral recitation - consultation (ese Ifa)
• the "prescription" or advice of what is needed at this particular junction of life. It is believed that ebo (ritual) & bibo (appeasement rites) fit into a category referred to as Ọwọ̀n (necessity) of Odù Ifá; Ọwọ̀nrín Méjí, this "necessity or void" once filled is what the deities will use in bringing ones prayers into fruition.
• Ifa divination process of "prescription" is organized in three segments in a specific order 1) Ifa Dida (divination) 2) Ebo (ritual rites) 3) Oogun (medicine or healing)

The (opon Ifa) or tray and (iroke Ifa) or tapper are used in Ifa divination, a central ritual within Ifa tradition. This tray, adorned with carved images and dusted with powder, serves as the template on which sacred signs (odu) related to the personal concerns of a diviner's client are traced as the point of departure for analysis. In contrast to those transitory signs, the more permanent backdrop of the carved motifs on the tapper and tray constitutes an artistic exegesis

Exegesis

Exegesis is a critical explanation or interpretation of a text, especially a religious text. Traditionally the term was used primarily for exegesis of the Bible; however, in contemporary usage it has broadened to mean a critical explanation of any text, and the term "Biblical exegesis" is used...

 of the forces that shape human experience and the universal needs fulfilled by such quests for enlightenment

Enlightenment (spiritual)

Enlightenment in a secular context often means the "full comprehension of a situation", but in spiritual terms the word alludes to a spiritual revelation or deep insight into the meaning and purpose of all things, communication with or understanding of the mind of God, profound spiritual...

.

To initiate the ritual

Ritual

A ritual is a set of actions, performed mainly for their symbolic value. It may be prescribed by a religion or by the traditions of a community. The term usually excludes actions which are arbitrarily chosen by the performers....

, the babalawo

Babalawo

Babalawo is a Yorùbá chieftaincy title that denotes a Priest of Ifá. Ifa is a divination system that represents the teachings of the Orisha Orunmila, the Spirit of Wisdom, who in turn serves as the oracular representative of God...

/iyanifa places the tray in front of him and taps rhythmically on it with the pointed end of the tapper, invoking the presence of Orunmila, past diviners, and other Orisa.

There are a variety of Ikin (sacred palm nuts) that are available, but only 4 "eyes" ikin must be used for ifa divination. The Ikin (sacred palm nuts) are grouped in one hand, then the diviner attempts to shift them all to his/her other hand at once, and counts the remaining Ikin left, hopefully to discover that either one or two remain. (Odu

Odu

Odu may refer to* Old Dominion University , a university located in Norfolk, Virginia, U.S.*Odu , a 1998 album by King Sunny Adé*Nnamdi Oduamadi , Nigerian footballer known by the nickname Odu...

, which are the foundation of the binary data, can only be marked with either one or two palm nuts, remaining in the diviner's original hand. As this process goes on, the diviner marks single or double marks in wood powder spread on his divination tray until he or she has created one of the 256 odus that are available.

Each of these odus is associated with a traditional set of Ese (poetic tutorials), often relating to Yoruba religion, which explain their divinatory meaning. These tutorials represent thousands of years of observation and are filled with predictions, and both mundane and spiritual prescriptions that resolve issues found in that Odu. Within Ifa, Believers find all the knowledge of the world past, present. and future.

After obtaining the Odu that governs a situation or event, the diviner then determines whether the Odu comes with Ire (signifies good outcome; good times; good news; goodluck; e.t.c) or Ibi (which could be viewed as obstacles or impediments to success). After this process the diviner now determines appropriate offerings, spiritual disclipines and/or behavioral changes that are Ọwọ̀n - necessary to bring, keep or compel success for the person receiving divinatory counsel.

Odù Ifá

There are sixteen major books in Odu Ifa literary corpus. When combined there are total of 256 Odu (a collection of sixteen, each of which has sixteen alternatives ⇔ 16^2, or 4^4) believed to reference all situations, circumstances, actions and consequences in life based on the uncountable ese (poetic tutorials) relative to the 256 Odu coding. These form the basis of traditional Yoruba spiritual knowledge and are the foundation of all Yoruba divination systems.

Where I is an odd count or a "heads" result, and II is an even count or a "tails" result, the sixteen basic patterns and their Yoruba names are set forth in the sidebar (please note this is only one way of ordering them, this changes depending on area within Nigeria, or the diaspora. An alternative order used in Ibadan, and Cuba is: Ejiogbe, Oyekun meji, Iwori Meji, Idi Meji, Irosun Meji, Oworin Meji, Obara Meji, Okanran Meji, Ogunda Meji, Osa Meji, Ika Meji, Oturupon Meji, Otura Meji, Irete Meji, Oshe Meji, Ofun Meji. Heepa Odu! This is important to note as it changes the outcomes of certain parts of the reading).

The babalawo recites a series of poems with proverbs and stories from the Ifa poetry that go with that choice. The final interpretation is made by the person seeking guidance, who decides how the verses that the babalawo has recited should be applied to the problem at hand. (This may be one style, however other schools of thought with Ifa have the Diviner interpreting what Ifa says and not simply chanting and leaving it to the client) Though the number of symbols is different, the Chinese

China

Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...

 I Ching

I Ching

The I Ching or "Yì Jīng" , also known as the Classic of Changes, Book of Changes and Zhouyi, is one of the oldest of the Chinese classic texts...

 divination system also bears some resemblance to Ifa divination. Like the I Ching, Ifa combines a large body of wisdom literature

Wisdom literature

Wisdom literature is the genre of literature common in the Ancient Near East. This genre is characterized by sayings of wisdom intended to teach about divinity and about virtue...

 with a system for selecting the appropriate passages from it. Unlike the I Ching, however, Ifa poetry is not written down but passed down orally from one babalawo to another. Today, there are many texts that are designed to help Babalawos to learn and retain the huge corpus of knowledge.

Belief

Believers deem Ifa as being nothing but the "truth"; functioning to the devoted as not only a system of guidance, but one that fuses way of living with the psychological, providing them with a legitimate course of action that is genuine and unequivocal.

Glossary

• Babalawo or Awo Ifa
  Babalawo
  Babalawo is a Yorùbá chieftaincy title that denotes a Priest of Ifá. Ifa is a divination system that represents the teachings of the Orisha Orunmila, the Spirit of Wisdom, who in turn serves as the oracular representative of God...
  
  . Male Ifa Priest, literally means Father of secrets
• Awo Alatese. This group of Awo have their own specialization within Ifa, mastering the aspects of Ifa preparations
• Bokono/Bokonon. (male/female) Priest of Afa/Vodoun
• Obomila.(male) priest of Iha/Ifain Benin
• Ohen.(male or female)Diviner and Priest
• Amengansie. Female oracle priest of Afa/Vodoun (matrilineally inherited).
• Akapo. Contrary to common diasporan belief, this is NOT another name for a Babalawo. Rather, it refers to a Babalawo's apprentice who carries the bag (apo in yoruba) containing the Babalawo's divining instruments and related materials. (contradicting view, Apako, does actually refer to babalawos, not just an apprentice, as all babalawos and Orunmila himself, carry their own Ifa in a specially designed bag).
• Iyanifa. Female Ifa Priest, can also be a title within an Ifa community or temple, thus Iya ni Ifa, mother who has the knowledge of Ifa, she may also know how to recite Ifa even as a child video seen here. There is some controversy even in Nigeria, not all areas accept Iyanifa. There are several youtube videos of interviews of chief priests in Ode Remo.
• Dida Obi. Divination with kola nuts of four or more pieces.
• Ifa dida. Divination of Ifa, using any Ifa divination items (Opele or Ikin etc.)
• Dida Owo. Divination with cowrie shells.
• Ifa Dida. (meaning Ifa Divination), casting of Ifa on Opon Ifa
• Ohunte Ale. Inscribing or marking Odu on the Opon Ifa
• Opon Ifa. Divining tray of Ifa, used by a Babalawo
• Oròrò Ifá - Narration or declaration during the divination or during the advisement following divination. (read more on Oròrò Ifá HERE)
• Ifa Rere. Gentle Character - of Ifa ethics
• Ifa Pele. Cool Character - of Ifa ethics
• Orunmila
  Orunmila
  In the Yoruba religion, Orunmila is the Yoruba Grand Priest and custodian of Ifá. This source of knowledge is believed to have a keen understanding of the human form and of purity, praised as being often more effective than remedies; his followers and priests are known as Babalawo.- Mythical...
  
  . Prophet that developed and spread the Ifa divination system. Orunmila is second only to Olodumare/Olorun (God, or Supreme Being), and is without earthly lineage. He embodies the principles of Ifa.
• Orisha
  Orisha
  An Orisha is a spirit or deity that reflects one of the manifestations of Olodumare in the Yoruba spiritual or religious system....
  
  . Primordial energies (Ìṣẹ̀ṣe) from which all living things emanate; The deities that represent various manifestations of God, Olodumare.
• Iya Nla
  Iya Nla
  Followers of the Yoruba religion believe that Ìyá Nlá, or "Our Mothers", is a spiritual force that gives them access to the "Forces of Nature" and the wisdom of their ancestors. They believe that this force is the source of life and social harmony. They believe that dedicated followers will gain...
  
  . Ìyá àgbà, the Womb of Creation, Womb of existence, the fearful power, the Mother of the closed calabash
  Calabash
  Lagenaria siceraria , bottle gourd, opo squash or long melon is a vine grown for its fruit, which can either be harvested young and used as a vegetable, or harvested mature, dried, and used as a bottle, utensil, or pipe. For this reason, the calabash is widely known as the bottle gourd...
  
  , the Mother of the Gourd
  Gourd
  A gourd is a plant of the family Cucurbitaceae. Gourd is occasionally used to describe crops like cucumbers, squash, luffas, and melons. The term 'gourd' however, can more specifically, refer to the plants of the two Cucurbitaceae genera Lagenaria and Cucurbita or also to their hollow dried out shell...
  
  , who teaches humankind through Awon Iya Wa how to acquire the cosmic knowledge to understand life, balance and the harmony in their life.
• Irunmole. Primordial deities (Ìṣẹ̀ṣe), first sent to earth to make the world habitable for humankind, also the full spectrum of deities (Orisha) created by Olodumare the Creator for worship and veneration numbering 400+1 as an infinite number of nature's manifestation and recreation, also differs from Orisha yet some Irunmole are Orisha.
• Ìṣẹ̀ṣe. The name Ìṣẹ̀ṣe can be used to describe several things within the Yoruba tradition, i) Ìṣẹ̀ṣe is considered ones Progenitors, ii) all the Primordial Beings of Creation are also Ìṣẹ̀ṣe, iii) the collective of the Irunmole are Ìṣẹ̀ṣe, iv) also Ìṣẹ̀ṣe is another term used to encapsulate this tradition of Ifa/Orisa as a whole.... Ìṣẹ̀ṣe in this regard means Traditionalism(read more on Ìṣẹ̀ṣe HERE)
• Ifa dida / Dafa. Dida is to perform divination and dafa means act of casting Ikin Ifa (sacred holy palm kernel
  Palm kernel
  Many plants and trees like olive, soybean, canola, sunflower and coconut palm produce one type of oil. The fruits of the oil palm tree, however, yields two distinct oils - palm oil and palm kernel oil....
  
  ) for divination purpose and divine direction in life
• Apetebii. is the wife of a Babalawo, she is one of the few titled positions within the Yoruba tradition and holds an important position within the tradition and culture, she will assist her husband in the worship and appeasement of his Ifa, and help to teach children the fundaments of worshipping Ifa as a philosophy. This is not simply a title, but has accompanying initiations that must be performed to hold this title. Can also be referred to as Iyanifa interchangeably.
• Ayafa. this wife is often "married" to the Ifa of a Babalawo and can also be married to another man, or even a female child before marriage age or the girl child of a Babalawo who by "marrying" to Ifa, this is a symbolic ceremony and will convey certain blessing and protection to the female.
• Itefa, Itelodu, Elegan are different degrees of the initiation
  Initiation
  Initiation is a rite of passage ceremony marking entrance or acceptance into a group or society. It could also be a formal admission to adulthood in a community or one of its formal components...
  
   process. It is the ritual of performing one's initiation or rite of passage
  Rite of passage
  A rite of passage is a ritual event that marks a person's progress from one status to another. It is a universal phenomenon which can show anthropologists what social hierarchies, values and beliefs are important in specific cultures....
  
  , to determine one's purpose or destiny
  Destiny
  Destiny or fate refers to a predetermined course of events. It may be conceived as a predetermined future, whether in general or of an individual...
  
  . It is important to note that performing Itefa alone does not make one a Babalawo
  Babalawo
  Babalawo is a Yorùbá chieftaincy title that denotes a Priest of Ifá. Ifa is a divination system that represents the teachings of the Orisha Orunmila, the Spirit of Wisdom, who in turn serves as the oracular representative of God...
  
   or Iyanifa; Itefa is one of many steps of apprenticeship to become a Babalawo (a diviner/healer/counsellor). Itefa is the initiation into Ifa generally. Itelodu, which is the complete and most comprehensive, is the Ifa initiation which has the presence of the mysteries of Odu
  Odu
  Odu may refer to* Old Dominion University , a university located in Norfolk, Virginia, U.S.*Odu , a 1998 album by King Sunny Adé*Nnamdi Oduamadi , Nigerian footballer known by the nickname Odu...
  
   and also involves the process of stepping of "Oke Ipori" at a specially-prepared space with Opa Osun called "Ojuore", which represents and re-enacts the boundary between heaven and earth – the location where each person chooses "Ipin" to fine-tune, as a way of being aligned while elegan (not done everywhere in Nigeria) is a type of Itefa without the mysteries of Odu and Oju Ore.
• Ifá. Is the word of Olodumare encompassing all knowledge of things past, present and future. It is sometimes used interchangeably as the name for the orisha deity Orunmila
  Orunmila
  In the Yoruba religion, Orunmila is the Yoruba Grand Priest and custodian of Ifá. This source of knowledge is believed to have a keen understanding of the human form and of purity, praised as being often more effective than remedies; his followers and priests are known as Babalawo.- Mythical...
  
  . Orunmila is the orisha of wisdom and knowledge, who created the system and method for accessing the knowledge of Ifa; and so during the ritual of divination a "client" is said to "consult Ifà". *D'afa or more appropriately Ifa dida, is the name of the divination ritual itself where one accesses specific verses in the Odu Ifá (the Yoruba sacred texts) given to the priest through arrangements of the sacred palm nuts cast in divination.
• Iwa
  IWA
  IWA may refer to:*Independent Wrestling Association Mid-South*Indian Workers' Association*Industrial, Wood and Allied Workers of Canada , an autonomous branch of the former International Woodworkers of America trade union...
  
  (character) is one of or perhaps the most important human endeavor taught within Ifa literary corpus and every Ifa stanza
  Stanza
  In poetry, a stanza is a unit within a larger poem. In modern poetry, the term is often equivalent with strophe; in popular vocal music, a stanza is typically referred to as a "verse"...
  
   (or verse) has one portion dedicated to the issue of teaching the Iwa (character or behaviour) that Ifa supports. This Iwa, which Ifa teaches transcends religious doctrine, is central to every human being, and imparts communal, social and civic responsibility that the Creator (Olodumare) supports. Central to this, is the theme of righteousness
  Righteousness
  Righteousness is an important theological concept in Zoroastrianism, Hinduism , Judaism, Christianity and Islam...
  
   and practicing good moral behaviour, not seeking for it in the community but becoming an ambassador of Iwa.

Ifá invest with me,

As Éjìwòrì invested interest in his protégée,

Ifá smile upon me,.

Names

Ifa priests, devotees, celebrants and believers sometimes inherit names related to the divinity; typically, but not necessarily, beginning with the term ‘Ifa’, like Ifadairo, Ifabiyi, Ifadare, Ifabunmi, etc. The first "I" in these names may be omitted to form Fadairo, Fabiyi, Fadare, Fabunmi, Falola, etc. The prefix "Awo" is also used in names ascribing Ifa or the fellowship - Awolalu, Awodele, Awolowo, Awosika, etc.

Audio & Video

• EkoFa Podcast also an iTunes podcast
• Babalawo in Nigeria performing traditional Ibofa-appeasement rites video
• Entertainment music of Ifa
• Performing Iwefa - cleansing rites video

Resources

• Charles Spencer King Nature's Ancient Religion: Orisha Worship & IFA ISBN 1-44041-733-4
• Charles Spencer King IFA Y Los Orishas: La Religion Antigua De LA Naturaleza ISBN 1-46102-898-1
• Awo Falokun Fatunmbi Dafa: Ifa Divination
• Awo Falokun Fatunmbi Awo: Ifa & the Theology of Orisha Divination
• Awo Falokun Fatunmbi Ibase Orisa
• Chief FAMA Fundamentals of the Yoruba Religion (Orisa Worship) ISBN 0971494908
• Chief FAMA Practitioners' Handbook for the Ifa Professional ISBN 0971494932
• Chief FAMA Fundamentos de la Religion Yoruba (Adorando Orisa) ISBN 0971494967
• Chief FAMA Sixteen Mythological Stories of Ifa (Itan Ifa Merindinlogun) ISBN 096442472X
• Chief FAMA FAMA'S EDE AWO (Orisa Yoruba Dictionary) ISBN 0964424789
• Chief FAMA The Rituals (novela) ISBN 0964424770
• Awo Fasina Falade Ifa: The Key to Its Understanding ISBN 0966313232
• Chief Adedoja Aluko The Sixteen (16) Major Odu Ifa from Ile-Ife ISBN 978373766X
• Chief Hounon-Amengansie, Mama Zogbé (Vivian Hunter Hindrew) Mami Wata: Africa's Ancient God/dess Unveiled Vol. I ISBN 09716244542
• Chief S. Solagbade Popoola library, INC Ifa Dida: Vol 1 (EjiOgbe - Orangun Meji), ISBN 9780981001319
• C. Osamaro Ibie Ifism the Complete Works of Orunmila ISBN 1890157058
• William R. Bascom: Ifa Divination: Communication Between Gods and Men in West Africa ISBN 0253206383
• William R. Bascom: Sixteen Cowries: Yoruba Divination from Africa to the New World ISBN 0253208475
• Iyanifa Ileana S. Alcamo "The Challenge growing within the Orisa Community" ISBN 1890157317
• Rosenthal, J. ‘Possession Ecstasy & Law in Ewe Voodoo" ISBN 0-8139-1805-7
• Maupoil, Bernard. "La Geomancie L'ancienne Côte des Esclaves
• Alapini, Julien. Les noix sacrées. Etude complète de Fa-Ahidégoun génie de la sagesse et de la divination au Dahomey
• Iyalaja Ileana Alcamo (2007). The Source Iya Nla Primordial Yoruba Mother, Athelia Henrietta Press, Inc. ISBN 1-890157-41-4
• Dr. Ron Eglash (1997) American Anthropologist Recursion in ethnomathematics, Chaos Theory
  Chaos theory
  Chaos theory is a field of study in mathematics, with applications in several disciplines including physics, economics, biology, and philosophy. Chaos theory studies the behavior of dynamical systems that are highly sensitive to initial conditions, an effect which is popularly referred to as the...
  
  in West African divination.
• Dr. Reginald O. Crosley (2000) The Voudou Quantum Leap ISBN 1567181732
• Fakayode Fayemi Fatunde (2004) "Osun, The Manly Woman". New York: Athelia Henrietta Press ISBN 1890157368
• Fakayode Fayemi Fatunde (2011) "Iwure: Efficacious Prayer to Olodumare, The Supreme Force". Ibadan: Ejiodi Home of Tradition ISBN 9789789154029
• Awoyinfa Ifaloju writing on "Ifa Speaks" published articles on Ifa ideology, philosophy & cosmology

External links

• Ifa Foundation of North & Latin America
• West African Orisa Tradition of Nigeria