[PDF] A Recitation Of Ifa Oracle Of The Yoruba eBook

Author : Afolabi A. Epega
Publisher : Harper San Francisco
Page : 584 pages
File Size : 44,37 MB
Release : 1995
Category : Religion
ISBN :

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The Ifa Oracle is an ancient African divination system that has been passed down orally through the generations. Like the hexagrams of the I Ching, the odus - or stories - that comprise the oracle are consulted for their sage advice and wisdom regarding life questions. Now, for the first time, the 256 sacred stories of the Ifa Oracle have been translated into English by Dr. Afolabi Epega, a fifth-generation Nigerian babalawo, or Ifa priest. Both classic and Western interpretations by Dr. Epega and American babalawo Philip Neimark clearly illuminate each translation, setting the context for using and understanding the power of Ifa wisdom in modern life.

Author : Sixto J Novaton
Publisher : Blue Ocean Press
Page : 0 pages
File Size : 48,89 MB
Release : 2023-02-23
Category :
ISBN : 9784902837308

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This book integrates the Ifa 16 Major Oracles of 256 Ifa Signs (16 x 16 System) with the 64 I-Ching Hexagrams (8 x 8 System) to allow readers to function with both systems independently. The Ifa Intellectual System was inscribed in 2008 on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of the Humanity. UNESCO describes the Ifa divination system as follows: "The Ifa divination system, which makes use of an extensive corpus of texts and mathematical formulas, is practiced among Yoruba communities and by the African diaspora in the Americas and the Caribbean. The word Ifa refers to the mystical figure Ifa or Orunmila, regarded by the Yoruba as the deity of wisdom and intellectual development. In contrast to other forms of divination in the region that employ spirit mediumship, Ifa divination does not rely on a person having oracular powers but rather on a system of signs that are interpreted by a diviner, the Ifa priest or babalawo, literally "the priest's father". The Ifa divination system is applied whenever an important individual or collective decision has to be made. The Ifa literary corpus, called odu, consists of 256 parts subdivided into verses called ese, whose exact number is unknown as they are constantly increasing (there are around 800 ese per odu). Each of the 256 odu has its specific divination signature, which is determined by the babalawo using sacred palm-nuts and a divination chain. The ese, considered the most important part of Ifa divination, are chanted by the priests in poetic language. The ese reflect Yoruba history, language, beliefs, cosmovision and contemporary social issues. The knowledge of Ifa has been preserved within Yoruba communities and transmitted among Ifa priests." According to Yoruba tradition, Orunmila was the being present at the time of Creation (Big Bang), therefore having knowledge of the blueprint of the universe. The Big Bang is described as the Odu, the Original Mother, the Mother of All Creation, as the Cosmic Womb that give birth to the forces of expansion and contraction that comprise the universe. These forces, which can be understood as binary in nature, assembled into 16 metaphysical patterns. From these 16 emerged another 240 combinations of expansion and contraction. These principles range from pure light (pure expansion) to pure darkness (pure contraction). We are the living embodiments of these metaphysical principles. Through research, it has been found that Ifa was developed over 11,000 years ago in N.E. Africa. The original 8-bit form of Ifa is still practiced today in Nigeria among the Yoruba and Benin (Ifa); in Benin/Dahomey among the Fon (Fa); in Togo and Ghana among the Ewe (Afa); in North Africa among the Arabs (Ilm al Raml) and (Khatt al Raml); in Madagascar among the Malagasy (Sikidy); and among the people of the African Diaspora located through N. America, S. America, & the Caribbean, found in Santeria, Candomble, Macumba, and Vodou. It is noted in the Yoruba tradition that Orunmila visited China. It is postulated that I-ching, a 6-bit binary system, is a subset of Ifa that arrived in China between 5,300 and 6,000 years ago. Readers can utilize any I Ching book with interpretation preferences along with the geomancy tetragrams in this book. Included in this book are the Sixty-four I Ching Hexagrams with unique author interpretations along with one imbedded tetragram corresponding to both Pen-Kua, and Hu-Kua Hexagrams. The Tetragrams explanations are the same sixteen geomancy codes found in the beginning of the book. This book is designed to function with both systems independently, and as explained above enhancing one another.

Author : Ra Ifagbemi Babalawo
Publisher :
Page : 0 pages
File Size : 46,80 MB
Release : 1999
Category : Ifa (Religion)
ISBN : 9781890157128

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It is gratifying to know that Min, Ra Ifagbemi has produced a manual on Obi divination. While brilliantly pioneering this subject, he has precisely and concisely created a work of great practicality. Based on the age old Yoruba Oracle Obi, this book will certainly become a standard reference for Obi divination; allowing the reader to comprehend the full potential and divine message from the mouth of the Spirit of Creation itself. Obi Abata, which is the focus of this work is the simplest Ifa Oracle. It requires no initiations nor prescribed animal sacrifices. But, be not fooled, although apparently simple, it is extremely accurate and had the power to mathematically generate one leg of the Ifa Ikin and Opele oracles. Obi, when properly cast, reveals the exact state of any situation.

Author : Carlos G. y Poenna
Publisher : Weiser Books
Page : 116 pages
File Size : 32,85 MB
Release : 2000-03-01
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9781578631490

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Clearly explains how to use dominos in divination for people who follow religious practices other than the various forms of Yoruba. The domino oracle is best known in Santeria, but is a universal oracle that may be consulted by anyone. Includes instructions for giving a reading and explains how to read combinations. For each reading y Poenna gives instructions for offerings or prayers to the Yoruba deities or Catholic saints. Glossary. Index.

Author : Sixto J. Novaton
Publisher : Blue Ocean Press
Page : 146 pages
File Size : 32,16 MB
Release : 2016-10-04
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
ISBN : 9784902837162

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Obtaining an oracle for divination from the coconut/cowrie/coin toss: This simple system has been written for those who after having dedicated much time to spiritual enlightenment, now have a need to verify their communication through a simple 'yes' or 'no' questioning system, plus a more elaborate simple binary extension.

Author : Joseph M. Murphy
Publisher : Beacon Press
Page : 209 pages
File Size : 26,92 MB
Release : 2011-08-01
Category : Religion
ISBN : 0807095621

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Santería represents the first in-depth, scholarly account of a profound way of wisdom that is growing in importance in America today. A professional academic and himself a participant in the Santería community of the Bronx for several years, Joseph Murphy offers a powerful description and insightful analysis of this African/Cuban religion. He traces the survival of an ancient spiritual path from its West African Yoruba origins, through nearly two centuries of slavery in the New World, to its presence in the urban centers of the United States, where it continues to inspire seekers with its compelling vision.

Author : Jacob K. Olupona
Publisher : Indiana University Press
Page : 390 pages
File Size : 27,43 MB
Release : 2016-02-29
Category : Performing Arts
ISBN : 025301896X

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This landmark volume compiled by Jacob K. Olupona and Rowland O. Abiodun brings readers into the diverse world of Ifá—its discourse, ways of thinking, and artistic expression as manifested throughout the Afro-Atlantic. Firmly rooting Ifá within African religious traditions, the essays consider Ifá and Ifá divination from the perspectives of philosophy, performance studies, and cultural studies. They also examine the sacred context, verbal art, and the interpretation of Ifá texts and philosophy. With essays from the most respected scholars in the field, the book makes a substantial contribution toward understanding Ifá and its role in contemporary Yoruba and diaspora cultures.

Author : Kim Marie Vaz
Publisher : Routledge
Page : 174 pages
File Size : 34,43 MB
Release : 2015-04-29
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 1317453913

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Nike Davies is one of the few African women known internationally in contemporary art circles. The Woman with the Artistic Brush traces her life history and illustrates the strategies developed by women to mitigate male rule. Presenting a critique of the woman's place in contemporary Yoruba society from the perspective of a woman who lived it, this book covers Nike's life from the time of her mother's death when Nike was six to the culmination of her dream in the creation, against severe societal odds, of a center for arts and culture that has over 120 members. Along the way, The Woman with the Artistic Brush details how Nike ran away from home and joined a traveling theater group after her father tried to arrange her marriage, subsequently married and joined in the polygynous household of a noted artist from the popular Osogbo school, and finally broke clear of that situation after suffering sixteen years of domestic violence. The Woman with the Artistic Brush is another superb contribution to the Foremother Legacies series.