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kemetic-dreams · 3 months

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Babaaláwo or Babalawo in West Africa (Babalao in Caribbean and South American Spanish and Babalaô in Brazilian Portuguese) literally means "father of secrets" in the Yoruba language. It is a spiritual title that denotes a high priest of the Ifáoracle. Ifá is a divination system that represents the teachings of the ÒrìṣàỌrunmila, the Òrìṣà of Wisdom, who in turn serves as the oracular representative of Olodumare.

Functions in society

The Babalawos are believed to ascertain the future of their clients through communication with Ifá. This is done through the interpretation of either the patterns of the divining chain known as Opele, or the sacred palm nuts called Ikin, on the traditionally wooden divination tray called Opon Ifá.

In addition to this, some of them also perform divination services on behalf of the kings and paramount chiefs of the Yoruba people. These figures, holders of chieftaincy titles like Araba and Oluwo Ifa in their own right, are members of the recognised aristocracies of the various Yoruba traditional states.

People can visit Babalawos for spiritual consultations, which is known as Dafa. The religious system as a whole has been recognized by UNESCO as a “Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity."

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sacred-goddess7 · 6 months

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..Where you come to unlock main character energy 🙏🏾🧘‍♂️📿🕯️🌱

#help reblog Tumblr family ❤️

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karmicstar · 2 years

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#knowledge #wisdom #spirituality #karmicstar #orisha #yoruba #obatala #ifa

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jeneka · 9 months

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"Les vents d'Oya", acrylic on paper, 21 X 29,7 cm

#Oya #art #acrylicpainting #illustration #characterdesign #my art #painting #hoodoo #santeria #ifa #yoruba #orishas #afro art #melaninartist #black goddess #black spirituality #ancestors

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conjuremanj · 4 months

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Cascarilla & Efun In Your Practice + Their Uses

To day in this post I want to speak on spiritual Earth, things that are made from the earth like clay, shell, this form is used different ways. This chalk is an good tool to have in your practice.

It comes from the bark of the Croton elutaria tree that is found in the Caribbean and places like South America. Also is found in traditions of western Africa.

The concept of of this is in all West African diasporic practices including Hoodoo, Vodun/Voodoo, Santeria, Candomblé, Umbanda, Palo, and others. The word 'efun' is Yoruba translates in english meaning ‘chalk.’ In the tradition like Candomblé, efun is a ritual to initiate’s where the head and body is shaved and then decorated with tribal circles or dots (as seen above) useing chalk that was made from white clay, eggshells, or limestone powder. Some practices even use it to make a cross on there arms or on the bottom of their feet before a ritual bath.

Cascarilla & Efun: Sacred White Earth. Over time after useing the bark, other African religions such as Santeria or even in hoodoo and others in the US started using crushed powder egg shells. These were easier to get.

Cascarilla: ☝️Made from white eggshells, particularly from a Black Hen.

Efun: ☝️Efun is a white chalk that is comprised of ground snail shell and white clay.

What's Are They Really Used For. It is used for a offering Butt NOT a food offering, but an offering to deities of White meaning a of high elevated energies. (God) for example. In Africa it would be to Obatala and other high level good energies.

It's used for magical writings, painting the body during rituals, and as a medicine. In the Bantu system you have 'zumbi' other African practices like Vodou uses Zombi. (Snake deity) Or the God in the Heavens and God on earth like Nyambe/Nzambe.

("A little fact the majority of the Bantu people like others in Africa were and still are Muslim and the small percentage Christian")

Cascarilla Powder: The can be sprinkle anywhere to ward off negative energy: your home, altar, bedroom & your body. Add it to your protection powder. It’s also good to used in bath & washes, even in your divinations. I can tell you it has many uses.

Cascarilla Chalk: It can be used to make sacred symbols, magickal sigils, or veve’s and definition. (Sigils used in different Vodun/Voodoo practices). Cascarilla chalk can also be used to mark boundaries for sacred space sites or decorate sacred items.

Modern Witchcraft Uses: the power of eggshell powder has become prominent among other traditions, including Wicca. However, most non-West African diasporic traditions refer to Cascarilla simply as eggshell powder.

For Cleaning: If you want to cleanse yourself, make a mix of Florida Water & Cascarilla for a simple yet effective spiritual bath simple yet effective. (You can also add dry ingredients to it) You can also add it to a premade floor wash like the Chinese wash.

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daportalpractitioner · 3 months

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just a reminder..

the types of spiritual practices an individual is able to do is not solely based on race — this is why you are able to see non-melanted people do voodoo, hoodoo, IFA, etc and it actually works for them without karmic consequences. magick doesn't work without spiritual birthrights + and when we do the work to integrate all aspects of us into our essence, we unlock those birthrights, passed down from our ancestors (shoutout nikhol rei because she talks a lot about this)

back to my point about non-melanated people engaging in spiritual practices "outside of their race", these people are able to do this without karmic consequences because somewhere down the line, they have at least one ancestor in their lineage that is not only melanated, but had the spiritual birthright to allow that practice to work for them.

with that being said, just cause you're melanated, doesn't mean that hoodoo, voodoo, IFA, etc etc is going to work for you just because you're melanated. this shit ain't skin deep like ego has perpetuated to y'all. earn the birthrights.

#daportalpractitioner #spiritualpath #spirituality #spiritual #spiritual healing #spiritual growth #spiritual awakening #rituals #witchcraft #folk magic #hoodoo #voodoo #ifa

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servequeenvee · 1 year

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The self-proclaimed “Queen of Cowries” encounter with the cowry was fated. ‘Cowries are a large part of our identity as Yacoubas or West Africans, in general. The cowry is impactful to my culture—it was used for its monetary value, it was used for its spiritual value to enter in contact with spirits or ancestors, it was used to adorn clothing for it’s aesthetics, and it was used for its representation of femininity for our ancestors. There’s such powerful symbolism behind the cowry that tremendously moved me.' - Lafalaise Dion

#Cowries #west African #shells #spirituality #ifa #Yoruba #divination #fashion #Qvp

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ifayanmi-blog · 10 months

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#ifa #orisha #spiritual

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auroradivine · 2 years

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As people of the Sun y’all really be sleepin on the big homie Sol ☀️ He just be up there chillin in the sky givin us life when he could be giving your work life. Don’t get me wrong I love me some Luna. Big feminine energy 😌Ijs the moon as a anchoring symbol in spell work and ritual is so ingrained in our thinking that we tend to forget the sun's energy can be used as well. Father Sun is the natural balance to Mother Moon. If you do it in the moon you can do it in the sun. Duality 🤌🏿 Rather than offering opportunities that can take several weeks to manifest according to the moon phases…the Sun presents us with five different phases every single day and an additional phase we call a year.

🌅 Sunrise,Dawn: Infant/Child Sun– Basically when the sun wakes up and peers over the horizon. This phase is all about new beginnings, changes, health, employment, renewal, resurrection and finding the right direction. It can also be very cleansing.

☀️Morning: Adolescent Brother/Lover Sun– This is when the sun is growing in strength, so it brings the magical power for growth, positive energy, resolutions, courage, harmony, happiness, strength, activity, building projects and plans, prosperity and expansion of ideas.

🌞Noon: Father Sun – When the sun reaches its peak in the sky at midday – work magic for health, physical energy, wisdom and knowledge. It is also a good time to pop your tools or crystals out that need charging. (Note: some crystals can fade in strong sunlight so check first before putting them out).

☀️Afternoon: Sage/Warrior Sun – The sun is heading back down, and the energy now is good for working on business matters, communication, clarity, travel, exploring and anything professional.

Sunset – As the sun takes itself off down below the horizon, work magic for removing depression, stress and confusion, letting go, releasing or finding out the truth of a situation.

🌄Sunset: Grandfather/Sacrificial Sun

Because the energy of this Sun phase is much akin to that of the Waning Moon, His appearance makes it a good time to simplify or tie up loose ends, and provides the perfect atmosphere for work that involves dieting; getting rid of bad habits; and eradicating stress, confusion, and poor health. Efforts designed to uncover deception work well at this phase too, as do those related to divinatory skills and psychic activity.

And just like the moon you can charge your crystals 💎 in the afternoon sun, make sun water ✨, sun salutations 🙇🏿‍♀️ meditate 🧘🏿‍♀️ , allat.

AND! It’s almost summer time so the sun is just growing in strength so summer rituals are exceptionally powerful. Harness that Cancer ♋️ energy for love work and emotional healing , Leo ♌️ energy for fertility and business, and Virgo ♍️ to get organized and goal planning.

I also lean more towards working with the sun when the retrogrades have Lunar energy chaotic and out of whack or when I need to manifest something faster than the moon phases would allow.

Oh yea let me not forget the sun correspondences because like the moon there’s herbs, stones etc that work particular well with Solar energy

Colours: Gold, Yellow, Orange, Red

🌿 Herbs Marigold, heliotrope, sunflower, buttercup, cedar, beech, oak, St. Johnswort, bergamot

💎 Crystals Diamond, amber, carnelian, citrine, sunstone, topaz, red agate, goldstone

Metal: Gold

🗓 Weekday: Sunday

🧠 Intentions: Strength, Victory, Creativity, Growth, Love, Prosperity, Hope, Money, Exorcis

Chakras: Root, Sacral, Solar Plexus

But yea, balance out your work with some Sol ☺️

#black spirituality #black girl magic #black witches #hoodoo #black witch aesthetic #african spirituality #spirituality #voodoo #ifa #sunrise #sun #sun magic #sun witch #witches of tumblr #rootworker #conjure

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everythingados · 2 years

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As African Americans, our ancestors had no other choice but to accept and embrace creativity, flexibility, innovation, cleverness, etc.. These are the building blocks of Hoodoo and AA culture as a whole. If they had practiced the same way their ancestors did in Africa, we wouldn’t have made it. If they had practiced the same way our cousins did in Cuba/Haiti/Brazil/DR/Trinidad, we wouldn’t have made it. If they had incorporated the Orishas, Lwa, Akom, or other higher spirits in Hoodoo, we wouldn’t have made it. Respect that and stop tethering these ancient deities into our spiritual system.

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asanee44 · 5 months

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DO IFA DEVOTEES BELIEVE IN GOD?

Since all non-Abrahamic traditions have been relegated to pagan status, I get this question quite often about the Ifa tradition. Many people assume that we are devil-worshipping, sadistic heathens for the most part. And this could be further from the truth. Ifa devotees absolutely believe in God, or what many refer to as the Creator Being, Supreme Creator, Almighty, etc. In fact, the modern-day concept of god in Abrahamic religions was derived from African traditional beliefs.

As such, Ifa traditionalists have shared a long history of the belief in a Sovereign Creator. However, we likewise believe in and reverence other spiritual forces created by the Supreme Being. And herein lies most of the confusion. Much of our visible worship or veneration practices are devoted to deities or Orishas, spirits, and ancestors. This is seen in our sacrifices, offerings, and ritual work.

Contrarily, the same type of homage is not paid to Olodomare, the Creator God of the Ifa tradition. Though, this spirit is duly honored and reverenced in all we do. And we believe that this force made all other living beings.

DEFINITION OF GOD

Before we can truly qualify the notion of god according to the Ifa belief, we must first understand what “god” means. The definition of God is a complex concept that has been debated and discussed by many cultures throughout history. While there is no universal definition of God, most definitions focus on the idea of an all-powerful, all-knowing, and all-loving being that created the universe.

In religious contexts, God often has additional attributes such as omniscience, omnipresence, and omnipotence. Many also believe that God is a personal being who interacts with humanity in some way. And many of these attributes apply to the nature and character of Olodumare or the Almighty in the Ifa tradition.

THE GOD OF IFA TRADITION

Olodumare is an ancient Yoruba deity believed to be the Supreme God and Creator of the universe. Olodumare is responsible for bringing order and balance to the world, as well as providing guidance and protection to its people. This Energy is the source and force of all that exists on Earth.

Originally, this entity was thought to be genderless, and in some instances, it was considered feminine. However, due to Christian and patriarchal corruptions, Olodumare is often assigned masculine attributes. For the sake of argument, I refer to this Being as a genderless entity. However, I believe that this deity embodies both masculine and feminine traits.

Olodumare is often referred to as “The All Sufficient” due to its role as the highest power in the Yoruba religion. In addition, it is said that Olodumare has a special connection with humanity, offering us divine wisdom and understanding.

However, Olodumare is not thought to be interactive in our day-to-day lives as our personal deities. Instead, this Supreme Power is effectively present in every aspect of the spiritual and physical worlds. And this Power has given dominion to other spiritual forces to protect and guard the Earth and the astral realm.

THE TRINITY MANIFESTATION

It can be said that Olodumare shares a trinity manifestation similar to the Supreme Being in other African religions. Likewise, we see this notion in contemporary Christian belief systems. Though this Energy is one force, it manifests in three forms – Olodumare, Olorun, and Olofi.

Olodumare is the Creator of all existence, Olorun is the ruler of the heavens, and Olofi acts as a conduit between Orún (Heaven) and Ayé (Earth). Together, these three forms represent a powerful and complex pantheon with an ancient history rooted in culture and tradition. Though in many instances, Ifa devotees commonly refer to this Spirit as Olodumare.

WORSHIPPING THE SUPREME CREATOR

In contrast to the Orishas, Olodumare is primarily worshipped through thanks and praise. There are no dedicated shrines or places of worship for this force. Nor do we give sacrifices and offerings to Olodumare as this Spirit is the Creator of All.

Some feel that Olodumare is not concerned with the daily affairs of man. So, these individuals primarily focus on the Orishas and ancestral spirits. However, others pay direct homage to Oludumare and commonly reference this Spirit in prayers and incantations. In either case, Ifa devotees acknowledge the existence of a Supreme Force that created all.

#ifa religion #ifa tradition #orisa #orishas #olodumare #african spirituality #african traditional religions #traditional african religions #african spirit

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kemetic-dreams · 1 year

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THE IFA CONCEPT OF SOCIOLOGY

Yoruba culture has used the Ifa paradigm of the cosmos as the basis for building their major cities. The structure of the Yoruba Nation was a federation of city states. Each city was ruled by an Oba. In ancient times the Oba was never seen by his subjects, so he became the invisible nucleus of the circle that formed the city. He was surrounded by a female council of elders called Odu and a predominantly male council of elders called Ogboni. The city itself was supported by male and female work parties who tended to divide their labor along gender lines. The men were traditionally farmers and the women traditionally controlled the market place. Both men and women participated in craft guilds that preserved the techniques used in the arts. The cities were built in a circular formation with the compound of the Oba at the center. The symbolic image of Yoruba culture appears as follows:

There is some archeological evidence in the Yoruba cities of Ile Ife and Oyo that suggests that this design was used as the basis for the actual layout of those cities. The extent to which this occurred in other cities has not been thoroughly researched. It does appear that this structure was used in pre-colonial times as the basis for establishing political and religious institutions both of which were built upon the cosmological model found in Ifa.

Variations on this structure involved the system of establishing the location for sacred shrines. The system is called Gede which is a very old form of astrology. In Gede the path of solar bodies and planets is marked in relationship to the ways that they transverse the landscape. Celestial bodies are believed to enhance the ase (inherent power) of natural forces that arise from the Earth. By correlating the influences of Olorun and Ile, the ancient diviners were able to consecrate their shrines in places that reflected the essence of specific Odu.

Earth (ile) was considered a reflection of Heaven (Orun) and the layout of Yoruba cities was designed to make them mirrors of the cosmic order. The religion of Ifa originally comes from the city of Ile Ife. In lfa scripture, Ile Ifa is described as the original home of humans. The words: "Ile Ife” translate to mean; "Spreading Earth." So Ile Ife is a city and it is any place where land formed on Earth that allowed for human evolution to take place. Ifa scripture also refers to Ile Ife as a Spiritual place. It is the home for those ancestors who have returned to Source.

D. THE IFA CONCEPT OF PSYCHOLOGY

Perhaps the most accessible manifestation of Odu is through the portal of individual consciousness. Ifa teaches that Odu represent the energy patterns that create consciousness. They are analogous to what Carl Jung called archetypes of the collective unconscious. Jung believed that there exists a set of primal patterns that form the content of self-perception and place the self in relationship to the world. According to Jung, these patterns remain abstract until the unconscious gives them a cultural and personal context. In both Jungian psychology and the Ifa concept of consciousness, Odu (archetypes) can be revealed through dreams, where they take on personal qualities and manifest as mythic drama. By grasping this particular manifestation of Odu, Ifa teaches that it is possible to create internal balance which is the foundation of living in harmony with Nature.

Ifa psychology is linked to the concept of ori. The literal translation of ori is "head." This is a limited definition because ori also implies consciousness and Ifa cosmology teaches that all Forces in Nature have ori or consciousness.31 Because Ifa believes in reincarnation, every ori forms a polarity with ipori. The ipori is the eternal consciousness that exists in Orun (Heaven).32 It is the ipori that forms the link between past and future lives. If a scripture describes the ipori as the perfect double of ori. According to Ifa cosmology, every ori makes an agreement with Olorun prior to each incarnation.33 This agreement outlines the type of life that is to be lived and the lessons that are to be learned in a given lifetime. At the moment of birth the content of this agreement is lost to conscious thought. Part of the process of establishing internal balance is viewed as the task of remembering the original agreement between ori and Olorun.

This agreement is the source of individual destiny. Because divination is considered a method for discovering destiny, all divination based on Ifa is related to the question of enhancing the alignment between ori and ipori.

The link between ori and ipori lies within ori inu.35 The Yoruba words; "ori inu" translate to mean; "inner head." This is a reference to what Jung called the individual consciousness or self. Ori inu is the nucleus of that circle of Forces that creates self-awareness.

In addition to the polarity between ori and ipori, ori inu is the center point of the polarity between ara and emi. Ara is the physical body. Ifa psychology includes the heart (okan) and the emotions (egbe) as part of the physical self. According to lfa, the nature of one's ipori can only be grasped if the head and the heart are in alignment. In other words, the mind and the emotions must be in agreement if spiritual insight is to occur. Similarly, Jung understood that a conflict between the mind and the emotions is one of the sources of mental illness.36 In Ifa this conflict is called ori ibi. It is difficult to make a literal translation of ori ibi, but the term suggests a lack of alignment between ori and ipori. When the ori and ipori are functioning as one, it creates a condition called ori ire. A literal translation of ori ire would be; "wise head." .Jung referred to this condition as individuation, which was his basis for defining mental health.37

Ara or the physical body exists in polarity with emi. The Yoruba word emi means; "breath.” Ifa teaches that the breath of life comes from Olodumare and contains the eternal essence of consciousness. Emi in this context would translate to mean; "soul." The Ifa symbol of self would appear as follows: