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Blog By Awo Falokun Fatunmbi

Update May 29 2023 Including Upcoming Chicago Visit

Agbo ato.  The family has settled into our new home.  Two weeks here and we have two major UFO sightings, so clearly whatever is going on in the night skies is not limited to the airspace above Albuquerque.

The big guy is adjusting to the; “Oh my God, I can’t believe its really this hot heat.”  

Last week I was able to consistently do a morning blog at 10 am central.  The current theme is translating the symbolic language of oriki so we know what the heck we are talking about when we pray.Sunday, we returned to the thinking like an awo deal with a wonderful lecture by Richard Khamess on African martial arts.  

https://youtu.be/fH2e2Shn28Y

I am considering doing a Thursday night Q & A Zoom thing for prescribers who kick in $25 a month to the join hands to the let’s build Igbodu fund.  If you are interested, please in-box me and I will put you on the list of participants. Thanks.

Big ups to Awo Ifatobi and the Awo Study Center conflab, enrollment is way up and that means the number of trained awo in our midst is way up. By any standard of measure that is a good thing.

For those who are interested Egbe Iwa Pele Chicago will be doing an event in Chicago June 24 -26th. I will be doing a public lecture on Saturday afternoon June 23rd, sponsored by Ifarinu MamaAfrica Egunrinde and hosted by the Chicago Egbe Iwa Pele. 

Ile Olorun, Egbe Iwa-pele

Agbo ato.  The elders of Egbe Iwa-pele are announcing the formation of Ile Olorun, Egbe Iwa-pele.  The word Ile Olorun is commonly used to describe a temple for a place of reverence and worship.  The words Ile Olorun from the elision Ile Olo Orun means the House of the wisdom of the Invisible Realm.  Coupled with the phrase Egbe Iwa-pele we are forming the House of the Wisdom of the Invisible Realm formed by the people who come from the Invisible Realm to greet the Earth.Egbe Iwa-pele has started the process of building a compound that will include shrines for Egun, Orisa, Ogboni, Iyaami, and Ifa.  In the process I am inviting members of the family to assist in the construction of these structures to learn the traditional method of locating shrines over earth chakras called Igbodu.  The word Igbodu from the elision igbo odu meaning womb of the forest.  I will also teach how to consecrate the shrines with traditional Ifa symbolic art called aworan.  The word aworan from the elision awo ran meaning the transmission of mysteries.  I will also teach Gede the traditional form of Ifa astrology used to mark the times when Igbodu is most potent as a portal for the ase of initiation.  The Gede from the elision ge dide meaning female power stands up is a form of topographical astrology used to mark the opening and closing of inter-dimensional earth portals. 

The Differences Between Lucumi Systems Of Ifa Divination & Traditional Forms Of Divination

Agbo ato I frequently get asked about the differences between Lucumi systems of Ifa divination and traditional forms of divination preserved in the oral scripture of traditional Yoruba culture. Looking at this post gives us the opportunity to explore those differences. Let us start with the statement Ifa is not Memory, Ifa is wisdom. I would suggest traditional Ifa contains an element of both memory and wisdom. Those who study Ifa in traditional Yoruba culture are expected to memorize the metaphysical meaning of each verse and to memorize at least two ese from each verse. The word wisdom in Yoruba is ori ire meaning consciousness that brings good fortune. The integration of the metaphysical principles of each verse coupled the triggering effect of the ese supports an altered state of consciousness called possession by Ela that is the foundation of the Ifa divination process. The ese ifa are taught to young students of Ifa first by memorization and then by teaching the process of going into possession with the distinct frequency of each odu. Over time the training leads to a familiarity with the frequency so that an awo is able to recognize the frequency present in any moment during the course of the day. This is important because when a particular frequency presents itself as a conflict or problem the awo immediately knows that the solution to the problem is the invocation of the opposite odu.

Chapter from my next book titled Wakanda is Real  

An examination of a single African culture gives a glimpse of the depth of the lies and deception contained within the accepted academic narrative.

Ifa is the Yoruba word for wisdom.

Yoruba culture is the foundation of an ancient civilization largely centered in Southwest Nigeria. Elements of the culture spread north of Nigeria into Benin and south of Nigeria into Cameroon. The split of the original kingdom across the boards of three countries was a result of the arbitrary creation of Nations by the European Council of 1886.

The Teacher Student Relationship In Ifa & Initiation

Agbo ato, I want to talk about the teacher student relationship in Ifa. In traditional Yoruba culture there is typically one or two egbe ifa in a community and you are typically initiated in the community where you family lives. Before you can change egbe for any reason there is usually lengthy discussions within Ogboni over your reasons for changing egbe and it is not a common occurrence. In the Diaspora we are faced with a number of problems when it comes to training; frequently the student does not live near the person who initiated them, most awo in the Diaspora do not teach generally based on a fear of competition, and there are very few functioning Ifa egbe where work is done in a community setting and training is a regular part of the ritual schedule. 

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