Part 1 Oriki Series - EGÚN JE WA MEMU

Awo Falokun Fatunmbi has created a series of Youtube Live Videos explaining the meaning of various Orki with English Translations. 

You can view the videos below for this lesson below but to stay up to date on Awo Falokun's daily visit his Youtube Channel here.

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Awo Falokun Fatunmbi's book on Oriki and other publications can be easily found on his website here.

Orki and information below.

May 22, 2023

The word oriki from the elision ori kiki meaning to praise consciousness. Oriki is a liturgical Yoruba word with the connotation of being an invocation. Ifa is a problem-solving spiritual discipline. We use Dafa or divination to identify problems. We solve problems by engaging in a ritual process called ebo. There is a common misconception that the word ebo means sacrifice and that making ebo is a magical process that will result in the manifestation of anything you want based on the ritual act of making a blood offering. This is total nonsense with no basis in Ifa Odu meaning Ifa oral scripture.

In Ifa we use Dafa to identify a problem. We further use Dafa for guidelines on how to expand our personal consciousness in a way that results in the resolution of a particular challenge. Every effective ebo involves first taking responsibility for having created the problem and then for taking responsibility to expand our consciousness in a way that gives us the tools for resolve a particular set of circumstances. Part of the process of expanding consciousness always involves an appeal to transcendent forms of consciousness. This takes the form of invocations for assistance from Egun, Orisa, Iyaami or Ela. These spiritual forces have the ability to give guidance based on information from beyond our personal experience. In theological terms using dafa as a problem-solving tool is the use of ritual to create an intersection between finite consciousness (the human ori) and infinite consciousness (Iponri).

This intersection is created by oriki used to create altered states of consciousness. Oriki is the projection of frequency into the world for the purpose of changing personal brain wave frequency. Ifa teaches us we have access to 256 frequencies that carry different streams of conscious. This means ebo always involves some form of possession by the priest doing the ebo and some form of possession by the person who is benefitting from the ebo.
For historical reasons that are both complex and understandable, the relationship between dafa and oriki has been diminished in the Diaspora.

n simple terms there is no ebo without the use of oriki. There is no transformation of ori without altered states of consciousness. People who believe awo do not go into possession are not practicing Ifa.

hese blogs are going to be posted in a number of different venues so please do not be offended if I do not welcome people as the enter the video chat. Please also remember if you have questions type them into the video chat.

I am of the opinion that oriki is the great gift of our ancient Yoruba ancestors to the development of culture and the expansion of human consciousness. To ignore this gift is to create resistance to our good fortune.

Ire
Baba

Oriki Part 1 EGÚN JE WA MEMU
(Pouring Libation to the Ancestors)

Ìbà se Ose - Oyeku.
I respect the sacred scripture that guides our communication with the ancestors.

E nle oo rami oo.
I am greeting you my friends.

Eiye dudu baro Babalawo la npe ri.
The black bird touched the dye in the name of all diviners.

Eiye dudu baro Babalawo ma ni o.
The blackbird touched the dye in the name of all diviners in his name.

Igba kerìndínlogun a dana igbo Ose.
Sixteenth times we make a fire in back of Ose.

O digba kerìndínlogun a dana igbo Ose 'na oo rami o.
The sixteen fires do not harm me.

O jo geregere si owoko otun.
The roaring fire burns to the right.

O gba rere si tosi o.
The roaring fire burns to the left.

Ora merìndínlogun ni won ima dana Ifa si.
Sixteen places we make fires of wisdom.

Emi o mona kan eyi ti nba gba r'elejogun o.
Ase.
When I did not know the road to follow, I should have followed destiny. May it be so.