DIVINE POSSIBILITIES By S. Solagbade Popoola “With IFA all things are possible” This is an age-long saying which all Ifá devotees have to accept as given. Yet, on many occasions, devotees pray for certain things to happen in their lives or even for some undesirable conditions to change and the conditions remain unchanged and what they want fail to happen. They paddled left and right, but their canoe stood still! What could have been responsible for this? In order to have a full understanding of what could be responsible for the nonrealization or our fervent desires, it is more appropriate to commence with those conditions which make them realized and realizable, and the advantages of following these steps. It is certain that if we handle the topic this way, it will surely be clear to us why some people succeed where others fail; why some people attain higher spiritual elevation where others are spiritually backward; why some people are contented with life while others are grappling with frustration. In Ogbe-dosùnmú (Ogbè Ìrosùn) Ifá says: Bó bá se wípé ti fá la bá ngbó Á bá pé bí ará iwájú tii pé Bó bá se pé t´òpé la bá ín tò léyin Á bá pé bí ará ìgbàhun-ìgbáhun Òbe-nké, abàyà sákélé Díá fún Okó Tíí somo Oniré Sàmbé... Transalation: Had it been that we are listening to Ifá at all times We will live long as the elders of old Had it been that we are truly following Ifá at all times We surely will last as long as the ancestors long gone by The knife with its broad blade These were Ifá´s declaration to Okó, the hoe The offspring of Onírè e Sànbé…. In this Odú, Ifá says that if we truly follow Ifá, we surely will live long and if we truly listen to Ifá´s directives all the time, longevity is assured. This shows that the greatest capital we will gain by listening to, and following, Ifá at all times of our life is the gift of longevity. Ifá states further that only those who live long will have the opportunity of attaining their hearts´ desires. In Ëjí-Onílè (Èji-Ogbè), Ifá says: Àfín ló fi gbogbo ara h´ewú Aro ni ò n´owó kó gbé´gbá Oòsà lájà Díá fún Èmí Tíí somo Olódùmarè Ebo ni wón ní kó wáa se
Orisá, t´Èmi ló sòro o Orisà, t´Èmi ló sòro T´Èmíí ò bá bó o Kò sí ohun yòó nù Orisà t´Èmí ló sòro T´´Emíí ò bá bó o Ire gbogbo kú lèyin Orisà, T´Èmí ló sòro Translation: The albino is he who grows grey hair all over his body And a cripple is he who cannot raise his hands to carry the Orisà calabash container from the pantry These were Ifá´s declarations to Èmí, Life The child of Olódùmarè He was advised to offer ebo Orisà, Èmi, life is the most important Orisà, life is the most essential If life is not lost, nothing is lost Orisà, Èmi is the most important If life is not lost All the good things of life are attainable Orisà, Emi is the most essential. The statement of Ifá in Èji.Ogbè now gives us the reason why ifá says that those who listen to, and follow, Ifá truly and sincerely shall be blessed with longevity. This simply means that they will be blessed with all the opportunities to attain and achieve their fervent desires in life. Besides this, what are the other advantages that we can achieve if we truly and sincerely listen to, and follow Ifá all the time? Ifá says that we shall be blessed with four things: These are: 1. Divine connection 2. Divine Direction 3. Divine Assurance and Reliability 4. Divine Productivity 1. Divine Connection: When we have achieved Divine Connection the following shall be added to it: a) Divine Security and b) Divine Pragmatism. Because we listen to, and follow Ifá truly and sincerely all the time, Ifá will reward us by making available to us the opportunity to tap into the divine information and spring of life directly. All the days of your life, we will be connected on-line. We will have limitless access to divine information. We can download and upload information on whatever and any aspect of life. Because we are always On-line with the cosmic, we have Divine Security. a) Divine Security: With our being divinely connected, who can harm us? Nobody! In Ogbè-Alárá (Ogbè-Òtúrá), Ifá says:
Baba Míníngo Baba Míníngo Díá fun Orúnmílà Baba n lóó gbé Aya rè wolé Aíkú Baba Míníngo Baba Míníngo Díá fún Òrúnmílà Baba n lóó gbé Omo rè wole Àikú Baba Míníngo Baba Míníngo Díá fún Òrúnmílà Baba ín lóó gbé Ara rè wole Àikú Ebo ni wón ní kó wáa se Ó gbébo ó rúbo Njé bo bá se´lé Àikú ma gbayà mi wo Baba Míníngo Baba Míníngo Bó bá se´lé Àikú ma gbómò mi wo Baba Míníngo Baba Míníngo Bó bá se´lé Àikú ma gbérà mi wo Baba Míníngo Baba Míníngo Translation: Baba Míníngo Baba Míníngo They were the Awo who cast Ifá for Órúnmíla When going to carry his spouses into the house of longevity Baba Míníngo Awo Baba Miníngo They were the Awo who cast Ifá for Órúnmíla When going to carry his children into the house of longevity Baba Míníngo Awo Baba Miníngo They were the Awo who cast Ifá for Órúnmíla When going to carry himself into the house of longevity He was advised to offer ebo He complied If it is the house of longevity, I shall carry my spouses into it Baba Míníngo Baba Míníngo If it is the house of longevity, I shall secure for my children Baba Míníngo Baba Míníngo If it is the house of longevity, I shall make room for myself Baba Míníngo Baba Míníngo
This Odù above assures us that Divine Security is not only for us; rather our spouses and children are also given consideration and included! The implication of this is that as we listen to, and follow Ifá all the times of your lives, Ifá is thinking beyond us. Ifá, the voice of Olodumare, which has assumed the essence of its own, has already included our spouses and children in its reward scheme. This is a clear confirmation of the fact that whatever we do certainly rub off on our loved ones - good or evil. In the same vein, Ifá assures us that when we listen to, and follow Ifá truly and sincerely all the times of our lives, when any evil is approaching, we shall be informed. Because we are connected on-line, to access this information is very easy-through Ifá consultation. Ifá will give us the signal that there is information to download. We can then access the information when we consult Ifá. The signal can be dreams, haunch, meditation or even advice from any source. In Owónrín Onítudè (Ôwónrín-Irosùn), Ifá says: Gbèdugbèdu gbèrègèdè Díá fún Onítude Màgbon Ti òna Ìràdà Níjó ajogun káa mó´lé pitipiti Ebo ni wón ní kó wáá se Ó gb´ébo, o´rúbo Ó ní mo jeun-jeun nílé Onítude mo yó Gbèdugbèdu gbèrègèdè Translation: Gbèdugbèdu gbèrègèdè He was the Awo who cast Ifá for Onítude of Màgbon On the way to Ìràdà land When he was surrounded by evil principalities He was advised to offer ebo He complied ( He was asked to prepare a lot of food such as pounded yam, amala, corn meal, meat, fish and drinks and he complied) I ate to my satisfaction in the home of Onítude Gbèdugbèdu gbèrègèdè Let the death coming to kill Onítude inform Awo for appropriate solution Gbèdugbèdu gbèrègèdè!!! With Divine Connection, all evil principalities shall be exposed and contained before they could have the power to wreck any havoc. We must however note that if we are always happy with what Ifá had done for us, there is bound to be envy. Fellow human beings, friends and foes alike, are bound to rise up against us one way or another. Ifa says that if and when they do, we shall be protected. In the same Owonrín Onítude Ifá says: Agbónrángándán àáyán Bàtà níí m`ónà se kòròkòrò Díá fún Onítudè Omo Kangó ojú abe Nígbà ti n t’orun bo w’áyé Ó wá n´bé láarin òtá omo aráaye Ebo ni won ní kí wáa se Ó gb´ebo ó ru`bo Njé ibi ti e rí e kígbe è mi lo o
Ìbi e bá rí e kígbe è mi lo ò Orí Kíí fo ahun Edò Kíí dun ìgbín Òtútu kíí m´eja lále odo Ìbi e ri e kígbe è mi lo o Translation: The felling of the strong àáyán tree The shoe is it that makes sound on the floor These were Ifá´s declarations to Ònitudè Offspring of the sharp edge of the cutting knife When coming from heaven to earth And when he was in the midst of enemies He was advised to offer ebo He complied Now, wherever you know, you can shout my name to The tortoise will never experience headache And the Snail will never suffer from liver problem The fish will never experience cold in the river Wherever you know you can carry my matter to. Ifá has assured us that no matter how hard our enemies try, they will be able to do us no harm. With this assurance, need we bother ourselves with any or all of the evil designs or conspiracies of our foes anymore? b) Divine Pragmatism: The moment we listen to, and follow Ifá truly and sincerely all the days of our lives, we shall imbibe the fact that everything has its own time of maturity. We shall never be in a hurry to attain anything in life. For example, if we plant maize, we need to have the patience to wait for three month to allow the maize to grow and mature before we pluck it for consumption. If we pluck it before this time, it shall not be fit for consumption. In the same vein, if we desire anything from Ifá, we must be patient to wait for that thing to mature before we grab it. If we fail to do this, we cannot lay claim to the fact that we are truly and sincerely listening to, and following Ifá all the days of our lives. In Òsé-Oníwèéré (Òsé-Ogbè), Ifá says: Èjiká níí morun pega Díá fún Mákánjúolá Tíí somo bíbí inú Agbonnìrègún Èyí ti átòrum bò wálé Ayé Ebo ni wón ní kó wáa se Ò gb`ebo, ó rúbo Njé Ifá ò níí kú run lógún Odun Èrò ti yóó somo Ikin Ifá ní ki e má ma kán’jú Ifá ò níí kú run lógbòn osù Èrò tí yóó somo Ikin Ifá ní e má ma Kán’jú Translation: The shoulders are branches of the neck
This was the Ifá cast for Mákánjúolá (don’t-be-in-a-hurry-to-achieve-success) The true son of Agbonnìrègún When coming from heaven to earth He was advised to offer ebo He complied Ifá will never die in 20 years Those who wish to be true children of Ifá Ifá says that you need not hurry to attain success Ifá will never die in 30 months Those who wish to be true children of Ifá Ifá says that you need not to hurry to accomplish anything in life. So, part of what we need to listen to is the fact that we must, at all times, wait for whatever we want in life to mature before we pluck it for our usage. It is when we do it that we can say that we are truly and sincerely children of Ifá. When we see other people enjoying what they have, whether they deserve it or not, we need not envy them. All we need to do is to wait for our own, which we will truly deserve, to mature. We cannot impatiently consume a hot soup. If we do, it will scald our tongue and when the soup is eventually cold our mouth will not let us enjoy it anymore. Also in Îretè-Òlótà, (Ìretè-Òwónrín), Ifá has this to say: Ilé e wa àjo Onà a wa kò s’òkàn Ònà ì bà s’òkàn Ma bá o rìn, ma bá o délé kokooko Díá fún Baila Tí ´n loó k´apò Iwín Ebo ni wón ní kó wáa se Njé irin Baba wa, Ìrin èèrà ni Eni tó bá lé gbá ti èèrà Ló lé gbá ti Èdu Ìrín Babá wa, Ìrìn èèrà ni Translation: We do not live in the same house Therefore the directions to our houses are not the same Had it been that we live in the same direction I would have accompanied you, even to your house These were Ifá´s declarations to Bíàlà Who planned to be Ifá´s disciple He was advised to offer ebo Behold, the journey of our father is like that of an ant Only those who can follow an ant will be able to follow Ifá. The journey of our father is like that of an ant. To follow Ifá, we must have the patience that it takes to follow an ant. We can experiment this and observe how an ant travels in its own journey then we will understand what Ifá means. The second pragmatic lesson is that to be a true disciple of Ifá, we must learn to move with the pace of an ant. No rush. No hurry.
Ifá´s says that it is only when we do this that our success will come at the time that it will be enjoyed. By then, all challenges and oppositions would have been eliminated. Envious friends and foes would have been totally subdued. Because we are Divinely connected, we will know when, how, and why we need to down-load our rewards from Ifá. In Ìworì-Asórín (Ìwòrì-Ògúndá), Ifá says: Ká t´esúru bo´po Ká tógèdè boýo Díá fún Olomo-jìngin Ti nsunkún wípé ire tòun pé lórun Ebo ni wón ní kó wáa se Ò gbébo ó rúbo Njé jìngin-jìngin gbedemuke A ó fòrò yíí rerìnín ò, gbedemuke Jìngín-jìngìn ò, gbedemuke Translation: Let us add palm-oil to èsúrú, bitter-yam And salt to banana This was the Ifá cast for Olomo-jìngin When crying that his ire, goodness is too late to arrive from heaven He was advised to offer ebo He complied Now, jìngin jingin gbedemuke, it is time to feel happy and celebrate We shall all rejoice over this matter It is surely time for celebration! With patience and perseverance, our achievement shall be the most enjoyable, juiciest and most rewarding attainment in life. It is only those who are blessed with Divine Connection who can be pragmatic enough to understand that our reward will only come when all obstacles have been subdued and eliminated. It is also with Divine Pragmatism that we do not blame witches and wizards or other people when our time has not yet matured to attain success. 2. Divine Direction: Because we have been divinely connected, the programming of our lives has become the responsibility of Olodumare and the Divinities. Why must we be connected on-line and still suffer disappointment when the master-programmers (Olodumare, through the Divinities) are at work 24 hours of the day just to ensure that everything works out well for us? In order for this to work very well for us however, we must have a solemn declaration that everything about our lives has been handed over to Ifá to direct properly. It is through this declaration that a mandate is given to the Divinities to take over our lives and program the very best for us. In Ogunda-Bedé (Ogunda-Ogbè), Ifá has this to say: Ìtàkùn tó so igbá Ló so ikan Ló so elégédé Ló so kèkè etì Ìresà Omo aràayé fi rí bomì rere sénu
A mú we´rí ajá Orí ajá mó iyélé-iyélé Amú w`orun agbò Ó fún yàlà-yàlà… Díá fún Órúnmílá Ifá n lòó t´áyé Olúfè se Ebo ni wón ní kó wáa se Ò gb´ebo, ó rúbo `Njé Ifá t’erú-t’omo tìre ni o T’ilé-t’oko tìre ni o Èlà fiyè dé´nú o Ifá kí o ní sùúrù T’ilé-t’oko tìre ni o Translation: The creeping plant that makes calabash grow Also makes the garden-egg grow And even the pumpkin too It also makes the “kèkè”, the wool spinner which is on the way to Iresa town grow That which people use to drink when thirsty It was used to fetch water for washing the head of a dog And the dog’s head came out clean and shiny It was used to wash the head of a ram And the ram’s head was sparklingly white… These were Ifá´s declarations to Órúnmíla When going to help mend the life of Olufè. He was advised to offer ebo, He complied. Now Ifá, all my household belongs to you. My home and farm belongs to you. Èlà, the pure, please show me compassion. Ifá, please be patient with me. All my belongings in life are yours as of this moment. This is a solemn declaration to Ifá to take over the programming of your life. There is no way that we will fervently make this declaration truly and sincerely and expect ourselves to be the same again. If we do this, we will see life anew, we will taste life afresh, and we will experience life in a more challenging manner. After this declaration, we also need to make a pact with Olodumare. It is this solemn covenant that will bind all parties. That is when we can go home and sleep with your two eyes closed without the fear of all the vagaries of life. In Ejì Onílè (Èjì-Ogbè), Ifá says: Ní Kékeré ni jàbàjàbà ti níyí ní gàá Ní Kékeré lomo oba ti nila lórí esin Díá fún Ààtò Èyí tíí se bàbá Eriwo Emi o m´Ààtò, Ifá Èyí o bá to ló jé rere Translation:
It is from youth that a cow has honor in the manger It is from youth that a Prince has honor on top of a horse These were Ifá´s declarations to Ààtò, methodical planning. The father of all organizations. Ifá I know not how is plan. It is that which you plan for me that I consider good and proper. As we can see now, it is with this pact that we can confidently say that we have truly handed over our plans and aspirations to Ifá. This pact is our key to demand for our needs from Olodumare. It is with this key that we can open the doors of opportunities. Olodumare will never enter into any pact with us and disappoint us in the end. This is why we must always ensure that we also keep to our own end of the pact. In ÒgúndáBèdè (Ogundá-Ogbè), Ifá says: Kukuté ò mi´ra jìgì Díá fún Lángosìn Omo aja´gun gb´ádé bo´rí wálé… Ibi a bá fòrò sí o E má mà jé kó ye Kukuté ò mi´ra jìgì Translation: The stump of a felled timber will never shake sideways This was Ifá´s declaration to Lángosín He who won a crown through military expedition… Whatever we agree upon Please don’t let it be changed Remember that the stump of a fell timber does not shake sideways! In this Odú, it is clear that Olodumare, Ifá and the Divinities will keep to their own side of the pact; it is then left to us to ensure that we equally keep our own side. Because we have handed over everything to Olodumare is not a license for us to become mentally lazy. We need to deliberate regularly on the directions which we want our lives to go. It is after this deliberation that we can go to Ifá for direction and confirmation. We need to go to Ifá for direction so that we do not mess up our ways; we need to confirm also that the path we are towing is the proper and correct pact. We need to be sure that the software of the program we have downloaded is the right one for us. There are different programs for different situations. In Òsá-Adíjo (Òsá-Ìwòrí), Ifa says: Òsá n wolé Ìwòrì n wòde Ohun a bá jo wò, gígún níí gún Dìá fún Ìmòràn Tíí s´egbón Èdú Imòràn mo dá o télè Kí n tóó dá Ikin Translation: While Òsá is looking inwards
Ìwòrì on the other hand is looking outwards That which we deliberate upon together is bound to succeed This was Ifá´s declaration to Ìmòràn, deliberation The elder brother of Ifá consultation. I have made my deliberation first before approaching Ifá for guidance. We need to deliberate upon any step we want to take before we consult Ifá. This will give us no room to become mentally lazy. Ifá says that if we are making use of all the programs that we download from Ifá because we are permanently connected, anybody who tries to oppose us has all the Divinities to contend with. They will fight such a person to a stand still. In OgundaBèdé, Ifá has this to say on that: Bèbè ihin odò Bèbè ohún odò Af´eni tí Kogílá ó kolu Afeni tó fásìnrin jeka Ló lè ko lu Èsú Ló lè ko lu Sàngó Àyàfi eni ti Sàngó yóó pa o Ló lè d´ojú ìjá k’omo Awo! Translation: This river bank projects the river That river bank also protects the river It is only those who are insane and Only those who had eaten the smelly rat with their food They are the ones who can dare confront Esu And confront Sàngó It is only those who shall be eliminated by thunderstorm Who can challenge a true Awo! So, anyone who plans to confront us is actually planning to have the wrath of Ifá, Sàngó and Esú on his/her head. If this is the case, then why can’t we sleep with our two eyes closed? At the same time, Ifá says that if we are divinely connected and we also enjoy Divine direction, few people will love us. People love those who had gone astray. They want to make bad reference to them. Ifá says that because there is no bad reference people can make towards us, they nonetheless will wish us never to succeed in life. Ifá says that even this wish will fail. In Òwórín-Ètun (Òwónrín-Ògundá), Ifá declares thus: Omi súnsún alé àná ò kan Alòkùbò omi kò korò Omi kasi ló gbélé olórò ló bàjé Otí gbélé ahun otí kan Día fún Gbudu-alà, omo Bákeé Ebo Olà ni wón ní kó wáá se Ó gbébo, ó rubo `Njé tó ba yè n´Ifá o Bó bá yé L´Esú Òdàrà Enikan ò gbójú u lílà l´Áwo
Gbúdu-álà, omo Bákeé Translation: The water fetched from a fountain the previous day does not go stale The remaining of the water used yesterday does not taste bitter in the mouth The water fetched the previous day is declared useless in a prosperous man’s house The beer in a miserly man’s house will eventually become stale. These were Ifá´s declarations to Gbúdu-alà, the child of Bákeé (Èsù Òdàrà). He was advised to offer the ebo of prosperity He complied. If not for Ifá and for Èsú Òdàrà Nobody wishes an Awo to succeed. Gbúdu-álà, the child of Bákeé. The significance of this Odú is that those who do not wish us to succeed have Ifá and Èsú Òdàrà (Bákeé) to contend with. They, Ifá and Èsú, will ensure that we do not lack success. They will never open their eyes and allow our antagonists and our enemies to laugh over our failure. They will equally not close their eyes and ears to our yearnings. With Ifá, opportunities are boundless; with Èsú, impossibilities are possible. Let us examine two examples where Ifá guided its children away from calamity. Everyone who planned these evils was so confident that these Ifá´s children would never escape from their traps. Unknown to them, Ifá never sleeps. They never realized that there were irrevocable pacts between Ifá and all its children. Had the enemies known, they would not try their evil designs. In Òkanràn-Ìretè, Ifá says: N’ísojúu gúnnugún, bíí kílè ó d´eko Kí gúnnugún ó maa mù Kí gúnnugún ó maa yo Nísojú à kàlàmàgbò, bìi Kílè ó d´òkú Kí akalamagbo ó maa mù Kí akalamagbo ó maa yo Nísojú onígbànso òkè Àkèsán Bíi K´ésin ó tòpóoro esè w´ojà Kó fó gbogbo igbá ti n be níbe K´ónígbanso ó maa mù K´ónígbànso ó maa yo Díá fún Adesopé Ájàó Eni Olòrun mò Níjó to n lo sóde àjòdún N ò r´éèyàn ti n relé Adesopé Àjàó, eni Olòrun mò Onje ti nbe níbè nni Ko ma se bá won jeé Onje kó, iwo ní n be níbe o Olòkànràn o ò r’ótè nlè? N ò réèyàn ti n relé Adésopé Àjàó, eni Olòrun mò Omi ti nbe níbè nni Kó má se bá won muú Omi kó, iwo ní nbe níbe o Olòkànràn o o róte nlè? N ò réèyàn ti n relé Adésopé Àjàó, eni Olòrum mò
Ení ti nbe níbè nnì Kó má se bá won jòkòó lée Ení kó, iwo ní nbe níbe o Olòkànràn o ò róte nlè? Translation: In the view of Igun, the vulture It wishes the whole land to turn to cornmeal So as to feast to its satisfaction And dine in contentment And the wish of Akalamagbo Is for everything to turn to corpse So as to feast to its pleasure And drink to its satisfaction In the innermost estimation of the calabash mender He wishes a horse to stray into the market And break the entire calabashes brought there So as to attract to himself unlimited business opportunities These were Ifá´s declarations to Adésopé Àjàó, He who enjoys the recognition of the heavens When going to attend an anniversary I see no one going to the house of Adésopé Àjàó He who is well known by the Divinities Please inform him that the food they would give him at the party. Don not eat it at all It is not food, it is pure poison Olòkànràn, don’t you see conspiracy? Is there anyone going to the home of Adésopé Àjàó, He who is recognized by the Divinities The water they will provide for him there He must never partake in drinking it It is no water; it is poison Olòkànràn, don’t you see conspiracy? Can I get anyone going to the house of Adésopé Àjàó? He who is well known to the Deities The mat they will spread for him in that party He must never sit on it It is no mat, it is poison Olòkànràn, can’t you recognize conspiracy? We can see that in this Odú, there was a conspiracy against Adésopé Àjàó, He was invited to an anniversary. All his enemies had planned to poison him there. They put the poison which was similar to the food, drinks, mat, seat, palm wine, etc. that he would be given at that party. They were so sure that he could not escape all the traps set for him. Unknown to the conspirators Adésopé Àjàó was enjoying the recognition of Heaven. They hinted him about all the evil designs of his enemies. To be forewarned is to be forearmed. He escaped all their plans and their conspiracy amounted to nothing. Also in Òwónrín-Aséyín ( Òwónrín Òsá) Ifá says:
Kinní kan n be nínú ògàn Ò n dún màhururu-màhururu Kinní kan n be nínú ògàn Ò n dún màhèrèrè màhèrèrè Díá fún Adágudu Tíí somo bíbi´inú Agbonrirègún Igbàtí ú be lágbatèmó omo aráyé Ebo ni wón ní kó se Ógbébo ó rúbo Adágudu omo ò mi nio Ò bá tè siwaju o Ki o ma te seyin Adágudu omo ò mi níí se o Translation: There is something inside the termite-hill It is making some frightening sound There is something the ant hill It is making some horrifying sounds This was the Ifá cast for Adágudu The son of Agbonnìrègún (Órúnmílá) When he was in the midst of enemies He was advised to offer ebo He complied Behold, Adágudu is my true son Please, step forward Do not step backwards (there is a trap in the back) Adugudu is my true child. This is another example of how Ifá gives Divine Guidance and Direction to its true children in order to put the evil designs of their enemies to naught and put the conspirators to shame. Here, a big ditch was dug behind Adagudu. The conspirators were persuading him to step backwards in order to make him fall into the ditch which they had hitherto covered with a mat. They never reckoned with the fact that the child of Ifá is above all intrigues. They tried; they failed and they were put to shame. 3. Divine Assurance and Reliability: It is very true that once we follow the part of the Irunmole, we are bound to pick up a lot of enemies than we ever expect. What happens when we are surrounded by these enemies? The answer is “nothing”. They have no power to do us any evil. This is what Ifá has to say in Òsá-Olóyànnán(Osa-Irete): Géngé omo-olo Omo-olo géngé Oyún níí m´óyàn yo tàràtàrà Díá fún Ení-à-n-bu-ku
Ti Olórun-Oba n bù kún Ebo ní wón ní kó wáá se Ó gbébo, ó rubo B´enikan ò kí mi kó jókoó o Kíkí Orí mi ju igba Èèyàn lo o B´´enikan ò kí mi kó jókoó o Kíkí Olórun ju igba èèyàn lo o Translation: Gèngé omo-olo Omo-olo géngé The pregnancy is it that makes the breasts more prominent These were Ifá´s declarations to He-Whom-they-are-disgracing Whom Olodumare is showering praises upon If nobody greets me, let them sit down The greetings of my Ifá is better than those of 200 people If nobody recognizes me, let them be The recognition of my Orí is better than those of 200 men If nobody salute me, let them go and rest The salutation of my God is better than those of 200 people Which other assurance can be better than this one? This means that the moment we connect ourselves, we stay connected. Nobody can disconnect us. We know of many people in this world who rely on human connections in order to achieve their ambitions. It is rather unfortunate that the same people who connected them were the ones who disconnected them in the end. With Divine Connection, you are sure of Divine Direction. With Divine Connection and Direction you are sure of Divine Assurance that you will stay connected. In Ìdìn-Atàgò (Òdí.Òtúrá), Ifá says: Orunmla wí o ló di ògèrèrè Ifá mo ló di alásunle Ifá ní tani eni tó tó eni ti àá sùn lé lórí? Mo ní òbí eni ló tó eni ti àá sùn lé lórí Àsé òbí eni kó tóó sùn lé ráráárá Órúnmílá wí ó ló di ògèrèrè Ifá mo ló di alásùnlé Ifá ní tani eni tó t´éni ti àá sún le lóri? Mo ní aya/oko eni ló téni ti àá sún lé lóri Àsé aya/oko eni kò tóó sùn lé ráráárá Orunmla wí, ó ló di ògèrèrè Ifá mo ló di alásùnlè Ifá ní tani eni tó téni ti àá sùn lé lórí? Mo ní omo eni lo téni ti àá sùn lé lórí Àsé omo eni ló toó sún lé ráráárá Akápò ní ohun o mo eni to téni tí àá sùn lé lórì Ifá ti ohun nìkan lòhun téni ti àá súnlé lórì Ifá ti o bá se mi, se mí ti mo fi láje Opè àgùnká n ó si maa sùn lé o ni
Ifá tó o bá se mí, se mí ti mo fi níre gbogbo Òpè àgùnká n ó si maa sùn lé o ni o Translation: Órúnmílá declares that it is time for rest I respond that it is time to sleep on top of someone Ifá says that who is dependable enough to sleep upon? I respond that our parents are dependable enough to sleep upon I never know that our parents are not worthy of sleeping upon at all Órúnmílá declares that it is time for rest I respond that it is time to sleep on top of someone Ifá says that who is dependable enough to sleep upon? I respond that our spouses are dependable enough for us to sleep upon I never know that spouses are not worthy of sleeping upon at all Órúnmílá declares that it is time to take a rest I respond that it is time to sleep on top of someone Ifá says that who is dependable enough to sleep upon? I respond that our children are dependable enough to sleep upon I never know that our children are not worthy of sleeping upon at all I now declare my ignorance of who is dependable enough to sleep upon Órúnmílá says that he is the only one dependable enough to sleep upon Ifá if you program me to become wealthy Òpè àgùnkà, forever will I continue to sleep upon you Ifá if you program me to be blessed with good kids Òpè àgùnkà, forever will I continue to sleep upon you Ifá if you program me to be blessed with al the good things of life Òpè àgùnkà, forever will I continue to sleep on you In this Odú, Ifá set an examination for his disciples. He asked them to tell him who they knew that was dependable enough that when they rely completely on such a person, they will never be turned back. Some of them said it was their mother, some said it was their father; some picked their spouses, others picked their siblings, yet some others picked their children while others picked their close neighbors. Órúnmílá asked them to go to those people they had picked and asked for financial help. He told them to go there everyday. By the time they went there five to six times, they were insulted and turned back. Órúnmílá asked them to mention other people whom they feel were dependable enough to approach to solve all their problems and satisfy all their needs. All the Akapo declared that they do not know such a person again. Órúnmílá then told them that he was the only one who was dependable enough for everyone to approach to solve all their problems and satisfy all their needs. They said that how would he do that? Órúnmílá declared that if he was approached for any form of assistance today, he would give them one thing; tomorrow he would increase the gift to two, in two days time the gift would be increased to four; in three days time the gift would be increased eight and on and on. He declared that it was not only this, but what he would never complain when giving out to his children what others give out with complaints. He assured all his disciples that where he used to get his own supply was an inexhaustible source- it is directly from Olodumare! This is the reason why when Idin-Atàgo is cast for anyone in need of any form of assistance from Ifá, all his/her Ikin will be thoroughly cleansed and spread on the
client’s bed. The client will be directed to sleep on the Ikin for 16 days. On the 17 th day, the Ikin will be gathered and a matured she-goat would be offered to it. All what the client was looking for would be realized with relative ease. It is therefore clear that Ifá is the most reliable force on earth because all the assistance and support which we shall get are coming directly from Olodumare. If this is true, which we know that it certainly is the truth, what then is the position of Orunmila with Olódumarè? A stanza in Òwónrín-Olójèé( Òwónrín-Ogbè) gave an answer to it. In this Odú, Ifá says: Orúnkún abara yíyi Àlùfó lorùn akèrègbè Día fún Olúkosí-Òpè Tíí somo Olórun Àsáádí Bikú ló bá n lé mi í bó wá Ifá Awímológbón gba mí o Òpé Asinla gbà mí Iwo mà lomo Olórum Asáádi Bí Àrín, Ejó, Òfò, gbogbo Irunbi ló bá n lé mi i bò wá Ifá Awímologbón gba mí o Òpe Asínlà gbá mí Ìwo mà lomo Olórun Àsáádí o Translation: The knee with its thick skin The neck of a bottle calabash is always beaten until it gets broken This was the Ifá cast for Olúkosì Òpe (Orunmila) The son of God, the shelter. (Olórun Àgáádí) If Death is pursuing me Awímológbón, the teacher of wisdom, please save me Òpé Asinlà, please come to my aid You are the son of God, the shelter If affliction, contention, loss or all the evil things in life are pursuing me Awímológbón, please save me Òpè Asinlà, please come to my aid You are the son of God, the shelter. Now that we know that Olodumare considers Orunmila as his own son, no wonder then that there is nothing that Orunmila cannot get for us from his father! That is why our enjoyment of Divine Assurance and Reliability will remain intact and unbroken forever and ever. Àsé!!! Also in Òsé-Bìílè (Òsé-Ìretè), Ifá has this to say: Ìhín ní n bá yá sí Òfún ni n bá yà sí Irona-Ìrònà làa sinkú òré eni Díá fún Orunmila Baba n se ohun gbogbo ti okan ò yorí Wón ní kó lo rèe fi Olórun re se baba Gba mí o, Olórun un mi gbà mi o Iwo ni mo gbójú lé Gba mí o Olórun ùn mi gbà mí o
Ìwo ni mo fèyìn mi tì Gba mí o Olórun-ìn mi gbà mi o Enikan kíí fèyin ti Olódumare kò dójú ti ni Gba mí o, Olórun-ún mi gbá mí o Translation: I would have taken this path And I would have followed that route In stages does one do the burial rites of one’s friend This was Ifá´s declaration to Órúnmílá, When doing all things without succeeding in any He was advised to make Olodumare his father Save me, my God, please save me You are the one I depend upon Save me, oh my God, please save me You are the one I rely upon Save me, oh my God, please come to my rescue Nobody can rely on Olodumare for him to be disgraced Save me, oh my God, please save me. Orunmila made Olodumare his father in order to accomplish all his heart’s desires. That is why those of us who are the true children of Orunmila will continue to enjoy unlimited opportunities from the inexhaustible fountain of all opportunities. Since this source can never be exhausted, all others who wish to enjoy like us are welcome to log in. It is for free!!! 4. Divine Productivity: The moment that we log into the Divine Program, we shall enjoy Divine Connections. These connections will bring automatic Divine Direction. With Divine Direction comes Divine Assurance and Reliability. All these will then ensure that there is adequate Divine Productivity which will make us enjoy our lives to the fullest. We are aware of some Ifá priests and priestesses who are not necessarily rich in the real sense of it, but who are always happy, comfortable and contented. With Ifá, you can never experience any system virus, bug, spam, junk messages, server disconnection or any irritation that normally and frequently happen with all human programs. Ifá says that all what we shall receive shall be increased on a daily basis. We shall not lack anything in all spheres of life. What is given to us today shall be more than what we might have received yesterday. In the same vein, what we shall receive tomorrow shall be more than what we have today. In Oturupon-Ìká, Ifá gives assurance thus: Ò jí túú bí omo oníhun Ò rìnrìn gbere-gbèrè-gbere bí omo oníhun Òjí ní Kútúkútú f´aso ìgbòsù bosè Díá fín Asiyanbí Tíí somo Ol´rò Kan àtijó Bí igbá bá jí, yóó fowó o rè móko Ifa oní kò tó Ifá òla tó n bò Bí gbòrò bá jí, yóó fowó o rè móko Ifa òní kò tó Ifá òla tó n bò Eluluú kó máa ké tùtúru
Ifa nlánlá ni yóó wolé tò wá wá Translation: He woke up like the son of a prosperous father And walked majestically like the child of a successful father This was Ifá´s declaration to Asiyanbí The son of the successful man of those days If the calabash plant wakes up, it will rest its stems on the farm tree The free gifts of today will not be as much as the ones coming tomorrow When the pumpkin plant wakes up, it will rest its stems on the farm shrubs The free gifts of today will not be as much as the ones coming tomorrow Let the hoopoe summon the rain continuously Big free gifts shall rush to us in our homes. As we can see, Ifá does not think of what we need yesterday and today alone, Ifá is truly great. This can be compared with what Ifá says in Idin Atàgò (Òdì-Òtúrá) stated above. Ifá will never leave its children to suffer or experience any want. Àsé!!! In Òwónrín-Omo-Obà-Tútù (Òwónrín-Òtúrúpòn), Ifá assures us that we shall be crowned in our various undertaking if we follow Ifá with all our minds and we are truthful and sincere in all our dealings with Ifá. As long as we remain Órúnmílá´s children, we shall be crowned. Who then are Órúnmílá´s children? The children of Órúnmílá are those who do all those things which please Olodumare at all times. All of us who are ready to do all the things which will please Olodumare at all times are welcome on board. In this Odu, Ifá says: Bí a bá tí sin Ifá sí ni Ifá se n gbe’ni Bí a bá ti sin Òòsà sí ní Òòsà se n gba Bí a bá bo Òpè l’àboòyé Nse níí síjú ire é wo´ni Díá fún Órúnmílá Baba n t’íkòlé Ayé lo s’íkòlé Òrun Ó n lòó gba irinwo adé wale aye Won ni irinwo ade kò tó fún gbogbo aye Orunmila ní kò sí fún gbogbo aye Òní t’àwon omo ohun ti wón n se ifé Olodumare ni… Translation: The extent of our Ifá worship will determine the extent of support that Ifá will give us As we worship Òrisà is proportional to the support that we shall receive from the Orisa If we tirelessly worship Ifa Ifá will reward us with its benevolence These were Ifá’s declarations to Orúnmíla When going from earth to heaven When going to bring 400 crowns from the domains of Olodumare People said that 400 crowns were insufficient for the whole world Órúnmíla declared that they were not meant for the whole world He said that they belong to his children who are doing only those things which please Olodumare at all times…
What else can we say on this? I am prepared to be a recipient of one of the 400 crowns which Órúnmílá had brought from Olódumarè´s domain. Are you? Let us endeavor to be. We shall all be “Opa Ifá, ìbà Èsu” Àse!!! Now, do we need to dwell so much on why some people fail where others succeed? I do not think so. What are those things that qualify one to b a child of Órúnmílá? 1. Think no evil 2. Say no evil 3. Do no evil 4. Be faithful 5. Be realistic 6. Move close to all Divinities though Ifá 7. Be humble at all times 8. Otíto, Ododo; Truthfulness, Honesty. 9. Seek only Divine Connection, rely on no man 10. Believe in Divine Assurance and Reliability 11. Follow Divine Direction 12. Work towards Divine Productivity 13. Bring others on board 14. Be a role model and a shining example in your community 15. Be proud of what you believe in. 16. Above all, work for the Crown brought by Órúnmíla 17. Be happy and contented at all times. If we can follow all the 17 points above, surely we shall ALWAYS succeed where others had failed. Aboru, Aboye
