What is Ifá

To introduce  IFA , is to tell , preach and teach  the path of destiny . to introduce  the language  of OLODUMARE which is the world  of invisible  spiritual foundation  passed to both the living  and the non-living , the seen and the unseen  , the visible and invisible   , the manifest and un-manifest  in creation . IFA precedes creation,  creatures  and other creative purpose , when they  were  still in their thought  stage. Every thought comes to reality when it becomes manifested either in the physical , spiritual or divine level of existences. IFA then becomes a word , expression or utterance  spoken and introduced  by OLODUMARE to  HIS own creatures , and ifa implies  serenity  and peace  that   show the glory of GOD –OLODUMARE  in all level of existence.

IFA  , indeed , is a  word. 

The word  is the transforming power of OLODUMARE (GOD) to all things created  . The word  is the source  of Life  emanated from OLO-ODU-MARE---

Hence, the wisdom of ifa teaches us the tradition of OLODUMARE and introduces us to the language of divinities and divine messages, the culture, customs and traditions of one of the oldest human lineage in the world.

IFA is a religion, a system of morality, a way of life, a philosophy of existence, a mystical phenomenon that brings  all  things into light, and reveals all things that are shrounded in secrecy. It reveals to man all that is beyond human comprehension and things that cannot be explained through human reasoning and human imagination

Going by the meaning of IFA, acording to Oloye Olayinka Babatunde Ogunsina, Akano Gudugba , that speaks of the word IFA as ''attraction''. According to Oloye Gudugba, every Yoruba  word has a peculiar meaning but one can actually  define  every word by its pronunciation. IFA then becomes attraction.

Attraction to what? Attraction to wisdom, knowledge, understanding  power, vibration  strength, energy, divine love, victory, success, progress, happiness, wealth, prosperity, sound health, long life, harmony, peace, good character, fortune, divine tradition of men and women that seek divine path and godly in their conduct.

IFA is entirely and purely a spiritual, mental, divine and emotional discipline that coordinates both the visible and invisible terrain of life, so that the physical represents the spiritual and divine disposition in the universal order of things.  The spiritual terrain of IFA springs out of one fact, the study of the deities, knowledge of divinities, and contact with OLODUMARE through spiritual wisdom of sacrifices, rituals and initiations relatively unknown to the majority of men in creation

The tradition of good word, (iwure), sound and godly habits (iwa bi Olodumare), prayer (ede OLODUMARE  tabi ORO OLODUMARE tabi iwure ), other spiritual exercises that involve  rituals, sacrifices, initiations, good comportment and other steps or exercises  that aid  man to victory, success, progress, and refine the soul of man before returning into invisible world of divinities. 

IFA principle is to rectify errors associated with destiny of man, and ensure perfect harmony with the source of life thereby ensure and guarantee perpetual blessing and success from generations to generation.That is the reason IFA was created, and its source is maintained till today.

,Olayinka Babatunde Ogunsina Akano Gudugba sees IFA as a mystical concept that involves divine configuration using ancient knowledge and techniques to give meaning to the past, present and future, both at the level of physical, emotional, spiritual, mental and divine realms of existence. The knowledge of IFA transcends all things and all levels of existence, because, it is the word of God that speaks of the mind of the infinite in the cosmos. The infinite energy is called Olodumare. IFA then becomes a system of illumination that established two hundred and fifty six energies and other four thousand and ninety six sub mysterious forces to explain the meaning of life at all levels of existence. Both the two  hundred  and fifty six (256) and four thousand and ninety six (4096) sub energies are the foundation by which the infinite vibrator, called OLODUMARE, creates all things in creation. It is the power that actually brought all things and still brings other phenomenon into realities and  all things manifest through the mystery embeded in the centre of the universal force called EDUMARE. Nothing operates outside the force, all things evolved from the same energy, which is the power of Odu, the centre point and central focus of OLODUMARE.

Ifa is a system of divination that determines the true destiny of man in creation. Every man must try to know the true purpose of his existence in creation. Just like sun and moon have a purpose in creation, likewise every plant, seeds, and fruits, have their own purpose. Man is not different. The true purpose of man in creation is determined by IFA, so that man would not wander aimlessly in the physical state of existence like a sheep without a disciplined shepherd. A house left un-kept and unmanned would turn into a den of weeds , other dangerous animals or rodents  and useless beings. IFA says, when a man does not discover his purpose  in creation, he passes to the other side of the world, that is the land of ancestral, without adequate preparation of the soul to join the enlightened and the illuminated  one  in ‘’ORUN‘’, the beyond, that is the actual home where soul is transformed into ancestral power or force or energy to aid other souls in the physical state and also to cooperate with other deities and divinities in the abode of IRUNMOLE (the spirit) so as to bring balance between the two levels of existence. Who does not know that a chosen soul is called ‘’AWO’’ whose life has been given physical, spiritual and divine meaning to work just like others unseen forces in creation.

Awo, according to IFA sees meaning in the perpetual working to perfect his own destiny and also to build the destiny of others in creation, including his own generation and family. After physical departure to ORUN, the work of AWO transforms into higher level of life or ancestral level building energies, creating and aiding other destiny to find the path of light, wisdom and knowledge of OLOUMARE and also to ensure fulfilment of his divine and spiritual existence. awo now become enlightened soul that align with OLODUMARE through wisdom and knowledge of ifa

ifa may be the revealing character  of the simplest  form of life as found in the genetic configuration  of man . since everything about the man can be found  inside his gene, ifa therefore may be viewd as being the guiding  principle , the encompassing  mode linking the gene of all things , dead , living and unborn ---  (Ayo .s. in his book , Yoruba  theology and tradition -- the worship pp.32 and 33).

 To sumarize it all , ifa is the mystical and secret interpretation of destiny of all things using the divine code  to give solution  to all challenges , sustain  all positive vibration in align with divine order .  

OLAYINKA OGUNSINA BABATUNDE GUDUGBA AKANO ADEWUYI