DIVINATION OF IFA WITH IKIN BY OLALEKAN ODUNTAN

COWRIES WITH PALM OIL

COWRIES IN ENCLOSED DISH

What are Ikin? Ikin are the palm kennels used by Orunmila to divine and bring messages forth from Ifa oracle. Orunmila is the god of divination. From the very beginning before the divining chain known as OPELE was being used by ORUNMILA to divine, it was the palm kennels that were used to know the things from the past, the present and the future. While divining, a yellowish powdery substance known as IYERI OSUN is used to indicate the corpuses of IFA that will come out on a wooden tray. 

Unlike the divining chain that is owned by the Ifa priest alone, palm kennels are used to divine for all and sundry and it is allowed to be kept personally by the individuals that are divined for. Palm kennels are kept in a white dish during and after divination by their owners. Once a corpus of Ifa is indicated for somebody, that is the ODU IFA of the person for lifetime. From that moment on, whatever Ifa decrees to be done from time to time must be adhered to by the person. 

In addition to that, both positive and negative attributes of the corpuses that come out must also be followed very well by such person. The destiny of any individual is the corpuses of Ifa that come out during divination by the Ifa priest. All the necessary things are then followed and done to appease the oracle of the person by the Ifa priest. This is a special day for any person because a lot of merriment is followed by all the well-wishers around. 

While all this is going on, the palm kennels would have been kept back in the white dish with the reminder from the Ifa priest that its appeasement must not be neglected from time to time. The white dish is either taken home or is kept with the Ifa priest. 

Where are the palm kennels got from? They are got from the palm trees. And the palm oil is got from palm kennels. This is the reason why the palm oil is used during IFA divination with the palm kennels for customers or people by the Ifa priest. 

In conclusion, the corpuses of Ifa that come out during divination for any individual must be remembered by such person at all time.

© Olalekan Oduntan 2014.