Whatever Ifa decrees that should be done is placed before the shrine of the deity in question. The shrine of any deity is the representative of that deity and it is believed that the presence of any deity is felt at his or her shrine. Symbols are regarded as the shrines for so many deities in Yoruba land.
Shrines are sacred symbols of the deities where people commune and connect with them. It is not only the offerings that are placed before the gods or goddesses for acceptance, prayers are also offered at the shrines for acceptability. Ifa oracle must have been consulted to guide the people in all these above activities.
The shrines always have their keepers who manage the activities at the shrines. The keepers of the shrines are known as the priests or priestesses as the case may be and these keepers are knowledgeable men or women who are sometime vast in the knowledge of Ifa oracle. Appeasements are done for the deities at their shrines from time to time by their keepers to maintain their potency and efficacy.
Scornful, deceitful, wicked and evil people in general are not allowed at the shrines of the deities. Should these people not heed to the warning from the deities, they face their wrath. Shrines are places of worship on daily basis to the deities who are regarded as spirits taking care of the spiritual problems of humans in their own realms before manifesting in the visible world.
The visible world that will live in is being governed by the invisible world. Deities were once human before becoming spirits to be called upon at any time to serve the people. And IFA Orunmila is their pathfinder!
Copyrights: © 2016 Olalekan Oduntan
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