How Ifá Got To Asia

Lecture on Ifa Divination

He wrote:

I explain where the Cuban “Santeria” came from. It has the same roots as Haiti's Voodoo and Brazil's Candomblé. They were brought in to the New World by the Yoruba and the Fon priests (BABALAWO) of West Africa through the slave trade. In Cuba, the Yoruba language has been transformed into the creolized language called LUKUMI under the influence of Spanish language and other African tribe languages. Babalawos use LUKUMI in prayers and songs in the rituals. At the beginning of divination, they always chant a prayer called MOYUBA, which is also in LUKUMI. almost incomprehensible to ordinary Cubans.

Next, I explain the Ifa divination system that bablalawos use. It is based on the binary system, just like modern computers. Ifa is considered that there are 256 signs, fates (also called ODUN in LUKUMI) in human beings. The number 256 is very interesting. 256 is 2 to the 8th power. Early computers were also calculated in 8-bit. In other words, the Ifa divination has adopted the same system before the early computers were invented.

There are two types of tools. One is called IKIN(ES), 16 palm fruits. The other is called OPELE and EKUELE, 8 palm fruits connected by chains. The former is a full-fledged divination tool used in the initiation ritual called “MANO DE ORULA”(Hand of Orula). The latter is a simpler tool used in daily life and for the near-future divination called OSORDE. In any case, with these two tools, babalawos ask ORUNMILA, ORULA in short (the Divining Orisha) and come up with an answer.

Ifa divination is not just ordinary fortune-telling. It is proceeded interactively with the client. Babalawo ask the client to have a white stone called OTA and a black seed called OYU in his hands. The client juggles them in both hands and grabs one in each hand so that it is not shown to the babalawo. The babalawo throw the tool and asks the client to open one hand according to the system only babalawos recognize. If a white stone comes out from the hand of the client, the divination is confirmed, but if a black seed appears, it is rejected. As such, bablalawos alone cannot do the divination on their own. However, if the client cannot participate in the divination, there is another system that allows babalawos to do it alone.

Ifa divination is largely characterized by two things: the fortune-telling and the purification, exorcism called EBO. Unlike ordinary fortune-telling, the clients should act properly afterward. No matter how good the fortune is for the clients in the future, they cannot grasp the good luck if they lazy, forgetting about EBO. On the other hand, if you know in advance that some bad fortune will come, you will be able to prevent it by taking certain measures EBO advised by the babalawo. So you don't have to be scared if Ifa divination tells you about the bad luck in the future. You will get the good luck soon coming while avoiding the energy of bad luck.

Ifa divination has become a UNESCO World Intangible Cultural Heritage. In 2019 I devised and made a book about Orisha Divination in order to popularize Santeria and Ifa divination in Japan. I set up 8 guardian spirits (ORISHA) based on Ifa divination. Readers find out their own ORISHA under the certain system of my invention, and they can get Orunmila’s advice each month by reading pages of each ORISHA written in the book.

By Professor (Babaláwo Yoshiaki) Of Meiji University, Tokyo, Japan.