Black Spirituality Religion : Ifa concept of prayer and sorcery

Sekhemu

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Prayer is the means by which the conviction that God is, becomes instilled. God becomes, through prayer, a living force through the life of man. The real conviction that God is, comes not by belief that there is a God in the outerworld, but in the realization of the divine within himself; and this realization is attanied through prayer. Prayer generates a moral force which not only changes our lives but the lives of others also

Prayer (adura) is very important in Ifa. To make supplication for one's Ori, Egun, Orishas, Orunmila and Olodumare is viewed as an essential aspect of Ifa worship. It is to be understood that prayers to the divinities are for the purufication and elevation of base human qualities. The highest form of prayer is that of the devotee asking for nothing except transcendence and protection from negating forces. By means of sincere prayer the devotee is better able to pass through the lower realms and attain the heavenly states

Ifa priests and priestesses are directed to assist devotees in their heavenly and earthly trails. Prayers to the deities for bearing children, employment, finance, marriage, etc; fall under earthly tribulation. Prayers are strong voices against the oppressive earth forces that are limiting human growth and stability. Through their power they seek to bring about change. The heavenly host are activated to combat or placate detremental forces

Bringing about such changes for the purpose of worldly gains only, is witchcraft. Prayer and sorcery do not connect. It is illogical to the divine psyche to place them together. When prayer is connected with the sacred unfoldment of the devotee a sense of divine feeling ensues. This divine feeling is absent when sorcery is connecte to the devotee. Prayer brings about divine intervention and the betterment of the devotee's person. Sorcery does not. If clearly examined, we can conclude that sorcery brings about the opposite of priestly development. Prayer, ofcourse enhances it. This is why the priestly are constantly directing the people in the way of the divine. People must not fall victim to the forces of sorcery and illusion. It as if to say "pray or be preyed upon" in other words, pray or fall victim to disruptive forces.

It is important to set specific times and places for prayer. This disciplines the mind, which must be clear and focused, in order to strenthen the endeavor. Dawn, or upon rising, is an especially good time for prayer as the mind and emotion have not yet been caught up in the world. At dawn, the Ori is clear and the conciousness of the body is more open to creative sources of light and energy. Prayer before going sleep is also potent. The aspirant then clears the Ori of the day long experiences and set to rest from the worldly trails. The essence of spirit is reawakened and maintained throughout the dream-subconcious states.

For Ifa traditionalist, setting the proper atmosphere for prayer is duly important. Candles, incense, bowls of water and fruits provide the spiritual essence that usually envelops a place of prayer or reverance. Musical instrumentation also plays a great part in setting the atmosphere. Ifa devotees include drums, rattles, bells, handclaps, and song in the prayer directive. Prayers are often "sung" or chanted in ryhthm and in harmony with the music. When prayers are said in the way of praise songs thet are called oriki. The oriki more specifically tell of the attributes and powers of the Orishas. The divinities are approached with awe and respect openly. The oriki speak of angelic force, wisdom, and abilities.

Devotees are set to learn oriki specific to their personal deity under the auspices of their priest. Novices are not to overextend themselves in the desire to learn all prayers. It is better to grasp what can be understood and go within.

Although prayers need to be made at the shrine or altars of the given orisha, in no way is this a limitation. Prayers may be said at anytime and at anyplace conducive to the elevating of one's self

Ase
 
Irosun Meji

Before Irosun-meji came to the world he was advised to make sacrifice with a **** and a tortiose to the misfortune divinity and a he-goat to Esu. He was also told to give a guinea fowl to his guardian orisa. He refused to do any of these sacrifices. He then came to the world where he was practicintg Ifa. When he grew up, he was so poor that he could not afford to marry, let alone have a child. The hardship became so severe on him that out of frustration he decided to throw his Ifa seeds (ikin) away. Meanwhile, he had a dream in which his guardian orisa appeared to him telling him that he was the one responsible for his problems because he had stubbornly refused to make the sacrifice prescribed for him . When he woke up in the morning, he decided to sound his Ifa and it was only then he realized that it was his guardian orisa that appeared to him in the night.

He quickly arranged to do the sacrifice to his Ifa and gave a he-goat to Esu. His Ifa advised him to return to Orun to report back to God from whom he failed to obtain clearance. For his trip to Orun, he was told to go with a ****, a tortoise, a pack of yams, a gourd of water, a gourd of oil, pepper, okro and snuff. He collected all the thintgs and packed them up in his divination bag. Afer travelling as far as the boundary of heaven and earth he went straight to the divine palace where he met the keeper of the divine chamber, the misfortune divinity or Yeye Muwo, the mother of obstacles. He knelt down at the divine chamber and proclaimed that he came in all humility to renew his earthly wishes. Yeye muwo intervened that it was too early in the morningt to make any wishes because there was no food in the house. From his divination bag, he immediately brought out his fire, wood, water, oil, pepper, salt, okro, snuff and finally, the **** all of which the mother of obstacles demanded in turn. Yeye Muwo was up to her usual delaying tactics, but Irosun-meji was finally prepared. Thereafter, Yeye Muwo cleared him to make his wishes. since it was forbidden to kneel down on the bare floor, he knelt on the tortoise which he brought forth from earth. After making all his wishes, God blessed them with his divine mace. When Yeye Muwo heard the sound of the mace she quickly finished her cooking, but before she could come out, Esu motioned Irosun-Meji to leave quickly for earth. When the mother of obstacles finally emerged from the kitchen, she asked God for the man who had been making his wishes and the Almighty replied that that he had gone. When she queried why he did not ask the man to make bad and good choices, God replied that it was not his tradition to interfere when his children were making their wishes. In spite of all the gifts he had given Yeye Muwo, she nonetheless left quickly in hot pursuit of Irosun-meji. As she was pursuing him, she sang.... he replied with a refrain of the same song saying that he had already made sacrifice and his wishes, leaving nothing out. As he was singing he was racing along in fright. When Yeye Muwo saw that she could not reach him, she stood still and stretched out her thumb and tore through his back with it. That is the hollow line running through the human backbone, to this day, which is to constantly remind us that the only way we can escape the long hand of misfortune is by making sacrifice. With the mark, Yeye Muwo proclaimed to Irosun-Meji and to the rest of humanity, (a curse) never to remember his/her heavenly wishes on getting to earth since the eyes cannot see the back of the body and that before realizing his wishes, he would have to grope in darkness for a long time and experience a lot of harship in the process.

The pain of the injury made Irosun-Meji unconscious and he lapsed into a trance of utter darkness. When he woke up, he found himself on his bed on earth. He had forgotten everything that had happened before then. He however went about his business and prospered long afterwards. The state of darkness symbolizes the gestation period we spend in the womb, during which we lose all recollections of what we plan to do on earth.






Can anyone tell me what Yeye Muwo has to do with witchcraft?
 
Presuming you weren't somehow being sarcastic in asking the question, I'll take my no-knowing Ifa self a stab at it (;)). Would it not be reflected in her very nature---the qualities of delaying and diverting one's attention away from assigned earthly missions through forgetting?





Before Irosun-meji came to the world he was advised to make sacrifice with a **** and a tortiose to the misfortune divinity and a he-goat to Esu. He was also told to give a guinea fowl to his guardian orisa. He refused to do any of these sacrifices. He then came to the world where he was practicintg Ifa. When he grew up, he was so poor that he could not afford to marry, let alone have a child. The hardship became so severe on him that out of frustration he decided to throw his Ifa seeds (ikin) away. Meanwhile, he had a dream in which his guardian orisa appeared to him telling him that he was the one responsible for his problems because he had stubbornly refused to make the sacrifice prescribed for him . When he woke up in the morning, he decided to sound his Ifa and it was only then he realized that it was his guardian orisa that appeared to him in the night.

He quickly arranged to do the sacrifice to his Ifa and gave a he-goat to Esu. His Ifa advised him to return to Orun to report back to God from whom he failed to obtain clearance. For his trip to Orun, he was told to go with a ****, a tortoise, a pack of yams, a gourd of water, a gourd of oil, pepper, okro and snuff. He collected all the thintgs and packed them up in his divination bag. Afer travelling as far as the boundary of heaven and earth he went straight to the divine palace where he met the keeper of the divine chamber, the misfortune divinity or Yeye Muwo, the mother of obstacles. He knelt down at the divine chamber and proclaimed that he came in all humility to renew his earthly wishes. Yeye muwo intervened that it was too early in the morningt to make any wishes because there was no food in the house. From his divination bag, he immediately brought out his fire, wood, water, oil, pepper, salt, okro, snuff and finally, the **** all of which the mother of obstacles demanded in turn. Yeye Muwo was up to her usual delaying tactics, but Irosun-meji was finally prepared. Thereafter, Yeye Muwo cleared him to make his wishes. since it was forbidden to kneel down on the bare floor, he knelt on the tortoise which he brought forth from earth. After making all his wishes, God blessed them with his divine mace. When Yeye Muwo heard the sound of the mace she quickly finished her cooking, but before she could come out, Esu motioned Irosun-Meji to leave quickly for earth. When the mother of obstacles finally emerged from the kitchen, she asked God for the man who had been making his wishes and the Almighty replied that that he had gone. When she queried why he did not ask the man to make bad and good choices, God replied that it was not his tradition to interfere when his children were making their wishes. In spite of all the gifts he had given Yeye Muwo, she nonetheless left quickly in hot pursuit of Irosun-meji. As she was pursuing him, she sang.... he replied with a refrain of the same song saying that he had already made sacrifice and his wishes, leaving nothing out. As he was singing he was racing along in fright. When Yeye Muwo saw that she could not reach him, she stood still and stretched out her thumb and tore through his back with it. That is the hollow line running through the human backbone, to this day, which is to constantly remind us that the only way we can escape the long hand of misfortune is by making sacrifice. With the mark, Yeye Muwo proclaimed to Irosun-Meji and to the rest of humanity, (a curse) never to remember his/her heavenly wishes on getting to earth since the eyes cannot see the back of the body and that before realizing his wishes, he would have to grope in darkness for a long time and experience a lot of harship in the process.

The pain of the injury made Irosun-Meji unconscious and he lapsed into a trance of utter darkness. When he woke up, he found himself on his bed on earth. He had forgotten everything that had happened before then. He however went about his business and prospered long afterwards. The state of darkness symbolizes the gestation period we spend in the womb, during which we lose all recollections of what we plan to do on earth.






Can anyone tell me what Yeye Muwo has to do with witchcraft?

 
Presuming you weren't somehow being sarcastic in asking the question, I'll take my no-knowing Ifa self a stab at it (;)). Would it not be reflected in her very nature---the qualities of delaying and diverting one's attention away from assigned earthly missions through forgetting?






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All of this is true beloved. Keep going you're on the right track ;)
 

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