Why Should We Do Ifa Initiation?

Written by Shola Awodun

Aboru Aboye my sister and brothers,

Ifa Initiation is a process recommended by Olodumare that we should do whenever we want to

1- reclaim our lost blessing

2- get rid of negativities
3- get in tune with the Universal energies
4- know who we truly are and know our divine role here on earth
5- know what we need to use, do, go away from, and act, so that we can be able to accomplish our divine role.

I will cite some IFA verses that buttress the points I am making here.

In *IRETE* *ALAJE* *(IRETE* *OSE)*

Ka kofa mofa ni ma mu eni mofa
Aquirying more kowledge about Ifa will make you know more verses in Ifa
Ka ko osegun mo osegun ni mu eni mo isegun
Knowing. learning more about the use of herb will make one know more about Herb,
Agba ti ko kofa , ti ko ko ogede,
The elders that did not learn Ifa or how to use the hidden words and meaning of IFA

O un reti ojo kan pasan
The elders is waiting for a day when he/she may be disgraced for not knowing the hidden words of Ifa
Ko wa wo bi pala egba se ja omo lara
May experience riddicle and disgraced
Were the diviners that divne for Ola
when Ola was coming from the spritual world to the material world .
Along the ways some of Ola’s blessing (destiny) were lost along the 6 rivers Ola had to cross before coming to the earth, and the last river being the water in Ola’s mother tummy.

Ola had to go back to Olodunmare to for another blessing. Olodnmare told Ola that he/she cannot get another blessing except if He/she go for Ifa Initaition, where by all the processes that were in place, all the chants that would recall the incident that was in process when he/she was choosing their destiny will be said and re-chanted. During this process he/she will be able to regain all the lost blessings.

There are many people who have experience or have similar situation to Ola; the only way of reclaiming their lost blessings is through Ifa initiation. And this is done at Oju ore (I think I explained this to you) where the Ikins are buried and the initiated stepped on their ikin while holding on to the OSUN STAFF while the chants are being recalled. Oju Ore is a placed prepared specially as a boundary between the spiritual world and the material world.

In okaran meji another Ifa verse,
THE OKONRON MEJI GOES THUS
Oye ni Osa ara,
Kurukuru O ta monamona
Ako Aparo Abo Aparo
Won logbe lori tan tan tan

Divined for Olofin, Onase his wife and Okanbi his son, they were all asked to go to “oke aiku” (which means Get initiated into Ifa) because of the ailments that are affecting them- physical, financial and spiritual. During the initiation, all the negative energy that is affecting them will be taken away during the bathing and specifically during the initiation process.

This chant is recited during the painting and concluded by saying, ko ni dudu gba dudu, ko ni fufu gba funfu, ki alayiri gba yare re barapetu ko ofo lo (the negative energy that want the black should take the black, the one of white should take white the one of red and mud colour should take all that belongs to them , Bara apetu-another name of Orunmila, should take all negativity away to pave way for positively in one life).

Our elders will also say we get initiated into Ifa to be able to know our taboos. It is believe that when someone is taken their taboo, or wearing their taboo or acting against the way he or she is supposed to act, things may not be going right or the way the person wanted. It is our taboos that prevent us from reaching our goals in life.

If we know our taboos and refrain from doing or taking them we will achieve all we are to achieve or achieve all that is our role s here on earth. Not using our taboos will also make us align with the Universal energies.
In some situations Ifa initiation will be recommended for a new born baby, as in the case of if OGUNDA IWORI was the Odu that was cast for a baby on the third day which we call ESENTAYE.

The Odu recommends Ifa initiation for the baby immediately to prevent the untimely death of the baby.

Ifa initiation will give you a blue print of your life, will tell you what you need to do to be successful, victorious over your enemies, what to refrain from as in your Taboo to be able to achieve all that you desires in accordance with your divine role here on earth.