ORIENTATION ON THE YORUBA TRADITION OF ORISA
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~ OB'ASEO ~
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---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "ABORU - ABOYE" . FROM . IYA ARABA AGBAYE -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ALAFIA OLOFIN, OLODUMARE, GBOGBO ORISA, GBOGBO EGGUN: --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I am ______(your name), on the planet earth. I am one with the divine energy and I channel its light. I now call out to my guardian angels, to the positive powers of the universe, to my guides and master, and to my friends and family in the spirit world: "I implore you to empower me with expanded consciousness; increase my awareness, perception and intuition. Empower me to create and sustain perfect health, great prosperity and happiness in this human experience. Empower me to manifest a miracle that will change my life in positive ways this day. I programme all this for my personal evolution and to serve humanity better. This is so, and so it is." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------************************* O R I S A .. O R I G I N ********************* ORISA TRADITION originated thousands of years ago amoungst the Yoruba peoples of South West Africa (primarily in the present-day area of Nigeria). It is a polytheistic and hierarchical system of philosophy and practises, applicable to the body, mind and spirit levels in every dimension of creation. --------------------------------- The hierarchy is not linear, but primary in order of evolution: OLODUMARE is the Divine Creator and the ORISAS represent its aspects__different elements, species and the forces of nature. They may be viewed as Deities, Messengers or Mediators. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The wisdom of the Orisa Tradition is contained in the IFA Oracle (refer to the Ifa Literary Corpus by Wande Abimbola). IFA, the Orisa of Divination, is interchangeable with the name of its original proponent, ORUNMILA (much like the confusion between Christ and Jesus; one being the realm of consciousness, the latter referring to the person). ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The mechanics of Ifa divination are similar to those of the Chinese "I-CHING" in that the oracle is cast and the resulting positions are named. In Orisa, names are called ODU(s), of which there are 16 major and a subsequent 16 minors for each (total 256); whereas in modern I-CHING, we learn 8 major representations and a subsequent 8 minors for each (total of 64)--------------------------------------------------------------------------- Here we interject that in the history of Psychological studies, there is not one single text that does not commence its studies and treatment history with the primitive Shamans' practises. Their principles and practises have continued to evolve (albeit outside) during the development of conventional therapies; and, we are naive to deny their proliferate existence and modern influence. ---------------------------------------------------------------- For example, in a typical consultation by the Ifa diviner (male: Babalawo; female: Iyanifa), the resulting Odu is symbolic of aspects which are being challenged, e.g., physical illness, litigation, psychological traumas__biographical and transpersonal; in essence, every situation the human being can expect to experience. -------------------------- The Ifa Oracle can depict the individual much like an astrological chart appropriately addresses everyday trials of human endeavour, dynamically attends to astral afflictions (psychological maladjustments); and in its more intense application, is utilised to correct spiritual atrophies, or karmic references. ----------------------------------- We have come to know that Orisa, on a scientific level, is purely ENERGY. Each Orisa resonates in a definitive vibration much like frequencies on a short band radio or colours on the light spectrum. Subsequently, each person, plant, animal, mineral and element vibrates in a particular frequency. As a spiritual metaphor, Orisa is a realm__a dimension or plateau of consciousness one hopes to traverse enroute to one's total spiritual evolution. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- At any level, individuals are attracted to a particular Orisa because they are either already resonating in the same frequency, or because they somehow need the level of energy being transmitted by that ORISA. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- **NOTES: 1)-The primary greeting is "ALAFIA," much like the Hebrews say "Shalom," and the Hindus say "Namaste." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Thank you for visiting our exhibit.
