Oga-n-rara was coming from Heaven to Earth. He chose no single favorable destiny. When he was on Earth, life became unbearable difficult. Consequently, he approached ten different Babalawo for divination. Oga-n-rara performed the rituals he was adviced to perform and was able to have his needs met from Oludumare.
If our situation is honestly bad, and it is not a matter of our character or behavior, then our Ori Apere must be appeased. Prescribed sacrifices or rituals must be performed to bring ourselves back into healthy alignment. These rituals are best performed at night, and once they have been performed one is advised to stay in the house until morning. If this is impossible, then the ritual or sacrifice must be performed precisely at dawn before any other acts of the day are embarked upon.
Before performing the ritual it is essential to be freshly bathed and dressed in clean clothing. White would be the preferable color, but if dressing all in white is not possible, use the lightest color available. Black is not acceptable. In the ritual to Ori Apere, you must wear a cap or covering for your head.
Having prepared yourself for the offering you chant three times:
Ela ro Ela ro Ela ro Ori mo pe o Ori mo pe o Ori mo pe o!
Orunmila, please descend Orunmila, please descend Orunmila, please descend Ori, I call on you Ori, I call on you Ori, I call on you!
Then you present your problem, ask for a solution, and give your offering as payment and thanks.
There are several Ifa verses that offer general prayers to your Ori Apere. Among them are these:
Iwonran Olukun Abara le kokooko bi ori ota Difa fun Ore Apere Omo atakara sola Nje ibi ori gbe ni owo Akara Ori je won o ka mi mo won Akara Nibi ori gbe nni ire gbogbo Akara Ori je won o ka mi mo won Akara.
Iwonran Olukun [Ifa babalawo] cast divination oracle for Ori-Apere It is certain that Apere is the quintessence of well-being. Wherever Ori is wealthy, let mine be included. Wherever Ori has many children, let mine be included. Wherever Ori has all good things of life, let mine be included.
Ori wo ibi ire ki o gbe mi de Ese wo ibi ire ki o sin mi re Ibi ope agunka ngbe mii re Emi ko mo ibe Difa fun Sasore Eyi to ji ni Kutukutu owuro Nje ti o ba tun ku ibi to dara ju eyi lo Ori mi ma sai gbe mi de ibe.
Ori, place me in good condition. My feet, carry me to where condition is favorable. Where Ifa is taking me to, I never know. Cast divination oracle for Sasore In the prime of his life If there is any condition better than the one I am in. at present May my Ori not fail to place me there.
Ori mi gbe mi Ori mi la mi Gbemi atete niran Gbemi atete gbeni ku foosa Ori nii gbe ni Ajawo, kii se oosa.
Support me, my Ori. Make me prosperous, my Ori. Ori is humankind’s supporter before deities.
If things are going badly in your life, before pointing an accusing finger at witches, sorcerers, or your enemies, you would do well to examine your character. if you are in the habit of bullying people or not being considerate of their feelings, do not look for any real happiness in your life no matter how materially successful you may be. If, on the other hand, you help others and bring happiness to them, your life will be full not only of riches but of joy and happiness as well. But remember, it is far easier to alter your destiny than it is your character.
How It All Works
How it all works
If the practicing Priest has any intellectual curiosity at all, they will spend a great deal of time in attempting to understand exactly how Ifa works. This is quite different from the Priest who has accepted the Western Religious view that all power, and truth comes from the Word. And, that the Word, is not to be questioned.
The intellectually curious Priest wants to understand exactly how, and why, the ebbos, divination and cleansings work. How, in the most pragmatic way, does the sacrificing of a rooster, the offering of honey, the chanting of a prayer reverse the seemingly irreversible negative trends in an individuals life? How can it cure cancer, allow for conception, improve business and restore mental balance in such unorthodox fashions.
The non curious practioners simply accepts that it does. They believe that the Word and the offerings carry with them the inherent ase’ or Divine energy, to accomplish the task.
And, you might reasonable ask: ” what difference does it make when both accomplish their goals?”
The difference is potentially enormous and critical.
For example, when you believe in, and accept, the Word as unassailable and unchanging, you limit yourself , and the client, in a host of ways. Simply because you were taught that red Palm Oil is the suitable offering to Esu, you are dependent geographically on obtaining it. You are also dependent intellectually on a given solution. You are also reaching an illogical conclusion which will negatively impact all your work.
Was an Eskimo cut out of the loop by Oludumare (God) because, geographically, red palm oil was impossible to obtain?
Certainly, logically, it is not the Red Palm Oil that performs the change. Certainly, logically, olive oil, whale oil, peanut oil etc. would all work as well. The same applies to the language used in your invocations or prayers. To assume it must be Yoruba, Spanish etc. is equally illogical. Certainly God understands all languages. With this being the case, the question still remained: “How does it work.”
Recently, I was e-mailed an article regarding a man who could change weather patterns. The author, a well known Awo, compared the situation to an event he had witnessed. An event in Africa where a ceremony was taking place. Suddenly a major wind began to blow, knocking down implements etc. The head Priest, hearing this, poked his head from the building he was in and shouted, angrily, at the top of his lungs for the wind to stop blowing. It did.
Later the Awo asked the head priest how he could do this. ” Because I believe I can,” replied the priest.
Most, particularly, those that adhere to the divinity of the Word, would accept this. Frankly, while sounding good, this was not adequate, or logical, to me. As I thought about it I realized that even if I truly believed I could beat Pete Sampras at tennis, or Michael Jordan at Basketball, the truth was that the moment I got on either’s court, with racquet or basketball, I wouldn’t have a chance.no matter how truly I believed!
So, it had to be something else. Something that could, at the same time provide enormous change yet was logical and consistent.
The answer came in relationship to my son’s tennis game. When my son Dashiel was 10 years old, a Babalawo for 5 years, who has a gift for tennis. Playing seriously for just six months, he consistently beats 12 - 14 year olds who have been playing for years. Yet, there is one ten year old girl he has been unable to beat. Admittedly, she was the number one ranked 10 year old girl in the State of Indiana, but, on a skill level, he should have been be beating her, at least occasionally. I didn’t know how to get him over this hump.
Together, he and I had discussed the concept of visualization. It is becoming a powerful tool in competitive sports. Recently, at the Olympics, the Gold Metal U.S. diver was a girl that had injured her foot and been unable to train until just before the Olympics. What she had done was spend several hours each day visualizing the perfect dives she would have to make. And, when the competition began, she made enough of them to win against all odds! A Javelin Thrower, at the Olympics, who had undergone rotator cuff surgery had done the same thing, and when he was able to practice after months of inactivity, his toss was the best he had ever done!
So, wasn’t this a matter of believing they could do it?
NO!
It