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Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780877288817 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Red Wheel/Weiser |
| Publication date: | 09/01/1996 |
| Series: | Messenger of the Yoruba Tradition |
| Pages: | 160 |
| Sales rank: | 310,427 |
| Product dimensions: | 5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.54(d) |
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Read an Excerpt
Ojise
Messenger of the Yoruba Tradition
By Baba Ifa Karade
Samuel Weiser, Inc.
Copyright © 1996 Baba Ifa KaradeAll rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-60925-673-9
CHAPTER 1
• March 29th •
IT WAS SNOWING heavily this morning, and the wind-chill factor added strength to the already low temperatures. The climatic disturbances would make the trek from my home in New Jersey to my godfather's home in New York City perilous. Yet, I journeyed forth.
I experienced the New Jersey Turnpike in a timeless way this day. The relatively short trip was transformed into a mystical quest. The gray sky seemed to be an absorbing essence with a life energy all of its own. The rapidly falling snow produced a cleansing effect within me; and, due to extreme driving concentration, I was led to an almost meditative deepness. It was more than just a state of mind. It was truly a day of dimensional bridging.
I finally reached my destination at approximately 10:00 A.M. Upon entering the house, I removed my shoes, and waited patiently in the small room where my godfather, as babalawo, performed divination for spiritual seekers and devotees. When he walked in, I greeted him respectfully. We then sat down to discuss my ultimate purpose and directive in the Yoruba religion known as Ifa.
It has now been three-and-a-half years since I received my ilekes and ajagun. It has been two-and-a-half years since my i?efa. Now, it was time to decide when and where I would be embarking upon the path of priest. From my very first divination session, the odu revealed that my road in the religion was that of a high priest-babalawo. Affirmations from various ori?a-mounted priests and priestesses at bembes helped to solidify the reality of this revelation. I have spent nearly seven years in study, ritual, and serious deliberation. What was I actually going to do? But, all of that was over. As the final meeting transpired, I felt a deep sense of relief.
As my godfather and I discussed my course, it was stated that before becoming a babalawo it was wise to first become a babalorisa. By doing this, I would not only become more stabilized in orisa worship, but I would also be able to place ilekes upon devotees; initiate into the orisa-priestly order those so determined by Orunmila-Ifa divination; plus, maintain status in respect to New World converts who do not recognize even the babalawo if no priesthood status has been made.
Although the final stage is that of becoming a babalawo, I decided to first make the orisa priesthood. This being so, I may complete the initiation this year and strive for babalawo the next. Or, I could pursue them both at the same time. The matter of finance was the greater matter to be considered. Fortunately, I was able to acquire the prescribed fees through my employment savings, plus, use the monies accrued by means of my work as a traditionally oriented spiritualist.
The journey to Africa for my consecration had long since been contemplated, in spite of great conflicts. Many of my Latin-Santeria and Lucumi ajubona and associates questioned my final decision. Some even expressed hostility. However, I am of African descent and the ancestral drum beats strong—very strong. As an African, I rest squarely in my reality and in the reality of my people. I made my choice. My spirit could accept no less.
My godfather, himself a Nigerian Yoruba, expressed that while I was in Yorubaland, Nigeria, I would be presented to various shrines, and the revelations of deeper Yoruba religious concepts would be shared. He stated that for one year after my initiations I must study the Yoruba culture intensely. I am to ultimately divine for the people and direct them in the ways of Ifa.
• April 19th •
I returned to my godfather's home today in order to talk more extensively about my religious pursuit. Although I was previously informed that he was out of town, his wife suggested that I still come over so that she could assist in solidifying the plans. Upon entering the house, I greeted Iya Ji (my godmother) respectfully. We sat and cordially went over the progress I was making. She told me that I must now prepare a list of the names of my ancestors, family members, and loved ones. The list would be sent directly to those who would be my initiators in Africa. The opening of my way would then be made.
My godmother spoke of the importance of the Ita, which would be cast on the third day of the orisa initiation. 'The Ita," she exclaimed, "is the life long divination set in motion by the orisa of one's head." She went on to say, "The Ita must remain very personal and need be seriously contemplated upon throughout your life. As you become a babalawo initiate," she added, "An odu is given during the night of the actual ritual passage, and another the following morning. These divinations must also be integrated into the fiber of your life."
Iya Ji explained that the sacred objects contained within the odu-orisa consisted of sacred stones called ota. And, depending on the orisa, other effects such as efun, camwood, charcoal, etc., are also placed therein. In the Yoruba context, each person receives a different number of ota based on his or her individuality. This occurs even if two persons are receiving the same orisa. For example, Person A may receive five stones for O?un, while Person B may receive three. Along with the ota, the merindilogun (cowrie shells) are presented to the orisa initiate-iyawo so that divination can be learned and utilized to assist those in need.
Before leaving, I was given a list of materials needed for the initiations. This included a number of white sheets, white pillow cases, white sleepwear, dress whites of African motif, sets of easy clothing, and, of course, personal items. The ritual period for priesthood is seven days. The initiation period for Ifa is three days. To enhance my studies, I would be allowed to bring a portable tape recorder, camera, and notebook.
• May 25th •
Words are difficult to find. The change in me is occurring on more deeply felt levels of my internal existence. I truly feel it. I truly acknowledge it. The impact on my development as "reader" and Yoruba-oriented spiritualist is profound—so very profound.
In a greater sense, I am becoming that which I am to become. The realization of self as priest is taking form and developing more substantially. I have manifested within my being that which others have glimpsed, have seen, have divined. I am becoming that which I have been born to be. No longer will I run from myself. No longer will I be driven by the consuming desire to be socially "misdirected" as a defined entity. No longer will I turn away from my inner-divine-light to realms of my own darkness and self-generated destruction.
REVELATION: It becomes clear to me that so many of us have a calling. Yet, it must be understood that it is not only the calling which must be adhered to. It is the voice behind the calling that is of the utmost importance. It is the voice that we truly seek. The chorus of nature's harmonies are expressed through the spirit of her energies. The chorus of the divine harmonies is heard through the spirits of the ancestors, orisa, and the heavenly prophets. To heed the calling, to find the voice behind the calling, is to evolve as a spiritual being, is to stand at the gates of one's very soul.
It must be grasped that the value of any religious practice is to lead the seeker from the calling to the voice; and then from the voice to the inner-self. The God-self can only be reached through the inner-self. No amount of intellectualism, possessions, or rituals can alter this absolute truth. These things serve only to awaken and channel the inner essence; to allow for the possible elevation. It is not going through them that brings about transcendence. It is the generated ase going through the initiate that potentially empowers and delivers the spirit upward. The initiator and/or the initiate may block this process, basically due to lack of understanding. Therefore, the rituals (regardless of how ceremonial), are finished, yet inner change is still inactivated.
One must also take care to not become damaged by self-absorption, self-indulgence, and self-righteousness. Self-delusion is the unfortunate result of this devastating path. The left hand and the right hand must work together. The spiritual realms and the earthly realms (orun and aiye) must both be seen as valid and real. Balance between them is the basic tenet of Ifa philosophy. It is to be realized that one person's point of balance or center is not another's. Yet, each may find the center of his or her own being by the same process.
• June 3rd •
I am finding that negating forces are beginning to close in about me. Such is to be expected. My spirit, however, is unhampered. The negating forces will not be allowed to distract or destroy me. It is apparent that the more one attempts to evolve, to grow, the more the negating energies, obstacles, and dangers manifest themselves. Yet, expectations realized do not necessarily guarantee that one will be spared. My work with the warriors (ajagun) increases. I pray and give offerings to my Esu, Ogun, Osossi, and Osun for guidance and protection. The negating forces (ajogun) must be neutralized along with the detrimental energies of the "evil ones."
THE greatest obstacle to spiritual progress is the anti-self. The anti-self is inherent in us all. It is the anti-self that the negating forces impact upon, thereby altering our perspective and behavior in negating ways. And, as such, we become negating. By endeavoring to avert these forces, we may then naturally arise. By closeting the anti-self the sacred states may be attained.
I pray to not fall prey to the ajogun; to not fall prey to the madness. I will continue to practice abstinence, fasting, meditation, and detachment. Such are the priestly disciplines employed in order to keep strong and positive; in order to protect one's-self from one's-self.
• July 2nd •
Last night marked my final meeting with my godparents. We spoke of the upcoming voyage, now only four days away. Past travel experiences were shared and a celebrative atmosphere prevailed. However, the focus of our discourse was on my spiritual aspirations.
It was disclosed that the reasons for becoming a priest or priestess were different for different people. For some, it is the answering of a deep mystical calling. For others, it could range from soul salvation to the healing of a sickness; from the release of a long series of misfortune to the bearing of children, or the healing of a loved one. Not everyone who becomes a priest is to divine or function as a defender of humankind. Again, for many it is a deep and personal matter between them and the orisa (angels of Olodumare).
We spoke of the elders who would be initiating me. The Iyanla of the compound was said to be over 100 years old. It is she who will preside over my initiation as I become a priest of Obatala. Her son, the Araba, will preside over my Ifa initiation. He was said to be in his 80s. I was enthralled by their ages. My decision to go to Africa for priestly consecration was looking brighter and brighter. The honor and depth of the experience to come is somewhat within my grasp, yet well beyond my dreams.
My godparents informed me that my head would be shaved along with all of my facial hairs. We all laughed at the mental image perceived. "Like a new baby is how you will look, kekere-awo" (little-bit babalawo). The incisions on the head specific to Ifa initiation may or may not be done. Divination will determine the extent of so many aspects of the ritual ceremony.
Baba Ji stressed that to keep quiet and open is the best way to gain the most from the sacred experience. "Through the day look and listen, speak little. Through the night, while alone in your quarters, you should write." It immediately struck me that there was more to these suggestions than mere words. It was a statement of the nonanalytical emphasis and the analytical emphasis.
REVELATION: Religious sciences are, by definition, of a metaphysical nature. They are transcendental. In this realm the analytical-logical only serves as a stumbling block. It must, therefore, be put to rest. Contained. By remaining quiet we assist the mind in doing likewise. The process of analyzing and subsequently integrating the experience into the concrete logical aspect of one's being need be viewed as developmentally different.
Right after the initiations, I am to return to the United States. The a?e will be strong and it must not be dissipated by any other activities. I must keep very focused for a period of at least three months, and perhaps do a three month ebo, if so divined. The entire period of training is said to be one year and seven days. During this time, I am considered an iyawo (one humbled by the orisa). As a babalawo initiate, I will remain kekere-awo for a period of one to seven years. In both instances, my passing into full priesthood is determined by the elder initiators who will weigh my strengths, knowledge, character, and spirit.
CHAPTER 2
• July 7th •
THE ULTIMATE purpose of the journey remained foremost in my mind as I suffered through the agony of foreign travel. A six hour delay at the terminal in New York City; a ten hour flight across The Middle Passage; and now a three hour in-processing at the Nigerian airport. I felt blessed and relieved to have met a small group of sisters from the midwest who were on a sojourn to Nigeria. As Ifa devotees, they were seeking to enhance their understanding of the religion and culture through actual travel and experience. And then, there was he who was to become my god-brother. He hailed from New York City and was going to Africa in order to "make" ?ango, and also Ifa. These beautiful people made the trip more pleasant. We seemed to provide a deep sense of security and support for each other through the trying times.
On this day, the seventh day of the seventh month, we arrived in Lagos, Nigeria, West Africa. A wave of nostalgia overcame me. It was precisely fourteen years ago since I was last in Africa. During the summer of '77, I was fortunate enough to have been chosen as a participant of Operation Crossroads Africa. Our team went to Kenya in order to assist in the construction of a school in one of the rural areas. That was my first time on the continent, and I swore upon the graves of my ancestors that it would not be my last. So, now I have returned in order to become a priest.
It was about 6:00 P.M. when Iyaji met my god-brother and me at the designated area of the airport. (She had come to her native Africa a few days prior.) After a typical hassle with the local hagglers and taxi drivers, we finally hired a cab and were on our way.
The ride took us from the paved roads of the airport to the congested highways of urban Lagos. From there, we traveled down dusty dirt paths decorated to the right and to the left with shanty-like constructs. Clusters of colorful Nigerian people gathered in front of dimly lit makeshift storefronts, buying commodities or just simply conversing. It took about half an hour, but finally we reached our destination. It was the place where we would be initiated. Ejigbo.
Iya Ji instructed us to dobale (prostrate ourselves) before the Araba as we wearily walked into his work space. He definitely seemed younger than his reported 80-odd years. He was dressed in modest African attire and appeared to be a very hard-working man. His quaint quarters were enhanced by the five or six faded diplomas and certificates which hung on the time-worn walls. There was also a hanging calendar which depicted a middle-aged babalawo with the written phrase, "When in the darkness of life, come to Ifa." The calendar was dated 1986. There was a sense of impoverishment here, in respect to Western comparative materialism, yet I sensed no attitude of poverty. This was clearly a chosen way of life for him.
The Iyanla also resides in the compound. We walked the short distance to her living space and reverently entered. She sat up on her olden bed. We knelt before this ancient priestess. She placed her hands upon our heads and blessed us. I marveled, not only at her age, but also at her grace and intense light of spirituality. She is the elder of elders. There was a deeply felt divineness about her. I felt elated that she would preside over my initiation into orisa priesthood. Truly, she was the vanguard of traditional purity. Truly, she was the keeper of the shrines.
After our brief stay with the Iyanla we were taken to the shrines of Obatala, Sango, and to the root tree that religiously symbolized the orisa Ogun. "Ogun is most potent," exclaimed the Araba. "It was he who cleared the way leading all the other orisa to settle on the earth."
• July 8th •
After a restful and much needed sleep, the morning arising felt good. We had spent the night in an apartment-like complex some three miles from the compound. During the course of the evening, we discussed travel arrangements for the return to the U.S., the initiations, and the upcoming Osun festival. I knew that I would be unable to attend as my stay here would be over.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from Ojise by Baba Ifa Karade. Copyright © 1996 Baba Ifa Karade. Excerpted by permission of Samuel Weiser, Inc..
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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Table of Contents
Contents
Preface
Introduction
Part 1: The Journey
Chapter l
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Part 2: The Pilgrimage
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Part 3: The Inspiration
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Concluding Statement
Glossary
About the Author