Your Questions About Ifa
Dear friends and family. You have been sending us your questions. We hear you and we are replying to all of you Here. when something comes up for one - it comes up for the rest of us. In this section we are answering your questions about Ifa, Ifa Initiation, Ifa terminology and most of all - ifa consciousness.
Do ifa initiates worship deities?
“If you were god, would you create an outer saviour? Or an inner saviour in the heart of your creation” Robert Stevens - Logos of Now.
Ifa guides you to your inner saviour - moment to moment, choice by choice, step by step. Receiving your Ifa is consciously choosing to be reborn into your great self - in a divine union! Ifa uniquely guides each of us from within. Ifa recognises the outside world is a reflection of our inner realm. All the elements that make up the forces of nature are the same elements that created us.
What are Orishas ?
The forces of nature exist within and around us and contain states of consciousness that are expressed through qualities and characteristics that are named the Orishas. Each of the Orishas is re-present-ing a specific force within nature, the elements of all creation that created us, and we co-create with.
The Orishas exist within our own states of consciousness, and when we engage with the forces of nature, we participate in our co-creation of heaven on earth. Each Orisha’s characteristic connects us with specific forces in nature - our nature. When we are praising or feeding an Orisha, we are feeding that aspect of ourselves in consciousness. When we make offerings to the Orishas - we are honouring these forces, qualities that we are and have and serve with.
For example, Eshu, the Orisha of words and communication, the divine law enforcer, the one who opens the way. Ahh but which way? Eshu has no preference over good or bad, opportunity or misfortune. It is the orientation of the speaker that will determine the outcome. Eshu just delivers the message.
When we come to Eshu in praise and honour, we are praising and honouring the power of OUR words. When we feed Eshu, we are feeding the power of what we say and our choice to speak consciously from our hearts and to transform our small self habits to revert to the trickery of our old programs and limiting beliefs spoken in babel. When we praise Eshu we engage our higher choice to deliver our message clear and clean and have our victorious outcomes. We are also closing the door to any miss-fortune and confusion in our communication - to ourselves and others.
Guided by Orunmila - our higher / heavenly consciousness - through an advanced divination system, we can commune, interpret and translate Orunmila’s’ messages and engage our consciousness - praise Orishas - for our personal specific healing, creation and manifestation.
It’s important to emphasise to all Ifa students; this is an inside job! Your initiation, your ifa family, your Orishas and Divination tools are all supporting you in your walk through your open door - which no man can shut! The door opens in. Ifa is a map to navigate and guide you on your chosen path in life. The agreement you made in heaven before coming to earth.
Can Ifa Initiation happen with Plant Blood sacrifice only?
Yes - why? Blood is the exchange of life: blood for blood. In ancient times, animals had a high value to the human culture for food, clothing, and supplies. It was the animal on which humanity survived. Nowadays, we have a different set of circumstances and values. Plant bloods have a significant value to humans and can be exchanged for animal blood where required. Provided the blood which is being sacrificed is of high value, then it is going to work.
Blood of valuable wine or a valuable medicine plant: that is something that we have sacrificed which has VALUE. It has a monetary value, medicinal value, consciousness value. A life giving power that is valued and therefore exchanged for something of a higher value which is: spiritual wisdom, knowledge, power.
Are there any consequences to being Initiated into Ifa?
Ifa Initiation will change your life for the better. This upgrade may be instant or gradual according to where you're at and the severity of your situation. Some people come to ifa because they are facing major life challenges; others come because they are unconscious of their challenges and the major changes they require. Either way, Ifa will ignite major upgrades in all areas of your life!
Change is the only constant in life.
What makes the changes Ifa brings to your life so significant is they are your hearts top priority. Our personality and limiting survival beliefs are attempting to live in a status quo. Life, light, nature is in a continual state of expansion, and so are you. Your true power and light are a major threat to your status quo limiting self. Receiving your Ifa (union with your great power and light) will radically upgrade your life. Anything that was in your life that never originated from the source of who you are… illusions ….. will leave, in divine and perfect timing.
Your first year(s) of change may be experienced as a Crisis. Can you imagine the crisis the caterpillar is going through as it literally dissolves into a SOLUTION … to them emerge brand new as a butterfly? Very helpful to just keep on breathing and stay close to your inner saviour - God!
Choosing to upgrade your life using Ifa’s spiritual system is a very wise way to provide and empower yourself. Any major metamorphosis birthing process in our life is ideally supported by a team of committed & sincere midwives. In Ifa’s eternal wisdom, initiation into ifa is done through a family. The value of having your ifa family is for support and to vote your victory through your open door into your victorious thriving life.
To have our heaven on earth, we must give up our attachment to our misery, our victim mode of blaming. The two things can not occupy the same space. One must give. Choosing Ifa is investing massively in your higher choice!
Some typical changes manifest as people leaving your life, people coming into your life, moving home, city, country, trauma releasing, health challenges intensifying or just anything that you have been running and hiding from suddenly appearing larger than life. Your consciousness will change, and your life will reflect it. That is why it is so important that you are aware of your process and you are supported in your process.
Your Babalawos that initiated you and your ifa family/community that you chose are here for you - If you will reach out. Your job is to ask and walk in faith for what you require and stay in relationship.
What is a Babalawo and Iyanifa? Why do I need them? Can I do Ifa by myself?
Ifa is a spiritual family, community. A Babalawo means literally ‘a father’ or a ‘godfather’, and Iyanifa is a ‘godmother’ in a spiritual sense.
They are in service to their community. They are not higher in status than anyone else. They are devoted and dedicated patrons of their community who have over the years sacrificed, studied, transformed to receive their own highest Selves in order to SERVE their community.
Their role is to hold the energy of their Ile. To review their own thoughts, actions, attitudes to the highest of standards so that they can raise the members of their spiritual family.
You can “do Ifa” by yourself… but to LIVE Ifa - is to give of yourself to something bigger than a theory, ideas, rituals which of themselves are only mental concepts.. The best opportunity to fulfil your role in your current incarnation, to give of yourself - is living in a family, in a community. As we perceive the other - we meet our own self. So in a way, we always do our work on the inner ‘by ourselves and it is our community who will always show us how we are truly doing in our process.
This is why the role of community is INVALUABLE.
Why Is Gathering in the Name of Ifa important for you if you are called to be initiated into Ifa with Ile Kunkun?
We (Iya Omi Tola, Baba Sandor Alawode, members of the Ile) are here to serve your/our highest purpose. We ARE our community and our Ile. By joining Gathering in the Name of Ifa - you will connect with Baba Alawode and members of your spiritual family and you all have your opportunity to feel into Ile Kunkun and our approach to Ifa.
In Ile Kunkun we come together to raise ourselves and each other. Our Babalawos are constantly growing and evolving in their service to OUR highest purpose. The approach we provide is an alchemy of conscious language (the power of the word) and energy work. You will see how you can use conscious language to speak to your Highest Self, to you Orisas (aspects of your nature inside of you), and your ancestors in ways that open your consciousness to truth and transformation. In other words - when you put in your work - you will see your miracles.
You will learn the importance of communication with your creator and your world to benefit your highest purpose to come forth in your life.
We are growing our Ile, our spiritual family and our community. By coming together, we are also growing our spiritual immunity, and we shine a light for ourselves and each other to walk the path of our destiny.
Why is the initiation so expensive? Should spiritual services be free.
You are investing in what you require. We cannot go to spirit and expect to get the solution to our most important needs without expecting to VALUE it. Ifa is free. The "sacrifice" or "donation" is so that YOU will VALUE YOU and what you're coming for. The contributions that you make are paying for the Babalaow's time to provide you these services and the supplies you require. Ifa is a tithing system where you hook up your eternal supply of abundance. A complete transformation without being prepared to reciprocate. The law of Ayni (reciprocity) states that we live in a reciprocal universe. We invest and simultaneously open ourselves to receive what we invest in. I give, and I expect to receive. What am I prepared to sacrifice to receive something of a higher nature?
You are giving from your creator's heart through you to your Ifa Family, which you are choosing for the support of your life. And all goes back to the heart of the creator.
I give because I expect to receive my highest self, my new life.
You are investing in YOU. You are not paying someone to give you something. You are investing in you receiving your highest self with the support of Ifa and your chosen Ile. The payment is for your Babalawos' time, energy and ongoing energetic support, which you receive.
When you come into the Ifa, you come into a family with which you are in exchange. Family is the structure on which Ifa is based, and in the family, everyone has their place and role to play.
In Ifa, you are always a student and a teacher. For instance, how that works in traditional Ifa based communities - children of the age of 12 are learning from their older brothers and sisters, and at the same time, they are teaching the younger members of the community. Everyone has their place. Everyone is equally important. Ifa is a continuously evolving tapestry of consciousness of which you are a part.
