Where are Orishas Worshipped?
southwestern Nigeria
Orisha, also spelled orixa or orisa, any of the deities of the Yoruba people of southwestern Nigeria. They are also venerated by the Edo of southeastern Nigeria; the Ewe of Ghana, Benin, and Togo; and the Fon of Benin (who refer to them as voduns).
What is an African IFA?
Ifa is a system of divination and religion of the Yoruba people. It also refers to the verses of the literary corpus that is known as Odu Ifa. Ifa Yoruba religion is practiced not just among the Yorubas in Nigeria but also throughout West Africa, the Americas and the Canary Islands.
What does Orisha mean in African religions?
o·ri·shas or orisha. 1. Any of various spirits in West African and especially Yoruban religious belief that can interact directly with human beings, often ritually invoked to influence human affairs or communicate messages from the spirit world. 2.
Are the orishas African?
The orisha are spirits that play a key role in the Yoruba religion of West Africa and several religions of the African diaspora that derive from it, such as Cuban and Puerto Rican Santería and Brazilian Candomblé.
How did the orishas get their powers?
Orisha Shango picked up powers that had fallen in a near by field. He collected the power to control lightening. From then on, everyone called him Jakuta, the stone thrower. He was honored and respected all over.
What is the purpose of Ifa?
The occurrences, events, and activities are revealed to humans through the elaborate divination process of Ifa. Through Ifa, the role of the diviner (known as a babalawo) is to help an individual or community to see what is in store for them in their day-to-day lives.
What is Ashe in Yoruba?
One was this: “Ase or ashe (from Yoruba àṣẹ) is a West African philosophical concept through which the Yoruba of Nigeria conceive the power to make things happen and produce change. Existence, according to Yoruba thought, is dependent upon it.”
How do you become IFA?
In order to become an IFA, you first need to complete a Level 4 Diploma for Financial Advisers (DipFA). This qualification is made up of two units, with the first being based on financial services regulation ethics and the second focusing on advanced financial advice.
Is the IFA Orisha religion a true religion?
Though much can be debated surrounding its path across Africa, as well the much discussed “true” origin of the philosophy, one thing is certain: both the practice and the philosophy are recognized as a cultural treasure and a growing world religion.
Where can I find information about the Yoruba religion?
Information on the Internet can be found using such search phrases as: Yoruba faith, Orisha worship, and Ifa religion. Searching for “Ifa” will not be productive because so many organizations have IFA as their acronym.
Who are the priestesses of the IFA tradition?
In truth, Ifa in practice is very much a living oracle. Ifa is the words of Olodumare (Creator) manifested through the Spirit of Destiny (Orunmila). Priests & Priestesses of the tradition (called Babalawos, Iyanifas, and Olori s as) serve collectively as representatives and shareholders of the Ifa Orisha divinatory spiritual system.
Who are the gods and goddesses of the Ifa religion?
Oya, the goddess of the river Niger. Sango, the god of thunder and lightning. Sopona, the divinity associated with smallpox. Yemoja, the goddess of all rivers. Spirits, psychic agencies, or forces of nature. They are often associated with trees, rocks, rivers, forests, hills, etc.