Alaafia!
A kii l'owo lai mu ti Esu kuro
A kii l'ayo mu ti Esu kuro
A kii se ohun rere lai mu ti Esu kuro
Esu Mojuba O!
Esu, ma se mi!
Eni ti do se ebo ni ki e se!
I start this section with a prayer to the orisa of opportunity and beginnings, Esu. Blessings to my egungun and teachers for providing me the insight and opportunity to share my knowledge and wisdom with you here. The above adura tells us, "We cannot enjoy wealthy without giving Esu his due. We cannot be joyful without giving Esu his due. We cannot benefit from the good thigns in life without giving Esu his due. Esu, I pay homage to you. Esu, do not interfere negatively in my life. Esu, undo whosoever fails to make offerings to you, appease you, and respect you." As the spirit of opportunity has blessed my life, may Esu bring new energy and opportunities to you and yours!
What is Orisa Worship?
Orisa Worship is the oldest monotheistic faith in the world. Hailing from Southwest Nigeria and its surrounding area, this religion, once the national faith of Nigeria, is now the seventh largest religion in the world. Orisa worship began as small, village and regional cults that worshipped orisa (conscious energies that comprise the universe) and egungun (ancestors). Orisa worship also involves the use of divination to navigate life and obtain hapiness, wisdom and balance in all aspects of our lives.
ORISA
In the beginning of all things, Oludumare created the universe and gave birth to all things. He created the odu, the sacred wisdom of Ifa, and the Orisa - the energies that comprise all things in the universe. All things in the universe - qualities, natural objects and cultural products - are part of orisa. Additionally, each of us chose an orisa to guide us in our lives and serve as the primary essence we need to connect with the complete our destiny.
My guardian orisa is Obatala or Orisanla. Obatala translates to "King of the White Cloth." By this the Yoruba imply that Obatala is the very essence of all things pure, clear, focused and calm. This means knowledge, scholarship, our minds (or 'heads') and logic are all part of Obatala. Additionally, animals such as chameleons, elephants, doves and other creatures who shed filth, exhibit calm, graceful behavior or are symbols of peace are associated with Obatala.
ANCESTORS
Ancestors, or Egungun, teach us two things - First, that we are part of something bigger than ourselves. My teachers - Iyanifa Vassa and Oluwo Fagbamilia - emphasize that ancestor worship must show us that we are part of our family and community and that literally our actions, life force and decisions are part of something much larger than our lives. This is why each night, before bed, I pray to connect with my ancestors and be guided by them in all things. This is why once a month, we spend a week in intensive worship to connect with our ancestors and reaffirm our connection to our past and the future we leave those who will seek our wisdom and blessings after we leave this life.
DIVINATION
Finally, Orisa worship stands on a third leg - divination. All practicioners of Orisa Worship recognize that we need guidance to stay on path in our lives and achieve our goals and destinies. We know that all things except for the day we are born and the day we are meant to die can be predicted and changed. Regularly we seek wisdom and guidance through consultation with energies greater than ourselves. The uninitiated average Orisa worshipper uses obi to seek guidance through their ancestors. Orisa priests, or those who have trained and been initiated into the worship of their guardian orisa, use shells to guide themselves and others. Finally, priests of Orunmila - the orisa of wisdom, all-knowing and the one who averts death through knowing all things past, present and future - guide communities through highly accurate and complex divination that is sacred and highly sought after by others.
For more information on Orisa Worship, contact me by e-mail or check out the Ifa Foundation International.