People should stop demonizing what they have not taken the time to know more about. Ask yourself, how old is christianity or Islam? Weren't our ancient ancestors in contact with or worshipping God before these modern religions that virtually waged war against us in order to win our souls. It's simple. And here is the answer to lead you to truth, the right path: "From their seeds, we shall know them". Look around you and around the world to see the "seeds" of modern religions. You know the answer.
@@oligbindefunso4442 Where in Yoruba traditional spirituality is it written or said that human beings must be sacrificed? You cannot judge a book by its cover except you open the book and read it. My point up there actually refer to individuals like you. You don't have an idea of what you are condemning. In fact Orunmila denounced using humans for sacrifice. Which mean that people used to do such in the past. It's therefore an abomination to do such in present day. A genuine Babalawo will never do such because they are under an oath. And not everyone claiming to be Babalawo or Onisegun are genuine, some are evil trying to extort money from evil people like them. And Oniseguns are not Babalawo. Only Babalawo use Ifa and Opele, and whatever they do, they must first consult Ifa. For one to have wealth, you have to follow the laid down principle of "Aje". Who in his right sense become wealthy without a business, or through a salary job. While Europeans have tricked you that your spirituality is demonic, they stole Ifa 256 binary codes (thanks to American anthropologist William Bascom), which was eventually researched and used to develop the computer, which also rely on 256 bits codes. You can only know something by educating yourself, not by hearsay. Ifa is the only spiritual system that use the language of the universe, mathematical binary codes. Even the information that is stored in your DNA which makes you what you are, a human, uses a code of repeating units of 4 nucleotides. Ifa also combine 16 different units of 4 binary numbers to get its 256 binary codes. That's why technology is being proposed to use synthetic DNA for storing information. We Yorubas shouldn't be lazy. We've alllowed ourselves to be fooled by European antics. They still from you while you look away. We have a lot of work to do to explore all the ancient knowledge system left for us by our ancestors, and develop them, and drop those that are not perfect. So, Ifa is beyond religion or spirituality, it has philosophy, mathematic, politics, history, physics, etc. It's the knowledge of Orunmila that define you as a Yoruba person because the entire philosophy of the yorubas was laid down by Orunmila, and experiences of the Irunmoles during the early days of creation. Let me give you a work to do. Why is it that within Nigeria, it's only in Yorubaland that women has considerable more control compared to other tribes or parts of Nigeria? That though husbands may present themselves as heads of the family but still regard their wives as the "igi leyin ogba", who must not be pushed behind. The answer lies in the past and in Ifa.
Well Mr. Ade, yes a book is not judged by its cover but that cover speaks a lot about how much attention it gets. U practice Our traditional religion but I choose to practice Christianity, what's the error or 'bad thing' in it. We both call on Olodumare if I'm not mistaken, so why should there be a condemnation with that. To clear the air like u said Christianity only preaches against the evil elements(and those are whom I'm talking abt in my statement) whom u said are not babalawos. But because these elements are now 70%-30% of the babalawos the religion itself have rather than flush these elements out they chose to blame Christianity and the Islamic religion for their condemnation. Like I said Christianity only condemns the evil elements and if you think you fall under the condemnation that means you are part of them and if not continue with ur worship and condemn no other religion for ur predicament. As far as I know I'm convinced with that the way I worship Olodumare is acceptable before Him. Let's not get things twisted, pls.
@@oligbindefunso4442 research and get to know other practices including yours before you past judgment. Your question although valid is already sounding bias . The world now has information on anything . Take the time to look it up learning about it before passing judgment.
@@franksantiago5223 talking about research or teachings what we have today says it all and there's no judgement being passed. All I'm saying is for every religion there are fanatics and faithfuls. Any assumed condemnation by Christianity is not against any religion but the fanatics. Unfortunately for the traditional religion you'll find 70% of those who practice the religion to perpetrate evil. While the 30% who practice righteously are silent and overwhelmed. So is it Christianity or Islam that the teaches them how to use it for evil? So why blame other religions Christian also have these fanatics who use the teachings of the Bible to perpetrate evil but on the contrary, 35% fanatics and 75% of righteous worshippers. These 75% keeps condemning these evil elements and not any religion. Same with Islam 45%-65%. Rather than blame any religion for your Religious. Worship faithfully and let the Almighty judge you as a person and not as a religion. No religion is responsible for religions woes it's the worshippers. Period.
The way you explain everything is amazing. Unfortunately, we were living in a world full of lies. I grew up as a Catholic, but IFA brought me to the religion. It has not been easy. Day by day, I heard people call me ignorant. This religion is beautiful, and we are not demononiac like most people believed. Im 37 years old. I have 3 months since my initiation as a babalawo it hasn't been easy, but Im doing my best to keep learning and help others. I hope that someday people see as different as a kind people. I believe that we deserve respect like others because IFA teaches to promote love and respect. Thank you for providing such amazing videos about our beautiful religion. 👏 👏 👏
There are a lot of great options. A good beginner book is The Handbook of Yoruba Religious Concepts. For a scholarly overview there is also a chapter in God is Not One by Stephen Prothero (an intro to all of the world religions)
IFA protected me.IFA rescued me. IFA saved me. IFA keeps me. IFA continues to keep me, spare me, lead me and to build me. May IFA lead us! Asé oo Study to show thyself approved. What God has for you, IT IS FOR YOU Many are called, Beyond blessed are those chosen by IFA. Olodumaré is with us, May our All-powerful Creator always be❤️ Asé oo Stay Strong Brothers and Sisters💪🏿 -SignedShangosDaughter
Ifa (traditional Yoruba understanding) says that humans have asked and been chosen to come to earth to create “the good condition.” This means in all that we do, we should be aiming to create a place where everyone has good and gentle character, where there’s wisdom sufficient to rule the world in harmony, where peace exists among all living things, and where there’s no more poverty, violence, or fear. Lack of understanding about Ifa philosophy (and sometimes out right aggression against the tradition) makes others misjudge the rituals and their symbolism. Ifa does not participate in harming others, proselytizing, or condemnation of the ways others choose to practice their spirituality. Ifa practitioners seek wisdom and peace. Thank you for this video and a genuine attempt to show some of the beauty of this tradition.
CORRECTION! “Slaves” did not bring the Yoruba religion to the Americas with them, “ENSLAVED AFRIKANS brought the religion with them. There is a huge difference in these statements. The first dehumanizes us, and the second acknowledges our humanity.
Im a Yoruba woman from Nigeria( all Yorubas are ancestral to Nigeria originally) and seeing this being discussed is beautiful. That Pastor needs to shut his mouth! Benin Republic, The USA,Cuba,Brazil et al have been practicing Yoruba traditional religions and they wanna demonize it. Smh
I am Yoruba. Half of my family practices Islam and the other half practices Christianity. It wasn’t until I went to College that I learned that Yoruba’s actually had their own religion. All I heard growing up was idol worship. It is beautiful to see and to also to know that it is practiced in Latin America. As I am leaning towards Islam and was more agnostic in the past, I still have great curiosity to understand Ifa and the Yoruba traditions.
@HBO You don't have to give up Islam or Christianity or any religion that you follow to be a part of the Yoruba tradition. That's one of my favorite aspects of santeria.
And Traditional Isese is practiced in the United States as well. Especially heavily with black Americans who have returned to Africa to actually study and embrace the true essence of Ifa.
Absolutely wonderful, as a devotee of Candomblé and Umbanda, it is so refreshing to witness such an eloquent and well articulated explanation - many blessings to you and lots of ASHE!
@@egyptrodriguez856Let's troll the troll. There is no hell. There is no need for a Savior because there is no hell. If there is a hell, only Christians will go because it's their hell😅.
@2967_ lol what you believe in science, baby Jesus and hell is as real and necessary as the invisible air you need to breath. Scientists and spirit callers call Jesus to shut down the heavy spirits, not Buddha and they claim to not believe so I'm convinced. Lol get some light and joy plz. Ur life sounds empty
Thank you for representing us so Succinctly 👏🏽 And to the Christian vs ATR debate I say these, 1. what’s the difference between coming under the Holy Ghost and being mounted by an Orisa ? 2. Speaking in tongues vs incantations 4. Alters vs Altars 😅 5. Ilekes vs rosaries 📿 You miss the fact that it’s creepy that communion is supposed to symbolize the flesh and blood 🩸 of your saviour ? How convenient 😅 This is just one of the effects Of colonialism that still has a chokehold. It is not for everybody but we’ve always and would always have a seat on the religion and spirituality table.✨
I’m a South African and my brother, my friend is Yoruba. Yoruba people are very respectful and true to themselves and their religion, also very secretive unless you learn their language. I am Xhosa and there are many similarities between the two nations. Great presentation 👏🏾
Here again, as good as this presentation is, the Western idea of Yorubas (and other Africans) having many gods is being imposed on the African. In Yoruba belief, there's only one GOD, OLORUN OLODUMARE. The Orisas are not Gods or gods - the use of a small 'g' is a method by which Westerners try to impose their biased theology on Africans. Yorubas know only one GOD. The Orisas are messengers of GOD.
From my understanding I wouldn't use d word biased. It's just to differentiate between Olodumare and the Orissa as not being on the same level of power and authority. But we have misinterpreted it. Most Traditionalists emphasize more on the orisa and not the Olodumare who sent then. And I guess that's where the whole issue is brewing.
Say What you want keep your pope, your imam, your sheik, the power in IFA is so vast it sit right there in the hand of Olodumare If i tell you what i Know about IFA even as an engineer, you will float out of this world. There is no parallel of spiritual energy in the universe that can rival IFA
Beautiful and well explained. As a Yoruba man, I think of the pronunciations could use some work :) , but that doesn't over shadow the great work you've done. I grew up in Nigeria where I was surrounded by my culture, the Yoruba culture which I would love to share with the world. I live in Chicago now (my Mom's hometown) with sons of my own. Their childhood is so different than mine, but I am determined to teach them about their culture and where they come from. I will definitely show them this video. Thank you
I absolutely loved this video!!! I have no regrets being crowned Ochosi and I’m was so blessed to go back to my roots, even though the belief’s slightly differ. I’m growing as an elder and will never stop learning our ancient Orisha faith which is all loving. We face challenges and must follow our Oduns snd advice of Orisha. Maferfun Eggun, Maferfun Orisha 👑🌍
Michael I absolutely adored this video. You have a beautiful and completely non judgmental and unbiased way or presenting the facts of each religion, that I absolutely love listening to. I am without religion, I dont wish to say atheist, I just haven't had that calling yet or felt that connection with any one religion, but I absolutely loooove learning about religionsand belief systems. I find it so very very sad that people can't allow each other to practice whatever they choose, in peace and with respect for each others choices. When you actually read and research each religion, you find that each one is supposed to be about love and peace and how to be a better human, how to love the earth and each other, sadly humanity has got in the way of these beliefs, of these true fundamental facts, and they have caused untold horrors in the name of their religions. These people need to know that their evil doings and thoughts are not in the name of their religion of choice, these awful deeds are about who they are inside themselves, that is all. Religion is not to blame, humans are to blame. But anyway thank you Michael, that was an absolute pleasure to listen to. ❤
Thank you thank you thank you great video I’m so glad that some descendants of the diaspora recognize that we have our own spirituality and don’t need to adopt a narrative that was forced on our ancestors by their captors and brainwashed their descendants to sleep. Thank the source for WOKE Ashe Modupe
Thank you Sir for making this video as a African American who grew up in a Christian household and as one who left Christianity at age 16. I really appreciate your interest in Yoruba spiritual traditionns.
Search there are plenty. I'm PR it's santeria or Afro cuban. But thats a big if because all caribian islands practise this religion in one form or another for ions this is nothing new it's other than christiananity 4000 years other.
I've been familiar with Yoruba for years and was so excited when Beyonce came out with Lemonade. I love learning about new things and other ways to live! As an ISangoma Priestess, I highly recommend that people open their minds and broaden their perspectives!!! You don't have to follow anything you're not comfortable with, but don't demonize it just because you don't know anything about it. Research and be open to other ways of living! I love this 🥰
Fantastic video with great information presented in a digestible manner. I particularly like your phrase spiritual battleground when describing the conflict practitioners of Ifa face when interacting with other religions.
Yes! This is exactly what I said when I first watched Soul! Well done for noticing that because I've never heard anyone else speak on or pick up on the the similarities.
I wish you did more video's on religion in general. This was a very informative video. I don't think I saw anything about Ori or reincarnation, so it was nice to hear.
This is a good video. I have been studying the traditional religions of the Yoruba, Ifa, and Igbo, Afa or Odinala, and finally got some clarity. Thanks ❤
I've been an atheist almost all my life, but the yoruba religion is something really fantastic. Here in Brazil it divides into two branches: Candomble and Umbanda (this one mixes it with spiriticism from Allan Kardec).
Beautiful ❤ Alafia Maferefun 🙏🏽 God bless the Yoruba people, and all Indigenous Communities and may their traditions be preserved and blessed forever ♾️🧬
wow I remember the general story of Eshu from Between the Lions on PBS Kids when I was younger, I never would have thought it was connected to African religions and spiritualism. Thank you for this video
I just needed a quick way to transition to the idea of reincarnation and since the capriciousness of life is well respected within Yoruba thought, it seemed appropriate.
Great work and insight. But my question is when I have a personal and unique way I speak with Olodumare directly, which is not the traditional way should I then leave it for the traditional way?
It gets even more "Buddhist-Upanishadic-Vedantic" like: The Higher Self in Yoruba is called,"Iponri", which is ALREADY liberated in Heaven! ..while the Ori(your conscious self) is living it's life here, unaware of it's Higher Self. The REAL reason for a divination with a Babalawo, regardless of the reason that a client thinks he's going to him is-to be in ALIGNMENT with his Higher Self, his actual MISSION in THIS life. ..when the person is in alignment with his Iponri, there is good fortune, he is IN "IRE"( alignment, good fortune) when he is not in alignment with his/her Iponri, they are in the opposite, " IBI", or as Cubans call it,"Osorbo).When in PERFECT alignment, the person experiences a state called, "Lae-Lae"-"The Place of Beginnings" ,which is really the eternal place, beyond space and time as we know it-also called,"Heaven","Orun". Also, in perfect alignment one is in BLISS (Enlightenment, varying degrees of it) "Possession" helps to get a glimpse of this sate, IF one can maintain conscious awareness simultaneously. There is the "inner self" which is called "Ori Inu" as well. Even in "reincarnation", there is a part that is always venerated of that ancestor, while at the same time, a part is reincarnated! .So it is very deep and non-linear even.
Orunmila is SECOND IN COMMAND TO OLODUMARE AKA ELEERIIPIN IBIKEJI BABA ESU ODARA. indicating he is an elder to Esu. Please know that Orunmilla is the engineer of all of Oodumare's creative energy
Michelle is from Zambia her father refused to know her because is an albino now my father was called by ifa to help her reach puberty. Her biracial mom could not understand what ifa is.
It has been said that the original or shall I say ancient Yorubans didn’t sacrifice animals . Animals were regarded as sacred. It’s when people branch off and create their own religions or cultures they incorporate what would be new ideas or practices. We must always be aware of these things a it takes us bad to the Laws of Polarity.
they always say ethopia was christan yet ignore how the christan king of ethopia enslaved africans from neighboring land and he saw that he had biblical right cuz they were pagens according to bible , also ethopia no were near palestine so how did it even reach their , it because the early christans who were precuted by romans run away to arabia and from their to abbysina who at that time was ruling yemen as part of their kingdom
Mother Nature is directly connected to the Force of Creation(God). When we lose our connection to “God”(misnomer) all we have to do is connect back with nature and she will connect us back to the source, as we also connect by going back within ourselves(BEYOND EGO) which also reconnects us.
Olodumare does not mean what you've said here. "O" means "owner"... "Odu" means "womb"... "Mare" means "serpent." Altogether, it means "owner of the serpent's womb." It eludes to the idea that the universe is a womb, and that The Creator, the being or force which created the universe and everything within it (which is all yet to actually be born) is she/he who possesses this womb her/himself. The "serpent" is a symbol of the spiral nature of the universe as a whole, a la what many call the "fibonnaci sequence."
Please don't forget the other priest such as Orisha priest everyone is not a Babalawo. Orisha priest can help too as well as other priest in the tradition.
Looks like an identity crisis in the Black community to me. In my opinion, this is a way to nowhere. I hope one day they will open their eyes and will abandon all the religions. Humanity needs more rational people so that peace can prevail. Great analysis and wonderful cartoons, Michael! I just can imagine how much time it took for you to make them in Powerpoint. You are doing your best job as always!
Do you see this particular religion as impeding the path of peace? I feel religions offer human beings some sort of comfort I guess? idk maybe you know what I mean but I definitely agree that Ifa's resurgence is driven by identity crises - just a schtick to most people now so they can replace it with Christianity and 'feel spiritually intune'
@@ogkbamo2876 imho reduced influence of organised religions will lead society to more prosperity and peace. But nothing can replace spirituality I assume. The pluralism should be there. And as Voltaire said “I will die for your right to have your own opinion”
Ifa doesn’t allow other religious practices to be condemned. Which is the reason why the Yorubas are the most tolerant in Nigerian. My parents are christian and muslim.. My spouse is catholic, while I am a devout IFA practitioner. The reason why people are returning to IFA is not about identity crises. It's already said in IFA that in the future people will return to the old ways. The universe is in full control. A white American anthropologist, William Bascom, came to Yorubaland and left with the knowledge of IFA 256 binary codes. This was developed further and the knowledge used to invent the computer (with 256 bits code) and communication network systems like the internet. Then came Google, UA-cam, and others which people can now use to share and learn about IFA. If not for the internet, I as a Yoruba wouldn't have returned to IFA because we were made to believe our traditional spiritual systems are evil thanks to christianity and islam. Sadly, most Yorubas still believe it is because of their religion influenced beliefs.
Identity crisis in the black community? We were forced to take on a language and a religion that’s not ours. It makes sense that black people want to go back to their original religion that everyone is so interested in right now but told us it was evil
Personally I don’t like seeing celebs use Orishas as a marketing tool. Let’s get real, this isn’t art, she’s an industry created pop star. If she’s not careful, Oshun may give her a spanking cause she don’t play. In the other hand, in its lesser benefit, it opens up discussion about spirituality most ppl discussing know nothing about. If you’re not crowned don’t even weigh in, cause you don’t know.
@@xiloa23 No a religion is organized dogma with holy books, temples, churches, and a diety that you pray too. Ifa is the spiritual cultural practice of my Yoruba people ie. Animism, ancestral veneration, and nature worship. Religion and spirituality is not the same.
@@xiloa23 As stated ...To be "religious" conveys an institutional connotation, usually associated with Abrahamic traditions: to attend worship services, to say Mass, to light Hanukkah candles. To be "spiritual," in contrast, connotes personal practice and personal empowerment having to do with the deepest motivations of life
@@I.am.my.ancestors Ifa has the holy odu scriptures as well as churches/temples and a diety being prayed to. Ultimately it's monotheistic. Personal development/growth is apart of all religions. Spirituality and religion aren't the same, but spirituality is always a component of religion. There's also structure and hierarchy within Ifa. It does not have to be Abrahamic to be a religion. Ifa is 100% a religion. There are several things done "religiously" (simply meaning routinely) within Ifa, and it's a long standing tradition. There are also worship services...bembes...and candles are used for different things too. Spirituality is completely independent of all of that.
People should stop demonizing what they have not taken the time to know more about. Ask yourself, how old is christianity or Islam? Weren't our ancient ancestors in contact with or worshipping God before these modern religions that virtually waged war against us in order to win our souls. It's simple. And here is the answer to lead you to truth, the right path: "From their seeds, we shall know them". Look around you and around the world to see the "seeds" of modern religions. You know the answer.
Are you saying performing rituals (shedding of a fellow human's blood) in order to be rich or successful is not demonic. Just a question though.
@@oligbindefunso4442 Where in Yoruba traditional spirituality is it written or said that human beings must be sacrificed? You cannot judge a book by its cover except you open the book and read it. My point up there actually refer to individuals like you. You don't have an idea of what you are condemning. In fact Orunmila denounced using humans for sacrifice. Which mean that people used to do such in the past. It's therefore an abomination to do such in present day. A genuine Babalawo will never do such because they are under an oath. And not everyone claiming to be Babalawo or Onisegun are genuine, some are evil trying to extort money from evil people like them. And Oniseguns are not Babalawo. Only Babalawo use Ifa and Opele, and whatever they do, they must first consult Ifa. For one to have wealth, you have to follow the laid down principle of "Aje". Who in his right sense become wealthy without a business, or through a salary job. While Europeans have tricked you that your spirituality is demonic, they stole Ifa 256 binary codes (thanks to American anthropologist William Bascom), which was eventually researched and used to develop the computer, which also rely on 256 bits codes. You can only know something by educating yourself, not by hearsay. Ifa is the only spiritual system that use the language of the universe, mathematical binary codes. Even the information that is stored in your DNA which makes you what you are, a human, uses a code of repeating units of 4 nucleotides. Ifa also combine 16 different units of 4 binary numbers to get its 256 binary codes. That's why technology is being proposed to use synthetic DNA for storing information. We Yorubas shouldn't be lazy. We've alllowed ourselves to be fooled by European antics. They still from you while you look away. We have a lot of work to do to explore all the ancient knowledge system left for us by our ancestors, and develop them, and drop those that are not perfect. So, Ifa is beyond religion or spirituality, it has philosophy, mathematic, politics, history, physics, etc. It's the knowledge of Orunmila that define you as a Yoruba person because the entire philosophy of the yorubas was laid down by Orunmila, and experiences of the Irunmoles during the early days of creation. Let me give you a work to do. Why is it that within Nigeria, it's only in Yorubaland that women has considerable more control compared to other tribes or parts of Nigeria? That though husbands may present themselves as heads of the family but still regard their wives as the "igi leyin ogba", who must not be pushed behind. The answer lies in the past and in Ifa.
Well Mr. Ade, yes a book is not judged by its cover but that cover speaks a lot about how much attention it gets. U practice Our traditional religion but I choose to practice Christianity, what's the error or 'bad thing' in it. We both call on Olodumare if I'm not mistaken, so why should there be a condemnation with that. To clear the air like u said Christianity only preaches against the evil elements(and those are whom I'm talking abt in my statement) whom u said are not babalawos. But because these elements are now 70%-30% of the babalawos the religion itself have rather than flush these elements out they chose to blame Christianity and the Islamic religion for their condemnation. Like I said Christianity only condemns the evil elements and if you think you fall under the condemnation that means you are part of them and if not continue with ur worship and condemn no other religion for ur predicament. As far as I know I'm convinced with that the way I worship Olodumare is acceptable before Him. Let's not get things twisted, pls.
@@oligbindefunso4442 research and get to know other practices including yours before you past judgment. Your question although valid is already sounding bias . The world now has information on anything . Take the time to look it up learning about it before passing judgment.
@@franksantiago5223 talking about research or teachings what we have today says it all and there's no judgement being passed. All I'm saying is for every religion there are fanatics and faithfuls. Any assumed condemnation by Christianity is not against any religion but the fanatics. Unfortunately for the traditional religion you'll find 70% of those who practice the religion to perpetrate evil. While the 30% who practice righteously are silent and overwhelmed. So is it Christianity or Islam that the teaches them how to use it for evil? So why blame other religions Christian also have these fanatics who use the teachings of the Bible to perpetrate evil but on the contrary, 35% fanatics and 75% of righteous worshippers. These 75% keeps condemning these evil elements and not any religion. Same with Islam 45%-65%. Rather than blame any religion for your Religious. Worship faithfully and let the Almighty judge you as a person and not as a religion. No religion is responsible for religions woes it's the worshippers. Period.
The way you explain everything is amazing. Unfortunately, we were living in a world full of lies. I grew up as a Catholic, but IFA brought me to the religion. It has not been easy. Day by day, I heard people call me ignorant. This religion is beautiful, and we are not demononiac like most people believed. Im 37 years old. I have 3 months since my initiation as a babalawo it hasn't been easy, but Im doing my best to keep learning and help others. I hope that someday people see as different as a kind people. I believe that we deserve respect like others because IFA teaches to promote love and respect.
Thank you for providing such amazing videos about our beautiful religion. 👏 👏 👏
Where can I go to learn more?
There are a lot of great options. A good beginner book is The Handbook of Yoruba Religious Concepts. For a scholarly overview there is also a chapter in God is Not One by Stephen Prothero (an intro to all of the world religions)
@@mwesch Thank you for the resources
Ashé
Maferefun Orishas
Maferefun Orunmila
@@mweschNice
When an Orisha has called you it’s one of the most beautiful moments 😊
Asé ooo!
Point of correction it is not the orisa that called you. It's Olodumare; the Almighty God who called you. Through the orisa that you believe in.
This is why I’m here. I randomly got called. 💖
for how long? and what is the cost of this call?
IFA protected me.IFA rescued me. IFA saved me. IFA keeps me. IFA continues to keep me, spare me, lead me and to build me.
May IFA lead us! Asé oo
Study to show thyself approved.
What God has for you, IT IS FOR YOU
Many are called, Beyond blessed are those chosen by IFA. Olodumaré is with us, May our All-powerful Creator always be❤️ Asé oo
Stay Strong Brothers and Sisters💪🏿
-SignedShangosDaughter
Ifa (traditional Yoruba understanding) says that humans have asked and been chosen to come to earth to create “the good condition.” This means in all that we do, we should be aiming to create a place where everyone has good and gentle character, where there’s wisdom sufficient to rule the world in harmony, where peace exists among all living things, and where there’s no more poverty, violence, or fear. Lack of understanding about Ifa philosophy (and sometimes out right aggression against the tradition) makes others misjudge the rituals and their symbolism. Ifa does not participate in harming others, proselytizing, or condemnation of the ways others choose to practice their spirituality. Ifa practitioners seek wisdom and peace. Thank you for this video and a genuine attempt to show some of the beauty of this tradition.
CORRECTION! “Slaves” did not bring the Yoruba religion to the Americas with them, “ENSLAVED AFRIKANS brought the religion with them. There is a huge difference in these statements. The first dehumanizes us, and the second acknowledges our humanity.
Facts 💯
Thank you for creating this beautiful representation of our Religion. May Olódùmarè bless you with an abundance of Ashé
What text do you read to get information on this
Adume for for having the chance to learn Yoruba and be blessed by Oludmare to come to know my newly found godfather.Ase
Love this
Bch na. To hell
@davidwelch1903 christ is king
Im a Yoruba woman from Nigeria( all Yorubas are ancestral to Nigeria originally) and seeing this being discussed is beautiful. That Pastor needs to shut his mouth! Benin Republic, The USA,Cuba,Brazil et al have been practicing Yoruba traditional religions and they wanna demonize it. Smh
not really cos there are yorubas in other country next to nigeria like togo but great message
I am Yoruba. Half of my family practices Islam and the other half practices Christianity. It wasn’t until I went to College that I learned that Yoruba’s actually had their own religion. All I heard growing up was idol worship.
It is beautiful to see and to also to know that it is practiced in Latin America.
As I am leaning towards Islam and was more agnostic in the past, I still have great curiosity to understand Ifa and the Yoruba traditions.
@HBO You don't have to give up Islam or Christianity or any religion that you follow to be a part of the Yoruba tradition. That's one of my favorite aspects of santeria.
And Traditional Isese is practiced in the United States as well. Especially heavily with black Americans who have returned to Africa to actually study and embrace the true essence of Ifa.
christ is kimg!
Don’t listen to them if you muslim you have to respect tahwid ! I hope you well on your journey ❤
Absolutely wonderful, as a devotee of Candomblé and Umbanda, it is so refreshing to witness such an eloquent and well articulated explanation - many blessings to you and lots of ASHE!
CHRIST IS KING
@@egyptrodriguez856Let's troll the troll. There is no hell. There is no need for a Savior because there is no hell. If there is a hell, only Christians will go because it's their hell😅.
@2967_ lol what you believe in science, baby Jesus and hell is as real and necessary as the invisible air you need to breath. Scientists and spirit callers call Jesus to shut down the heavy spirits, not Buddha and they claim to not believe so I'm convinced. Lol get some light and joy plz. Ur life sounds empty
I loved this on so many levels, not the least of which is your enthusiasm. As a religious studies major I totally relate to the geeking out!
i choose to NOT follow any religeon that has EVER discredit, demonize, and/or insessantly persecute another because they have the means
No one asked you 👋
Beautiful, thanks for sharing. I’m a proud follower of the Yoruba Religion(Diaspora-AfroCuban).
CHRIST IS KING
Thank you for representing us so
Succinctly 👏🏽
And to the Christian vs ATR debate I say these,
1. what’s the difference between coming under the Holy Ghost and being mounted by an Orisa ?
2. Speaking in tongues vs incantations
4. Alters vs Altars 😅
5. Ilekes vs rosaries 📿
You miss the fact that it’s creepy that communion is supposed to symbolize the flesh and blood 🩸 of your saviour ? How convenient 😅
This is just one of the effects
Of colonialism that still has a chokehold.
It is not for everybody but we’ve always and would always have a seat on the religion and spirituality table.✨
Are the Orishas similar to the archangels of Christianity?
@@somethingsomething5571 Sounds like consulting mediums and fallen angels to me. Days of Noah are here.... Its gonna get worse in the coming months.
@@somethingsomething5571 not quite, they are channels through which you access olodumare (God)
CHRIST IS KING
Thank Ifa for the energy of knowledge 🙏 for spiritual healing. Baba Omo Osun Olanla Olodo Bebe, Asé
I’m a South African and my brother, my friend is Yoruba. Yoruba people are very respectful and true to themselves and their religion, also very secretive unless you learn their language. I am Xhosa and there are many similarities between the two nations. Great presentation 👏🏾
My roots are 60% Yoruban and 40% Norwegian. ❤ Asé - Blessed be 🙏☯️
Here again, as good as this presentation is, the Western idea of Yorubas (and other Africans) having many gods is being imposed on the African. In Yoruba belief, there's only one GOD, OLORUN OLODUMARE. The Orisas are not Gods or gods - the use of a small 'g' is a method by which Westerners try to impose their biased theology on Africans. Yorubas know only one GOD. The Orisas are messengers of GOD.
From my understanding I wouldn't use d word biased. It's just to differentiate between Olodumare and the Orissa as not being on the same level of power and authority. But we have misinterpreted it. Most Traditionalists emphasize more on the orisa and not the Olodumare who sent then. And I guess that's where the whole issue is brewing.
Gratitude for the clarity...I'm trying to deep dive n2 more of the culture
Say What you want keep your pope, your imam, your sheik, the power in IFA is so vast it sit right there in the hand of Olodumare If i tell you what i Know about IFA even as an engineer, you will float out of this world. There is no parallel of spiritual energy in the universe that can rival IFA
Beautiful and well explained. As a Yoruba man, I think of the pronunciations could use some work :) , but that doesn't over shadow the great work you've done. I grew up in Nigeria where I was surrounded by my culture, the Yoruba culture which I would love to share with the world. I live in Chicago now (my Mom's hometown) with sons of my own. Their childhood is so different than mine, but I am determined to teach them about their culture and where they come from. I will definitely show them this video. Thank you
Love how Beyoncé just expressing herself and the question is “why do I need ___?” Like girl 😂 she never said you need she said she IS
I absolutely loved this video!!! I have no regrets being crowned Ochosi and I’m was so blessed to go back to my roots, even though the belief’s slightly differ. I’m growing as an elder and will never stop learning our ancient Orisha faith which is all loving. We face challenges and must follow our Oduns snd advice of Orisha. Maferfun Eggun, Maferfun Orisha 👑🌍
The way that truck came and ran over the man 😭😭😭😭😭
Michael I absolutely adored this video. You have a beautiful and completely non judgmental and unbiased way or presenting the facts of each religion, that I absolutely love listening to. I am without religion, I dont wish to say atheist, I just haven't had that calling yet or felt that connection with any one religion, but I absolutely loooove learning about religionsand belief systems. I find it so very very sad that people can't allow each other to practice whatever they choose, in peace and with respect for each others choices. When you actually read and research each religion, you find that each one is supposed to be about love and peace and how to be a better human, how to love the earth and each other, sadly humanity has got in the way of these beliefs, of these true fundamental facts, and they have caused untold horrors in the name of their religions. These people need to know that their evil doings and thoughts are not in the name of their religion of choice, these awful deeds are about who they are inside themselves, that is all. Religion is not to blame, humans are to blame. But anyway thank you Michael, that was an absolute pleasure to listen to. ❤
CHRIST IS KING
I love this video so much. I live the editing, i love the depth, i love the digestibility.
CHRIST IS KING
The truck had me dead not literally but damn😂
Thank you thank you thank you great video I’m so glad that some descendants of the diaspora recognize that we have our own spirituality and don’t need to adopt a narrative that was forced on our ancestors by their captors and brainwashed their descendants to sleep. Thank the source for WOKE Ashe Modupe
Thank you Sir for making this video as a African American who grew up in a Christian household and as one who left Christianity at age 16. I really appreciate your interest in Yoruba spiritual traditionns.
I am my ancestors wildest dream and my oppressors worst nightmare...
I wish this was in spanish to show my parents. Great video I love it
Search there are plenty. I'm PR it's santeria or Afro cuban. But thats a big if because all caribian islands practise this religion in one form or another for ions this is nothing new it's other than christiananity 4000 years other.
I've been familiar with Yoruba for years and was so excited when Beyonce came out with Lemonade. I love learning about new things and other ways to live! As an ISangoma Priestess, I highly recommend that people open their minds and broaden their perspectives!!! You don't have to follow anything you're not comfortable with, but don't demonize it just because you don't know anything about it. Research and be open to other ways of living! I love this 🥰
CHRIST IS KING
Fantastic video with great information presented in a digestible manner. I particularly like your phrase spiritual battleground when describing the conflict practitioners of Ifa face when interacting with other religions.
Nice animation! One should appreciate the time put into this. Adupe o! (Thanks).
Yes! This is exactly what I said when I first watched Soul! Well done for noticing that because I've never heard anyone else speak on or pick up on the the similarities.
CHRIST IS KING
Absolutely beautiful but why did the man get hit by a bus
lol I jumped out of my seat,🤣 and I was at work.
I love this presentation. Would you be interested in talking to a Rotary Club as a guest speaker on the subject?
I wish you did more video's on religion in general. This was a very informative video. I don't think I saw anything about Ori or reincarnation, so it was nice to hear.
Me too! I just have not had enough time yet. I'm hoping to do a full series in spring 2025.
This is a good video. I have been studying the traditional religions of the Yoruba, Ifa, and Igbo, Afa or Odinala, and finally got some clarity. Thanks ❤
I was not prepared for that crash sound
I've been an atheist almost all my life, but the yoruba religion is something really fantastic. Here in Brazil it divides into two branches: Candomble and Umbanda (this one mixes it with spiriticism from Allan Kardec).
What a beautiful share , Asé . Thank you !
Love and Blessings Prof, this made me happy from within. ❤
CHRIST IS KING
Beautiful ❤
Alafia Maferefun 🙏🏽
God bless the Yoruba people, and all Indigenous Communities and may their traditions be preserved and blessed forever ♾️🧬
Thankyou so much for doing this, you explained and animated this beautifully & I learnt so much
wow I remember the general story of Eshu from Between the Lions on PBS Kids when I was younger, I never would have thought it was connected to African religions and spiritualism. Thank you for this video
Adupe o for showing the tv clip of myself & my godchildren in a positive manner.
CHRIST IS KING
Thanks for the direct break down. But, what’s up with the trucks? 🤣
I just needed a quick way to transition to the idea of reincarnation and since the capriciousness of life is well respected within Yoruba thought, it seemed appropriate.
Great work and insight. But my question is when I have a personal and unique way I speak with Olodumare directly, which is not the traditional way should I then leave it for the traditional way?
First rule is "know thyself".
Major love for this Video . Glad my Orishas led Me here , Ase' Ase' Ase'
I absolutely love Yoruba. And you are speaking the language perfectly.
No, not quite.
Not pine nuts… palm nuts (Ikin)
Brilliant work. Keep them coming!
This was great. Thank you for creating this video. Are you open to sharing the powerpoint animation you created?
CHRIST IS KING
I am going through Ocha in October I am extremely excited.
Love this video and your enthusiasm to explore this and many other religions
It gets even more "Buddhist-Upanishadic-Vedantic" like: The Higher Self in Yoruba is called,"Iponri", which is ALREADY liberated in Heaven! ..while the Ori(your conscious self) is living it's life here, unaware of it's Higher Self. The REAL reason for a divination with a Babalawo, regardless of the reason that a client thinks he's going to him is-to be in ALIGNMENT with his Higher Self, his actual MISSION in THIS life. ..when the person is in alignment with his Iponri, there is good fortune, he is IN "IRE"( alignment, good fortune) when he is not in alignment with his/her Iponri, they are in the opposite, " IBI", or as Cubans call it,"Osorbo).When in PERFECT alignment, the person experiences a state called, "Lae-Lae"-"The Place of Beginnings" ,which is really the eternal place, beyond space and time as we know it-also called,"Heaven","Orun". Also, in perfect alignment one is in BLISS (Enlightenment, varying degrees of it) "Possession" helps to get a glimpse of this sate, IF one can maintain conscious awareness simultaneously. There is the "inner self" which is called "Ori Inu" as well. Even in "reincarnation", there is a part that is always venerated of that ancestor, while at the same time, a part is reincarnated! .So it is very deep and non-linear even.
Orunmila is SECOND IN COMMAND TO OLODUMARE AKA ELEERIIPIN IBIKEJI BABA ESU ODARA. indicating he is an elder to Esu. Please know that Orunmilla is the engineer of all of Oodumare's creative energy
Michelle is from Zambia her father refused to know her because is an albino now my father was called by ifa to help her reach puberty. Her biracial mom could not understand what ifa is.
This video deserves a follows/subscribe.
Good job!
My people suffer from the lack of knowledge, especially knowledge of who we are and who we were before slavery.
It has been said that the original or shall I say ancient Yorubans didn’t sacrifice animals . Animals were regarded as sacred. It’s when people branch off and create their own religions or cultures they incorporate what would be new ideas or practices. We must always be aware of these things a it takes us bad to the Laws of Polarity.
Very beautiful sir I really enjoyed this.
ASE! Yeye Oooo Iya Mi... Ori mi gbe mi.....Blessing to all.....
Lol slave mentality “ Christianity is equally as black “
they always say ethopia was christan yet ignore how the christan king of ethopia enslaved africans from neighboring land and he saw that he had biblical right cuz they were pagens according to bible , also ethopia no were near palestine so how did it even reach their , it because the early christans who were precuted by romans run away to arabia and from their to abbysina who at that time was ruling yemen as part of their kingdom
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
😔😔 STOCKHOLM Syndrome
People seem to forget pslams is a book of spells and king soloman used demons with a ring to built the temple......given to him from god.
Mother Nature is directly connected to the Force of Creation(God).
When we lose our connection to “God”(misnomer) all we have to do is connect back with nature and she will connect us back to the source, as we also connect by going back within ourselves(BEYOND EGO) which also reconnects us.
Thank you for this video and the comedy behind some of it! 🤣👌🏽 Appreciate you! This video was very empowering for me!
Olodumare does not mean what you've said here. "O" means "owner"... "Odu" means "womb"... "Mare" means "serpent." Altogether, it means "owner of the serpent's womb." It eludes to the idea that the universe is a womb, and that The Creator, the being or force which created the universe and everything within it (which is all yet to actually be born) is she/he who possesses this womb her/himself. The "serpent" is a symbol of the spiral nature of the universe as a whole, a la what many call the "fibonnaci sequence."
Santeria doesn't need Beyonce as a sponsor. Or only black followers. It's a shame people see the orisha as demons.
MAFEREFUN Baba Oggun !🙏🙏🙏
Beautiful explanation!
Beautiful!
Please don't forget the other priest such as Orisha priest everyone is not a Babalawo. Orisha priest can help too as well as other priest in the tradition.
We need to make our connection with God and stop relying on others to tell us what to believe
Looks like an identity crisis in the Black community to me. In my opinion, this is a way to nowhere. I hope one day they will open their eyes and will abandon all the religions. Humanity needs more rational people so that peace can prevail. Great analysis and wonderful cartoons, Michael! I just can imagine how much time it took for you to make them in Powerpoint. You are doing your best job as always!
Do you see this particular religion as impeding the path of peace? I feel religions offer human beings some sort of comfort I guess? idk maybe you know what I mean but I definitely agree that Ifa's resurgence is driven by identity crises - just a schtick to most people now so they can replace it with Christianity and 'feel spiritually intune'
@@ogkbamo2876 imho reduced influence of organised religions will lead society to more prosperity and peace. But nothing can replace spirituality I assume. The pluralism should be there. And as Voltaire said “I will die for your right to have your own opinion”
Ifa doesn’t allow other religious practices to be condemned. Which is the reason why the Yorubas are the most tolerant in Nigerian. My parents are christian and muslim.. My spouse is catholic, while I am a devout IFA practitioner. The reason why people are returning to IFA is not about identity crises. It's already said in IFA that in the future people will return to the old ways. The universe is in full control. A white American anthropologist, William Bascom, came to Yorubaland and left with the knowledge of IFA 256 binary codes. This was developed further and the knowledge used to invent the computer (with 256 bits code) and communication network systems like the internet. Then came Google, UA-cam, and others which people can now use to share and learn about IFA. If not for the internet, I as a Yoruba wouldn't have returned to IFA because we were made to believe our traditional spiritual systems are evil thanks to christianity and islam. Sadly, most Yorubas still believe it is because of their religion influenced beliefs.
Identity crisis in the black community? We were forced to take on a language and a religion that’s not ours. It makes sense that black people want to go back to their original religion that everyone is so interested in right now but told us it was evil
I love this!! Great job at simplifying the message!!
Blessings ✨️
CHRIST IS KING
Brilliant!!! So happy to see you embracing antiBlackness even if you were not intending it.
Great explanation. Educative.
What does it mean to get randomly called?
Thank you. Michael.
Very insightful..
Well expressed ⚡⚡
those the crashing sounds were a bit much for me esp with headphones on but great video, otherwise. thanks for sharing
Personally I don’t like seeing celebs use Orishas as a marketing tool. Let’s get real, this isn’t art, she’s an industry created pop star. If she’s not careful, Oshun may give her a spanking cause she don’t play. In the other hand, in its lesser benefit, it opens up discussion about spirituality most ppl discussing know nothing about. If you’re not crowned don’t even weigh in, cause you don’t know.
Great work
Aborisha here... This video is on point. Thank you.
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Why did you mutter the word "sacrifice" like that?
Ori what is that? I like i can keep my religion. Is ifa (God) what is ifa (god)? Orisha what is that? Urba?
THANK YOU SOOOOO MUCH!!!!!!!!!!
Great elaborate share ... thank you.
You explained this culture thru this video in the best way I’ve ever seen! Great work, bless you!
The Cuban version is done in secret, always.
Thank you for this!!!
This is GOLD. Thank you.
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Why is this making me cry?
Ori means light in Hebrew. That's interesting.
Great job
Your ROCK KING!
I wouldn't call Ifa a religion... Its a spiritual system, there's a difference.
It's a religion. Spiritual system is a religion lol..."system"
@@xiloa23 No a religion is organized dogma with holy books, temples, churches, and a diety that you pray too. Ifa is the spiritual cultural practice of my Yoruba people ie. Animism, ancestral veneration, and nature worship. Religion and spirituality is not the same.
@@xiloa23 As stated ...To be "religious" conveys an institutional connotation, usually associated with Abrahamic traditions: to attend worship services, to say Mass, to light Hanukkah candles. To be "spiritual," in contrast, connotes personal practice and personal empowerment having to do with the deepest motivations of life
@@xiloa23 I think you need to go learn the difference because it's obvious you don't have a clue, like most people.
@@I.am.my.ancestors Ifa has the holy odu scriptures as well as churches/temples and a diety being prayed to. Ultimately it's monotheistic. Personal development/growth is apart of all religions. Spirituality and religion aren't the same, but spirituality is always a component of religion. There's also structure and hierarchy within Ifa. It does not have to be Abrahamic to be a religion. Ifa is 100% a religion. There are several things done "religiously" (simply meaning routinely) within Ifa, and it's a long standing tradition. There are also worship services...bembes...and candles are used for different things too. Spirituality is completely independent of all of that.
loved this~!
There is no such thing as "a Woke Christian"
Say it louder for those in the back 👏🏾
One right here✌🏼
I truly appreciate you for taking this initiative.
CHRIST IS KING
What's the deal with the random truck killing them 2 times lol