Making A Spiritual Diagnosis: The Ifá Divination System
Our universe is a unique and divinely ordered system. It is abundant and benevolent by nature. Our universe functions by way of balance and constant change. It is governed by unseen forces at work in our daily lives. To a large extent we remain unconscious of these forces but when we become conscious of their influence; we can begin to shape our experiences and circumstances for better. This is commonly known as the path of least resistance. The Universe is intrinsically supportive and abundant. And when we give back to it through gratitude it bends to our intentions ushering in transformation and abundance.
For thousands of years our human ancestors have accessed the ordering patterns within nature with the aim of discerning their influences, increasing positive outcomes and mitigating negative ones. Human beings have tapped into the universal “storehouse of knowledge” to govern kingdoms, run successful enterprises and avert catastrophic occurrences. When we tap into the ordering aspects of our universe we can effectively manipulate and influence these forces for our benefit; thus we gain insight into how to optimize our resources and abilities to access abundance.
How many of us have gone to see card readers, psychics or have preformed some act of divinatory spiritual inquiry? The truth is that we are all seeking and can benefit from expanded awareness, clarity and insight - lets call this, Divine Guidance. Internally our Intuition functions like our Divine Guidance System. When its in its full power we feel unending gratitude for our life experiences. When we feel blocked or like life isn’t working on our behalf or in our best interests; we would typically seek out the guidance of someone who has trained and been gifted with the ability to see beyond the mundane and interpret the divine patterns at work in our lives.
I remember the first time I was exposed to a divinatory system. I was in living in Brasil at the time and was actively training in Capoeira de Angola a traditional form Brasilian Martial Arts. Saudade..Então..I remember my Mestre, (Mestre João Angoleiro), would actively use I-Ching (Yi Jing) on a very regular basis to gain insight into life circumstances and would then be able to harness the forces at work to influence our training regiment. So if one day he cast Yi Jing and it looked like someone was prone to injury he would change the training routine to account for this to minimize its out come to a negligible level. This was my first experience with Yi Jing. I was hooked! Because it presented a way and manner to read the underlying influences and make the best and appropriate decisions based on principles rooted in universal wisdom. This divination system is accessible to all and required only a book, and three coins. I believe that what the ancient Chinese ancestors tapped into is a force that transcends time and space. It is this same force which is known by West Africans as Ifá or Fá. The ancestral use of geomancy and divination is a form of spiritual inquiry that transcends boundaries and is practiced by virtually all indigenous cultures.
The Ifá divination system is a very complex system of divination. I personally feel Ifá as systems of divination was gifted to humanity as a means to resolve life issues and align us with the deeper forces underpinning creation; thus allowing us to express our divine selves truthfully and wholly. Ifá as a system of self empowerment and transformation seeks to align human beings with their innate divine essence. For many of us, this is what coming into our unique purpose on earth looks like. The more we align ourselves to divinity, the more we come into our Soul Purpose.
Ifá as a divinatory system allows one to be able to tap into the infinite knowledge of stored information and access the means to influence ones life situations All with the ultimate aim to bring balance to ones life force enhancing ones innate ability to align with their purpose.
Humanity is at such an interesting juncture of our development. There is definitely a spiritual awakening happening among humanity, but simultaneously there are the heavy influences of those forces that are seemingly trying to hold us back from our spiritual glory - living in the fullness of our divinity. Maybe this is and has always been the core struggle of humanity as we battle our Ego with divinity of our Spirits.
I really feel that our Ancestors are pushing for our success! And that the resurgence of traditional earth based belief systems are rooted in the inherent relationships we have with Spirit and the Earth.
Ifá as a complete system of spiritual inquiry allows us to tap into those forces influencing us and empower us with the ability to predict, adapt, transform and change our circumstances. Bringing us step by step closer to our innate sense of divinity.
As Awo we are entrusted by the Universe, to allow Spirit to diagnosis and heal whatever is ailing the hearts and minds of human beings. Seeking out divine guidance through spiritual inquiry allows one to live an empowered life. Knowing what is around next corner and how to maneuver is truly a gift human beings can and will continue to access.