Orisha

American Ifa Letter to Oya

A letter to OYA…

Today I give honor to one of my mothers. I have not forgotten you, Oya. Many people have put away their orisa when they make Ifa. I have not, Mother. I know 18 years have passed. I still love you, honor and respect you as I did yesterday, when I didn’t have Ifa. You have done so much for me; when man has failed to lift me as well as my own birth mother… you did so. When my own brothers and sisters had forgotten me and treated me as a stranger…you didn’t. You and the other orisa (Obatala, Oshun, Sango, Yemaya, etc.) have been there for me since the beginning of my existence. You have taught me so much in a short time and you have carried me such a far distance in this world. You have saved me from destruction and you have removed the assholes that were in my life. You brought the ancestors to all my initiations including the one where the elders gave me my first name OchaBi. I was named after one of the greatest women in our faith. Maferefun Oya! No, Mother, I have not forgotten you. I love you…So today is the day I tell the world a little bit about your greatness in my life…. OYA

To Oya with love

To Oya with love

Omo Orisa

Omo Orisa By Apetibii Efunyale, Copyright ©2015 Terri L. Bailey. All rights reserved.

I am a child of Orisa

Esu stands up for me

At each and every reading

Guiding me, protecting me, loving me

Quietly, whispering truth to me

And if there is a need scolding me oh yes indeed

 

I am a child of Orisa

Omo Obatala

Whose light shines bright like the northern star

Owner of all crown chakras and ori

I’m so proud that He claimed me

Said baby you must never be a slave of a slave

And came home with me before I got made

Creator of humans, He bought light to the night

No straddling the fence you betta come right

Meferafun Obatala He who owns all that is white

 

Olokun too is here with me

Olokun Olokun owner of the sea

Nobody knows ‘bout all your mysteries

They try to measure your depth and study your breadth, but all efforts equate to a giant misstep

Because just when they think they have reached the very bottom of the sea

Olokun opens up and makes them travel more deeply

More darkly and inevitably, they have to scream

“The sea is just a great mystery”

And I smile and say

That’s Olokun Awade

 

Omo Orisa

I have my warriors here with me

Esu, Ogun, Ochossi and Osun

Who will fight for me, protect me and if you mess with me

I’ll tell my Babas and they’ll get you for me

But they do not uphold what ain’t right

They can spot deception in the dead of night

So don’t be acting like they will defend you just because

Or that they will bestow on you some type of blind love

Oh no no no not these ones right here

Their warth is something you ought to fear

So I keep them happy serving them every week

Offering rum, smoke, palm oil and oriki

Asking for guidance in life and forgiveness for my wrongs

And ending with a kiss and a praise song

Now most recently, Orunmila called for me and named me Abetebi

What a great honor and responsibility

Hand in hand I’m in the service of Ifa

The wife of the great and knowledgeable Orunmila

Making sure his area is clean

And that His guests are comfortable until they are seen

Oh don’t think that means to you I’m in servitude

And that because I may serve you, you can give me attitude

My position is one that demands much respect

Disrespect me and watch my Baba get vexed

If you really want to challenge me or try to mess me around

My Baba will swiftly correct you and I won’t need to make a sound

Every four days I give extra praise by dutifully doing Dafa

Giving honor, love and glory to the magnificent Orula

I bow down and kiss the mat and to Him I joyfully say

I love you with all my heart Baba Aboru, Aboye, Abosise

 

Oma Orisa

Soon I will be knocking on Ocha’s door

Begging for secrets, tools and more

Taking up the mantle and doing duties of a priest

Tirelessly, relentlessly battling the beast

Building a museum for the Gods that love me so

With Orisa by my side as high as Orun I can go

Oh how I love this culture its my life, my love and breath

I will forever be in service even long after my death

And when I become an ancestor sent to assist my seed

To their soul I will whisper, Orisa and Ifa is all you’ll ever need

Ase!

AMERICAN IFA: Welcome

Welcome to American Ifa!

American Ifa is the place where you can feel comfortable learning, working and understanding Orisa and Ifa  (African Spirituality) as expressed in different systems,  particularly, Traditional  West African and Lukumi (Cuban-Diaspora). American Ifa lives by the premises of FREEDOM, PRIDE and UNITY. We implore you to feel FREE to venerate and practice your way of life that instills PRIDE not only for Ifa and Orisha but for the place in which you live. In American Ifa you  are FREE to venerate and practice with your Ifa and Orishas that you have received from different systems without ridicule from the other. American Ifa is the place that fosters the environment that allows us the FREEDOM to learn about different cultures and the ways in which we live the Ifa and Orisa experience.  American Ifa allows us to connect to our extended families of Ifa/Orisa people WORLDWIDE and the opportunity to foster UNITY among ourselves.  SO CHEERS TO OUR ANCESTORS WHO BROUGHT US TO IFA AND ORISA WHO IN THEIR OWN WAY KEPT IFA AND ORISA ALIVE IN OUR HEARTS AND MINDS AND IN SO DOING WE WERE ABLE TO SPREAD IFA AND ORISA AROUND THE WORLD!  ASE! ASE! ASE O! OLOYE FAPOUNKA AYABA EEGUNGBEMI (OFAE) DR. AYABA OCHABI AWODELE-IFASEYE