Rites of divination
Ifa divination
The Yoruba system in which a babalawo reads a sacred verse from a cast of palm nuts or an opele chain.
Presented by ClearTrust Customs described as customs, free to read.
Ifa is the Yoruba system of divination and a religion in its own right. A trained priest, a babalawo, puts a question for a client, produces a figure by casting sixteen palm nuts or an opele chain, and then recites verses linked to that figure. Practitioners hold that the verses carry the voice of Orunmila, the deity of wisdom. UNESCO lists the system as intangible heritage.
This is an outline of a custom, said as belief and practice. It is not instruction, it does not say that the rite works, and it is not medical advice.
What goes into it
- Opele chainToolA chain of eight half-seeds or discs that falls in a pattern.
- Ikin palm nutsObjectSixteen nuts used in the longer, more formal casting.
- Opon Ifa trayObjectA carved wooden board that holds powder for marking figures.
- Verses of the oduWordRecited from memory by the priest.
- Offering for EshuOfferingGiven first, as the messenger who opens the way.
- Question of the clientWordSpoken or held silently.
- Tool
- Object
- Word
- Offering
Each part has an equal wedge. The ring shows what goes into the rite, not how much. Colour is the part's role.
The steps, drawn
Each drawing shows the kind of act in that step. Details differ from place to place, family to family and practitioner to practitioner.
Step 1: Gather The priest prepares the board and greets Orunmila, the ancestors and Eshu. Step 2: Speak The client states the question or the matter in hand. Step 3: Cast The opele is cast, or the ikin are handled, to produce a figure. Step 4: Read The priest names the odu and recites the verses linked to it. Step 5: Speak The client and priest talk through which verse applies and what is advised. Step 6: Offer A small offering may be named as advice, to be made later. Step 7: Close The tray is cleared and the session is closed with thanks.
The odu
There are 256 figures, called odu, each tied to a large body of verses, stories and advice. The priest chooses the verses that fit the client and the client then decides which of them applies. The knowledge is learned over years and parts of it are held back for initiates.
Beyond Nigeria
Ifa is practised in Benin, where it is called Fa, in Togo, and in Cuba, Brazil and the United States through diaspora traditions. Forms differ by region, and priests in each place argue about correct practice.
How scholars read it
Anthropologists describe Ifa as a way of reasoning about a problem through a shared set of stories. Sceptics note that the open-ended verses allow a client to read their own situation into them. Practitioners reply that the system has guided community decisions for centuries.
What it is for
- Guidance on a decision
- Naming a child
- Marriage and illness questions
- Initiation
Who does it
Related entries
Also part of it, and being written: Ifá (The wider system and its history.), Orunmila (The deity of wisdom behind it.), Yoruba religion (The religious setting.).
Sources and further reading
Original text and drawings by the EveryJaadu desk, written with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Closed or sacred detail is left out. If we have something wrong, tell us.