Ọ̀PỌ́N IFÁ, THE 4 ELDERS AND THE 16 ÌKÍN IFÁ

Ọ̀PỌ́N IFÁ, THE 4 ELDERS AND THE 16 ÌKÍN IFÁ

Teaching Revealed by Bàbá Odùdúwà through his medium/Ẹlẹ̀gún

ẸGBẸ́ ÓDÙN ỌLỌ́FIN - The spiritual family of the secret of Olọ́fin. Yorùbá Olọ́fin tradition.

Odùdúwà: What does the Ọ̀pọ́n Ifá/Ifá Tray represent? How many axes compose the universe?

Ifalenu; It represents the Universe. The axes are 4, represented by the 4 basic Odù or the 4 Elders whose form will always look the same from any side you see it, Ogbè, Ọ̀yẹ́kú, Ìwòrì and Òdí.

Odùdúwà: Why are there 16 elders?

Ifalenu: Because they are the combination of those four basic forces. 4x4 will give us 16, all the possible combinations of those 4 forces among them. Then 16x16 will give us 256, which represent all the possible combinations of the 16 Elders.

Odùdúwà: The Ọ̀pọ́n Ifá represents the vastness of the universe. The center of the Ọ̀pọ́n Ifá represents the connection between man and the Divine. It represents the connection between Orí - Consciousness and the spiritual world / “Ará Ọ̀run”. The Ọ̀pọ́n Ifá then represents the consciousness or the head of whatever it is we want to know.

In the Ọ̀pọ́n Ifá where is Orí represented? In the center.

Jaime: Ah, that is something about programming.

Right, yes, it is a programming of Consciousness. It is the sign that comes out in the divination, it represents the Consciousness or father head. The Ọ̀pọ́n Ifá represents the Head or the consciousness of whatever you want to know, whatever you want to know about. The Orí, and here we see its destiny, the Orí reveals to us the destiny, the Orí reveals us the destiny that brings that, or that person, the situation, or what we are consulting or divining to know, there it manifests itself.

How are the 16 Ìkín distributed in the Ọ̀pọ́n Ifá?

Ifalenu: 5 Ìkín to the right of the Ọ̀pọ́n Ifá, 5 to the left, 3 above, 2 below and 1 in the center of the Ọ̀pọ́n Ifá.

Odùdúwà; What do they represent?

Ifalenu: It represents a story that tells that an Awo/Diviner of Ifá, the Ìkín fell into the river, he went in to take them out, and first he took out 5, and then the second time he took out another 5, and then the third time he took out 3, then 2, and finally he took out 1 Ìkín. So symbolically they tell that, in that story.

Odùdúwà: What does it represent?

Ifalenu: They represent: 5 and 5 are like the two hands, which have 5 fingers each. 3 is like the Trinity - the 3 Universal forces (positive, negative and Neutral). 2 is duality, male and female, active and passive/Father and Mother. And 1 is Consciousness, the Divine. You can't grip well with 4 fingers, you need the 5th finger (the thumb) to be able to grasp. They say that the thumb represents consciousness.

Oduduwa: Did you understand what the principle of Ọ̀yẹ̀kú Méjì says?

They are 2 for what? They are 2 to be 1. To become 1 would be. The right hand, the left hand, 5 and 5. Top side - The 3 divine powers. underneath what is represented? It is the polarity, Man and woman (parents). What do man and woman give? The offspring, the children. The center is - The Consciousness that is born.

It has to be 2 to become 1. And that 1 will have to look for another to become 2, to be able to give life to another.

Ifalenu: So “ad infinitum ad aeternum”.

Why didn't they start from 1, 2, 3, 5 and 5? Why would it have to be 5, 5, 3, 2, 1? All those mysteries and secrets are found in those principles.

Where would Ọ̀yẹ̀kú Méjì be represented?

Ifalenu: At the point below. The nadir point, the lowest point in the sky. What is not seen here is below.

Odùdúwà: The 2 that became 1.

Ọ̀yẹ̀kú Méjì

What happens when those two become 1?

Ifalenu: A consciousness is born.

Odùdúwà: Do you understand how the 16 Ìkín are placed on the board and why?

Danny: It is not very clear to me, father. why right and left? 5 and 5.

Odùdúwà: How is it composed?

Danny: Me? 5 fingers on the right hand and 5 fingers on the left hand.

Odùdúwà: What else?

Danny: 2 feet.

Odùdúwà: What else?

Danny: The balance between the two, between day and night.

Odùdúwà: Are there one-armed Awo Ifá or without a hand?

Ifalenu: No, he will not be able to do teh divination.

Odùdúwà: Why can't they? What do they need to create? And why does the Ifá priest receive first one hand from Ìkín Ifá and then the other hand?

What do you need to create?

Danny: First they need the hands to be able to create something. Just to give origin to the consultation/adivination of Ifá.

Odùdúwà: Who do the priests of Ifá worship? We are already talking about the north point.

Ifalenu: The Trinity.

Odùdúwà: Which one?

Ifalenu: The Trinity of Forces: Olọ́fin Ọ̀run (Neutral), Olọ́kun (Negative) and Olọ́run (Positive).

Odùdúwà: No. To whom do the Priests of Ifá generally venerate?

OLÓDÙMARÈ (the divine essence of ALL, GOD as pure raw energy in an unconscious state), ÈŞÙ (The Divine Enforcer of the Divine Law, the one who punish or rewards, ruler of Space) and IFÁ (The Deity of Time).

Odùdúwà: Who is above an Ifá priest?

Danny: OLÓDÙMARÈ, ÈŞÙ and IFÁ.

Odùdúwà: What do the 2 Ìkín below represent?

They represent the Fathers of the Awo Ifá or Priest of Ifá

What does the middle Ìkín represent?

The Consciousness.

Why is the Iyefa blown with the middle Ìkín?

Danny: It is the product of creation, of what Ifá revealed. From that revelation comes out consciousness of that central Ìkín and it is shared.