Iwa Pele is character. In the olden days, Iwa was the most beautiful woman in the village and everybody wanted to marry her. It was only Orunmila that made the proper sacrifice and was allowed to marry Iwa. When Orunmila made the sacrifice he was given one special instruction and it was that he could never yell or mistreat Iwa. One day years into his marriage with Iwa, Orunmila returned home and his food was not yet prepared. Orunmila began to scream at Iwa. Iwa patiently bore the brunt of Orunmia’s wrath. She quickly finished preparing the food and Orunamila sat and ate. In the morning Iwa packed her things and left Orunmila’s house and returned to Heaven.
Orunmila searched and searched for Iwa eventually finding her in heaven. When Orunmila went to heaven to find Iwa, he changed his clothes as not to appear as himself. When Iwa came out, Orunmila begged her to return. She agreed but her said that she would never return in human form again. She would only return in spirit.
The person that is patient will see Iwa, for Suuru (Patience) is the father of good character. Great things in life comes to those with patience. Good character is easy for some and very difficult for others because of one’s mind.
If a person doesn’t have good character no one will look for them, everyone will dislike them and on one will give them the good advice. If you have a good mind you can also have good character. Being good to others invites good character. It also important that one cannot judge them self it is others that will recognize the good character in them.
One does not feed or worship good character, she is a collection of behaviors and she is necessary to receive and care for the Orisha. To work with the Orisha one must have Iwa, it requires good character and patience.
Eji Ogbe and Ogbe Ogunda are amoung the many odus that speak of Iwa.
The next post will focus on Ori inu.
August 17th, 2009 at 11:22 am
Ase o!
August 18th, 2009 at 7:39 am
Aboru Aboye Baba Owolabi.
Excellent article, continue forward, remember that in this side of the world there are persons that we want to learn tradition yorubá, without mixing with other practices.
A greeting to all my family Aworeni
August 18th, 2009 at 8:24 am
Aboru, Aboya, Abosise
Good Afternoon, it´s very interesting your report about Ifa in diaspora, I have many questions I´d like.
You can explain me clearly. Does initiation in Ifa last even days?
I ask this question because i was initiated in Egbe Orisaoko by Oluwo Jose Hidalgo.
What would happen to my initiation in this case?
On the other handa he or she wants to be initiate in triditional Ifa (African Ifa), must he or she be initiate again?(is initiate in cuban ifa)
or should he/she only be present in Igba Odu?
On the other hand I was initiated and my teacher let medown.
thás why i asked for orunmila pray and i don´t know how to attend it.
I´m planning to travel to Africa, to receive igba odu.
but i would like to have knowledge of this beuatyfull religion.
when i mean i don´t know how to attend it, i mean that i don´t know if it´s the same way as you do it in that ile.
can you explain me more about it?
besides my wife and my daughter were initiated as iyanifa in 3 days in that same ile.
in that case what would happen´?
i also received esu odara and oduduwa by ifa toba your brother, and he abandonned me too as i can´t comunicate with him, and i don´t know nothing of oduduwa how to attend it , do I pray ?
I hope you can help me
thank you
Ogbo ato asure iworiwofun!
August 19th, 2009 at 10:23 am
babalawo awolabi my respect to his person or ifa am practitioner of Santeria Cuban diaspora but I live in Venezuela since I am Venezuelan and I want to know what are the deities or orishas that are received or delivered and the people that start and ISE FA family because my desire is to practice ifa traditional but here in Venezuela tell me one thing and another in a quote somewhere else and I really like this so I have very shocked and I want to know the truth regarding this ceremony which is the first step to further my knowledge I appreciate your response as soon as possible thank you very much and bless you Olodumare grabs for you and my thanks for your time
August 22nd, 2009 at 1:19 pm
Aboru Aboye Jose,
You are asking about your 3 day initiation you received at Orisaoko by Jose Hidalgo. I cannot speak for all of Nigeria but I can speak for Ile-Ife, and in Ile-Ife an Ifa Initiation is 7 days. If you received a 3 day initiation it will not recognized here and in many other places.
Odabo,
Babalawo Owolabi
August 26th, 2009 at 8:08 am
Aboru Aboye Abosise
Mo dupe o for this site and lessons
Omo Awo Ifaleye
August 26th, 2009 at 7:12 pm
ERIWO YÁ
HELLO DEAR BÀBÁ OWOlabi my respects to my BABA ARABA AGBAYE
VERY GOOD THANK YOU FOR YOUR Excellent article.
And my early ILE IFE than 7 DAYS NEVER TRAVEL FOR LESS THAN 20 DAYS IN MY THREE OLD TO ILE IFE
ASE ODABO
CHIEF Oluwo IFAGBAMILA Aworeni
August 27th, 2009 at 10:35 am
Aború Aboye!
Bàbá Owolabi: can you tell me wich should be the basic conditions, apart from the mount, to the initiations of Ifa, as well as tell me the approximate price that you charge to make this initiations? I need this information because I start making a budget to start conversations with you and your brother and thus bring them power to dictate Vzla conferences, workshops and ifá initiations. I await your prompt response to my email, I take leave of you.
Odabo.
October 29th, 2009 at 9:35 am
Aboru, Aboye, Abosise
Alafia Baba Afolabi
Oludumare’s richest blessings to you and my godfather Araba Agbaye
I hope the Araba is well and in good spirits.My Sister Chief Ifakorede( Joan Cyrus) also sends greetings
Congratulations on the creation of the ORISHADA site.
I had previously asked(on this site) for information regarding the proper care of Ikin however to date I have not had a response. Could you be so kind as to send to my e/mail address detailed instructions on the care and making of offerings to Ikin
Modupe
December 7th, 2009 at 6:31 pm
Aboru Aboye Abosise ogbo ato para todos Olodumare les dn mucho ASE saludos……………………………………..
Venezuela….
Esu masemio
Owonrin Ogbe
Omo Esu
April 22nd, 2010 at 6:47 am
Peace Be Upon YOU Baba,
Please tell us more about the cleaning of the head and feeding ORI.
Thank you for all that you are doing that is so enlightening to us here in the diaspora.
December 24th, 2014 at 4:44 pm
Aboru-boye!
Baba,I want you to say some about (Owonrin-Sogbe).
1)work suppose to be doing?
2)Advantages and Disadvantages?
3)the voice.
November 2nd, 2016 at 11:59 pm
Hello….my odu Ifa is owonrin sogbe..I will like to know aw dis iffa can make me prosper and complete all my projects and make my dreams come trough…in fact I got initiated and entered igbodu to somany reasons among them being for me to have children and prosper in my career…am an artist and I live in Nigeria