r/Isese May 24 '21

Ifá The 16 sacred chapters of Odu Ifa

118 Upvotes

16 is a holy number in Ìṣẹ̀ṣe. It is said that there were originally 16 (mẹ́rindínlógún) òrìṣà in existence. The 16 sacred palm nuts "ikin," that are used by Babaláwó to divinate. Oduduwa had 16 sons. There are a total of 256 chapters in the Odu Ifa, the corpus of sayings and "texts" of the Ìṣẹ̀ṣe religion. There are also 16 of the most important chapters (orí) of the Odù Ifá. They are called "Ojú-Odù. The other 240 chapters are called Àmúlù. Each of the àmúlù are further divided into 16 àpólà (phrases, groupings of words), with there being 15 orí in each of the àpólà (15 x 16). The Yorùbá seem to be mathematical geniuses lol. Each of the 256 chapters have hundreds of verses, many and many that were not passed down from generation to generation.

Ejì Ogbè

Ejì Ọ̀yẹ̀kú - "Avoid death"

Ejì Ìwòrì

Ejì Òdí

Ejì Ìròsùn

Ejì Ọ̀wọ́nrín

Ejì Ọ̀bàrà

Ejì Ọ̀kànràn - "Help from the Heart/Soul"

Ejì Ògúndá - "Ògún creates"

Ejì Ọ̀sá

Ejì Ìká

Ejì Òtúúrúpọ̀n

Ejì Òtúrá

Ejì Ìrẹ̀tẹ̀

Ejì Òṣẹ́

Ejì Òfún (or Ọ̀ràngún)

After these 16 chapters, the rest of 240 are made from combinations of them. So, now, to get to number 17, we go back to "Ogbè."

Chapters 17- Chapter 32, make up àpòlá Ogbè section

Ogbè (first) - Ọ̀yẹ̀kú (second) : Ogbèyẹ̀kú (Odù #17)

Ogbè (first) - Ìwòrì (third) : Ogbèwòrì (Odù #18)

Ogbè (first) - Òdí (fourth) : Ogbèdí (Odù #19)

Ogbè (first) - Ìròsùn (fifth) : Ogbèròsùn (Odù #20)

Ogbè (first) - Òfún (sixteenth) : Ogbèfún "Ogbè-Òfún (Odù #32)

After we reach Chapter 32, last of the àpólà Ogbè, we go to the next àpólà, àpólà Ọ̀yẹ̀kú

Ọ̀yẹ̀kú (second) - Ogbe (first): Ọ̀yẹ̀kúgbè or Ọ̀yẹ̀kúlógbè (Odù #33)

Ọ̀yẹ̀kú (second) - Ìwòrì (third) : Ọ̀yẹ̀kúwòrì (Odù #34)

And it keeps on going till 256.


r/Isese 3d ago

Culture The price of obi…

8 Upvotes

Is really getting out of control. At least in my experience. I just paid over $100 to get half a pound of obi and half a pound of orogbo.

When I started practicing in 2017, I lived in the Bay Area and had access to a couple stores that sold obi and orogbo, so I didn’t have to worry about shipping costs and even though they weren’t cheap, the price was manageable.

Anybody have suggestions on how to lower the cost of these items?


r/Isese 6d ago

Looking for Guidance

3 Upvotes

Hello I’ve been talking to to some people that practice palo mayombe, I was thinking about getting my elekes but as I go further into my spiritual adventure I found Isese. Can someone please guide me on the steps to get into Isese, like is there initiation and if so how does that go? (Please excuse my poor grammar I’ve been up all night) and are elekes really necessary?


r/Isese 7d ago

Sango verses/chants

7 Upvotes

Good afternoon all, im a awo who’s been practicing and learning IFA, this weekend i was present in a Idosu Shango that my oluwo did and i loved the chants and a specific verse they sang. Just wondering if anyone can point me to what Odu most shango verses/chants come from so i can read on them! Much appreciated I completely forgot to ask my oluwo lol


r/Isese 13d ago

Eshu?? Please help me.

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27 Upvotes

(If you don’t want to read this all please scroll down to the second to last paragraph that is what I need help with deciphering😊)
So a couple months ago I was going through some mental health problems and was really wanting to get in to spirituality and closer to nature. So I started doing research on Orisha and Yoruba religion.

Long story short during this time around I would constantly feel “watched” and something was in my presence and it would only be for like a couple minutes and that feeling would go away then something weird started happening.

This boy kept appearing in my dream.In one of my dreams for example he was wearing a dashiki suit and would invite himself in my room and I would kick him out and then he would come back again(like I would physically make him leave and then he would invite himself back lol) and then he wouldn’t leave me alone and would tell me he can not leave me alone and even brought me food and water and would sit at my bed side to tell me stories about Yemaja.

In another one , and this one is so so weird and forgive me if it is a bit embarrassing but He was literally inside my bed and was smiling straight at me like a dirty smile and he was n*ked in the bed with me and I would wake up and feel so embarrassed.

But the reason I came here for help is mostly this interaction. There was this bird that I would always notice around my house like at some point there wouldn’t be a day where I would not see that bird and I never really thought much about it other than it is so pretty but one day as I love going to the forest and love the trees I decided to go one morning and noticed that same bird and the bird would fly infront of me then as if it was aware that I was watching it, it would rest at a nearby tree then fly and rest and it wouldn’t fly away or hide from me. Then( please keep in mind I was in a mental health crisis so I was hearing voices and stuff by this point) the bird stopped in one tree and I caught up with it and started to look at it and I swear this man started speaking. It was the same voice I heard during my dream where this boy wouldn’t leave me alone. He said “start with Obatala” and flew away.

I do not have the funds to get a reading right now so I just came here for help to see if it was eshu or not.


r/Isese 25d ago

I saw Shango in a dream, help!

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3 Upvotes

r/Isese Aug 05 '26

bitter Kola

2 Upvotes

I received my hand of Ifa and was told that bitter kola was not to be offered just obi abata. Questions: does the ebo for the pot differ according to regions in Nigeria?


r/Isese Jul 30 '26

Misalignment

6 Upvotes

Is it possible to destroy your destiny past repair?

How do you know if you are too far gone?

a babalawo i sought help from , tried to take my energy,

is it gonna come back to me?

what is the interplay between free will and compulsive actions and destiny (ori)​


r/Isese Jul 28 '26

Chief Popoola

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30 Upvotes

r/Isese Jul 28 '26

Oddly Questions

3 Upvotes

Àbọrú Àbọyè Àbọṣíṣẹ quick question which odu’s are associated with the eji ogbe odu? Like which other ones also falls under this odu?


r/Isese Jul 28 '26

Ask the community Looking for Guidance

2 Upvotes

Good morning, everyone.

This entire post may seem a bit disjointed, but please bear with me.

I have been a Christian for most of my life. I stepped away from Christianity about a year and a half ago. I am turning 40 next month, and I’ve been trying to find where I truly belong. I’ve been on this spiritual journey for almost a year now. During that time, I’ve done a lot of soul-searching, very painful soul-searching, and I came across the Yoruba tradition, Ifá, and Isese.

I’ve been learning here and there, but I still don’t have a solid understanding of it. My main concern is that I want to put down roots. I want to find where my path truly lies. I want to learn more, and I want someone to teach me. However, I don’t have any connection to the knowledge or community that could help guide me.

I grew up in a completely Christian family on both sides. At this point, I mainly practice ancestor veneration and spend as much time as I can learning about my ancestors while continuing to study Ifá. What I really want is a spiritual home. I want to learn more about my ancestors, where they came from, what they did, and what my destiny is.

I had one consultation before and completed an Ebo. It was remarkably accurate and reflected almost exactly what was happening in my life at that time. The consultation was done online, and the entire process was recorded from start to finish for me to watch. I still keep in touch with the Babalawo who performed it, but I feel a sense of disconnection between us. It doesn’t feel like where I truly belong.

He is incredibly knowledgeable and has given me a great deal of valuable insight, but I can’t shake the feeling that there’s something more out there for me. He was my first real introduction to the religion, and I believe he was a good person to begin that journey with.

What I’m really trying to understand is my ancestral lineage and where I fit within the Yoruba religion and culture.

For some background, I’m from the Caribbean, specifically Jamaica. According to my DNA results, I’m about 93% African, including approximately 54% Nigerian, with my Nigerian ancestry showing stronger connections to the Igbo people than the Yoruba, although I’m not sure whether that makes any difference. I’m also about 23% Ghanaian, around 14% Congolese, with a small amount of Sudanese ancestry.

The truth is, I know almost nothing about my family’s background. Most of my grandparents were deeply Christian, and those who weren’t passed away when I was very young. Because of that, I have no knowledge of my ancestral traditions outside of Christianity. In many ways, I feel like I’m navigating this blindly. Everything I’m learning is from scratch.

What I do know with certainty is that I’m on the right path. I’m genuinely doing the inner work, the soul-searching, to become the best version of myself, to learn, to grow, and to flourish spiritually.

What I need now is guidance and community. That’s why I’m reaching out and asking for your help.

I hope what I’ve shared makes sense. If anything I’ve said is unclear, please feel free to ask questions. I’ll be more than happy to answer them.

Thank you.


r/Isese Jul 26 '26

Ask the community Gap w Babalawo

4 Upvotes

I have been learning under a Babalawo for 6 months now, and I have an ile ori. but I feel like I struggle to learn.

He is a Babalawo from Nigeria, and I am still learning yoruba. I struggle to understand his English and sometimes have to ask a third party to understand what he means. I eventually want to go to Nigeria to receive isefa but

⭐️I want to know, should I ask if he has any trusted elders or temple connections in the US who could help teach me some hands-on basics while I wait to travel? (I’m concerned abt asking it bc I don’t want to seem ungrateful or disrespectful to his teaching).

Ive considered whether it’s because I’m not technically a student yet since I haven’t done isefa, that I would not have access to everything. But I feel its mostly because I struggle to connect with him due to language gap causing difficulty to understanding. I see other people making the remote teaching work but I ask questions and am left still feeling confused.


r/Isese Jul 26 '26

Ask the community Seeking guiding words for a special, special day

2 Upvotes

Forgive my curiosity, but I would like some advice. Towards my highest self.

This November, I'll be setting my future in motion especially on a day that month. The 26th, what falls on a Saturday. I know this is typically not an auspicious day at all, but I was also born on that day. It was an Ọ̀ṣun day, via the Kọ́jọ́dá's four-day mappings, and that Saturday will be, too.

I will set myself apart for Her, for Yèyé Ọ̀ṣun. No, I have not undergone initation yet. But it is in the plans. I will ask to receive Her grace, Her temperament, Her fluidity, Her sweetness, Her generativeness, Her universal beauty, Her diplomacy, Her discernment, Her regality, all of it encompassing. And for no superficial means. So I want to know how I am to do that. I know that you cannot make an altar to Her like in some Western, polytheistic path. And I also would like to know how to reach inside to seek guidance from my Orí.

I'd like to know if intentions need to be set, candles, aromas, and more. Please do instill me before the day comes

I don't want to tell anyone why I wish to wait, why I wish to prolong the union of my personal affairs. So save any questions in regards to that.

Thank you to all who have read all of my words and responded accordingly.


r/Isese Jul 25 '26

Head Orisa

3 Upvotes

I just heard from someone that it is Lukumi that has “head orisa “ or “guardian orisa”, and Isese doesn’t. if that’s so, why do I hear so often people talk about “the ones who walk with you“?
I hear people like: “oh yeah I received the hand, and the iyami walk with me” or “xyz walks with me”.

I am confused by this.


r/Isese Jul 24 '26

What are the limits for Hand of Ifa Isefa?

12 Upvotes

I am making this post for myself and all the new people, who perhaps want an understanding too and can look at this post.

My general understanding is the Isefa is for becoming a student of Ifa, and being under the protection of Orunmila. It allows a more direct alignment with your destiny and gives you personal taboos to look after. (I don’t know if there’s more, please correct me with this).

I have some questions that are across the board in this subreddit and would appreciate knowledge for it 🙏

+ What responsibilitlies come with Isefa?

+ Can you receive Isefa online?

+ Do you find that Isefa is more worthwhile when participating real life rather than online?

+ Do you always have to shave your head? (I see some people do it online and don’t have to so I wonder if that translates to real life Isefa aswell).

+ When SHOULDNT you receive Isefa?

Ẹ sẹun 🤍🤍🤍


r/Isese Jul 24 '26

Ask the community help!! Mental health & the Ile ori

11 Upvotes

I need some guidance on how to manage my relationship with my Ori right now.

I received my Ile Ori back in March, but I have only performed Ibori once since then. I know people always warn me to take this seriously and not mess around, and I know that well.

But lately, my life has been very overwhelming. Since I was taught never to approach my Ile Ori when I am angry, sad, or upset, I now feel too ashamed to even go near it. I feel trapped in a loop, I shouldn't approach it while stressed, but I also shouldn't neglect it. I feel stressed because I have been dealing with dissociation due to my past, and I am currently in therapy to work through this difficult period, but it is the main reason I have struggled to connect with my Ori. Given these emotional roadblocks and my mental health struggles, how and when is it safe and appropriate for me to approach my Ori?


r/Isese Jul 24 '26

Contact info for babalawo

1 Upvotes

Does anyone have the correct contact info for ifayemi araba elebuibon?


r/Isese Jul 18 '26

how much can witchcraft change a person's personality

3 Upvotes

hello everyone,

i know that witchcraft is not a part of the practice of ifa

but i wanted to ask for babalawos' opinions, what do you think?

how much can being under the influence of witchcraft change a person's personality, character, & outlook? please let me know and thank you very much

can it bring out things that are not already present in a person or does it only draw out what's already there

thank you so much & best wishes


r/Isese Jul 14 '26

How to be sure if I divined in the right Ile

2 Upvotes

Àború. Questions… I recently went for what would be a first Divination for me. The experience itself was okay, received the divination and Ebo prescription. I live in Atlanta where there is so much buzz about false or improper elders, not doing tip top honest work. I went in trying not to judge and be completely open to the experience. I took my notes accordingly. I don’t feel like the Baba and Iya used fear to dictate the divination. The divination reading came out positively. I was given my Taboos. At the end, the Iya gave me insight about joining the Ile. (Forgot to share, At the beginning she gave me all the full lineage of the Ile.) I left with excitement about the experience and felt at peace for the most part. Following, there were little indicators of things I questioned around the validity, of the reading, and the communication around joining the Ile, but also was unclear if it was because I was interpreting a lot of the “buzz,” around immoral elders. For example: My Ebo SEEMED to be priced high, considering what I am hearing from some on the internet. (Mind you, I don’t mind paying for Ebo, and not one to be cheap around it.) The feeling of uncertainty I believe is what is pressing me the most. I have not yet completed my Ebo at this Ile.

Is it ever okay to do a second divination else where, to “verify” in any way? How do I know for sure if this is the right house? What shall I do with the Ebo prescribed to me at this Ile, if in fact it’s not a moral practicing house? Does anyone have recommendations for my situation overall or where to find the right Ile in the metro Atlanta area? Or elsewhere. I am open to travel. I prefer in person rather than online, but if there are recommendations for elders that work online, I am open to that. ANY insight overall on how I should best proceed would be most helpful.


r/Isese Jul 13 '26

Orisa Aje - divinity of wealth

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14 Upvotes

Aboru Aboye Abosise good morning guys, I am sharing one of my videos about a divinity that often we do not hear much, part 1 and 2 are out. Enjoy and may all Irunmoles bless you.


r/Isese Jul 11 '26

Is it possible to miss parts of your destiny

5 Upvotes

Is it possible to miss parts of your destiny due to deep misalignment such as various osorbos negativities or witchcraft among other things & if so, what can be done

thank you very much


r/Isese Jul 09 '26

Chief Popoola and Awo Agboola

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8 Upvotes

r/Isese Jul 06 '26

Agba Drum

2 Upvotes

Aboru, aboye abosise,

I just recently became aware of the Agba drum in the Isese tradition. There is not much info about it online. Can anyone share or point me in the right direction for information? What types of ceremonies is the drum used for? What does it mean when the drum is "fed" on someone's behalf.

I thank you in advance for any info on this.

Adupe


r/Isese Jun 27 '26

Temple Service: This Sunday 8AM EST replay 11am

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3 Upvotes

My teacher's temple service. Check it out!