Tradition and Transformation (Classical Writings on the Ifa/Yoruba Traditional Religion)

The Ifa religion provided healing and foundation during enslavement. It served as a constant reminder of who we are an just how important it is for us to relate to the forces of life and identify with it through our own likeness. During the time when we were being stripped of our self worth, it was our tradition that prevented us from committing total self-annihilation. The worship of Orisha healed our spiritual constitution and gave us some semblance of the reality that it is important for the deities of a people to look like and reflect the self-image of those people. The wisdom of Ifa, as expressed through the Sacred Odu, challenged us to remain true to our moral and righteous construct even in the face of immorality and degradation. In essence, the religious and philosophical basis for our African existence revolved, and continues to revolve around the tenets and fundamental concepts of the Yoruba religious practice. Ifa was the major ingredient in the healing process of the enslaved African; and now it must be made available for the disillusioned African as well.