Ela the spirit of manifestiation......

The Ifa Prayer Cycle

In traditional Ifa the purpose of Ifa initiation is to give the initiate an experience of going into possession with Ela.  Possession is invoked through the use of Oriki Ela.  After initiation the initiate is expected to repeat Oriki Ela every four days for the rest of their life as a way of enhancing our connection to Spirit.  From a traditional perspective possession is considered connection with iponri meaning the higher self.  In simple terms possession does not occur from the outside in, it occurs from inside out.  We live in a holographic universe, meaning every fragment of Creation contains the blueprint for all of Creation.  This blueprint is inside of us and it is the connection with iponri that brings the ability to glimpse portions of this blueprint.

The first step in connecting with the higher self is placing the head and heart in alignment.  The purpose of divination is to discover personal rituals that will assist those who come for divination in the process of placing the head and heart in alignment.  A conflict between the head and the heart means our conscious thoughts are in opposition to our feelings.  According to Ifa this conflict occurs when are conscious thoughts are in opposition to our essential nature.  Ifa teaches that everyone is born a good and blessed person (omo rere) who comes to earth to develop good character (iwa-pele).  According to Ifa placing the head and heart in alignment occurs when a person embraces good character (iwa-pele) and as a consequence of this decision places themselves in alignment with their destiny.  Ifa is rooted in the idea that the human soul (emi) reincarnates, and chooses a destiny between reincarnations.   Ifa teaches that every emi between incarnations on earth chooses a destiny to embrace good character.  There is a Yoruba proverb that says if you are not sure what your destiny is in the moment choose good character and your destiny will manifest.  The consequence of embracing good character is placing the head and heart in alignment and the consequence of placing the head and heart in alignment is receiving a blessing of children, abundance and long life.  Virtually every verse of Ifa scripture promises one or all of these blessings called ire omo, ire owo, and ire agbo ato.

The process of putting an initiate into possession is not difficult.  The person leading the initiation goes into possession first then stands close enough to the initiate for the initiate to feel the spiritual energy (ase) coming from the person leading the initiation.  This is the secret of every pre-Christian initiation in every culture in the world.  The more people who assist the process by going into possession during the initiation the easier it is for the initiate to access their iponri. Buddhist calls this process darma, meaning the enlightenment that comes as a result of sitting with an elder.  When I was initiated there were thirty awo (initiates) present and they all went into possession at the same time.   The effect on me of this collective shift in consciousness was I felt like I was hit by train.  I was literally knocked off my feet and it took me a week to fully recover control of my ability to walk and talk.

Think of the human spirit having a spherical ball of energy surround the body from head to foot.  Using the model of Odu the three sided pyramid facing up has its base at the knees and the three sided pyramid facing down has its base at the chest.  During normal consciousness the upper pyramid spins to the left and the lower pyramid spins to the right.  The tension caused by opposite directional spin keeps our consciousness grounded in the dimension Ifa calls aye meaning life on earth.  The purpose of Ifa divination is to place each individual in a state of Eji Ogbe which translates to mean the first gift from spirit.  When a person is in a state of Eji Ogbe the verses of Ifa scripture say the person is in perfect alignment with their destiny.

In Eji Ogbe all the portals from the two three sided pyramids are open.  This creates an infusion of ase (spiritual energy) from Orun (invisible realm) to the ori (consciousness) of the person experiencing alignment with destiny.  When all eight portals are open both pyramids spin to the left.  This in turn causes all the atoms of the body to shift from a bipolar spin to a mono atomic spin.  In the state of mono atomic spin the penal gland secrets melatonin.  This hormone is known to enhance perception, increase energy, extend stamina, and increase the health benefit of our immune system.  That is why the penal gland is called the “Seat of the Soul” and “the Third Eye.”  In the symbolism of Egypt the drawings of the mystic eye includes exact proportions which are measurements for the way melatonin is released in the blood system and effects elevation.  In Ifa the area around the penal gland is called the iwaju meaning I look at my character.  The reference to looking at my character is affirmation of the Ifa idea that alignment with Eji Ogbe is a manifestation of perfect alignment with destiny.

The human body has receptors along the spine commonly referred to as chakras.  In traditional Ifa each of these power centers is associated with a specific Odu.  These receptors absorb the ase that surrounds the human body when the body is in a state of Eji Ogbe.  The absorption process is restricted when there is tension in the body.  Tension is the body is usually caused by unexpressed emotion.  This is the reason why dance is an essential component of initiation; dance can function as a way of releasing restrictive emotions.

The entire corpus of Ifa scripture is to prescribe rituals and cleansings designed to place the head and heart in alignment and discharge unexpressed emotion as a foundation for guiding the person towards Eji Ogbe.  Nicolas de Vere, who I consider to be an authority on altered states of consciousness, describes normal consciousness in his book The Dragon Legacy published by The Book Tree.

Within the mind are a host of barriers, many of which are caused by the brain’s chemical and physical inability to communicate efficiently with itself.  This cause a sense of confusion and isolation which encourages the spectrum of various forms to appear, from attachment to comforting delusions.  Sovereignty over selves is attained by accepting the selves for what they are.  In so doing the individual, dispensing with the energy-consuming need to erect and maintain defensive mental routines, allows the truth to prevail instead, without regret and without judgement.  In this manner the mind becomes detached and observant.

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De Vere is describing the brain function that creates what Ifa calls elenini.  He goes on to describe the consequence of breaking down the barriers created by elenini as a result of the infusion of melatonin that occurs during altered states of consciousness.

The energy formally used to sustain defensive mechanism and constellations of delusory complexes is freed from its shackles and can be used to enhance alertness and perception.  In focused attention, there is discovered above all else – harmony and harmony is transcendence.

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What de Vere is describing here is the effect of entering the altered state of consciousness Ifa calls possession by Ela.  The consequence of possession by Ela is not only an increase in melatonin sent to the brain there is also an increase the synapse that are connected within the brain.  As a result of this increase the person in the altered state of consciousness is able to glimpse the blueprint of Creation, which in Ifa is coded into the symbolism of Odu.  This process is a key aspect of Ifa initiation.  During Tefa (Ifa initiation) the elders go into possession with Ela and invoke the meji Odu, meaning the Odu in which the right and left Quadra gram are identical.  This is followed by the invocation of the Odu Ose‘tura.  The function of Ose’tura is to cause the meji Odu to copulate in the head of the initiate.  This is a symbolic expression of the idea that the elder is opening all the portals that allow ase to enter the human body and it is the basis for increasing the synapse connections that increase brain function.    According to Ifa metaphysics the entire corpus of Odu re-emerge at every stage of evolution including the birth of human consciousness.  That is why the initiation process at the point where Ose’tura is invoked is called Elerin ipin meaning witness to Creation.

The science of this process was clearly described by Isegun in a post on the awostudycenter discussion board.

The Homo Sapien brain is at its base, Reptilian. Study the anatomy of the brain and the anatomy of reptiles and you’ll see the direct, indisputable relationship. The reptilian brain is very powerful and is the direct connection to the spinal column. For land-based vertebrates the reptilian brain is the starting point.

The Mammalian brain is a direct growth from the reptilian. The difference being, the mammalian brain is larger and has more component parts, i.e. more ways to gather and express information, vibrations or whatever you wish to call it.

The brains of primates are slightly larger and more complex than other mammals, although, I don’t think primates are any more intelligent than dogs or dolphins and whales. The difference between primates and the other, however, is due to climate geography and other factors, both internal and external. Primates and later hominids began the long series of growths and mutations that eventually laid the foundation for the homo sapien to be born.

But the mammalian and reptilian brains never went anywhere. In fact, they remain the basis for our basic brain and bodily functioning.  And in some instances, they provide the doorway to more all-encompassing states.

The much praised but little understood “Third Eye”, the Pineal Gland, was once a literal Third Eye on the back of several species of Lizards. Gradually, this Eye moved inside and became another, albeit very distinct organ.

In Homo sapiens, the Third Eye is able to open the door to more complete and circumspect realms of consciousness.  But only because of the much larger amount of information the human brain is able to collect, sort and synthesize. One instance of this is “possession”.

Chimps, however, cannot do this. But the Pineal gland serves the same basic functions in lab rats as it does in humans. It secretes four basic and critical neurotransmitters – Serotonin, Melatonin, Norepinephrine/Noradrenaline, and Histamine. Through the secretion of these four, and possibly more, neurotransmitters, the Pineal Gland regulates many bodily functions, in concert with the Hypothalamus and Pituitary Glands, both of which sit tucked under the Reptilian Brain. The frontal lobes of the human brain, and the left and right hemispheres, gather the information, but it is the connection of the two that brings everything together.

Guess what sits directly in the middle of the left and right hemispheres of the brain?

Yes, the Pineal Gland. It sits directly on the corpus callosum, the bundle of nerves and tissue that connects the left and right hemispheres, but very close to the spinal column, the eyes, and the other endocrine glands.

The Pineal Gland is a very, very sensitive organ. It is a theory of mine that there exists a direct relationship between Cancer and Pineal Calcification, because the Pineal works directly with the immune system through the secretion of histamine and serotonin. The modern lifestyle of artificial light, overcooked food full of poisons, and other factors, are very harmful to the Pineal.

Serotonin itself does so many different things in the body that it almost has a field of study devoted to it alone.

Thus, a human cannot be a human without being, as you say, “reptilian”. The so-called “higher states” would not be possible WITHOUT the reptilian in us.

. . . Why do people behave in a low-life, base, disgusting, and small-minded, short-sighted fashion? Because with the homo sapien, for the first time, a form of life on earth is free of the constraints and natural checks and balances of their environment. FIRE, as the Greeks understood, was the beginning of the Homo Sapien. Nothing else happens without it, internally or externally. Fire, and the ability to cook food, may have even provided the nutrients for the human brain to grow. The primate vegetarian diet provides nowhere near the amount of protein necessary to form a human body/brain. Try to live on bananas alone for a week and see how you do, especially if you’re at all active, like our ancient ancestors were.

Thus, the human, in giving up the strengths of speed, acute sight, scent and hearing, teeth and claws, acquired the ability to grow in ways utterly and completely impossibly for any other form of vertebrate life. But this is a double-edged sword, as Esu so clearly teaches us.  With the door open, anything can come through. Without the natural checks and balances of their environment, any type of human can emerge, low and base, lofty and noble, all together, often at the same time. And with such a huge range of possibilities, it is less likely for the noble and strong to emerge, simply because of the chances, the averages.

This possibility is why the Ancients developed systems like Ifa, the I-Ching and others. This is why in healthy societies, the accumulated wisdom and experience of the Ancients, Ancestors and esteemed Elders set the standard for the people and country.

Ase

Isegun

The collective invocation of Ela in traditional Yoruba culture is an effort to keep communal focus on the transcendent aspect of human development.  In my experience in Ode Remo when the awo go into collective possession with Ela there is a hallo effect around their head as a consequence of the infusion of ase that comes as a result of being in alignment with Eji Ogbe.  This light not only has a transformative effect on the mental, physical and spiritual health of the awo, this light can by projected onto others affording them the same benefit.

There is in the Diaspora a popular belief that Ifa initiates do not go into possession.  Ifa is based on the teachers of the prophet Orunmila.  From the perspective of traditional Yoruba culture, Orunmila is an ancestor (egun).  The Spirit who guided Orunmila is called Ela.  Those men and women who are mediums of Ela are considered sons and daughters of Orunmila.  An examination of the Oriki used to invoke Ela clearly requests possession as part of the invocation process.

ORÍKÌ ELA

(Invocation for possession by the Spirit of Destiny)

Ela omo osin.

Ela Omo Oyigiyigi ota omi.

Spirit of Light, child of the Ruler. Spirit of Light, child of the offspring of the Stone in the Water.

Commentary:  Ifa teaches that everything is a manifestation of light and light carries primal consciousness.  The stone in the water is the center point of Creation which exploded to create hydrogen atoms.  The cloud of hydrogen atoms at the first moment of Creation is symbolically referred to as omi Orun or the heavenly waters.

Awa di oyigiyigi.

A ki o ku wa.

We ourselves become manifestation. The stone that birthed the Spirit of Light will never die.

Commentary:  this is a reference to the eternal aspect of human consciousness that is accessed through prayer and the development of good character.

Ela ro a ki o ku mo, okiribiti.

Ela ro (Sokale) Orunko Ifá.

The Spirit of Light has descended to Earth, we die no more.  This is the name we give to Destiny.

Commentary:  in Liturgical Yoruba the word ro is used to invoke possession or to place consciousness in an altered state.

Entiti ngba ni l’a.

Nwon se ebo Ela fun mi.

He is the one who saved us. We have made offerings to the Spirit of Light

Commentary:  Salvation in traditional Ifa comes as a result of accessing our full potential.  Accessing our full potential comes as a result of developing good character which in turn supports access to altered states of consciousness.

Ko t’ina, ko to ro.

He is of no substance. He is too small to be thought of.

Commentary:  The transcendent component of human consciousness is immortal and invisible.

Beni on (Ela) ni gba ni la n’Ife, Oba – a – mola.

Yet He delivered the Immortals from all trouble, the Chief for whom to know is to be saved.

Commentary:  This is saying that the transcendent element of human consciousness also exists in the consciousness of Spirit and that salvation is a consequence of accessing the transcendent.  In other words all consciousness is linked to a higher consciousness called Iponri and within the Grace of Iponri all consciousness becomes One.

Ela, Omo Osin mo wari o!

Ela meji, mo wari o.

The Spirit of Light, Son of the Ruler, I praise you.  The Spirit of Light, the Spirit of Light, I praise you.

Commentary:  The reference to Ela meji means the spirit of Light is Immortal.  In the Yoruba language when you repeat a word you are suggesting the eternal essence of that word.  Ela meji or the Spirit of Light Twice would be spoken Ela Ela meaning Ela exists forever.

Ela mo yin boru.

Ela mo yin boye.

Ela mo yin bosise.

Spirit of Light I beg you to lift my burden.  Spirit of light I beg you to lift my burden from earth.  Spirit of Light I ask you to present my burden to the Immortals.

Commentary:  This is a traditional greeting to the Spirit Light when it becomes manifest through possession by the mediums present when the invocation is spoken.

Ela poke.

Eni esi so wa soro odun.

Odun ko wo wa sodun.

The Spirit of light has appeared. The friend has returned for this year’s festival. The celebration returns.

Commentary:  Once a year the Spirit of Ela is invoked and appears as a beam of light emerging from the floor of Igbodu or the sacred grove.  This mystery is the fundamental ritual process that was the basis for building the great stone temples that cover the earth.

Iroko oko.

Iroko oko.

Iroko oko.

I come Iroko oko. I come Iroko oko. I come Iroko oko.

Commentary:  The Iroko tree is used in traditional Yoruba communities as an ancestors shrine.  Oko is the power of the shrine to influence future generations.

Odun oni si ko.

Ela poke.

Ela ro.

Ela ro.

Ela ro, ko wa gbu’re.

The celebration has returned.  The Spirit of Light has appeared.  Holy Spirit descend. Holy Spirit descend. Holy Spirit descend, prayers to accept.

Commentary:  This phrase announces the presence of Ela through the mediums.

Ela takun wa o.

Ela ro o.

Eti ire re.

Ela takun ko wa gbu’re.

Holy Spirit with string descends.  Holy Spirit descends. Be the ears of our prayers.  Holy Spirit with string descends to accept our prayers.

Commentary:  String is the Ifa symbol for the idea that all things are inter-connected.

Enu ire re.

Ela takun ko gbure.

Oju ire re.

Hear the lips of our prayers. Holy Spirit with string descends to accept our prayers. Hear the eyes of our prayers.

Commentary:  Once possession occurs the medium uses the spiritual energy of the altered state of consciousness to pray for the good fortune of the community.

Ela takun ko wa gbu’re.

Ela ma dawo aje waro.

Ela ma d’ese aje waro.

Holy Spirit with string descend to accept our prayers. Holy Spirit with lips of blessing embrace us.  Mighty Spirit with lips of blessing embrace us.

Commentary:  After the medium prays for the community Spirit answers those prayers by responding to them through the medium.

Atikan Sikun ki oni ikere yo ikere.

From door to door remove the hinges.

Commentary:  Removing the hinges from the door is a symbolic reference to the idea of removing those artificial boundaries that separates humans from one another.

Ipenpe’ju ni si’lekun fun ekun agada ni si’ekun fun eje.

He who removes the hinges opens the eyelids for tears.

Commentary: Removing boundaries enhances empathy and this in turn allows us to share the pain of others as the foundation for healing.

Ogunda’sa, iwo ni o nsilekun fun Ejerindilogun Irunmole.

The Spirit of Iron, the Spirit of Wind, the Spirit who opens the door for the Immortals.

Commentary:  Ogunda’sa is a verse of Ifa scripture that invokes opening the portals between the Invisible Realm and earth.

Ela panumo panumo.

Ela panuba panuba.

Spirit of Light resounding.  Spirit of Light rebounding.

Commentary:  This is a reference to the idea that the Spirit of Light is accessible in every moment.

Ayan ile ni awo egbe ile, ekolo rogodo ni awo ominile.

Near the crack in the wall where the elders meet, Peace ascended to Heaven and did not return.

Commentary:  A crack in the wall refers to a place where a person can ease drop on matters that do not concern them.  This suggests that spying on others is a source of disruption in the community.  It also suggests that everyone has a place and function with the community and maintaining our person responsibility is more important than arrogantly trying to take more responsibility they we are prepared for.

Eriwo lo sorun ko do mo.

O ni ki a ke si Odi awo Odi.

Upon blockade the Priest of Blockade is called to Earth. He asked us to call upon the Priest of Peace.

Commentaries:  Every day life involves the need to separate the ori from the ipoinri.  The invocation is asking us to make this separation in a spirit of peace.

O ni ki a ke si Ero awo Ero.

O ni ki a ke si Egún osusu abaya babamba.

Upon the shrub thorns he asked us to call. Upon the blockade we call the Priest of the Blockade.

Commentary:  shrub thorns are used as protection in certain shrines, so again the invocation is asking us to set up boundaries in a spirit of peace.

A ke si Ero awo Ero,  ke si Egún o susu abaya babamba a ni eriwo lo si Orun ko de mo, won ni ki Ela roibale.

Upon the thick shrubbery thorns we call, to the Realm of the Immortals we calmly ascend.  Holy Spirit descend.

Commentary : We use protection to guide us to a place of unity.  This is an adminotion against using ritual to harm others.

Ela ni on ko ri ibi ti on yio ro si o ni iwaju on egun.

The Peace of the Spirit of Light said; “I have nowhere to descend.”

Commentary:  This is a reference to the idea that in order to be an effective medium of Light we need to surrender or sacrifice our personal ego to make room for effective possession.

Eyin on osusu agbedem ‘nji on egun osusu, awo fa ma je ki’iwaju Ela gun mori on tolu.

I find the front filled with thorns, I find the rear and the middle filled with thorns.

Commentary:  The reference to front and rear is a reference to resistance in the past and in the future.

Òrúnmìlà ma jeki eyin Ela gun mosi Olokarembe Òrúnmìlà ma jeki agbedemeje la gun Osusu.

The humans appealed to the Spirit of Destiny to pray to the Great Spirit of light.

Commentary:  This is a reference to the idea that Orunmila the historic prophet of traditional Yoruba culture was a medium or Ela.

Ela ro.

Ifá ko je ki iwaju re se dundun more on tolu.

Spirit of Light descends. Remove the thorns from the front and rear.

Commentary:  The invocation is asking us to remove our resistance to possession.

Ela ro.

Ifá ko jeki eyin re se worowo.

Spirit of Light descends. Remove the thorns from the middle.

Commentary:  The invocation is again asking us to remove our resistance to possession.

Ela ro.

Ela ni ‘waju o di Odundun.

Spirit of Light descends. At the front place of Peace, the Spirit of Light becomes manifest.

Commentary:  This is a clear statement that possession is a consequence of alignment of the head and heart which results in a state of inner peace.

Ela ni eyin o di Tete.

Ela ni agbedemeji o di worowo.

At the rear place of Peace, the Spirit of Light becomes manifest. At the middle place of Peace, the Spirit of light becomes manifest.

Commentary:  The removal of ego allows for the higher self to overwhelm normal consciousness.

For me, the clarity of this Oriki establishes the process of possession as an essential component in Ifa spiritual discipline.  In Ifa ritual the Oriki for Ela is preceded by Kiki Orunmila.  In the Yoruba language Oriki means praising the consciousness of a specific Force in Nature.  It is a reference to the ability to invoke various forms of consciousness or possession to access information outside of our direct personal experience.  In the Yoruba language the word Kiki means to praise.  In Ifa we praise Orunmila as the prophet of our faith and we invoke Ela to access the mysteries of Odu.

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