The Ifa Oddus

The Ifa divination system due to the large amount of information and the number of possibilities is the strongest and oldest forms of divination odes and all other forms of divination are in one way or another inherited this system.

Ifa system works with the invisible forces of nature, taking into account the expansion and contraction forces that govern our universe. In Ifa expansion forces are symbolized by a vertical line, and the contraction with two vertical lines. These forces are seen as existing in eight dimensions, which form two spheres, one inside the other. This area is symbolized through the use of two vertical columns. Each column is check of four combinations of either single or double lines.

This system generates 256 different combinations of cuadragramas. Each cuadragrama is a representation of different fundamental energy patterns in themselves encompass all of creation. Each of these 256 combinations of 16 larger forces born Oloddus calls. The 240 remaining combinations of the other 16 are called Oddus. We can say that Ifa is a method of describing the universe and everything in it. Orunmila during his travels took Ifa, its system of divination and worship of nature and its creative energies as extensions of Oloddumare to different lands.

The 16 Oloddus are as follows.

1. Ejiogbe.
2. Oyekun.
3. Iwori.
4. Oddi.
5. Go away.
6. Ojuani.
7. Obbara.
8. Okana.
9. Oggunda.
10. Osa.
11. Ika.
12. Otrupon.
13. Otura.
14. Irete.
15. Oche.
16. Ofun.

The babalawo recites a series of proverbs and stories or patakines the corpus of Ifa that come with the odduara. Ifa combines a large body of literature, with a system to select the appropriate passage. This system has been passed orally through the generations.