Relationships:
While looking around at our community, inside the Ifa /Orisa community and the generation X, after the baby boom generation, we see that relationships and long term commitments are not sought after or cherished the same as they were the generation before, why is that?
Let me state two stanzas of Ifa that teach us about the importance of relationship and the reason why some if not many of us struggle with attaining or maintaining a mutually beneficial relationship.
Whats is for me, I will take
What is for you, you should take
What is for us both let us enjoy
Enjoy like free gifts of fortune & pleasures
That which is left untouched may it remain so,
That which is untouched is the matter of what is right
Made so by the 201 Irunmole
These were the Ifa Priest who cast Ifa for the man
When taking what he does not own but wants
These were also the Ifa Priest who cast Ifa for the budding young women
When also taking what she does not own and becoming manipulative in the process
Why are human beings acting out,
why don’t they deploy intelligence
intelligence that will pass down generation to their children
cast Ifa for Asuada (Togetherness)
the child of Olodumare
when summoned to correct this issue between the irrational men & women
The man was asked, why he wants to take from a young woman, that what he does not want to cherish? Don’t you know that it is the act of entering that makes a women feel complete, do you want her moving from place to place seeking to feel whole?
The young women was asking why she is taking from the man and looking in the wrong place for what she could find, had she looked very well and taken good advice she would have what she wants, it is futile to look for yam tubers buried in the beach sand.
She was told to deploy her mothers knowledge on how to attract the right suitor, and take her fathers advice when about to be betrothed, so that her matter will be a matter of rejoicing and equally memorable.
She will find what she is seeking and he will too find what he is seeking.
It is a righteous man that should be looking for a spouse who will bare him good children to continue his name with respect, children is what a man seeks and gains respect.
They said, it is called a good woman who will keep herself and be the Owner of Respect living in the house of her husband, such a woman can have pride and consider themselves of good position, it is a husband that makes a wife gain respect in the community,
They were told to perform sacrifice and behave in a manner that is befitting of the Irunmole, they were told to make the sacrifice of Togetherness and adopt same into their lives such that they will have something to look towards as Reason
Man did not perform the sacrifice complete, nor did woman, so as to enjoin themselves complete.
It was in lamentation that they began to praise their Ifa Priest, who praised Ifa, their lamentation became a song of sorrow and grief,
They said, am I of the kind that made my own complete
Ifa Agboniregun, why can I not make my own complete now ?
Agboniregun
Ifa sung in response, when it is your time again, Togetherness is what you seek after, Togetherness
In another stanza of Ifa, Orunmila teaches the importance one should place on establishing one self as a respectful contributor to society at large, the focus is on character and accomplishment.
It is impossible to strike a thorn with bare hand
It is the spike of a porcupine that prevents people from mashing on it
Conspiracy and uprising had prevented them from knowing the site where their mother was buried
These were Ifa’s declarations to Abejiwaye
When weeping in lamentation of her inability to have a child
When she gave birth
She gave birth to Oja, market
She also gave birth to Ona, road
And Ile, Home was the youngest of them all
They were advised to offer ebo
It was only Ile that complied
A good home with a good spouse are ones beauty and pride
No body shows off without a good home
A good home with good children are ones beauty and pride
No body shows off without a good home
It is clear that Ifa teaches us the place and the pride one should place on relationships, and the fact a relationship is worth nurturing combined with many forms of sacrifice in order to maintain.
I will expand on this blog, with a future follow up blog message and more stanzas of Ifa for clarity and understanding.
Awoyinfa Ifaloju
