What Does Initiation Mean?
The Oxford dictionary defines initiation as an act of admitting someone into a secret or obscure society or group, typically with ritual.
A Ceremony and Initiation are different. The concept of initiation is to welcome someone into a particular society/group, usually through certain rites/rituals, ceremonies, ordeals, or instructions in which one is made a member of a sect/society or invested with a particular function or status. The term initiation derives from the Latin phrase “in itiare,” which means to go inwards. It is the path that an individual travels to the interior self. It is the entrance to a new state of consciousness, which is not normally retrograded. That is why we must differentiate between ceremony and initiation and understand that it is not the same.
How Will IFA Divination Help Me?
Through the Ifá Initiation process (Itefa), we will know the Odu that gives birth to us on earth. Using it’s orientations, sacrifices, medicines, taboos, behaviours, etc., and putting it into practice will pave the way for a positive shift in our lives.
Initiation is an intense internal process. Only those very serious about knowing their purpose and why they are here on earth should follow through with this process. IFA initiation will change and upgrade your Ori, baring out the better version of you and reinforcing your purpose. It will also reveal your life odu that covers your past, present, and future.
Weannot afford initiation at this moment is there something else Wean do to help me on my destiny in the mean time?
Receiving your Hand of IFA is the next alternative. This is recommended if you are not yet in a position to go through full initiation. We understand that IFA initiation is an investment and a worthwhile one. Most people invest in things that have no substance; however, we cannot place a number in how much IFA initiation saves lives. Many people who make initiation express an experience of spiritual transformation beyond comprehension. IFA initiation is extremely sacred, and many secrets cannot be revealed due to oaths taken between you and the Orisa. The initiation experience is something that resides within you and your bloodline. It is usually revealed through the odu to the Babalawo/Iyanifa when you receive your Ifa Divination if you are ready for this process.
In the Odu Ifá Ogbe–Ate, it says:
Ko suhna kaji lowuro aye, ka ma mon Odu to bi ni Dia fun Olupo Alaelu
To sunkun owo oun ko to ire
Ti ile aye le fun kokoko bi ota
Ebo ni won ni ko se, ko si tefa O gbebo nbe o rubo
Ko i pe, ko i jina, e wa bani ni wowo ire gbogbo Ifá de Alase
Ope a bi ise warawara
Translation:
It is not advisable for one to rise at the dawn of one’s life, without knowing the Odú which gives birth to one.
This was Ifá divination for Olupo Alaelu.
Who is in lamentations of his inability to get all good things in life.
He whom his life was as hard as stone.
He was advised to offer a sacrifice. And they also told him get initiated
He complied
Before long not very far every good thing in life comes to him in abundance Here comes Ifá, the personification of Ase
The spirit of the palm tree ensures that these predictions will pass quickly.[productify id="8208"]
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When Can IFA Initiation be conducted?
We recommend constantly receiving guidance from IFA through Divination before you proceed toward Tefa Initiation. Initiation can be done after, during, or before training. Anyone who wants to reach Tefa IFA Initiation or has already reached it should know that the door of their destiny will be opened. It begins to be their responsibility to find their purpose in life, follow it, and fulfill it.
What Are Some of the Benefits/advantages of IFA Initiation?
There are many advantages that anyone can get from Tefa IFA Initiation. The benefits are too numerous to document, but here are some of the most important.
-Ifa Initiation helps one to discover one’s real identity e.g., you will know your taboo(s), what is compatible with your destiny, what colours, foods, etc. aren’t suitable for you, the kind of women/men ideal for marriage, and much more.
-Having your personal Ifá provides spiritual guidance and protection.
-IFA initiation gives the initiate the spiritual blueprint of their life. For example, it allows them to ascertain a compatible profession/career that best suits their spiritual/physical abilities.
-Initiation provides what your future will look like and serves as a guiding compass on how to achieve your goals in life.
-Initiation warrants the ability for the initiate to learn and practice Ifá as a diviner if they want to.
-Ifá may demand during divination that some people be initiated to get through difficulties in life.
-Initiation brings a direct connection to Orunmila and Olodumare.
-It serves as a compass to steer through life.
-It is imperative to remember that the person who conducts Tefa for you during the ceremony is your Olúwo, and any other person who trains you or teaches is your Baba-Ifá. An Omo-Awo must honour their Baba-Ifá and their Olúwo even if the student may be older than the teachers.
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