Yoruba Religion: Originating In West Africa

This chapter is about Yoruba religion. Originating in West Africa, it was transported to the Americas by the slave trade. Yoruba religion teaches that before a person is reincarnated, one of his or her souls goes to Olodumare, the High God, to “receive new breath.” There, the soul chooses its destiny, which includes occupation, personality, measures of good and bad luck, and when the person will die. However, when that person is born the destiny is forgotten. Forgetfulness and disconnection from destiny make up the problem, and the solution is to remember and reconnect. One technique to reach the solution is Ifa divination. Orishas (superhuman beings) help people to live in harmony with their destinies.
Orishas aren’t the only spirits in the

Yoruba world. Some are out to do harm, others are ancestors who can dance in festivals, but orishas are the most powerful. There are three different types of orishas: those who were with Olodumare at creation, some are natural forces like mountains and hills, and others are ancestors who used to be mortals. Orishas are very similar to humans. They marry, divorce, and have likes, dislikes, and emotions. Everything in the human experience corresponds to orishas. Humans communicate with them so that the orishas will intervene for them in their lives. Orishas can possess human bodies during rituals. They are more consulted than worshiped. The same power – ashe – that they possess is present in humans.
Ashe is a sacred force, defined by Robert Farris Thompson as “the power-to-make-things-happen.” Candomble and Santeria centers are full of it, and it flows through orishas and people of all statuses. It is also present in objects, actions, and the arts. Ashe brings about change and can bring things to an end, for both good and evil purposes. It can serve as a connection or a disconnection.
Ifa divination connects a person with Orunmila, the orisha of wisdom and destiny, also known as Ifa. A person will consult with Orunmila at important life events or when facing a conflict. He or she will go to a babalawo (male) or iyalawo (female), a diviner, to see what should be done. The babalawo shakes palm nuts in his hands and reads the results sixteen times, each time recording the result. There are at least four Ifa poems for each possible combination, which the babalawo has memorized. The babalawo tells his client the stories, and the client goes on to decide which ones apply to the circumstances.
Yoruba focuses on the present. Living a good life here is the main goal. Reincarnation is present, but not dwelled on as Heaven is in Christianity. A paradise is viewed as impossible, since humans are bent to being in conflict. To live a good life, one must be in harmony with his destiny. The tools to do so are available through the orishas and the goal may be reached.