“West African Religious Practitioners & Devotees Being Inveigling On Social Media”

By Iyalemole Dr. Queenchiku Ngozi-Fabuluje

December 12th, 2019Inkedbabak-mehraban-012345_LI23 (5)8

American Ifa: US, Florida: Google’s dictionary states that inveigling is “to entice, lure, or snare by flattery or artful talk or inducements.” Inveiglement is also a form of entrapment, deception, lying, and or coercion by flattery. Billow (2013) stated that inveiglement is a snare set to trap someone by convincing them of something. Solicitation and flirtation online play a great role as well in inveiglement on social media. Famous John Ruskin says, “the essence of lying is in deception, not in words.” Ifa says in Ika’fun that people should not be deceptive. Yet, deception, lying, and inveigling has been going on for centuries. It has intensified and worsened over time due to globalization of technology and increased use of social media.

In 2019, many individuals, religious faiths, countries, and corporations agree that technology has both globally benefited and hurt in some ways a variety of areas. Technology has provided opportunities to buy and sell goods and services such as dating, modelling, divinations, advertisement, socialization, donating, publishing, and so on. With the birth of social media, an infinite amount of personal information including religious stories, history, events, pictures, birth or death announcements, products, and so-forth have been collected and shared online.

In 2018, American Ifa’s annual reading stated that people will try to portray Ifa as bad when individuals attempt to coerce others into traps and defame Orisa-Ifa practitioners. Billow (2013) agree with Ettinger and Jehiel (2009) that inveigling is an emotional game of rooster and chicken in which the participants are bargaining and soliciting only to end up into a trap (Ofun meji). Another instance, Ofun meji speaks about the pigeon who saw a party happening in town on social media. The pigeon was curious and went to look to see who was at the party. When the pigeon got there, he found it was a trap. The pigeon was the target. The pigeon was lured into a situation on social media where the pigeon lost his life. Inveigling can lead the target to be defamed as a fake or fraud (Walter, 2000). Social media has allowed the development of many negative inveigling groups. At the end of the day, a person’s reputation is tarnished. Ifa says that this type of behavior is condemned (Ogunda obara; Ika Ofun; Ogbe Iwori; Owonrin Irosu; Irete Irosun).

Walter (2000) described the individuals who have the tendency to engage in these entrapment behaviors as emotional, attention seekers and manipulators. The individuals will then see themselves as victims from their own vindictive victimization. Ifa recognizes this character in Odus ogbe’iwori, owonrin’irosun, irete’irosun, and irete’bara as self-deception. By practicing this behavior, they believe they gain power and control over the people who are the real victims. Many police stings utilize entrapment methods to bust online prostitution. More and more, several Traditional Yoruba babalawos have been the target of entrapment. The motivation is usually a person who wants to mislead for a mental award or to accomplish a hidden agenda.

The West African religious practitioners and devotees inveigling on social media have not been focused on preservation, but instead the destruction and dilution of spiritual stability in the diaspora. Odu Ogunda Bede, Odu Ogbe Ale, Odu Eji-Ogbe, and Odu Obara Meji warn people against lying, deception, stealing, entrapment, and other behaviors that will cause a breakdown of social equilibrium (Laleye, 2014). These people draw up an alternate version of reality that only they have witnessed to support their victimhood and gaslight the real victims who know the truth. It’s a form of lying intended to deliberately mislead people. Behind the computer screen an individual can be as handsome or as much the beauty queen as they want. As an example, a person who is out to entrap Babalawos might go to such lengths as to share nude pictures to entice them to their web.

In conclusion, social media has become the breeding ground for the diminishing credibility of Orisa and Ifa practices in the diaspora as well as West Africa. It is easy to inveigle and entrap people because they have desires, needs, and wants which the attention seekers manipulate to their advantage. Entrapment is like a cancer that spreads throughout the body when it is not detected early and the proper Ifa medicines are not administered. Technology will continue to grow to have a wide reach and social media administrators will also continue to like and encourage the dysfunction to draw reality tv show mental illness and madness. In ogbe’yeku, Ifa says there is a space where there is a moment of silence and stillness, where an Awo should seek balance and endurance. One needs to consult Ifa to protect against these individuals who enjoy bringing an ajogun to destroy the legacy of the ancestors (Oturupon’rete).

 

References

Billow, R. M. (2013). On inveiglement. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 63(2), 274-300. doi:10.152/ijgp.2013.63.2.274

Carson, T. L. (2010). Lying and deception: Theory and practice. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, Inc.

Ettinger, D. & Jehiel, P. (2009). A theory of deception. New York, NY.

Laleye, S. A. (2014). Punishment and forgiveness in the administration of justice in traditional African thought: The Yoruba example. International Journal of Philosophy and Theology, 2(4), 165-176. doi:10.15640/ijpt.v2n4a10

Mele, A. R. (2001). Self-deception unmasked. New York; Princeton University Press

Walters, S. B. (2000). The truth about lying, Naperville, IL: Sourcebooks, Inc.

 

American Ifa Review the War of Orunmila: Why two yearly reading Odus in Nigeria

Aboru aboye abosise, greetings to all;

“War of the Roses” or may I say the “War of Orunmila”; or better yet, the “War on life”. The different Odus out of West Africa in the past weekend reminded me of a movie called the “War of the Roses”. The movie was about a married couple who has out grown each other, but together they have accumulated knowledge, material wealth, and children. This scenario is now playing out for the worshipers of Ifa. For instance, Solagbade Popoola, the assumed President of ICIR (2015-8) statedgun

 

“Ile Ife (WAS NOT) where the Odu of the World has always been cast, [because] a great Awo called Orisasona [in 1956] gathered all Awo in Yorubaland together and pleaded for cooperation …to build a Temple for Orunmila [called] Oke Itase Temple … in Ile Ife” (Popoola).

 

In the ‘War of the Roses’, the couple had out grown each other’s company, and wanted to go their separate ways. Yet, there were financial and ownership issues. The Roses sought advice from their friends, but no one wanted to compromise and equitably divide the wealth they had accumulated. In the case of ICIR, for instance, Popoola continued to state in that same document that Professor Wande Abimbola (Christian), Araba Ifayemi Elebuibon (Ifa), and Professor Odeyemi,

 

“…wanted to see Ile Ife become great again [since], So the festival being international is really a recent thing. Up till today, the Ife people still celebrate their own Itase rites. As late as 1980, there was nothing like a International Annual Ifa Festival in Ile Ife. There was no such thing. By that time, the Ife people were still insisting that the Itase festival should remain an Ile Ife ceremony and were insistent against outsiders being involved” (Poopla 2015).

 

In relationships, there are always signs of trouble before the final separation. On June 6th, ” Popoola’s camp made a pilgrimage to land of Orunmila and divined for the Odu of the year. The Odu was Ogunda Masa (Osa). At this point, it doesn’t matter if it is ire or ibi (osogbo). It will not make a difference because of the energy of the Odu OGUNDA and the energy of OSA. In the War of the Roses’ the couple did everything they could to disgrace and humiliate each other. It was a game theory tactic, which did not work. This same point is illustrated in Ogunda Masa, which says that Ifa speaks about “monetary gains by spiritual fidelity”. Spiritual fidelity means, there is a “faithfulness to a person, cause or belief, demonstrated by continuing loyalty and support” (Dictionary). Both scenarios, “War of the Roses” or may I say the “War of Orunmila”; and even better, the “War on life” lacked the understanding of life; not just for themselves but for the population in which they claim to have in their best interest. In other words, Ogunda Masa states that a relationship between people becomes separated because they abandon and throw away their principles to the Orisa and others. In the “War of the Roses”, the estranged couple continue to break the law to win the battle. They used unethical behavior and had friends spy and lie. For example, the two ICIR factions have the Iya, Olomitutu and her unethical behavior cause destruction in the main area of support – America/Diaspora. In Ogunda Masa, Ifa speaks of how Ogunda crossed, which is the story of how Ogun trespassed on Olofin’s road and Olofin said that Ogun broke the law. Olofin said, “I let him do it if he wants to lose the meanings of life, I find the meaning of death” (Ogunda Masa). In the ‘War of the Roses” Mrs. Rose consultants a lawyer (Ifa) about her dilemma and the lawyer told her the same thing that Ifa told Popoola’s camp in Ogunda Masa. Ifa said, “Pat your belly and blow the sickness away.” He added, “This is simply to be honest with yourself”. Why? Because it reflects your life destiny and leads others to think that the situation is more difficult than it is; that the situation is more about the debt you need to fix than the shoddy action which is a pending situation that you must rectify.

 

Osa as Ogunda calls you to care for every detail in your life as a shield to the problems that are occurring. Because Orunmila has emphasized the religious procedures since this astral certifies that the instruments of Ifa that you used to guess by not having the proper consecration may not be effective to the needy; therefore, being honest to the world as a state of consciousness into your processes of life, and we all know that actions have consequences.”

 

In other words, Ogunda Masa is saying the damage is staying directly in your brain as an imbalance or mental illness that is a psychological, psychic and spiritual condition. It is important to understand the malevolent and malicious actions, arrogance, coldness, pride and any other negative acts that you did and or do effects the lives of others. So Mrs. Rose…expect tragedy.

 

Meanwhile, Mr. Rose has consulted a lawyer (Ifa) as well. This other camp in Ile Ife, has initiated many people in the diaspora and has placed an “American” Araba named Adedayo Ologundudu in the ideology of governance over the American/Diaspora’s Orisa Ifa practitioners. (This Araba is NOT an American). Odu Ofun Osa came to tell this camp that Ifa said, “Pat your belly, hands behind your ears, over your eyes and blow the sickness away” (Ofun Osa). This is about a person whose life is becoming confused and that the only solution is spiritual redemption. While everything seems fine in the present, disaster lies ahead. In addition, Ifa suggests, “understanding why there is a war between the sun and moon”. Ifa states that your whole life which you stand for will be turned upside down. You will not know what or who to trust because you have been blinded from the truth or lied to by the same person who smiled at you through tiny eyes…Now it is a mess. As soon as you think things are going good, all hell will break loose and disaster will present itself. Ifa continues, it speaks of weakness, misdirected energies, illness, in consequence, ignorance and treason. For instance, Popoola (2015-6) stated that if he “chose [NOT] to stay silent… Ile Ife would not be in its position today.”

 

In all scenarios, Ofun Osa states if the world becomes rotten and destroyed it will be because no one no longer knows how to behave with one another. The ‘War of the Roses” ends with death; both camps have created their own suicidal plans, which makes all their fears (American Ifa, P. Neimarks, and Awo Falokun) look like hope and enlightenment [lol].

COMMENT:

Personally, they (both ICIR camp/ Ile Ife) have proven that they are incompetent to lead any of us in the Diaspora into the new stages of Ifa/orisa and egun practices. They must thank Olomitutu for her contribution to us learning about the imperfections of the people we here in the Diaspora trusted and believed. If she wouldn’t have pushed others of like minds to defame and declared Ifa wars with us; this may would had continued flying over our heads, we would have never learned about the 1% rule and no cuts.

The movie clip: War of the Roses (<<<<<https://youtu.be/5ebv3i_9Ltc>>>)

American Ifa Letter to Oya

A letter to OYA…

Today I give honor to one of my mothers. I have not forgotten you, Oya. Many people have put away their orisa when they make Ifa. I have not, Mother. I know 18 years have passed. I still love you, honor and respect you as I did yesterday, when I didn’t have Ifa. You have done so much for me; when man has failed to lift me as well as my own birth mother… you did so. When my own brothers and sisters had forgotten me and treated me as a stranger…you didn’t. You and the other orisa (Obatala, Oshun, Sango, Yemaya, etc.) have been there for me since the beginning of my existence. You have taught me so much in a short time and you have carried me such a far distance in this world. You have saved me from destruction and you have removed the assholes that were in my life. You brought the ancestors to all my initiations including the one where the elders gave me my first name OchaBi. I was named after one of the greatest women in our faith. Maferefun Oya! No, Mother, I have not forgotten you. I love you…So today is the day I tell the world a little bit about your greatness in my life…. OYA

To Oya with love

To Oya with love

AMERICAN IFA: Welcome

Welcome to American Ifa!

American Ifa is the place where you can feel comfortable learning, working and understanding Orisa and Ifa  (African Spirituality) as expressed in different systems,  particularly, Traditional  West African and Lukumi (Cuban-Diaspora). American Ifa lives by the premises of FREEDOM, PRIDE and UNITY. We implore you to feel FREE to venerate and practice your way of life that instills PRIDE not only for Ifa and Orisha but for the place in which you live. In American Ifa you  are FREE to venerate and practice with your Ifa and Orishas that you have received from different systems without ridicule from the other. American Ifa is the place that fosters the environment that allows us the FREEDOM to learn about different cultures and the ways in which we live the Ifa and Orisa experience.  American Ifa allows us to connect to our extended families of Ifa/Orisa people WORLDWIDE and the opportunity to foster UNITY among ourselves.  SO CHEERS TO OUR ANCESTORS WHO BROUGHT US TO IFA AND ORISA WHO IN THEIR OWN WAY KEPT IFA AND ORISA ALIVE IN OUR HEARTS AND MINDS AND IN SO DOING WE WERE ABLE TO SPREAD IFA AND ORISA AROUND THE WORLD!  ASE! ASE! ASE O! OLOYE FAPOUNKA AYABA EEGUNGBEMI (OFAE) DR. AYABA OCHABI AWODELE-IFASEYE