The term “worship” comes from the Old English word weorthscipe, or worth-ship. It means to give someone the honor or respect they are due. The German word, Gottesdienst, means roughly “God act” or “God service.” It can mean either God’s service or act toward us, or our service or acts toward God—or both. This word describes a relationship between God and people and mutual service. Theologically, it has been interpreted as first God’s act toward us followed by our response of thanks and praise. In Yoruba, worship is called isin. It refers to the many ways through which we give reverence to Olódùmarè, the Orisa, our ancestors or our destinies. Worship is the most essential element of spiritual development and personal greatness. Stated differently, when you worship, you are actually conditioning many of the activities associated with a highly cultivated intuition, as well as a clearly defined sense of purpose. More specifically, the act of worship sets the stage for you to pray, meditate, chant, sing, play music, dance, divine, perform sacrifice, participate in ceremonies, festivals and so on. Each one of these practices is essential to your spiritual development because they activate the body, heart, mind and soul. For example, something as simple as prayer becomes very powerful over time. Consider the fact that the intensity of your prayer in an emergency is likely to be much greater than when everything is flowing nicely. Several years ago, when I was just starting to see clients, I went outside my house to see that my car had been stolen. Immediately, I started to think of all the important things I could not do without my car. But as my anxiety grew, something interesting happened: I went straight to the shrine to ask Ifá. The Odù directed me to appease my mother’s spirit. The offering was relatively small, consisting of foodstuffs from my own kitchen. I did as instructed, then called the police to file a report. Within 4 hours my car was returned. After the fact, I reflected upon the intensity and focus of my prayers that day. Before then, I had been performing my rituals with sincerity, but I lacked a real sense of urgency. However, after that experience, I learned to make every prayer as if someone’s life depended upon it. So, the more you pray – under varying circumstances and conditions – the more reverent and humble you become towards the power that sustains the universe, Olódùmarè. Intellectually, prayer also sets the stage for meditation. It has been said that prayer is invoking the spirit and meditation is listening to the spirit. Within the Orisa Lifestyle Academy, we have said since our inception that the Holy Odu is our measuring stick for religious precision and authenticity. When it comes to the structure, content and purpose of devotion, our reliance upon the sacred text is illustrative: Olódùmarè is the Pinnacle of Devotion: All forms of worship, from divination to sacrifice, is devoted to Olodumare, the Almighty. In the verse that follows, we see that Orunmila, who is Olodumare's delegate on earth, was unable to accomplish anything of significance until he took Olodumare as his father: Here would I have followed And there would I have passed through In stages does one bury the corpse of one's friend These were Ifa's declarations to Orunmila When he was doing all things Without succeeding at any of them He was advised to take his Olodumare as his father Without succeeding at any of them He was advised to take his Olodumare as his father Rescue me, oh my Olodumare, please accept me You are the only one I rely upon Rescue me, oh my Olodumare, please accept me You are my pillar of support Rescue me, oh my Olodumare, please accept me You are the one I look up to Rescue me, oh my Olodumare, please accept me Nobody relies on Olodumare For him to be put to shame Rescue me, oh my Olodumare, please accept me - Holy Odu OseBiile Ancestry is essential to effective devotion: Your spiritual identity and divine mission have been handed down from one generation to the next, by way of your lineage. In the following verse, you will see how the Ancestral Promise is responsible for maintaining balance between heaven and earth: There is no childbearing woman Who cannot give birth to an Ifa priest There is no woman who cannot give birth to Orunmila Our father, if he gives birth to us in full Inevitably, we shall, in time, Give birth to him, in turn Our mother, if she gives birth to us in full Inevitably, we shall, in time, Give birth to her, in turn This was Ifa's message to Orunmila Who said he would bring heaven down to earth Who said he would bring earth back up to heaven - Holy Odu IworiOdi Ori is Supreme: All devotion, and all blessings that result from proper worship are associated with ori, which is the seat of destiny. In the verse that follows, you will see the unique relationship between Olodumare, Ifa and Ori: Otura set out on a journey to Ira town but never reached Ira Akoki, a traveler set out on a familiar journey but never returned Honesty is more rewarding It is higher than dishonesty This was the Ifa cast for “I have kindred And I am blessed with relations But I do not have sympathizers” There is no sympathizer as Ifa One's Ifa is one's greatest sympathizer There is no sympathizer as Ori One's Ori is one's greatest sympathizer There is no sympathizer as Olorun, Olorun is one's greatest sympathizer - Holy Odu OturaOgunda Elements of Orisa Devotion
In the Orisa Lifestyle Academy, we teach FIVE elements of devotion:
If you don't have a system, you don't have a spiritual practice. In the School of Orisa Studies, you can learn my proven system, which I guarantee will guide your practice & transform your Ancestral, Mental, & Spiritual Energy. Learn More: Free Downloads
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I have a couple of questions for you... What is effective problem solving? How do you know that the prayers, rituals and ceremonies you're learning will actually work for you? How important is it to have an actual plan that is explicitly designed to accomplish your desired life goals with maximum effectiveness? Why do premature solutions - ones that have not been fully developed - lead to further, more complicated problems? Today, I want to show you how to approach your spiritual journey with clarity and purpose. As you read the words that follow, know that my intention is to introduce educational planning as a spiritual journey, as well as expose the requirements for reaching your destination. My objective here is to help you to envision the desired outcome so that you can properly recognize its importance as an indispensable focus of your life. First things first... You must identify your needs BEFORE you can define and carry out solutions. A certain amount of introspection, self evaluation and acceptance is absolutely necessary in order to avoid creating premature solutions. Understand, errors in your spiritual journey will lead you to contradict your destiny and delay your capacity to attain the levels of fulfillment you truly desire. There is a BIG difference between planning what to do and doing what has been planned. The more clearly you understand the difference between planning and doing, the more enriching your spiritual journey will be. The undisputable point of departure is to define your NEEDS. When it comes to Orisa Lifestyle, you absolutely NEED to understand Yoruba civilization. This is because Yorùbá indigenous knowledge systems as a whole are, by definition, holistic. That is, the organizing principles of Yorùbá indigenous knowledge systems are characterized by their philosophical, cultural and ecological interdependence. According to philosopher Adébáyò Adésànyà, “This is not simply a coherence of fact and faith, not of reason and traditional beliefs, nor of reason and contingent facts, but a coherence of compatibility among all the disciplines. A medical theory e.g., which contradicted a theological conclusion was rejected as absurd and vice versa." (Origunwa, Obafemi. Onà - Creative Genius: Yorùbá Visual Art as a Medium for Holistic Education) The first phase of your educational plan is the Intro to Yoruba Spirituality. In this four part mini course, you will get an overview of how Orisa Lifestyle permeates every dimension of Yoruba civilization as a whole. This course is indispensable because it fulfills your need for historical and cultural context. Without such context, you cannot honestly claim to understand the spiritual practices of Orisa Lifestyle. The Intro to Yoruba Spirituality is the beginning of a SYSTEMS APPROACH to your spiritual journey. When I say a systems approach, I am referring to a process by which your needs are identified, specific problems are defined, alternatives are presented and undesirable options are eliminated. You can think of a systems approach as a way of thinking, as well as a tool. As you take into consideration the overlapping influences of language, economics, family structure and the environment, for example, you will create logical and emotional pathways of understanding that make the learning process more meaningful. In addition, it is precisely this understanding that will enable you to select an educational track, which will guide and shape your spiritual journey. Some people are "top down" thinkers. They think about the big picture. Top down thinkers want to know how all the parts fit together, what they mean to one another, what the finished product looks like and why it matters. Some people, on the other hand, are "bottom up" thinkers. They want to know the details. Bottom up thinkers are more concerned with step-by-step instructions, precision and accuracy. Bottom up thinkers tend to be troubleshooters, who can quickly identify inconsistencies, gaps and problems. The Orisa Lifestyle Academy has an educational plan for both types of thinkers. TRACK A: Personal Priesthood Coach. This is an educational plan that is best suited for top down thinkers. In this year-long certification program, you will explore five disciplines of Orisa Lifestyle, including 16 Essential Traits of Personal Priesthood, the Fundamentals of Orisa Lifestyle, Daily Devotion, Healing Modalities, and Implementation. Personal Priesthood Certification is designed for people who want to function as a coach who helps others establish and follow a spiritual plan and reach their life goals. TRACK B: Orisa Devotee. This is an educational plan that is best suited for bottom up thinkers. This is where you learn to establish and maintain a spiritual practice, including mastery of the devotional calendar, daily prayers, divination and offerings. In short, TRACK B is where you learn everything you need to know BEFORE being initiated or receiving a consecrated altar. Personal Priesthood Certification is a year long experience. It consists of five complete courses, forty weeks of instruction, over one thousand proprietary lessons and activities. Each of the five courses in the year-long Personal Priesthood Certification process is broken down into well-defined modules with proprietary lessons and step-by-step activities. People learn at different rates and in different ways. The Personal Priesthood Certification process includes audio, video, print and oral presentations to to fit your learning style. In addition to being a babalawo, with more than 20 years' experience, Obafemi Origunwa, MA is a professionally trained counselor and master teacher, with students from age 3 to 70. Download the brochure. With Personal Priesthood Certification, you will have the knowledge and skills to help yourself, your clients, friends and families live the medicine that will heal your lives and heal the lives of the people you are destined to serve. We’ll teach you how to turn your natural gifts and talents into competitive advantage. We’ll teach you everything you need to know about the intricacies of managing your spiritual development through Personal Priesthood. We'll show you how to connect with the people you're destined to serve and create competitive advantage. Finally, we'll show you how to build a system that enables you to build your tribe. As you explore the resources and educational experiences offered through Personal Priesthood Certification, you'll be well on your way to achieving spiritual freedom and living your dreams! Download the brochure for more information. The School of Orisa Studies is where you learn everything you need to know BEFORE initiation. This track is ideal for people who need instructions on what to do on a daily basis in support of their spiritual development. More exactly, in the School of Orisa Studies, you will learn the devotional calendar, ijuba, oriki obi divination and offerings. In addition, you will get in depth exposure to the sacred text of Ifa (i.e., the Holy Odu), weekly devotional services and practical application of the spiritual principles. The School Orisa Studies is where people go to establish their practice. This track challenges the mind, heart and body to surrender to the wisdom of the soul. It's ideal for those who are ready to apply the teachings immediately. Now that I have introduced you to educational planning as the blueprint for your spiritual journey, you can appreciate what must be done in order for you to fulfill your destiny. Not until these requirements have been met can right action begin.
The explanations and lessons offered in the Orisa Lifestyle Academy provide vital directions for achieving success in problem solving and continuous spiritual renewal. |
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