Complimentary Issue

V O I C E S O F I . F. A .
The Monthly Newsletter of the Indigenous
Faith of Africa & the Institute for Yorb
Diaspora Studies, Inc.

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Volume II, No. 1

April 2000
$5.00 tax-deductible contribution

Beginning Your Journey In IF

Ask

Chief Addoja E. lko

Editor-In-Chief

n If, the Ods of If

are experiences in life.
For those who have
received one Hand of
If, it means that you
have been given a
charge and a destiny.
Now you know who
you are, although you
may not know what you
are. When you know
who you are, it is a step
onto an enlightened
path. It is the first step
on
the
journey,
because now you know
who you are. You say:
"These are my characteristics, now I have to
discover how to apply
who I am to what I want
to be and what I want
to become."
Some of our Ods
give us broad range.
We can be anything,
from a farmer to a mer-

chant to a trader and

still have success: if we
do our sacrifices and
follow If. Some of us
have narrow paths: If
says you can't go to the
farm; If says you can't
be a trader; If says
you have to be an If
Priest and you can do
nothing else but If.
Some of us have narrow paths. But that is
If.
We believe in the religion of If; If is run by
the Ods; divination is
our right to the future,
past and present.
That's how we know,
through divination. Each
Od is tailored to the
individual.
Individually we come
from Heaven to Earth.
We don't come from
Heaven to Earth as a
group; we don't come

from Heaven to Earth

as a pair; we don't
come from Heaven to
Earth as twins -- each
twin
comes
from
Heaven to Earth individually, even though
they may be carried at
the same time.
Sometimes you have
two people with the
same Od, but they
are different. One may
be Sango and one may
be un. And they
operate
differently;
there are similarities,
but they are different
because we each
come from Heaven to
the Earth, as our own
selves. And when we
go back to Heaven, we
have to go back as our
own selves, no one
else.
See Journey, Page 4

C h i e f l ko
Q: Baba, what does If
say about homosexuality?

A: You must remember

that traditionally there
were no homosexuals in
Africa.
Relationships,
marriages were not based
on physicality or sex.
Instead they were based on
the best interest of the community, the mutual consent
of ones lineage, the perpetuation of the lineage,
children. Everyone recognizes that homosexual relations produce no offspring. And for the Yorb,
off-spring was the whole
point of marriage, whether
the marriage was for spiritual or political purposes.
Homosexuality
cannot
exist in such a culture,
where love is not an emotion or where sex or feelings is not the main motive
for a relationship.

Voices Of I.F.A.

Vol. II, No. 1 April 2000

Best Wishes to Chief Adyla

his edition of the newsletter is dedicated to Chief

Adyla S. Albury. As you
begin a new spiritual journey,
the members of the Indigenous
Faith of Africa would like to
wish you a prosperous journey. Your endless efforts and
dedication to the organization
shall not be forgotten. Your
absence will be felt. Your
presence will be missed.
You were a true leader to
this organization. You spearheaded the first Obtl festival and coordinated a spec-

tacular un Festival and

Chieftaincy celebration. Your
commitment to life and the
r is exemplary.
You have truly been a
trendsetter in the organization. You created Voices of
I.F.A. and served as its editor.
You have single-handedly
garnered numerous accolades for the organization.
Your vast spiritual knowledge
and consistent pursuit for
higher enlightment is commendable. You have been a
teacher, leader, mother,
friend, companion and men-

tor.
We would like to take this
opportunity to congratulate
you on your fourth Obtl
Birthday in February. May
you find peace, happiness
and good character. We love
you and will truly miss you.

Mojuba! Adupe!
Members of
Indigenous Faith of Africa

FROM ONE CHIEF TO ANOTHER

d like to take this opportunity to offer congratulations to

Chief Adyla S. Albury, the
Iylj of the Obtl Temple
of Ife and for becoming the
first woman in Miami to be initiated into If as an If
priest. I am regretful her Od
in If prohibits her from continuing with the Indigenous
Faith of Africa. But I would
like to take this time to
acknowledge her contributions to If and Indigenous
Faith of Africa. Her many

accomplishments will be hard

to match by anyone and on
behalf of the organization she
will be truly missed.
We all must strive to learn
the lessons of If. We must
strive to remember that the
exactness of If is unparalleled. We must remember
that Ifs 360 degrees of
knowledge is unparalleled.
We must remember that If
offers solutions to all our
problems. We must remember that we should follow If
in learning how to go through

the maze of life, and If will

take us to our destination. On
behalf of the members of
I.F.A., I would like to wish you
a very positive journey in If.
Again, we thank you for services rendered and a job well
done.
You have to remember, in
If, you have a lot of firsts.
Most of all, the festivals you
started, which we will try to
continue in the spirit in which
you originated them.

Chief Addoja lko

Voices Of I.F.A.

Vol. II, No. 1 April 2000

un honors and blesses you for all the good
that you have done
un honors you for those times that you
stayed awake
To organize and write for the Indigenous Faith
of Africa's sake
un massages you in honey and blesses
you with money
Those times you worked inside although the
day was sunny
un say: do not question these words
For she can see and yes she has heard
Of your good works and your good standing
And she gives you respect that you have
been commanding
un honors and blesses you for all the good
that you have done
e, e, e

To Chief Adyla,
A person who has been a friend, mentor, mother and a
leader. As you journey into another spiritual realm, you will
be truly missed. I have learned a lot. I have gained a lot and
experienced much more through your tutelage. I wish you
much success in your spiritual, personal and business
endeavors. I am eternally grateful to the r for allowing
me to be graced by your presence. I love you and I will miss
you.
Forever yours, Iflola

ODUNDE CHIEF ADYLA

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, OBTL CHIEF ADYLA
Thank you for all the valuable information regarding the
r system. Thank you for the If calendar! Your insight
into the Ile-Ife/North America connections has catapulted
this house into appreciation for the r chants and daily
celebratory events.
Peace and Love,

From

Agba Kofe Moor

Iyawo unyem Collins

To

ILE UN at SAVANNAH, GEORGIA

Chief Adyla Albury

If Saves

Happy Obtl Birthday, Chief Adyla

Mojuba to the e of Obtl!

Thank you a million times for the tremendous amount of

hief (Babalwo) Addoja E. lko, assisted

by his first If god-child, Babalwo Ifyemi
Batiste, officiated at the Atefa initiation of Iya
(Olun) unkoya Abegunde of Winston Salem,
North Carolina; Claudette Mayimuna S. Brown
(omo Yemoja), Eric A. Mason (omo Obtl), and
Monica N. Barber (omo un), of New Orleans,
Louisiana during the weekend of February 25.
During the grueling three-day rite, Chief
lko made certain that every sacrifice was
done properly, that every head was cleansed
and every prayer was said.
On the third day (ita) of the ceremony,
divination was performed for each new initiate,

information that you have taken the time to compile and

share with me. I am always spiritually connected to you. I
loved you yesterday. I love you today and I shall love you
tomorrow because you are a part of me.
Aptb Oddare Nubia Love

Happy Obtl Birthday!

Thank you for believing in me. Mojuba to the e of Obtl!
Omo Boysie Thomas
Wishing You The Best on Your Obtl Birthday
May endeavors be blessed by If
The future is yours
Babalwo Ifyemi Batiste

See Atefa Page 6

Voices Of I.F.A.

Vol. II, No. 1 April 2000

Money Travels With Good Character

Journey
from Page 1

No one else can go back to

Heaven for you, but you. No
one else can die for you, but
you. That is If.
In the tradition of If, it
teaches us that we have to
give reverence to our Hand of
If, our Ikin. It's not something we put on the shelf and
go to once a month; we might
have to go there twice a
month: every seventeen days
minimum. Some times we go
every four days. And we put
them in our hands and we just
talk to If. But, we make mistakes; we go there and we
ask for: oh, I need a new car;
oh, I need a new house; oh, I
need money; oh, I need this.
But, Ornml teaches us in
gnd Mj, that money
came to Earth for us to utilize.
Ornml made the correct

sacrifices, so he can receive

money when he needs
money. He didn't say he
could get the whole money
tree and get it all, because
that is greed.
What Ornml teaches,
however, is that when you go
to If, you ask for good character. If is about good character, Iw Pele; that is the
sum total of what you ask for.
Because, when you develop
good character all things
come to you. All things love
good character: money, ile
(house), everything, car; all of
them stay with good character. When you have bad character, you see the money
leave, house leave, car leave;
you loose everything.
So when we have good
character, everything lives

with good character. The

Earth loves people who have
good character. Oldmar
loves people who have good
character. Good character is
what we seek. That is the traditional way of looking at this
religion.

Please submit all articles,

editorials and questions to
the following addresses:
6858 Seagull Ln., Apt I
New Orleans, LA. 70126
or
Osunyemaya@aol.com

Sacrifice to un
Iya unKoya Abegunde
Contributing Writer

nstead of throwing obstacles in the path of other

women, I challenge all powerful women to walk the path of
un and make a difference
in our communities.

I challenge you to focus on

inspiring at least one young
adult to prevent the destruction of yet another life. We
must commit to being role
models, where the aura
around us will be like a mag-

net to attract and encourage

our youth to expand their
mentality, to live beyond the
limits and boundaries our former slave masters set for us
See Sacrifice Page 5

Voices Of I.F.A.

Vol. II, No. 1 April 2000

A Joy Is Born

Sacrifice
from Page 4

Aptb Monica Mason

Managing Editor

centuries ago. Our ancestors have already

paid those debts for us.
I challenge all females to use the powerful
energy we were all born with in a constructive
manner.
We have wars that we must win!
Is there a Yorb Scholarship Fund for our
youth who want to succeed and excel beyond
what is expected of them? It is time for a
Yorb day care center and family entertainment center where our youth can be housed
in safe environments.
I challenge you.
Meet me halfway.
We must flow like our rivers until we reach
all of our goals. We must, we shall and we
will make a difference in our communities.
I challenge you to make a sacrifice in honor
of un to re-establish our communities for
orderly human habitation.
My mentor and Oluwo, Chief Addoja Alko
said to me, The good you do will come back
to you. Well stated: well taken. I realize how
important it is to live this life and share this
life every day to benefit someone other than
myself, and to remain committed until the day
that I become an ancestor.

n May 6, 1999 a daughter was born to

Eric A. Mason and Monica N. Barber. Chief
Addoja E. lko blessed her on September
11, 1999 during her Esentaye (naming ceremony).
Her grandparents, parents, and other family and friends were instructed on rearing her
and directing her life to maximize her ability
to spiritually elevate during this lifes journey.
They were also told that she must be raised
in a very spiritual environment, based in the
Yorb tradition. Those present, representing the childs village/community, promised to
keep the childs best interest in mind and
assist with her rearing.
The name, revealed to her family through
If, reflects her essence and the spiritual
nature of the life she must lead. Her first
name is Adjok, she is the crown we all
treasure, reminding her to rely on
Oldmar (God) for all things. Her middle
name, Yeyetunde means the mother
returns. This name was selected because
divination revealed that she is the reincarnate
of her matrilineal great-grandmother, Naomi
Ruth Celestine.
The ceremony included a spiritual bath,
given to Adjok by her grandmothers, the
divining of her guiding Od, the giving of the
tastes of life sugarcane, guinea pepper,
salt, efun, honey, and bitter kola which was
given to all to eat, Adjoks introduction to
the earth and sun, and drumming by

Protect you family and friends from

pests with
Chief Alukos mosquito-repellant
inscents
And Party All Summer Long
305.751.5244

See Esentaye Page 8

Voices Of I.F.A.

Vol. II, No. 1 April 2000

Blissful Union
Aptb Monica Mason
Managing Editor

n March 4, 2000 Chief (Babalwo)

Addoja E. lko presided over the ceremony
uniting AwoFaka Eric A. Mason and Aptb
Monica N. Barber in marriage.
The wedding celebration began with the
procession of elders, Chief lko and
Babalwo Ifyemi Batiste who were then
seated in their respective places of honor.
The father of the iyawo (bride), Baba Alton
Barber, Sr. accepted the dowry presented by
Yeye Myrtle Y. Dorsey, the mother of the oko
(groom).

AwoFaka Eric & Aptb Monica on their wedding day

Aptb Monica entered veiled, shaded by

an umbrella and surrounded by a procession
of beautiful women family and friends
singing and dancing about her to the drums
played by AwoFaka Kushi, AwoFaka
Adeod, and Baba Dayshu. They escorted
her to the front of the room where a bowl of
water and ewe (herbs) awaited the okos
niece, Terese Anderson, and cousins, Tanisha
and Danielle Lewis to perform the traditional
foot-washing, welcoming her into the okos
family.

Atefa
from Page 3

revealing their destiny in If and instructing them

individually on what each requires for developing
w-pele, good character.
After receiving their Od, coupled with an
extensive, detailed interpretation by Chief Aluko,
the initiates enjoyed a meal with Chief Aluko and
Babalwo Ifyemi prepared by Aptb unyem and Aptb Oyadummidum.
After the celebratory meal, Chief lko
presented them with their Ajere If, their Ikin If
and their Ebora (warriors), which had painstakingly been crafted by AwoFaka Kushi and
AwoFaka Adod.
Upon receipt of their implements, each
initiate accepted Chief lko as his/her Oluwo
(spiritual teacher), and committed themselves to
developing w-pele and studying If.

The iyawo was then seated in front of Chief

lko. As she patiently waited, fanning herself, the oko entered accompanied by his
male friends.
Once in the presence of the elders, the
See Wedding Page 7

Voices Of I.F.A.

Vol. II, No. 1 April 2000

A Yorb Wedding in New Orleans

Wedding
from Page 6

the feast prepared by Creme de la Creme

catering and danced to the music of the
Edward Wills Band.

family of the iyawo was allowed to ask the oko

questions to determine his ability to maintain
the iyawos happiness. The oko sucessfully
answered the questions and the iyawos
elders gave their blessing for the wedding to
proceed.

Everyone in attendance reported that the

wedding was beautiful in every aspect: the
decorations by Iyawo unyem Collins and
Clarence and Deborah Johnson were superb;
the music was evocative and infectious; the
clothes were elegant and graceful.

AwoFaka Eric was seated and Chief lko

gave counsel to the couple and all those in
attendance from wr-rosn, their marriage
Od, on how to create a long and happy marriage. Further, Chief lko announced that
the couple had completed their offerings and
sacrifices to the r, the ancestors, and the
Earth, and that the energies had given their
blessings for the couple to proceed with marriage.

If had come to New Orleans.

Peace and blessings my spirit sends to you
Moving in a magical paradise
That is so sweet and is so nice
Monica and Eric
You know what you must do
Oldmar and the r are watching you
The world must come to know and the world must
come to see
The great, magnificence of a sweet love enchanted
In the essence of Black Beauty
Together moving in time fulfilling your destiny
Moving as one heartbeat in this lifetime
A sweet black love that is divine
If has laid the foundation
wr-rosn is now in the manifestation
Of the word of Oldmar
Modupe for sharing a blessd ceremony
Awofaka Eric A. Mason
Aptb Monica N. Barber
Two beautiful spirits moving as one
With precious Adjok life has just begun
So spread your wings and fly
Like two beautiful black butterflies
e, e, e

Chief lko gave the couple the tastes of

life to remind them of all that life brings. Chief
lko spiritually cleaned them with two white
pigeons, which were taken outside and
released into the air to ensure that the oko
and his iyawo were embarking on their new
life together in purity. They kissed and sealed
their promise to each other and Oldmar.
Once man and wife, Aptb Monica
danced for her new husband using movements taught to her by Iya unKoya
Abegunde, demonstrating her fertility and willingness to continue their family line. As she
danced, family and friends showered her with
money.

A poem to Eric and Monica

After the iyawos dance eveyone enjoyed

by Iyawo unyem Collins

Voices Of I.F.A.

Vol. II, No. 1 April 2000

Esentaye

INDIGENOUS FAITH OF
AFRICA, INC.

from Page 5

Babalwo Ifyemi and Greg Smith. A feast of

West African cuisine prepared by Claudette
S. (Mayimuna) Brown was served for refreshment.
The Esentaye was followed by a ceremony for un. un was given an offering of
honey, cake, mangoes, strawberries, cinnamon, yellow roses, and more, bedecking a
table covered in beautiful green and yellow
fabrics overlayed in yellow lace. Chief lko
led prayers to un asking for her blessings
and requesting that she receive the offerings.
After the participants drummed and sang,
un accepted the offering. A blessing was
given to all there as they were given a taste
of un s honey.

RELIGIOUS CREED
Oldmar is God
Ornml is His Prophet
If is His Scripture
If says:
Perform truthfulness, perform righteousness
Perform kindness, avoid wickedness
Perform the truth, perform righteousness
Is the one that Imale supports
Who is Imale
Except Oldmar (God)?
In Eji-Ogb, If says:
I behave as My God creates me
I do good always
I am honest too
I do no evil
Neither do I harbor evil thoughts
Lest I die wretched
This is because whatever we initiate in our
youth will persist til old age
These are the declarations of the oracle for
Ornml and the 401 Irnmol.

Voices of I.F.A. is published monthly by the Institute for

Yorb Diaspora Studies, Inc., the cultural educational
arm of the Indigenous Faith of Africa, Inc., a 501(c)3 taxexempt religious organization.
All articles must be submitted no later than the 5th of the
month for the subsequent publication.
Subscriptions: $20 annually; $5 per issue
Call for advertising rates

When coming from heaven to the world

Oldmar instructed them
To do good always
Only Ornml applied honesty of thought
To overturn all evil machinations.

Editor-In-Chief: Chief Addoja E. lko

Executive Editor: Awofaka Eric A. Mason
Managing Editor: Aptb Monica B. Mason
166 N.W. 48th Street; Miami, FL 33127

Ase ~ Ase ~ Ase

Phone: 305.756.8187; Fax: 305.756.9910

Copyright (c) Institute for Yorb Diaspora Studies, Inc.

April 2000
Indigenous Faith of Africa
nuS

noM

euT

deW

uhT

irF

2 Atefa Ceremony
Obatala/Oya

3
Ifa/Osun

4
Sango Day

5
Ogun Day

6
Obatala/Oya

7
Ifa/Osun

9
Ogun Day

10
Obatala/Oya

11
Ifa/Osun

12
Sango Day

13
Ogun Day

14 Obatala/Oya 15 Ifa/Osun
Itadogun
Itadogun

16
Sango Day

17
Ogun Day

18
Obatala/Oya

19
Ifa/Osun

20
Sango Day

21
Ogun Day

22
Obatala/Oya

23
Ifa/Osun

24
Sango Day

25
Ogun Day

26
Obatala/Oya

27
Ifa/Osun

28
Sango Day

29
Ogun Day

stnevE fo eludehcS

Every Wednesday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 11 a.m. Ifa Philosophy class is held.
March 31-April 2-An Atefa Ceremony will be taking place at the I.F.A. Temple.
April 8-Baba Adeodu Raymond will be celebrating his birthday.

.efi l ruoy ot ni afI teL

Indigenous Faith of Africa

166 N.W. 48th Street
Miami, Fl 33127

Phone: 305-751-5244
Fax: 305-756-8187
Email: chiefaluko@aol.com

taS

30 Obatala/
Oya Itadogun

1 Atefa Ceremony
Ogun Day
8 Adeodu B-day
Sango Day