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Philip Ryan Deal is a clinically certified aromatherapist, herbalist, and Yoga instructor living in Western Massachusetts. He is the creator of Lazy Monkey Yoga and has written books on Puerto Rican Vodou, the Palo tradition, medicinal and magical herbalism, and the IFA Orisha divination systems. He was fully initiated into IFA and crowned an Oshun priest in Osogbo, Nigeria by the Iyadudu Temple and Compound. He was scratched in Palo Mayombe by Tata Peter Lugo of Miami, Florida. His Manbo in Haitian Vodou is Lalune Bwiye Bon Manbo and is a member of her order Lod Mayifado Sakre. He offers spiritual services to the diaspora offering divination and birth chart interpretation. He is the co-founder of the Progressive Charismatic Spiritualist Church of All Saints in Christ.
Check Out My New Book, Ori Guide Me!
The Odu Ifa is a collection of 256 sacred verses of wisdom and prophecy from the Yoruba religion, which are used as a tool for divination. Each of the verses, or Odu, is filled with mystical and ethical teachings and serves as a foundation for understanding the universe. Performing an Odu Ifa divination is a complex process that requires a trained priest, known as a Babalawo for men or an Iyanifa for women. The process typically involves the priest invoking the spirit of Orunmila, the Orisha of wisdom and divination, using sacred palm nuts or a divination chain, called an Opele. The priest uses these tools to generate one of the 256 Odu, or combinations of sacred markings, and then interprets its associated verse and the wisdom, advice, or prophecies it contains. This information is then used to guide the person seeking the divination in making decisions or understanding their life's path. This book is a reflection on the key principles of each Odu and a philosophical approach to its application.
Videos from My Initiation in Africa!