Ìwòrì Mèjí
Ojú and Ire meet at Èsù
Ìwòrì wò gborogodo Awo Ojú, Dáfún Ojú lojo tóo nwa Ire, Ìwòrì wò gborogodo Awo Ire Dáfún Ire lojo tóo nwa Ojú, Awon mejeeji rebo, Ojú ri Ire, Ire no síi ri Ojú, won baa ara wọn pade lodo Èsù.
Think and look deeply inside oneself to bring out our desires, These were the diviners who cast Ifá for Ojú (the eyes) when looking for Ire (blessings and fortunes) but Ire was also looking for the Ojú. They both did the prescribed measures (Ẹbọ) and adhered strictly to the advice of the Diviners. They met each other at Èṣù’s place of abode.
In this Odù Ifá speaks of a Diviner named Ìwòrì wò gborogodo; let us see Ìwòrì can be understood as
as an energy or as a person who is watching who is looking, who is researching, and who is meditating. The manner in which you look is what gborogodo means. When you think about it something deeply and intently, when you research, when you consult, when you “google” - whatever you consult be it human beings, divine intelligence, books or encyclopedias - you are still engaging in the act of gborogodo. You can also say gborogodo is to think deeply twice by examining the information before and decision and conclusion is made definitively. Wò is to look at, but it’s not just looking; it is thinking about it, examining it and looking at in detail. Weighing both sides, pros and cons. When you say, “I heard you, let me think about it.” You are going to “wò gborogodo”. It is the act of researching, looking into, networking, problem solving to find a means to resolve a situation or make a conclusion.
Many Ẹsẹ Ifá are very deep in the analysis of existence; Ire is there all the time, we just have to find it. We have to entrain ourselves in how to pull it out from the Universe and into our experience of reality. The key to understanding the depth of Ẹsẹ Ifá and being an effective practitioner or priest is to have a deep understanding of the meaning of the Diviners name - it is very important and a Key piece of advice and information.
Àṣẹfá
What is Ifá speaking to and pointing to in this Ẹsẹ Ifá. Let’s break this down. What is Ojú? Ojú is our eyes and our sight, our eyes are part of our sensory experience; they are one the means we use to experience physical reality. It is said that our two eyes look, but our third-eye sees. When we engage our inner sight we are able to see and sense beyond the physical and into the realms of spirit. In the context of the narrative Ojú was looking for Ire and Ire was searching for Ojú. So, in this way, if we see Ojú as being an aspect of our sensory perception and Ire as being a personification of all that is good, well and abundant in the Universe. Ifá is saying that Ire and Ojú desire each other. There is an intrinsic desire of all human beings existing in a benevolent Universe to experience all the goodness that it has to offer. Ojú wants to experience Ire and Ire being an intrinsic part of the Universe finds expression in seeking and finding Ojú. The fact that both adhered to the advice of the Awo means at a deeper level that this seeking out and finding of Ojú and Ire is a Universal Law.
The place of their meeting is also very deep and important. The abode of Èṣù is in the Heart of our Consciousness. Èṣù is our consciousness. As an primordial spiritual energy and force it governs our free-will and ability to make decisions. Èṣù is that aspect of Olódùmarè that resides deep within us stirring us to make decisions that our in our highest interest, even those that are seemingly contrary to our perception of Highest Good are made to bring us back into a deeper state of alignment and harmony with the Universe. Èṣù, residing in the depth of our being is the place where our sensory perceptions and inner sight converge with all blessings and fortunes to bring them into manifestation. It is these convergence of forces, Ojú and Iré at the spot of Èṣù that bring to light an into our reality the felt and lived experiences we desire.
When an Awo is finished preforming Ẹbọ, it will always go to an abode of Èṣù, because it is Èṣù that is capable of delivering their prayers and bringing about the convergence of the right universal forces to bring into existence the Ire Ifá has foreseen.
The advice for this person that receives Ìwòrì Méjì is that they may be looking for their blessings, and that their blessings are simultaneously looking for them. It is this act of deep self reflection and self discrimination that will hasten the manifestation of their desires. They must look and begin to meditate deeply on what they want and how they can achieve it. They are advised to honour the outer Èṣù through Dáfá and Ẹbọ and their inner Èṣù by mediating and cultivating a deeper relationship to their Divine Consciousness.