Ifa is a divination method that uses a body of texts and formulae derived from mathematical calculations and is prevalent among Yoruba communities, as well as African diaspora communities in the Americas and the Caribbean.
Traditionally, Ifa is the term used to refer to the Yoruba god Ofa, who is revered as a source of knowledge and intellect by the Yoruba people. Ifa is practiced across the American continent, West Africa, and the Canary Islands, and plays a major role in the traditions of Santeria, Candomblé, Palo, Umbanda, Vodou as well as in some African religions.
The complex religious system is important to note that this form of divination, unlike other forms which use spirit mediumship in the region, does not require a person to possess oracular powers but rather relies on a system of signs, interpreted by a diviner, known as an Ifa priest or babalawo, which means literally "the priest's father".
It is crucial for important decisions to be made using the Ifa divination system whenever an individual or collective decision needs to be made. In Ifa divination, a priest is required to chant the ese, which is considered the most important part of the divination.
Yoruba history, language, belief system, cosmological outlook, and contemporary social issues are reflected in the ese. There is a tradition of passing on the knowledge of Ifa within the Yoruba community and among priests.
There are around 800 ese per Ifa literary corpus (or odu), divided into 256 parts called odu and ese, which numbers are unknown because they increase constantly (there are around 256 odus per ese). It is estimated that there are 256 odu, each with their own specific signature, which is based on an elaborate divination chain and palm nuts, which are used by Babalawo to derive the signature.
It is well-known that traditional beliefs and practices suffered discrimination owing to colonial rule and religious pressure. In many cases, Ifa priests, who are mostly from older age groups, have only modest means of maintaining the tradition, transmitting their complex knowledge, and training future practitioners.
As a result, young people and the Yoruba people are becoming increasingly aware of the risks associated with practicing and consulting Ifa divination, which goes hand-in-hand with the growing intolerance towards traditional divination practices in general.