An ongoing journal which will be edited, revised and augmented over time: Here's my truth: A lot of abuse has

been perpetrated against believers in TYR (Traditional Yoruba Religion) by fakes, frauds and bullies. These fakes, frauds and bullies might b e your god-parents, your brethren and sisters in your Ile, shop-owners of botani cas and other spiritual supply stores, , 'readers, ' and self-styled 'seers.' Th is seems to be especially true of, but not limited to, some persons in Regla da Ocha (Santeria), Lucumi and even in Spiritual Baptism, though all TYR religions, including indigenous traditional Ifa, are subject. I recently heard someone say that people who do not have problems with their godparents are a MINORITY. This is a shame., This is criminal. I am a follower of the indigenous TYR, Ifa. Even in Ifa, ethical problems are an issue. Wherever there is money to be made, and, by all accounts, there is plent y of money to be made in Yoruba-derived religions, there will be frauds. That being accepted, here's my truth: Don't tell yourself that people in Ifa are saints because of the emphasis put on ethics. Stop dreaming. There are crooks everywhere. Ifa is not and should never be about control by others, mind-games, manipulation , usury, extortion, or other forms of bullying,(including assault!) robbery and deceit. If you are being bullied, manipulated, robbed, or being told to do thing s that are far out of your ethical comfort zone; if you question what you are to ld, because it *feels* wrong, or you feel you are being used, you probably are v alidated in having your concerns. You have the right to question. You have the right to have your concerns about e thics and morals answered by ethical and moral people performing rites of divina tion. Never believe stuff that feels 'made up' - it probably is. Go sit with a t rusted diviner. Ask people you trust for direction as to who to see. The tiniest inkling of doubt should be enough to hold you back from exposing yourself. Ask only those in whom you have no doubts. Don't believe those whom you do not trust . They probably don't have your interests at heart. Make your mindset one of obs ervation and inquiry. Know your traditions. Good priests don't always wear tradi tional clothes or identifying beads. Bad priests don't always look like the snak es they are. Some un-ordained folks are excellent diviners, so don't rush in wit h quick judgements. But, if someone openly identifies themselves as an ordained priest of Ifa, does not wear ide ifa, does not use a spiritual name and more imp ortantly does not respond appropriately when formally greeted, move on; I have. Your heart knows who the snakes are. You don't need divination for that. Make your mindset one of observation and inquiry. Know your traditions. Good pri ests don't always wear traditional clothes or identifying beads. Bad priests don 't always look like the snakes they are. Some un-ordained folks are excellent di viners, so don't rush in with quick judgements. But, if someone openly identifie s themselves as an ordained priest of Ifa, does not wear ide ifa, does not use a spiritual name and more importantly does not respond appropriately when formall y greeted, move on; I have. Here's my truth: Ifa should set your spirit free, not bind it up. If you are fee ling enslaved, something is wrong. If you feel hate, judgement, and especially f ear, something is wrong. Ifa/Orisa should give you wings, not be a burden. If yo u are burdened, ask yourself, "why?" If it is about not doing what you are told by Ifa, do what you are told. If it is about getting contradictory messages, or

messages designed to make you feel fear, from people around you, change the peop le around you. :-) Don't listen to sh*t out of the mouths of men. Listen to Ifa. While Spirit possession is possible through Orisa, folks that claim to get mess ages from the spirit world are most likely fakers or crazies - and you will know for sure if they use this novel approach to lean on you for money 'to protect y ou.'. What they do is not Ifa. Ifa is the word of the Creator given to all Human ity, and it is told through the Oracle of Ifa divination, period. Here's my truth: There is no evil so great that it cannot be overcome through si ncere faith. Your good is bigger than anyone's bad: you just need to BELIEVE tha t and remember it when you are up against the bad, REALLY remember it. :-) Remem ber this in relation to all of the above! Some Oyingbo (white people) like me have special challenges, walking this road. Some people think animal sacrifice is a violation of their ethics. One can actu ally negotiate with Ifa over things like this, but in the end it's something you will have to accept happens, even if you negotiate your way out of participatin g, yourself in your private ebo. My truth? I think that so long as one eats and shares of what one sacrifices, I'm okay with it. I think if we as Westerners ha d a more intimate relationship with the meat we eat we would value it more and e at it less.