A Correlation of Ori Symbolisms in Ifa Thought to Human Personality

in Judeo-Christianity*
by
Olumide Okunmakinde
Resident Researcher (Yoruba Philosophy and World Religions)
Institute of Cultural Studies
Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria
e-mail: eniorunmila@yahoo.com
Tel: +234 805 7975472
Abstract
Over the years, as the field of comparative religion expands and questions of potential
relations of ideas in religions and the intended meanings of religious symbolisms in literature and
sculpture arise, it has become essential that answers to those questions be sought by new
innovative analytical devises and methods in philosophical enquiry into the contextual realities of
the Worlds religions. This paper attempts to explore a comparative philosophical essence of the
human person in Ifa and Judeo-Christianity through the authors devised system of analysis called
analytical metaphysics of the history of nature. By this method, a systematic application of
metaphysics in the interpretation of religious abstractions aids the unfolding of a descending order
of meaning in natural phenomena from the metaphysical to the aesthetic, and from the aesthetic to
epistemological and then to the ethics.
By using the Ifa concept of Ori as an analytical base, the empirical reality of speculative
propositions about the nature and essence of man and the origins of human problems in the bible
as traced to Adam and Evewas expressed in the configuration of human psychology with the
aid of practical and complimentary Western and Chinese astrological science. Complementarily,
Leibnizs metaphysical theory of the Monad aided interpretations of the conceptual multiplicity of
potential human personalities. The theory was further used in elucidating the evolutionary culture
of interaction between body and mind as the two principal essences of personality that replicate a
secondary dimension of Ori and Eniyan in Ifa ethics from the viewpoint of Ifa divinatory corpus.
It was found that the Yoruba concept of Ori and Leibnizian monadology are relative to
one another as extensionistic ideas that explain the interaction between tangible and intangible
existences. Also, the analysis of mythological data was interpreted as metaphysical history in
which the metaphorical bent in the Yoruba concept of owe was used to elucidate on the real life
link between myth and reality, metaphysics and ethics, and prospects of human personality. It is
hoped that the paper consolidates the philosophical depths of religions, especially metaphysics,
and the inherent potential of original African ideasthe Yoruba in particular.
* Being a paper for presentation at the 3 rd European Conference on African Studies, University of Leipzig,
Leipzig, Germany.

Introduction
The concept of human personality permeates the scopes of metaphysical and
ethical discourse expressed in literatures encoding the moral convictions and acclaimed
divine revelations as regards the directions of human behavior. These directions often
come in form of religious teachings or deductions from legendary pitfalls or heroics of
mythologies. Over the centuries, religions have been developed and have become strong
factors that determine the course of politics and society. The central doctrine of religions
have been on the idea of a Supreme God and Creation, the relationship between man and
the Supreme Godmans creator, and man with his own kind and the universe.
This extensionistic conception of divinity and humanity presupposes the existence
of motion, action and consequences which are often encoded in the pitfalls or glories of
legendary and mythological personalities in empirical and metaphysical history. These
are also encoded in acclaimed divine revelations, from trances to dreams and
transcendental visions and prognosis. The encodings are expressed in aesthetic modules,
mostly in literature and sculpture as realized in religious history and myths, and all other
world cultural myths and legend. Hence, the interpretations of these expressions require
more than a casual approach as it will be demonstrated in this paper.
The expressions in focus are the mystery-enigmas such as the nature of Adam Eve
and the serpent in the biblical book of Genesis. A quest for the original meaning of the
ideas concerning the truths of human existence is eminent in the pastoral overtures. In

most cases, especially with regard to the metaphysical dimensions of these literatures, the
interpretations are grossly inadequate for both ethical and general intellectual ends.
At this juncture, recourse to philosophy aids the journey into the world of reality
and meaning of religious enigmas. In this philosophical overture, religious information is
analyzed in categoriesaccording to the branches of philosophy, but in a system devised
by the author known as analytical metaphysics of theoretical mysticism. It is a method
that treats metaphysical phenomena as a unity of substances in the universe of relativistic
existence; hence the proclamation of the idea of metaphysical history of nature in
mythology and the idea of Theological relativism.1
The latter idea, of course, is the foundation in the authors system of comparative
evaluations of religious literature and discourse, and also a progressive approach to
gaining a better understanding of the metaphysics of religious discourse. The search for a
right method that could be employed to find a secure foundation for our knowledge of
our real world has been suggested to be the most important aim of philosophy. This led to
Francis Bacons Inductive methods. According to him, 2 man had sought for truth by
various meansthe sciences, reason, philosophical and theological theorizingbut had
failed to see that such attempts were doomed by the very nature of the case unless new
methods could be found for overcoming the innate obstacles that stood in mans way.
These innate obstacles are generally referred to as Bacons idols which, according to him
distort our knowledge of the real nature of things. Bacon metaphorically refers to these
idolsfour of themas the idols of the tribe, the cave, the market place and the theatre.
1

This is my devised theory in the advancement of the philosophy of religion from the perspective of Ifa
cultural interpretation.
2
See Francis Bacon: Novum Organum, ed. By Thomas Fowler, 2nd edition, Oxford,
1889, and The Advancement of Learning, ed. by W.A Wright, Oxford, 1900.

It is not the aim of this paper to discuss Bacons innate obstacles but to
acknowledge the innate obstacles to human understanding of metaphysics in religious
discourse, and attempt propositions that may lead to the better and improved
understanding of metaphysics in religious discourse.

To achieve this, the Yoruba

metaphysical concept of Ori and specific propositions in the Leibnizian Monadic

metaphysics are employed as platforms of analysis. They are begun in relativistic study
from the similitude between the primordial symbol of Ori in Ifa mythology and the
Monad of Leibnizian conception.

What are Ori symbolisms in Ifa?

Generally, Ori is the Yoruba Theory of consciousnesshigh and low. Ori is a word
which means headphysiologically, and consciousness in Ifa metaphysics. In the
material and immaterial relations of body, Ori is treated as a Theory of destiny by the rule
of cause and effect. In this sense, a culture of natural interaction of tangible substances of
the body with the intangible substance known as ori-inu (inner-head or the human mind)
is presumed. As a creationism phenomenon in Ifa mythology, Ori is the foundation or
base of material existence of the earth, including man. As a positional existence on the
divinistic hierarchy, Oris primacy is incontestable, by virtue of its meaning as the
beginning or the first existence. In this regard, amongst the divinities, Ori is Supreme.
Anthropomorphically, it can be said that the Supreme Ori in Universal existence is a
super being called God.

It is in this light, particularly, that Leibnizs idea of the Monad becomes relevant
in both comparative metaphysicsYoruba and Germanand the interpretation of human
personality by the destiny concept of Ayanmo in relation to oriental metaphysics. In
Yoruba metaphysics, Ori, in its highest individualistic meaning, determines Ayanmo.
Assuming the Ori is a Monadic substance, Ayanmo then will be the aggregate of
compounds. The Ayanmo concept in Ifa thought is the theory of immutable naturalness
and the rule of natural selection that treats the ethics of the vibrations of the constituent
fragments of Ayanmo. For example, ones race, color, sex, date of birth, ancestry, etc. As
a sociological phenomenon, the chief ethic of this conception is that the general body of
manmankindis a variation of similar species that are capable of various experiences
and intelligent vibrations.
What is Leibniz idea of the Monad?
An existing substance that is a member of the actual, and thus of the best possible world
Leibniz calls a monad.

It has been asked whether God is a Monad. Amidst the

controversy amongst Leibniz scholars, it has been affirmed that God is a Monad, but a
very special and unique onea supreme and prime Monad.

The validity of this is

most safely limited to the first proposition in Liebniz Monadology (1714). There, he
stated that
The monad of which we shall speak here, is nothing but a simple
substance which enters into compounds; simple, that is to say, without
parts.5
On the relations between Ori and the Monad.
3

Rescher, Nicholas, 1967: The Philosophy of Leibniz, N.J, Prentice-Hall Inc., p. 20

Op cit, p 21
5
Parkinson, G.H.R, 1973: Monadology, in Leibniz: Philosophical Writings, London: J.M Dent and Sons
Ltd., p 179.
4

Symbolistically, Ori and the Monad meet in the idea of the snail shell of Ifa mythology
with which the earth was created. In one of the uncommon versions of Ifa creation myth
in the Ese Odu Ifa Okanran-Ogunda, Ori was the substance with which Orunmilaan
anthropomorphic image of Olodumares wisdomcreated the earth upon the primordial
waters. This particular Ori, stated to be a snail shell, was taken from the seat of
Olodumare and given to Orunmila with authority to create the earth. In the process of
creation, Orunmila dipped his hands into the snail shell and took out measures of earthdust that filled some parts of the waters for solidity. This mythical Snail, referred to as
Ori in the myth, is like the Leibnizian simple substancewithout partswhich enters
into compounds. The Monad!
In the Asuwada creation mythalso from the Ifa worldview in Ese Odu Ifa Osagunda, it is stated that Iri tu wili tu wili la fi da ile aye, la bu da ile. Meaning: Dews
pouring lightly, pouring lightly was used to create the earth world in order that goodness
could come forth into existence at once. From this position it is presumed that the
droppings are particles of earth matter contained in the snail shell, Ori or the monad.
After the snail shell is emptied, it retains itself as an entity or coven image representing
the base of causation of extended particles and matter derived therefrom. Hence, in
relation to Leibnizian Monadic evolution of the simple substance into compounds, the
Ori-snail and Monadic conceptions are profitably viewed as principles of natural
extentionism which forms a basis for a relationship between that which is seen and that
which is notand for the purpose of this paper, body and mind. The particles extending
from the Ori-snail shell are spatial, yet, they are united by a common causal origin and
space, thus grounding presumptions of some sort of relativism.

From the Ifa perspective, this concept of relativism is encoded in the concluding
Ifa positions in the Asuwada verse on creation. It says, bi ori kan ba suwon aa ran igba,
i.e. if one head or consciousness is good, it will affect two hundred others. The spatial
particles extensions, from separation at dispersion and in their movement in different
directions in descent towards the earth presupposes potential unequivalence and diversity
of experience and reactions of matter on the earth planes. What is more, by this Asuwada
principle in Ifa derives ideas on the potentials of conductive effect of consciousness. In
strict reference to man, this is analogical to the reality of cultural diversity of thought and
expressionand forms a part of the defense of my theory of theological relativism, and a
ground for the comparative study of religions and philosophy. Of culture, philosophy and
religious ideas are principal sociological components expressed and assimilated by
language and other art formspaintings and sculptures. All these arise from thought
casual or transcendental.
Every creature featured in Yoruba myths of creation bears deep philosophical
connotationsbeyond the sensationalistic mind arousals of religionthat begin from the
metaphysical meaning descending into the aesthetic and then epistemological through to
ethical meanings and, eventually, to positive or negative social effects. It is in the
sociological phenomenon that human personality becomes a major concern. In this sense,
the Asuwada rule of consciousness conductive effect forms a metaphysical theoretical
base for ethics. Conceptual evolution of ideas from the metaphysical through the
aesthetic and epistemological to the ethical is the theme of metaphysical history of nature
the systematic application of metaphysics, analytically, to the interpretation of natural
phenomena. The evolution begins from the plane of Ori in Yoruba metaphysics and the

Monadic sense in Leibnizian thought. By an inversion of theory, Ori thus represents the
unity of substance as conceived in Leibnizian Monad, while Ayanmo represents the body
of compounds that characterize the simple substance.
The Summary of the Evolution of Ideas of Nature and Human Personality
While Ori as the snail evokes metaphysical ideas and the first stroke of thought
and existence, the ChameleonAlagemo aremo orisa (the prince of divinity) in Yoruba
creation myth is the second stroke that forms the basis of aesthetic and epistemological
intelligence relative to metaphysics in Yoruba thought. Alagemo was the first four legged
creature to experience the earth after is was fully created. Its mission was scientificto
examine the earth creation and create a perfect ground of particular conduction and
aesthetic balance. Aesthetics is one of the oldest subfields of philosophy concerning the
nature of art in its diverse forms and how the arts relate to one another. Alagemo, Aremo
orisa, fi aba ewe we ara. In the forest, Alagemo wraps itself in the color of the leaf.
The Yoruba word for wrap is we. Thus the wrapper is a representation of
particular properties as well as the interpretation of Alagemo as the Ifa legendary symbol
of the mask and aesthetics. In Ifa, all art is owe, symbolic of Alagemos expression of
variations of color experience. Owe is the word used regularly to define proverb. In the
present circumstance, I will use it as Professor and Babalawo Akiwowo once taught me,
that owe ni ohun ti a fiun we ara won, i.e., that which we interpretatively express by
metaphor. In this sense, like the chameleon expresses properties of external objects it
experiences by color, and there is a semblance of expression with experience; the
conception of ideas in the mind from the casual to arcane is expressed in art symbols such

as painting, oral and written Ifa literature, literary imageries and symbolisms, sculpture
and danceall factor and elements of religions.6
In advancing Akiwowos teaching on owe, I have rooted it to Alagemo the
Chameleon in the development of a philosophy of language and meaning from the
symbolisms of Ifa creation myth. Essentially, it serves as a guide to cultural
interpretation. The owe principle of Yoruba thought is the system of interpreting
enigmatic and casual religious information as I shall soon demonstrate. Religions deal
with the fate and destiny of the world known as aye in Yoruba language. In Yoruba
thought, it is said that owe loro aye, kadara eda ko dogba, i.e, our world is expressed
in metaphoric language, and the destiny paths of substances created to dwell therein are
uneven and at variance. It is also a feature of Yoruba thought that owe leshin oro, oro
leshin owe, bi oro ba sonu, owe la fiun wa, i.e.., metaphoric language is the horse or
projectile on which thought expressed as words (oral or written) moves in the world, and
the thoughts expressed as word (oral or written) is the horse on which metaphoric
language derives essence; hence, when man is at a loss regarding the meaning of thoughts
expressed, the meaning is sought out through the use of metaphors in figurative language.
It is at this point that reference shall be made to the potential empirical
foundations of human personality and the ideas of ethics evolving from both metaphysics
and aesthetics. The highest conception of metaphysics is the idea of God, an intangible
substance. Of tangible substances, in Judeo-Christianity, the first harmony of matter was
a completed earth where Adam was a nature king. From the Ifa perspective, the snail
6

See Okunmakinde, Olumide, 2008: Unmasking the Aesthetic and Sociological Relevance of the Ifa
Mythological Concept of Oduduwa, Presented at the Colloquium of the Ife International Festival of the
Arts, Conference Center, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria, April 10, 2008.

shell, herein referred to as Ori, is the physical symbol representing a substance through
which the earth could be better studied, understood, and preserved. Discourse on human
personality is centered around man who has been created in different races and skin color
polarities of light and dark shades generally referred to as black and white.
In Judeo Christian literatureGenesis Genesis 2:7 7man is acclaimed to have
been created from the dust, potential compounds of the substance of the snail shell in Ifa
literature. If man was made of earth dust animistically based in the snail, and his species
exist in polarized colors of light and dark shades, it must be asked: are there variations of
color of snails? The answer to this question is in the affirmative. I am in possession of a
light fleshed with picture attached to this presentation. 8 The issue of racism is a moral
phenomenon and sociological problem arising as a matter of internal conceptions at cross
vibrations with perception of the physical body. It is also a mind-body problem. And it is
a feature of Ifa teachings that Igbin meji kii ba ara won ja, i.e., two snails do not engage
in quarrels. Here is an example of evolutionary reality of metaphysical history of nature
that devolves metaphysical phenomena into the aesthetic, empirical, and ethical
expressions and realities.
This trend is the prevalent feature of Ifa and Judeo-Christian metaphysical
literature or metaliteraturea system realized from my meditations on the idea of sound
and symbols. The basic rule of this concept is that consciousness precedes perception
7

See also the closing statement of the book of Isaiah 51:1.

The origin of the snail is Ife, within the geographical axis of the Obafemi Awolowo University. It will

presuppose a scientific advantage with regard to the study of human physiologyof the light and
dark races. However, since the place known as Ile-Ife was where the humans were first created in
Ifa myth, such scientific advantage may best be taken by a study of light fleshed snails of that
geographical axis.

10

and perception is impossible without consciousness; for every form and symbol is a
representation of perception that includes all scriptural details relating to visions and
prophecies concerning the end of the world .9 I must add that from the Western view of
advanced metaphysics, there are four main bodies of man existing in four worlds of
consciousness which are the physical, astral, mental/intellectual, and spiritual. The
spiritual is the highestthe causative level and it belongs to God. The mental is the
second and it is the domain of the Arch angels. The Astral is the formative levels where
angels are to be found, and the physical plane is where all the inner workings of the upper
three levels manifest to the visibility of man. 10
Going by the explanations given, in the metaphysical history of nature, scriptural
enigmas involving animals, for example, the Snake at the garden of Eden and animals
and numbers in the book of

Revelations are images grounded in the astral and

numerological level of consciousness which are truths of the astral planes strictly
speaking, and metaphors of truths on the physical planes. However, an understanding and
proper usage of these truths will only be possible by the proper application of the mental
intelligence or force. Otherwise, misconstruance of mystical and metaphysical
conceptions in religious discourse will pervade the mandebasing his psychology and
attitude, and creating a personalityIwaof negative mental conduction in the society
going by the Asuwada principle of Ifa metaphysics.

The effect of this negative

conduction will be centered around issues of morality. And this is the essential code of

Okunmakinde, Olumide, 2006: Lysander: A Critical Evaluation of Ifa and Judeo-Christian Religious
Mysteries, Ile-Ife: Obafemi Awolowo University, p 4.
10
Omoleye, Mike, 2000: Esoteric Essays: Search Light On Delicate Spiritual Matters, Ibadan: Omoleye
Publishing Company, p 101.

11

the magnificent Legend of Adam and Eve and the History of Mary-Joseph-Jesus
relations.
In Hebrew biblical history, there was a man named Joseph whose beloved
wife--Mary, a virgin, conceived of a divine child, Jesus. 11 Much of the utility of this
phenomenon has been religious. I am deviating from the religious angle of this family,
and journeying towards its metaphysical and mystical interpretation and utility from
which mankind can directly experience and enjoy the advanced psychological reality of
the story. The same approach is used for the explanation of the human person in the case
of Adam and Eve. Whatever has occurred on earthincluding thoughtis permanent in
the realm of space in time and time in space, and from such experience, through critical
and objective observation, the seeds of such events in time can be discovered and utilized
for the cultivation of a continuing human consciousness in space. As events of the past
are overtaken by the turn of days and ages, it is better for man to view the now-days as
being more important than the past and view the future as being more important and
crucial than the now-days.
The examination of the story of Joseph, Virgin Mary and Jesus shall be from
the Yoruba metaphysical concept of Ori as a determinant of human destiny. I shall deviate
from the regular idea of Ori into the more advanced concept in which Ori is treated nonindividualistically, but universally and collectively. Hence, the plane of examination shall
be Igba ori aye, a term that means the calabash or bowl of the worlds consciousness.
By this rule, Yoruba, Hebrew, Chinese and British wisdom etc, possess universally

11

Mathew 1: 21

12

relevant codes hidden in them which must be tapped and broken into in pursuit of the
improvement of mankind.
In the Ifa theory of consciousness, Iwa (character) is the key to the degeneration and
regeneration of man. In this case, recourse to human psychologyespecially
parapsychological phenomenabecomes a paramount consideration. The metaphysical
study of the Ifa concept of Ori (consciousness) will be examined strictly from its mind
paradigm and the Igba, akoko and asiko eda phenomenon. This is the Ifa natural principle
of time, matter and space in existence of form known as the universe. In this case
analogically speakingthe past, present and future are different periods (igba, akoko and
asiko) and yet, they are united in space and by time that are infinite.
In the examination of a grand and mysterious history such as the Hebrews, the first
prognosis of a possible occurrence is that inasmuch as there is eda, i.e. physical
existence, whatever physical forms that may exist within the ambit of Iwaall inclusive
or universal existenceis bonded and bound to interact. Therefore, the reality of virgin
birth in Hebrew historya pastcan probably manifest itself in another paradigm in the
space of now-days and future-days. Since the story itself is sectional and consciousness is
universal, it becomes absolutely necessary to subject the mysterious history to
metaphysical analysis that breaks all conceptual restrictions. Hence, the astrological and
psychic study of mannumerology inclusiveare other methods to be applied in the
objective examination of the mystery of Joseph, Mary and Jesus.
In the conceptual evolutionary paradigm in space, the mysterious history of the
virgin birth shall be treated as an occurrence capable of evolving into a code of mindset

13

that holds special guides for mankind as a whole on crucial eda (human personalities) in
time (igba) and periods of time (akoko). Going by the above statement, I shall state here
that the story of Joseph-Mary-Jesus holds a lesson of the harmony of the body, mind and
intelligence. Joseph is the body. Mary is the mind and Jesus is the well cultivated instinct
and agency of pure knowledge and intelligence. Marys virginity in the scripture is
generally believed to be physically sexual, but in hidden evolutionary ideal it is not. From
the metaliterary point of view, sexual imageries are viewed as codes that represent the
relationship between mind and body, and the impression of knowledge upon the human
consciousness, etc.
Knowledge or information can be likened to the seeds planted in the ground after the
breaking of the earth with a farm tool. The seeds are expected to germinate, with
potentials to spread like a forest by the natural power of productivity. Hence, sexual
imageries depict the symbolic nature-base of the reality of mental and intellectual
cultivation, and I shall examine Marys virginity from a different paradigm of
psychological reality. Marys virginity, as a psychological phenomenon, exists as a zodiac
code. This is suggested by the three wise men that understood the sign of the stars and
were from the East, thus connoting their oriental descent. 12 Thus, there is a lead to the
relevance and significance of oriental metaphysicsChinese astrology especiallyin
unraveling an extremely crucial mystery of human consciousness.
Marys virginity, in evolutionary terms, symbolizes the Virgo. This is the only
Zodiac sign represented by a female.13 It further symbolizes the female virgin, like Mary.
12

Mathew 2:1-2. The three wise men who traced Bethlehem by astrological guidance to visit Jesus are said
to have been magi of Zoroastrianism. Visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Occult
13
The sign is from Western astrology. Visit http://www.elore.com/Astrology/Study/virgo.htm

14

The sign occupies the sixth house of the Zodiac, and this, I believe, is the natural
configuration that makes the materialization of Jesus spirit and consciousness highly
possible because in Jewish mysticism, 14 figure 6 relates to the Sefira called Tifaret which
relates to the concept of the divine child, God made man, and Mediating Intelligence.
Naturally, Virgo is one of the most compassionate Zodiac signs and is very easily
inhabited by goodwill. Actively, the word inhabit connotes the entrance. In the
development of a sexual imagery, it evolves into impregnation, and such pregnancy is
termed conception.
This explains why Mary, of the Virgo-Zodiac sign and order, was easily inhabited
by the Holy Spirit, which originally means Pure Intelligence in relation to figure 9 in
Jewish mystical thought. Also, it is why the conception of Jesus is termed The
Immaculate Conception; for the word immaculate is a synonym for pure. The sixth
beatitude says: blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. 15 Going by the Ifa
concept of Ayanmo and the Ayanmo rule of natural selection, it becomes clear that the
Virgo is the divine choice and channel of passage of regenerative and redemptive thought
and perception, which Jesus partially symbolizes in this case, to the world or mankind.
The finding here is that the heroine in the story is Marya mystical symbol of the mind
of a Virgo man called Joseph.

14

Jewish mysticism is based on the KabbalaTHE WISDOM OF ISRAEL. Useful information on this
system can be obtained on the internet through search engines.
15
Mathew 5:8. The use of the word see in the verse relates to sensibility, sensation, or inner perception of
an essence.

15

It has been earlier stated that inasmuch as there is eda, i.e. physical existence in Iwa,16
whatever exists within the ambit of Iwa is bonded and bound to interact. By viewing the
interaction from the space of mind, it can be affirmed that the Mary-Joseph-Jesus
harmony is an evolutionary consolidation of the foundational mythic presentation of
Adam, Eve, and the Serpent. What is more, Adam, Eve and the serpent symbolize the
harmony of body, mind and intelligence. Adam is the body, Eve is the mind. The Serpent
is the agency of impure knowledge and intelligence, 17 and the uncultivated active human
instinct which the mind, personified in Eve, could not control. Consequently, the body,
personified in Adam, surrendered will to the vibrations of the lower-self in consciousness
within the cosmic mind and lost his glory estate in nature.
The proposition of the mythic scenario of Adam and Eve as a consciousness
phenomenon is strongly backed by recourse to oriental astrology and metaphysics.
Oriental astrology in relation to Hebrew mythology reveals a key player in the good and
evil evolution of human consciousness. This is the snake astral personality.18 In Chinese
astrology there are five astral snake personalities. They are Earth Snake, Water Snake,
Wood Snake, Metal Snake and Fire Snake. In the Bible, serpentine characters
synonymous with the snake in Chinese astrology are: the snake in the Garden of Eden in
Genesis 3:1 that symbolizes the Wood and/or Earth Snakes. However, it is vital to note
that the snake of the Garden of Eden is more likely to be the Wood snake, and less likely
16

The Yoruba concept of Iwa is dual in nature. The primary concept of Iwa is that of existence and the
secondary concept is that of vibration of material consciousness which relates to the character of all
material substances.
17

Impure intelligence stands against Pure Intelligence. Pure Intelligence, in relation to Yesodthe ninth
Sefira on the Tree of Lifemeans the Holy Spirit. Impure Intelligence would naturally be a manifestation
of the character called Evil Spirit.
18
Snake year people are naturally endowed with tremendous innate wisdom and a deep philosophical
understanding. Visit http://www.metaphysicalzone.com/china/snake4.html

16

to be the Earth Snake, because fruits are found more on trees than on the ground, and the
former must have come into contact with it during its natural vocational and recreational
act of tree climbing.
Other Snakes are: Leviathan, the sea serpent in Psalm 104, 25-26 and Isaiah 27:1 that
symbolizes the Chinese Water Snake; the Arrow Snake19 in Isaiah 34:15 that symbolizes
both Chinese Wood and Metal Snakes (due to the fact that arrows are made either of
wood or metal, or a combination of both); and the fiery serpents in the book of Numbers
21:4-6 which the Lord sent to bite the people of Israel when they spoke against Him. The
term fiery relates to fire, and the psychological variant of this is the very highly
temperamental snake. Inasmuch as majority of snake bites take place on the ground of
the earth, I shall assume the birth of a thought-possibility of the snake being tagged the
Earth Snake that draws up energy from the fire element which it naturally experiences,
firstly through the vibrations of the sun, and secondly in the volcanic spirit.20
And lastly, the Serpent in the book of Numbers 21: 8-9, 21 the brazen or fiery serpent,
is portrayed as a redeeming agent in ethical opposition to the snake in the Garden of
Eden. In this case, both serpents symbolize a paradigmatic shift in human consciousness
of good and evil. What is more, they both represent potentials to gain and lose balance;
for to the attainment of balance is what is known as good, and the loss of balance is what
is known as evil. From the ethical perspective, the snake which appears in the Garden of
19

The New King James Version; Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashvile/Atlanta/ London/ Vancouver
Observing natural phenomena, the volcanic explosion brings forth the dreadful gliding movement of hot
substance on the ground.
20

21

The verse reads: then the Lord said to Moses, Make a fiery serpent , and set it on a pole; and it shall
be that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live. So Moses made a bronze serpent, and put it
on a pole; and so it was, if a serpent had bitten anyone, when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived.

17

Eden is a degenerative agent while the other raised by Moses is a regenerative agent. In
relating this idea to the physical world, the astral snake personality which may cause a
negative or degenerative evolution of human consciousness is the astral specie of snake
in the Garden of Eden, and that which may cause a positive and regenerative evolution of
human consciousness is the astral specie of snake which healed the Israelites that were
bitten by snakes.
In respect of the above explanation, the important message and lesson for man, from
an expanded interpretation and utility of history, is that people born in the year of snake
are naturally positioned to affect humanity positively or negatively. Hence, the Fire,
Wood and Earth snakes are three astral personalities that are very crucial eda in Iwa
(existence). Other crucial lessons are as follows: considering the fact that Adam is male
and Eve is female, the warning deduced from this fact, in relation to the astrological
phenomena, is that male elders and leaders in the world must be extremely cautious when
taking suggestions or entertaining propositions from their wives and mistresses who are
Wood Snakes, for the Evean influence may lead to their husbands downfallas in the
case of Adam, and a degeneration of their Empires.
Political historians may examine the crisis all over the world over a hundred years or
more to find out the roles of the political leaders wives in the development of social and
economic crisis.22 In history, leaders might have plunged their nations into wars and
economic repression as a result of the bad influences of their wives or mistresses. Further
lessons hold that inasmuch as the mythic presentation of Adam, Eve and the Serpent is a
code of the trinity of manbody, mind and intellect, humankind is forewarned about the
22

It is important for researchers also to consider the use of Chinese astrology in gaining deeper insight into
the biblical episodes involving Horses and Dragons.

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massive potential danger associated with the unchecked influence of ideological leaders
who are Wood Snakes, especially those born into a Birth/life-path vibrations of numbers
8 and 9.23
In the Ifa worldview, the ultimate human personality is also divinistic, and known as
Eniyan, i.e. Eni-ti Olodumare yan lati ko ire wa ile aye, those whom Olodumare (the
Yoruba Almighty God figure) have chosen to bring goodness into the worlddivine
messengers of good fortune. This concept is enshrined in the Ese odu Ifa Irosu wori. It is
upon the conceptual position of the Odu that Ifa ethical humanism is based. Partly, the
ese Odu-Ifa reads:
Ka fi inu didun se e. Eni ma lo ko ma lo, eni ma dehin , ko ma dehin, dandan,
ENIYAN ni a yan lati ko ire wa si ile aye...Ohun ti yoo gbe ile aye de ipo rere ti
Olodumare yan fun araaye ni Ogbon ti o po to eyi ti a le fi se akoso aye; irubo,
iwa, iferan oore sise fun gbogbo eniyan, ni pataki julo, awon ti n se alaini ati
awon ti on fe iranlowo lodoo wa; itara fun, ati sisa ipa lati fi kun ire ti o wa ni
aye lai je ki ire eyikeyi ti a ti ni lo...awon ti Olodumare yan lati ko ire wa si ode
aye ni a n pe ni ENIYAN .

Let us do things with joy. Those who want to go let them go. Those who want to
stay, let them stay. Surely or by predestination in creation, the human beings
have been chosen to bring good into the worldThe things needed to bring

23

Most of the information from pages 8 to 10 are excerpts from Chapter 4 my book, Lysander: A Critical
Evaluation of Ifa and Judeo-Christian Religious Mysteries. Pp 35-41. The chapter has since been revised
to include the analytical basis of the positions and to unharm the historical validity of the Hebrew history of
Jesus.

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about good condition in the world are: wisdom, that is fully adequate to govern
the world; sacrifice, good character, the love of doing good for all people,
especially those who are in need and those who seek assistance from us; the
eagerness and struggle to increase good in the world and not let any good
attained be lost. In Olodumares Heaven, those chosen to bring good (ire) into
the world are called human beings or the chosen ones (Eni-yan).24
Conclusion
This work has basically been based on the idea of philosophical anthropology, 25 with
consideration of the body and mind as the two principal essences of personality that
replicates a secondary dimension of Ori and Eniyan in Ifa ethics. In comparative
philosophical parlance with regards to Lebnizian Theology, assuming Ori is the Monad,
then Eniyan (man) is the compound substance. In the Leibnizian monadological concept
of compounds, the transformations from the Monadic unity are akin to the elements of
Ayanmo extensions of Ori. In this caseon the inverse, a man could be the Monad, and
all elements of Ayanmo may represent compounds. In this case, the astrological and
numerological diversity of para-psychological constructs of Eda create a potential ground
for multiplicity of personalities of which it is believed that all astrologically significant
personae in the bible and other religious literature are pointers to the best or worst options
of leadership in the socio-political landscape. The Asuwada rule of conduction connotes
that the condition of socio-political leadership will inevitably affect the general society.
This is consistent with the spirit of the themes of the metaphysical or mystical accounts
of the Judeo-Christian scriptureespecially the legend of Adam and Eve.
24
25

Karenga, Maulana, 1999: Odu-Ifa: The Ethical Teachings, California, University of Sankore Press
This is concerned with questions about the essence of man.

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The Ayanmo rule of natural selection with regard to the day of birth secures
explanation for the evolutionary or incarnatory potential of the Christ personality in Igba,
akoko and asiko eda.

The numerical factor in the concept of destiny exposes the

possibility of a constant repetition of occurrences of the past ages in present and future
ages. It is believed that Jesus lived for 33+ years. This is a master number vibration 33. 26
It is the number 33 represents healing, the master teacher and total self sacrifice as
exemplified in the personality of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the most crucial and extremely
uncommon configuration. The principal lesson of this calculations is that inasmuch as a
crucial numerical aspect relating to life in the history of Jesus is 33, by the owe principle
of analogical manifestation of divinity, it may be the case that a recurrence or rebirth of
the personality of Jesus shall be possible through the consciousness of men born into the
Birth/life-path vibration of master number 33.
The principal mystic guidance provided by this exposition is that mankind should
prepare for great births of Christ-bearersin all continents of the worldon November
11, 2009. This is a day configured into a triple fragmented master number 33. The
number of the month of November is 11, and 2+0+0+9=11. 11+11+11=33. These children
are vessels of intelligence that will not let the new world be ruined. They are messianic.
From the Odu-Ifa spiritual perspective, Odu Irete presides over the month of February,
2009, that will usher in the physical conceptions of these wonderful children. Those
conceived in the month of February shall possess great constructive radical intelligence.
Odu Ose presides over the month of March, 2009. Imale Osun, as the goddess of

26

http://www.decoz.com/Masternumbers.htm

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knowledge and sweetness, draws all powers of intelligence from Imale-Ifa into the spirits
of the children that will be conceived in March.
By means of critical or philosophical analysis of Yoruba concepts and culture, with
a recognition of the fact that the bedrock of Yoruba philosophy lies in the teachings of
Orunmila(the ancient sage)27 embodied in the Odu-Ifa literary corpus, Ifa philosophy has
become an exemplary figure in the diversity of world religious philosophies. It is hereby
suggested that it be given a platform of existence in the interactive space of established
and reputable philosophical traditions of Europe and Asia.

27

In ancient Yoruba history, the person named Orunmila was born at Oke-Igeti in Ile-Ife. He migrated to
Benin and eventually settled in Ado, a town in modern day Ekiti State. This is why it is said that Ado ni ile
Ifa. The name Ifa is often used interchangeably with Orunmila in divination verses. As a person in history,
the name Orunmila was ascribed to the great sage, mystic, philosopher, prophet, linguist, poet, folk artiste,
researcher and teacher called Ifa in order to depict a physical incarnation of Olodumares wisdom that
Orunmila stands for in mythology.

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