5 Pillars of Orisa Lifestyle

Òrìsà Lifestyle seeks to rescue for the contemporary man and woman the virtues of village culture. At its best, òrìsà lifestyle will help you to think, behave and experience life in a way that is congruent with the organizing principles of collective greatness. The Òrìsà Lifestyle Academy is dedicated to helping devotees properly manage their experience by outlining proper learning and development strategies. In this regard, I have worked to systematically introduce devotees to Yorùbá indigenous knowledge systems and to help them to grasp the essential aspects of the practice.  To that end, I have identified five pillars of spiritual learning and development:

1. LAND: In the Yorùbá tradition, worshipers demonstrate our love for the Creator by caring for Creation. For us, nature is sacred. Furthermore, Creation is made sacred by the òrìsà, who are the indwelling spirits of nature. We come to better understand the òrìsà and our relationship to them as we learn to perceive the subtleties of the natural world.
2. FAMILY: The family represents one’s divine inheritance. Here, the significance of parent-child ties cannot be over-stated. The Holy Odù Ifá called OgundaOwonrin tells us “One’s mother is one’s progenitor. One’s father is one’s progenitor…” That is, our parents are our immediate, heavenly source, our guardian angels, our personal gods. Parenting is among the most powerful òrìsà services we can perform.
3. LABOR: In the beginning, Orúnmìlà revealed to each family a special talent, called òwò. Òwò denotes traditional crafts, trades or cottage industries. Each of the òwò disciplines is associated with a particular agbolé, or family compound. Within each agbolé, fathers and mothers practice gender specific versions of their trade, and pass on “trade secrets” to their sons and daughters, respectively. In addition, each of the deities is associated with a traditional craft and line of work. 

• COMMERCE: Yorùbá kingdoms are definitively urban, surrounded by fields for farming. The centralization of wealth within Yorùbá cities has allowed for the development of a complex market economy, which encourages extensive patronage of the arts. The Oja Oba (king’s market) is a defining characteristic of all Yorùbá kingdoms, fromBahiaBrazil toIbadan,Nigeria.

• COMMUNITY: In the pre-colonial era, the members of each agbolé belonged to an egbé, or parakoyi, (trade guild). The egbé was responsible for controlling production, distribution and marketing throughout Yorùbáland. Today, the “Mama Benzi” (female tycoons) have established a business community that extends from Nigeria to Ghana and beyond.

Taken in this context, we immediately have a filtration system for defining iwa rere – good character. In other words, what is good for the land, family, labor, community and commerce is bound to be universally good for all. Òrìsà Lifestyle Academy (OLA16) is a movement that creates opportunities for you to live the medicine by choosing small actions that have big impacts on you, your wallet and your local environment. Whereas the religion represents the vision of Yorùbá spirituality, OLA16 is Yorùbá spirituality in ACTION. Knowledge is potential. Action is power! Live the medicine! OLA16 is all about helping conscientiousness devotees achieve their goals through living the medicine, not just in the shrine, but in the super market, at work and in the community.  This is in keeping with the teachings of Ifá, which tell us that “…we, as human beings, we are Olódùmarè’s elect, designed to renew the world. We are ènìyàn – the chosen ones” (Ajanaku 1970). Call 510.485.2336 for details on how you can live the medicine.