Ifa, diloggun & named casting systems.
Distinct named divinatory traditions whose signs, texts, materials and practitioners belong to particular communities.
Names in context.
- Ifá
- Ifá
A Yoruba divinatory tradition using signs and an extensive odù literary corpus interpreted by trained practitioners.
- Diloggún
- Diloggún
A cowrie-shell oracle in Lucumí orisha traditions, with its own protocols and interpretation.
- Odù
- Odù
Named signs or divisions of the Ifá corpus; related terminology occurs in distinct traditions with its own context.
A practice,
a setting.
Yoruba Ifá uses a corpus of odù and specialist interpretation. Lucumí diloggún uses cowrie-shell oracles in an Afro-Cuban religious context. Their related histories do not make their procedures or authority interchangeable.
Keep a record.
- Identify the named tradition, source and who is presenting the record.
- Preserve the sign and its explanatory context as the practitioner chooses to share it.
- Keep public educational material distinct from lineage-specific or restricted instruction.
What to include.
- Send only personally shareable images with the full arrangement and its orientation visible.
- Include the practitioner’s explanation or source with permission, and avoid private ritual or participant details.
Share a photograph or a record.
A photograph, drawing or dated record can be sent privately for a personal reading. Include the procedure and the question.