What People Get WRONG About Ifá | Hand of Ifá, Orishas, Ebó & More

There is a lot of information about Ifá and Orisha tradition online, but how much of it is actually true?

In this episode of Our Roots, Joseph Baba Ifa takes on some of the biggest misconceptions surrounding Ifá, the Hand of Ifá, Orishas, divination, ebó, initiation and African Traditional Religion as a whole.

Does receiving your Hand of Ifá make you a Babalawo? Can you choose your Orisha? Is Ifá witchcraft? Does every ebó involve animal sacrifice? Is your Odu basically a prediction of your future? Are Eshu and Elegua the devil? And if two Babalawos practice differently, does that mean one of them is wrong?

We also get into something that doesn't get talked about enough: **misinformation inside the religion itself.** Social media has made Ifá more visible than ever, but it has also created a world where patakíes, rituals, "signs," Orisha information and spiritual advice can be shared without context, lineage or proper understanding.

Joseph breaks down what the Hand of Ifá actually means, the importance of Ori and good character, the role of ebó, the difference between guidance and fortune-telling, and why receiving ceremonies doesn't automatically make someone more knowledgeable or spiritually powerful.

Whether you're brand new to Ifá, recently received your Hand of Ifá, have practiced for years, or you're simply curious about African spirituality, this conversation may challenge some of what you've heard.