Eniyan: Ifa Origin Stories of Human Beings with Baba Fasegun and Iya Fayomi

Eniyan: Ifa Origin Stories of Human Beings with Baba Fasegun and Iya Fayomi

In Isese/Ifa—the Indigenous spiritual tradition of the Yoruba people of what we now call Nigeria—Human Beings are called Eniyan, "the specially selected ones" to bring good things from "heaven" to Earth. In the tradition of Isese/Ifa, there is no moral conflict with how Human Beings arrived on Earth. In many religions or faiths, Human Beings are perceived as "sinful," as "fallen," or as otherwise removed from God, goodness and the natural order of things.

Join Baba Fasegun and Iya Fayomi of Isese/Ifa Ile ("spiritual house") Orunmila Afedefeyo and moderator Sanyu Estelle for a canonical talk about the nature and purpose of Human Beings according to an African spirituality that is not of Abrahamic lineage.

Listen to initiated and practiced spiritual teachers of the Yoruba tradition in Nigeria talk about our place in the Universe and our purpose on Earth according to one of the longest unbroken African cosmologies.

Awo Falokun Fasegun Spiritual Biography

Awo Falokun Fasegun has dedicated more than thirty years to exploring the rich heritage of ancient sacred spiritual traditions of Ifa. His journey commenced with a decade of study, leading to his initiation into Ifa in 1999 in the sacred village of Ode Remo, Nigeria, where he also initiated into the priesthood of the Orisa’s Ogun and Osun. A respected member of the ancestor warrior society of Jagun, Baba Fasegun is recognized as a revered scholar and practitioner. His insights have been featured in a variety of academic journals, radio broadcasts, television shows, and university panels, where he sheds light on the sacred traditions of Ifa, the reverence of Orisa, and the honoring of ancestors, as celebrated in Yorubaland and throughout the African Diaspora. Presently, Awo Fasegun serves as the Head Priest in Los Angeles at Ile Orunmila Afedefeyo, where he provides divine guidance to its dedicated members. Baba Fasegun is committed to fostering inclusive spiritual environments and combating misconceptions about traditional African religions.

Iya Fayomi Biography

Trifari Williams, known as Iya Fayomi Osundoyin Egbeyemi, has been a lifelong practitioner of African Traditional Religion (ATR). Raised by a Chicana mother and an African American father, she was nurtured in a rich tapestry of cultural and ancestral traditions. From a young age, Trifari was mentored by Iya Luisa Teish as one of her many teachers which laid the foundation for her spiritual journey.

In the spring of 2007, Trifari was initiated into the mysteries of Ifa by Oba Awo Bolu Fatunmise. A year later, she became a Priestess of Osun in Ile Ife, Nigeria, the epicenter of the Ifa tradition. Her dedication to spiritual growth continued with her recent initiations into Egbe and Kori in Ode Remo, where she focuses on the healing of women and fertility.

Currently, Iya Fayomi serves as the Head Priestess at Ile Orunmila Afedefeyo in Los Angeles, CA, where she provides spiritual counsel to the Ifa community. Her personal background as an African-Mexican woman gives her a unique perspective on the Black and Brown experience in the United States. Through her work, she aims to bring authenticity, representation, and healing to every project she undertakes, blending her passion for spiritual healing with her commitment to cultural integrity. Iya Fayomi is most proud of her 3 young daughters who she is passing the ancient knowledge of her priesthood to.

Ticket price: $15 - $30 (sliding scale)

In person event only

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Host or Publisher The Philosophical Research Society