Orun/Heaven
*Olorun: The source of all things, the alpha and the omega, that which
created itself, the all encompassing it, the creator. (Title name for God)
*Ela: Witness to creation, represents Olorun's creativity, knowledge, understanding,
and wisdom (Ela and Orunmila are one in the same)
*Irunmole: The primordial spirits/Leiutenants of God. These Irunmole consist
of four hundred which live permanently in Orun with God. They never leave Orun.
Iwonron/Abode of Spirit
*Eledaa: all spirit/energy unconditioned by matter. (Title name for God)
*Ori: Ones' main support in order to achieve ones' destiny/one's main
guardian in life. Ori is also not an Irunmole or Orisa, it is it's own entity and is the extension of God within all living
things.
Note: Although I have placed Ori here (In Iwonron) remember Ori is our
connection to God itself and exists at all levels.
*Irunmole: The primoridial spirits/Leiutenants of God. These Irunmole
consist of 401 that constantly move from Orun to Iwonron and to Ile Aye.
Note: There are 801 Irunmole total with 400 permanently in Orun and 401 constantly
moving from Orun to Iwonron to Ile Aye.
*Orisa: the crowned heads/human beings who achieved greet things while
here in Ile Aye, were elevated by their community, assist us in completing our destinies, and have left of legacy
for others to follow. Deified Ancestors.
*Egun: spirits who have not yet completed their destinies and eventually
reincarnate back into Ile Aye.
Ile Aye/Home of Aye or the World
*Olodumare: the phsyical aspect of the creator/all energy/spirit manifested
into matter. (Title name for God)
*Okunrin: hard metal/masculinity
*Obinrin: soft metal/femininity
*Omo: children
*Oro: the indwelling spirit of Olorun within all things
*All the creations in existence from plants, animals, insects, the stars, the
moon, the planets, etc...
Note: The cosmology listed above is far from complete but provides a
basic understanding of the hierarchy of things in existence.
It is also important to note that our tradition is not polytheistic. It's monotheistic!
It's always important to keep in mind that although things may appear seperate, everything that exists is part of the whole
and is considered one (Olorun/Eledaa/Olodumare/God). When we break things down, we're just focusing on different manifestations
of the Supreme Being in order to help us better understand our surroundings, ourselves, our purpose in life, and our
Creator.
God is the source(Olorun), God is all spirit/energy unconditioned by matter(Eledaa),
and God is all spirit/energy conditioned into matter(Olodumare). The Irunmole and the Orisa are the leiutenants/servants of
God and were assigned the task of acting as intermediaries to assist us in completing our destinies. To better explain the
relationship between God (Olodumare), the Irunmole and Orisa, and ourselves I will give the following examples.
Pretend you are attending school at your local university and are having some
difficulties with the program you are in. As a student you know that any problems you may be having will
be dealt with by the Department Head of your program and that it would be rediculous for you to take up your problems
with the Dean of the University. The Department Head is the one responsible for assisting you and making sure that
you are completing the required tasks to graduate from your program. The same goes when working with completing ones' destinty.
One does not go directly to Olodumare to solve ones' issues. The Irunmole and Orisa are the Department Heads and
are in charge of the issues dealing with us here in the world. Olodumare oversees and is in charge of directing all his leiutenants
to make sure they assist us just as the Dean of a University oversees matters pertaining to the people working under
him. And imagine this, ones' Ori is what assists one in knowing who, what, when, where, and how to get the help one
needs to better ones' condition or maintain a certain condition in life.
Here is another example. Imagine the human body. Now Imagine Olodumare as being
the head/mind of the human body, the Irunmole and Orisha as being the heart, lungs, arms, legs, hands, eyes, veins,
arteries, etc... and ourselves (Humans) as well as everything else in existence as being the cells that
make up of those parts. Everything in the body depends on the other to continue to function properly and there
is constant communication happening from one section of the body to the other and the communcation passes through many
parts of the body before finally reaching the head/mind. This is how communcation occurs with Olodumare. It must pass
through the Irunmole and/or Orisa before reaching the creator.
