Marca Module — Divination Systems
Sacred signs, reading records, and verse corpora
Domain module. Vocabulary for documenting divination systems, sacred signs, reading records, and verse corpora across Afro-Atlantic traditions. Covers Ifá (256 odù), Dilogún, Fá, Obi, Chamalongo, and analogous systems. Sign names and system typologies are public; verse texts, reading details, and prescribed works are restricted at the property level. Use with iroko-authority to document who may perform or transmit readings; iroko-narrative for verse corpus transmission chains and patakí variant relationships.
The complete body of verses, prescriptions, proverbs, and interpretive commentary associated with a divination system as transmitted through a specific lineage. Distinct from the system itself (which is the abstract framework) and from individual verses (which are its units). A corpus is lineage-specific: Ifá lineages in Havana may hold different verse inventories than those in Lagos or Trinidad, each representing a distinct corpus.
A specific divination event performed for a recipient by an authorized diviner. Records the sign(s) that appeared, the outcome polarity (iré/osogbo), prescribed works, and the entities indicated. Reading records are among the most sensitive data in the framework: recipient identity is no-access; the date and officiant are community-restricted; the prescribed work and entity are initiated-only.
A discrete sign, figure, or configuration within a divination system. In Ifá: one of 256 odù (each identified by primary + secondary throw). In Dilogún: one of 16 principal signs (odù Dilogún, omieros, and their paths). In Fá: du figures. In Chamalongo: one of 5 configurations. Each sign has an associated corpus of verses, prescriptions, and spirit-entity relationships. The sign's name and number are public; verses and prescribed works are restricted.
A tradition-specific divination system consisting of a defined corpus of signs, casting methods, and interpretive frameworks. Examples: Ifá (256 odù, palm nut or chain casting), Dilogún (16 principal signs, cowrie casting), Fá (Fon parallel to Ifá), Obi (4-part binary coconut or kola reading), Chamalongo (Palo Kongo coconut/bone divination). A DivinationSystem belongs to one or more traditions and may have regional variants.
A single verse, story, or pataki within a sign's corpus. In Ifá: an ese Ifá. In Dilogún: a rezo or pataki. In Fá: a hwenoho. Verses carry narrative, ethical, prescriptive, and esoteric content. They are the primary means by which divination knowledge is transmitted and applied. Verse text is initiated-elder access; the existence of a verse corpus for a sign is public.
| Property | Type | Domain → Range | Access | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| authorizedPractitioner authorized practitioner type |
Object | Divination System → Concept | Public | The authority title required to cast this system. In Ifá: Babalawo. In Dilogún: Olorisha with dilogún authorization. In Fá: Bokonon. Range: iroko:AuthorityTitleScheme. |
| castingMedium casting medium |
Object | Divination System → Concept | Public | The physical medium used to cast or generate the sign in this system. Examples: ikin (palm nuts), okuele/ekuele (divining chain), owó dilogún (cowries), obi (coconut), obi kola (kola nut), chamalongo (coconut shells or bones). Range: iroko:CastingMediumScheme. |
| genderRestriction gender restriction |
Datatype | Divination System → langString | Community Only | Documents tradition-specific restrictions on who may cast this system, expressed as a free-text note. For Ifá in the Lucumí tradition: historically restricted to initiated men (Babalawos); contested in some lineages and diaspora communities. This property records the documented practice of the lineage being described, not a normative judgment. |
| governingEntity governing entity |
Object | Divination Sign → SpiritualEntity | Community Only | The spirit or deity principally associated with this sign across the tradition. In Ifá: Ogbe Meji is governed by Obatala; Oshé Meji by Oshun. This is a tradition-level association, not reading-specific. Range: iroko:SpiritualEntity. |
| prescribedEntity prescribed entity |
Object | Divination Reading → SpiritualEntity | Initiated Only | The spiritual entity indicated by the reading as requiring propitiation, attention, or ceremony. Range: iroko:SpiritualEntity. |
| prescribedWork prescribed work |
Object | Divination Reading → Concept | Initiated Only | The ebó, rogation, ceremony, or spiritual work prescribed as a result of this reading. Range: iroko:EboTypeScheme. Among the most sensitive data: links divination outcome to specific prescribed action. |
| primarySign primary sign |
Object | Divination Sign → Divination Sign | Public | In composite systems (Ifá), the sign generated by the first cast. The primary odù of a compound figure. |
| readingDate reading date |
Datatype | Divination Reading → date | Community Only | readingDate |
| readingNotes reading notes |
Datatype | Divination Reading → langString | Initiated Elder | Free-text notes from the diviner. Elder-only: may contain specific operational detail. |
| readingOfficiant reading officiant |
Object | Divination Reading → Person | Community Only | The diviner who performed the reading. Range: foaf:Person. Community-restricted to protect practitioner privacy unless the officiant has consented to public attribution. |
| readingOutcome reading outcome |
Object | Divination Reading → Concept | Initiated Only | Whether the sign came iré (positive polarity) or osogbo (negative polarity) in this reading. Range: iroko:OutcomeTypeScheme. |
| readingRecipient reading recipient |
Object | Divination Reading → Person | No Access | The person for whom the reading was performed. No-access: reading recipients have a reasonable expectation of confidentiality. Stored internally for provenance tracking only. |
| secondarySign secondary sign |
Object | Divination Sign → Divination Sign | Public | In composite systems (Ifá), the sign generated by the second cast. Together with primarySign, identifies the full odù compound. |
| signNumber sign number |
Datatype | Divination Sign → string | Public | The numeric identifier for this sign within its system. For Dilogún: 1–16. For Ifá: the composite index of primary (1–16) and secondary (1–16) throw. |
| signProverb sign proverb |
Datatype | Divination Sign → langString | Community Only | The principal proverb (owe) associated with this sign. Proverbs are often publicly known and shared in scholarly literature. Language-tagged. |
| signReceived sign received |
Object | Divination Reading → Divination Sign | Initiated Only | The divination sign(s) that appeared in this reading. |
| signTaboo sign taboo |
Datatype | Divination Sign → langString | Initiated Only | A prohibition (eewo) traditionally associated with this sign. Taboos relate to foods, behaviors, materials, or associations that persons born under this sign or receiving this sign in reading should avoid. |
| signVerseCorpus verse corpus |
Object | Divination Sign → Divination Corpus | Initiated Elder | The set of DivinationVerse instances in a specific lineage's corpus for this sign. The existence of a corpus is public; the verse content is initiated-elder only. |
| verseLineage verse lineage |
Object | Divination Verse → House | Community Only | The ile or lineage corpus from which this verse version derives. Different lineages may hold different versions of verses for the same sign. |
| verseSign verse sign |
Object | Divination Verse → Divination Sign | Public | The divination sign to which this verse belongs. |
| verseSource verse source |
Object | Divination Verse → DocumentaryEvidence | Community Only | Provenance of this verse record: oral transmission, field recording, published collection. Range: iroko:DocumentaryEvidence. |
| verseText verse text |
Datatype | Divination Verse → langString | Initiated Elder | The full text of the verse. Elder-only: ese Ifá and analogous verses are among the most sacred and operationally powerful materials in the tradition. Their disclosure outside authorized transmission is a serious breach. |
| verseTheme verse theme |
Datatype | Divination Verse → langString | Initiated Only | Thematic summary of the verse's principal narrative or prescription, without reproducing the text. Initiated-only. |
| verseTitle verse title |
Datatype | Divination Verse → langString | Community Only | The title or opening line of the verse as used within the lineage. Community-restricted: verse titles alone can partially disclose operational content. |
CastingMediumScheme
Four coconut shell halves prepared and consecrated for Chamalongo divination in Palo traditions.
Prepared bones or discs used as an alternative casting medium for Chamalongo. The specific preparation is lineage-specific and restricted.
Sacred palm nuts (ikin Ifá, obi Ifá) used by Babalawos for Ifá divination. Considered the highest-authority casting medium in Lucumí/Yorùbá tradition.
Coconut divided into four pieces for Obi divination.
Kola nut divided into lobes for Obi divination. More traditional form in continental Yorùbá practice.
Eight-piece divining chain of alternating concave and convex seed halves used by Babalawos as a faster alternative to palm nut casting in Ifá.
Sixteen cowrie shells used in Dilogún divination by authorized Olorisha.
OutcomeTypeScheme
A sign comes with positive polarity. The indicated blessings are accessible. Prescribed works (ebó) confirm and open the path.
Iré of long life. The sign comes with the blessing of longevity.
Iré of victory or achievement. The sign comes with the blessing of success in endeavor.
Iré of children or generativity. The sign comes with the blessing of progeny or creative fruitfulness.
Iré of prosperity. The sign comes with the blessing of material abundance.
A sign comes with negative polarity. The indicated difficulties or blockages are present. Prescribed works (ebó) are required to avert or mitigate.
Osogbo of illness or physical affliction.
Osogbo of death or severe loss. The most serious category; requires immediate and specific ebó.
Osogbo of enemies or opposition. The negative force indicated involves interpersonal conflict or hostility.
DivinationSystemScheme
Kongo-derived divination using four coconut shell halves or prepared bones/discs. Generates 5 configurations. Used in Palo Monte and related Bantu-Atlantic traditions. Practiced by authorized Paleros (Tatas and Yayas).
Card-based or object-based divination associated with Espiritismo and Haitian Vodou mesa blanca practice. Distinct from African-derived binary casting systems.
Cowrie shell divination using 16 shells (owó dilogún) to generate 16 principal signs. Practiced by authorized Olorisha. Used in Lucumí/Ocha, Candomblé, and related traditions. Shares sign names with Ifá odù but distinct system, corpus, and authority structure.
Lineage-specific variations exist in casting protocol, sign count, and authority requirements.
The Fon and Ewe divination system cognate to Ifá, using palm nuts or a divining chain to generate du figures. Practiced by Bokonon (male diviners). The du corpus is distinct from but related to Yorùbá odù. Primary in Benin, Togo, and Haitian Vodou communities with Rada/Fon lineages.
The Yorùbá-derived divination system using ikin (palm nuts) or okuele (divining chain) to generate 256 binary odù configurations. Practiced by authorized Babalawos. Versions found in Lucumí (Cuba), Candomblé de Ifá (Brazil), Trinidadian Orisha, and continental Yorùbá communities.
The extended Ifá reading performed for an individual at initiation (kariosha, itá de kariosha) or as a life-path consultation. Typically multi-sign, conducted by a Babalawo, and interpreted by Olorisha elders. The itá record is among the most sensitive personal documents in the tradition.
Four-piece binary divination using coconut (obi abata) or kola nut (obi kola). Generates 5 configurations from the binary state of four pieces. Used across Lucumí, Candomblé, and Yorùbá traditions for confirmation and yes/no queries. Less elaborate than Ifá or Dilogún but widely practiced.
Mirror or reflective-surface divination used in Palo Monte for spiritual vision and consultation. Complementary to but distinct from Chamalongo; requires specific nganga authorization.
EboTypeScheme
A behavioral abstention or avoidance prescribed by the reading: specific foods, colors, locations, or activities to avoid for a defined period.
A food or vegetable offering (without blood) to an Orisha. Accessible outside of full ebó; considered the first step in propitiation.
Ritual sacrifice of an animal specified by the reading. Species, preparation, and allocation are operational details held at initiated-only access.
A prescribed offering to the Orisha or Ifá indicated by the reading. Includes specific materials, animals, foods, or objects. Operational details are initiated-only.
A prescribed ceremony (initiation, reception of Orisha, specific feast) indicated by the reading as necessary.
A cleansing and feeding of the head (ori/eleda) using specific cool and white materials. One of the most commonly prescribed works across Lucumí and related traditions.
A cooling or pacifying ceremony, often performed after death, severe osogbo, or to address Egun. Requires specific authority and materials.
A full-body or environmental cleansing (despojo, limpieza) using herbs, waters, or other materials prescribed by the reading.