Ifá Divination Tools: Opón, Ekuele, Ikines and the Babalawo's Tools

When a Babalawo sits down to consult Ifá, everything in front of him has a name and a purpose. There is the round wooden tray dusted with yellow powder, the chain of eight half-shells, the palm nuts kept in Orula's vessel, the tapper that calls Orula to attention and the horsetail whisk that marks his authority. To an outsider they can look like simple objects. In Cuban Ifá, they are the instruments through which Orula speaks. This guide explains the main tools of Ifá divination: what each one is, how it is used, which ones are for daily consultation and which ones for great ceremonies, and what anyone buying them should know.

Ifá and the Babalawo

Ifá is the divination system of Orula (Orúnmila), the orisha who witnessed creation and knows each person's destiny. Its wisdom is organized in odu (signs): 16 principal signs, the Mejis, which combine to form 256. Each odu carries stories, proverbs, prohibitions and remedies. UNESCO recognizes the Ifá divination system as part of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

The priest of Ifá is the Babalawo. In Cuban Lucumí tradition, only a Babalawo uses the tools of Ifá to divine. Santeros and santeras read the diloggún (the cowrie shells), and a woman consecrated to Orula, the Apetebí, assists the Babalawo but does not cast his oracle. Knowing this helps you understand why these tools are treated with so much respect.

The Opón Ifá: The Divination Tray

The opón Ifá, called tablero de Orula or tablero de Ifá in Cuba, is a flat wooden tray, usually round, with a raised rim that is often carved. At the top of the rim is the face of Eshu, the messenger, who watches over the reading. Elders explain that the rim is divided into sections that face the cardinal points and the spaces between them, with the center as the place where the odu appears.

Before the reading, the Babalawo spreads the sacred powder over the tray and marks in it the signs that come out, as single or double lines. Trays come in different sizes and woods, from a practical medium opón Ifá to a carved cedar tray of 16 inches. Many Babalawos prefer cedar, a wood with deep meaning in Cuban religion.

Iyefá: The Sacred Powder

The yellowish powder spread on the tray is iyerosun, made from wood worn down by termites. Once it has been consecrated and used by the Babalawo, it is called iyefá in Cuba. The odu are drawn in it, and it is also used in many Ifá ceremonies and preparations, where it carries the ashé of the sign that came out. Babalawos buy iyerosun by the pound because it is used constantly.

The Ekuele: The Chain of Daily Consultation

The ekuele (also written okuele, opele or epuele) is the tool a Babalawo uses most. It is a chain with eight pieces, four on each side, traditionally made from halves of seeds or shells and today often from coconut shell, metal or other materials. The Babalawo holds it in the middle and lets it fall; each piece lands face up or face down, and the combination gives an odu in a single throw.

Because it is fast, the ekuele is used for daily consultations, for registros (readings) and to answer questions during ceremonies. Many Babalawos keep more than one, such as a coconut ekuele for the house and a pocket ekuele to carry. An ekuele is consecrated by the Babalawo before it is used; a new chain is the material, not yet the oracle.

The Ikines: The Palm Nuts of Orula

The ikines (ikin in Yoruba) are the sacred palm nuts of Orula. Sixteen ikines are used to cast the oracle, but the number kept inside Orula's vessel varies from house to house, and many come in sets of 21 so there are extra nuts beyond the 16. Your Babalawo knows the count his lineage uses. To divine with them, the Babalawo holds the ikines in his hands and tries to take them all at once from one hand to the other. If one remains, he marks two lines on the tray; if two remain, one line. He repeats this until the full odu appears in the iyefá.

Divination with ikines is slower and more solemn than with the ekuele. In Cuba it is reserved for the most important moments, such as the ceremonies of Mano de Orula, the Itá of a new Babalawo and the great readings of the year. Many houses look for nuts with four or more "eyes," like the four-eye ikines set. Ikines are prepared and consecrated by Babalawos and are never handled casually.

The Ibo: Asking Yes or No

To answer specific questions during a reading, the Babalawo uses the ibo (igbo), small objects held in the hands, such as a stone, a pair of joined cowrie shells or a small bone. The person being consulted holds them, and the oracle indicates which hand to open. The answer tells whether the reading comes with iré (blessing) or osogbo (difficulty), and which kind. Each house has its own set and its own way of using them.

The Irofá: Calling Orula

The irofá, known in Yoruba as iroke, is a tapper. In Cuba it is traditionally made from a deer's antler; in Africa many are carved of wood, ivory or brass. The Babalawo taps it against the edge of the opón to call Orula and to keep the rhythm of the prayers and chants. It is both a working tool and a sign of the priest's office.

The Iruke: The Sign of Authority

The iruke is a whisk made from a horse's tail, mounted on a beaded or decorated handle. It is a symbol of dignity and authority, and Babalawos hold it in ceremonies. An iruke of Orula is usually dressed in green and yellow beads, his colors. Iruke are also attributes of other orishas, such as Obatalá and Oyá, each in their own colors.

The Estera: The Place of the Reading

In Ifá, the reading takes place close to the ground. Traditionally, the Babalawo sits on an estera, a woven straw mat, with the opón in front of him, and many ceremonies are performed on the mat. A large estera is one of the simplest and most used items in any Ifá house.

Which Tools for Which Moment?

• Daily consultation: ekuele, ibo, opón and iyefá.
• Great ceremonies: ikines on the opón with iyefá, the irofá to call Orula, and the iruke in the hand.
• Always: the estera, cleanliness and the prayers of the house.

Each lineage has details of its own, and a Babalawo learns the correct use from his oluwo (godfather in Ifá), not from a book or a video.

Buying Ifá Tools: What to Know

• Tools are not the consecration. A tray, a chain or a set of ikines from a botanica is material. It becomes a sacred tool only when a Babalawo prepares it.
• Buy what you were told. Godchildren often buy items for a ceremony under the instruction of their Babalawo. Follow that list exactly.
• Look at the material and the size. Wood, finish, carving and diameter matter on a tray; balance and strength matter on an ekuele.
• Keep spares. Ekueles wear out and iyerosun runs out. Working Babalawos keep replacements on hand.

You can see trays, ekueles, ikines, iyerosun and more in our Ifá products collection. To learn about the green and yellow bracelet received with Mano de Orula, read our guide to the idé de Orula.

Final Thoughts

The tools of Ifá are few, and each one has its role: the opón where the sign appears, the iyefá that holds it, the ekuele and the ikines that reveal it, the ibo that refines it, the irofá that calls Orula, and the iruke that shows the dignity of his priest. In the hands of a Babalawo, they open a conversation with the one who knows our destiny. Treat them with respect, and leave their use to those consecrated for it. ¡Iboru, Iboya, Ibocheche!

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