About this project

Oshaeifa.com It is an independent platform for documentation, preservation and dissemination dedicated primarily to the study of the Yoruba-Lukumi tradition, the Rule of Osha-Ifa and its religious and cultural universe: orishas, ritual concepts, prayers, songs, Ifa signs (odù), stories, symbols and forms of interpretation.

The site also brings together content about other religious and Afro-Caribbean traditions present in the same historical and cultural environment, including Palo Monte, Spiritism and, in specific sections, other religious expressions developed in America.

Each tradition is approached within its own context. We strive to distinguish its foundations, terms, and practices, especially when similarities exist that could lead to presenting concepts belonging to different religious systems as equivalent.

Purpose and scope

Oshaeifa was born with the purpose of gathering, organizing and preserving knowledge that is often scattered among religious treatises, oral tradition, bibliography, historical research and different communities of practice.

Our work aims to:

Organize and preserve Information related to Osha-Ifá and other traditions studied on the site.
Explain religious terms, concepts, and structures within the context to which they belong.
Facilitate the study of subjects that may be difficult to understand for those who are just beginning to approach these traditions.
Provide historical and cultural context when it helps to understand the origin, development, or transformation of a practice.
Reduce misinformationavoiding simplifications, incorrect mixtures, and contemporary interpretations presented as ancient tradition.

Oshaeifa has a primarily documentary, educational and consultative character.

The information published is not intended to replace direct transmission within a religious house, learning alongside elders, godparents and priests, or the community experience inherent in these traditions.

Editorial team and independence

The content of Oshaeifa.com is created and reviewed by a editorial team comprised of established practitioners who participate in the research, writing, review, and updating of articles according to their areas of expertise.

Oshaeifa is an independent project and does not officially represent any particular religious house, lineage, or authority.

This independence allows us to document different forms of practice and to point out, when necessary, the variations that may exist between branches, religious houses, regions, and forms of transmission.

A significant portion of the content is published under the collective authorship of Oshaeifa Editorial Teambecause several members may participate in its research, writing, or review.

Certain tasks can be attributed individually when their research and development are primarily the responsibility of one of the team members.

Editorial policy

The diversity of traditions discussed in Oshaeifa requires differentiating between widely shared knowledge and practices, interpretations, or terminologies that may belong to a particular branch, region, religious house, or form of transmission.

Our editorial policy seeks to maintain that distinction throughout the entire process of research, writing, and review.

Research and sources

Depending on the subject matter, we use different types of sources to prepare and expand the content:

religious treatises and materials;
tradition and knowledge transmitted within the practice;
historical and specialized bibliography;
academic and anthropological research;
historical documents and sources;
comparison between different versions or forms of transmission;
religious experience of the team members.

Not all sources serve the same purpose. A treatise may preserve a religious teaching, while historical research may help determine when a practice emerged, how it developed, or what transformations it underwent.

When necessary, we try to distinguish between both levels of information.

Oral tradition and religious knowledge

We recognize the importance of oral transmission within the religions we document.

A considerable part of this knowledge is preserved through teaching between generations, religious houses and communities, and there is not always a single written source that can be considered definitive.

Therefore, the absence of a bibliographic reference does not necessarily imply the non-existence of a tradition. At the same time, we avoid presenting as universal an explanation that corresponds only to a particular version when we are aware of the existence of others.

Differences between branches, houses, and regions

Ifá, the Rule of Osha, Palo Monte, Spiritism and other traditions discussed in Oshaeifa do not constitute completely uniform systems.

There may be differences in:

terminology;
traditional stories and versions;
ceremonial forms;
religious interpretations;
prayers and ritual expressions;
practices preserved by certain houses or branches;
regional developments.

When these differences are relevant to understanding a topic, we try to point them out and provide the corresponding context.

Our goal is not to establish which house or lineage possesses the only valid interpretation, but to clearly document the context to which the presented information belongs.

Terminological precision

We strive to respect the terms used within each tradition and explain their variations when they help the reader understand them.

This includes words of Yoruba origin, Lukumi forms, Kikongo vocabulary, and terms that have undergone phonetic or spelling changes during their transmission in America.

When there are different spellings of the same word, we can use the form most widespread among our readers and mention other relevant variants.

Writing and revision

The articles do not necessarily follow a process carried out by a single person.

Depending on the content:

one member can conduct the initial research;
Another person may organize or write part of the article;
One or more members may review the religious information;
Corrections, extensions, or further checks can be made subsequently.

For this reason, much content is attributed to Oshaeifa Editorial Team.

When an article has been developed primarily by a specific member, it may appear under individual signature.

Fixes

Oshaeifa is a project under continuous review.

If we detect:

a historical error;
an incorrect attribution;
a terminological confusion;
an inadequate translation;
incomplete information;
a statement that needs more context;

The content can be corrected even after it has been published.

We also welcome documented feedback from readers and practitioners. Corrections and contributions can be sent to our editorial email address.

Content update

Articles can be updated when:

we found new sources;
we expanded an investigation;
we incorporate historical context;
we detected information that needs to be clarified;
We reorganized a section to make it easier to understand;
We believe it is necessary to better distinguish different traditions or variants.

An update can modify only one section or involve a complete revision of the article.

Restricted content and publication limits

Oshaeifa seeks to document these traditions without turning the site into a substitute for initiatory transmission.

For this reason, we avoid indiscriminately publishing strictly reserved content whose teaching corresponds to specific ritual spaces, consecrations, or religious relationships.

Explaining the meaning, origin, or general function of a ceremony does not necessarily imply describing all of its internal procedures.

This distinction is part of our disclosure criteria.

Historical and religious content

In certain articles, two types of information coexist:

The religious perspective, which collects stories, teachings and explanations preserved within the tradition.

The historical perspective, which attempts to establish through documentation, studies or available sources how certain cults, institutions, terms or practices developed.

When both perspectives do not completely coincide, we try to present them as different levels of explanation rather than using one to automatically invalidate the other.

Religious tradition and dissemination

Written documentation can help preserve and understand a tradition, but it does not, by itself, reproduce the religious experience.

Within Osha-Ifá and other religions discussed in Oshaeifa, there is knowledge that is acquired through community participation, the relationship with elders and godparents, religious consultations, and, when appropriate, consecrations.

Therefore, we strive to maintain a clear distinction between information intended for public dissemination and knowledge whose transmission belongs to the corresponding religious sphere.

Information and responsibility

The content of Oshaeifa.com is offered for study, documentation, and general guidance purposes.

The information published does not replace:

The consultation of the oracle or record made by trained priests within each tradition.
Religious determinations related to ebbó, ceremonies, consecrations or specific rites.
Guidance provided directly by godparents, elders, or religious houses.
Professional care in medical, psychological, legal matters or emergency situations.

health information

References to illness, health, or well-being that appear within odù, stories, treatises, or other religious contexts should be understood within that traditional framework.

Oshaeifa It does not provide diagnosis, treatment, or medical, psychological, or psychiatric advice.

In the event of physical or emotional symptoms, health problems or risky situations, you should seek help from qualified health professionals and services.

Contact

To report corrections, provide documentation, make editorial suggestions, or propose new topics, you can write to:

ppgad@pucrs.br

We can also be contacted by those who wish to make an inquiry related to any of our content or need guidance on religious matters addressed by the team.

You can meet the people involved in the research, writing, and review of Oshaeifa on our website. Oshaeifa Editorial Team.