Divination Tray (opon Ifá)

The most essential implements of a Yoruba babalawo, or diviner, are his tray ("opon Ifa") and his tapper ("iroke Ifa"). To initiate a divination session, the babalawo strikes the point of the tapper several times against the tray in order to invoke the Yoruba god of fate, Orunmila. The diviner then continues to make markings on the tray that record the results of a series of palm nut or seedpod castings. The more visually appealing the diviner’s tools, the more pleasing they are to Orunmila, and thus more effective with the appeals of the diviner and client. For practitioners of Yoruba religion, divination facilitates the ability of individuals to better align themselves with their destinies as determined by the gods.