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Member Reviews

I have long been interested in African Spirituality, and this is because I learned that there were Seers in my lineage and that got me curious, and then immediately after in Wole Soyinka's interview I heard him once say that it is the white man's Jesus that turns the other cheek but his Yoruba god never told him to take brutality lying down- I still search for that interview online hoping to listen to it again.

When it comes to West African spirituality, I think Yemoja, Sango and Aku get more visibility- reading this was like finding a book that I had been searching for. The Five Blessings of Ifá truly explores how Black communities across the diaspora draw strength from ancestral wisdom, family, community care, and mutual aid, using the principles of Ifá—a West African spiritual tradition—as a guiding framework. Thanks to Gabrielle Felder I learned of blessings of Aiku (longevity), Aje (wealth), Aya and Oko (relationships), Omo (children), and Isegun (victory over negative forces).

Thanks Netgalley for the eARC.

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The Five Blessings of Ifá educates about the historic presence of benefits of ancestral wisdom (Ifá) as well as how it continues to be beneficial. This book read also read as instructional guidance on how to continue incorporating the ancestral principals Aiku (longevity), Aje (wealth), Aya/Oko (relationships), Omo (children), and Isegun (victory) through healing, strengthening connection to the roots, and connection through community. I appreciated the insight provided about herbalism and food sovereignty movements, to midwifery traditions, mutual aid, and the reclamation of cultural beauty within Black communities.

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In 'The Five Blessings of Ifa' Gabrielle Felder offers a powerful reimagining of Black futures through the spiritual lens of Ifá, an Afro-Indigenous tradition rooted in West Africa. The Five Blessings of Ifá combines ancestral wisdom with practical tools for living, offering readers a guide to healing, connection, and collective liberation.

Organized around the core blessings of Aiku (longevity), Aje (wealth), Aya/Oko (relationships), Omo (children), and Isegun (victory), this book unpacks how each blessing has shown up historically in Black communities from herbalism and food sovereignty movements, to midwifery traditions, mutual aid, and the reclamation of cultural beauty.

As a reader with a budding understanding of Ifá, I appreciated how accessible the cosmology felt. Felder gently introduces key concepts like ori, the personal divinity within each of us—and situates them within today’s political and spiritual landscape. Her honesty about her journey, including the challenges she faced in completing her priestess training, makes the book all the more relatable. As a child of Obatala, Felder’s voice carries the clarity, care, and deep wisdom of someone walking with purpose.

This book is a great resource for someone who wants to learn more about the cosmology of Ifa as a historical and spiritual practice and how it can support us in the present day to imagine Black futures.

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