In Africa, the Olorisa and Awo Orunmila invoke the divinities every four days in their personal shrines. The use of the four day prayer cycle is a spiritual discipline that represents divine maintenence. It supports on-going contact and commune with the orisas and promotes good fortune of the worshipper and the entire community.
Every sixteen days the members of Egbe Ifa meet to divine for their extended family. Every ninty-one days Egbe Ifa with the support of the entire community invokes good fortune for the season. The four day cycle is called Orun Ifa and the sixteen day cycle is called Itadogun Ifa.
Perhaps in response to the colonial experience, there is also a Yoruba calendar that coincides with the the seven day week Gregorian Calender. Here, instead of an orisa, there is a spiritual principle that governs each of the seven days (e.g, day of confusion, day of wealth, day of three resolutions, etc). This seven day calendar gives another level of insight into the quality of the seven day week.
Iwalewa Folklife Enterprises, inc. is proud to bring to the Orisa World Community the first ever calendar, featuring both the four day and the seven day calendars in Yoruba English, and Spanish.