Tarot or Ifa Consultation: Which One Do You Need? 🔮

There has always been an ongoing debate surrounding Tarot and traditional forms of divination such as Ifa, with people often placing the two in competition with one another, as though acknowledging the value of one somehow diminishes the other. In some spiritual spaces, there is even this idea that the two cannot coexist, or that practicing one means you must completely reject the other.

But why do they need to be in competition at all?

Tarot and Ifa are not the same system, nor do they serve every person in exactly the same way. Understanding their differences does not require us to mock, diminish or invalidate either practice.

There is no single spiritual path that everyone is meant to take.

Different people may seek different forms of spiritual guidance depending on where they are in their journey, what they are seeking clarity about and what their own spiritual path requires of them.

For me, this is also personal. Tarot has been part of my spiritual journey for years, and becoming an Ifa initiate did not require me to abandon it. Instead, learning Ifa has given me an even deeper appreciation for the differences between the two and for what each can provide.

And to understand my relationship with Tarot, I think it’s important to first acknowledge something much older than the cards themselves: the long history of women as diviners, seers, prophetesses and spiritual intermediaries.

 

Tarot and the Longer History of Divination

Long before any of us were picking up a Tarot deck, women were interpreting signs, receiving messages and serving as seers, prophetesses, oracles and spiritual intermediaries.

Among them were women known as Sibyls, figures associated with prophecy and divine revelation, with traditions connected to regions including Libya and Egypt.

Tarot has been part of my own spiritual journey for years.

I don’t see the cards themselves as the source of my intuition or spiritual gifts. For me, they are a tool that helps me focus, interpret and communicate the energies and messages I’m already receiving.

A Tarot reading is meant to provide insight, clarity and confirmation about what may be occurring within your life and environment. It can reveal patterns, underlying dynamics, influences and possibilities that may not be immediately apparent.

Based on the patterns revealed during a reading, Tarot can also provide insight into future possibilities. However, I don’t view those possibilities as automatically set in stone.

Free will is always at play.

Our future can be influenced by the decisions we make, how we respond to the information we receive, how willing we are to apply that knowledge and whether we are willing to adjust our behaviors and make necessary changes within our lives.

For me, this is one of the most valuable aspects of Tarot. The purpose isn’t simply to ask, “What’s going to happen?” It can also help us recognize the patterns that are currently unfolding and understand how our choices may influence where those patterns ultimately lead.

For a long time, I wasn’t always comfortable openly sharing that Tarot was part of my spiritual practice, especially as I entered more traditional spiritual spaces.

But Tarot has become one of the ways that I connect with my ancestors, and even now as an Ifa initiate, that hasn’t changed. Through my own consultations, Ifa has confirmed for me that Tarot is part of my spiritual path and something I am meant to continue utilizing alongside my study of Ifa divination.

I’ve come to understand that I don’t have to abandon one part of myself in order to honor another.

At the same time, practicing both has made me appreciate just how different Tarot and Ifa actually are.

 

What Is an Ifa Consultation?

Ifa is a traditional Yoruba system of divination and knowledge centered on Orunmila and the corpus of Odu Ifa.

During an Ifa consultation, a trained Babalawo or Iyanifa uses an established method of Ifa divination to reveal an Odu. The Odu can then be interpreted through relevant verses, stories, proverbs and teachings preserved within the tradition.

An Ifa consultation may address:

• Ori and personal destiny
• Character and conduct, or iwa
• Relationships
• Work and prosperity
• Obstacles and challenges
• Spiritual alignment
• Appropriate actions
• Ebo or other corrective remedies when prescribed

This is one of the major distinctions between the two.

Ifa is not simply another technique for receiving intuitive messages. It is a complete indigenous Yoruba system of divination and knowledge with its own oral corpus, methodology, priestly training, ethics, philosophy and ritual framework.

What Happens After the Message?

This may be one of the most important differences.

With Tarot, a reading can reveal dynamics surrounding a situation, bring something hidden to the surface, provide clarity and confirmation, identify patterns, explore future possibilities and help someone reflect upon their choices and how those choices may affect what comes next.

An Ifa consultation can move further into correction and realignment.

The Odu may speak not only about what is occurring, but about a person’s Ori, character, destiny, spiritual alignment, warnings and responsibilities. Depending on what is revealed, Ifa may also prescribe ebo or other corrective remedies.

These remedies are not simply about receiving a prediction and then waiting for something to happen. Within Ifa, they are part of the process of atonement, correction and realignment. They work within the spiritual framework of the tradition to address what has been revealed and help bring the individual back into alignment with their Ori, their destiny and the forces of nature.

This is one of the things I find so profound about Ifa. It doesn’t only ask, “What will happen to me?” It can reveal where correction is needed, what actions may need to be taken and what changes in character or conduct may be necessary.

Because receiving spiritual guidance is only the beginning.

We can receive message after message from Tarot, Ifa, dreams, ancestors or other sources. But if we aren’t willing to apply the wisdom, make the necessary changes and develop good character, then what are we actually doing with the guidance we’ve received?

So, Which One Do You Need?

I don’t believe the answer is that one is universally “better” than the other.

They’re different.

Someone may seek a Tarot reading because they want insight, clarity or confirmation surrounding a particular situation, relationship, decision or energy they are experiencing. Tarot may also help them recognize patterns and explore where those patterns could potentially lead based upon the circumstances and choices currently at play.

Someone may seek an Ifa consultation because they want guidance within the traditional framework of Ifa concerning their Ori, destiny, character, spiritual alignment, obstacles or the actions and corrective remedies that may be required of them.

And sometimes a person’s spiritual journey may include more than one form of guidance.

I understand that everyone is at a different place in their spiritual journey. Although I practice Ifa, that will not necessarily be everyone else’s journey or destiny.

One thing that has always been important to me is meeting people where they are spiritually.

Sometimes people are simply seeking clarity, confirmation, direction or a deeper understanding of what they’re experiencing.

For me, that is part of the purpose.

It isn’t about making someone else’s spiritual journey look like mine. It’s about using the tools I have been given to help people wherever they happen to be on theirs.

The tools may change. The cultures and traditions may differ. But the responsibility to actually live the wisdom we receive remains.

The purpose of Ifa is not simply to know the future. It is also to help us correct and realign our path with what our Ori came here to fulfill, our destiny, our purpose and our soul’s mission.

Through its teachings, guidance and, when prescribed, corrective remedies, Ifa provides a framework for addressing what has fallen out of alignment and taking the necessary steps toward restoration. In this way, the consultation isn’t simply about what may happen next. It is about how we live, what we correct and how we move forward in greater alignment with our Ori, our destiny and the forces of nature.

Iwa pele. Ase