Put a Pin In It

From the Lukumi Tarot, the Nine of Swords; from the Diloggun Oracle, Ika (thirteen mouths):

          The Nine of Swords shows a chichereku, a magic doll used for spells. When we are intoxicated with fear, anger or some other emotion, most people have a tendency to look outside themselves for a solution. Some situation or person is often (we think) the cause of our misery. We want a doll full of pins to solve our problems. The ethic and proverb for Ika read:

Ifa: Ifa divination is to be performed so that the forces in one’s life be understood and controlled.

Proverb: Tomorrow belongs to the people who prepare for it today.

Divination is often a tool used to relieve the seeker of responsibility - "Tell me what to do," many querents request. But it works best (in my opinion) as a way to look inside of ourselves, to see what needs attention and requires change. It may seem like a miracle that by making small changes in ourselves, the rest of the world seems transformed as well.

Prudence and Preparation

From Tarot Lukumi, Temperance; from the Diloggun Cards, 'Ika' (13 mouths):

          Temperance is illustrated with an ancient Orisha - Olokun, revered as the ruler of all bodies of water. It seems appropriate that the ruler of the oceans would be in this card, as the times when most of us are intemperate are probably when we are under the weight of our emotions. We may be stressed with worry, angry about things we can't control, sad about a great loss or fearful of what lies in the future. It's easy to go to extremes when our emotions have us by the nape of the neck.
          The Diloggun Cards produced Ika (13 shells up):
Ifa: Ifa divination is to be performed so that the forces in one’s life be understood and controlled.
Proverb: Tomorrow belongs to the people who prepare for it today.

It is interesting that these verses hint that divination is not to resolve us of responsibility in decision-making but to be used as a tool to see our blind spots, become more informed and make better choices. In the words of Benebell Wen, divination "helps us look within ourselves to understand our emotions, the reasoning behind our words and conduct, and the source of our conflicts."