Sacred Names of Chi in Afa Ugili
In the language of Afa, a sacred Igbo divination system, Chi is not always called by the name most people know. The deeper one goes into the mysteries Afa, the more one realizes that the divine speaks in many tongues, and in the sacred tongue of Afa Ugili, Chi is known through names that reveal its many layers.
These names include:
Aka-Ora
Aka-Ofu
Ijite-Ofu
Ijite-Ora
These Afa combinations are expressions of a truth that cannot be grasped by ordinary speech. In Igba Afa divination, a Dibia Afa listens beyond the surface, because each Afa term, each combination, carries multiple meanings, shaped by subjective consciousness and divine intelligence (Agwu). It is not a matter of simply knowing words; it is about knowing which interpretation of the term applies to the context at hand.
Afa does not speak plainly because truth is not always plain. That is why two Dibias can hear the same term and walk away with different understandings, and yet both may be right in their own way. It is divine intelligence, the gift of insight, that allows a diviner to know what is being said beyond what is being spoken or revealed.
So when these terms highlighted above arise in the sacred work of Afa, they call attention to Chi.
Chi has multiple names because it is vast, because it is alive, and because it walks with each person in a way that is uniquely theirs. The concept of Chi in Odinani is multidimensional, and can be best understood by exploring its different dimensions.
In ancient Igbo communities, nearly every household had at least one member who understood Afa and could perform basic divinations for their family. What set a Dibia Afa apart was their ability to serve the entire community, acting as a bridge between the people and cosmic forces through mystical revelations. However, even those who weren’t Dibias typically had enough knowledge to guide their own households. Today, unfortunately, that tradition has largely faded.
If you are interested in learning more about Afa divination systems in the long term—Join Odinani Mystery School today. Yagazie!
