Odi Ete in Afa describes how hidden power becomes visible authority. Odi represents contained strength and inner depth, while Ete represents sudden activation and transition. When combined, Odi Ete explains the emergence of commanding presence and leadership, symbolically associated with Leo energy and the Idemmili principle. This teaching shows that true authority develops in silence and appears through decisive action, often evoking respect or fear because it reveals power that cannot be ignored.

Odi Agali in Afa explains where strength, success, and personal power truly come from. Odi represents darkness as a generative state, while Agali represents Ikenga as the force of will, victory, and achievement. When combined as Odi Agali, this force is identified as Nne Ike, the Mother of Ikenga. This teaching shows that Ikenga does not exist on its own; it emerges from a deeper feminine source that gives it life and direction. Without Nne Ike, Ikenga cannot take form or function, which is why debates about whether women can have Ikenga miss the point entirely, the divine feminine is the source from which Ikenga itself is born.

Odi Obi in Afa describes how divine intelligence is contained and made functional. Odi represents darkness or midnight, a state where things are hidden, quiet, and unresolved, while Obi represents movement, activity, dialogue, and the process of finding solutions. When these two work together, they form Odi Obi, which is also understood as Akpa Agwu, the dibia’s medicine bag. This means that knowledge, power, and solutions are not accessed randomly; they are stored, organized, and activated through the right inner conditions. Just as a dibia uses the tools in Akpa Agwu intentionally, Odi Obi teaches that clarity, peace (Udo), and effective action come from first containing uncertainty and then engaging it through thoughtful movement and dialogue.

In Afa, Odii Ijite represents the sense of touch, the sacred faculty of contact through which the human being confirms existence. Odii (midnight, darkness) signifies the hidden realm where seeing fails and touch becomes the first guide. Ijite (the wave of “consciousness”) is the affirmation that every touch grounds us in being, revealing continuity between self and other. Rooted in Ani (Earth, Land), touch is the most primal of the senses: it anchors us in the physical world, connects us to the unseen, and serves as the path through which the soul navigates life. This teaching explores that perspective in more detail.

Afa language which is used primarily for divination and spiritual consultation in Igbo spirituality, consists of specific terminologies that typically differ from everyday (regular) Igbo words. Knowing these Afa terms and their regular Igbo and English equivalents can provide deeper insight into your cultural and spiritual practices as an Odinani practitioner. This post contains Afa terms with “Odii”, their regular Igbo equivalents, and their English meanings.