Ìṣèṣe: A Way of Life with Religious Essence

Ìṣèṣe — the ancestral, spiritual, and cultural heritage of the Yorùbá people — is not, by its original nature, a religion in the conventional sense. It is a complete worldview, a lifestyle, a sacred order of existence that connects humanity to the cosmos, to nature, to Orí, to ancestors, and to the unseen forces (Ìmòlẹ̀ and Òrìṣà) that govern life.

However, it is important to acknowledge that Ìṣèṣe does carry religious essence within it: rituals, divination, sacred offerings, temples, spiritual codes of conduct, taboos, moral laws, and the invocation of divine beings.

This sacred system, in its original African form, was not limited to "worship" alone — it included philosophy, ethics, medicine, science, psychology, and governance. It is a matrix of spiritual consciousness deeply rooted in ancestral order and divine intelligence.

But over time, as societies evolved and individuals began to relate with Ìṣèṣe through more devotional and theistic lenses, many began to structure their engagement with Ìṣèṣe as a formal religion— complete with titles, shrines, dress codes, and organized rituals. This expression is valid.

Let People Live Their Consciousness

It is neither wise nor spiritually enlightened to deny people the right to express their understanding of Ìṣèṣe in a way that is meaningful to them. For some, Ìṣèṣe is tradition. For others, it is religion. For others still, it is a universal science of the soul.

We must not become gatekeepers of definitions that limit the vastness of ancestral Enlightenment.

Instead, let us allow people to live out their consciousness, so long as they are aligned with truth, respect, and the preservation of the sacred.

What matters most is not what we call Ìṣèṣe — but how we live it, embody it, and protect its Spiritual Enlightenment for future generations.

Àṣẹ.