The fact that it contained negative as well as positive energies was not proof that a Devil existed, but rather proof that the very perfection of the universe requires balance. Indeed, the entire thrust and purpose of Ifa methodology can simply be described as a search for personal balance within ourselves in order to be healthy emotionally and physically, and a balance with the community, family and world we are part of. The brilliant wise men and women of the Yoruba identified energies in Nature that could be used to achieve the same balancing results in all aspects of our lives. The reality that they gave names to these energies did not make them human like. Esu, Osun, Obatala, Oya etc. are NOT anthropomorphic Disney figures, they are pure and potent energies that form the matrix of our universe.
Words have precise meanings.
Sacrifice Sacrifice is a mainstay of Western religion. We are taught, and grow up to feel, that sacrifice is a noble act that will somehow reward us in this, or another life. Let us examine the exact meaning of sacrifice . We are not speaking necessarily of the monetary worth of something, but rather the genuine worth we place on something in our lives. Our lives, as the wise men and women of the ancient Yoruba culture saw clearly, would be benefited most by never sacrificing our higher values for our lower ones.