Born This Way

Ori, Karma, and the Unchangeable Paths of Destiny

Dear Wise Ones on the Path,

In our last newsletter, we spoke about narcissism and the karmic lessons it teaches. Today, we go deeper.

• What if some souls are not here to evolve in the way we expect?

• What if certain traits—narcissism, autism, or any fixed aspect of personality—are not mistakes to be fixed, but contracts to be honored?

This is not only a philosophical question. It’s spiritual. Let us turn to Ifá for guidance.

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What Ifá Teaches About Fixed Destiny

Before birth, each soul kneels before Olódùmarè and chooses an Ori—a path of destiny. Some choose easy roads. Others choose trials. And some… choose to live differently.

In the Odu Ofun Meji, it is said:

“Ọ̀rọ̀ tí a kọ́ lójú inú ni ń sọ lójú ayé.”
“What is written in the inner world is spoken in the outer world.”

Autism, for example, may not be an illness—but a language of Ori we haven’t yet learned to hear. Just as we wouldn’t demand a tree act like a river, we must learn to respect the design of a soul—even when we do not understand it.

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Narcissism Revisited: Karma in the Mirror

Where autism may reflect inwardness and sensory difference, narcissism often reflects a soul trapped in its own performance. As we saw through Otura Meji, some beings desire to be what they cannot sustain. The narcissist mirrors back to us our blind spots, our unmet boundaries, our hidden needs.

But again: Ifá says not all Ori are chosen for growth. Some are here to provoke growth in others.

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What We Learn from the Unchanging

The Odu Iwori Meji tells the story of beings who come to Earth with the same face they had in heaven. No matter how much the world tries to change them, they remain true to their cosmic design.

They may be labeled difficult, odd, cold, distant, intense, or uncontrollable. But what if they are simply walking a path we were never meant to correct—only to witness?

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From Correction to Compassion

Let us not confuse spiritual responsibility with the compulsion to “fix” everyone. Sometimes our deepest task is to accept, adapt, and protect our own Ori when others cannot walk with us.

We can say:

• “I see your path is different.”

• “I honor your Ori, and I honor mine.”

• “May we both be at peace in our destinies.”

This is maturity. This is Ifá.

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Coming up in the Supporting Section:

Next, our supporting subscribers will receive the deeper teachings:

• How to spiritually care for souls with fixed destinies

• A ritual to realign your own Ori after navigating emotional exhaustion or karmic entanglement

• How to recognize when you are carrying what was never yours to carry

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Blessing for the Journey

May your Ori be clear as cool water. May you recognize the shape of your own soul, even when others reflect something unfamiliar. May compassion and courage walk beside you.

Àṣẹ, Àṣẹ, Àṣẹ.

Babá Tilo de Àjàgùnnà
DAILY IFA