Ifá is one of the world's most elaborate divination systems: sixteen basic signs combine into 256 odu, each associated with a large corpus of verses, stories, and prescriptions, all held in memory by trained babalawo. The consultation does not predict so much as locate — it identifies which odu the situation belongs to, and the verses supply precedent and remedy. UNESCO recognized it as intangible cultural heritage, and it remains actively practiced in Nigeria, Benin, Cuba, Brazil, and the United States.