Many have asked me how they can go about becoming a Babalawo, and the first thing that comes to mind is why in the worlds would anyone want to become a Babalawo. The agency of a Babalawo demands much of an individual and the rewards are meager at best. Becoming a Babalawo is a burden…
Babalawo training is extremely important for those aspiring to adapt to this religious philosophy. As a philosophy, you are expected to model your life after the ideal which makes Ifá such a fantastic spiritual philosophy to live your life by. However, not many are able to live by the tenants that set Ifa apart from…
When the master-priest is satisfied with the trainee’s ability in the different branches of Ifá, he allows the trainee to present himself for initiation. Of the numerous stages in the initiation ceremony the four principal ones are described below. as sísí opole já The first stage is the ceremony marking what is known as as…
The Babalawo are the trained dedicated Ifa priests and diviners in the Yoruba community of Nigeria. In Yoruba traditional society, a Babalawo is a ‘doctor’, a ‘pharmacist’, a herbalist and the most popular diviner who the people’ consult for advice, guidance and medical treatment. When a pregnant woman is under labor, when a person is…
1. Oluwo: This is a man who has studied and practiced Ifa as a priest for many many years and has not only seen Orisa Odu but owns Orisa Odu (Olodu: owner of Odu) and works with this deity. The Oluwo is the only person who can initiate men into Ifa (Itelodu style). Itelodu is…
