Part 1: How to Become a Babaláwo, Seven Basic Things You Should Know

                     

To become a Babaláwo (father of secrets) is not an easy task and never going to be an easy task. It takes some ten years of serious learning and process to become a prolific and highly versed one, it takes some 20 years, it even takes some five years depending on how fast and sharp your intellectual ability is to learn and even for such long years of practice, they still learn more from colleagues, friends because Ifá learning is dynamic and never has an end.

 

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The training of a Babaláwo goes beyond reading E-books, books, manuals, websites, blogs even beyond this current write-up you reading. It is best learned practically at an already made fully-fledged Babaláwo who also had learned from a skilled Babaláwo.

It however requires total devotion, attention, and time of the trainee because having 256 Odù(verses) with at least five per-verse is not that funny clown guy you can joke with.  

In the circle of Awo, a trainee or a student is known as Ọmọ Awo (offspring of cult) while the teacher of his or hers is called Bàbá-Ifá (father of Ifá) or Ìyánífá (mother of Ifá).

To cut the story short and to make things easier for those who aspire to become a Babaláwo, the following should make things easier for you before and during the course of your training.

 

 

1.     Know the Odù Ifá/ Ọ̀pẹ̀lẹ̀ Opening

             

 

The journey of a thousand miles starts with a step and in the parlance of becoming a Babaláwo, one must start with knowing the 256 names and signs of the sacred odù (verses) of Ifa without being reminded by your co-ọmọ awo or by a book or so. An ọmọ awo must be able to identify these Odù in terms of seniority, starting with the 16 major odu (Èjì-Ogbè – Òfún Méjì) and then the 240 minor odù (Ogbè-Yèkú-Òfún-ṣẹ́).

 

How do you know these odù? 

 

To know and to be familiar with these odù, an Improvised Ọ̀pẹ̀lẹ̀ (divination chain) made out of broken calabash or gourd will be given to the ọmọ awo to practice. The bàbá ifá then opens the odu one after the other with the improvised ọ̀pẹ̀lẹ̀ for his student until he or she is able to achieve that by him/herself.

Depending on how fast you learn, this should not take less than two weeks to be known.  It is best advisable and more intellectual friendly to learn from the ascending to the descending (from Eji-Ogbe-Ofun se) and for the sake of learning fast, the ọmọ awo should practice on his/her own at least twice a day after the master teaching.

 

2.     Mastering the Use of determinants (Ìbò gbígbà)

                

 

Practice makes perfection so they say. You must be proud of yourself to have been familiar with the Odù with the use of ọ̀pẹ̀lẹ̀. What a start I must say!

You are doing well but there are many to learn friend, you need to move on to the next step which is the use of Ifá determinants. The determinants are tools that are used to signify various aspects of life in Ifá such as longevity, progress, success, children, travel, spouse, health, victory, death, affliction, loss, and worry among others. They also signify positive and negative respectively. For example, cowry represents wealth and also positive (Yes) while the bone or broken plate represent loss/death and negative (No) respectively.

It is the duty of you as ọmọ awo to know when Ifá says Yes” or “No” on any issue. He or she is also expected to know when Ifá says yes on the left or right hand of the client.

 

How do you know when Ifa says Yes or No?  

To know when Ifá says yes or no, the ọmọ awo needs to apply his learnt knowledge on the odù in the aspect of seniority. Without recognizing the 256 in terms of seniority, it is not possible to understand the use of the determinants. For example, Èjì – ogbè is senior to Ọ̀yẹ̀kú méjì and Ogbè-fún is senior to Òfún-ṣẹ́. 

If you ask Ifa a Yes or No question (which requires you to slam the ọ̀pẹ̀lẹ̀ twice on the ground) and the odù that comes out first is Ogbe-yeku, you slam it the second time and the odù that shows is Ofun se, the answer to your question is Yes because Ogbe yeku, the senior odù comes out first before the junior Ofun se. if it is the other way round, then your answer is “No”. This method only applies when the selected Ifá determinants are placed beside the opele when asking the question.

(There are some exceptional odu that need not to slam the opele down twice to confirm answer. The answer is “Yes’). Odù like Èjì ogbe and Ofun Méjì)

How do you know the ìbò hand the client should drop when you ask Ifá question? 

It is one thing to know when Ifá says “yes” or no” to a question, it is another to know which hand to tell the client to drop when Ifá replies to a question. Take, for instance, a client comes to you to ask a bothering issue on whether to embark on a journey or not. You take up your ọ̀pẹ̀lẹ̀, ask Ifá with the positive (cowry) and negative (bone) ìbò and tell the client to hide the two ìbò into both of his palms respectively. Eventually, the senior odù appears before the latter and the client is expected to drop one ìbò hidden in his palms to confirm his answer. It is simple, never panic.  Whenever the senior odu comes before the junior one it is left hand, whenever the junior comes before the senior one it is the right hand.

In this case, you are expected to tell the client to drop that hidden on his left palm which confirms the answer. If it is cowry hidden there, it’s a “yes’, if bone it’s a ‘no’.

The logic is quite different when the client is not having the Ibo in his palms. When the ibo are placed side by side beside (positive on right, negative on the left) the opele, then when the senior odù comes before the junior, the right side is what to go for and vice – versa.

Mastering the use of Ifá determinants could be a bit challenging as it requires a painstaking approach to understand as you can’t afford to make mistakes. Making mistakes send wrong answer to the client and it could be regretful!

 

3.     Ifá kíkì (Recitation of Ifa Verses)/ Ifa dida (Ifa casting)

 

Wow! Two progressive steps gone and there is still more challenging process ahead. After scaling past the first two steps, understanding and memorizing, you as ọmọ awo will begin to learn how to chant Ifá stanzas from Èjì-ogbè to the very last odù Òfún-ṣẹ́. This I tell you is the most challenging part!

           However, you should at this stage pay attention to how Ifa is being casted. The tools for casting               Ifa are two; the opele, divination chain, and Ikin Ifa, palm kernel nuts. For a successful Ikin divination, there require 16 palm nuts (One hand), eight on the right, and eight on the left, both will be combined through a systematic way to ascertain the Odu Ifa. The Opele is quite simple than the latter, it only requires to be thrown on the floor and then the odu is revealed. It is faster than that of Ikin.

This is the part you get credit for being a prolific and accurate Babaláwo before your clients, this is where you deliver the message sent from Olódùmarè via Ifá to your client. This is where you can’t afford to send message from Òfún-Méjì when Èjì-Ogbè is casted. This is one of the time-consuming process of babaláwo training. This is when you double your commitment and attention to your Bàbánífá/ìyáifá and to your training.

 

How do you recite & learn Ifá stanzas and messages? 

 Obviously from your Bàbá-Ifá. To become a fully-fledged Babaláwo, at least five verses in each 256 must be known off-hand. Difficult? Yes, but simple when you are determined.

For a beginner, it is advisable to start with two stanza per-odù to make it easy for you, and for each odù there is an important part you must pay dire attention to. The Àṣẹ́ (the message) of the odù.

You as an ọmọ awo is expected to learn how to deliver the messages contained in each stanza before actually reciting the stanza. The stanzas are usually referred to as the authority from where the message being relayed and derived and where such message can be cross-checked in case of any dispute, misunderstanding, confusion, or doubt. For example, in Èjì-ogbè, there are messages dealing with longevity. But if you (ọmọ awo) or a Babaláwo mention to a client that Ifá says it foresees long life for the client, it is the duty of you or the babaláwo to mention what the client needs to do, be it ẹbọ, appeasement or Ifá works in order to ensure that the client does not miss the promised long life. This is all contained in the particular stanza you about to recite for the client.

 Okay, let’s do the practical:

I am the ọmọ awo and you are the client. The Ifá casted is Èjì-Ogbè and am expected to deliver the message from it to you.

“Ifá greets you. Ifá says it foresees long life for you, Ifá ensures you shall live long in life but for that to happen, you need to make ẹbọ with he-goat, cornmeal, and you must feed Eṣù Ọ̀dàrà with one rooster to assure that. This is where or how Ifá says it.” I then recite the odu.

“Ká daá lọ́wọ́                                          

Let it be cast with the palm

Ká tẹ̀ẹ́ nílẹ̀

Let us imprint it on the ground

Dífáfún Ọ̀rúnmilà

These were the declaration of Ifá to Òrúnmilà

Baba n tọ́run bọ̀wáyé

When coming from heaven to earth

Ẹbọ àìkú ni wọn ní kó wá sẹ

He was advised to offer ẹbọ of longevity

See? That is how it is done. It only requires the total attention of my mind and confidence (not overconfidence). Message should be said according to what Ifá has delivered through the odù without adding or subtracting.

To cut it down, this is what you need to know in nutshell.

          Touch your head to the ground before you begin saying “Àbọrú Àbọyè”

           Tell the client what Ifá says in the stanza to be recited

 Advise on the ẹbọ to be performed 

 Avoid mentioning any money to the client      

Recite the Odù stanza where your authority derived

      Ensure that the odù being recited is from the same odù which was casted

        Never show off, no matter how well-endowed you may be (over-confidence) be humble. 

    Touch your head to the ground after relaying the message and end with “Àbọrú Àbọyè”

 

4.     Ẹbọ Rírú (Making of ẹbọ)

 

Been a long read so far right? Take a deep breath and let’s continue because you can’t afford to miss the half part.

 

Whilst studying Ifá verses/stanzas, you are also expected to integrate the process of making/performing ẹbọ. Steps, chants, prayers to be said to mention a few. 

You must be thinking or asking the question “but I haven’t studied all the verses, what if am at Òfún méjì and the Odù that is to be recited in the process of ẹbọ rírú is Ogbè-yẹ̀kú? What am I going to say? 

Hey friend! You do not necessarily need to master all the 256 Odù before you know how to do ẹbọ. This is because ẹbọ is being done on regular basis in the home of your Bàbánífá/Ìyánífá. When you get to the bridge of reciting the Odù that was casted for the client and you’ve not reached there in learning, it is the duty of your Bàbánífá to help out with you repeating after him.

It is pertinent to know that all ọmọ awo are usually prepared and given Àṣẹ́ to ensure that the ẹbọ rírú performed will have high chance to be accepted by the deities. This is beyond the scope of this write-up. Contact via email (fayemioyeanya@gmail.com) for manual on process of ẹbọ rírú

                         

5.     Conduct of Ọmọ Awo

 

This is also important as an ọmọ awo (Ifa trainee). You must not only be familiar with the conduct of an ọmọ awo but also to put these conducts into practice. You must cultivate Ìwà pẹ̀lẹ́ as proffered by Ifá

 

You must always learn to control your anger if you are a hot-tempered personality, remember what Ifá says; “patience is the father of character”. You must persevere, calm, level-headed, honest, humble, and always be faithful. Just because you are older than your Bàbá-Ifá in age doesn’t mean you should disrespect him whatsoever. He has what you do not have and he deserves respect for that and also as a teacher.

 

How do you know these conducts? 

It’s very simple! You can learn these conducts in two ways.  

The first is Self-thought. Being able to logically differentiate what is good from the bad and vice versa and the second is learning from various Ifá verses that talk about anything related to it. For example, Ogbè Yọ́nú (ògúndá) teaches us to always exercise patience in everything we do in life.

 

6.     Area of Ifá to be studied

 

     

 Ifá is divided into two broad areas, which you as an omo awo is expected to choose, study and master. Wondering what these areas are?

      

 Ẹyọ Ifá or Àkìjèru: 

 This is the popular type that deals with Ifá messages, offering ẹbọ, and ritual performance.

 Àtẹ̀ṣe Ifa (specialist in Ifá preparation):        

This deals with special preparation of Ifá medicines/antidote aimed at fulfilling the client’s hopes and aspirations.

Both areas are complementary to each other but not necessarily the same. Most Babaláwo combines both areas. They achieved this by extending their training when they were an omo awo.

 

       Eyo Ifa 

     A Babalawo of this type is known to be an expert in unraveling mysteries of life. He knows the problems or challenges before the client says it. He knows the appropriate ẹbọ and appeasement to do in order to solve the client’s problem.

He also specializes in Ìkọsẹ̀dáyé (Taking a peep into baby’s destiny) and ìtẹ̀lódù (Ifá initiation). He’s also an expert in Ìyẹ̀rẹ̀ (Ifá songs). He knows how to raise song in any stanza of Ifá. He can easily become an Ifá musician or singer.

 Alátẹ̀ṣe Ifá 

This type of Babalawo specializes in special preparation of Ifá works (medicines & antidote). They combine Ifá leaves and herbs to solve a rising or deteriorated spiritual problem.  Awo alátẹ̀se specializes in special preparation for diseases and illness, victory, financial success, childbearing, long life, and so on.

Whatever area you plan on going for is okay since both aim at solving mankind's problems just that they take a different approach in doing so and as a Babaláwo it is advisable to go for both areas to be more skilled.

7.     Ìtẹ̀lódù (Ifá initiation) 

                      

       

Everyone as an Ifá/Òrìṣà practitioner knows the vitality of Ifa initiation. It is advisable for everyone even the non-practitioners.

For you as an omo awo, you need to be initiated. The initiation can be done before or during training. It must be done because it is through the initiation you receive the Àṣẹ as an omo awo.

The anchor of your ìtẹ̀lódù is your Olúwo who is different from your Bàbá-Ifá. Don’t get this wrong, your Olúwo could be your Bàbá-Ifá and he could not.  If he chooses to anchor your initiation he is but if he does not, then he is not your Olúwo.

These are the basic seven steps to bear in mind when you aspire to be a Babalawo. There are still some things you will learn that is why from the beginning I said becoming a Babalawo goes beyond the scope of reading guidelines from the internet or books but these seven steps are vital and it will go a long way in your dispensation as a trainee.

I hope you’ve been able to add to your knowledge on how you can become a fully-fledged Babaláwo or Ìyánífá.

Remember, the learning of both ọmọ awo and even a babaláwo never ends, it is a lifetime process until you die. The minimum year an ọmọ awo can stay with his teacher (Bàbáifá/ìyánífá) is the least of five years, having the desire to learn Àtẹ̀ṣe with it could take 10 years altogether.