babalawo
Babalawo is a title used by male priests and diviners in the Ifá tradition of the Yoruba people. The term is commonly understood as “father of secrets” or “father of mysteries,” reflecting the priest’s role as keeper of Ifá wisdom and mediator between humans and Orunmila, the Orisha of wisdom and divination.
Practitioners perform divination using the Ifá system, typically with palm nuts (ikin) or the Opele chain to
Becoming a Babalawo requires extensive training and initiation. A candidate learns the Ifá corpus under an
In practice, Babalawos serve individuals, families, and communities within Yoruba and Afro-diasporic traditions. They perform divination,