iyalawos

An iyalawo is the title given to a female priest or priestess of Ifá in the Yoruba religious tradition. Iyalawos are the female counterparts to babalawos and, like them, serve as trained diviners who interpret the Ifá oracle. They are believed to channel wisdom from Orunmila, the deity of wisdom, through the Odu Ifá, a structured corpus of verses describing patterns of fate.

Training typically begins with initiation into the Ifá tradition and continues through extensive study of Ese Ifá, the verses associated with the Odu. An iyalawo often learns under a senior Iya Ifá or Babalawo and may come from a lineage that preserves oral tradition. The work requires memorization of many verses, fluency in ritual language, and skill in counseling clients through divination.

During a reading, the iyalawo uses the Opele chain or sacred palm nuts (ikin Ifa) to reveal an Odu pattern, from which she recites verses and offers guidance. The reading may prescribe remedies, offerings, or rites intended to restore balance and wellbeing. Iyalawos frequently perform or supervise rituals, purifications, and offerings to Orisha, and they provide spiritual counsel for individuals, families, and communities.

In many Yoruba communities, iyalawos are respected as practitioners within the Ifá system and, in diaspora settings, they help sustain Ifá practice, teach initiates, and provide divination services. Overall, the iyalawo represents a female line of authority within Ifá, preserving sacred knowledge and guiding adherents through divination and ritual.