The Priesthoods
Oluwos:
1. Most receive and are owners of Odu (the spirit) but not all of them.
Ifa priests that are owners of Odu are known specifically as Baba Olodu and are the only ones that can initiate others into
Ifa.
2. They perform dafa through using the Ikin and Opele.
3. They can feed and give ebo to any of the Irunmole,Orisa, Egun,Witches, etc...
4. They take the responsibility of performing dafa during Ifa and Orisa initiations to
ensure that everything was done effectively and work hand in hand with Orisa priests in all initiations.
5. They must know all the praise names of the Irunmole/Orisa and know how to greet them
every morning.
6. They must know all the taboos of the Irunmole/Orisa and know how to take care of them.
7. They must know how to perform Kosetaye and Esetaye.
8. They are the ones who give people their Odu/Destiny.
9. They are able to make and give any Irunmole/Orisa to anyone if they are trained properly.
10. They must be able to solve peoples problems effectively and be community leaders and
role models of character.
Babalawos:
1. Babalawos are able to do everything an Oluwo can except initiate others into Ifa because
they are not in possesion of Odu.
2. All other roles and responsibilities are the same as those of an Oluwo.
Iyanifa:
1. They cannot initiate others into Ifa, perform dafa with Ikin or perform any ceremony
that requires the use of Ikin, or receive or see Odu (the spirit) but all other roles and
responsibilities are the same as those of an Oluwo and Babalawo.
Olorisa:
1. They must learn all the taboos and praise names of the Orisa they are initiated into.
2. They must know how to feed, give ebo, and take care of their Orisa.
3. They must know how to prepare and give their Orisa to others.
4. They must know how to initiate others into their Orisa.
5. They must know how to greet their Orisa.
6. They must know how to solve peoples problems effectively, help people in their community,
and be role models of character to others.
Non Priests:
1. They must learn basic ways of communicating to the Irunmole/Orisa/Egun.
2. They should be initiated into Ifa (Not as a priest) but initiated into Ifa to receive
their Odu/Destiny (Kosetaye/Esetaye).
3. They must pray every morning before starting their day to Olodumare, Ori, the Irunmole,
the Orisa, and the Egun.
4. They must act with good character and teach their children the same.
Code of Conduct for Priests and Non-Priests
Within our tradition the display of good character is essential but what is good character?
At the bottom I will display the four areas of character in which Priests and Non-Priests need to be displaying in their lives
24/7. Remember... There are consequences for acting without character. Esu is always watching...Olodumare is always watching...
Honesty:
According to Ifa, Honesty means thinking, speaking, and acting in truth without bitterness,
deceit, or hidden agendas. Being honest also means being able to recognize our limitations, having the courage to accept our
guilt or misdeeds, and the ability to refuse to reap the rewards off of others hard work. Basically you must be open minded,
rational, realistic to yourself, others, nature, and to Olodumare. Ifa says that Olodumare sent human beings into
this world to do good and nothing more and this is how human beings will be judged.
Patience:
In Ifa patience means perseverance, endurance, and level headedness. Perseverance is the
power of showing care and close attention to work or situation that proves difficult or tiring.
Endurance is the power of bearing pain or discomfort without complaining. Level headedness
is the ability to wait for something calmly for a long time and the ability to control oneself when angered, especially at
slowness or foolishness. In Ifa, rushing into things or looking for magical instantaneous solutions to any problem is out
of place. One must be patient at all times.
Humility:
An Ifa follower must never behave as if all their achievements in life were from self-effort
alone. They must recognize that all their achievements were through Olodumare and the deities. No knowledge or power
was brought into this world from heaven. We all acquired such knowledge and power through formal observation, imitation, and
learning from others. Because of this there is no room for any Ifa follower to display arrogance or look down upon others.
We all learn from each other and no one is self-taught anything and this is why humility is so important.
Hopefullness:
In Ifa being hopeful means having the belief that tomorrow will be better than today.
The belief that no matter how bad the present situation may be, it is just temporary and the painful situation will soon give
way to peace, joy, gains, and prosperity. Ifa followers must be hopeful at all times and realize that heaven is home and the
world is the market place, so one must always be prepared to confront obstacles in ones life and realize that all obstacles
can be learnt from and overcome.
