A babalawo interpretes the messages of Ifá, the voice of Olódùmarè. A babaláwo uses ọ̀pẹ̀lẹ̀ or ikin for divination. A babaláwo would normally have Èṣù in front of his house where he places sacrifices. They won't normally be seen carrying Ẹbọ to junctions or in the night unless ifá precisely prescribes it. A babaláwo does not interpret his own opinion, only what ifá says. He does not prescribe Ẹbọ from his head, he asks Ifá every time. Babaláwos are the experts with ìyèrosùn, no one else is.
Oníṣègùn are those that use ẹ́rìndìnlógún, glass, Ọ̀sanyìn, ìsàábì, and stuff like that. They know nothing about the odùs, they must consult a babalawo for interpretation unless they are specifically trained as babalawo. They do not use ọ̀pẹ̀lẹ̀. They are experts on herbs and roots. They can be seen placing Ẹbọ all over, anywhere, anytime.
Adáhunṣe are some kind of healers. They tap knowledge from everywhere. They too have knowledge of herbs and roots.
Awòsùnhùn-sèkan is the last one. They can be called, "eavesdroppers" . They exaggerate what they hear from some places. They are often fraudulent. They want people to fear them. Unfortunately, they are the most common around us, these days.
Can someone belong to more than one of these classifications? Absolutely, yes. But a Babaláwo that adheres to the ethics of his training, would stay true to the dictates of Ifá in everything he does.
Àbọrú Àbọyè Àboṣíṣẹ.
For Education in traditional theology.
By Adekunle Adeite
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