If someone is well trained in ifa but has no initiation. The question: Is he a babalawo or not? What about those that have already been initiated into ifa without ifa training, are they babalawo too or not?
In my own view, in some odu ifa, ifa will say awon omo ikose orunmila, that means they were not initiated, you get initiated after your training, that's the way I think it should be.
In case you don't know, ifa gave us further information on this by calling Amosu, Orunmila's son a Babalawo because if he is not a Babalawo, Orunmila won't go to learn from him. No other place that was stated Orunmila went to learn from Omo ikose ifa or from any body else except Amosu.
So in odu ifa Okanransode, there is a verse here in ile ife that talks about Agba goloto that tied ide ifa without ifa training because he just got initiated into ifa.
In this verse, Olokun was barren and been the queen, she believed all her problem should be solved. She order for all the babalawos for consultation, none of them got it right, once you got it wrong, Olokun will ordered the palace's guard to put you in prison.
Most of the people in ile ife, including babalawos were not aware Olokun was barren because Olokun came with many slaves and treated like her own children.
Whenever it comes to any babalawo's turn, they will give diffy messages. Some will say Olokun want more money, some say Olokun want to travel. They keep saying different things on and on, none of them got the real message.
Then it got to a stage they couldn't find any babalawo again. Most of them are already in the prison, then Olokun ordered the guards to go in search for Babalawo in the town.
Then the guards asked Olokun on how they will recognise Babalawo. Olokun then replied you will see them with ide ifa on their left hands.
"First thing to identify a babalawo isn't the training but the ide ifa" That's point I want to bring out. When we went to the town and got Agba Goloto that tied ide ifa without ifa training, he was captured.
Olokun greeted him and said Babalawo, that surprised him, Olokun realised he was afraid, then Olokun asked him where he got the ide ifa, he replied by saying he completed his initiation last night. And whosoever initiated got into ifa must tie ide ifa.
My second point: "Whosoever got initiated into ifa must tie ide ifa" I hope you agree with me on that. Not nowadays that people who are not initiated go to the market to buy ide ifa themselves and tie it onto their hands which is very wrong.
Then Olokun asked him to do the divination for her, which is compulsory. With force, looking straight, he saw all the babalawos including those that initiated him.
He saw all their ide ifa being broken by the guards. Because once you got the readings wrong, Olokun will order the guards to break your ide ifa, put you in prison because you are not qualify to be a babalawo.
Then next word from mouth was lamentation: He said awon ajade (the Ajade are the guards standing close to him to disgrace him if he got it wrong).
Awon Isode (are the Babalawos that initiated him and tied him the ide ifa).
Awon Okanrankanransode,......
Eje omo tuntun lo ro gburugbara ni inu igba.
Then Olokun asked him to stop that he got it right. And that what she sought was to have a baby. Whereas Agba Goloto considered himself to be the omo tuntun (a newly born baby) i.e he has no training in ifa, he was just newly born into ifa, if all his masters have been captured and put in prison. No doubt Olokun just ordered the guards to behead him and put his blood in a calabash. That was how Agba Goloto got it right.
Now my third point: Whosoever have this odu ifa, babalawo will tell him/her not to be afraid of speaking whatever comes from his/her mind because such things will help him/her to be great in life.
My conclusion, a training doesn't make you a Babalawo but the initiation, for example if a lady is Apetebi, and she is married to someone else that's not a Babalawo and she doesn't want to leave her husband. We do recommend such lady to get initiated into ifa or tell her husband to get initiate into ifa. Once her husband is initiated into ifa, he is already a Babalawo. Why didn't we tell the lady to tell her husband to go and learn ifa? And why recommending the initiation?
We all know someone that hasn't been initiated into ifa can't enter Igbodu, so why don't we say those that have ifa training should enter igbodu because they are well trained without ifa initiation.
Ifa you are a Babalawo, I believe you should have no restriction that's why the initiation makes you a Babalawo and not the training. The training can only help you to be a practicing Babalawo.
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