Awo Study Center - Awo, Part II

Awo, Part II
by Awo Fa'lokun Fatunmbi
Over the years a number of Ifa priests initiated outside of Africa
have asked me to introduce them to elders in Ode Remo. The initiates
who have made this request were largely from the Lucumi tradition.
They were all sincerely interested in understanding the traditional
Africa practice of Ifa. When a visiting Babalawo comes to Ode Remo
the younger Babalawo of the village test the visitor's knowledge of
Ifa before welcoming him as an initiate.

As you progress in Ifa and reach certain levels of training you are
taught hand signals and gestures that identify your level of
progress. Advanced levels of instruction cannot be purchased at the
various Ifa factories that are springing up around the country
simply because they do not seem to realize such a thing exits. Those
who know awo open the door to advanced training when they make the
determination you are ready to walk through it. It doesn't happen
any other way, ever. The test is always the same; it is a test of
humility. When you see an awo who does not demonstrate true humility
consider it a clear indication of their level of training.
If ten African Babalawos who have never met each other enter a room
they can determine the line of seniority quickly and without
speaking to one another. There is a reason for this related to the
preservation of the mystery of awo and the orderly process of
opening the gates between Ikole Orun and Ikole Aye. When Babalawo
meet to pray the opening between Ikole Orun and Ikole Aye occurs
through the ori of the eldest initiate in the room. It is the job of
the other Babalawo to support the opening coming through their
elder. If there is a conflict over the question of who is the Chief
no opening occurs and all the spiritual work which is attempted is a
waste of time. Awo is governed by natural law, the first rule is
this; confusion over structure creates chaos and when there is chaos
there is no ase and there is no awo.
If I go to a Babalawo for divination the way I greet the mat will
tell him I have received Ifa initiation. How I greet him after that
will indicate my level of training. All of this protocol and
structure was put in place by Egbe Ifa thousands of years ago to
insure smooth communication between humans and Spirit. Access to Ifa
Egun (initiated ancestors) only occurs if the Egun recognize the
structure of the ritual. These Egun provide the foundation for
connection with Spirit. If this foundation is not in place there is
no access to awo. My position on the need to embrace traditional
expressions of protocol is very simple; if it isn't broken don't fix
it. If you think you have a better way show me by demonstrating your
access to awo. If you have not embraced and internalized traditional
protocol the chances you have learned awo are virtually
non-existent.
In the ten years since I started writing about Ifa the number of
Orisa worshippers who have sought initiation into Ifa has grown
exponentially and is now far beyond anything I could have imagined
when I was sitting alone in the basement of my home in Oakland with
notes and books scattered all over a big table trying to figure out
what it meant to be initiated into Ifa. When I wrote Iwa-pele I had
studied Ifa for five years in a Euro-centric linear fashion,
gathering the data, and trying to figure out how A leads to B. I do
not apologize for this approach because at the time it was the only
window of learning available to me. On the first day of my first
visit to Ode Remo I realized all my book learning, all my knowledge
of theology and all my attempts to understand the language were
close to useless when sitting at the feet of true awo. Since then my
personal growth has included an attempt to balance the Euro-centric
linear view of reality with the Afro-centric circular view of
reality because I live in a world where both points of view struggle
to be heard clearly.
The Euro-centric linear worldview is an effective means of gathering
data. Where it becomes self-defeating is when the ability to gather
data becomes confused with the idea of privilege. There is no
spiritual growth once a person confuses the accumulation of
objective facts with the need to engage in the constant process of
critical self-examination. This simple law of nature has been so
lost on Western culture the idea of privilege is on the verge of
disrupting the entire planet. If the consequences of arrogance are
not examined from the inside out, Esu has a way of bringing the
issue from the outside in. It is the role of Esu as trickster to
remind us that human will may not always be in alignment with the
will of Creation.
I fear that many of my attempts to explain awo have either been
misunderstood or ignored. Based on a message to me from Sango I see
the need to take responsibility for this unfortunate situation and
to own it as a failure of effective communication. It is with a deep
sense of weariness that I know attempt to bring greater clarity to a
fundamental tenet of Ifa forming the foundation for the study of
awo. I pray to my elders, to my ori, to the Egun, to the Orisa, to
the Irunmole and to the Igbamole to give me the guidance necessary
to find the proper words to communicate ideas that have no adequate
vocabulary in the English language.
I will start by making the primary point as simple and direct as
possible. Going through tefa (Ifa initiation) does not make you a
Babalawo. Going through tefa prepares your ori (consciousness) for
the study of awo. You do not become a Babalawo until you learn and
understand the mysteries of awo. There is no written test to
determine whether or not you know and understand the mysteries of
awo. You become a Babalawo when your elder gives you permission to
practice Ifa. If the permission to practice Ifa comes from someone
who does not know awo the sanction to practice Ifa is worthless,
dangerous, arrogant, ineffective, presumptuous, misguided, and
painfully idiotic. The more a person learns about awo the more
humbled they become by the perception of what remains unknown. This
is the inner meaning of Iwa-pele (gentle character), we become
gentle and temperate so as to not disturb what we still do not
understand. Arrogance is Spirits way of marking the fool. The person
who claims to know everything, the person who claims to be
all-powerful, the person who believes all their internal conflicts
are resolved is a train wreck waiting to happen. I am old enough to
remember a time when the idea of segregated toilets was considered
an expression of God's Will. Ifa teaches that anyone who claims to
speak for the Creator is invoking a confrontation with Esu.
After thirteen years of study I think I am at the place where I am
beginning to get a glimpse of what awo looks like, no more no less.
I believe I have the ability to recognize those who carry ase based
on their access to some expression of awo. I know enough to say
without hesitation I am not a Babalawo, I remain at the level of
training where at best I can call myself a student of Ifa or omolawo
(child of the secrets). Because I recognize the limitations of my
own level of understanding I treat everyone I encounter as a
potential teacher and as a potential elder. Those who have stepped
forward to offer me a glimpse into awo were not always those who I
turned to for guidance.
If you want to know if a person is a Babalawo the answer is not
determined by their ability to prove they went through tefa. A
Babalawo can recite at least four verses from each of the two
hundred and fifty six odu. A Babalawo can invoke all the
manifestations of Spirit we appeal to for survival on the planet. A
Babalawo knows the sacred power of all the herbs in their immediate
environment. A Babalawo can heal the sick better than most Western
medical doctors. A Babalawo can wrestle with Iku (Spirit of Death)
and bring the dead back to life. A Babalawo can change the weather.
Every time a Babalawo invokes Oya there is a windstorm. Every time a
Babalawo invokes Osun there is a gentle rain. Ever time a Babalawo
invokes Sango lightning streaks across the sky. Every time a
Babalawo journeys into the land of the birds he finds a way to
appease the anger of the mothers by fixing that, which has provoked
their anger. Every time a Babalawo sees famine in the village he
finds a way to feed his extended family. Every time a Babalawo sees
a barren woman he finds a way to make her fertile. Every time a
Babalawo sees injustice in the world he invokes the powers of peace
and stability. Every time a Babalawo sees an elder mother he gives
her proper respect as the ultimate source of awo in the world.
Anything less means the self-described Babalawo is still in training
- period, end of sentence, no further discussion required. If
someone you don't know comes to your ritual and identifies himself
as a Babalawo you have the right to require some demonstration of
their access to awo.
If they are unable to past the test the kindest most compassionate
thing you can do is say; "Iyawo put your mat in the corner of the
room keep quiet and try to learn something." I say this because it
is taboo for an Ifa initiate to assert authority in the context of
an Orisa ritual. If Ifa is present at an Orisa ritual their task is
to provide support on request not to assume control based on some
false notion of elevated status. Remember where there is arrogance
there is no awo.
Western culture has reached a level of dysfunction and abuse that
makes insecurity and low self esteem epidemic. As a culture we
suffer from the illusion we can fix insecurity and low self-esteem
by purchasing spiritual titles giving us an air of authority. All
spiritual growth comes from the inside out, not the outside in. That
is a law of nature wisdom is developed not purchased. When you
attempt to fix an internal problem by purchasing power you must
intimidate and bully others into accepting the value of what you
have purchased in order to convince yourself your investment was
money well spent. This creates a situation where the biggest bully
gets the most respect. Sociologists call this phenomena fascism,
which is establishing communal structure through the threat of
violence. There is no access to awo through the fascist model of
social organization. The Egun of Egbe Ifa do not respond to this
approach. Anyone who has even the slightest inkling of the meaning
of awo knows and understands the only road to awo is unconditional
love. It is the symbolic meaning of our sacred city Ile Ife meaning
the place where love comes to Earth.
You do not and cannot buy awo. You can only move towards it bit by
bit. The movement towards awo only occurs if it involves the
constant effort to remove that which becomes manifest in the world
as arrogance. In the Yoruba language those who have done the
internal work to cleanse their ori of arrogance are said to exhibit
iwa-pele. Ifa is founded on the belief that there is no access to
awo without iwa-pele.
If I were living in Ode Remo my training would have progressed much
more quickly and as a grandfather I should be in a position where I
could consider calling myself a Babalawo. I am not there yet. If
anyone who is reading this is serious about becoming a Babalawo I
will share with them a process of learning that has been effective
for me in the Diaspora. When I am in the presence of other initiates
I consider myself an iyawo (newly initiated priest) and try to
behave like an iyawo. As a student of Ifa my primary responsibility
is to listen and learn. I never assert authority based on some idiot
notion of being a high priest, elder priest, all knowing diviner, or
holder of some vast amount of secret wisdom. I will never demand to
be treated in a certain way, and I will always kunle to anyone who
is biological older than me out of respect for the wisdom gained by
their life journey whether they are initiated or not. This is
especially true of our grandmothers.
Our grandmothers are the keepers of the awo that has allowed us to
survive in a hostile environment that has no respect for the idea of
woman hood, family, the development of good character and the
preservation of ancestral wisdom. Any grandmother connected with our
faith in anyway deserves to sit in a place of honor so that we can
have access to her deep wisdom. Any person who calls himself a
Babalawo who does not understand this basic principle needs to be
knocked up side the head with a brick. There is no Ifa without
Iyaami. Any person who calls themselves a Babalawo who doesn't
understand what I mean when I say this either wasn't paying
attention when they got initiated or they went through some bogus
initiation that is not worthy of being called Ifa. I say these
things in the softest voice I can find and pray that I never utter
the real wrath of my true feelings on this matter.
For those who are interested in practicing the faith of our
ancestors and do not want to waste time with made up stuff that
claims to be Ifa I make a simple suggestion; determine the lineage
of any group that claims to do Ifa initations. Any Babalawo who has
been initiated in Lucumi can trace their lineage ancestors back at
least four hundred years. Such a person can and should be taken
seriously. Any Babalawo initiated in Africa can trace their lineage
back to the time when Orunmila walked the earth. Any Babalawo
initiated in the Village can trace their lineage back to various
places in West Africa. These lineages all embrace the possibility of
access to Egun from Egbe Ifa. Any person initiated in the America
Ifa cookie factories traces their lineage back to the founder of the
cookie factory. Tracing your lineage back one-generation gives you
access to the Egun of that person and that person alone. To call
this Ifa is to make a mockery of the use of language as a form of
communication.

I have personal opinions that influence my preference for the

African style of Ifa. My expression of these opinions has frequently
been misinterpreted to mean I do not respect the traditions of
Lucumi and other expressions of Orisa worship developed in the
Diaspora. This is a false assumption. The focus of my study has been
an effort to reclaim parts of Ifa I believe were lost during the
middle crossing. I have tried to make the results of my effort
available to anyone in any lineage who is interested in moving
closer to awo. To anyone who has suffered from my failure to
communicate this properly I offer my deeply felt apology. I
especially want to apologize to Baba Ed James who tried to explain
to me I was being misunderstood on this point at a time when I was
not mature enough to fully hear his words.
My concern here is a phenomenon that occurs throughout the history
of religion. It is a process theologians call the emergence of false
prophets. A prophet is any person who attempts to apply the
universal and eternal principles of any religions tradition to the
current historical situation. Martin Luther King was a prophet.
Malcom X was a prophet. Gandhi was a prophet. Nelson Mandela is a
prophet. The task of a prophet is to interpret natural law as it
applies to the life and times of the people who embrace a particular
system of spiritual belief. Anyone who attempts to influence the
direction of Orisa extended families in the name of Ifa without
access to awo is invoking a confrontation with Esu the trickster.
The task for those who are sincerely interested in using awo to
elevate the quality of life on earth and who want to use awo to
develop good character on the spiritual journey towards iwa-pele
need to collectively learn to recognize the presence of false
prophets in our midst. The Euro-centric linear worldview based on
arrogance and a sense of self-entitlement has led to the shameful
manifestation of cultural appropriation. This phenomenon is the
curse of what is commonly called the New Age Movement, which has
reduced itself to a misguided effort to falsely claim mastery of any
cultural tradition that promises salvation. Most earth-centered
spiritual traditions embrace the notion that all people are children
of the Creator. This does not mean they relinquish the right to
define the meaning and forms of expression of cultural wisdom.
Reading one of my books does not give anyone the moral right to
assume they know more than someone who functions from within the
lineage guidance of awo. It is this type of thinking that has
supported the belief that America deserves a disproportionate share
of the world's resources. It is opposition to this line of thinking
that generates violent reactions to this particular expression of
arrogance.
The mystery of awo suggests to me there is a better way.
Ire,
Awo Fa'lokun Fatunmbi
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