Some pursue it to validate their relevance. Some are suddenly made aware via divination and embrace it. In others, it is thrust upon them whether they wanted it or not. So it is with Isese Chiefs and elders in the Diaspora. It’s a growing topic of discussion because there are so many posting on social media as a status, but most don’t know what it is or is not.
When I initiated to Ifa, one of the things I was told was of a story of someone who had been a slave who was cast off as a slave but destined to be a king or queen. I had no idea what that meant until my Olokun Initiation years later. I had a series of visions that led the Yeye Alaragbo Oodua who was officiating to understand that my Olokun path was of a royal one. In response to that, a divination was done which supported my receiving a title of Aare Oba Olokun Omilere. During the confirmation ceremony, a voice reminded me that my ancestors left the continent as slaves and now here I am coming back to be crowned like a queen. I cried at the irony, humbled by the full circle of events. It all happened so fast, I didnt really understand what it meant. Later it was explained this was an Orisa title from Egbe Alaragbo Global Foundation in Ibadan.
In that same visit, I was to undergo the rites for Egungun a second time and Iya Abiye which was the highest title for a woman in Ogboni. Ogboni is a global priesthood based on the traditional judicial branch in Nigeria. Its priesthood is tied to Onile , the Great mother of the Earth and their titles are Aje and Oso titles. Ogboni was traditionally how justice matters were settled prior to colonialism and still very influential now spiritually. This title, Iya Abiye is what was divined for me during my junior initiation in Ogboni. But I had to have the final Iya Abiye ceremony to be conferred with the rights and Ase of the title. But to be honest I didn’t really grasp it all. I just wanted to serve Iyami and do good on the planet. But the rights and necessary ceremonies were performed and so it was.
A couple years later and after writing my best selling book Isese Spirituality Workbook, I returned to Nigeria with my husband. I was surprised when I was presented with honor of accepting an Iya Mode title from the Oje Parada of Ibadan for the USA region. Iya Mode sometimes called Iya Agan in some lineages is a high ranking women’s title conferring the rights to the mysteries of Egungun, something forbidden to most women. I was honored but I wasn’t initially interested. For one I was sure they would try to milk me for money and I didn’t have it like that. Turned out they didn’t and our final settlement was to pay for the Egungun celebration for the community and a case of beer for the elders!
The following month brought me to Araba Ifalere Odegbola of Ibadan. Apparently my work and book on Isese had reached him and he wanted to confer an Ifa title on me. Otun Iya Amufawuni of Ibadanland. Honored but still worried about finances, he assuaged my concerns by only asking for whatever donation I wanted to make. He was gracious and honorable and I developed a real respect for him because he wasn’t scamming people in the name of Ifa. The whole community came out after my rites were done and I was in awe of the entire visit.
I share my experiences so you understand how some of these things go…and also how some don’t go. I don’t pretend to know what different lands and towns do when it comes to titles. I witnessed my Iya in Olokun as she climbed the title ranks from Iyamoje and Yeye Osun of Ibadanland to Yeyelodu Oluyole to toOlori Abiye Ogboni Agbaye Aborigine Worldwide to finally Yeye Alaragbo Oodua under the Ooni house of Oodua. I’ve seen my Ifa Oluwo in Otta become the Araba of Otta over the years. I’ve studied under a number of titled elders over the years and it’s given me some perspective about it. It’s because of that I want to share more about this system so that people in the West outside of Nigeria have a better under understanding of what this is and is not. See part 2 for the detailed explanation about titles in Yorubaland. part 2