Iyami, also known as Awon Iya Wa, Eleye Aje, or Iyami Aje are the ancestral mothers related to creation, healing, feminine processes like menses, birth, motherhood, as well as the Earth, and birds. They also hold the ability to destroy that which is no longer needed, block, and bring about justice to those who violate spiritual laws. Patriarchy, influenced by western religious thought , often focused on the later and promoted more fear than understanding. People often feared Iyami, equating their earthly children with negative witchcraft and sorcery rather than healers, and protectors. In recent years, many people have begun to embrace the ancestral mothers nurturers and protectors as they cast away fear. Despite this progress, a great deal of ignorance and fear still remains, which , I now realize can have deadly consequences.
Recently our community lost a woman to cancer and I can’t help but think, had she had the correct information, she could have survived. She was diagnosed with breast cancer several years ago and like a good devotee, she went to the Babalawos she knew for help and guidance. After some time of not seeing any progress, I offered my services having had success in other cancer cases. She didn’t know me well so she declined and stuck with the Babas.
Unfortunately she went to Babalawos that had a very fear based view of Iyami . She got the Odu repeatedly which was Ogbe Osa. This Odu deals heavily with Iyami and she was told that they were angry with her and eating her insides out. They suggested offering Ipese ( a ritual offering to the mothers) to ease their anger at her. This did not work and she had to have a double mastectomy.
After not seeing success, she began working with another Babalawo, also with negative perspectives of Iyami. Same Odu fell, same explanation. The cancer spread to her pelvic area and through her body.
Eventually she came to me late last year. Same Odu fell.. And it was still Iyami, but it wasn’t at all what she was told. It was in direct relationship to her own mother and grandmother who had died of the same Cancer. Her mother died when she was twelve leaving her with many unresolved issues regarding her own feelings of womanhood, femininity, and motherhood. She had unconscious resentments with how her mom left, and what she was left to bare.This..was the root of her Iyami issues. It wasn’t that these mothers were angry at her. It was she was hurt from her mother leaving her at a young age. She cried as she finally understood. The reading was complicated because Ifa advised her to stop letting people use her. She admitted that while she had a great supportive husband, she allowed several other babas to use her to promote themselves but not help her. This also left scars and pain because she nurtured them but not herself.
Unfortunately Ifa also indicated that it was too late to recover. Too much time had passed and her body was too ravaged. I didn’t have the heart to tell her that but I advised that she work on finding peace with her motherhood issues, forgiving her mother, and embracing her feminine side. This way she could reduce the trauma she was carrying and would not have to be burdened with them when she reincarnated.
When I received news of her passing, I admit to feeling quite irritated. I knew that had she had the right information in a timely manner, she could have had a fighting chance. This is what happens when religious ideology replaces common sense and practical understanding. Because of such a negative fear based understanding of women and Iyami promoted by those babas, this beautiful soul had to leave this world early. And yes, I blame those Babas because each of them was warned in other public forums over the years to reassess their understanding of Iyami and they chose to assume and promote the worse about the ancestral mothers. It made their council deadly to this woman.
So this is a warning and a suggestion to women and men who are learning about Iyami. When readings come and Iyami comes out, take a good look at what is really happening . The first thing to look at is your relationships with your mother, mother figures, women. If you are a woman, look at your own attitudes toward your womanhood, femininity, motherhood, and sisterhood. If you are a man, look at your relationships and attitudes toward women, wives, girlfriends, the mother of your children, etc. Explore whether those attitudes are positive or negative. 80% of the time, Issues with where Iyami comes up are likely to stem from one of these causes, and not that they are angry and want to destroy you for no reason and you are just a helpless victim.
