Iyawó

Learn Iyawó: Why the Twelve Steps Process is Important for You©

The basic ingredients for obo orí eledá

No, we are not talking here about an AA (Alcoholic Anomymous) like program. What I call the Twelve Steps Process is more like a spiritual tune up every iyawó should have throughout their year in white. The process consists of twelve obo orí eledás or Head Feedings also known as Prayers over the Head. Although simple, the ritual is of great importance as it provides not only an opportunity to balance the head of the iyawó with the growing energies of the orisha that has just been seated, cool and cleansed the iyawó from any negativities attracted, but also, it provides for a time for communication and learning between the initiate and initiators.
About the Head Feeding:
Ideally the ceremony should be done every month on the same date that the Kariosha happened, thus if someone got initiated on the 12th of the month, every month thereafter the iyawó should meet with the godparent on the same day or within 7 days following that date. The duty of performing the ceremony every month falls upon the oyugbonakán or the main godparent, depending on how the godparent wants to do this. For this ritual the iyawó needs to bring the following items:
1. Two candles (itana melli)
2. Two coconuts (obi melli)
3. A $21 fee
4. Cotton (ou)
5. Cascarilla (efún)
6. Cocoa butter (orí)
7. Honey (oyín o oñí)
8. Smoked fish and Jutía (ecú eyá)–optional in some houses
9. A white large handkerchief (ashó fun fun)
10. Two white plates
This is how the process goes, the iyawó presents these materials to the godparent and the godparent will take care of preparing the coconuts which will broken down on two sets of Obí for divination and the rest will be peeled (no black rind) and grated. The godparent will then prepare the mixture and set the altar space for the iyawó.
The process in itself is a great opportunity for the iyawó to learn the mechanics of one of the most basic ceremonies that any olosha should know by heart. Thus, a wise godparent will take care to explain the steps and show the iyawó how things are organized. The process will be learned by repetition as there are 12 opportunities for the iyawó to observe, ask questions and memorize.
I have seen many iyaloshas and babaloshas ask of their iyawós to bring the coconuts already segmented into two sets of obí and already grated. Shame on you for being so lazy! Part of the ashé of the godparent is to do this process with their very own hands (they are also charging a fee, then it is not right to ask others to do the work). It shows sincere care and allows for the transference of energies from the hands of the godparent to the head of the godchild. Besides it is a waste of a great teaching opportunity face-to-face.
I remember many interesting conversations about the importance of this ritual, and the impact of the ritual on me as months rolled by, all of these shared with my elders while they prepared the materials. Granted, some people do not like to talk during the preparation for a ritual, but this is an exception they could make to create a learning environment for the iyawó.
After the Head Feeding:
Iyawós, your relationship with your godparents will be developed not only by what they dictate onto you, but also based on the actions you take. Thus, if you ask your godparents to spend at least half an hour talking with you after the Head Feeding is done, you will develop a healthy routine of communications and a time and space where you can share your developments, concerns and questions with your elders.
There are some houses where the iyawó learns nothing during their first year. I see no reason to keep a godchild from learning for a year. The time shared during this ritual is indeed an opportunity to instruct the iyawó on basic materials to memorize. The iyawó should also be tested during subsequent conversations to ensure that the initiate is indeed taking time to reinforce lessons learned on the prior month.
What to teach the iyawó during their first year? That is a question that each babá and iyá should pose themselves before they do kariosha to an individual and not one I will address in this short essay as it is more geared to the iyawó. Needless to say those godparents must to be ready not only for the spiritual birth, but also, to rear their children and to use the time of the year in white wisely and efficiently.
Learn iyawó, keep up the steps prescribed for your year in white, use opportunities to learn wisely and always keep communications going with your godparents. Oh, and every time you meet with them, have a notebook and pen in hand so you can take notes and review them later.
Omimelli
Oní Yemayá Achagbá

Iyawó: Bride of the Orisha - The New Initiate

On the first day of their initiation the new Iyawó and her orishas are given birth to. His or her orisha is put to their heads and therefore received internally so that the Iyawó and her orisha are inseparably linked for life. On the second day, or the Day in the Middle the Iyawó is dressed in the splendid silks and satins that can only hint at the royalty that is now present on the throne to receive the visitors who have come to bask in the presence of the orisha and her new bride. On the third day, or Day of the Itá, the new Iyawó learns what the future holds in store for her. One at a time each of the orishas he or she has received speaks to them and gives them their sage advice. The Iyawó then spends the rest of the week on the orisha's throne resting and contemplating the new life that is just now beginning.

For the rest of the year the Iyawó remains in a protected state as befits the royal bride of a god or goddess. They must not allow anyone who has not been initiated to touch them or take anything from their hands. They cannot go out before noon or after dark and must only wear clothes of the purest white color. They cannot wear makeup or any jewelry except the bracelets and necklaces received during their initiation and for the first three months they must eat sitting on a mat which denotes sacred space in the religion. They are also babies in their new life and therefore cannot eat with a knife or fork for the year or go into crowds or the marketplace. They must not look in a mirror or have their picture taken. Nothing should interfere with the Iyawó's communion with their orisha. He or she must always be called Iyawó and not by their old name and, in fact, each time they are called Iyawó they are cleansed and separated a little more from the old life which they abandoned upon initiation.

The Iyawó is pampered and babied by the santeros they come in contact with. They are also watched very carefully as the Iyawó is must be protected at all costs and the they must not be allowed to violate their sacred taboos. Outsiders and those who have not been initiated often seem somewhat confused by them, as they are thinking of the Iyawó as a person in some sort of limbo between being a 'normal person' and being a santero and not the sacred personage that they really are.

During the Yaworaje (pronounced "ya-woh-RA-hay") or year the Iyawó follows his or her orisha as the two get to know each other intimately and thus forms the foundation for a life 'in Santo'and the understandings that are so innate to the santero. An understanding based on a sacred communion that lasts a lifetime..and more.
The Year in White: Survival Guide for Iyawós

A Year in White

The Santería community is littered with abandoned Iyawós and some who have simply opted to say “Hasta la vista baby” to their godparents due to a multitude of irreconcilable differences. Whether the issues arise from faults of the elder or the new initiate, most cases can be boiled down to one fundamental issue: Communications, or lack thereof.
The delicate dynamics between godparent and godchild must be maintained with constant, open and respectful communications. Therefore I consider that a successful relationship between any godparent and godchild must have the following elements:
1. Mutual respect
2. Constant two-way communications
3. Clear outline of house rules, mutual expectations, roles, rights and responsibilities
All of these elements must be tested through interaction and cemented with a relationship not based on a few months of knowing one another, but a relationship that has been allowed to mature through time. When people rush to enter the godparent/child bond without having these elements in place, invariably the relationship will hit hard times one way or another.

A godparent/child relationship is a sacred covenant that must be cemented with R-E-S-P-E-C-T. I can’t highlight this enough.
Why you wonder do I harp so much on taking time to know one another? Because godparents are the spiritual parents we are blessed to select, it is paramount to take time to know the people you will be calling Babá or/or Iyá for the rest of your life. Once become an Iyawó, you will always belong to the family in which you get initiated. You may leave the house for any number of reasons, but one fact remains the same, the spiritual lineage of the Iyá or Babá you selected will always be linked to yours. That Iyá or Babá, alongside with the Oyugbona and the Oriaté selected for an initiation will become a spiritual triad that will influence an initiates’ spiritual destiny. The act of placing their hands on the head of the Iyawó and transferring part of their ashé during the process of Kariosha imprints an energy pattern will that be with the newly initiated priest until his or her last breath on this earth.
The first year of an Orisha initiate is indeed one filled with challenges, some of them arise from economic stress, others, from internal changes and the reconciliation of those changes between the old self and the new self.
For the purposes of this essay, I will focus on one issue that lately has been brought to my attention by various Iyawós: Finances.
When a person is preparing for Kariosha, seldom do I see an abundance of money; I see more often great sacrifice and struggle to put together every penny needed for the process. Therefore, money and proper management of initiation fees can become a central issue. The Iyawó-to-be wants to have everything needed, the godparent maybe trying to stretch out funds to offer the very best experience to the iyawó or maybe, the savings are going elsewhere…to line his/her pocket. The same way we have excellent babaloshas and iyaloshas devoted to their godchildren, we do have a share of greedy people who live off the Orishas and are willing to cut corners to make the process lucrative.
It is not a matter of making the process solely about money; it is a matter of accountability and respect. Whether an iyawó has struggled or not to obtain the funds needed, godparents must be accountable for every penny put in their trust. This is why I recommend Iyawós-to-be to talk openly and with respect the following items before walking to the Igbodú.
I will make a clear distinction, in the past a godchild would never dare to question how a godparent would dispose of the fees for initiation. It was consider outright disrespectful to question an elder on finances. There should be no need for fear from either side to face this conversation. Transparency in this process should reinforce the nexus between all parties. The secret here is how things are handled and said, alongside with the level of maturity on both sides.
I have learned to have clear accountability when planning a Kariosha; this involves preparing an Excel budget and having it open to revision if needed. Fear, secret and finances are not good bedfellows.
Before the Initiation:
1. What is included in my initiatory fees?
a. Spiritual masses and materials?
b. Clothes for the 7 days in the Igbodú?
c. Fees for officiating priests and initiation processes?
d. All materials for initiation processes?
e. Animals for ritual sacrifice?
f. Orisha tools, receptacles, elekes and bracelets?
g. Meals for all involved over the 7 day period?
h. Ashó Orisha for Día del Medio? (initiatory clothes for the 3rd day when a public reception is held)
2. What is the full cost of my initiation?
3. Do any unused materials get returned to me?
4. Is there contingency fund allocated in case of an emergency?
5. If that emergency fund is not used, is it returned to me?
6. Will my initiation include the participation of an Oluwo and an Oriaté or just the Oriaté? How does either team impact the budget?
After the 7-days are over:
1. What additional expenses will I face during my Iyawó year?
a. How much will Ebbó Meta cost and what does it include/exclude? (ritual offering done at the 3rd month of the Iyawó year)
b. How much does it cost to be presented during a Tambor de Fundamento? ( Wemilere, official drumming with consecrated Aiñá Drums)
c. Are my monthly head feedings or rogaciones included in the cost of Kariosha?
d. Are there any further financial commitments as part of the year of iyawó?
The First Anniversary:
1. What steps do I need to take before my first anniversary and what are the associated fees?
2. What are the expenses associated with this celebration?
3. Who has the right to collect the offerings placed at the Iyawós basket on his/her first anniversary and why?
If you consider that this kind of dialogue would not be a possibility with your godparents, consider carefully the choice you are about to make. Once you receive Kariosha, there could be some growing pains. The iyawó not only is making energetic and symbiotic adjustments in her/his body, but is going through a learning process about his/her new role and will have to rely on the guidance of your elders to survive your year in white—finances should cause no stress if managed appropriately.
There are many other considerations Iyawós and godparents can discuss in order to start on the right foot, we shall consider more of those on the next post.
Omimelli
Oní Yemayá Achagbá