Becoming a Babalawo: The Real Path
Why would anyone want to become a Babalawo?
The path of a Babalawo is not glamorous. It demands everything from the individual and promises little in return. It is a life of service and responsibility — a calling that only a few are meant to walk.
First Steps
- Visit a practicing Babalawo and ask whether this is your path. Not everyone is destined to become a Babalawo.
- If the calling is confirmed, commit to long study and discipline — often years of training before serving clients.
Study & Discipline
- Be willing to learn deeply. The training is comparable to other demanding professions: persistent study, humility, and sacrifice.
- Prepare mentally and practically to serve a community’s spiritual needs.
Role & Responsibilities
- As a Babalawo you will provide spiritual care and healing for your community.
- You will be asked to resolve disputes, teach self-reliance, and guide spiritual growth.
- Many clients seek material improvement rather than spiritual growth — part of your duty is to guide them toward balanced, ethical advancement.
Inner Work First
- Before guiding others, you must confront and overcome your own faults and fears.
- Receiving the “Hand of Orunmila” brings inner challenges: unresolved issues from the past will reappear as lessons.
- If you cannot manage your own life, you cannot effectively help others.
The First Year
- The first year after initiation is especially demanding; expect old patterns and fears to resurface.
- Treat these moments as opportunities for growth and mastery.
How You Help Others
- Learn to teach people how to overcome fear and attract positive outcomes.
- Encourage competition by quality, not by undercutting price — show that mutual success and harmony are possible.
On Mystery and Integrity
- Avoid cultivating unnecessary mystery. Your power comes from wisdom, integrity, and the ability to empower others.
- Help people understand that their projections — doubt or negativity — shape their life. Teach practical, ethical methods for positive change.
Becoming a Babalawo is demanding, humbling, and transformative. It is not a path to fame or easy reward — it is a lifelong commitment to service, truth, and inner work.
