​You Can’t Lead in Ifa and Fail at Home
What a BABALAWO Must Embody to Honor His APETEBI

The APETEBI is a Vessel of Light.She is not beneath you. She is beside you. She is not your shadow. She is your moon.
Ifa does not support manipulation, infidelity, or secrecy masked as spirituality. If a Babalawo wants to build a legacy, he must start by protecting the one whose Ori was tied to his by destiny.
Here are 10 sacred pillars a Babalawo must uphold to marry and keep a Sacred Apetebi / Aya Orunmila / Wife

1. Ìmọ̀tọ́ Rántí àti Ìfarabalè – Deep Understanding and Patience
Awo tí kì í fọmọ ṣàánú, kò ní rí ọmọ mọ́.
Odù Ògúndá Òsá
A priest who lacks compassion for his child will lose connection to the child.
A BABALAWO must be emotionally intelligent and patient. Ifá does not rush, nor should he. Balancing duties to clients with attention to his Apetebi requires emotional maturity.
He is not just a spiritualist but a keeper of emotional space for his wife. Balancing spiritual duty with love and presence at home is maturity. He must also develop the wisdom to perceive when his wife’s distress is spiritual, emotional, or physical and respond accordingly. Ignoring her suffering contradicts the very path of Ifa, which teaches alignment and restoration.

2. Ìbáraẹnisọrọ Dáradára – Clear and Honest Communication
Ifa is founded on clarity, truth, and mutual respect: not secrecy or intimidation. A Babalawo must never hide behind the veil of priesthood to avoid accountability in his home. Ifá is founded on clarity, truth, and mutual respect.
He must listen to his wife’s words and spirit. The Apetebi’s words are a message from her Ori. Dismissing her concerns is a spiritual error.
Disagreement is not disrespect. If your voice guides the community, it must first guide your household.
Communication is not optional, it is a priestly requirement. A Babalawo must offer clarity, not confusion. While he is not required to disclose private client information, he must maintain accountability for his whereabouts and choices, especially when they directly affect his wife or the emotional and spiritual rhythm of the household.
Transparency does not mean surveillance, but it does mean that your movements should not generate abandonment, or emotional harm. A wife should not be left in limbo, praying for a man who vanishes behind the veil of Ifa work. If you are consistent in truth, you have nothing to hide.

3. Àkókò Didara – Quality Time and Presence
Ọ̀rúnmìlà rán mi níṣe kan, aya mi náà rán mi níṣe kan. Odù Òtúrá Òfún.
Ifá gives me duties, and so does my wife.
A BABALAWO appointments with clients do not override the need for sacred appointments with his wife. Her presence in sacred duties must be a blessing, not an afterthought. Time is not always measured by quantity but by intentionality. Even short moments of genuine attention and affection can nourish a lifelong bond. The absence of presence creates voids where resentment grows. Presence is a spiritual responsibility.

4. Ìtìlẹ̀yìn àti Ìfọ̀kànsìn – Emotional Support and Encouragement
Odù: Ọ̀sá Méjì
Bí a bá ní òrìṣà, ká gbàá; bí a kò bá ní òrìṣà, ká gbàára ẹni.
If you have a deity, rely on it; if you do not, rely on yourself.
Gatekeeping a woman’s destiny is not tradition, it is insecurity. Ifa does not crown one Ori by silencing another. Destiny is not threatened by partnership.
A BABALAWO must never suppress his wife’s calling. If her destiny aligns with priesthood or service, he must guide her honorably, not gatekeep.
When she is weary, he must be her rest. When she is broken, he must be her balm.
A wife who feels unsupported becomes spiritually unanchored, and that imbalance eventually returns to the priest. Ifa requires reciprocity not hierarchy.

5. Ìbùkún àti Ìdáròyé – Gratitude and Blessing. Odù: Òfún Méjì
Ọ̀rúnmìlà ní Ìwà lẹ̀sìn
Orunmila said Good character is the true religion.
A BABALAWO'S gratitude isn’t seasonal. Bless her with kind words, gestures, and daily respect. Whether her labor is spiritual, financial, domestic, emotional, or ancestral, it must be acknowledged openly. She is not helping; she is co-keeping the household and sacred space.
Minimizing her contribution while benefiting from it is dishonest exchange, and Ifa rejects imbalance. If her labor sustains the priest, her honor must also be sustained and acknowledged.

6. Ìpò àti Ìdájọ́ – Boundaries and Balance
A kì í fi ojú méjì ṣọ gbogbo ilé. Odù: Ìkà Méjì
One cannot watch over the house with divided eyes.
Your position as a BABALAWO does not replace your responsibility as a HUSBAND.
Priesthood does not exempt you from tending to the emotional, physical, and spiritual needs of your wife.
Leadership in the world without leadership at home is contradiction.
Home is sacred, it is not a waiting room for spiritual guests.
If clients are always present, your wife should not feel like a stranger in her own space. Sacred intimacy requires sacred boundaries.
Some sacred matters require discretion, but discretion should not be used to hide infidelity, ego, or spiritual manipulation.
If secrecy is serving ego, it is no longer Ifa, it is abuse of spiritual authority.

7. Ìfarada àti Ìtẹsiwaju – Growth and Humility
Ọjọ́ gbogbo l’à ńkẹ́kọ̀ọ́. Odù: Òsá Ọ̀bàrà
Every day is a school day.
Personal growth is continuous. Being a BABALAWO does not exempt you from correction. Learn from elders, your wife, and even your own missteps.
If she expresses herself, don’t call it disrespect, see it as a message from her Ori. Ifa calls for humility. You must be as teachable at home as you are respected in the shrine.

8. Àṣeyọrí Nípa Àpẹẹrẹ – Leading By Character
Ìwà lẹ̀sìn. Ìwà rere ní ń mú àyọ̀ wá. Odù: Òfún Méjì
Good character is the highest form of worship and brings joy.
A BABALAWO must not manipulate, seduce, or dominate women under the guise of spirituality. Your wife should never have to compete with clients, devotees, or students for your attention or loyalty.
Sexual misconduct, dishonesty, and abuse of spiritual influence have no place in a priest’s life or home.
Ifa does not support a man who is powerful in divination but unrighteous in conduct. Character is your first offering before any Ebo.

9. Ìwọntunwọnsì àti Ìwà Rere – Integrity, Polygamy, and Truth
A kì í ṣe ibi ká má rí ibi. Odù: Ìkà Méjì
He who does evil will surely meet evil
If your Ori calls for polygamy, walk in truth. Do not use spiritual duty to justify dishonesty or neglect. If your wife accepts the possibility of another, do not betray her trust through lies.
Apetebi is not a doormat. She is a voice, a crown, and a spiritual ally. If you cannot be honest in your first marriage, you have no business seeking a second. Truth protects your household. Lies dissolve it from within.

10. Ìjọpọ̀ Ìtẹ̀síwájú – Sacred Partnership is Work
Ifá ní alábàápàdé kì í jà. Odù: Ẹ̀jì Ogbe
Those who walk together toward destiny do not fight.
Partnership, not patriarchy: Your union is about alignment, not dominance.
Ifa must be felt in how you love, how you listen, how you lead, and how you apologize.
Legacy is not built through control; it’s built through co-creation.
Sacred partnership is daily work just like Ifa. When you treat your Apetebi as an equal partner in destiny, Orunmila will honor the home.
The Apetebi is not optional.She is not decoration.She is destiny in human form. She is the gift Olodumare has provided to support and uplift your journey and vice versa.
Honor her and the blessings tied to her Ori and you too will be honored.  Ase

​Yeye Olosunde Aduke

About Egbe Èleekò / Èlerìkò

Natural Leaders
Being born into Èleekò means you carry the vibration of Olórí Egbe: the leader of the celestial society in Ọ̀run. You will naturally find yourself in positions of leadership, whether you seek them or not. Others often recognize you as a voice of direction and truth.

Fire and Tears
Èlerìkò embody the duality of a warrior spirit quick to rise against injustice, unwilling to tolerate dishonesty or oppression, yet at the same time, their heart is tender, deeply compassionate, and is easily moved to tears. Èleekò are a balance of fire and water, protector and healer.

Fighting imbalance (seen as mischevious)
Èleekò is sometimes called mischievous because it challenges authority, breaks patterns, and redistributes power. It is the Egbe that can “steal from the proud and give to the humble.” Èleekò carries a destiny of disrupting imbalance, fighting injustice while protecting the vulnerable.


Dance as Healing
When Heaven (Ọ̀run) gathered to celebrate the creation of the Earth, it was Èleekò who began the dance. Èleekò do not only move they invoke the spirit. Each spin and footstep awakens celestial rhythm. Their dancing is how Heaven remembers joy.
When Èleekò dances, the ground shakes; their joy confuses enemies and dissolves heaviness. In this Egbe, laughter and movement are protection.



Yeye Olosunde Aduke
Spiritual Life Coach | Divine Feminine Healing | Orisa Priestess | Womb Wellness at the Yoni Steam Institute, CEO
 Mobile: 800.705.5206
 Email: [email protected]
 Website: yeyeolosunde.com

Òṣá méjì ló dá omi s’áyé,  
Ó ní kí ó máa sàn,  
Kí ó máa yí ká,  
Kí ó máa gbé ayé ró,  
Kí ó máa bí ọmọ,  
Kí ó máa bí gbogbo ìrè.  
A dìfá fún Ọ̀ṣun,  
Tí ń bọ láti inú omi,  
Tí gbogbo ìrè ayé wà l’ọ́wọ́ rẹ̀.

​Òṣá Méjì set the waters upon the earth.
He told them to keep moving,
to circle the world without end,
to nourish and uphold creation,
to bring forth children,
and to pour out every form of blessing.
This was the sacred Ifá divination for Ọ̀ṣun,
as she emerged from the river,
her hands carrying the treasures of life for all.


In the beginning, the earth was dry and lifeless. It was through Òṣá Méjì, the sacred odu of water, that creation found movement, fertility, and flow.
Òṣá Méjì poured out the waters, commanding them to flow endlessly, to encircle the earth, and to sustain life.  From these waters came Ọ̀ṣun, the Orisa of sweetness, fertility, and beauty, rising out of the river with all blessings in her hands. She carried children, prosperity, healing, joy, and abundance for humanity.  Without water, nothing could live; without Ọ̀ṣun, blessings could not manifest.

Òṣá Méjì teaches us Where there is water, there is life. Where there is Ọ̀ṣun, there is blessing. The sacred power of flow. Life cannot remain still; just as water moves without ceasing, so must our spirit, emotions, and creativity remain in motion. From the waters comes fertility and creation, for the womb of the earth itself is water birthing children, abundance, and all that sustains life. Within this flow rises Ọ̀ṣun, the vessel of blessings, through whom health, wealth, peace, and sweetness pour into our lives. The waters also encircle the earth, reminding us that existence is cyclical: what we give returns, what we pour out flows back. And just as rivers cleanse and oceans renew, so too must we purify our bodies, wombs, and spirits, so that we may live in harmony with the eternal rhythm of creation. 

Affirmations of Òṣá Méjì

1. I flow like the river: open, alive, and unstoppable.
2. My womb, my body, and my spirit are fertile with creation.
3. I receive Ọ̀ṣun’s blessings of health, wealth, peace, and joy.
4. What I pour out into the world returns to me multiplied.
5. I am cleansed, renewed, and restored by the waters of life.
6. I honor water as the womb of the earth and the source of all blessings.
7. With every breath, I move in harmony with the eternal rhythm of creation.

_ Yeye Olosunde Aduke, Priestess of the healing waters

My crown is steady because it rests on my divine assignment.
This crown was not placed by trembling hands or voices clouded by doubt.
It was carved by our Ori (innner spirit), blessed by the Supreme Force Olódùmarè/God,
and sealed by the Ancestors who dreamed of us long before our first breath.

AFFIRM WITH ME

I walk in restoration.
I rise in reclamation.
I honor my feminine power and the sacred assignment my soul chose.
And so, I mind my Ori.
I stay rooted on my own mat.
I walk in alignment with my personal Odu.
Orí ni a fi í d’ade l’orí
Orí ni a fi í dá’se l’orí
Orí ni a fi í gba ire
Orí ni a fi í b’eni s’ade ayé
(Ogbe Alara)
It is the Ori that wears the crown.
It is the Ori that holds the power.
It is the Ori that attracts blessings.
It is the Ori that makes one a crowned being in this world.


Eni tí Orí rẹ́ bá gbé, òun náà ló gbé ayé rè;
Àwón ẹ̀mí tí ń bẹ nílé ayé kì í dá èèyàn lórí bí Orí kò bá ti dáríjì.”

The one whose Ori uplifts will surely rise.
No spirit in the earth or heavens can bless or curse without Ori’s permission.
Peace, power, and purpose flow first from Ori.
What you seek externally is already crowned within you.


Orí mi, pèlé o.
Gentle, powerful, and patient head,
You who bless me even before the Orisa,
You who open paths that no hand can close,
You who steady my crown in divine alignment.
May I walk in wisdom, balance, and grace.
May my Ori remain cool and my steps steady.
May my heart remain humble, like water flowing to the lowest place.
Asé

My own Odu honors this message:
Ire and peace flow from my Ori.
I do not chase what the world cannot give,
for everything I seek begins and ends within my own crown.


AṢẸ. And so it is.

​Yeye Olosunde
Priestess of the Healing Waters
yeyeolosunde.com