Linguist and cultural historian Modupe Oduyoye reveals that the meaning of Odùduwà is Odù-ó dá ìwà "Oracular utterance created existence.
Both Babaláwo and Iyanífa use Ifá and its tools, including the divining chain known as Opele or the sacred palm nuts called Ikin, on the traditionally wooden divination tray called Opon Ifá, to help their clients better understand their paths in life.
According to Babalawo K. Ositola from Ijebu, Nigeria, it was a woman, Odu, who taught her husband Orunmila how to divine so that he could communicate with the spiritual world.
The sacred odu Oturupon Irete cites a woman named Oluwo being initiated into Ifa after giving birth to a son by Oduduwa.
[9] The Ifa Odu Odi Ogbe speaks of a woman divining and performing ritual sacrifice for Orunmila by the name Eruko-ya-l'egan o d'Oosa also known as Orisa Oke.
The Odù Ifá describes how an Ìyánífá called Ugbin Ejo divines for Òfún Méji and also eventually becomes the mother of Ògbóni.
[18] Iyalawo undergo training in the memorization and interpretation of the 256 Odu or mysteries, as well as in the numerous verses or Ese of Ifá.
The Iyalawos are, however, generally trained in the determination of problems, or to divine how good fortune can be maintained, and the application of both spiritual and related secular diagnosis and solutions.
This is due to American women having advanced degrees and the financial resources to support themselves and finance trips to Africa.
María Cuesta Conde and Nidia Aguila de León were the first Iyanifas initiated in Cuba by Victor Betancourt Estrada in March, 2000.
[24] Matanzas Babalawo Ernesto Acosta Cediez went on to initiate the Venezuelan lawyer, Alba Marina Portales, as an Iyanifa in 2002 with the help of Estrada.
[25] The following quote from Estrada explains his decision: "In the Ifá room, initiation to the feminine orisha Odú, the mother of all living beings and the first woman diviner (she who married Orúnmila and had sixteen children who were converted into the sixteen Olodú or major signs of Ifá), is represented."
Oshun, a female Orisha who is featured in Oshe Tura, "encountered men who would not recognize her, so she established a sect of women called Iyami Aje to counterbalance the injustice.
[27] " Oyeronke Olajubu, Women in the Yoruba Religious Sphere ISBN 978-0791458853 Ayele Fa'seguntunde Kumari, Iyanifa:Woman of Wisdom ISBN 978-1500492892 Oluwo Olotunji Somorin, Women in the Yoruba Religion, Teledase Publishing, Ode Remo, Nigeria 2009