The Iyawó draws your attention for its whiteness when you saw, that white of his clothes indicates that he is purifying his past life before having crowned Kariosha (becoming Saint).
Getting started in the Osha-Ifá (Santeria) religion subjects the initiate to great challenges, it will be a stage of purification, sacrifices and strengthening of character, for which he will have to comply with rules that regulate the behavior and relationships of the human being.
The Iyawó, is the newly initiated in the religion of the Rule of Osha-Ifá, he is a believer who has just been born, is born to religious life and dies before worldly life.
What is the meaning of Iyawó?
Iyawó translates as: "the husband or wife of the Saint".
It is a Yoruba word and is used to designate a newborn where he begins a complex and beautiful path to the worship of Olodumare (Supreme God) and the Orishas (deities).
The Year of Iyaworaje: Its Characteristics
The Iyaworaje stage It is the period through which the santero initiated in the religion (Iyawó) must follow and respect the established norms.
His consecration lasts seven days where he remains in the Saint's room (Igbodun), on the throne of his tutelary Orisha.
In this sacred space, the initiate must pay attention to what his elders tell him and the reasons why he will carry the rules that are imposed.
On his mat he must remain silent, resting, meditating, since it is a stage of recollection.
A time of meditation where the Iyawó should analyze the advice and recommendations of the Itá:
- The itá is a sacred ceremony where the Orishas speak and read the destiny of the past, the present and the future, through the snails of the Diloggun according to the letter that comes out.
The Iyaworaje will be fulfilled for a year and 7 days
Space in which the initiate must be governed by a series of norms that in the case of the Afro-Cuban Rule of Osha (Santeria) were established in 1904, at the Council held in the city of Regla, in Cuba, by the elders of this religion .
Osha Rules for Iyawó:
All these rules have been imposed to protect the Iyawó, who being practically a newborn is vulnerable to bad energies, dark spirits and other osogbos (negative energies).
The Iyawó may have been crowned by some mishap or illness. In the Oddun Iroso Melli it is said:
"That there is no one who comes into the world without his own time."
For everyone there is that moment, that moment, in which your life takes a path and you must follow it for your good.
The rules and prohibitions for the Iyawó that come out in Itá (reading of destiny), are actually warnings of your future life plan, which you must accept with commitment and respect.
The Iyawó accepts his new path, and he must do it with responsibility and faith in our Orishas.
Some rules and advice for those initiated into the Yoruba religion:
Why did I become a saint? Story of a santera
3 challenges you will face in becoming a saint
10 Rules of Dress for an Iyawó
10 Eating Rules for the Iyawó
10 Situations that an Iyawó should avoid
10 Osha Rules for Iyawó
What does it mean to Become a Saint in the Osha? The Children of the Orishas
Necklaces, sacred elements of protection
