The Divine Messenger is generally known in Yoruba culture by the name Esu. Among those who practice Yoruba religion in the West, the Divine Mesenger is commonly known by the name Elegba. Esu is considered one of the many Spiritual Forces in Nature which is called "Orisha".
The word "Orisha means "Select Head" in a cultural context, Orisha is a reference to the various forces in nature that guide consciousness, according to Ifa everything in nature has some form of consciousness called "Ori". The Ori of all plants and humans is believed to be guided by a specific force in Nature (Orisha), which defines the quality of a particular form of consciousness. There are a large number of Orisha and each Orisha has it's own awo.
Awo Baba Falokun Fatunmbi is a white North American, who at the age of 38 visited Nigeria with the purpose of studying the Yoruba traditions Ifa Orisa. Baba got the initiation in Ifa in Ode Remo, Ogun State, Nigeria in Ile Ogunti Ode Remo. For 25 years Baba has been traveling around Nigeria, collecting little by little the Ifa knowledge. His main teacher became Adebolu Fatunmise, who was initiated at the age of 7 in Ifa (Kekere Awo a young Babalawo). During the initiation of Adebolu Fatunmise at the moment of reading it was foretold that he would teach a white Babalawo in practice and that Babalawo turned out to be Awo Falokun Fatunmbi, the author of a number of books about the Ifa Orisa tradition.
