The babaláwo gestured toward a large wooden display board that outlined the intricate divination system that his people had used for countless generations. Based on the casting of 16 palm nuts, it is a system that has spread throughout West Africa and beyond. “People come to me with all kinds of problems,” he said. “Problems with women, sterility, joblessness, insanity, health, and so on. Depending on the results of the divination, appeal is made either to the ancestors or to the heavenly bodies [divinities]. Whichever the case, some type of sacrifice must be performed.”

Such misunderstandings often involve the identity of those who reside in the spirit realm. Throughout Africa south of the Sahara, there is widespread belief that there are two groups of beings who dwell in the spirit world. The first group is made up of divinities, or gods, who have never been humans. The second group consists of the ancestors, or spirits of the dead, whose responsibility it is to ensure the survival and prosperity of their families on earth. Both divinities and ancestors are believed to have power either to help or to harm those on earth. Consequently, both must be shown proper respect and homage.