Priestess initiated in the Santería/Ifá religion. It means “Mother Possessing Orisha.” In the Santería religion, this title is given to a priestess who has initiated others into the religion. Their initiates usually call them “Madrina” (godmother), denoting the influence Catholicism had on the development of the religion. Also called Iyalosha.
Readers, please enjoy this guest blog post by Sandra Kynes, author of several books, including The Herb Gardener's Essential Guide, Plant Magic, and the new Witches' Encyclopedia of Magical Plants, among many others.
Although a few old books...