Meaning of Irete Obara in the Diloggún
- This Ifá commands the person to go out into the street in search of good fortune.
- The owo of this Ifá is not to be put in one’s pockets.
- The person’s organs are dislocated and they must orugbo with the nerves of a bull.
- It marks syphilis, whether acquired through sexual contact or inherited.
- A streak of madness.
- Beware of syphilis and of an infection in one leg.
- The pale spirochete speaks here.
- It commands the person to go out into the street to seek good fortune.
- An araye (strife, an enemy) has threatened to burn down your house and destroy your children.
- For a woman: an effeminate man by vice (not one who grew up that way) may court her, and she will suffer an embarrassment.
- Promises are not kept.
- An akuko is given on one side, and another at the ceiba, calling upon Shangó and Oduduwa.
- For a woman: she has three friends who are enemies of her husband.
- You are pregnant, and the child is neither your husband’s nor your lover’s; it belongs to a man who came into contact with you by chance and got you pregnant, and because of that chance, the second of your loves is at war with you.
- Take care that a man infected with syphilis does not court you and pass it on to you.
- It marks impotence in a man, and he may become effeminate through vice.
- You must live carefully because, being so fortunate, you are greatly envied, and for that reason you have many arayes.
- You will be invited to a party or a meal; do not let anyone embrace you or touch your face, because they could take away your sight.
- You may have a falling-out with a godchild or with someone close to you.
- There is a person who protects you; deal honestly with that person.
- Beware, for you could die.
- Attend to your Elegbara and feed the Eshu of the street corner.
- You are going to take a trip; take care that you do not return in tears.
- Your affairs are going very badly.
- Be careful in a place you wish to visit: there they want to work a spell on you so that your legs break out in sores, out of envy.
- Everything you plan, people envy, and it falls apart on you.
- There is much setback, but do not mistreat your wife or shame her any further, because she is your good fortune.
- Do not let any stranger clean your house, because you could lose your sight (a gift that you possess).
- Perform ebbó so that you achieve what you desire.
- Both men and women must avoid sexual excess so that they are not destroyed physically and morally.
- It was here that Babalu Ayé was cast out of the Lucumí land.
- Babalu Ayé was living in the house of Aggayú; he courted Aggayú’s sister Dada Bañani and infected her with his disease.
- Ebbó is made with the nerve of a bull, to which an ayapa is given with Shangó; from it, shavings are taken and mixed with dry wine and eñi of hawksbill turtle, to be drunk for impotence.
- It was here that Oyá bewitched the buffalo, who turned out to be Shangó, and his brain became dislocated.
- Ogobo Makulenkue speaks here.
- Obatalá, to save his children, eats rabbits.
- Move away from where you live if you wish to prosper.
What this sign indicates
- That you must go to the countryside or take a trip so that good fortune comes to you.
- You have a new dress put away.
- Move away from where you live if you want to get ahead.
- Good fortune is coming to you.
- Remember what you dreamed two or three days ago.
- There is a person who is speaking about you.
- You are to become a boss or the head at a job.
- You must go out into the street to seek your good fortune.
- You are looking for someone to borrow from because you have no money.
- The setback you are suffering is the fault of a curse that one of your enemies cast on you.
- You must perform ebbó so that you can move forward; be very watchful in a place you plan to go, because they will be two-faced with you there.
- You dreamed you were at the edge of the sea or of the river, and you saw a woman.
- Good fortune is coming to you through a daughter of Yemayá.
- Attend to Orula.
Advice and warnings
- Stop burning little dolls, because you could burn yourself.
- Be careful with fire.
- Do not treat your wife badly or abandon her, because she is your good fortune.
The traditional reading of this sign also warns about the following:
- You are pregnant, and that child is neither your husband’s nor your lover’s, but another man’s, and for that reason your husband is quarreling with you.
- You have an illness that does not yet disable you; you must pay attention to it and take measures. That ailment is in your legs.
- You feel as if impotent; you must seek a cure.
Proverbs of Irete Obara
- Sale a la calle y busca tu suerte. Go out into the street and seek your good fortune.
- Ni el dinero se queda callado en ningún bolsillo, ni se queda sin castigo el daño que se hizo en esta vida. Money never stays silent in any pocket, and the harm done in this life never goes unpunished.
Patakíes of Irete Obara
Ogodo Makulenkue
Long ago, Oyá lived in the Land of Efin Oro, and there was a beautiful, powerful Black Buffalo who was the Lord of that region. Because of her trouble with the Buffalo Sariki (Shangó transfigured), she had an aversion to these animals, and she decided to put an end to the buffalo’s arrogance by using her magical arts to cast an Iworo upon him. The buffalo, feeling himself touched by that vibration, fell ill; even so, he had time to shed his hide, for he was none other than Shangó transfigured.
He arrived at his ilé sick and threw himself down on his mat with a terrible headache. The days passed and the pain grew worse, until his brain became dislocated and he could no longer rise. Yemayá, seeing him and taking pity, went to consult Orunmila to see whether anything could be done for Shangó. Orunmila then read Ifá and marked an obori for him with the necessary ingredients: the pisajo, or nerve, of a bull buffalo.
After gathering the necessary ingredients, Yemayá returned to Shangó’s house; she then performed the rogation of the head to cure him, and Shangó immediately recovered his virility. From then on he has been called Ogodo Makulenkue (The Young and Powerful Bull). Thus Shangó became more powerful than before.
The secret of this Ifá, along this path, is that the rogation of the head with the nerve of a bull must be performed by a daughter of Yemayá.
One must take care of one’s virility and one’s brain.
The money of this Ifá, the awó must not put in his pockets
There was a daughter of Oshún who was going through a period of setback. Her affairs went badly and no man proved right for her, so she decided to consult Orunmila. Ifá came out for her, marking an ebbó with fruits.
A short time later, while walking through the streets of the town, she met a young man who turned out to be the King’s son; they fell in love and had a courtship that led all the way to marriage. Some time later the King died, and his son took the throne, making that daughter of Oshún the Queen of that land.
Take a basket, place a yellow handkerchief inside it, and go out into the street with it to buy fruits. Upon returning, the fruits are set before Oshún, praying to her and lighting two itanas for her. After 5 days, cleanse yourself with the fruits, which are tied inside the handkerchief and taken to the river, so that Oshún may remove all the evil you carry upon you and you may attain your happiness.
Here the person must wear a wig
Prayer: yeye kalulu, yeye euere, kaluku yeye, omota omota quibioco eru, ban boio, yanyan iroko yanyan.
In one era, San Lázaro Asoyi was going through a difficult time. It was then that he met Aggayú, who, taking pity on him, offered him shelter in his house. There Asoyi received much care, and he fell in love with Aggayú’s beautiful daughter; despite being old and sick, he wronged her by transmitting all his ailments to her.
The young woman was infected with syphilis; blotches began to appear on her body and her hair fell out. To cover her baldness she resorted to horse dung. When Aggayú noticed what had happened, he rebuked Asoyi and immediately threw him out of his house. And so Asoyi wandered with his cazuela from one place to another.
A woman who had no child asked for one at the ceiba iroko, offering a sacrifice in exchange. She did not keep her promise, and the God of the ceiba devoured the girl, refusing then to accept her gift.
This explains why, in the itases of Asoyi, his cazuela is pushed along with the forehead all the way to the mat where Orunmila awaits it; this operation is performed by the children of this Santo. In this Ifá, the person likes to wear a wig, or in time will have to wear one because of baldness.
The bird and the savanna
There was a bird that lived in a savanna, and every year it had to mourn the loss of its young, burned by the owner of those lands. The weariness it carried led it to consult Orunmila, who came out marking an ebbó so that it would move away from that place immediately.
The bird obeyed the instructions and departed for the forest, where it was finally able to prosper.
You must move away from where you live as soon as possible. Perform ebbó so that things can improve for you. If you stay living there, you will never get ahead, no matter what work you perform.
Works and ebbó of Irete Obara
Works of Irete Obara
- Secrets of the sign
- The person’s organs are dislocated and they must orugbo with the nerves of malu. Kofibori eleda with pisajo, or bull’s nerve, performed by a daughter of Yemayá.
- Note
- Prepare an infusion with bull’s pisajo. The secret is that the rogation be performed by a daughter of Yemayá; if the sign comes in osobo (misfortune), by a daughter of Oyá. For impotence. Orugbo is performed with a bull’s nerve, to which an ayapa is given with Shangó; shavings are taken from it for impotence, mixed with sweet wine and eñi of hawksbill turtle.
- Ebbó
- If it says ano (illness): El ebbo y owo la mello.
- Ebbó
- If it says ikú (death): Abeboadie meyi and onilleno owo. If this letter says ano and the person is a man, he is impotent; if a woman, her menses are irregular.
- Ebbó for well-being
- Abeboadie meyi, eyele meyi, eku, eya, epo.
- Ebbó
- Two hens, one goat, 2 pigeons, and maíz finado.
- Work
- A rooster is given on one side, and another at a ceiba.
Prayers and suyeres of Irete Obara
Liturgical material transcribed from the source manuscripts; it is preserved verbatim.
Prayer
Irete Oba Biye Lodafun Orunmila, Yalorde Ati Obini. Akuko, Owunko Lebo Intori Ikú, Intori Arun Afie Lebo Maferefun Shangó, Maferefun Oyá.
Prayer
Iyenko Ilembe Otra Eñila Oma Adifafun Ashorun Akoko Umbatolo Rogun Dodo Auko Lebo Ibi Amnere Niadoyuko Adifafun Akorima Bati Fonro On Esheri Adie Lebo Intori Arun Intori Ikú. Maferefun Shangó, Lodafun Oyá.
Prayer
Ifá Irete Lorda Biye. Lodafun Orunmila, Yalorde Oti Obini, Irete Baba Ifá Ilenko Ilembre Ora Eñi Ordafun Akuko Owunko Lebo Ewefa Oshe (carpintero) Elere Es Cuarto. Iré Aye Ateguagun Aun Lo Orunmila Fa Eyeba (dele Sangre A Ifá).
Prayer
Ifá Irete Lorba Biye Lodafun Orunmila, Yalorde Ati Obini. Maferefun Shangó, Lodafun Oyá.
Orishas in this sign
The orishas that the letter itself links to this sign, according to what the source records:
- Yemayá — Good fortune comes to you through a daughter of Yemayá.
- Shangó — An akuko is given on one side, and another at the ceiba, calling upon Shangó and Oduduwa.
- Oyá — The secret is that the rogation be performed by a daughter of Yemayá; if in osobo, by a daughter of Oyá.
- Babalú Ayé — It was here that Babalu Ayé was cast out of the Lucumí land.
Other important aspects of the sign
Ewé of the sign
Ewefa, bejuco garañon, pendejera and calleput.
Irete Oba Biye Telewele Wele Awo Abalode Adifafun Osha Ogu Nina Tinlosile Ki Ti Olo Binu Were Were.