Meaning of Iroso Ka in the Diloggún
- This Ifá marks betrayal.
- It marks violence in the relationships between human beings.
- If the person is a woman, she may have been harmed through witchcraft.
- Here was born the great deception of women: they are promised marriage, lived with, and then abandoned.
- In this sign the engagement ring is worked.
- The person’s head (leri) must be blessed with the sign of the cross, because there are traps that could cost them their life.
- In this Ifá Orunmila displays his wisdom before Ikú (death).
- It was here that Oshún brought money and riches down to earth.
- It is forbidden to go to the countryside without first making ebbó, because someone means to set a trap that could cost the person their life.
- Only Orunmila can save the person.
- It speaks of a son who must be given Ifá; care for him well, for he will be the person’s good fortune.
- It speaks of siblings who, although raised together, do not get along, and who, once grown, will not be able to stand one another.
- The person wishes to do something that keeps proving impossible.
- Intori iré (good fortune): the person will come to have money and a house of their own, but will have to receive Ifá.
- The person must not let anything that happens upset them.
- They may suffer a fright at sea.
- Thanks must be given to Oggún, to Oshún, to Oshosi, to Elegbara and to Obatalá.
- A woman who has this Oddun in ikofafun and is an omo Oshún ololodi must offer a eure to Oshún together with Orunmila in order to be happy in her marriage.
- If a woman, she should live with an awó; if a man, with an omo Oshún, and have Osha made for her if she does not have it. The asia fun fun of the ebbó is for the ilé.
Born in this sign
- The great deception of women.
- Money.
- The rooster of Osun.
What this sign indicates
- That you must have your head blessed with the sign of the cross, and that you must not go to the countryside without first making ebbó, because someone means to set a trap for you that could cost you your life.
- You carry something great in your head and in your body; only Orunmila can save you.
- You have a son for whom you will have to make Ifá; that boy has been a babalawo since birth — care for him well.
- You run a fever every day; do not get upset and do not put your hands on your head. Try to get treatment, because by the time you finally pay attention it will be too late and there will be no way to cure it. You want to do something, but you cannot.
- You have four children who will all be together, yet they will not be able to stand one another.
- You are destined to come to have a house of your own and money, and you will have to receive Ifá.
- Today you are short of everything; do not despair and do not get upset, do not go to the sea, and give thanks to Oggún, Oshosi and Elegbá and to Obatalá.
Proverbs of Iroso Ka
- Mientras más mira, menos ve. The more one looks, the less one sees.
- El esfuerzo conquista montañas. Effort conquers mountains.
Patakíes of Iroso Ka
How Oshún saved the children of Olofin
Prayer: Ode Olodumare Wa Ni Ilu Eye Adifafun Obini Oshun, Olofin, Orunmila Orubo Aure Eñi Owo La Meyo.
Prayer: Eye Lorubo Obini Ilu Kuni Ofori Bere Bere Lordafun Omo.
Ebbó: Akuko, aure, adie, eyele, akofa, un asia fun fun, omi ile ibu, eku, eya, epo, awado, asho verde, eñi, 16.80 pesos.
On this path, Olofin was deeply troubled because on earth there was nothing but wars. He had sent several santos down to earth, and the wars went on all the same, because they could not bring them under control. One day Oshún arrived and, seeing Olofin so lost in thought, asked him what was wrong. Olofin replied that he had sent various santos to earth to bring the wars under control, and they went on all the same. Then Yalorde answered: «With your permission, my father, I will put an end to those wars,» and Olofin agreed to send her to earth.
Oshún came down to earth, took off her clothes and, carrying a white banner, crossed in front of the two armies. At the sight of such a beautiful woman, those warriors halted their fighting; Oshún then seized the moment and began to perform ofikale Otrupon with one of the two groups, and afterwards with the other side. That is how reconciliation came about between the two sides, and the war on earth was brought to an end.
Oshún, breathless from her contact with those men, lay down on the grass by the bank of a river that flowed nearby, and Orunmila, who had watched everything Oshún had done for the children of Olofin, approached her, courted her, and married her as a reward for the deed she had done.
A person who has this Ifá and is a child of Oshún with emino of ololodi must offer an aure to Oshún together with Orunmila, so that they eat together, in order to be happy in their married life. If a woman, she must live with an awó; if a man, he must live with a daughter of Oshún and have santo made for her (the asia fun fun is for the ilé).
Along this path, if the person being read is an obini, she has had to live with several men because they have always treated her badly and deceived her. They promise to marry her and then abandon her.
Abundance arrived
There was a time when plants were scarce, trees would not grow, rivers were drying up, and women could not give birth. It was then that Orunmila asked Charity to carry a basket full of bollos, eggs, black and white thread, a needle, and a rooster.
Charity set out with the basket and met Eshu, who asked her for the thread and the needle, and she gave them to him. Eshu told her to keep walking, and that further on she would meet a woman, who was Obatalá, and that she should ask her for the final directions.
Oshún met Obatalá and handed her the eggs, and Obatalá pointed her toward the gate of heaven. There, Oshún found many boys, among whom she handed out the bollos. When she left, the boys followed her, and Olofin, upon seeing them, opened the keys and brought abundance to the earth.
The curious ones
Ifá teaches that there were two friends who went about together committing misdeeds. One day they arrived at a town and set about studying its ways, and they noticed that in that town people were in the habit of coming out of their houses to see what was going on. So they set their eye on a shop there, and one of them went and bought a fishing rod, having seen that in the town there was a pond that had gone dry, and they began to pray for rain.
One day it rained for a long while, and one of them sat down beside the pond and began to act as if he were fishing; straight away, everyone in the town gathered around him and crowded together, while his companion, who was hiding, waited for the shopkeeper to come out. The people gathered around the first man kept telling him: «Listen, you are mad.» The shopkeeper also came over to see what the fellow was fishing for, and when the man reckoned his friend had already emptied the shop, he said: «Ask me no more; enough with the questions — if I am not catching anything, my companion already has.»
The fish and the cat
The fish and the cat fell into a rivalry; every day, each of them was brought gossip about the other. Sometimes they told them the fish was going to swallow the cat whenever it saw him in the sea, and the cat said the same about the fish. One day, the cat saw the fish in the sea, threw himself into the water to catch it, and very nearly drowned.
Works and ebbó of Iroso Ka
Works of Iroso Ka
- Ozain
- This Ifá has an ozain that is assembled with 3 juju of aikordie, 3 roots of atiponla, 3 ataré, asho fun fun, pupua eti aperi, filings of gold and silver, dried shell of eñi adie and of eñi eyele, ino (corals). What it eats is asked. An akuko is given to Oshún with Oggún, cooked with orozus, iwereyeye, moruro, epó (palm oil), ataré, ginger. The person bathes with orozus, iwereyeye and moruro.
- When there are marriage problems
- Oshún is set to eat together with Orunmila. Oshún is given adie aperi and Orunmila adie dun dun, and both eat from the two adie, and each is covered with the corresponding juju.
- Work
- Three eru are placed in a small pouch, set before the santos, and each time the person goes out into the street they carry it on them.
- Ozain of Iroso Onka
- Three aikoides, three roots and three leaves of atipola, three atares, asho fun fun, pupua and akueri (5 colors may be used). It also carries kola, obí, filings of gold and silver, shell of eñi adie and eñi eyele. What it eats is asked, and it also carries iñe.
- Inshe Ozain
- Moruro, rotten eran malu, rotten mud, river mud, sand, orozus, iwereyeye, one ota keke, a centipede, a scorpion. It is dressed with ileke fun fun, aperi and green. The mud and the eran malu are set out to dry beforehand. It eats with Osun.
- Work
- In a basket, Oshún is given an eleguede, akara and adun (a sweet); she is given an adie, and all of this, along with the leri, goes into the ebbó.
- Ebbó
- Have your head blessed with the sign of the cross, a rooster, eku, eya, 4 stakes and $4.20.
- Ebbó so that your children can stay together
- Four handfuls of watercress, akuko, 2 adie, 2 coconuts, 4 stakes and $4.20.
- Ebbó
- A basket of bollos, eggs, needles, threads, asho, adie, epo, a white sheet and $5.25.
Prayers and suyeres of Iroso Ka
Liturgical material transcribed from the source manuscripts; it is preserved verbatim.
Prayer
Bokala Okala Boquika Okutan Adifafun Obe Akuko Lebo.
Orishas in this sign
The orishas that the letter itself links to this sign, as the source records:
- Elegbá — Thanks must be given to Oggún, to Oshún, to Oshosi, to Elegbara and to Obatalá.
- Obatalá — Thanks must be given to Oggún, to Oshún, to Oshosi, to Elegbara and to Obatalá.
- Oshún — Oshún is set to eat together with Orunmila.
- Oggún — Thanks must be given to Oggún, to Oshún, to Oshosi, to Elegbara and to Obatalá.
- Oshosi — Thanks must be given to Oggún, to Oshún, to Oshosi, to Elegbara and to Obatalá.
- Orunmila — Only Orunmila can save the person.
- Osun
Other important aspects of the sign
Ewé of the sign
Atiponla, palo malambo, amansa guapo, cabo de hacha.
Iroso Ka Bokala Okala Bokika Otutan Adifafun Obe Akuko Lebo.