Oshe Di

The three rains

Olofin made three rains fall upon the earth. In the first, precious stones, jewels, diamonds and other objects of value came down. Everyone ran out to gather them, except Orunmila. People criticised him for not taking the chance to make himself rich.

In the second rain, a great deal of money fell. Everyone hurried to pick it up, except Orunmila. Again people judged him for not taking money that could have given him a comfortable life.

Finally, with the third rain came spears, bows, arrows, knives and other weapons. No one went out to collect them, except Orunmila. People wondered what he wanted those weapons for, since they were good for nothing.

But when those who had gathered the jewels, the diamonds and the money had squandered their riches, they began to threaten those who still had theirs, meaning to take it from them. The latter, afraid of losing what they had, went to Orunmila’s house to buy from him the weapons he had collected. Orunmila sold them and grew rich thanks to his wise choice.

Ask permission

There was a man who raised pigs and always offered one to Yemayá so that his business would prosper, yet he never obtained any results. One day, desperate at his failure, he went to consult Ifá at Orunmila’s house, where this Oddun came out. Orunmila explained that Yemayá had never accepted his offerings because he presented the pig with its skin and bristles still on. He advised him to ask permission from Yemayá and Oshún to heat water and make the offering properly, but the man did not believe in any other Santos, only in Yemayá.

In the end he decided to offer an elede to Yemayá, and he set a cauldron to heat beside the pigsty with three lit candles. While he slept, Oshún told Eshu what was going on. Eshu told Oshún to leave the matter alone, since he had taken his stone without asking permission. Even so, Eshu decided to take matters into his own hands.

After that incident, the man learned how important it was to follow Orunmila’s counsel and to respect the Orishas. From then on he began to pay tribute to Eshu, Yemayá and Oshún, and he always consulted Orunmila before making any important decision. In time his pig breeding prospered and he became a successful man, respected in the community.

This story teaches us how important it is to respect tradition and to ask permission of the Orishas before taking any action, for they hold great power and can help us or harm us in our lives. It also reminds us that humility matters, and that we should accept the counsel of those with more experience and knowledge than ourselves.

Bathe with the mingled water of Yemayá and Oshún for 7 days, and have rainwater on hand to put out the fire with which the bathing water was heated; add 7 drops of cane syrup, 5 of bee honey, and iyefa of Orunmila. Place 5 sponge cakes before Oshún on a white plate, and before Yemayá 7 little rounds of maize on a plate until they sprout; when they have had the same length of time, take them to the house of each of the two and hand them over on their plate, and wait for it to go sailing away.