His position as to be the first is said to have been ordered by Olodumare (GOD) himself. Esu is the owner and ruler of all the paths in the universe and also of communication between the Orishas, Olodumare, and mankind.

Esu directs traffic along the Road of Life from his abode at the Crossroads of Fortune. If you’re faced with an important choice or a powerful opportunity, Esu can offer advice to help swing things your way. A super-speedy go-between, he can carry complaints to the Gods, questions to the spirit world, and messages to any living thing.

With his connections, Esu can be a powerful ally. But he’s also a God with a sense of humor and will often throw a spanner in the works to keep life interesting. This could explain why we don’t always get what we want. Be careful — this God of crossroads is also a master of cross-purposes.

Esu eats: goats, roosters, possum, pigs, mice. He readily accepts yams, fruits and fish, rum, and red palm oil.

Tags: orisa, orisha, esu, eshu

Esu is a post from:

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1. The Orisa
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3. Ifa – An African Spiritual Tradition

All human beings are in continuous contact with the Orisa. Our bodies and senses are constantly conversing with energy, whether we realize it or not. Much can be learned from honoring this connection and paying attention to the way Orisa work in the universe. Each energy serves its own unique part while still maintaining perfect balance with the whole. Through observing and communicating with Orisa, we come to realize that human beings do play this same active and significant role in the universe. Orisa shows us exactly how the energy of our actions and our thoughts affect not only our own lives, but the lives of everyone and everything around us…

There are an infinite number of Orisa operating in the universe, yet we can break them down into seven basic complexes; Esu, Obatala, Yemonja/Olokun, Ogun, Oya, Sango, and Osun.

Tags: Orisa, Orishas, Orichas, Esu, Obatala, Yemonja, Olokun, Ogun, Oya, Sango, Osun

The Orisa is a post from:

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After years of a personal and intimate relation with this most exquisite Orisha; I’ve come to realize that she is the energy that gives birth to “The Power of Attraction”.

You all have heard hundreds of times that what you entertain in your mind you bring to reality (you manifest). This is because:

1. Thoughts
2. Become
3. Things

That’s right, thoughts are a magnetic signal that is drawing the “parallel” back to you!

If you spend your energy thinking on what you don’t want you will attract just that!

However; you could go crazy by trying to “check” all your thoughts. The good news is you don’t have to. You see, thoughts are manifested as feelings. So “what you feel” is what you attract. If you feel lousy you will attract experiences which will keep you feeling lousy. So how do you want to feel? Then feel that way.

So check yourself; look into the mirror and see how you look. Are you looking like a person who is weighted down by all the “bad things happening”? Or is the reflection on the mirror of a person who is enjoying all the good things life has to offer, and feels great?

1. Your thought and
2. Your feelings
3. Create your life

These are the lessons I’ve learned from this most beautiful and powerful Orisha.

Ìbà oshun oloriya igún aréwa obirin

If you would like to get an excellent series of videos on the Law Of Attraction click here

Tags: Oshun, Orisha, The law of Attraction

Oshun – The Law of Attraction is a post from:

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Mo juba awo Oya!
Iwo ni Orisha Obinrin Afefe.
Iwo ni Oluwa Awo Iku.
Iwo ni Orisha Obinrin Efufulile.
Iwo ni Ologun Obinrin Julo Nase.
Iwo ni Emi Iye.

I humble myself before the mysteries of Oya!
You are the Goddess of the Wind.
You are the Owner of the Mysteries of Death.
You are the Goddess of the Tempest.
You are the Greatest Female Warrior.
You are the Breath of Life.

Unlike Yemoja and Oshun who command our attention through their grace, beauty, and majesty; Orisa Oya is the invisible Orisha. In fact, Her face is said to be so terrible that none dare behold it. Oya’s presence and action is reflected in the flight of birds, the swaying of trees, the whistling of the atmosphere, the blowing of dust, the hurling of dirt, the movement of the waves, the sound of music, the spoken word, the cry of a baby, the roar of the lion, the movement of clouds, and the life of fire. It is Orisha Oya who gives us our passport to life [breath] at birth, and requires its return at death. Oya is therefore, the watcher of the doorway between life and death. She is not death but the awareness of its existence. Orisha Obatala, Yemoja, Ogun, and Oshun are all connected with the blood, but if Oya does not embue the blood with her Ase, the life process can not proceed. Not only is Oya’s Ase essential to the life process of the ‘godseekers’ and other creatures that inhabit this region of the Ase, but she is also the one who carries the pollen of the plants and trees from place to place, either directly in her invisible hands, or in the body of birds that fly in her ever present embrace. Orisa Oya is symbolic of things that are, felt more often than seen. In this sense she is associated with ‘covert’ activities and ‘secret’ operations.

Orisa Oya also represents the destruction of old society making way for the new; and the power to completely destroy cities and fields, reverting them back to their original state. She accomplishes this by sending cyclones, tornadoes, and hurricanes which destroy everything in their paths, forcing mankind to rebuild new cities and towns. It is agreed among the scholars of Ifa that Oya was Shango’s favorite wife, and it is said that, when Sango wants to fight he sends Oya ahead of him to fight with the wind. …further…without Oya there is nothing Sango can accomplish. When Shango sends his voice of thunder ahead of his approaching lightning, it is the Ase of Oya that gives expression to his voice as thunder which is caused by the sudden expansion of air in the path of an electrical charge. Many santeros [priest of Santeria] believe that Oya is the one who gave Chango power over thunder and lightning. In actuality, Oya is central and essential to the collective workings of the Siete Potencias [7 Principle Orisa]. It is Orisa Oya’s domain and responsibility to clean the atmosphere around the planet and the provide the proper balance of gases to sustain all forms of life. No Orisha should be disrespected or disregarded, least of all Oya; “…her wrath is so devastating that it must be absolutely avoided. Not only does Orisa Oya carry pollen and dust, but she also carried disease and other agents of death. It is interesting that scientists today are saying that ‘second-hand cigarette smoke’ can be as deadly as cigarette smoking. The depleting ozone layer, nuclear fallout, greenhouse gases, and the like, are all operating in the domain of Orisha Oya.

Iba se Orisa Oya!

Homage to Orisa Oya!

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Oya is a post from:

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Mo juba awo Oshun.
Iwo ni Orisha Obinrin Odo.
Iwo ni Oluwa Awo Ilaju.
Iwo ni Oluwa Awo Ife.
Iwo ni Orisha Julo Ewa.
Iwo ni Oluwa Awo Oyin.
Iwo ni Oluwa Awo Eya Abo Ati Ako, ati Ibare.

I humble myself before the mysteries of Oshun.
You are the Goddess of the River.
You are the Owner of the Mysteries of Civilization.
You are the Owner of the Mysteries of Love.
You are the Most Beautiful Orisha.
You are the Owner of the Mysteries of Honey.
You are the Owner of the Mysteries of Sex, and Intimacy.

Oshun is the Yoruban Orisha (deity) of the sweet or fresh waters (as opposed to the salt waters of Yemaya). She is widely loved, as She is known for healing the sick and bringing fertility and prosperity, and She especially watches over the poor and brings them what they need. As Orisha of love, Oshun is represented as a beautiful, charming and coquettish young woman. In some tales She is said to be a mermaid, with a fish’s tail.

To the Yoruba people; inhabitants of western central Africa, in present-day Nigeria, Oshun is the goddess of the river of the same name, and She is especially worshipped in river-towns. During Her yearly festival, She is said to choose one or more women dancers to descend into (much like participants in Vodou ceremonies may be “mounted” or “possessed” by a lwa). These women then take new names in honor of Oshun and are thereafter consulted as healers.

Oshun was taught divination with cowrie shells by Obatala, the first of the created gods, and then She brought the teaching to humans. She was at one time the wife of Shango, the storm god, as was Oya, the goddess of the winds and tempests. Oshun is also said to be the mother of the birds or fishes.

With the African diaspora, Oshun was brought to the Americas, and adopted into the pantheons that branched out of the African traditions. In the Brazilian religion of Candomblé, which retains close ties with the Yoruban religion, as well as in Cuban Santeriá, She is called Oxum. In Haitian Vodoun She is an inspiration for Erzulie or Ezili, also a goddess of water and love.

Oshun, like the other Orisha, has a number associated with Her–five; a color–yellow or amber; and a metal–gold or bronze. The peacock and the vulture are sacred to Her. Offerings to Oshun include sweet things such as honey, mead, white wine, oranges, sweets, or pumpkins, as well as perfume.

Oshun in a reading indicates sweetness and good cheer, beauty and flowing joy.

Alternate spellings: Oxun, Osun, Oshoun, Oxum, Ochun.

Titles: Oshun Ana, “Goddess of Luxury and Love”; Oshun Telargo, as the modest one; Oshun Yeye Moro, as the coquette; Oshun Yeye Kari, “Mother of Sweetness”.

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Oshun is a post from:

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Mo juba awo Yemoja.
Iwo ni Ayaba Iya.
Iwo ni Iya Orisha.
Iwo ni Inu Iye Odidi.
Iwo ni Ifihan Ti Abo Ase.
Iwo ni Inu Aiye.
Iwo ni Orisha Obinrin Okun Nla ati Odo.
Iwo ni Oluwa Awo Ti Abo Ipilese.

I humble myself before the mystery of Yemoja.
You are the Queen of Mothers.
You are the Mother of the Orisha.
You are the Womb of all Life.
You are the Feminine Manifestation of the Ase.
You are the Womb of the World.
You are the Goddess of the Oceans and Rivers.
You are the Owner of the Mystery of the Feminine Principle.

Yemonja (Yemoja) represents the maternal aspect of divinity. Originally river deity, Yemonja became associated with the seas. Her name, Iyemoja, means “our mother whose children are as numerous as there are fish”.

Yemonja, saltwater deity, is personalized as woman ebony of color with full large breasts who nurtures the world. From myths, her early incarnation on earth was that of passive energy in the creation process. She evolved into the strong, dominant earth mother after experiencing trials of disrespect and at times violence. According to a patiki, Yemonja’s response to a repugnant act that occurred against her was to plunge from a hill to the earth. This act caused her stomach to burst open from which sprang the sixteen orisas and the first human man and woman. The fluids that came forth from her produced the rivers, lakes and seas. Yemonja teaches us to persevere despite what life brings us.

Though many associate coquetry and sensuality with Oshun, these attributes truly belong to Yemonja. She is the sensuality of woman; her broad hips celebrating the ase to bring forth life. The turbulence of the sea an artistic portrayal of the hormonal changes that may contribute to mood swings in a woman. Once love has grown cold for her, she sends her lover away while she remains firmly rooted on her throne.

Each year we celebrate the strength, mystery, support and love of our ethereal mother. Since we live in the Midwest, the weather only permits us to commune with her at the waterfront during the warmer months. However, she is honored at various times of the year throughout the world. Through Cuba, her sacred day is September 8.

Yemoja’s colors are in the range of blue and white dependent upon her avatar or path. Her number is 7.

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Written by Yvette Thomas, August 2005. ©.  Chicago Tribune photo of Ile Osikan Yemoja Festival by Terence Antonio James June, 2005

Yemoja – Goddess of the Oceans and Sea Queen of Mothers is a post from:

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Mo juba awo Obatala.
Iwo ni Eleda Orisha.
Iwo ni Orisha Julo Nase.
Iwo ni Oluwa Awo Ori.
Iwo ni Oluwa Awo Ogbogba.
Iwo ni Oluwa Awo Mimo.
Iwo ni Oluwa Awo Alafia.
Iwo ni Oluwa Awo Ti Abo ati
Ako Ipilese.

I humble myself before the mystery of Obatala.
You are the Creator of the Orisha.
You are the Most Powerful Orisha.
You are the Owner of the Mystery of
Consciousness.
You are the Lord of the Mystery of Balance and Equality.
You are the Owner of the Mystery of Purity.
You are the Owner of the Mystery of Peace.
You are the Owner of the Mystery of the Feminine and the Masculine Principles.

Obatala is the Spirit of the Chief of the White Cloth in the West African religious tradition called “Ifa”. The word Obatala is the name given to describe a complex convergence of Spiritual Forces that are key elements in the Ifa concept of consciousness. Those Spiritual Forces that form the foundation of Obatala’s role in the Spirit Realm relate to the movement between dynamic and form as it exists throughout the universe, According to Ifa, dynamics and form represent the polarity between the Forces of expansion and contraction. Together these Forces create light and darkness, which in turn sustains and defines all that is. Ifa teaches that it is the interaction between light and darkness that generates the physical universe, and it is Obatala who brings this interaction into Being.

There is no literal translation for the word Ifa. It refers to a religious tradition, and understanding of ethics, a process of spiritual transformation and a set of scriptures that are the basis for a complex system of divination.

Within the discipline of Ifa, there is a body of wisdom called “awo”, which attempts to preserve the rituals that create direct communication with Forces in Nature. Awo is a Yoruba word that is usually translated to mean “secret”. Unfortunately, there is no real English equivalent to the word awo, because the word carries strong cultural and esoteric associations. In traditional Yoruba culture, awo refers to the hidden principles that explain the Mystery of Creation and Evolution. Awo is the esoteric understanding of the invisible forces that sustain dynamics and form within Nature. The essence of these forces are not considered secret because they are devious, they are secret because they remain elusive, awesome in their power to transform and not readily apparent. As such they can only be grasped through direct interaction and participation. Anything which can be known by the intellect alone ceases to be awo.

The primal inspiration for awo is the communication between transcendent Spiritaul forces and human consciousness. This communication is believed to be facilitated by the Spirit of Esu, who is the Divine Messenger. Working in close association with Esu is Ogun, who is the Spirit of Iron. Ogun has the power to clear away those obstacles that stand in the way of spiritual growth.According to Ifa, the work done by Ogun is guided by Ochosi, who as the Spirit of the Tracker has the ability to locate the shortest path to our spiritual goals. The essential goal that Ochosi is called upon to guide us towards is the task of building “iwa-pele”, which means “good character”. This guidance takes the form of a spiritual quest which is called “iwakiri”. One of the functions of Obatala is to preserve the Mystic Vision for those who make the quest of iwakiri in search of iwa-pele.

The power of Obatala is described by Ifa as one of the many Spiritual Forces in Nature which are called “Orisha”. The word Orisha means “Select Head”. In a cultural context, Orisha is a reference to the various Forces in Nature that guide consciousness.

According to Ifa, everything in Nature has some form of consciousness called “Ori”. The Ori of all animals, plants, and humans is believed to be guided by a specific Force in Nature(Orisha) which defines the quality of a particular form of consciousness. There are a large number of Orisha, and each Orisha has its own awo.

The unique function of Obatala within the realm of Orisha Awo (Mysteries of Nature) is to provide the spark of light that animates consciousness. To call and Orisha the Chief of the White Cloth is to make a symbolic reference to that substance which makes consciousness possible. The reference to White Cloth is not a reference to the material used to make the cloth, it is a reference to the fabric which binds the universe together. The threads of this fabric are the multi-leveled layers of consciousness which Ifa teaches exist in all things on all levels of Being. Ifa teaches that it is the ability of Forces of Nature to communicate with each other, and the ability of humans to communicate with Forces in Nature that gives the world a sense of spiritual unity. It is the understanding of this ability which gives substance to the Ifa concept of good character, and it is Obatala who guides us towards developing this understanding.

Ifa teaches that all Forces in Nature come into Being through the manifestation of energy patterns called Odu. Ifa has identified and labeled different Odu which can be thought of as different expressions of consciousness. But because consciousness itself is generated by Obatala, every Odu contains an element of Obatala’s ase(power).

In metaphysical terms, this means that all of Creation is linked to Obatala as the Source of Being. Ifa teaches that all forms of consciousness contain a spark of ase(spiritual power) from Obatala, and it is this spark that links everything that is, to its shared Beginning.

ALO IRINTAN OBATALA- (Folktales of the Spirit of the Chief of the White Cloth)

OBATALA IRIN-AJO IKOLE ARE- The Chief of the White cloth travels to Earth

Olodumare(The Creator) called Obatala(Chief of White Cloth) to Ikole Orun(the Realm of the Ancestors) on the day that he wanted to create dry land on the waters of the Ikole Aye(Earth). Obatala kneeled before Olodumare and said that he did not know the awo(mystery) of creating land on Ikole Aye(Earth). Olodumare told Obatala that he would give him the ase(power) to make land on Ikole Aye(Earth).

Ogun took all the iworo(gold) and forged a long ewon(chain), which he flung towards Ikole Aye(earth). Obatala placed his ase (power in a pouch and began the descent down the ewon(chain). When he came to the last rung he could see that he was still some distance from the primal waters.

Obatala removed the igbin(snail) shell from his pouch and sprinkled soil upon the primal waters. Then he removed the five toed etu(guinea hen) and dropped it in the land. As soon as the etu(guinea hen) reached the soil it started scratching the ground, spreading dirt across the surface of the primal waters. Seeing the ground had become firm, Obatala removed an ikin(palm nut) and dropped it on the land. The ikin(palm nut) sprouted and became a palm tree. When the palm tree grew to its full height, it reached the last ring of the iworo ‘won(gold chain). Obatala was able to step from the ewon(chain) to the palm tree.

After climbing down the tree, Obatala started to mold humans from the clay in the earth. As he worked, he became tired and decided that he needed a rest. Taking the fruit from the palm tree, he made palm wine and drank until he was ready to return to work. The humans that he molded while drunk did not look like the others, but Obatala did not notice and he kept drinking until he fell asleep.

While Obatala slept, Olodumare gave the task of finishing Creation to Oduduwa (Owner of the Womb of Creation). Olodumare waited for Obatala to awaken from his drunken sleep and told him that it was taboo from Obatala to taste palm wine ever again. When Obatala saw what had happened to the humans he had created while he was drunk, he agreed to protect all children for future generations. It was Obatala who said that he would never again let his White Cloth become soiled.

To this day those that worship Obatala say, “Obatala o su n’na ala, Obatala o ji n’nu ala, Obatala o tinu ala dide, Iba Obatala,” which means, “The Chief of White Cloth sleeps in white, the chief of the White Cloth awakens in white, the chief of the White cloth gets up in white, praise to the Chief of the White Cloth”.

Commentary: The word Obatala translates to mean “Chief of the White Cloth.” In metaphysical terms White Cloth is the primal source of the physical universe. Ifa teaches that light becomes transformed into darkness and that darkness becomes transformed into light. Within the unfolding if this transformation, Evolution creates greater and greater levels of complexity. The original explosion that created the universe produced massive quantities of light in the form of subatomic particles. As the universe cooled these particles joined together to form simple elements. The elements in turned joined together to form stars. In time, certain stars collapsed, forming black holes that imploded on themselves until they created a fission reaction. This sent huge clouds of complex elements throughout the universe. It was a cloud of complex elements that cooled to form the solor system, and within the solor system evolved the ecosystem that exists in earth.

The Myth of Obatala is the Ifa version of this sequence of events. It uses symbolic language to describe a series of evolutionary events that match closely with the theories of Creation that have been proposed by contemporary Western science. At the beginning of the Myth, Olodumare gives Obatala the instruction to create the world. Olodumare represents all potential form that exists in the universe as it remains dormant prior to manifestation. It is the White Cloth or light particles of Obatala that bring potential form into physical existence. Western science teaches that all of Creation evolved from the light produced during the primal explosion at the beginning of time. Ifa teaches that all Creation evolved from the White Cloth of Obatala’s a robe.

The chain used by Obatala to travel from the Realm of the Ancestors to Earth appears to be a symbolic representation of the structure used to transmit genetic information from one generation to the next. The genetic code that is used to form each species is passed through a biochemical substance called DNA. When DNA is viewed under a microscope it appears as a double helix, which is similar to the pattern of a chain. In Ifa scripture the reference to the Realm of the Ancestors includes all those Natural Forces that led to the development of human life and is not limited to human form. In Western science that DNA which exists in mammals is believed to be an extension of a chain of transmission from single cell life forms at the bottom of the ocean to complex life forms that populate the earth.

When Obatala climbs down the chain towards land, he takes soil a from snail shell. The shape of the snail shell is a pattern that recurs throughout Nature. The early Greeks called this pattern the “Golden Mean”. It is a series of expanding circles that get progressively larger at a steady rate. This growth pattern occurs in trees, plants, and sea life. It is the same pattern that regulates the distance of planets from the sun. The snail shell as a sacred object associated with Obatala symbolized the expansive quality of evolution.

When Obatala places the guinea hen on the ground, the Earth becomes a place that can support life systems. The guinea hen is sacred to Oshun and it has five toes, which is Oshun’s sacred number. Oshun is the spirit of eroticism, fertility, and abundance. At this point in the myth, Obatala is introducing sexuality, reproduction, and the allure of the erotic into the unfolding pattern of Creation.

In order to reach the Earth, Obatala plants seeds which grow into a palm tree. Within the religion of Ifa the palm tree is regarded as the sacred tree of life. Most earth-centered religions designate a particular tree to symbolize the transformation of all things as they progress through the cycles of birth, life, death, and rebirth. When a Myth refers to a deity bringing the tree of life to Earth, it is a reference to the existence of natural laws which guide the development of ecological systems on the planet.

Obatala reaches the ground and then begins to make humans. At the point Obatala becomes intoxicated, and the task of finishing Creation is given to Oduduwa. In mythic terms, this part of the creation story suggests that the unfolding of evolution can be flawed. Defects occur in Nature and the Ifa Creation myth reflects this truth. Ifa cosmonology tends to describe the world as it is and not as it should be.

The fact that the task of Creation was taken from Obatala and given to Oduduwa appears to be a reference to the Natural Law of entropy. That law says that once an ecological system is set in motion it always moves towards inevitable extinction. By placing Oduduwa in charge of Creation, the myth is suggesting that there is awo, or a mystery beyond the visible universe and beyond the inevitability of death. Oduduwa is the womb of darkness through which all rebirth emerges.

When Obatala agrees to keep his White Cloths unsoiled, it is a promise to continue the struggle for perfection in a flawed universe. Without this struggle there is no existence, only primal unity. Primal unity is described in Ifa scripture as the loneliness of the Ancestors in Ikole Orun 8888.

Excerpt taken from Awo Fa’lokun Fatumbi

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OBATALA- Ifa and the Chief of the Spirit of the White Cloth is a post from:

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