The physical level of consciousness is pictured by the Odús which form the Southern Quadrant of the Opon Ifa; which are collectively known as the Ese-Opon Odús. The Ese-Opon Odús represent an area of life which I refer to as everything that had to do with matters external or outside of your immediate home. This group of Odús represents health, finances, work, creativity and relationships.
Up to this point, the challenges that we have experienced have been internal challenges. We have explored six internal challenges of the mind (Ori-Opon Odús), three internal challenges of the heart (Osi-Opon Odus), and two internal challenges energetically or spiritually (Otun-Opon Odus).
After we have invested our time and energy exploring those eleven problematic states of consciousness internally, then those internal problematic states will begin to reveal themselves externally via the grouping of the Odús we refer to as the Ese-Opon Odús.
1) Worry. Eshu is the Orisha of communication and in this realm this Orisha causes us to worry about communication and how it’s being received or misused or misunderstood. Worry is an interesting state of consciousness because it takes us to the future or it takes us to the past, yet it has us totally avoiding the present.
It is a very problematic state of consciousness because we definitely are not in the present when we are worrying. We are caught in the what ifs? of tomorrow and the if onlys… of yesterday, and as a result, totally avoiding the present.
Avoid means to create a void. Nothing gets handled in the present because we avoid situations that are not present. This group of Odús reflect back to us that state where we are either worried about something that concerns us in the future or we are worried about past activities or deeds. We can collapse worry by attending to the present needs and situation.
2) The next external problematic state is fear of failure or success. This state is brought to us courtesy of Obaluaye. It’s the feeling of being limited, restricted in our productivity and our actions.
This is fear of failing, or fear of success. The function of fear is to constrict and distort our perceptions, our behaviors, and our realities. This is the experience of old fears that we will fail, like we have in the past, or fear that we will fail in the future.
It is also fear of success — fear that we don’t deserve or can’t handle that which we have wanted and can achieve. It is amazing to watch the creative energy that can be used to sabotage our own success or actualize a negative, self-fulfilling prophecy.
Whenever we are in a state of worry or fear of failure, Oturupon or Ofun, it is an indication that we have been through all the other eleven states. Both of these Odús tell us that it is an important time for us to make a choice to redirect our energy and move into the areas of consciousness where we can use and access our talents and resources.
These Odús signal and warn that whatever we have been thinking about in our minds, or whatever we have been reacting to in the heart, or in whatever ways we have been sabotaging our energy it is about to manifest itself in the outer reality if these states are not addressed. These Odús indicate that what we’ve been fearing, or what we have been experiencing could manifest tangibly in the external world in areas of health, finances, creativity, and relationships if we don’t begin to redirect our focus and energy.
There are eight ways that we can transform worry and fear of failure. These are teachings Orunmila has given us so that we can follow to transform or direct negative or problematic states so that we do not manifest what we fear or worry about; instead, we can begin to redirect the problematic states creatively, remembering and using our gifts, talents and resources.
Coming up in the next article I will present eight ways that we can transform worry and fear of failure. Make sure to subscribe to my Newsletter if you have not done so. This way you will make certain not to miss out on any of my articles.
