This festival is the celebration of Osa and Olokun.  The odu Ifa that talks about this festival is Osa Meji.  It was divined for Olokun and Osa. Osa and Olokun are the wives of Oduduwa. During this time only Olokun had money Osa was very poor.   Olokun is the first wife of Oduduwa and did not have any children. Because of her childlessness she advised Oduduwa to marry another wife. This second wife is Osa.

Both Osa and Olokun were told to make the sacrifice.  Only Osa made the sacrifice.  Osa was the only one to have children and Olokun remained  childless.

During this festival the king calls all his children to wear Agbon and celebrate.  Only Osa had the children and Olokun did not have the children to dance in the festival.

They sing:

olomo loni laye

osara mo ko omode o

oye ye ko oyeko.

Because Olokun didn’t have children she was sad and went to the sea.  THis is why she left Ile-Ife and went to Eko and changed to the ocean.  In the end Orunmila made an extraordinarily large sacrifice for her to have children and at last she had children.

The Agbon festival is celebrated every year and this year was enjoyed and attend by the Araba Agbaye, his children, all the Awos, the Emese, Osara people and their children.

Orishada would like to thank all who  attended this year’s Agbon festival and we look forward to next year’s festivities.

Orishada is proud to introduce the newest member of the Orishada family.  We are blessed with a new child and pray goodness and prosperity to shower all members of the Orishada community.  Ase!

Ododun lari orogbo

Ododun lari arusa

Ododun lari omo obi lori ate

Ododun la o wa ri lode isalaye

Ododun lawo toro lowo olodumare

Won ko ni fi enikeni sa wa ti o

Gbogbo Eyin Ololufe Orishada

Ibanuje koni je ti yin o Ase

E  adupe gidigidi lowo gbogbo ololufe wa

Ase ye samo odun asamodun semi o

For a full explanation of your odu Ifa please contact us at Orishada@gmail.com.

Aboru Aboye,

The Araba Agbaye has released the following statement:

I Araba Aworeni Awoyemi Adisa do not permit the unauthorized use of my name, image, or words to be used. Anything having to do with my name must be authorized by me especially when used to gain notoriety or money by the user.

It has come to the Araba Agbaye’s attention via the World Wide Web or internet that his name is being used as a means to gain money and notoriety. The Araba Agbaye has neither divined, given ebo instructions or authorized this to be done on his behalf in Venezuela. The advertisement of these services is false and is being done without his authorization.

Ake ko kumo enikokan

Ika kumo eniyan

Bi eniyan ba yo leda

ohun gangan a ma yo won se

A difa fun etutu ti se omo

Ikofa orunmila ni ojo to ba ni aya sun

Iro ti lo

Otito ti de o

Odabo

Asa is the Yoruba word for Culture.   During the Asa festival many functions take place.   Recently at the Oketase World Ifa Temple, Ile-Ife, Nigeria, the Asa Festival took place featuring Yoruba dancing, drumming, singing and a theatrical performance.   The Asa festival focuses on Yoruba dress and style.  This style is unique to the Yoruba people.  It was exciting for all to see and a great learning experience for those looking to learn more and enjoy the Asa of Ife-Ife, Nigeria.

Orishada.com recognizes the large contribution of Awotunde Aworeni, Asiwaju Ijo Orunmila Ile-Ife, in making the Asa Festival for this year possible.

An Apetebi is the name given to wife of Orunmila. It is also the name Orunmila gave to the wife of a Babalawo.

In the Odu Ifa Ogbe Sa, Ifa gives the story of how the Apeeibi became the wife of Orunmila. Ifa relates that Orunmila went to war in the town of Ilu obirin after all the efforts of the other Orisha were unsuccessful. Orunmila consulted Ifa, made the proper sacrifice and subsequently was able to defeat the uprising in Ilu obirin. The town of Iluobirin was inhabited by only women. These women were tied together with rope and taken back to the town where Orunmila resided. Once they arrived in town Orunmila’s advisers wanted to kill all of the women. Instead of killing the women Orunmila decided to make them Apetebi.

The difference between an Apetebi and an Iyanifa (female Ifa priest) is that an Apetebi is not necessarily initiated to Ifa but is a wife of a Babalawo. Whereas an Iyanifa is not only initiated to Ifa but is a learned Ifa priest.

After a woman marries a Babalawo, she is required to clean the area and house of Ifa every 5 days. It is necessary to keep the area where Ifa rests clean. She is always to take water to visitors when they arrive in the home. She must also honor her husband and cannot be rude. She should be respectful of all her husband;s omo Awo. She must be the keeper of her husband’s secrets and be careful of her words outside the home.

A Babalawo’s duties to an Apetebi include treating his wife with respect. He cannot beat or use harsh words towards her but must be cool tempered and patient. If a problem arises between a Babalawo and his his it must be solved amiably.

When feeding Ifa the Apetibi should bring Esin and use these materials to pray. There are many songs specific to Apetibi. In the Oketase temple in Ile-Ife, the Apetibi have Aro, which are roles specific to Apetibi in the Agboniregun and Ifa festivals. When Odu is being carried out Apetibi have Orin that is sung specifically at that time. During each occasion there are many necessary assignments and duties the Apetibi must perform. Through these many tasks the wives of Orunmila receive the blessings of Ifa.

Respect that is given to a Babalawo is also given to his Apetibi. The Apetibi has power. She was given cowries by Orunmila to divine for his clients in his absence. The Apetibi can divine with erindilogun. She has access to all of the Orisha houses. However she can never into the house of Odu or Oro. These places are forbidden to female. The Apetibi will wear Ide Ifa and traditional cloting. Another babalaow can never sit in the place where an Apetibi has just vacated.

The Apetebi is a valued member of the Ifa community.

Omo ti a fi etebi ki a ma pe ni Apetebi

Lubedo siko aya mi no

Ajagbakira aya mi ni se

Eri mi e dasi yayaya

Edo koyaya

O to ka daesi doko nu ka wa sere gba yi o

Emorora ka o emo ku aribo ode o

Ifa ati Orisa a gba wa o ase

In Ile-Ife, beginning in late June the Egungun masquerades begin to appear.  The Egungun will appear from various compounds in Ile-Ife from the end of June through October.  Many family compound in Ile-Ife participate in the Egungun festivities and own several of the hundreds of different type of Egungun.  A family compound will own an Egungun masquerade depending on the head of the household’s individual odu Ifa, their family lineage or just personal interest and appreciation of the Egungun culture.

There are many different kinds of Egungun, hundreds, bearing many different names.  In Yorubaland the types of Egungun changes from town to town.  For instance,  Egungun is worshiped differently in Ibadan than it is in Ile-Ife.  The procession of Egungun occurs over a period of months and moves from compound to compound.  Some Egungun are only allowed out at night while others come out only in the afternoon or evening.  Each Egungun characteristics depend on family lineage or personal taboos.  In Ile-Ife, the house of Egungun is called Igbale.  There are two primary types of Egungun called Egun Oloro and the Egun Onijo.  Egun Oloro is a male and canes festival goers while Egun Onijo is female and dances with festival goers.  The last Egungun to appear is the most senior Egungun called, Alagba.  The Alagba Egungun will appear before the Olojo festival in October, this festival marks the end of the Egungun procession.

In the Oketase compound, the Egungun masqurade does not appear at the Oketase temple or the Enuwa.  This is because of three very powerful events that occur at this location.  The first event is that which happens during the Odun Elefin festival when the Araba Agbaye transforms into the leopard.  The second event is during the Olojo festival when the Ooni carries the Aare of Oduduwa (the crown) to the Oke Mogun which is located in the Enuwa.  The third event is during the Ijekuru Itapa Obatala or Igbefapade Orisa where the Ooni, the Araba Agbaye and the Obatala shrine meet in January.  For these reasons the Egungun can never appear at this location, if they do pass the Enuwa the Oga will appear and swallow them whole.

In early September, the Araba Agbaye brought out his family’s Egungun appearing at his mother’s compound in Okemarisa.  The Egungun included, Awo Arerungbaga, Obadi Meji, Oori, Oyin, etc.

According to Ifa, Orunmila is the one who took the Egungun from the Iwo Ile, the hole in the earth.  In Okanran Ogunda (Okanranileegun) Ifa explains:

Ore gan gan lo mu egun wole.  Atori gan gan.  Lo mo oro wole Igbale.  Gbagbese mi ogbagbese.  Adifa fun Baba Lamese to mu egun rowaye.

There are many odu Ifa that talk about Egungun, including Oyeku Irete, Iwori Oyeku, Oyeku Pakinose, etc.  The taboos of Egungun is that they can never cane a Babalawo and they can never show their face.  If the Egungun passes the Agbede they must leave coins.  The Egungun can wear any color and they eat akara, ole, obuko, plenty palm oil, obi, and otin.

Iwa Pele is character.  In the olden days, Iwa was the most beautiful woman in the village and everybody  wanted to marry her.  It was only Orunmila that made the proper sacrifice and was allowed to marry Iwa.  When Orunmila made the sacrifice he was given one special instruction and it was that he could never yell or mistreat Iwa.  One day years into his marriage with Iwa, Orunmila returned home and his food was not yet prepared.  Orunmila began to scream at Iwa.  Iwa patiently bore the brunt of Orunmia’s wrath.  She quickly finished preparing the food and Orunamila sat and ate.  In the morning Iwa packed her things and left Orunmila’s house and returned to Heaven.

Orunmila searched and searched for Iwa eventually finding her in heaven.  When Orunmila went to heaven to find Iwa, he changed his clothes as not to appear as himself.  When Iwa came out, Orunmila begged her to return.  She agreed but her said that she would never return in human form again.  She would only return in spirit.

The person that is patient will see Iwa, for Suuru (Patience) is the father of good character.  Great things in life comes to those with patience.  Good character is easy for some and very difficult for others because of one’s mind.

If  a person doesn’t have good character no one will look for them, everyone will dislike them and on one will give them the good advice.  If you have a good mind you can also have good character.  Being good to others invites good character.  It also important that one cannot judge them self it is others that will recognize the good character in them.

One does not feed or worship good character, she is a collection of behaviors and she is necessary to receive and care for the Orisha.  To work with the Orisha one must have Iwa, it requires good character and patience.

Eji Ogbe and Ogbe Ogunda are amoung the many odus that speak of Iwa.

The next post will focus on Ori inu.

The Orunmila Barami Agbonmiregun, the World Ifa Festival was held Saturday June 6, 2009 at Oketase the World Ifa Temple, Ile-Ife. This festival celebrates the New Year for all the traditional Yoruba practitioners.

In the odu Oyeku Irete the festival is referenced:

Opokun Babalawo onigeti lo se Ifa fun won nigeti, oreku Babalawo ileri lo se Ifa fun won nileri, ati opoku ati oreku Babalawo onitase lo se Ifa fun onitase.
This passage tells of Orunmila’s decision to reside at Oketase where all the world will come to worship him. As a result the Ikin of Orunmila to this day continues to be held at Oketase where once a year at the Ifa New Year all the babalawos around the world gather to say adura and feed the Ikin of Orunmila. Each town in Yorubaland and from around the world send their singers, dancers, high chiefs and Ifa priests to represent their
town at the festival.

The festival began in the early morning on Saturday. All the babalawos gathered and traveled around Ile-Ife to all the Orisa shrines.

When they returned the Babalawos joined the Araba Agbaye at Oketase and proceeded to the palace of the Ooni.

At the Ooni’s palace all the Awoolodumerindinlogun (highest order babalawo), the Araba Agbaye and other priests from other cities and countries fed the Origi located in the palace.

After they finished all the rituals at the palace, they returned to Oketase. Many more rituals took place at Oketase, the World Ifa Temple.

Following these rituals the babalawos consulted Ifa. After they consulted Ifa each babalawo from different towns recited Ifa verses with regard to the Odu that fell.

After this, everyone present said their own personal adura.

In the morning the all the babalawos and priests proceeded to the palace to personally greet the Ooni in the New Year and recite the meaning
of this year’s Odu. The Ooni discussed with those gathered the Odu and what the New Year will bring. The Ooni also gave advice and participated in the morning’s festivities.

After they left the palace, they returned to Oketase and made the sacrifice for the New Year.

The Odu for the New Year is : Etura Ofun (Ire Aje)

This Odu says that money will be coming. There will be assistance for those in need. One needs to look for that which will assist them to gain money in the new year.

According to this Odu:

Etura ra fun ra fun Babalawo lo se Ifa fun owo (hand)

Ifa is saying in this Odu that no one will suffer in this year.

Wo wo wo awo ebi do Babalawo meriyeri lo se Ifa fun meriyeri to sawo lo si oko oloburo. Alukin fun orogun re

Ifa is also saying that we need to be careful not to be envious of other, not to be jealous. We should have patience and endure whatever hardship. We should be careful about that which is too shiny, too beautiful. Do not be so prideful that you cannot take advice, be open and heed the advice given. This odu is telling us to following instructions and rules.

According to the Yoruba proverb:

Sa bi Ologun se wi

The meaning is to follow the instructions given, don’t add or delete, endure and do what you are told.

All those that hinder growth and are envious and jealous (ilara) will meet their demise.

Each indivudal should make a sacrifice for Ifa, Aje, Iyaami and Esu. For more specific details please write us at orishada.com