Ika Bemi

nº 167 of 256

The mirages: evil hides behind the face of good, and the turtle who wanted to fly lost her shell — the merchant who ends up rich.

13 patakíes 4 eewó 10 ebbós and works 12 proverbs

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Ika Bemi is Odù number 167 of the 256 in Ifá, part of the Ika family. This page brings together its prayer in Yoruba, 13 patakíes (3 with the full text), its proverbs, 10 ebbós and works and the signs it shows in the consultation — with the full eewó in plain sight; the detail of iré and osogbo and the full recipes open with The Notebook, in English.

The sign at a glance

Order in Ifá
Odù 167 of 256
Composition
Ika over Ogbe
Orishas that speak
Yemayá · Oduduwa · Azojuano (Oluo Popo) · Elegba · Oshún · Orunmila · Egun

What Ifá says in this sign

Ika Bemi is the Ifá fore ayé of the merchant: you do well in every business you touch, and you will be rich — but with one lens you must never take off. This is the odu of mirages, where what looks good is really bad: evil hides behind the face of good. Buy, sell and choose people with that magnifying glass in your hand.

Your warning story is the turtle who wanted to fly: she borrowed wings, and she lost her shell — do not reach for what is not in your nature, because in the fall you lose even what was yours. Oduduwa and Azojuano rule here: two serious majesties who ask for respect and steady hands.

«What looks good is bad — the merchant of Ika Bemi checks twice before he buys.»The pulse of Ika Bemi

For the Awó of this odu, the family warning: your own children and godchildren are the ones who destroy you — look at yourself well before you take them on, and do not go out in the street without ebbó when this sign comes up. The son this odu announces — Picanle — will have a hard character and a road of Ifá: raise him with his idefá on and a firm hand.

The cares: fair-haired people and light-skinned mixed-race people stand for the arayé here — keep your distance. The palero who did you harm is answered with a work; the fear of the night, the one that makes you sleep with your head covered, is washed off with the aguardiente bath. And your health asks for three things: watch for a stroke — that bitter taste that rises in your mouth —, cool your door against falls and hernias, and take tabaco cimarrón with avocado leaves as your best prevention.

Your secret for prosperity is a musical one: give a drum to Yemayá — with her sounding, the merchant of this odu never goes broke. Give thanks for last night's dream and to Elegba, and tell no lies — you are a child of Orunmila and your word carries weight. Remember: in the country of mirages, the one who checks twice is the one who buys real gold.

The sign in one line

Look behind the face of good, do not borrow wings, and give a drum to Yemayá — the wealth of Ika Bemi is real if your eye is not fooled.

The prayer of Ika Bemi · Yoruba

Baba Adele Baba Fowo ni emite mabinu Baba Adele Baba Fayani. Emite babinu Baba Adele Baba Fowao viemi lele mabinu ire bogbo tee eba fee ni laye enitu mabinu.

Ifá says — what Ika Bemi tells you

Proverbs of Ika Bemi · Òwe

9 proverb interpretations in this Odù, locked.Every proverb explained: which road it comes from and how it applies.Unlock →

Iré and Osogbo

5 iré and osogbo readings in this Odù, locked.The iré and osogbo of the sign, sorted by subject — health, money, love, death, loss…Unlock →

What is born in Ika Bemi · Ìbí

What is forbidden · Eewó

The full eewó of this Odù, open to everyone — with the road each ban came out of.

Ebbós of Ika Bemi · The sacrifices that open the road

7 ebbós in this Odù, locked.Each full recipe: ingredients, preparation and where it goes.Unlock →

Works of Ika Bemi · The workings of the sign

3 works in this Odù, locked.Each full recipe: ingredients, preparation and where it goes.Unlock →

Patakíes of Ika Bemi · The roads of the Odù

1The turtle and the eagle

The eagle fought to eat the turtle, but her hard shell held up against every peck. Worn down, the turtle went to Orunmila: to get that powerful enemy off her back she had to make ebbó — but she did not believe him and did not do it. One day the eagle invited her to a party up on the hill. «How am I going to get there, if I cannot climb?» — «I will carry you on my wings.» The turtle said yes, never seeing that the eagle was her enemy: high in the flight, the eagle closed his wings, and the turtle fell from that great height and broke apart on the rocks. The eagle came down and ate what was left of the trusting turtle. This Ifá turns fore if the ebbó is done.

On this road, the eagle fought with the turtle meaning to eat her; but the turtle had such a hard shell that the eagle, no matter how much she pecked at her, could never do anything to her.

The harassment got so bad that the turtle went to have a reading with Orunmila. He saw this Ifá for her and warned her that, to get free of that powerful enemy attacking her from above, she had to make ebbó; but the turtle did not believe what Orunmila had just told her, and she did not make the ebbó.

One day the eagle invited her to a party being held up there, on the hill. The turtle answered: "How am I going to the party, if I cannot climb the hill?" The eagle answered: "I will carry you on my wings." The turtle accepted, without noticing that this was her enemy; she climbed onto the eagle's wings and, when they were already flying high over the hill, the eagle closed them: the turtle fell from that height and broke to pieces on the stones on the ground. Then the eagle came down and ate the remains of the one who had trusted her.

Note: this Ifá turns fore if the ebbó indicated is made.

2When evil came to visit Elegbara

With his palace built at the foot of some laurel trees, Elegbara was afraid to fall asleep when night came: when he closed his eyes, evil came to visit him in all kinds of strange shapes; he would cover his head in fright and get up to check doors and windows. Orunmila told him to place at his headboard an igba with ewe dundún, purslane, ewe tete, atiponlá and laurel leaves, to pour spring water on it, leave it there and ask: "Ikú unlo ete" — and to cool the house with omiero of iwereyeye, onibara, ewe dundún, omi oyuoro and white sugar.

Elegbara's palace was at the foot of some laurel trees. At night he was afraid to fall asleep: as soon as he closed his eyes, evil came to visit him in all kinds of strange shapes; then he would cover his head in fright and get up to check doors and windows, in case they had been left badly shut or in case someone had gotten inside.

Orunmila told him to place at his headboard an igba with ewe dundún, purslane, ewe tete, atiponlá and laurel leaves; to pour spring water on it, leave it there and ask: "Ikú unlo ete". He also told him to cool his house with an omiero of ewe iwereyeye, onibara, ewe dundún, omi oyuoro and iyobo funfun (white sugar).

3The great history of Ika Bemi

In the land of Oluloye, the obiní Awani Loye had a son who was given Elegba, and at seven years old he left her side. Going through great hardship, she met Obatalá and fainted from hunger: the shadow of Egun Orugbaye appeared, and Obatalá, with two doves and a rooster, brought her back to life. Obatalá and Egun gave each other moforibale, took the boy before Orun and swore him in: «Go out and find your Elegba, so it can be consecrated together with you.» With Obatalá's little bell around his neck and Egun's piece of iron and hoe, he went sounding down the road and called his mother: «Iyá mi kele kele iye Olorun.» She handed him her Elegba with her blessing — «kashegbó kashetó: everything you do in life will come out well for you» —, Osain appeared, they consecrated the secret inside his Elegba with three jio jio and the blood of three mice, and they took him to Awó Ika Bameyi to make Ifá: he brought out Oyekun Meyi, and in the Untefá, Ika Bemi. Four days into Ifá, together with Shangó, they washed his lerí with seven mariwó at daybreak, and the godfather gathered that water, set it at the foot of Shangó, gave it a young dove and sent it to the river. And that is how the Untefá of Orunmila was made.

In the land of Oluloye there lived an obiní named Awani Loye. Her omo had Elegba seated for him — he was not the one to make Ocha — and when he turned 7 he moved away from his mother's side.

Awani Loye was going through great hardship when she ran into Obatalá on the road, and she sang to him like this: "Awo Baniche yenyere Obatalá, Awani Loye Obatalá, Awani Loye". Obatalá answered her: "Omoya nilegun oyanilegun omo yareo egun Awani Loye". Hunger overcame Awani Loye and she fell down in a faint; just then the shadow of Egun Orugbaye Oku Orun Oru Baye appeared.

Obatalá was amazed. He had two doves and a rooster with him; he fed her, and that way Awo Obaniche came back to life. The two of them gave each other moforibale, Obatalá to Egun and Egun to Obatalá; they took the boy before Orun and there they swore him in, with these words: "Go out and get your Elegba so it can be consecrated together with you." The boy said goodbye, asking Obatalá and Egun: "Give me your blessing," and he set off for the land of Oluloye. Obatalá hung a little bell around his neck; Egun gave him a piece of iron and a hoe so he would go along striking them on the way, and told him: "You have to call your mother like this: Iyá mi kele kele iye Olorun".

Once in the land of Oluloye, he found his mother eating guinea and dove; she offered him some of the same thing she was eating and he, happy, told her: "I come to get my Elegba." She handed it over to him with these words: "My son, kashegbó kashetó: everything you do in life will come out well for you." Then Osain appeared, who said: "Etu mayawa egun eye egun mayilona", and he set off along with the boy Ogbe Nile, praying the whole way: "Oshanlá egun bimori weye".

They put him in front of Obatalá and there they consecrated his Elegba, and they gave him three jio jio and the blood of three mice. That whole secret ended up inside the Elegba, and from there they left singing on the way to where Awó Ika Bameyi was, so he would make Ifá for him. Seeing Obatalá, Osain and Egun together left Awó Ika Bameyi stunned; he gave them moforibale and then asked them: "What do you come looking for?" They answered: "Wabani tefo eni Ifá tifa Orunmila eni fa adele wewe nifa yumbale".

Orunmila took charge of them, sent for the Babalawos and they made Ifá for him: Oyekun Meyi came out. Oni Shangó Awani Loye seated Osa Kuleya, and Ika Bemi came out. When 4 days of Ifá were done, they took him out very early in the morning together with Shangó and led him with 7 mariwó; they washed his lerí while they sang to him: "Oniere lewa oni Ifá Olorun, onire lalawe eni Ifá Olorun".

With that same mariwó, the godfather gathered that water and placed it at the foot of Shangó; there he gave him a young dove, cleaned him and sent all of that to the river. That is how Orunmila's Untefá was done.

10 more patakíes in this Odù, locked.Read every road in full with The Notebook.Unlock →
The full treatise is in English. With The Notebook, the whole sign opens on this page in English: the full text of every patakí, the recipes for the ebbós and works, and the iré and osogbo readings. · This page is also available in Spanish: See Ika Bemi in Spanish →

Frequently asked questions about Ika Bemi

What does the Odù Ika Bemi mean in Ifá?

The mirages: evil hides behind the face of good, and the turtle who wanted to fly lost her shell — the merchant who ends up rich.

What number is Ika Bemi among the 256 Odù of Ifá?

Ika Bemi is Odù number 167 of the 256 in Ifá, part of the Ika family.

Which orishas speak in Ika Bemi?

In the Odù Ika Bemi these orishas speak: Yemayá, Oduduwa, Azojuano (Oluo Popo), Elegba, Oshún, Orunmila, Egun.

What is a proverb of the Odù Ika Bemi?

One of the proverbs of Ika Bemi says: «Disobedience is the mother of innocence.».

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