Ika Foguero

nº 178 of 256

The parents' unease about their children: the king who did not make ebbó was given away by his own dog — strength is in sticking together.

14 patakíes 4 eewó 9 ebbós and works 13 proverbs

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Ika Foguero is Odù number 178 of the 256 in Ifá, part of the Ika family. This page brings together its prayer in Yoruba, 14 patakíes (3 with the full text), its proverbs, 9 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 178 of 256
Composition
Ika over Otura
Orishas that speak
Oyá · Obatalá · Olorun · Oduduwa · Olokun · Eshu · Egun · Oshún

What Ifá says in this sign

Ika Foguero is the sign where the parents' unease about their children's future was born — and where the ace was born too: the card that wins. Its twin is Otura Ka, and they share one sentence: disobedience costs a life — the king who did not make ebbó was given away by his own dog.

Its remedy for a parent's unease is set at the altar and at the table: give food to the earth, to Olokun and to Olorun — so the house grows strong and the children obey: a child's obedience is cooked by feeding the elders of heaven. And the child who does not eat well needs double attention: body and head.

«The disobedient king was given away by his own dog — in Ika Foguero, disobedience costs a life.»The pulse of Ika Foguero

The mirror of the swimmer grown old asks for honesty: he could no longer swim, because his breath and his strength were gone — the older man with the young girl cuts a poor figure, and the young man who forces the machine falls into impotence: every age has its own stroke — swim yours. The groin that aches, to the doctor; and if you are a woman, it can be a pregnancy.

Your spiritual upkeep is a regular job: oparaldo often, and blood to the earth so you do not fall — because this odu, in old age, goes lame from the waist down and dies of the heart: today's works are tomorrow's legs. No riverbank and no seashore without care, no greed, and no torn underclothes: dignity starts underneath.

And the order that crowns it, for the trade itself: it commands the Babalawos to close ranks — strength is in sticking together: the ace of this odu is not played alone. The dream about Oyá was real: her necklace and Obatalá's worn, food for Olorun, and the crossed unfaithfulness this sign marks is settled with a rogation for both of them: the ace of Ika Foguero takes the hand — when the whole table plays together.

The sign in one line

Feed the earth for your children, swim the stroke your age allows and close ranks with your brothers — the ace of Ika Foguero wins as a team.

The prayer of Ika Foguero · Yoruba

Ika Foguero Kombu Kumbo Adifafun Oñi Bini Eyele Lebo Kaferefun Oya, Ala Ati Olorun.

Súyere
Sarayeye Ikú, banikú lona — sarayeye Ikú, banikú lona.

Ifá says — what Ika Foguero tells you

Proverbs of Ika Foguero · Òwe

10 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 Foguero · 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 Foguero · The sacrifices that open the road

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

Works of Ika Foguero · The workings of the sign

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

Patakíes of Ika Foguero · The roads of the Odù

1The dog gives away the king

Orunmila marked a king ebbó with the dog he had, because a war was coming near him; the king did not obey. The war came on the day he least expected it, he lost it, and to save his life he hid in a big clay jar, which he left upside down. Nobody could find him, until the dog gave him away: it ran back and forth between the hiding place and the crowd, and with that it drew attention. They lifted the jar, pulled the king out and killed him. Rooster to Eshu, and if you have a dog, bring it for the ebbó.

A king kept a dog. Orunmila warned him that a war was coming near him and that his salvation was in making ebbó with that same animal; the king paid him no attention.

Time went by, and the war fell on him on the day he least expected it. He lost it, and to save his life he hid in a big clay jar, which he left upside down.

They looked for him everywhere without finding him, until the dog gave him away: it ran back and forth between its master's hiding place and the crowd, so many times that it ended up drawing attention. They lifted the jar, pulled the king out and killed him.

Note: rooster to Eshu, and if you have a dog, bring it for the ebbó. They want to take your husband away from you.

2Eruru's dog

Eruru was always speaking badly and starting trouble, and he had to flee to the bush with his dog. Out in the bush he found a big jar and got into it, leaving the dog outside. The dog, alone and hungry, went back to town; Eruru's enemies fed him and then let him loose so they could follow him — until he led them to the jar. Then they pulled Eruru out and killed him. A loyal friend can hurt you without meaning to.

Eruru always went around with a bad tongue and starting trouble, until he had to escape to the bush, with his dog behind him.

Once on the road he came upon a big clay jar, hid inside it and left the animal outside. Alone and hungry, the dog went back to the town, and there his master's enemies fed it; then they let it go so as to follow behind it, and that way they got to the jar. Out of that hiding place they pulled Eruru and killed him.

Note: this Ifá points out that you call on charity when you lie down and when you get up, and you owe it something: give two hens or gofio to Obatalá and to Eshu, and dog hairs to the ebbó. A loyal friend can harm you without meaning to.

3Strength is in sticking together

In the land of Ayegbi Oshe lived Awó Akua Roro, who had seven very discontented children, even though he always tried to give them everything. He lived worried about their future and prayed to Oduduwa, setting sara ekó before him: «Do not worry, your children are going to come together» — «I am ill in my heart and in my head, my back hurts, and when I die I have nobody to hand my secret to.» Oduduwa took him to Awó Buyoko (Orunmila): «You have to give food to Olorun so your land grows strong and your children obey you.» He made the circle of efún and orí with the board divided in four with the Meyi, the gourd of cow's milk over Ika Otura, the sixteen candles, and he called Olorun with the agogó. Olorun appeared and was given two doves and two white hens; Oduduwa gathered it all up, covered it with white cloth and took it to the top of the hill. By the power of Olorun that land grew strong, the children mended their ways and came together, and nobody could get the better of them any more. Awó Akua Roro lived in peace, charged with repeating the ceremony often and with receiving Oduduwa, who stayed on living in that land. This Ifá commands the Babalawos to close ranks for the iré ashegun otá.

Awó Akua Roro lived in the land of Ayegbi Oshe with his 7 children, people who were never satisfied no matter how much their father tried to give them all they wanted. Their future had him worried, and his only recourse was to beg Oduduwa to bring them together, so they would be saved and have a good life in the future.

Each time he set out sara ekó for him and prayed this way: "Oduduwa ori maya ofoyude omo lekun Awo Akua Roro sokun Baba". Oduduwa would come and say to him: "Do not worry, your children are going to come together". And the man would answer: "I am sick in the heart and in the head, and my waist hurts a lot; and when I die, I have nobody to hand my secret to, because my children each live their own way".

One day when they were together, Oduduwa decided: "Let us go to Orunmila's house (Awó Buyoko Awalele Ifá), to see if he can finally solve your problem". They set out walking, and along the road they went singing: "Ifa layeo Ifa layekun Baba Olorun, Awo Akuaroro Awo Buyoko iran lowo lemi".

On arriving, Awó Buyoko gave him the task: "You have to feed Olorun, so your land grows strong and your children obey you". Awó Akua Roro drew on the ground a circle of efún and orí, placed the Ifá board there, divided it into four parts with the Meyi, and sang to it: "Ogba de nifa Oddun bowa omo oyu opon Baba Eyiogbe Oddun bowa".

In the center of Baba Ejiogbe, over the mark of Ika Otura, he set a gourd of cow's milk with sara ekó, orí and efún; he put his loose Ifá on top of it on the board, lit 16 candles and, playing the agogó, began to call Olorun: "Olorun ogdobale Baba Olofin, Olorun ladeo Ifa laye Baba ni Olorun, Baba ashe omo layereo, Baba Olorun Olofin layereo".

Olorun came, and there he gave him two white doves and two white hens, while he sang: "Abele bele adie Ifa sinifikura bobao, Orunmila abele adie Ifa sinifikura".

Oduduwa gathered all that together, covered it with white cloth and carried it up to the top of the hill (lerí oke), where he sang: "Awo Layogbi Ifa Awo Akua Roro leri oke, Awo Buyoko omo Olofin layireo okua Baba".

By the power of Olorun, that land gained strength: the children corrected their conduct, they came closer to one another and nobody could beat them any more.

That is how the father lost the distress he carried over the future of his own people, and he got to live in peace and with more strength. Awó Buyoko and Oduduwa charged him: "You have to do this ceremony often, so your land does not go cold and Olorun keeps giving it life" — where he also has to receive Oduduwa, who stayed living in that land so everything would go well.

Note: through this Ifá the Babalawos must come together to reach the iré ashegun otá.

11 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 Foguero in Spanish →

Frequently asked questions about Ika Foguero

What does the Odù Ika Foguero mean in Ifá?

The parents' unease about their children: the king who did not make ebbó was given away by his own dog — strength is in sticking together.

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

Ika Foguero is Odù number 178 of the 256 in Ifá, part of the Ika family.

Which orishas speak in Ika Foguero?

In the Odù Ika Foguero these orishas speak: Oyá, Obatalá, Olorun, Oduduwa, Olokun, Eshu, Egun, Oshún.

What is a proverb of the Odù Ika Foguero?

One of the proverbs of Ika Foguero says: «Strength is in sticking together.».

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