Irete Lazo

nº 216 of 256

Where Osun, Orunmila's staff, stands witness to the Itá facing the board: this Odù is called edí — the one who does not see what is in front of him.

20 patakíes 5 eewó 13 ebbós and works 17 proverbs

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Irete Lazo is Odù number 216 of the 256 in Ifá, part of the Irete family. This page brings together its prayer in Yoruba, 20 patakíes (3 with the full text), its proverbs, 13 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 216 of 256
Composition: Irete over Iroso
Orishas that speak: Osun · Orunmila · Shangó · Azojuano · Ogún · Elegbá · Eshu · Olofin · Agayú · Oshún

What Ifá says in this sign

Irete Lazo is the Odù where Osun is Orunmila's staff: here it was born that he is set facing the board to stand witness to the Itá, along with his dance and the scoring of Osayin — and here the totem, statues and religious images were born. Its nickname says it all: edí — the one who does not see what is in front of him — you have things right before you and you do not value them.

Osun is your sacred alarm: he is the Santo who warns and takes the bad off the road — when Osun falls, he announces misfortune. That is why the Awó of this odu makes osode every day and sets Osun beside Orunmila: in a sign where you do not see what is in front of you, the one who warns is worth a kingdom.

«They call him edí: the one who does not see what is in front of him — that is why Osun, the one who warns, is the staff of Irete Lazo.»The pulse of Irete Lazo

Its dangers are of fire and of iron: you live surrounded by fire — they work witchcraft on your house, fire included: your house is hot — and there are traps in the places you are invited to. The most serious of all: you can kill someone by accident — games with firearms and blades are forbidden, since here you wound people even in the back without meaning to.

Your heart has a wound already announced: like Awó Obá Tele, you can die of grief from being let down by those around you — and Eshu is after you for not keeping your word: keep it, because you can also die without having settled your accounts. Join with your family, behave well toward your parents, and be careful of whoever you offer your home to.

Its remedies are set out: the work for Elegbá at the foot of the drainpipe for the legs, the guinea fowl with an omiero of sage for the brain, baths of sage and a new towel for the disturbances, and the scoring with a prenda of Osayin. The promise is one of command: a child of this Odù will have authority in the world — if he learns to see what is in front of him.

The sign in one line

Be read every day with Osun at your side, do not play with weapons and keep your word — the child of Irete Lazo will have authority in the world if he opens his eyes.

The prayer of Irete Lazo · Yoruba

BOGBO TIRORO TOLA OTU IFA PORI OLOFIN KOMASHE.

Ifá says — what Irete Lazo tells you

The Ifá of Osun: he is the Santo who warns and takes everything bad off the road; when Osun falls, he announces misfortune. An Ifá of traps: there can be traps in the places you are invited to, fire included. The Ifá of edí: you have things in front of you and you do not see them; you do not value the information right before you. An Ifá of a life alongside the coming of fire: you live surrounded by fire, and a child of this Odù will have authority in the world.
You, or the Awó, can kill someone by accident: games with weapons, firearms and blades are forbidden; you can wound or kill someone in the back by accident.
A danger hangs over both the Awó and whoever is being read.
It marks trouble in the legs: it is settled with the work for Elegbá at the foot of a drainpipe, with a young rooster from the knees down.
You are ill in the brain, or you will be: a guinea fowl is given, washing the head first with an omiero of sage.
They work witchcraft on your house, fire included: your house is very hot.
You die of grief from being let down by those around you, like Awó Obá Tele.
You can die without your accounts being settled: the body did not rot because his accounts were not settled.
Eshu is after you for not keeping your word.
This Odù orders the family to be united and you to behave well toward your parents.
It speaks of obstacles and of not seeing things: you should push yourself, make an effort and rise to new things in order to grow.
Whoever has this Odù should have authority in the world.
The person has to be scored with a prenda of Osayin.
Be careful of whoever you offer your home to.
The Awó of this Odù carries a boat of ácana wood inside his great hand of Ifá.
About the work for osobo: the dove to Osun with the lit charcoal on top, taken straight out to the yard, with honey, cool water and iyefá; with Osun the floor is lifted and cleaned, and the roasted dove is thrown out into the scrub after three days.
About making osode every day and setting Osun beside Orunmila.
About bathing with sage and using a new towel, for the disturbances.
If you are a woman, you should live with an Awó.
The herbs of this Odù: sage (for headache, colds and hoarseness), moruro, hierba bruja and peony.

Proverbs of Irete Lazo · Òwe

“Osun spins, but he lands on his feet.”
“Have a mass said for the Egun of the four winds.”
“The body did not rot, because his accounts were not settled.”
“He has things in front of him and does not see them.”
“He is in the town and does not see the houses.”
“The prudent man sees the danger and avoids it, but the reckless one suffers for his blindness.”
“A stranger is asked for guarantees before he is given credit.”
“Whoever lives on his dreams is woken by reality.”
“Whoever lives on lies is killed by his own truth.”
“A greeting shouted at a friend is more insult than greeting.”
“Whoever does not know where he came from does not know his future.”
“Whoever looks the most sees the least.”
“Whoever thinks before he acts does not regret his own acts.”
“There is no surer sword in battle than knowledge.”
“Memory is to a man what gills are to a fish.”
“Quarrelsome company bothers you more than a steady drip on the forehead.”
“Tropicbird on land, storm at sea.”

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

Iré and Osogbo

8 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 Irete Lazo · Ìbí

Setting Osun facing the board, so he stands witness to the Itá in this Odù.
The dance of Osun.
The scoring of Osayin.
Osayin's charcoal, seven flies, corojo butter and iyefá are mixed; three upward cuts are made with a piece of glass on each shoulder blade, praying the Meyi, the Awó's sign and Irete Lazo, and the mixture is rubbed in there.
That Osun is Orunmila's staff.
Osun warned of the fire and of the enemies' cave under Orunmila's house.
The totem, statues and religious images.
From the good King whose uncorrupted body the people worshipped: making statues for the martyrs is born here.
That when Azojuano is given food, Shangó has to be given food too.
That this sign is undone with sage and a guinea fowl.
That Orunmila uncovered the fire.
That the dead were set on the branch of the carob tree (tele).
That Agayú became a Deity.

What is forbidden · Eewó

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

Do not play with firearms or with sharp weapons.
You can wound or kill someone in the back by accident, like Shangó wounded Osun.
Do not eat anything red.
Do not cross the sea, at least for 7 days.
Do not take just anyone into your house.
He can make your daughter or your family fall in love with him and pay your favors badly, like Azojuano in Ogún's house.
Do not defend what is not yours.

Ebbós of Irete Lazo · The sacrifices that open the road

Beating enemiesEbbó of the trap🔒 The Notebook SpiritualEbbó of Osun's staff🔒 The Notebook Keeping death awayEbbó of Olofin (foreseeing the trouble)🔒 The Notebook MoneyEbbó of Teteregun🔒 The Notebook

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

Works of Irete Lazo · The workings of the sign

SpiritualSecret of Irete Lazo by osobo (the charcoal and the dove)🔒 The Notebook HealthFor the legs (Elegbá at the foot of the drainpipe)🔒 The Notebook HealthFor the head (indio rooster and salvia)🔒 The Notebook SpiritualScoring of Osayin🔒 The Notebook Beating enemiesInshés of Osayin of this Odù🔒 The Notebook LossWork of the snail (to get out of a problem)🔒 The Notebook SpiritualWork to Osun so the house is not torn down🔒 The Notebook MoneyWork of the crown and the powders🔒 The Notebook SpiritualEshu Lade Akongo Ruja (the Eshu of this Odù)🔒 The Notebook

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

Patakíes of Irete Lazo · The roads of the Odù

1Orunmila, with the guinea hen, uncovers the fire

Ifá warned Orunmila of a trap at the party he had been invited to; he made ebbó with a guinea hen and went along cleaning himself with it — the hen landed on a post and cried out «there it is»: Orunmila pushed the post in, the flame leapt up, and his enemies fled.

That morning Orunmila looked at himself and saw this Ifá: it announced a necessary trip and, with it, the warning to go carefully, because there was a trap on the road.

He had already been invited to a party. So he took a guinea (etú), made ebbó and went cleaning himself with the animal along the way. When he got to the place he set it free; the bird landed on a stick and repeated: "There it is". Orunmila went on; he put the stick in, it sank, and the flame of the fire jumped. He then said: "TO IBAN ESHU", and his enemies all ran away.

2Orunmila lived on a floor of wild cane

The envious dug a cave right under Orunmila's house to work witchcraft on him; Osun kept moving, hot and unsteady, and gave the warning — found out, the enemies gave themselves up, and Orunmila only asked them to make Ifá: that is why Osun is Orunmila's staff.

Orunmila's wisdom drew the envy of many people, and those people spared no witchcraft in order to wipe him off the world or take his life.

His house had the floor built with trunks of bamboo cane. One day, while an osode was being made, this sign came out; he looked at Osun and found him restless, burning hot and unable to stand up straight. The reason was below: his enemies had dug a cave that came out right under the house, and from there they set up the witchcraft they meant to bring him down with.

Orunmila marked himself ebbó along with other works, and poured cool water on Osun. The water fell to the ground and showed him the enemies down there. They, knowing they had been found out, put themselves in his hands: if he had found their cave, he could do with them as he saw fit. Orunmila answered that his only wish was to see them sorry and with the same knowledge he had; that is, that they should make Ifá. TO IBAN ESHU.

From that day it was clear to Orunmila that Osun is a Saint whose job is to warn of any harm coming near the person. From that comes the rule of this sign that Osun be Orunmila's staff.

3The fire trap for Orunmila

The arayés dug a tunnel to Orunmila's room, propped up the floor where he sat, put in firewood and set it alight; Osun moved from the heat, the osode said «trap by fire», and Orunmila put it out with buckets of water, broke through the floor with a bar and was saved.

Orunmila had a wooden house and also a lot of arayés. They knew he was a diviner and that nothing got past him; since they could not beat him fairly, they agreed to burn the house down.

Without him noticing, they dug a tunnel under the ground from the street door to the back of the house, where Orunmila's room was. Spying through the gap in the boards, they found the spot where he sat every day for his osode. Down there they set four very strong crossbeams, so the floor would hold without giving way; on top they piled up trash and firewood, and they set fire to it.

To Orunmila's right, Osun felt the heat and shook. Orunmila noticed and placed him in front. The osode then spoke of a trap made with a lot of fire (iná). Orunmila gathered buckets of water and poured them in there until the smoke filled the whole place; through the cracks he could see the fire. With a bar he broke the floor open and got out safe.

The arayés had no choice but to leave the place and put themselves in Orunmila's hands, so he could do with them whatever he wanted. Orunmila told them: "All I want is for you to make Ifá, so you will know what I know."

That is how he understood that Osun is a Saint whose job is to warn and to push away any evil that crosses your path, and that is why this Odù orders Osun to be Orunmila's staff.

4Awó Obá Tele🔒 The Notebook 5The birth of the totem, of statues and of religious images🔒 The Notebook 6Eshu steals the corn🔒 The Notebook 7The Awoses and the snail🔒 The Notebook 8Olofin strikes Osun🔒 The Notebook 9Shangó wounded Osun in the back🔒 The Notebook 10Osun comes down in the Iroko tree🔒 The Notebook 11Irete Lazo divined Ifá for Olofin🔒 The Notebook 12Why Shangó eats with Azojuano🔒 The Notebook 13The leri of Oke🔒 The Notebook 14The leopard and the gazelle🔒 The Notebook 15The rib and the plate🔒 The Notebook 16The donkey and the dog🔒 The Notebook 17The hare and the heron🔒 The Notebook 18The devil's playing cards🔒 The Notebook 19The mad prince🔒 The Notebook 20The right of the agbón🔒 The Notebook

17 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 Irete Lazo in Spanish →

Frequently asked questions about Irete Lazo

What does the Odù Irete Lazo mean in Ifá?

Where Osun, Orunmila's staff, stands witness to the Itá facing the board: this Odù is called edí — the one who does not see what is in front of him.

What number is Irete Lazo among the 256 Odù of Ifá?

Irete Lazo is Odù number 216 of the 256 in Ifá, part of the Irete family.

Which orishas speak in Irete Lazo?

In the Odù Irete Lazo these orishas speak: Osun, Orunmila, Shangó, Azojuano, Ogún, Elegbá · Eshu, Olofin, Agayú, Oshún.

What is a proverb of the Odù Irete Lazo?

One of the proverbs of Irete Lazo says: «Osun spins, but he lands on his feet.».

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