Irete Bara

Also called Irete Oba, Irete Obara

nº 218 of 256 · Edited by Ricco Ledesma

Ifá commands you to move away in order to prosper and to make the offering with a daughter of Yemayá, for the poor woman of this sign came to be Queen.

19 patakíes 4 eewó 8 ebbós and works 15 proverbs

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Irete Bara is Odù number 218 of the 256 in Ifá, part of the Irete family. It is also written as Irete Oba or Irete Obara. This page brings together its prayer in Yoruba, 19 patakíes (3 in full in plain sight, with their teaching, ebbó and chants), its proverbs, 8 ebbós and works and the signs it shows in the consultation — with the full eewó in plain sight; the rest of the iré and osogbo and the full recipes open with The Notebook, in English.

The sign at a glance

Order in Ifá: Odù 218 of 256
Composition: Irete over Obara
Orishas that speak: Shangó · Oyá · Yemayá · Obatalá · Babaluayé (Da Soyi) · Agayú · Oshún · Elegbá

What Ifá says in this sign

Irete Bara, also known as Irete Oba, is the sign that sends you out to look for your luck. Here are born the spell with which Oyá unsettled Shangó's head, Obatalá's punishment of the rabbit Samba, and the cleansing of the head with bull's sinew done by a daughter of Yemayá. Its ruling is one of goodness and victory: this sign brings many good things and assures you triumph over your enemies, but your fortune is not where you live: you must go out, travel or move to find it.

You are intelligent, but in your own land you live through many tragedies, and however hard you work you cannot get ahead until you change places. When you move, you prosper where before you had only setbacks, and you can become a boss at your job. The money that comes through this sign does not sit still in the awó's pocket: it moves and is put at the service of Ifá. And remember that here whoever does harm does not escape punishment.

«The bird of the savanna sees its children burn every year in the same place: the luck of Irete Oba lives in another land.»The pulse of Irete Bara

The osogbo is one of abuse and rejection: you are treated harshly and pushed out of everywhere. There is a man who stands against you and enemies who envy every project and ruin it for you. Someone has cursed you, and a black woman, a daughter of Oyá and an alakuata, whom you once scorned, pursues you with resentment and disturbs your life and your marriage. Beware of fire, because an enemy threatens to burn your house with your children inside, and pay attention to what you owe Elegba.

In love, care for and respect your wife, for your luck lies in her. If you are a woman, an adodi may fall in love with you, and luck can also reach you through a daughter of Yemayá. This sign tells how a poor woman with no fortune in love came to be queen. But sexual excess destroys you in body and soul, and here there are men and women who struggle to have children. Do not let impatient or indiscreet people into your home, because you will pay for their mistakes.

In health, you feel your nerves and organs as if out of place, with headaches that can come to unsettle your mind. Take care of your legs and your speech, and protect yourself from syphilis, which is passed on through intimacy, and from parasites in the anus; in men there can be impotence and in women menstrual disorders, and hair also falls out. Medicine helps you keep your ailments under control, and with the right remedy and the cleansing of the head you become strong again.

The sign in one line

Move away, make the offering with a daughter of Yemayá and restrain excess, for the poor woman of Irete Oba became Queen in the land where life does not burn.

The prayer of Irete Bara · Yoruba

IRETE OBABIYE TELEWELE AWO ABLODE ADIFAFUN OSHA OKUNI NINA TINLOSILE KIYA TIOLO BIMU WERE WERE.

Ifá says — what Irete Bara tells you

The person has dislocated nerves and organs: he must make the offering with bull's nerve.
It speaks of syphilis and contagious diseases; it attacks the legs, takes away speech, causes impotence and brain disorder.
If this letter deals with arun (illness): the man is impotent and the woman has disturbances in her menstrual cycle.
It speaks of baldness and the use of wigs.
This Odù deals with the use of medicine to cope with difficulties.
Be careful with the contrary or opposing man and with the arayés.
It refers to a woman who harasses her cruelly and causes her conflicts in her personal life and in her marriage: she is the greatest shadow of Irete Oba.
An effeminate man may fall in love with her.
Be careful with parasites in the anus.
Avoid excess in intimate life, so as not to destroy yourself physically and morally.
The jackal speaks: an animal that rests hidden by day and comes out at night; there is jackal behavior and abuse around the person.
In the sick land of Omisheri Lomi, neither men nor women were able to conceive.
The bird and the savanna speak: every year they burn his children; you must move away.
Of the ebbós made according to the osobo: for arun, a rooster; for ikú, two young hens; for ayé, five doves.
About giving blood to Ifá: IRE AYE ATEWAWA AUN LO ORUNMILA FA EYEFA.
That a daughter of Oshún became a Queen after having been poor.
About the work for impotence: a turtle is given with Shangó, scraped and mixed with hawksbill egg and sweet wine.
About the work of the two stones (white and black) with the rooster, to master tragic situations in the house.
Herbs of the Odù: ewé fá, bejuco garañón, pendejera (for pimples, bladder and skin ailments) and cayeput.

Proverbs of Irete Bara · Òwe

“Go out into the street and look for your luck.”
“Intelligent, but with a great deal of disaster in his own land.”
“Look for happiness in another land.”
“No matter how much you do, you will not get ahead if you do not move.”
“Money does not stay quiet in any pocket, and the one who did harm in this life does not go unpunished.”
“The look on the face is the mind's answer.”
“He goes off happy and comes back weeping.”
“Nobody sets himself above the king's word.”
“Whoever speaks of what he does not know speaks without knowing.”
“Illnesses, even when they do not cripple us, are still illnesses.”
“Lack of vigor is the young man's misfortune.”
“Whoever commits a crime never expects the judgment to be near.”
“The man who is well off and insolent will soon be badly off and brought down.”
“You left Guatemala and got into Guate-worse.”
“Neither death nor greed is ever satisfied.”

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

Iré and Osogbo

Three iré and three osogbo of this sign, open to everyone.

Iré · what the sign brings

This sign gives many good things in the person's life.
Victory over their enemies is assured.
Luck comes to them through a daughter of Yemayá.

Osogbo · what the sign warns

Their nerves and organs are as if dislocated, with a headache that may go as far as unsettling their brain.
They fall ill in the legs, with syphilis and loss of speech.
Beware of anyone who, while sick, approaches a young woman and infects her with syphilis.

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

What is born in Irete Bara · Ìbí

That Oyá put a spell on Shangó and threw his brain out of joint.
Shangó was walking around transformed into a buffalo and Oyá threw her powder at him.
The dispute between Obatalá and the rabbit Samba.
Samba killed the favorite cow of Obatalá and paid with his head; for that reason, from that day on rabbits feed only on herbs and roots.
That the Awó must not put the money of this Ifá in his pocket.
Money does not stay quiet in any pocket.
The omó of Oyá, the greatest shadow of Irete Oba.
That Ifá orders one to go out and walk the streets in search of luck.
That Babaluayé made Dada ill, Shangó's sister and Agayú's adopted daughter.
Hence the baldness and the use of wigs in this Odù.
The reason why the pot is moved with the forehead in the Ifases of Da Soyi.
Driven out of the house of Agayú, Da Soyi left with his pot and wandered from land to land.
That Obatalá eats rabbit to save his children.
The secret behind a daughter of Yemayá performing the rogación of the head with bull sinew.

What is forbidden · Eewó

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

The Awó must not put the money of this Ifá in his pocket.
Money does not stay quiet in any pocket, and whoever did harm in this life does not escape punishment.
Do not treat your wife badly and do not shame her.
She is your luck.
Do not abuse pleasures.
Excess destroys you in body and in morals, like the corrupt old man of the road.
Do not stay where they mistreat you.
No matter how much you do, you will not get ahead until you move.

Ebbós of Irete Bara · The sacrifices that open the road

MoneyEbbó of the daughter of Oshún🔒 The Notebook HealthEbbós by osobo🔒 The Notebook HealthEbbó of Ogodo Makulenkue🔒 The Notebook Keeping death awayEbbó of the sick head🔒 The Notebook

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

Works of Irete Bara · The workings of the sign

HealthOborí eledá with a bull's sinew (the secret of this Odù)🔒 The Notebook Overcoming enemiesThe two stones of the rooster (to master disaster in the house)🔒 The Notebook HealthA rabbit (ejoro) for Obatalá, in order to free his children🔒 The Notebook HealthFor impotence🔒 The Notebook

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

Patakíes of Irete Bara · The roads of the Odù

1The Daughter of Oshún Becomes Queen

A daughter of Oshún was going through a bad time: she piled up setbacks, everything she touched was spoiled and no man who came near her was right for her.

Tired, she went to Orunmila. When she consulted, this Ifá came out and indicated an ebbó with fruits. A short time later she was walking through the town and met a young man who turned out to be the King's son. They fell in love, had a relationship and ended up marrying.

Later the King handed the government over to the prince, and the daughter of Oshún went up to the throne with him. As the King's consort, she became Queen.

What it teaches

When bad luck drags on, consulting Ifá and carrying out the indicated ebbó can change the course. Someone who seemed condemned to setbacks and disappointments in love can rise very high.

Ebbó of this path

Fruits: the ebbó that Orunmila marked for the daughter of Oshún.

2The bird and the savanna

A certain bird lived on a savanna and never managed to make progress. Every year the owner of that land set it on fire, and the bird’s young died in the flames.

Exhausted by so many setbacks, the bird consulted Orunmila. He saw the sign in Ifá and ordered it to perform an ebbó and move at once to another place.

The order fulfilled, the bird performed the ebbó and set off for the wild. There, at last, prosperity came to it.

Note: this path speaks of abuse and of people who take advantage; whoever receives it is driven out of everywhere. Whatever he does, he does not prosper until he changes place.

What it teaches

There are places where, however much effort is made, the loss returns every season. When the ebbó says to move, the way out is to leave and start again somewhere else.

Advice when this odu appears

Perform an ebbó and change place without delay; in this sign, whoever does not move does not prosper.

Prayer of this path

Irete Obara Ifa Ilenco Ilembe Ora Eño Ña Ona Lodafun, Akuko, Ounko Lebo, Pajaro Carpintero.

3Babaluayé Infects Dada and Agayú Banishes Him

Agayú ruled a land where everyone esteemed and respected Babaluayé, a merchant of great fortune. Behind that image was a wicked, unscrupulous man who did not even respect Dada. She was Shangó's sister, and Agayú had raised her as a daughter. Babaluayé persuaded her and, knowing he was sick, joined with her and passed the illness on to her.

As the days went by, Dada noticed that she was losing her hair and began to cover herself with horse hair, hidden afterward under a scarf. Eshu, from whom nothing escapes, watched her do it. He went to Agayú and told him everything. Agayú had Dada come, and she explained what had happened. On learning that Babaluayé was responsible, he stopped treating him with any consideration and banished him; Babaluayé ended up living outside the town.

One day Shangó, who was hunting, found him. Because of the illness, Babaluayé could hardly speak and only repeated “ara,” a word that means earth. Shangó took pity on him, went to the town for food and looked after him for some time, until Eshu revealed to him the cause of it all.

On learning it, Shangó stopped helping him and made him leave and keep walking through the world, since he had disrespected his sister.

There are two notes. One says that, when Babaluayé crossed the stream, Shangó was giving his horse water to drink. The other says that in this Odù, Shangó can appear as if he were Babaluayé, and the other way around.

What it teaches

Whoever abuses the trust of the one who protects him loses that protection, and the harm he causes is paid for with banishment. Others' compassion is withdrawn when the truth becomes known.

4Agayú threw Babalú Ayé (Da Soyi) out of his house🔒 The Notebook 5Obatalá punishes the rabbit Samba for killing his cow🔒 The Notebook 6Ogodo Makulenkue (Shangó, the young and powerful bull) and Oyá🔒 The Notebook 7The great shadow of Irete Bara🔒 The Notebook 8When Obatalá made people's heads ill🔒 The Notebook 9Orunmila, King in the middle of enemies🔒 The Notebook 10Irete Bara receives goods for his sacrifice to Ifá🔒 The Notebook 11The woman who did not keep her promise to Iroko🔒 The Notebook 12The greedy bird🔒 The Notebook 13Wisdom and Antipathy🔒 The Notebook 14The flea and the louse🔒 The Notebook 15The farmer and the princess🔒 The Notebook 16The crane and the crab🔒 The Notebook 17The barber and the Oba🔒 The Notebook 18The eyes collected for a piece of bread🔒 The Notebook 19The dog and the donkey🔒 The Notebook

16 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 Bara in Spanish →

Frequently asked questions about Irete Bara

What does the Odù Irete Bara mean in Ifá?

Ifá commands you to move away in order to prosper and to make the offering with a daughter of Yemayá, for the poor woman of this sign came to be Queen.

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

Irete Bara is Odù number 218 of the 256 in Ifá, part of the Irete family.

Which orishas speak in Irete Bara?

In the Odù Irete Bara these orishas speak: Shangó, Oyá, Yemayá, Obatalá, Babaluayé (Da Soyi), Agayú, Oshún, Elegbá.

What is a proverb of the Odù Irete Bara?

One of the proverbs of Irete Bara says: «Go out into the street and look for your luck.».

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