Odù 218 of 256 · Irete family

Irete Oba

Ifá orders you to move house in order to prosper, and to have the rogation done by a daughter of Yemayá — the poor woman of this sign became a Queen.

Irete Oba is Odù number 218 of the 256 in Ifá, part of the Irete family. This page brings together its prayer in Yoruba, 19 patakíes (3 with the full text), its proverbs, 8 ebbós and works and the signs it shows in the consultation; the detail of iré and osogbo, the eewó and the full recipes open with the Babalawo plan — that locked part is still written in Spanish.

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 Oba was born of a great spell: Oyá put a spell on Shangó while he went about in the shape of a buffalo and threw his brain out of joint — and Yemayá cured him with the rogation of the bull's sinew. Out of that comes the secret of this odu: the head rogation is done by a daughter of Yemayá — the one who cured the king cures his children as well.

Its order is one of movement: Ifá tells you to go out into the street to look for your luck and to move house in order to prosper — however much you do, you will not get your head up unless you move. The teacher is the savanna bird: every year they burn his children in the same place — the happiness of this odu is in another land.

«The savanna bird watches his children burn every year in the same place — the luck of Irete Oba lives in another land.»The pulse of Irete Oba

Its weather is a jackal's: the animal that rests hidden by day and comes out at night — there is jackal work and abuse around you, and they throw you out of everywhere, like the bird. And there is a shadow with a name: a woman who is after you with real malice and stirs up trouble in your personal life and your marriage — the great shadow of Irete Oba: she is beaten with a work, not with a war.

The body wants medicine and restraint: nerves and organs out of joint — the rogation of the bull's sinew sets them right —, syphilis and catching diseases are watched for, impotence has its work — turtle with Shangó, sweet wine and hawksbill egg — and excess in intimate life destroys you in body and in name: this Odù approves the use of medicine to keep the difficulties in hand.

Its ending is a humble crown: the daughter of Oshún became a Queen after being poor — that is how this odu pays whoever keeps their word. Ifá assures you victory over your enemies, and the two stones — white and black — with their rooster master disaster in the house: Irete Oba brings many good things: good things come to your hands — but it hands them over in the new land.

The sign in one line

Move house, have your rogation done by a daughter of Yemayá and rein in the excess — the poor woman of Irete Oba became a Queen in the land where life does not burn.

The prayer of Irete Oba · Yoruba

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

Ifá says — what Irete Oba tells you

Proverbs of Irete Oba · Òwe

15 proverb interpretations in this Odù, locked.Every proverb explained: which road it comes from and how it applies. Written in Spanish for now.Unlock →

Iré and Osogbo

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

What is born in Irete Oba · Ìbí

What is forbidden · Eewó

4 eewó (taboos) in this Odù, locked.What the child of this sign must not eat, do or wear. Written in Spanish for now.Unlock →

Ebbós of Irete Oba · The sacrifices that open the road

DineroEbbó of the daughter of Oshún🔒 Babalawo
SaludEbbós by osobo🔒 Babalawo
SaludEbbó of Ogodo Makulenkue🔒 Babalawo
Alejar la muerteEbbó of the sick head🔒 Babalawo
4 ebbós in this Odù, locked.Each full recipe: ingredients, preparation and where it goes. Written in Spanish for now.Unlock →

Works of Irete Oba · The workings of the sign

SaludOborí eledá with a bull's sinew (the secret of this Odù)🔒 Babalawo
Vencer enemigosThe two stones of the rooster (to master disaster in the house)🔒 Babalawo
SaludRabbit (ejoro) to Obatalá, to save his children🔒 Babalawo
SaludFor impotence🔒 Babalawo
4 works in this Odù, locked.Each full recipe: ingredients, preparation and where it goes. Written in Spanish for now.Unlock →

Patakíes of Irete Oba · The roads of the Odù

1The daughter of Oshún becomes a Queen

A daughter of Oshún, held back and with no luck with men, made the ebbó of fruit Orunmila marked her; out walking she met the King's son, they married, and when the King handed over the throne, the daughter of Oshún became Queen.

There was a daughter of Oshún who was going through a bad time: she had many setbacks and everything went wrong for her; no man ever turned out well.

Worn out by that state of things, she went to Orunmila and, when she was read, this Ifá came up, marking her ebbó with fruit. Before long, walking through the streets of the town, she met a young man who turned out to be the King's son, and she and he fell in love and came to be together, to the point of marrying.

Some time later, the King handed the rule of the throne to the young prince, and the daughter of Oshún rose with him, becoming Queen as the King's wife.

2The bird and the savanna

A bird could not get his head up because every year the owner burned the savanna and scorched his young; with Orunmila's ebbó he moved to the bush, and there he prospered — there is jackal work and abuse: they throw you out of everywhere.

There was a bird who lived on a savanna and could never get his head up, because every year the owner set fire to the savanna and burned his young.

Worn out by so many setbacks, the bird went to be read by Orunmila and this Ifá came up, which told him to make ebbó and to move away from that place at once.

The bird made the ebbó and went to live in the bush, and there he was able to prosper.

Note: there is jackal work and abuse; they throw you out of everywhere. However much you do, you will not get your head up unless you move.

3This is where Babaluayé made Dada ill

Babaluayé, rich but corrupt, did not respect Dada, Agayú's adopted daughter and Shangó's sister, and being ill himself he passed it to her; Eshu discovered the hairpieces Dada used to cover her baldness, Agayú threw Babaluayé out of the town, and Shangó, who had been helping him out of pity, withdrew his help when he learned the truth.

It happened once that, in a land governed by Agayú, Babaluayé was much loved and respected, since he was a very rich trader, but extremely corrupt and depraved; so much so that he did not respect Dada, Agayú's adopted daughter and Shangó's sister: he talked her round and, knowing he was ill, had relations with her and made her ill.

As the days passed, she noticed that her hair was falling out and, to make up for it, she wore hairpieces of horsehair. But Eshu, who sees everything and knows everything, watched Dada putting on the horsehair pieces and then her headscarf. Eshu went to Agayú and told him what had happened. Agayú called Dada, who explained the situation to him. When Agayú learned that Babaluayé was to blame, he lost all regard for him and threw him out of the town, and Babaluayé went to live on the outskirts.

Shangó, who was out hunting, met Babaluayé and, in his illness, he could only say «ARA» (earth), since he was losing his speech. Shangó, seeing him in that state, took pity on him, went to the town and found him food, looking after him for a time, until Eshu told him what had happened.

On learning it, Shangó withdrew his help from Babaluayé and made him go on walking through the world, for not respecting his sister.

Note: when Babaluayé passed by the stream, Shangó was giving his horse water. In this Odù, Shangó may come in a plante of Babaluayé and the other way round.

4Agayú threw Babaluayé (Da Soyi) out of his house🔒 Babalawo
5The war of Obatalá with Samba the rabbit🔒 Babalawo
6Ogodo Makulenkue (Shangó, the young and powerful bull) and Oyá🔒 Babalawo
7The great shadow of Irete Bara🔒 Babalawo
8When Obatalá made people's heads ill🔒 Babalawo
9Orunmila, King in the middle of enemies🔒 Babalawo
10Irete Obara brings many good things into the life of Ifá🔒 Babalawo
11The road of the god Iroko🔒 Babalawo
12The greedy bird🔒 Babalawo
13Wisdom and ill will🔒 Babalawo
14The flea and the louse🔒 Babalawo
15The farmer and the princess🔒 Babalawo
16The crane and the crab🔒 Babalawo
17The barber and the Oba🔒 Babalawo
18An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth🔒 Babalawo
19The dog and the donkey🔒 Babalawo
16 more patakíes in this Odù, locked.Read every road in full with the Babalawo plan. Written in Spanish for now.Unlock →
Before you subscribe: everything you read on this page is in English, but the locked part of the treatise — the full text of the other patakíes, the recipes for the ebbós and works, the iré and osogbo readings and the eewó — is still written in Spanish. We are translating it. · This page is also available in Spanish: See Irete Oba in Spanish →

Frequently asked questions about Irete Oba

What does the Odù Irete Oba mean in Ifá?

Ifá orders you to move house in order to prosper, and to have the rogation done by a daughter of Yemayá — the poor woman of this sign became a Queen.

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

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

Which orishas speak in Irete Oba?

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

What is a proverb of the Odù Irete Oba?

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

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