1Other people's fortune
«A free gift foretells no danger; I will prosper through the fortune of others»: Obara Lila served Ifá, Eshu and his mother's head before coming down. A merchant and a farmer, some bandits hid their loot beside his farm — Ifá confirmed to him that they had been executed, and he collected it: tusks, cloth, money. At the market he found another ownerless haul. His wealth reached extraordinary proportions — benefiting, lawfully, from the fortune of others.
«A free gift foretells no danger in the hands of the one who receives it; I will prosper through the fortune of others»: those were the two Awoses who made the reading for Obara Lila when he was leaving heaven for the earth. He was to serve Ifá with a female goat, Eshu with a male goat, and his mother with a hen along with all the cooking seasonings. He made the sacrifices and came down, after getting clarity from his Guardian Angel. On earth he became a merchant and a farmer; his quick successes stirred up enmity, his business fell off, and in a reading he was told to repeat the same sacrifices: he was assured that fortune was waiting for him.
One day, a band of robbers hid their loot near his farm: several treasures, sacks of cloth, beds, elephant tusks, money, eagle and parrot feathers. He left it all untouched, and consulted Ifá, which told him the robbers had been captured and executed: the next day he moved the treasures to his house, and the find made him very rich. He went to thank the priests with a bag of money, a female goat and cloth — and Ifá told him he would collect yet another haul. He worked as a merchant in Oja-Ajigbomekon Akira: one day he saw on his stall elephant tusks and precious dishes — a thief had been arrested that morning, and nobody claimed the goods when the market emptied. Once again he asked Ifá whether he could take them: his wealth multiplied and his prosperity reached extraordinary proportions. Once again he thanked the Awoses with an elephant tusk, white cloth and a bag of money for each of them. His destiny showed itself in benefiting indirectly through the fortune of others. In Igbodu: your fortune is in crops — yam and corn — and in trade; put an elephant tusk on your Ifá altar; the man should make Ifá, and the woman should marry a Babalawo.
2The chief who divined the three vessels
The Obá, hearing of his wealth, invited him to divine the contents of three vessels he kept in his private rooms: cascarilla, cowries and alligator pepper. Eshu turned himself into a little girl and handed him a cascarilla, a cowrie and an alligator pepper; Ifá confirmed to him that this was what the vessels held. He got it right in front of the king — and explaining that he was not meant for the priesthood, he was given the office of Shasere of the town, to help the Obá govern his kingdom.
The Obá of the town began to hear about his wealth and his prosperity. One day he invited him to make a reading, and he told the king he was not practicing the priesthood of Ifá. The king had in his private rooms three vessels holding cascarilla, cowries and alligator pepper, and he asked him to name the contents of each. He went home to prepare for the test.
Eshu at once turned himself into a little girl carrying several things in her hands, and handed him a cascarilla, a cowrie and an alligator pepper. When he got home he asked Ifá what the girl's gifts meant, and Ifá confirmed that this was the content of the king's three vessels. He took the three samples to the palace and told the king what they held. The king asked him why he was avoiding the priesthood of Ifá, and he explained that he was not meant for it. He was immediately given the office of Shasere of the town, with the Obá's request that he help him govern his kingdom.
3The forked stick and the knife of caution
Orunmila was warned to act with caution and never do anything in a hurry: he sacrificed a pigeon, the circumcision knife and a forked stick, which he was to carry on his travels. Wandering through the forest he passed some kola trees ready for harvest, whose owners had no equipment: he gave them the forked stick to pick with and the knife to split the nuts. They divided the nuts into three parts and gave him one — he sold it, and made good money.
«Ebara Wonrin koso ni she owo imole»: that was the Awó who made the reading for Orunmila when he was warned to act with caution and never do anything in a hurry. He was told to make sacrifice with a pigeon, the knife used for circumcision and a forked stick; the sacrifice was carried out, and the knife and the forked stick were prepared for him to carry when he traveled.
One day, wandering through the forest, he passed among some kola nut trees whose fruit was ready for harvest. The owners of the trees had no equipment: he gave them the forked stick, with which they picked all the fruit, and later the knife to split them. After preparing the nuts, they divided them into three parts and gave him one. He carried his load of kola nuts home and sold it, making good money: patience with the right preparation finds its pay along the road.
4The bird of fortune🔒 Babalawo
5The hunter, the wife and the parrot🔒 Babalawo
6Olobara, who ate yam without soup🔒 Babalawo
7The dancer and the poisoned horse🔒 Babalawo
8The prayer for the year of wealth🔒 Babalawo
9The diablitos tried to kill Obara Juani🔒 Babalawo
10The embarrassment over the broth🔒 Babalawo
11Shangó's exile🔒 Babalawo
12The curse of the two Awoses🔒 Babalawo
13Obara Nifa and his brother: failure🔒 Babalawo
14The drum at the enemy's house🔒 Babalawo
15A thief who steals from a thief🔒 Babalawo
16The bear and the firefly🔒 Babalawo
17The whim is the prediction🔒 Babalawo
18The language of the trees🔒 Babalawo
19The passion of fire🔒 Babalawo
20The yam, the earth and Obatalá🔒 Babalawo
21The worm and the ants🔒 Babalawo
22The kingdom of the osorbos🔒 Babalawo
23Shangó's disguise🔒 Babalawo
24The nine Oba ni Ara Onu🔒 Babalawo
25Satan's altar🔒 Babalawo