Obara Ka

nº 116 of 256

The betrayal of godchildren and appearances that deceive: what it looks like is not what it is, and the slanderer is left looking ridiculous.

13 patakíes 2 eewó 7 ebbós and works 13 proverbs

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Obara Ka is Odù number 116 of the 256 in Ifá, part of the Obara family. This page brings together its prayer in Yoruba, 13 patakíes (3 with the full text), its proverbs, 7 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 116 of 256
Composition: Obara over Ika
Orishas that speak: Orunmila · Olofin · Ogún · Oyá (Yansa) · Shangó

What Ifá says in this sign

Obara Ka — Obara Kasika — is the sign of religious ingratitude: here the godchild, on his wife's advice, refused food to his own godfather, and here people speak ill of the Babalawos right after the Babalawos have solved their problems. Its law of perception governs everything: appearances deceive — what you think you see is not, and what you do not think you see, is.

The patakí of the message lost in the mud teaches it in blood: the farmer killed the Obá because he did not clean off the mud covering the reply — check before you act: in this odu, judging in a hurry kills. Do not let yourself be blinded by what you see or by what you are told.

«Appearances deceive: what it looks like is not, and what it does not look like, is — the lens of Obara Ka.»The pulse of Obara Ka

You will be slandered — they will say you are a liar and a thief — and you will be thrown out of a place: do not get angry: the slanderer will be left looking ridiculous, and you will be sent for. The patience in this odu collects with interest. But do not go to that town you have never set foot in without ebbó: there is an enemy there bigger than you — the circle of cascarilla with Orunmila gets you clear.

That bound feeling — like a man in prison — is real: the prayer and the circle of chalk untie it. Your wife is crying: look at her. And the treasure of the house: your youngest child is the best of them and the one with the best head — look after them so they get ahead: your luck carries on through that child.

For the Awó of this odu, the consolation of the office: humankind will always need the Awoses of Orunmila — and will always speak ill of them: serve anyway, charge fairly and do not expect gratitude: expect the iré. Good fortune is coming to you along the road: thanks to Ogún and to Orunmila — and may other people's ingratitude never make you ungrateful

The sign in one line

Check before you act, hold out against slander and look after your youngest child — Obara Ka gets sent for with honors, and the slanderer is left looking ridiculous.

The prayer of Obara Ka · Yoruba

Obara Kasiku legun omodo Olofin Ika lele aramanamana aka tanpo adifafun Oleye adifafun Eshiye omo Olofin agboran limele akati ashoteluwa Olofin, Shangó unbo wa belefun adde Olofin lodafun agungun Orun ni male.

Ifá says — what Obara Ka tells you

An Ifá of betrayal by children and godchildren: Obara Kasika betrays the trust placed in him. It marks that Olofin's presence is essential for the consecrations of Ifá here on earth. Humankind will always need the help and the resources of the Awoses of Orunmila — and will speak ill of them afterwards: they will always be their potential enemies.
Betrayal by your children and your godchildren.
The woman is pregnant, or will be soon.
You are thinking of going somewhere you will be thrown out of, because someone has spoken ill of you — saying you are a liar and a thief: do not get angry, because that person will come off badly and look ridiculous, and you will be sent for.
You want to go to a town you have never set foot in, and in that town they will want to kill you: the enemy who is making war there has more power than you do — to come out on top, make ebbó.
A binding has been put on you, and you feel like a man in prison.
Your youngest child is the best in the house and the one with the best head: look after them well so they can get ahead.
You are going to be sent for about a job — someone with money who has a dead person's tools put away: ebbó with a stick your own height, a pipe, a basin of water, the dead person's tools and yagruma leaves.
Appearances deceive: what you think you see is not, and what you do not think you see, is.
Here people speak ill of the Babalawos right after the Babalawos have solved their problems.
You were talking with a woman who told you she was hungry, and you answered that you had nothing — and someone else was listening to you both.
Your wife is crying.
Have the prayer made if you want to live in peace and not fall into a trap.

Proverbs of Obara Ka · Òwe

“Appearances deceive.”
“On this earth there is no divine justice.”
“The world is unjust because men are.”
“The unjust king's bad name goes ahead of him and his steps trouble him everywhere.”
“Smallpox marks never fade.”
“In a war you were warned about, nobody dies.”
“The dwarf does not beat the giant hand to hand.”
“Hunger is the poor man's ailment, gluttony the rich man's.”
“In a liar's mouth, what is certain becomes doubtful.”
“The leopard's spots keep illness away.”
“Whoever faces reality with a lie is shown reality by the pain.”
“There is no hardship without joy, and no joy without hardship.”
“A beautiful woman with no virtue is a flower on a dung heap.”

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 Obara Ka · Ìbí

That appearances deceive.
The farmer read only the Obá's letter — his wife's reply was covered by mud — and killed over an unfaithfulness that had never happened.
That Orunmila handed the chalk to the mayombero.
Here the mayombero went to war with the Awó or with the godchild: that is why mayomberos work with chalk, and the Awó with the circle of chalk and cascarilla.
That the mouse falls into the trap and the fish into the net.
Neither of them would make ebbó; the water hyacinth and the net did, with a rooster.
The herbs of this sign: water hyacinth and yagruma.

What is forbidden · Eewó

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

Do not be blinded by what you see.
Appearances deceive: check the back of the letter before you pick up the machete.
Do not get angry over the slander.
The one who spoke badly of you will end up looking bad and made a fool of.

Ebbós of Obara Ka · The sacrifices that open the road

LoveThe fish of the marriage🔒 The Notebook Beating enemiesThe circle of cascarilla🔒 The Notebook Beating enemiesThe mayombero's circle of chalk🔒 The Notebook Keeping death awayEbbó of the trap and the mouse🔒 The Notebook

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

Works of Obara Ka · The workings of the sign

Beating enemiesThe nine akará on the roof🔒 The Notebook MoneyThe wheel of the two hens🔒 The Notebook HealthThe infusion of this sign🔒 The Notebook

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

Patakíes of Obara Ka · The roads of the Odù

1Appearances deceive

An Obá was courting the farmer's beautiful wife behind his back, and she was refusing him. Orunmila warned the farmer: «Do not let yourself be blinded — appearances deceive». The Obá sent a letter saying he would come by night; she sent it back with «if you dare, I will kill you» written on the reverse. The letter fell in the mud: the farmer found it and read only the Obá's side. Wild with jealousy, he hacked the Obá to death and went in to kill his wife — who in the dark took him for the Obá and buried the knife in him. «Do not cry: I die happy, because now I know you truly love me».

An Obá had a farmer as his worker, and this man's wife was very pretty. Behind the husband's back, the Obá was after her, and she turned him down again and again. One day the farmer went to get a reading with Orunmila, who brought out this sign and warned him not to let himself be blinded, because appearances lie; the man did not listen to the warning.

Some time later, the Obá sent him a letter saying that he was going to move in with her that night. The woman gave it back to the messenger after writing on the back that, if he dared to show up, she would kill him. On the road, without the messenger noticing, the letter fell into the mud. The farmer was coming that way: he picked it up, took the paper out of the envelope and read it. Since his wife's answer was written on the back and the envelope was covered in mud, he could only read what the Obá had written.

He lost his mind. He took a machete and stood behind a palm tree by the road to his house. When the Obá passed by that night, he hacked him to death, and right away he went to his house to kill the woman too. He came in furious, without announcing himself, and in the dark she thought it was the Obá and stuck the knife in him. When she heard him cry out she knew her husband. He explained that he had thought her unfaithful because of that letter on the road. She protested: "Did you not read my answer, on the back of the envelope, where I threatened to kill him if he dared to come?" — "I did not see it, because the envelope was muddy." She broke down crying, and her husband managed to tell her: "Do not cry, because I die happy: I know you really love me."

2Orunmila is saved by the yagruma

Once Orunmila was traveling through a land and a great many porcupines came at him on the road, throwing themselves at him to eat him. In trouble, he caught sight of a yagruma tree and climbed it, saving himself from the porcupines, who did not devour him. Maferefún the yagruma: that is why it is an herb of this sign.

Once Orunmila was traveling through a land, and along the road a great many porcupines appeared and, on seeing him, threw themselves at him to eat him.

Orunmila, finding himself in trouble, caught sight of a yagruma tree and climbed it, and there he was able to save himself from the porcupines, who did not devour him. Maferefún the yagruma: that is why the yagruma is an herb of this Odù, and whoever goes to war inside the circle bathes with its leaves.

3The fish and the mouse

Orunmila told the mouse to make ebbó and the mouse refused: "I am very happy in my hole." The same thing happened with the fish. That is why the mouse ends up in the trap, and the fish in the net. The water flower and the net did make the offering, with a rooster.

Orunmila told the mouse to make ebbó, and the mouse refused: he said he lived very happily in his hole. From there Orunmila went to find the fish with the same errand, and the fish did not want to do it either.

That is why the mouse ends up in the trap, and the fish in the net. The water flower and the net, on the other hand, did make the offering, and they did it with a rooster: that is why the net catches and the water flower stays on top — whoever sacrifices sets the trap; whoever does not, falls into it.

4How Orunmila and his wife got food🔒 The Notebook 5The enemy who moved first🔒 The Notebook 6Yansa and Orunmila's enemies🔒 The Notebook 7Orunmila cures the king🔒 The Notebook 8Idolatry accepted as an act of faith🔒 The Notebook 9From drop to pearl🔒 The Notebook 10The power of the ewe and the eye🔒 The Notebook 11The farmer and the swindler🔒 The Notebook 12Self-sufficiency🔒 The Notebook 13Orunmila feeds a whole town🔒 The Notebook

10 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 Obara Ka in Spanish →

Frequently asked questions about Obara Ka

What does the Odù Obara Ka mean in Ifá?

The betrayal of godchildren and appearances that deceive: what it looks like is not what it is, and the slanderer is left looking ridiculous.

What number is Obara Ka among the 256 Odù of Ifá?

Obara Ka is Odù number 116 of the 256 in Ifá, part of the Obara family.

Which orishas speak in Obara Ka?

In the Odù Obara Ka these orishas speak: Orunmila, Olofin, Ogún, Oyá (Yansa), Shangó.

What is a proverb of the Odù Obara Ka?

One of the proverbs of Obara Ka says: «Appearances deceive.».

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