Obara Sa

Also called Obara Osa

nº 115 of 256 · Edited by Ricco Ledesma

The pact between Agayú, Shangó and the Egun of the whole world: it is the Ifá of stubbornness, and its secret consists of a pot with water in the yard for a lifetime.

19 patakíes 5 eewó 8 ebbós and works 27 proverbs

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Obara Sa is Odù number 115 of the 256 in Ifá, part of the Obara family. It is also written as Obara Osa. 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 115 of 256
Composition: Obara over Osa
In the Diloggún: 6-9 · Obara tonti Osá
Orishas that speak: Agayú · Shangó · Orunmila · Eshu · Oyá · Egun Merilaye · Azojuano · Yemayá

What Ifá says in this sign

Obara Sa, also known as Obara Osa, speaks to a person who has to learn when to stay and when to withdraw. In this sign were born the pact of Agayú with Shangó and Oshún, by which the volcano first throws out fire and then lava, the Egun Merilaye, the dead who come from every corner of the world, and the mystery of the water that must never be missing from a pot in the yard. Its ruling is one of prudence: you must know how to step away from danger in time, because stubbornness sinks you deeper and deeper.

Your blessing is great: you have a very powerful guardian angel who has always held you up, and with the Egun from everywhere at your side you win the war against whoever attacks you. This sign brings a tune of prosperity: when you fulfill the complete sacrifice, health, a partner, children, possessions and long life arrive. Orunmila won a war without fighting because he listened to Ifá. What is lost in the house turns up, and money you lent comes back to your hands.

«If I do not run, I will not be able to live: the timely retreat is the victory of Obara Sa.»The pulse of Obara Sa

The osogbo is discredit. There are scandals, slander, tears and shame, and you may find yourself caught in a problem with the law. Beware of friends who lead a bad life but present themselves with good manners and of clients who want to cheat you. Do not drag anyone into trouble, because you will fall with them, and avoid crowds: you could be hurt without knowing who did it. There is a theft inside the house, committed by someone in the family, and enemies who want to drive you out of your home and your job.

In love, the man of this sign tends to treat his partner badly, and she ends up leaving: treat her with respect. The woman needs her Ikofafun to have a stable marriage. If you have an abandoned child, take care of him now, so you will not weep tomorrow. You carry the wound of an abandonment and you often doubt what you want. Traveling too much takes away what you earn: learn Ifá without leaving your trade, and settle down.

In health, take care of your throat, your esophagus and your digestion: do not eat very hot food or eat in a hurry. Nerves take away your sleep, you wake up frightened and wanting to run away, and you could hurt your head in a blow. A dead spirit is asking you for a mass, and a child in the house is ill: look after him. Fulfill your duty to your dead and to the saints, be prudent and do not be stubborn, and the house of Obara Sa will fill with fortune.

The sign in one line

Leave the stubbornness, keep your pot of water full, and call the Egun of the whole world: the repeated tune of Obara Sa fills the house with fortune.

The prayer of Obara Sa · Yoruba

Obara Sa kukute kuko adifayoko kunle adifayoko komi nibo guele arere leure sikota aikordie eyele meji intori iku etu lebo. Kaferefun Olofin Awo fi adifafun Orunmila umbati lomba eri lowo biku eyele itana medilogun eyele medilogun etu lebo.

Ifá says — what Obara Sa tells you

Scandal and public discredit: beware of scandals that bring you into disrepute and bring in the law.
That it commands you to run: if I do not run, I will not be able to live.
That the person's home and job are taken away: they will be forced to leave the place where they live or work.
That a dead person accompanies the person; whenever this Ifá comes out osobo, a paraldo must be done.
That through intori ikú marks death: urgent ebbó.
That you may be wounded in the street without knowing who the attacker was, the work of a madman or an enemy, and that you must not take part where many people gather.
There is a theft in the house: the thief is inside the home itself, and what was stolen will reappear.
A sick child in the house, who may die; and a relative with skin problems who must pay Azojuano.
Illnesses of the sign: throat, esophagus, digestive system, brain trauma, and the circulatory and nervous systems.
That the person lives with a trauma from the abandonment they suffered from their parents, relatives, or the boss at work: rogation of the head to cool it.
That the man attacks the woman and she leaves him; she must receive ikofafún, so that the marriage becomes stable.
That you must not involve anyone in difficulties, nor put them into the fire, because you get burned too.
That you must protect yourself from friends who lead a disordered life, even if they pretend to have good habits and conduct.
That the person wakes up startled and does not rest well: they wake with the urge to run and jump about in bed; treat the nerves.
That you own a stone that keeps you stuck: find out what must be done with it.
That there is a matter to attend to, whether within the Santo or in another religion, and it is advisable to do it soon, because later it may be too late.
That your Guardian Angel, so great, has helped you a great deal: if you have a younger brother, express your gratitude to him.
That a dead person is asking you to have a Mass said.

Proverbs of Obara Sa · Òwe

“Because of my stubbornness, I lost everything.”
“If I do not run, I will not be able to live.”
“By repeating the tune, prosperity came.”
“The child of Obara Osa does not run, never dies, is never sick, and never loses their good name.”
“Because I traveled so much, all my prosperity was lost.”
“There are those who pretend to be mad in order to dodge responsibility.”
“Deceitful payment is wickedness; fair payment is kindness.”
“Discredit closes down businesses.”
“The boat that is not moored drifts away.”
“The road of lies is short.”
“They come in as guests and want to leave as owners.”
“The hurricane leaves a gap in its path, but the land always puts itself in order again.”
“There were already many of us, and then grandmother gave birth.”
“In the feats told by the lion hunter, the lion comes out the loser.”
“For Olorun there are no secrets in the heart of man.”
“The sparks from the horseshoes of the steed announce the rider's war.”
“There is no greater virtue in a heart than compassion.”
“Public shame does more harm than a swollen river does to the harvest.”
“No one agrees with the stubborn person, even when they are right.”
“Behind the praise of an ally lies the trap of the wicked.”
“Whoever does not contribute enough will soon live under the bridge.”
“A man standing still is a man left behind; a man on the move is a man ahead.”
“Tell me how you sleep and I will tell you how you live.”
“Those who divide fight among themselves and strengthen the outsider.”
“First look for your livelihood and then for your seat.”
“The spirit of confusion makes a man take the false road.”
“The just person is corrected with words, but the unfaithful one, even if they understand, pays no attention.”

24 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

Every time they repeat the tune of Obara Osa, great prosperity and good fortune come to their home.
With the complete sacrifice come health, marriage, children, goods, progress and long life.
With a pot of water always full in the yard and the help of the Egun from all over the world, they win the war against their enemies.

Osogbo · what the sign warns

They meet fraudulent clients who try to deceive them.
If they lose emotional stability, they make mistakes that later cannot be repaired.
They suffer scandals and public discredit, and may become involved in trouble with the law.

44 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 Obara Sa · Ìbí

The pact of Agayú and Shangó (with Oshún).
Egun Merilaye: the Egun of every part of the world.
Making Agayú directly.
That the person pretends to be dead in order to witness their own burial.
That works be done for the aleyo and not ebbó.
The secret of the pot with water placed permanently in the yard of the home.
The herbs of this sign: papaya, erete, mugwort, ceiba, guava, jagüey and carob.

What is forbidden · Eewó

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

You cannot argue stubbornly.
As long as you keep doing it, things will get worse and worse.
You cannot eat hot food.
So that you do not hurt your throat or your esophagus.
Do not go where many people gather.
Shangó, without ebbó, ended up leaving the party in a fight; stay seven days without going out.
You must never have a servant.
Do not put anyone into the fire.
Lest you get burned as well.

Ebbós of Obara Sa · The sacrifices that open the road

Overcoming enemiesOyá's jícara🔒 The Notebook MoneyIré Umbo at the foot of Agayú🔒 The Notebook LossEbbó to remove setbacks🔒 The Notebook MoneyThe buried magnet🔒 The Notebook

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

Works of Obara Sa · The workings of the sign

Overcoming enemiesThe pot of the Egun Merilaye🔒 The Notebook Overcoming enemiesThe inshé of the tiger hide🔒 The Notebook HealthThe bath of the child of Obara Osa🔒 The Notebook MoneyThe soap of the debtors🔒 The Notebook

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

Patakíes of Obara Sa · The roads of the Odù

1The One Who Ran Out of Heaven

This odu ran away from heaven at full speed. Before leaving, his Angel ordered four offerings: a rooster for his head, a guinea fowl for the Angel himself, a goat for Eshu and a turtle for the land of heaven. He carried them out and went down without telling anyone.

In the world he became a traveler and went from one place to another without stopping. Since he could not settle, he consulted again, and the oracle told him that, along with his travels, he should work as a priest of Ifá. He made offerings again: a guinea fowl for his Ifá, another for his head, because the rooster was forbidden to him, a goat for Eshu and a turtle for the earth.

Soon after starting that trade, some prosperity came. People saw that he was better at being a priest than at being on the road. He kept improving and came to have a home.

What it teaches

Leaving without telling anyone left him going around in circles without putting down roots. It was the office of priest of Ifá, pointed out by the oracle, that gave him stability, well being and a home. Fulfilling the sacrifices and accepting the office indicated brings order to a restless life.

Offerings before leaving heaven

For the land of heaven, a jicotea turtle; for Eshu, a goat; for his head, a rooster; and for his Angel, a guinea fowl.

Offerings when he consulted on earth

For his Ifá, a guinea fowl; for his head, also a guinea fowl, because the rooster was forbidden to him; for Eshu, a goat; for the earth, a jicotea turtle.

Advice in Igbodu

The person must continue in his trade, study Ifá and resist spending long periods away from home.

2The Witches' Egg

Obara Osa spent so much time traveling that he neglected his family, and he ended up leaving his son Sheyi as Shangó's servant. In Shangó's house there were two other men: a hunter and another who took care of repairing whatever broke.

One year the rainy season ended without a drop of water, and hunger came to the land. The people asked Shangó, who had communication with heaven, to find out the reason. At the Divine Council he learned that the cult of witchcraft, called Awon Iyami Oshoronga, had three eggs kept above, and that the rain would not fall as long as none of them was touched. God said that his own anger was enough to break them, and that then chaos would reign. The Council pointed out a way out: whoever emptied one egg and put the shell back in its place would make it rain for three days.

Back on earth, the hunter put on his hunting clothes and struck one of the eggs, taking care not to graze the other two, and brought it down without breaking it. The repairer opened it and emptied what was inside onto Obara Osa's altar for the divinity of the earth; then he left it as it was. Sheyi, who went up to heaven very often, returned it to its place. It all happened by day, and for that reason the cult of witchcraft did not notice.

When darkness fell, the witches discovered that one of their eggs was missing its contents. They sent this notice: the divinity of Death had fallen ill, and awoses from the earth were wanted who would be willing to cure her; also, she would recover if the contents of the egg appeared. Everyone thought that only Obara Osa could treat her. However, when he used his ókpele he discovered that Death was healthy and that the Elders of the Night were only looking for someone to sacrifice. From that moment he resolved to confront witchcraft for the rest of his life.

That night he went out with his board, on which Osa Meyi and Osa Ogbe appeared. On seeing him, the witches challenged him and blamed him for having what had been in the eggs. He replied that someone who had never been in heaven could hardly have it, and he placed the board inside the altar. When they were about to fight, he offered to have them eat slugs before beginning. When they finished, all of them fell asleep. It was then that it rained for the first time that year, and the rain did not stop all night, to the joy of the whole land.

What it teaches

Against a hidden power, open force is worth less than cunning and the joint work of people who each know how to do their part. Distrusting a suspicious invitation and consulting before acting protects a person from the trap.

When this odu appears in the Igbodu

Make ebbó immediately to the Night, and never have a servant. A hen for the head if the person's mother is alive; if she has died, a hen and a fish.

In an ordinary reading

If this odu appears outside the Igbodu, the person gives one rooster to their head and another to Ogún.

Prayer Obara Osa said when he went out with the divination board

UGBANE GUN UGBANERO, UGBANE KPURUGHU RUGHU, ARUFEN ANA LE LEKE.

3The Father Who Searched for Ojulewa

Ojulewa left her home. Her father went to some diviners, who identified themselves with a name that recalls that a master looks for his runaway slave and parents look for their missing child.

They told him to offer a goat, and he did so. That is why he managed to find the girl. In this sign, a timely sacrifice makes it possible to recover what was lost.

What it teaches

What is lost is searched for, and an offering made in time helps to find it. Whoever follows what the diviner indicates does not spend effort in vain to recover what is missing.

The father's offering

A goat.

Prayer of this path

TOLO TOLO ABI ERU BA SA, BI OMO BA SAA, A O BASA. ADAFA FUN AYE TO ON WA OJULEWA OMO RE KIRI ODE. EBO NI KORU, KO LE RI OJULEWA. (Cuando un esclavo escapa, el dueño lo buscará; cuando un niño se pierde, los padres también lo buscarán.)

4The war Orunmila won without fighting🔒 The Notebook 5The tune of prosperity🔒 The Notebook 6The debtors who pay🔒 The Notebook 7The bath of the child of Obara Osa🔒 The Notebook 8When Shangó did not make ebbó🔒 The Notebook 9The secret of the bees🔒 The Notebook 10Obatalá's daughter and the false wake🔒 The Notebook 11The Obá of Yemayá's treasures🔒 The Notebook 12Oshosi's arrow and the missing bird🔒 The Notebook 13Shangó in the land of Agayú's volcano🔒 The Notebook 14The cat who fell ill in the throat🔒 The Notebook 15The pact with the witches🔒 The Notebook 16The two old men🔒 The Notebook 17Kouffo, whom they believed sick with fantasy🔒 The Notebook 18One person's faults are another's virtues🔒 The Notebook 19Nobody plays with Iroko🔒 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 Obara Sa in Spanish →

Frequently asked questions about Obara Sa

What does the Odù Obara Sa mean in Ifá?

The pact between Agayú, Shangó and the Egun of the whole world: it is the Ifá of stubbornness, and its secret consists of a pot with water in the yard for a lifetime.

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

Obara Sa is Odù number 115 of the 256 in Ifá, part of the Obara family.

Which orishas speak in Obara Sa?

In the Odù Obara Sa these orishas speak: Agayú, Shangó, Orunmila, Eshu, Oyá, Egun Merilaye, Azojuano, Yemayá.

What is a proverb of the Odù Obara Sa?

One of the proverbs of Obara Sa says: «Because of my stubbornness, I lost everything.».

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