Ofun Ogbe

Also called Ofún Nágbe

nº 242 of 256 · Edited by Ricco Ledesma

Where the fluids of the body were born, whose King is semen: Obatalá is over all heads to save them. The mouth is their ruin.

35 patakíes 9 eewó 10 ebbós and works 18 proverbs

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Ofun Ogbe is Odù number 242 of the 256 in Ifá, part of the Ofun family. It is also written as Ofún Nágbe. This page brings together its prayer in Yoruba, 35 patakíes (3 in full in plain sight, with their teaching, ebbó and chants), its proverbs, 10 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 242 of 256
Composition: Ofun over Ogbe
In the Diloggún: 10-8 · Ofún tonti Eyeunle
Orishas that speak: Obatalá · Oyá (Yansá) · Oshún · San Lázaro (Azojuano) · Oshósi (Oddé) · Shangó · Ogún · Orun y Odduduwa

What Ifá says in this sign

Ofun Ogbe, also known as Ofún Nágbe, is the sign where the fluids of the body were born, from air and saliva to semen, which rules them all, together with the ashé of Orí and the law of consequences nobody sought. Obatalá is always above your head to save you, and Olodumare does not let you go without food. Its ruling: you can reach old age with recognition, as long as you watch what comes out of your mouth. Your greatness lies in Osha more than in Ifá.

The main warning is alcohol. Do not drink and do not tell your secrets, because a word spoken while drunk takes away your wife, your home and your fortune. The man of this sign won three wives with three ebbós and lost them when it became known where they came from. Do not leave your clothes in other people's hands or accept drinks where you do not trust, because that is how they can hold you back or control you. Avoid pride and the hunger for applause: whoever divines to show off ends up dressed in rags.

«Your mouth is your ruin: the drunkard of Ofún Nágbe lost three wives and a fortune by talking.»The pulse of Ofun Ogbe

Take care of your children, who inherit the vices and the virtues of their parents. If you have two small children, make the ebbó for them, because there is a danger that they could die burned or drowned, and you yourself are at risk from fire and water. Do not impose on them a destiny that is not theirs, because without meaning to it could cost them their lives. There is envy in the family, and one brother may rob the other and even kill him: avoid fights.

In love, a woman you rejected keeps loving you even after her death and gets in the way of your marriage, and another, out of jealousy, tries to break up your relationship. The woman of this sign should not marry a soldier or a man who drinks, because she could die at his hands, and an abortion procedure could be fatal for her, above all if she is expecting twins. It is a sign of hereditary curse: for not keeping a secret or keeping his word, Oyá cursed a family, and in it there will always be adodi and alakuata. Do not mistreat anyone, because whoever mistreats others ends up alone. At work, if you prepare with the ebbó for a business or a trip, Ifá protects you, and in your trade you will discover things nobody had seen.

In health, the stomach is your weak point: strong pains and poor digestion, and milk, too much salt and strong smells harm you. Take care of your eyes and do not jump over holes. Obsessing over people and matters upsets your nerves until it gives you fits of madness; recover your sleep. Be careful at night, because at that hour Ikú follows you, and attend to your spiritual guides and to Babalú Ayé, who brings you luck.

The sign in one line

Do not drink, do not reveal secrets and sow your greatness in Osha, for Obatalá is over the head of Ofún Nágbe to save him.

The prayer of Ofun Ogbe · Yoruba

Ofún Nágbe Ayere Yireo Ayeri Gui Ofa Pereguiki Obbá Oshún Lodafún Ofún Odafo Obbá Nuba Ogbe Donlara Ofún Ikordié Meta Elebo; Ebeyo Owo Elebo.

Ifá says — what Ofun Ogbe tells you

He should touch his abdomen and blow outward: this comes from the punishment that Babá imposed on the one who stole his goat.
Women give off a bad smell because of the obó, and their menstruation is not healthy.
A woman falls in love with a man and is not accepted; when she dies, she pursues him as both enemy and lover, and even comes to interrupt his own marriage.
The obiní takes revenge on her husband for the mistreatment her children suffer: no one should be mistreated.
You must avoid curettage procedures, which can be fatal, especially if twins are involved.
It is not good for the obiní to marry either military men or men given to drink: she runs the risk of being killed. Her tendency is to die by weapons or by bad weather.
This Odù points to the birth of a girl; milk does harm.
Children defraud and deceive their parents; one brother steals from another, and even from the father, and one brother kills or ruins another.
It is an Ifá of deformities of the back (humps), because of failing in one's duties to the Orishas and Eshu, or because of inherited and acquired malformations.
There are intense stomach pains and disorders of the digestive system.
It deals with deceit and blackmail of the woman; from this arises the hereditary curse of the alakuatas, the adodi and the cuckolds.
Parents must not force their children into something their destiny does not include, since without meaning to they may cause their death.
You must look after your nervous system because of stubbornness, which produces brief episodes of madness.
The person trusts only in his own spiritual power and despises other religions; he divines in bad faith to be applauded, and in the end his apparent triumph is frustrated and he ends up dressed in rags, unless he joins the path of Ifá.
You must be careful about going out at night, because Ikú stalks the person at those hours; the black butterfly announces at night that Ikú is near.
Semen speaks, King of the fluids, and so does spermatogenesis: the X chromosome that determines sex.
The unicorn and the buffalo (Gidígidí) speak: the woman who transforms, who looks like one thing and is another.
The porcupine speaks, whose dry half became a woman, and who, because of her husband's insults, turned her children into porcupines and left him alone.
The elephant speaks: the man who strips off his wrinkled skin; that is why eating its meat was forbidden.
The gourd bowl of cocoa butter (Igbarí) speaks: its three companions from Heaven can destroy the head the way the gourd bowl is destroyed.
The vulture (Igún) speaks, which no disaster affects: Olodumare will always bring it something to eat.
The black butterfly, the wasp and the colorful butterfly speak: the elder one's envy cost her life, and the black one was sentenced to come out at night, warning that Ikú is on the prowl.
The ewé of the Odù are: tua tua, paragüita, quitamaldición and guacalote; and the palos of power Eyereyibó (cypress), Ayeregiodón (tamarind) and Peregún Iguí Obá (Oshún's peregún).

Proverbs of Ofun Ogbe · Òwe

“The fence must be strong in case they pull on the vine.”
“The thought of one wolf is enough to kill a sheep.”
“No disaster affects the vulture.”
“Money and women have no brothers.”
“Cocoa butter melts and destroys the gourd bowl that holds it, and your head can be destroyed the same way.”
“Illness takes him to the burial.”
“Olodumare will always bring him something to eat.”
“Ears of corn placed on top make us look like a dead person, but they are not able to make us work with the spirits.”
“Whoever walks with careful steps rarely slips and falls.”
“Worthy is the man who is compared to a child.”
“There is no apple more sour than that of frustration.”
“Impulses carry error on their backs.”
“However hard it rains, it clears.”
“Whoever curses is not well oriented, or his head is sick.”
“Between one elder and another nothing goes wrong if they know how to respect each other.”
“The two poles are the same even though they are far apart.”
“The tail never joins the head.”
“Swallowing, even if it is only saliva.”

15 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

Olodumare never lets them lack something to eat: tiredness does not reach them and illness does not find them in the places where they go.
Obatalá is always above their head to save them.
If they do the complete ebbó before setting out, they are protected on the road, and Ifá does not let anything happen to them.

Osogbo · what the sign warns

They are at risk of dying in a fire or of being carried away by the waters.
If the father does not do the ebbó for his children, they may die burned or drowned.
A secret told while drunk leaves them without women, without fortune and without a home.

42 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 Ofun Ogbe · Ìbí

Fluids and gases produced by the human organism: saliva, gastric juice, semen and air; the King of all of them is semen.
Of the three brothers, only Ató (the semen), the youngest, made the ebbó of the ten hens: that is why his business always comes out well.
The making of sperm and the ashé of Orí.
Ofún Nágbe is the first of those who split off from Ofun Meyi and corresponds to the X chromosome, the one that determines sex; for that reason, births of girls are frequent in this Ifá.
That Obatalá carries 8 otá.
A birth of this Odù.
Envy among the Awoses.
It comes from the road of Yampó Bolodé and the Ifá of the omó Ikú; hence Ifá is not made for a child of Death.
The law of unintended effects.
Orunmila got the melons loaded with riches from the other divinities without telling them what they meant.
The bad smell of the obó.
Oyá laid a curse when she was discovered: menstruation is bad and from that comes the bad smell.
Giving akukó fun fun to Obatalá.
A birth of this Odù.
Orunmiela, «Our Savior».
Orun placed his son Elá at the heart of the new Sun: Orun mi Elá, the Word, the wise one, the understanding one and the eye of the Sun.
To be important in the land of Osha, because one will never become someone in Ifá.
From the road of Ominigún, who went out into the world without a head and for that reason has no throne: the diviner Agbigbá (Oguega) prospers only if he has his own Ifá.

What is forbidden · Eewó

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

You are forbidden to drink liquor of any kind, and you must not let your wife drink it either.
Through drink secrets are revealed and fortune, women and house are lost; Babalú Ayé threw the drinking Ofún into the sea.
You must not tell your secrets to anyone, nor reveal anything when you are drunk.
The hunter lost the unicorn, Gidígidí and Yansá for revealing the secret while drunk.
You must not eat wild melon.
Sentence of Olodumare: everyone who eats melon loses his power and authority, except Orunmila.
Do not eat with too much salt, and it is forbidden to give Obatalá food with salt.
Obatalá refused to offer the salt and the squash, and was left with a hunched back: that is why he never eats it.
You cannot cross or jump over holes, and you must take care of your sight.
You can have a deadly accident, like Awó Ofó, who fell into the hole with his eyes covered.
You must not smell strong scents.
Because of the buzzard of this Ifá.
Do not mistreat anyone.
The porcupine's wife took revenge for the mistreatment of her children, and the man died alone and of sadness.
Milk does you harm.
Rule of this Odù.
Do not make Ifá for your son if he is omó Ikú.
Elegbara ruled: “This happens because of trying to make a son of Ikú an Awó of Orunmila.”

Ebbós of Ofun Ogbe · The sacrifices that open the road

LoveThe three ebbós of Nágbe🔒 The Notebook Keeping death awayEbbó for the two children (the slave and the freed man)🔒 The Notebook HealthEbbó of the stomach (the euré of Babá)🔒 The Notebook Overcoming enemiesThe three balls of ground meat🔒 The Notebook LossEbbó of the hunter and the elephant man🔒 The Notebook SpiritualEbbó of the three deities of the womb🔒 The Notebook MoneyEbbó of Olofin's hunter🔒 The Notebook

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

Works of Ofun Ogbe · The workings of the sign

SpiritualEshu Labborní, the slave of Oshún🔒 The Notebook HealthWorks of Oshún and the kofiborí🔒 The Notebook SpiritualSecret for madness🔒 The Notebook

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

Patakíes of Ofun Ogbe · The roads of the Odù

1Oyá and the Colorful Fish

Oyá lived next to a bend in the river. One day Olofin arranged for fish of many colors to arrive there. The place was so pleasant for them that they decided to stay.

Oyá thought they were beautiful and at once began to protect them. She forbade anyone to go near that bank and stood guard day and night, afraid that some fishermen would take them away.

She spent so many days without sleeping or eating that her health broke down and her nerves stopped answering her. Then, full of anger, she cursed the newly arrived fish. After that she went deep into the bush, far from anyone who could give her worries, to sleep again and recover.

What it teaches

Too much zeal in guarding what one loves ends up harming the one who guards. Without rest or food, health and nerves give way, and anger can turn against what was once loved. Stepping away from worry and resting is what brings wellbeing back.

2The Drunkard Who Soiled Babalú Ayé's Mat

Two dwellers of the same hut, Ofún Nágbe and Babalú Ayé, got along well at first. The conflict began with Ofún's drinking. Every time he came home drunk he slept on Babalú's mat, and in the morning it was covered with vomit.

Babalú noticed that his sores flared up on the days when he slept on it. So he ordered Ofún not to lie there again. For a while Ofún respected that. One night, however, he came back drunk and lay down on the mat once more. The next morning Babalú saw the vomit again, but not Ofún, who had already left. He cleaned the mat and decided to stay awake that night, alert to everything.

Ofún came back drunk once more and lay down in the forbidden place. Babalú, who had not slept, covered him with the mat, rolled it up with him inside and threw it into the sea. Ofún drowned.

What it teaches

Drinking without limit and disrespecting the one who offers shelter ends badly. A repeated prohibition cannot be ignored without paying the price, which here was life itself.

3The Three Women Who Left Over a Secret

Ofún and Nágbe were brothers, and Ofún was the elder. Nágbe visited Orunmila to consult and this Ifá came out. Orunmila told him that, although he believed he had no fortune with women, he would soon have three. To achieve it he had to prepare three different ebbós and place them in three different spots.

Nágbe obeyed. He placed the first ebbó near a lovely flower born in a stinking swamp; looking at it, he exclaimed that, if it were a woman, he would marry her. The second he left at the edge of a river, next to a plant, and said those same words. The third he laid at the foot of a rotten log, where he once more repeated the same thing.

When he returned home, three women appeared to him within a short time. All of them asked for the same thing: they were willing to give him whatever he wanted, as long as no one ever found out where each one came from. They stayed to live with him.

Later Nágbe revealed to his brother the origin of the three. One day Ofún arrived drunk and, seeing that the meal was not ready, he got irritated and threw in the faces of all three where they came from. Hearing it, they left the house.

Nágbe, alone and bewildered, went to his brother to find out what was going on. Ofún confessed what he had said. The two ended up in a fierce fight, and in it Nágbe killed his brother.

What it teaches

A favor granted on condition of silence is lost as soon as that condition is broken. Telling what is private to someone who drinks can cost what was gained and even the peace between brothers.

Nágbe's three ebbós

Three different ebbós in three different places: one next to a flower born in rotten mud, another next to a plant on the riverbank and the third at the foot of a rotten log. Before each one, Nágbe said that he would marry it if it were a woman.

4The curse inherited by the children of the Oluwó🔒 The Notebook 5The curse of Oyá (the deer)🔒 The Notebook 6The road of the unicorn (Yansá was the obiní)🔒 The Notebook 7Odé and the buffalo woman who hid her skin🔒 The Notebook 8The father who did not do ebbó for his two sons🔒 The Notebook 9Adifafún Yansá, who married the drunkard🔒 The Notebook 10The black goat that Ofún Nágbe stole from Obatalá🔒 The Notebook 11Ofó, son of Ikú, died when he was made awó🔒 The Notebook 12The old man with three wives🔒 The Notebook 13Obatalá did not make the offering of the calabash and was left hunchbacked🔒 The Notebook 14Elegba made the dog get lost and saved the world🔒 The Notebook 15The loner and the porcupine🔒 The Notebook 16The hunter who saw the elephant turn into a man🔒 The Notebook 17Igbarí did not do ebbó and his gourd bowl serves only once🔒 The Notebook 18The vulture that did the complete ebbó🔒 The Notebook 19Semen, the only one of the three brothers who did ebbó🔒 The Notebook 20Ofún Nágbe steals Obatalá's goat🔒 The Notebook 21Ominigún and Olofin's melons🔒 The Notebook 22Orunmila buys Ominigún as a slave🔒 The Notebook 23The three obiní of Ofún Nágbe (Eyereyibó, Ayeregiodón and Peregún)🔒 The Notebook 24The three women of the log, the river and the mud🔒 The Notebook 25The night moth🔒 The Notebook 26Orunmiela, eye of the Sun (Our Savior)🔒 The Notebook 27The ikín, who did not fear Ikú, and the dilogún🔒 The Notebook 28Ogún cuts his own navel cord🔒 The Notebook 29The fish and the fisherman🔒 The Notebook 30Olokun goes off to the bottom of the sea🔒 The Notebook 31The disobedient daughter🔒 The Notebook 32The bird left out of the party🔒 The Notebook 33The pact between wolves and sheep🔒 The Notebook 34The dealer and his neighbor🔒 The Notebook 35The hair of Agbani🔒 The Notebook

32 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 Ofun Ogbe in Spanish →

Frequently asked questions about Ofun Ogbe

What does the Odù Ofun Ogbe mean in Ifá?

Where the fluids of the body were born, whose King is semen: Obatalá is over all heads to save them. The mouth is their ruin.

What number is Ofun Ogbe among the 256 Odù of Ifá?

Ofun Ogbe is Odù number 242 of the 256 in Ifá, part of the Ofun family.

Which orishas speak in Ofun Ogbe?

In the Odù Ofun Ogbe these orishas speak: Obatalá, Oyá (Yansá), Oshún, San Lázaro (Azojuano), Oshósi (Oddé), Shangó, Ogún, Orun y Odduduwa.

What is a proverb of the Odù Ofun Ogbe?

One of the proverbs of Ofun Ogbe says: «The fence must be strong in case they pull on the vine.».

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