Ogbe Ate

nº 29 of 256

The one who sees the crown but never reigns by his own hand: he healed the deity of prosperity, and his throne is the shrine of Orunmila.

30 patakíes 5 eewó 7 ebbós and works 15 proverbs

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Ogbe Ate is Odù number 29 of the 256 in Ifá, part of the Ogbe family. This page brings together its prayer in Yoruba, 30 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 29 of 256
Composition: Ogbe over Irete
Orishas that speak: Orunmila · Oshún · Oggún (Zarabanda) · Shangó · Olokun · Babalú Ayé · Eggun (Obokoye)
Eweses of the sign: Cardón · Cabo de hacha · Gandul · Hierba fina · Cuajaní · Atiponlá · Dagáme · Berbena cimarrona · Shewerekuekue

What Ifá says in this sign

Ogbe Ate is the one who healed the deity of prosperity and spread the worship of Orunmila across a whole kingdom — so far that the king himself kneels before his shrine. And yet his destiny carries a sadness: he makes out the crown, but he never reaches it — his greatness is not in reigning, but in making others reign.

Do not let that turn you bitter: the real power of this sign is huge. Oshún was born here — and Oshún is waiting for you impatiently: attend to her; the Awó of this odu even uses a metal ékuele so she knows he is working Ifá. Your mission is to plant the religion, raise godchildren and do things for women — like Orunmila, who always did something for them.

«Ogbe Ate makes out the crown and never reaches it — because his greatness is not to reign, but to make others reign.»The pulse of Ogbe Ate

The kindness of Ogbe Ate needs a brake: he healed the deity of prosperity, and his odu warns that he should spread his kindness carefully, so as not to lose his life through the ingratitude of those he helps. Do not let anyone sleep in your house, put a bit inside Oggún to keep your children and godchildren in hand, and know that you yourself can wreck your own affairs: keep an eye on yourself.

The care to take, in the body and in the house: the brain above all — all the powers of the skull and brain were born here, and so were their illnesses —, infections, and no empty cages or brooding hens when it comes in osobo. Slander and false witness will come, but nothing will happen to you: this odu says so. And the child this odu marks must make Ifá before the age of seven, to hold him fast to the earth.

You have a shadow that guards you: Obokoye, the protector of Ogbe Ate, was born in this sign. With her, with Oshún and with the chance arrest of the patakí — which was the beginning of wealth and of a son — the promise is clear: the prosperity of Ogbe Ate always comes back, even if the crown ends up on someone else.

The sign in one line

Attend to Oshún, who is waiting for you, measure out your kindness and look after your head — prosperity always comes back to Ogbe Ate, and his throne is the shrine.

The prayer of Ogbe Ate · Yoruba

Ogbe Mata Alamata, Alamata, Alamata omo awoshe mafitarun adifafun omá obanishe Aikodie, adíe, eku, eya, ilá, efun, ou, Obatalá owo mesan elebó.

Ifá says — what Ogbe Ate tells you

Dislocation of the brain.
Ogbe Ate sees the crown but will never reach it: even if he comes to receive Olofin, the peak of the religion, he will hardly ever be recognized as Obá, because that is his destiny on earth.
Some impotence.
Trouble with the law, and accidents in vehicles.
Ikú comes in and out of your house.
Oshún is waiting for you, and she is impatient.
Put a bit inside Oggún to keep your children and godchildren in hand.
Wear a belt of bull's hide at the waist to sort out hard situations.
Be careful with women, and with women's gossip.
Contagion and infectious illness, and losing your mind.
A journey, and trouble making it because of a woman.
Slander or false witness will be raised against you, but nothing will come of it.
Your wife wants to leave you, and she needs to be made santo.
A child who will have to make Ifá before the age of seven, to hold him fast to the earth so he does not die.

Proverbs of Ogbe Ate · Òwe

“He makes out the crown, but he never reaches it.”
“The tongue lost the head.”
“There is no tongue in this life that God does not punish.”
“While the food is not cooked, it is not taken off the fire to eat.”
“A hardworking man is rarely in need.”
“Whoever can do something better than they are doing it and does not, is the laziest of all.”
“Whoever has arms and does not work them is the father of idleness.”
“The path to achievement starts steep and ends flat.”
“Everyone can see the crown, but only one can wear it.”
“Ruin between close friends is not seen on the first day.”
“The skill of the clever one is the sword that wins their goals.”
“The wary man will never fall into his enemy's traps.”
“Only honest people call things by their true name.”
“When Olorun provides, all the Orishas bless.”
“When Olorun provides, all the Orishas bless.”

12 proverb interpretations in this Odù, locked.Every proverb explained: which road it comes from and how it applies.Unlock →

Iré and Osogbo

4 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 Ogbe Ate · Ìbí

The plague.
All the powers of the brain and the skull and brain system.
The mother of Abita, Ará Unlá.
Oggún Zarabanda and Osun.
Part of the secrets of Osain.
Saint Vitus' dance and gonorrhea.
Obokoye, the guardian shadow of Ogbe Ate.
The monkey's chain.
The ceremony of Olokun, where the spirit of Efe Akaro is called.
That Oshún was born here.
The Ode.
Torture.
The Elegbá of shell.
That Osain lives with Shangó.

What is forbidden · Eewó

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

You cannot keep empty cages in the house.
You do not raise your hand against any woman, nor disrespect her.
You cannot throw stones (above all children and teenagers).
You do not deal in Mayombe (at least in the face of the world).
In osobo, do not keep brooding (setting) hens in your house.

Ebbós of Ogbe Ate · The sacrifices that open the road

TruthThe ékuele of quiebra hacha wood🔒 The Notebook ProsperityWork to prosper🔒 The Notebook Saint VitusTo cure Saint Vitus' dance🔒 The Notebook Solving thingsThe Awó's leather belt🔒 The Notebook

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

Works of Ogbe Ate · The workings of the sign

Eshú of the signEshú Laroye Obaranke🔒 The Notebook The cross of the signThe cross of Ogbe Ate🔒 The Notebook OsainInshé of Osain of Ogbe Ate🔒 The Notebook

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

Patakíes of Ogbe Ate · The roads of the Odù

1How he healed the deity of prosperity

Ola Aje, prosperity, was bitten at night by his enemies turned into rats. With a special soap, Ogbe Ate made a cat appear that killed them in a dream. On Eshú's advice he opened the right door and won the crown.

Ola Aje, the deity of prosperity, kept falling ill because his enemies turned themselves into rats to bite him at night. He had three rooms: one with Death, another with a devouring sorcerer, and the third with all the gifts of prosperity. The Awó who healed him were told to knock on one door as their payment, and every one of them knocked on the wrong door and died.

Ogbe Ate (Abaketekete) prepared a special soap. He bathed Ola Aje and gave him a white cloth to sleep in; in the dream, a cat came out of the soap dish and killed the wives and the servant who, turned into rats, were coming to bite him. At daybreak the plotters were found dead, and Ola Aje was well.

As payment, Ola Aje told him to open a door. Eshú, disguised as a child, warned him not to go into the first two and to greet them only in passing; in the third, a child handed him a crown. Ola Aje locked him in to test him, and with steadiness and Eshú's help he came out with all the riches. Spread your kindness carefully, so as not to lose your life through ingratitude.

Súyere

Ere de saka Lu bi olisaka Ere fo bojo Erate kporokporo.

Maafoooko du kpa asan lo rini maafo obo gi do ri yon maafo ni yan digi owo lonje loni.

2Why fish do not come out of the water

Olokun did not serve Eshú, and Eshú invited men to eat her children, the fish. After the sacrifice, Eshú smeared them with a slippery liquid so no one could catch them by hand; that is why the fish is slippery and does not leave its parents' house.

When Olokun was coming into the world, Ogbe Ate told her to sacrifice shells and a cat for Eshú, so she would not lose her many children to the treachery of the world. She made the sacrifice, but she forgot Eshú.

On earth, Olokun had many children — the fish of the sea — and Eshú invited men to feed on them. Seeing that she was losing them, she went back for divination, and was told to serve Eshú with a goat and a cat.

Afterward, Eshú rubbed the bodies of the fish with a slippery liquid that made it impossible to catch them by hand — that is why the fish is slippery — and warned the children not to leave their parents' house, so as not to fall victim to their enemies. That is why fish do not come out of the water.

3Ogbe Ate spreads the worship of Orunmila

Ogbe Ate refused to rule over fish, over rats, and over a land where people ate without washing their hands. In Ibere Aiye he healed the king's son by unmasking the sorcerers; because of what he did, the king has knelt ever since before every shrine of Orunmila.

Ogbe Ate refused to be king of the land of the fish and of the rats, because he served his Ifá with them, and of another land where people ate without washing their hands. At last he came to Ibere Aiye, where, keeping silent for five days, he learned through his medicine that the king's son was ill.

On the sixth day he divined for the king and ordered the sacrifice of the three leaders of the palace's sorcerer-doctors — descendants of the cruel sorcerers who had escaped from heaven. When the king came back from the last sacrifice, his son was well and embraced him.

Ogbe Ate refused lands and rewards; he asked only for the freedom to help people outside the palace, and that the king kneel before every shrine of Orunmila. That is why the Obá of Benin, on finding a shrine of Orunmila, touches the ground with his forehead, and why he hardly ever visits houses. So Ogbe Ate spread the worship of Orunmila across the whole kingdom.

4The War Lord of Ife🔒 The Notebook 5The mask of Egun (why the bottles go under the armpit)🔒 The Notebook 6Ogbere and the Olowu of Owu🔒 The Notebook 7The shadow at the foot of the ravine🔒 The Notebook 8Osain paid for his betrayal of Orunmila🔒 The Notebook 9When they threw Orunmila into the river🔒 The Notebook 10The leopard and the son who would not listen🔒 The Notebook 11The monkey was left in chains🔒 The Notebook 12Orunmila always does something for women🔒 The Notebook 13Here it was born that Osain lives with Shangó🔒 The Notebook 14The great traitor🔒 The Notebook 15Saint Vitus' dance was born: the brain and the cerebellum🔒 The Notebook 16The sacrifice of animals begins🔒 The Notebook 17Where Odé was born🔒 The Notebook 18The crucifix: torture was born🔒 The Notebook 19When men did not work🔒 The Notebook 20Why Elegbá does not eat a full-grown goat🔒 The Notebook 21The Elegbá of shell was born🔒 The Notebook 22The road of the strongbox🔒 The Notebook 23The plague was born🔒 The Notebook 24The manatee🔒 The Notebook 25The mother of Abita🔒 The Notebook 26The boy who kept falling asleep🔒 The Notebook 27When the king threw the women out for lying🔒 The Notebook 28When Oshún neglected her husband for her son🔒 The Notebook 29The witch and the queen🔒 The Notebook 30From princess to empress🔒 The Notebook

27 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 Ogbe Ate in Spanish →

Frequently asked questions about Ogbe Ate

What does the Odù Ogbe Ate mean in Ifá?

The one who sees the crown but never reigns by his own hand: he healed the deity of prosperity, and his throne is the shrine of Orunmila.

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

Ogbe Ate is Odù number 29 of the 256 in Ifá, part of the Ogbe family.

Which orishas speak in Ogbe Ate?

In the Odù Ogbe Ate these orishas speak: Orunmila, Oshún, Oggún (Zarabanda), Shangó, Olokun, Babalú Ayé, Eggun (Obokoye).

What is a proverb of the Odù Ogbe Ate?

One of the proverbs of Ogbe Ate says: «He makes out the crown, but he never reaches it.».

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