Odù 19 of 256 · Ogbe family

Ogbe Di

The owner of the knowledge that wakes Orunmila: intelligence, business and camouflage, fenced in by arayé and by traps that grow out of his own good luck.

Ogbe Di is Odù number 19 of the 256 in Ifá, part of the Ogbe family. This page brings together its prayer in Yoruba, 43 patakíes (3 with the full text), its proverbs, 7 ebbós and works and the signs it shows in the consultation; the detail of iré and osogbo, the eewó and the full recipes open with the Babalawo plan — that locked part is still written in Spanish.

The sign at a glance

Order in Ifá: Odù 19 of 256
Composition: Ogbe over Odi
In the Diloggún: 8-7 · Eyeunle tonti Odí
Orishas that speak: Orunmila · Oshún · Shangó · Obbatalá · Oggún · Osain · Eshú

What Ifá says in this sign

Ogbe Di is the owner of the knowledge that raises Orunmila: every morning, by Oshún's order, it is this sign that wakes the prophet. It is an odu of intelligence, business and skill — and for that very reason it lives surrounded by envy: its own good luck makes its enemies.

Here the arayé and bad wishes were born — other people's toward you, and yours toward other people too: in this Ifá there is good and evil, and the person chooses which one they feed. The golden rule of the sign: do not drop your own business to fix somebody else's, do not stand as guarantor for anyone, and do not take on trouble that is not yours — you will lose for sure.

«Ogbe Di was made king for never stopping his drum: what is yours, done well, is your crown.»The pulse of Ogbe Di

Watch out for the law and for traps: they may pin on you something you did not do, and they will bear false witness against you — but this odu promises that the trap will be uncovered. Orunmila beat his enemies with a party, not with a war: elegance and camouflage — which was born here — are worth more than a head-on clash.

Your protectors work for free: Shangó protects you without charging you — give him his ram —, Oshún Iyumu asks to be treated well and everything is asked of her early, and the river is paid its tribute so the roads open. The woman of this sign should live with a Babalawo, and the aleyo who brings it will end up an Awó or a santero: this is an odu of religious destiny.

Remember that every soul, before coming down, knelt before Olofin to collect its destiny: yours is a great one, but inexperience is your worst enemy — learn slowly, because «the surest way to know nothing is to learn it all at one blow». With the ebbó made, this sign reaches the throne: Ogbe Di was offered the government on the one condition that he never stop playing his drum.

The sign in one line

Do not carry what is not yours, do not learn everything at one blow, and play your drum without ever putting it down — the luck of Ogbe Di wakes Orunmila, and the kingdom comes on its own.

The prayer of Ogbe Di · Yoruba

Ogbe Di kaka Ogbe Di lele adifayoko kanfun onibarabaniregun adifafun Oshún, adifafun Oggún, obiní Ogbe Sa Yeyé Matero afefe lo salú ayé obolode Awó lodá lo inkin.

Ifá says — what Ogbe Di tells you

The boy who does ugly things to the girls of the house, because they were done to him; he will be arrested for something pinned on him, and an ebbó must be made for him.
Shangó protects you and charges you nothing.
Man made an ally of the turtle, Ayapá, to put a bridle on the horse.
Every soul, before coming down from heaven, kneels before Olofin to collect its destiny.
Do not drop your own business to fix somebody else's, or you will take the loss.
In this Ifá there is good and there is evil, and you choose which one you feed.
Inexperience is your worst enemy.
Business, being used by others, a sharp mind and strong appetites.
The Awó Ogbe Di is very clever, and that is exactly why he has so many enemies — for his luck, his business and his skills.
The aleyo who gets this Odù has to become an Awó or a santero.
Do not tell people their faults to their face.
Oshún Iyumu speaks, and she has to be treated well.
Guard yourself at a dance against a woman's betrayal.
False witness will be borne against you, and a trap will be uncovered.

Proverbs of Ogbe Di · Òwe

“Perfectly clear: Ogbe closes.”
“The innocent pay for the guilty.”
“Trifles are born.”
“The surest way to know nothing is to learn it all at one blow.”
“After I offered them the favor, they leave me hanging.”
“The arrow has the gift of killing without making a sound.”
“Bacteria cannot be seen, but they kill.”
“Traps do not tell the innocent from the guilty.”
“A long memory in Ifá is a long life on earth.”
“Whoever trusts their intelligence more than Ifá ends up frustrated.”
“The ungrateful one does not remember until they are in need again.”
“There is no better medicine than distance from wicked people.”
“The wisdom of Ifá does not fit in one single head.”
“One love goes, a better one is waiting for us.”
“Great troubles, great remedies.”
“Whoever keeps at it, wins.”
“Whoever covets what belongs to others will never reach what is theirs.”

17 proverb interpretations in this Odù, locked.Every proverb explained: which road it comes from and how it applies. Written in Spanish for now.Unlock →

Iré and Osogbo

6 iré and osogbo readings in this Odù, locked.The iré and osogbo of the sign, sorted by subject — health, money, love, death, loss… Written in Spanish for now.Unlock →

What is born in Ogbe Di · Ìbí

Blinking, to keep the eyeball moist.
Bad wishes, both from others toward you and from you toward others.
The arayé (the enemies).
The virtues of fish hooks.
The secret of the guinea pepper.
The right to pay a fee when herbs are gathered.
Camouflage.
That is why the front of the house is decorated with branches.

What is forbidden · Eewó

2 eewó (taboos) in this Odù, locked.What the child of this sign must not eat, do or wear. Written in Spanish for now.Unlock →

Ebbós of Ogbe Di · The sacrifices that open the road

JusticeSo you do not go to jail for something pinned on you🔒 Babalawo

Beating enemiesInshé of Shangó for the arayé🔒 Babalawo

Pushing death awayWork so death goes away (Ikú unlo)🔒 Babalawo

IréWork so the good comes (Iré umbo)🔒 Babalawo

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

Works of Ogbe Di · The workings of the sign

OsainInshé of Osain of Ogbe Di🔒 Babalawo

MadnessWork to cure madness caused by an obsessing Eggun🔒 Babalawo

AdimúOfferings of the sign🔒 Babalawo

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

Patakíes of Ogbe Di · The roads of the Odù

1When Olofin handed all the Ashé to Orunmila

Since each Osha kept its own Ashé and sometimes could not be found when it was needed, Olofin decided to hand it all to one alone: to Orunmila, even though he was not crowned.

Here the grace of the Ashé was born. The drum was played to call everyone, because each Olosha had their own Ashé and, when it was needed, someone had to go and beg for it. Sometimes the person could not be found, or it was late and they refused to hand it over, and there you were with the problem of not having that badly needed Ashé.

Seeing the trouble this caused, Olofin decided to hand it all to one alone. That one was Orunmila, who was not crowned and had not reached the Adé of Osha, and to him he handed all the Ashé.

2The war between Ogbe Di and Otura She, and the dethroning

The greedy king Otura She, whose evil spell was driving his people away, was beaten when Ogbe Di broke his witchcraft. Olofin, his face smeared with mud beside Ogbe Di, caught him cursing and took his throne from him.

Otura She was king of the land of Adafa, cunning and greedy, and his people began to leave. One of those who left went for a consultation with Ogbe Di, who marked him an ebbó to take back to Otura She's land; the man prospered, and everyone ran to Ogbe Di's house.

Otura She, losing his power, prepared a great witchcraft beside the river to destroy Ogbe Di, and the war began. Ogbe Di made osode and did sarayeye with álamo, ceiba, paraíso and cotton, and carried it to the river. There Olofin, who was on his way to see his daughter, took mud from the river, mixed it with his Iyé, marked the signs and smeared Ogbe Di's face and his own.

When Otura She arrived asking for Ogbe Di's destruction, Olofin stood in front of him, wiped off the mud and said: I am Olofin, and this is Ogbe Di, your brother, whom you want to destroy unjustly without seeing that your evil is inside yourself. From today you will give up your power so that Ogbe Di may lead your people.

3The reconciliation between Elewa and Orunmila

Elewa falsely accused Orunmila of stealing a goat. Orunmila made ebbó, shared out the meat with guards posted, and caught Elewa eating it; ashamed, Elewa asked his pardon and they agreed to obey each other.

Elewa left a goat with Orunmila for safekeeping, and one day Orunmila needed it and took it. Elewa, who was at odds with him, went to Olofin to accuse him of theft. Orunmila, once he heard of it, made osode and made ebbó with another goat: he wrapped the meat in the hide of Elewa's goat, spread it out in several places and posted guards.

Elewa, seeing fresh meat along the road, took it and began to eat. The guards said to him: did you not say Orunmila stole your goat? Then you will look bad before Olofin, because you are eating it yourself.

Frightened, Elewa ran to Orunmila and asked his pardon: from today we will not fight any more; what I do for you will be well done, and what you do for me will be well done. So Orunmila brought him to obedience with his wisdom, and they were reconciled.

4The Awó and his music with the drum🔒 Babalawo

5Ogbe Di, the owner of knowledge🔒 Babalawo

6The trap and Oggún's snake🔒 Babalawo

7The crab's theft from Obbatalá🔒 Babalawo

8The tribute to the river🔒 Babalawo

9Oshún's embarrassment🔒 Babalawo

10The one who wished for death🔒 Babalawo

11Pact of Orishaoko and Olokun🔒 Babalawo

12The camouflage🔒 Babalawo

13Road of the wild beast🔒 Babalawo

14When Obbatalá ran a shop🔒 Babalawo

15The proof🔒 Babalawo

16The broken promise🔒 Babalawo

17Knowledge was shared out🔒 Babalawo

18The road of Eshu Male🔒 Babalawo

19The liquor thief🔒 Babalawo

20The war of the mayomberos🔒 Babalawo

21The war of Ogbe Di and Ogbe Yekú🔒 Babalawo

22When Elegbá was robbed🔒 Babalawo

23The arm of the sea🔒 Babalawo

24Ifá knows all the things of the world🔒 Babalawo

25War is born🔒 Babalawo

26When Ogbe Di thought he was the master of the world🔒 Babalawo

27When Shangó had to recognize Orishaoko🔒 Babalawo

28The eggun who guarded Ogbe Di by Olofin's order🔒 Babalawo

29Why Ogbe Di is the one who wakes Orunmila🔒 Babalawo

30The command of Ozain (the secret of coffee)🔒 Babalawo

31The deity of the secret Oro (the coffee of the ancestors)🔒 Babalawo

32The man who wanted to go back to heaven🔒 Babalawo

33Ifá knows every destiny (the divination of the newborn)🔒 Babalawo

34Orunmila became owner of the city🔒 Babalawo

35The pact between Shangó and Agayú (the warrior and the farmer)🔒 Babalawo

36The breaking into the house (eating meat is born)🔒 Babalawo

37The grateful disciple (Ogbe Di and Ogbe Ate)🔒 Babalawo

38The strength of the weak dew🔒 Babalawo

39The bat and the kingfisher🔒 Babalawo

40The moneylending wife🔒 Babalawo

41The snotty prince (the devil's horse)🔒 Babalawo

42The kingbird and the vulture🔒 Babalawo

43The judgement of the fishermen🔒 Babalawo

40 more patakíes in this Odù, locked.Read every road in full with the Babalawo plan. Written in Spanish for now.Unlock →

Before you subscribe: everything you read on this page is in English, but the locked part of the treatise — the full text of the other patakíes, the recipes for the ebbós and works, the iré and osogbo readings and the eewó — is still written in Spanish. We are translating it. · This page is also available in Spanish: See Ogbe Di in Spanish →

Frequently asked questions about Ogbe Di

What does the Odù Ogbe Di mean in Ifá?

The owner of the knowledge that wakes Orunmila: intelligence, business and camouflage, fenced in by arayé and by traps that grow out of his own good luck.

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

Ogbe Di is Odù number 19 of the 256 in Ifá, part of the Ogbe family.

Which orishas speak in Ogbe Di?

In the Odù Ogbe Di these orishas speak: Orunmila, Oshún, Shangó, Obbatalá, Oggún, Osain, Eshú.

What is a proverb of the Odù Ogbe Di?

One of the proverbs of Ogbe Di says: «Perfectly clear: Ogbe closes.».

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