Odù 17 of 256 · Ogbe family

Ogbe Yeku

Payback and the loss of high posts: the crown is taken the good way or the bad way, with a debt still owed to Oshún.

Ogbe Yeku is Odù number 17 of the 256 in Ifá, part of the Ogbe family. This page brings together its prayer in Yoruba, 22 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 17 of 256
Composition: Ogbe over Oyekun
In the Diloggún: 8-2 · Eyeunle tonti Eyioko
Orishas that speak: Oshún · Orunmila · Eshú / Elegba · Aggayú · Oddua (Oduduwa) · Olofin · Ojuani Meyi

What Ifá says in this sign

Ogbe Yeku is the sign of payback: this person was born to be important, and they will be the good way or the bad way. The question of this Ifá is not whether they will get there — it is how. Because the way decides between the crown and the fall.

Here Ifá teaches that power is not seized: it is received. In this sign the Lion and the Tiger tore each other apart fighting for command, and the Goat ended up ruling, the humblest of the three; and the poor old man of the market square was crowned king after making ebbó. That is why the great advice of Ogbe Yeku is this: do not fight for the post and do not get into arguments. Do your work, and the post will come on its own. And when it comes, take care of it — this is also the sign of losing your post, and there will always be someone who wants what is yours.

«Do not fight for the crown: make yourself worthy of it, and the throne will come on its own.»The pulse of Ogbe Yeku

The owner of this sign is Oshún, and she is angry: there is a debt still owed to her. Until it is paid — with the works this Ifá marks — things stay stuck: money does not stretch, the good husband or wife does not show up, plans fall apart halfway. Paying Oshún is the key that opens this sign.

The dangers of Ogbe Yeku have names: the tongue, the father and paperwork. Do not give your opinion in other people's fights, and do not answer lightly when you are asked something, because your own words will turn against you. Look after your father: if he is alive, the sign warns that he may fall gravely ill within the year. Read slowly everything you sign — there are traps in matters of justice and documents. And all around you, enemies and envious people: do not tell them your plans.

Once the ebbó is made and the saints and the dead (Eggun) are attended, the promise of the sign is arikú: long life and old age with a crown. It is no accident that mouth hygiene and the virtue of urine are born here: the body itself teaches the doctrine of this Ifá — strip off every day what dirties you, and keep what is clean.

The sign in one line

Do not fight for the crown: make yourself worthy of it, pay your debt to Oshún and guard your tongue — the throne will come on its own, and old age will find you reigning.

The prayer of Ogbe Yeku · Yoruba

Ogbe Yeku ni baba omulo agba Olorun nire demu, agogo nila shenu bagba loni ni parikoko otenu dundun na lori ni paracidi otenu bata jad Ogbe Yeku adifafun Ozain, lordafun Orunmila, Ojuani Meyi.

Ifá says — what Ogbe Yeku tells you

Payback: Ogbe Yeku will be important, the good way or the bad way.
Loss of your post: be careful, they may take away the position you hold.
Debts with Oshún, who is angry with you.
The Ounko, the goat: you have no house of your own, you sweat heavily, you digest slowly, you cannot drink much with meals, you like salads, you are always complaining, you sleep little and you are on edge.
Stomach trouble and poor circulation.
You live surrounded by enemies and by envious people.
You are looking for a good husband or wife and not finding one.
A life of excess: sexual excess has to be brought under control.
Delicate situations caused by deceit inside the family.
You were not raised by your father.
A mother who does not want her child to marry.

Proverbs of Ogbe Yeku · Òwe

“The rainbow only fills the stretch that God sends it.”
“Whoever does not want to be fooled should not fool others.”
“To do evil, no man is too small.”
“When the mouth does not speak, words do not offend.”
“Death on earth, birth in heaven.”
“Every deceit leads to disappointment.”
“Whoever finds fault with a gift is ungrateful or mad.”
“Offense is the fruit of anger.”
“The head that is not meant to go bare will find a hat.”
“An arrow can also bring down a crown.”
“Chance and punishment each have their day marked to visit us.”
“Reach out your hand to the grieving, and keep away from haughty eyes.”
“Anyone can be lost on a tempting night; anyone can be saved by sacrificing to Olorun.”
“Stolen loot ties a noose around the thief's neck.”

14 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 Yeku · Ìbí

The Àdàn of Oshún's crown (the little bells of her outfit).
With them Oshún pierced the mud of the river until she found Aggayú.
That humans clean their teeth and wash their mouth after eating, for the hygiene and health of the teeth.
The virtue of urine.
Just as the body throws out its dirt through urine, this person must strip off everything bad around them.

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 Yeku · The sacrifices that open the road

HealthEbbó for health🔒 Babalawo

Debt with OshúnEbbó for when Oshún is angry🔒 Babalawo

Old ageEbbó to be well in old age🔒 Babalawo

Solving thingsWork to solve things🔒 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 Yeku · The workings of the sign

Getting what you wantThe secret of the sapote🔒 Babalawo

CleansingTaking the witchcraft out of the stomach🔒 Babalawo

Eshú of the signEshú Emere🔒 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 Yeku · The roads of the Odù

1The Lion, the Tiger and the Goat

The three wanted to rule the town and agreed that whoever gathered the most people would command. The people went to the Goat's hill; the Lion and the Tiger each believed the other had betrayed them and tore each other apart, leaving the Goat as ruler.

When the Lion, the Tiger and the Goat wanted to rule their town, they agreed that the one who gathered the most people would rule. The Lion called the people to the plain, the Tiger to the foot of a tree, and the Goat to a hill.

Since the people went to the hill, the Lion thought the Tiger had played a dirty trick on him, and the Tiger thought the same of the Lion. When they met, they tore each other apart, and so the Goat was left ruling the town.

2The Lion, the Tiger and the Coconut

The Guinea hen (Etú), condemned by the animals, made ebbó and used her friend the Tiger. With cunning she made the Tiger kill the Coconut — who was the Obá — and she ended up under his protection.

Ikú (the Coconut) owned a piece of land, built on it, and for that place he was the Obá; all the animals came into his house. When Ikú went to claim his position, they all turned against him and agreed to kill the Guinea hen (Etú) in her cage.

When she realized they were all her enemies, Etú went to the house of Orunmila, who made ebbó for her. She went to the cage staying close to her friend the Tiger (Ekun). With a trick, she got the Tiger to come near the Coconut and, in a careless moment, tear him to pieces. The other animals ran away. The Tiger handed the papers to Etú and ordered the beasts never to bother her again. And so the Guinea hen was left protected.

3When Oduduwa took Olofin's trust for granted

Oduduwa did not make the ebbó Orunmila marked for him and came down to earth on Olofin's back. The land went dry until an Awó revealed the sign and Oduduwa was attended; then the rain and the fruit came back.

When he was coming down to earth, Orunmila advised Oduduwa to make ebbó with two goats, white cloth and birds. Oduduwa did not do it and came down on Olofin's back: the rain beat him, the sun burned him, and he could not calm his hunger.

The land went dry, the rain stopped falling, pregnant women lost their babies and no fruit would ripen. Olofin sent for an Awó, who made untefá and saw Ogbe Yeku, and he asked: who is this stranger you let live on your back? He ordered that a house be built for him and that he be fed with two she-goats, baskets of shells and cakes.

This was done every time Oduduwa visited the earth. Then the women gave birth, the rain fell, the fruit ripened and peace reigned.

4The fall of the King of Ife🔒 Babalawo

5Persuasion🔒 Babalawo

6The road of transformation🔒 Babalawo

7When they wanted to dethrone Olofin🔒 Babalawo

8The goat mounted his mother🔒 Babalawo

9The search for the chests🔒 Babalawo

10The invasion (the Rajitas)🔒 Babalawo

11The death of Odduduwa (the water diviner of the mountain)🔒 Babalawo

12The reign of Odduduwa the Second🔒 Babalawo

13Orunmila's first wife (the sharing of the hen)🔒 Babalawo

14The trusting hutia🔒 Babalawo

15Eshú feeds Orunmila with a stone broth🔒 Babalawo

16The tools and the fruit🔒 Babalawo

17The tiger played dead🔒 Babalawo

18The lion became king of the jungle🔒 Babalawo

19The farmer and the seed🔒 Babalawo

20The government of the beasts🔒 Babalawo

21The three godmothers of Ogbe Yeku🔒 Babalawo

22The three itá of Ifá were born🔒 Babalawo

19 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 Yeku in Spanish →

Frequently asked questions about Ogbe Yeku

What does the Odù Ogbe Yeku mean in Ifá?

Payback and the loss of high posts: the crown is taken the good way or the bad way, with a debt still owed to Oshún.

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

Ogbe Yeku is Odù number 17 of the 256 in Ifá, part of the Ogbe family.

Which orishas speak in Ogbe Yeku?

In the Odù Ogbe Yeku these orishas speak: Oshún, Orunmila, Eshú / Elegba, Aggayú, Oddua (Oduduwa), Olofin, Ojuani Meyi.

What is a proverb of the Odù Ogbe Yeku?

One of the proverbs of Ogbe Yeku says: «The rainbow only fills the stretch that God sends it.».

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