Ogunda Di

Also called Oggunda Dio, Oggunda Odi, Oggunda Oddi

nº 140 of 256 · Edited by Ricco Ledesma

Lost illusions: what is achieved lasts a short time; and here Elegba, who opens the paths, could not find his own and went to cry to Orunmila.

22 patakíes 6 eewó 10 ebbós and works 15 proverbs

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Ogunda Di is Odù number 140 of the 256 in Ifá, part of the Ogunda family. It is also written as Oggunda Dio or Oggunda Odi or Oggunda Oddi. This page brings together its prayer in Yoruba, 22 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 140 of 256
Composition: Ogunda over Odi
In the Diloggún: 3-7 · Ogundá tonti Odí
Orishas that speak: Elegba · Obatalá · Ogún · Shangó y Ogué · Yemayá · Oshún (Yalorde)

What Ifá says in this sign

Ogunda Di, also known as Oggunda Dio, is the sign of lost illusions. In it were born deceit, lies, distrust and the human fear of the darkness of night; here Elegba came crying before Orunmila because he could not see his path, and Ogué came to live in the batea of Shangó. Its ruling is hard: what you dream of slips away from you, and if you reach it, it lasts only a short time. But the same sign brings the remedy, because here was also born the distrust that protects: whoever checks before acting is saved.

This is a sign of deceit in both directions: either you are deceived, or you deceive your own. Betrayal comes to you from those closest to you, from the people you receive in your home and trust most. That is what happened to Orunmila, who discovered the traitors in his house because his rooster sang his name. Keep a rooster in your home that sings to you, and listen to its warnings. Do not teach everything you know, do not give away photos of yourself and, if they seek you out to do harm, do not do it: the other person knows more and will turn against you.

«The rooster crowed and the betrayal was exposed; that is why every ebbó of Oggunda Dio carries its head.»The pulse of Ogunda Di

In money, luck is near your home. If you made a request to Oshún by the river, she granted it: when it arrives, keep what you promised and do not look down on anyone, or it will turn into misfortune for you. A daughter of Oshún holds the key to your wealth: treat her with respect. You may win the lottery and you will have a house of your own, or you will transform the one you have. If three people arrive asking for lodging, take them in, and keep your house clean and in order, for your happiness comes in through the door. Save in good times, because scarcity will come.

In love, there is infidelity inside the same house, and what is done in secret ends up being known and separates the couple. Choose well whom you marry, because the sign speaks of deceit by the woman. You are stubborn and on bad terms with several people; stop fighting, because quarrels break your home apart. The woman of this sign will have a son.

In health, your stomach and digestion often fail you, and the man tends to lose his sexual strength. Look after the little ones at home, who run a risk of dysentery. Turn on the light as soon as it gets dark, because in the shadows evil spirits of the dead torment you. You will lose something very dear that will make you weep; prepare yourself with Ifá, go back to attending Yemayá, and the path you now see closed will open.

The sign in one line

Raise your rooster, live in a high place with the light on and fulfill what you promise; for the own house of Oggunda Dio is on its way, lottery included.

The prayer of Ogunda Di · Yoruba

Ogunda Dio Ogunda abatamba dadi adalara adifafun aiye nabí eyelé iba ere ewefá akukó elebó Ogunda Dio iba nire gundi kaferefun Obatalá ati Yemayá adifafun Elegba.

Súyere
Elegba Bara ni lala, Awó ira lele Ikú; Elegba Bara ni lala, Awó agboran egun Ikú.

Ifá says — what Ogunda Di tells you

The Awó of Oggunda Dio does not sit on a chair with no bottom.
Turn on the light when it gets dark: the evil eguns come to torment you.
It indicates infidelity on the part of the woman; the man must look after his virility, because he tends to lose his sexual vigor.
The house must have two entrances: sometimes one enters at the front and sometimes at the back or at the side.
At the main entrance white curtains with dentil of mariwó are hung, and at the back door, a talanquera.
To reach his greatest power, the Awó of this Odù must live in a high place and keep apart, like the eagle, which comes down only in search of prey.
A chick is raised until it becomes a rooster, so that it reveals who your enemy is inside your house.
When he learns Ifá, the Awó of Oggunda Dio distances himself from his godfather.
Be careful with the woman you choose for marriage: this is an Odù that points to deception by the woman.
It announces to a woman the birth of a son.
Keep your house very clean and in order so that your path is straight, and offer food at your door so that happiness enters your home.
That money is moving near your house: when it reaches you, fulfill what you promised and do not be indifferent to others, because otherwise the money will serve for your misfortune. You stood on the riverbank to ask Oshún for that money, and she granted it to you.
That you will win the lottery. Inside your house lives someone who is going to build soon: tell that person to do ebbó, because a ticket will be brought to them and they will win the prize.
That people will come to ask you to do harm: do not do it, because whoever asks you will have more knowledge than you and will end up hurting you.
That three people will come to your house asking for hospitality: welcome them, and keep your house clean to get what you want.
That you will lose something that will make you shed tears.
That you should avoid greeting the Awó if you see him on horseback or in a carriage.
That next to your house lives a neighbor who does not turn on the light at the proper time: a great fortune is what that neighbor brings.
That you are unfaithful to your husband under your own roof: be careful, because he could find out and the couple would separate.
That you should replace all the curtains in your home with white ones, and do the same with the sheets.
That if you cannot eat something, you should let another person eat it: selfishness is bad.
That you should not teach what you know, so that they do not harm you afterwards.

Proverbs of Ogunda Di · Òwe

“He prepares a rope for his own neck.”
“A project would have become reality, if not for the cowardice that sealed the lips of the one who thought of it.”
“A knife destroys its own house, and thinks it destroyed another's.”
“Nothing tires you if the desire is firm.”
“When the rooster crows, it announces betrayal.”
“A serene man is healthy; an envious man corrodes his bones.”
“Firmness achieves everything.”
“A sword that oppresses the poor does not have the same end when it defends him.”
“The fool tries to snap the rope against his own neck.”
“People from outside the home only steal our peace.”
“Dirty laundry is washed at home.”
“A Babalawo does not sit on a chair without a bottom.”
“The luck of the ugly woman, the pretty one desires.”
“The day a soul cannot do anything for another, it will return to Olodumare.”
“There is no better angel than kindness, nor worse angel than wickedness.”

12 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

A sum of money is near their home, and if they asked Oshún for it, she grants it.
They may win the lottery or receive a winning ticket, and with it build their house or renovate it.
They will have a house of their own, or make changes to the one they already have.

Osogbo · what the sign warns

The illusions they form they do not reach, and if they achieve them, they lose them soon; it is a sign of failures in every sense.
They are always deceived, or they deceive their own family and those around them.
They fear the dark, and if they are left without light at nightfall, the evil dead come to torment them.

38 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 Ogunda Di · Ìbí

That Ogué has its dwelling in the batea of Shangó.
Obatalá sentenced Shangó, for being a liar, to carry Ogué for as long as the world is the world.
The fear that people feel before the darkness of the night.
At dusk the light must be lit, because the evil eguns come to torment.
Deceit and lies.
Then Obatalá pronounced his sentence: on earth there must be deceit and lies, as well as betrayal and the false man; and to whoever lives this Odù following the path of Shangó, everything will turn into good.
Mistrust.
The rooster, distrustful, tested the fox, and was saved.
Lost hopes, and the Ifá of failures.
That Elegba went weeping to Orunmila because he could not find the road.

What is forbidden · Eewó

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

Do not sit on a chair with no bottom.
Do not stay in the dark at nightfall.
The evil eguns come to torment you.
Do not greet the Awó while on horseback or in a car.
Do not do harm to a daughter of Oshún.
Your fortune is in the power of a daughter of Oshún.
Do not betray.
Only you will lose: Ogún and Dadi set out together, but carrying the sentence of Orunmila.
Do not teach everything you know.
So that later they do not harm you.

Ebbós of Ogunda Di · The sacrifices that open the road

MoneyThe ebbó of Obatalá's house🔒 The Notebook SpiritualThe ebbó of deceit and lies🔒 The Notebook LossThe ebbó of the bottomless basket🔒 The Notebook LoveThe ebbó of Oshún turned out🔒 The Notebook HealthThe ebbó of Ogún's journey🔒 The Notebook HealthThe child's ebbó (against dysentery)🔒 The Notebook

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

Works of Ogunda Di · The workings of the sign

Overcoming enemiesTo destroy an arayé🔒 The Notebook MoneyThe four painted doves🔒 The Notebook LoveThe stone of marriage🔒 The Notebook HealthOshún's orozuz (licorice)🔒 The Notebook

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

Patakíes of Ogunda Di · The roads of the Odù

1When Elegba could not find his way

Elegba came to Orunmila with a problem: his road was closed and he could not see it. Orunmila consulted the oracle and the Ifá Oggunda Di came out. The answer came as a rebuke: since Elegba is the one who opens and closes the roads, this made no sense, and it could only be because he had stopped doing things he used to do.

Elegba tried to remember. There was a custom he had abandoned: in the mornings he used to greet Yemayá, bring her food, and bathe in the sea.

Orunmila marked an ebbó that included a rooster and all kinds of food, and sent him with it to visit Yemayá. Elegba obeyed. He called Yemayá, offered her part of the rooster, and then went into the sea. Right then his road cleared.

Whoever gets this path must do the same: accompany his Elegba to the coast and give him the bird there, together with the sea. At the water's edge he bathes, and he collects some of that sea water to bathe again later inside his house.

What it teaches

When a person abandons attentions he used to keep, the roads become narrow. Taking them up again with humility gives back the free passage.

Elegba's ebbó

A rooster and food of every kind, taken to Yemayá. Elegba gave her part of the bird and then bathed in her waters.

When this path comes out

Take Elegba to the coast and give him the bird there, together with the sea. Bathe at the water's edge and bring sea water for a second bath at home.

2The rooster that warned of the betrayal

One day Orunmila left his house and put it in the care of people he trusted completely. He had not gone far when he stopped to talk with an acquaintance, and from the yard came the crow of the rooster he kept: “Oggunda Dio.” The conversation went on, and the animal crowed again: “Oggunda Diooo.” It seemed strange to Orunmila that the rooster crowed to him that way.

He cut the conversation short, said goodbye and went back home without warning. There he discovered that the people he considered entirely trustworthy were deceiving and betraying him.

What it teaches

Warnings can come from where one least expects them, even from the crow of a rooster. Whoever pays attention to what seems strange and returns in time discovers those who abuse their trust.

After the ebbó

Once the ebbó is done, iyefá is put in the rooster's beak and it is given to the person concerned, who must keep it in his yard.

3Elegba Builds Obatalá's House

Obatalá's land was called Guere Guere. His house did not satisfy him, because it lacked the food he wanted for his children, and so he was looking for someone to build him a better one. The materials were available; what was missing was a builder. No one accepted, because Obatalá asked too much and got irritated over anything: when a work that had been started did not please him, he destroyed it.

Elegba was not profiting from his business of cut stone and was short of money, so he offered to finish the house. Since he knew the orisha's character, he first stopped by Orunmila's house to consult. The osode gave the odu Oggunda Dio. Orunmila explained that he must make an ebbó with all the materials meant for the construction. He added that, as the work advanced, he had to cover what was already built with white cloth, and that his sons, the helpers on the job, should stand guard at the four cardinal points.

Obatalá went around the work once a day. He always saw everything wrapped in white cloth and cotton, and he told himself that Elegba did know his tastes. Elegba kept a white dove ready to give him at each visit; Obatalá received it and left satisfied, without interfering in the work.

When the house was finished, Elegba went to Orunmila again, and he gave him the last charge: before Obatalá arrived, he had to bury the remains of the ebbó and fill the house with cascarilla and cocoa butter to leave him pleased. Elegba did it. When Obatalá arrived, the white cloth was removed and the house appeared covered with cascarilla and cocoa butter. Obatalá, full of joy, embraced him and announced that from then on he would turn to him to build the houses of his children in the world. He gave him ashé and iré ayé umbo, so that he would have a good life.

From that day Elegba prospered, and he was grateful to Orunmila and to Obatalá. He also received a new name, Awó Oggunda Dio Efifeshe Okuta, and was greatly respected, since no one before him had managed to make Obatalá's house turn out well.

What it teaches

Whoever takes a job that everyone refuses and carries it out just as he was told earns the esteem of the most demanding person. Even when money is needed, it is wise to consult before starting.

Elegba's ebbó

An ebbó is made with the materials for building Obatalá's house. During the work, what has already been built is covered with white cloth, and at each visit from Obatalá a white dove is given to him. Elegba's sons stand guard at the four cardinal points.

When the house is finished

Before Obatalá's visit, the remains of the ebbó are buried and the house is sprinkled with cascarilla and cocoa butter.

Prayer of this path

Ogunda Di Ogunda Din Guere Guere adifafun ile Guere Guere adifafun Obatalá, Obatalá omo kalusha beriashe Elegba alobeni ile ishe balaberi ile no Obatalá kaferefun Elegba.

This path keeps 2 awó secrets in the complete treatise.🔒 The Notebook

4Obatalá and his scandalous daughters🔒 The Notebook 5The rooster's distrust🔒 The Notebook 6When the thieves killed the rooster🔒 The Notebook 7When Yemayá was unfaithful to Ogún🔒 The Notebook 8Why Shangó carries Ogué🔒 The Notebook 9The false awó who deceived the land of Shangó🔒 The Notebook 10When Orunmila separated from Dadi🔒 The Notebook 11The farmer Oroso and the crow of the rooster🔒 The Notebook 12When Oshún lived grateful to Eshu, Ogún and Orunmila🔒 The Notebook 13Ogún's journey🔒 The Notebook 14Ojo Sunsura and the child🔒 The Notebook 15The dispute over the hen🔒 The Notebook 16Why the rooster sees the world in black and white🔒 The Notebook 17The snail and the dog🔒 The Notebook 18The ebbó that was placed in the king's land🔒 The Notebook 19Oggunda Dio and the ebbó done halfway🔒 The Notebook 20The pig that wanted to be an elephant🔒 The Notebook 21The rock of sacrifice🔒 The Notebook 22The grains of gold🔒 The Notebook

19 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 Ogunda Di in Spanish →

Frequently asked questions about Ogunda Di

What does the Odù Ogunda Di mean in Ifá?

Lost illusions: what is achieved lasts a short time; and here Elegba, who opens the paths, could not find his own and went to cry to Orunmila.

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

Ogunda Di is Odù number 140 of the 256 in Ifá, part of the Ogunda family.

Which orishas speak in Ogunda Di?

In the Odù Ogunda Di these orishas speak: Elegba, Obatalá, Ogún, Shangó y Ogué, Yemayá, Oshún (Yalorde).

What is a proverb of the Odù Ogunda Di?

One of the proverbs of Ogunda Di says: «He prepares a rope for his own neck.».

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