Oggunda She

nº 150 of 256

Where Olofin made man head of the family and gave woman her monthly cycle: they shunned Ogún, and Oshún proved he was innocent.

16 patakíes 5 eewó 8 ebbós and works 15 proverbs

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Oggunda She is Odù number 150 of the 256 in Ifá, part of the Ogunda family. This page brings together its prayer in Yoruba, 16 patakíes (3 with the full text), its proverbs, 8 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 150 of 256
Composition
Ogunda over Oshe
In the Diloggún
3-5 · Ogundá tonti Oshé

What Ifá says in this sign

Oggunda She — Oggunda Monishe — keeps Olofin's sacred word: man was given leadership of the family for how he behaved, and woman her monthly cycle for her curiosity. The moral goes for both: places are earned by conduct, and lost through curiosity.

Its liturgy is one of a kind: when this sign comes out in untefá, the godfather does not hand Orunmila over — he sets him on the mat for the godchild to lift him himself: the same with the warriors and the knife. What is yours in this odu, you take with your own hands — nobody hands it to you finished. And the main osogbo is named outright: falling short with Orunmila.

«Man was made head for how he behaved — the title of Oggunda She is renewed by conduct every day.»The pulse of Oggunda She

There is family you do not know: a child left behind when you left their mother pregnant — if a woman tells you that you are the father, do not doubt it: help her; you may not have known your own father either — be careful of standing against him without knowing it. And the war you are keeping up may be with your own blood: find out before you fire.

The house is tense with watching: your wife is following your movements and has found out a secret of yours — and her cycle stopping may be a pregnancy; the jealous husband quarrels because he is not told anything. The prescription is an old one: clear accounts and no two-facedness — never use wickedness or a mask to reach power, because here the king loses his head for exactly that.

Your situation is tight — almost ruined, in debt, at risk of losing your home —: do the three things you have been told to do, or upheaval, the law and losses will come. Do not say you know more than anyone (there is always someone who knows more), keep your money safe from workings, and be grateful — which is not your strong point and is your way out: Olofin's head of the family earns the post every single day

The sign in one line

Lift your Ifá with your own hands, acknowledge the child you left behind and do the three things that are pending — the leadership of Oggunda She is earned by how you behave.

The prayer of Oggunda She · Yoruba

Ogunda Monishe Olofin oun Oba kaferefun Orunmila Olofin Eshu Shango Babalu-Aye. Ogunda She shebolokun sheloshe Ogunda alaba ni ashe omo Oba nilekun ori omo showolo Ogunda Obari Ifa ibani oye Ifa omo Yansa laye.

Súyere
Yere yere Ogunda boriboshe Oshe yere Oba Ogunda She. Agada na ileo, agada na ileo, omo Ifa wa agada na ileo, Orunmila Ifa omo wa.

Ifá says — what Oggunda She tells you

Proverbs of Oggunda She · Òwe

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

Iré and Osogbo

5 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 Oggunda She · Ìbí

What is forbidden · Eewó

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

Ebbós of Oggunda She · The sacrifices that open the road

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

Works of Oggunda She · The workings of the sign

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

Patakíes of Oggunda She · The roads of the Odù

1When the son wanted to kill his father

A king had many wives and many children, and among them one he did not know, who turned out to be a partier like his father. Where that boy was born the flag could only be raised on one authorized day — and the boy raised it every day. The town, furious at his lack of discipline, reported him to Olofin, who threw him out of the town for doing things differently from everyone else. On leaving, the boy organized his army and started a war against the king's army — and in the battles his soldiers kept saying that this boy fought just like they did. When they were about to carry out the sentence on the beaten king, the boy's mother knelt down in front of her son: "you cannot kill: this man is your father." Hearing that, the king filled with joy and answered: "that is why I had to be beaten — because you are my son, you are my blood." He took off his crown to place it on the boy, and right there, out of pure emotion and joy, the father dropped dead.

On this road there was a town with its king. That king had many wives and, with them, many children; among them all there was one he did not know, and that son turned out to be a partier, just like him. In the place where the boy was born there was a rule: the flag could only be raised on one day, the only authorized one. The boy ignored the rule and raised his every day.

Seeing him so undisciplined about the flag, the people of the town got furious and went to Olofin with the complaint. Olofin banished him, because he did things differently from everyone else. Once outside the town, the boy set up a state of war: he organized his army and threw himself against the king's army. In every battle, the king's soldiers kept saying that this boy had the same way of fighting as they did. When the time came to carry out the sentence on the king, the boy's mother knelt down before her son: "You cannot kill, because this man is your father." The king, hearing her, answered very happily: "That is why I had to be beaten: because you are my son, you are my blood." He took off his crown, placed it on the boy, and out of pure emotion and joy the father dropped dead.

2The birth of dragging the yarará, and the birth of the já

Juoni —Azowano as a boy— had his body full of eruptions and, out of shame, left home; as the days passed the sores rotted more, and when he went into the bush the vultures wanted to peck at them while the flies pestered him. He kept them off with a coconut rod his brother Suko had prepared for him: the já. They chased him out of every town, until he reached one whose king was Oraniyan (Shangó). There too they wanted to throw him out, but the king heard the noise, had him brought before him and ruled: "this is a missionary who comes to care for the sick with chickenpox, measles and all the eruptive diseases." His fame grew so much that people stopped naming Shangó, and Shangó ordered him to leave Oyó. Juoni obeyed; but he already had the fundamento inside the pot and did not have the strength to carry it, so he dragged it with his forehead all the way to the palace of Afafá, in Dahomey, where he set up his kingdom. That is why the yarará drags itself to the Ifá board.

On this road, Juoni (Azowano as a boy) got his body full of eruptions and, out of shame, left home. As the days passed, those sores rotted more and more. When he went into the bush, the vultures came close wanting to peck at the sores and the flies would not leave him alone. To get them off him, Juoni used a coconut rod his brother Suko had prepared for him, and with it he drove off insects and vultures.

They chased him out of every town he came to. Walking like that he found one whose king was called Oraniyan (Shangó); there too they wanted to throw him out, but the king heard the noise, ordered them to bring him before him and, as soon as he had him in front, declared: "This is a missionary who comes to care for the sick with chickenpox, measles, etc. — all the eruptive diseases." Juoni got so famous that people stopped naming Shangó, and Shangó ordered him to leave Oyó. Juoni obeyed; but he already had the fundamento inside the pot and did not have the strength to carry it, so he dragged it with his forehead all the way to the palace of Afafá, in Dahomey, where he set up his kingdom. Note: that is where it comes from that the yarará drags itself to the Ifá board.

3When Shangó lived with Oyá: Ogún's innocence

Shangó, young and lucky with women, lived with Oyá, older and plain, who turned up at every feast as a whirlwind out of which the boa would suddenly form — and Shangó, embarrassed, quarreled with her. In those parts went Ogún, wanted by the governor over a slander: he was accused of dishonoring the governor's daughter, being the governor's trusted man. The real one was Shangó, who as the governor's guard got to the girl and dishonored her; but Eshu, who was watching the girl because he liked her too, told Oshún — the wrong way around: that it had been Ogún. Oshún told Ogún, who flew into a rage and fled; the news reached the governor, who ordered him seized. Ogún wandered in disguise, took to drink, and ended up going deep into the bush where nobody could see him. Shangó rose in rank — and with him Eshu's jealousy, who, knowing Oyá was Shangó's scorned wife, told Oyá: she rose up like a madwoman, cutting her face and arms. Eshu, frightened by her reaction, ran to tell Oshún the truth of the matter. Oshún, knowing Ogún was innocent, consulted the governor's old healer: Oggunda She came out — only she could save Ogún and the governor's health: go deep into the bush with a gourd of honey and bring him back. When Ogún reached the palace, the governor died; Shangó fled to another land because Oyá was hunting him to kill him — and Ogún was left governor, and with the dead king's daughter.

On this road, Shangó and Oyá lived together. He was young, likable and very lucky with women; she, on the other hand, was an older woman and not pleasant to look at. Shangó was always arguing with her, because Oyá insisted on holding on to him and did things he did not like, such as showing up at every party and at every place he went. He did not like going around with her, but she always turned up; next to her he felt embarrassed, and that is why they did not go out together. When she showed up, Oyá came like a whirlwind, and out of that whirlwind the majá suddenly formed. Around those same places there was someone these problems did not suit, because the governor of that land had ordered him arrested over a slander made against him: that person was Ogún. The slander said he had dishonored the governor's daughter; but Ogún had the governor's trust and did not want to do it, since an old man he respected and cared for lived there, being the governor's healer.

That position filled Ogún with pride, and he stopped listening to the old man's advice. It happened that Shangó was one of the governor's guards and, using his rank, got to the governor's daughter and talked her into being dishonored; and so it happened. But Eshu was always watching the girl, because he liked her too. He was only the governor's servant and did not get along with Ogún, though Ogún gave him orders. Once the deed was done, Eshu told Oshún —the one who looked after the girl directly— but he told it all backwards: that the one who caused the dishonor had been Ogún. Oshún, after hearing him, went to tell Ogún, with whom she got along well; Ogún got furious and ran off, while the news of what had happened reached the governor's ears, and he ordered him caught. Ogún went around disguised as a wanderer, with nothing, everywhere, above all where there were drums or drinks; he threw himself into drinking, turned into a sorry beggar, and after so much of that he ended up going deep into the bush, where nobody would see him.

Over time, Shangó rose in rank before the governor and before the town; and along with his commands grew Eshu's jealousy against him. Since Eshu knew that Oyá was Shangó's woman and that he did not love her, he told Oyá; she rose up in such a way that she went like mad and started cutting her face and arms. Seeing that reaction, Eshu ran off to tell Oshún how the problem had really been. Oshún, now aware that Ogún was innocent, could not find a way to tell the governor. So she talked with the old healer, and he looked at her and saw this Ifá, Oggunda She; the old man tells her that only she could set right Ogún's situation and the governor's health: she had to go into the bush with a gourd of honey, because she would bring Ogún back. Ogún got to the palace and the governor died; Shangó ran off to another land, because Oyá was looking for him to kill him; and Ogún stayed on as governor, and with the dead king's daughter. Note: this is where Ogún was discriminated against — and through Oshún his innocence had to be recognized, which won him the right to be king and to be able to kill.

13 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 Oggunda She in Spanish →

Frequently asked questions about Oggunda She

What does the Odù Oggunda She mean in Ifá?

Where Olofin made man head of the family and gave woman her monthly cycle: they shunned Ogún, and Oshún proved he was innocent.

What number is Oggunda She among the 256 Odù of Ifá?

Oggunda She is Odù number 150 of the 256 in Ifá, part of the Ogunda family.

Which orishas speak in Oggunda She?

In the Odù Oggunda She these orishas speak: Olofin, Ogún, Oyá Yansán, Oshún (Iyalorde), Azowano (Babalú Ayé), Shangó, Elegba (Eshu), Nana Burukú, Oduduwa.

What is a proverb of the Odù Oggunda She?

One of the proverbs of Oggunda She says: «A family argument.».

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