Odù 101 of 256 · Ojuani family

Ojuani Boka

The Ifá of measure: the yam is Orunmila's crown, and the sea is king of the rivers because they all run into it — greed is this sign's undoing.

Ojuani Boka is Odù number 101 of the 256 in Ifá, part of the Ojuani 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; 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 101 of 256
Composition
Ojuani over Ika
Orishas that speak
Osanyin · Elegba / Eshu · Ogún · Obatalá · Olokun y Yemayá · Oshún · Egun · Esi

What Ifá says in this sign

Ojuani Boka is the Ifá of measure: it guarantees success in moderation — because you have to keep your measure in everything you do in life. Its law of the waters says it on a grand scale: the king of all the rivers is the sea, because every one of them ends up there — whoever knows how to receive without overflowing, reigns.

Its undoing has a name: greed — Eshu knocked Ika right off his own pile of corn. Greed brings you enemies and curses, and it is the reason your luck never quite comes in. Add pride and ingratitude — the other two faults this odu paints — and you know what to correct so that people deal with you straight.

«The sea is king because every river ends up in it — the measure of Ojuani Boka receives without overflowing.»The pulse of Ojuani Boka

Your front door is a spiritual customs house: death stays there tearing everything apart — and there are also three strokes of luck standing at it that never quite come in. Feed the door: it sends one away and lets the others through. And do not complain about your wife inviting people over to eat: it is the visitors who bring you your luck.

The yearly secret of this sign: a black young rooster for Osanyin out in the bush at the start of every year — it neutralizes the sorcerers and omologú, the way Odomi Awó and Oyeye won their war. And respect the golden rule among Awoses: you do not read another man's wife without him present or without his permission — a war between sorcerers over exactly that ruined two lands.

Take care of your nerves (beef blood for Ifá with plenty of aguardiente), do not push around people weaker than you — one of them can give you the fright of your life — and keep an eye on your house: the people you support, your own children included, can turn on you. The santera who will come to visit you will be good for you: everything you do will come out right — and the crown is waiting: the yam is Orunmila's crown, and measure is a man's crown

The sign in one line

Keep your measure, feed your front door and give Osanyin his young rooster every year — the three strokes of luck in Ojuani Boka come in as soon as greed goes out.

The prayer of Ojuani Boka · Yoruba

Ojuani Boka Obatalá ademi ikabale adiña awi adifafun ote tinshomo beishe tinshomo abure Ika aka ada omo Olofin.

Súyere
Abidide Osanyin abidide Osanyin ikabure babalokuta Ofun adifafun Ika.

Ifá says — what Ojuani Boka tells you

Proverbs of Ojuani Boka · Òwe

15 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 Ojuani Boka · Ìbí

What is forbidden · Eewó

5 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 Ojuani Boka · The sacrifices that open the road

Beating enemiesThe Osanyin of Ojuani Boka🔒 Babalawo
Beating enemiesThe plate of Esi and Baduto🔒 Babalawo
Pushing death awayThe white rooster at the entrance🔒 Babalawo
MoneyThe corn in both hands🔒 Babalawo
4 ebbós in this Odù, locked.Each full recipe: ingredients, preparation and where it goes. Written in Spanish for now.Unlock →

Works of Ojuani Boka · The workings of the sign

HealthThe beef blood and the yam crown🔒 Babalawo
MoneyThe inshé of iré ayé🔒 Babalawo
Beating enemiesThe cat's four paws🔒 Babalawo
HealthThe missionary's powder🔒 Babalawo
4 works in this Odù, locked.Each full recipe: ingredients, preparation and where it goes. Written in Spanish for now.Unlock →

Patakíes of Ojuani Boka · The roads of the Odù

1Baduto and the power of Esi

The Awó Baduto, a wise man of the land of Baribia, earned the enmity of the sorcerers, who killed him with poisoned arrows and then went after his son Oyeye. Orunmila revealed to him that his father had lost by trusting in his own wisdom: to win, he had to put himself in the hands of Esi — the protecting god of Ifá who defeated Karakambuka, the owner of black magic — with the board of the 16 Meyi, the consecrated plate and the seven piles of sulfur set alight. With that, Ojuani Boka defeated every one of his enemies.

In the land of Baribia there lived an Awó called Baduto, an intelligent man who solved every problem, with a son called Oyeye, whose Odù was Ojuani Boka and who was Orunmila's godchild. Because of his ashé, Baduto had earned the enmity of a great many sorcerers, from whom he had saved a great many people. One day, taking advantage of his going out to heal a sick man, they lay in wait for him on the road and killed him with poisoned arrows — and not satisfied with that, they went after his son.

Oyeye went to be read by Orunmila, who told him that his father had lost by trusting in his own wisdom, and that to win he had to put himself in the hands of Esi, the protecting god of Ifá who defeated Karakambuka, the owner of black magic, and in the hands of the Iwi of his father Baduto. He marked him an ebbó with a wooden board 150 by 20 centimeters with the 16 Meyi carved into it, and on top of it a consecrated white plate turned over with Oshe Tura, Ojuani Boka and Otura She: on an atena of Egun he set the board, on the board the plate, poured out sulfur in seven piles, called Esi and Baduto, and set it alight. With that, Ojuani Boka defeated every one of his enemies. Esi is represented by an arrow like Oshosi's, with a moon and two stars behind it: he lives hanging behind the door, eats pigeons, and works hanging from the neck.

2The king's white elephant

The white elephant, the king's closest friend, was arrogant and behaved badly: it threw the soldiers into the pond, killed horses and kept the whole town on edge — and the king had anyone who touched it killed. The animals met, and the ant's plan won: the mouse gnawed through bark and honey stores, and the ants dug a tunnel under the palace. On the day of the great contest, they bit the elephant's legs, the floor caved in, and the king, humiliated, made it a slave and put it to hard labor.

In the king's court there was a very proud white elephant, his closest friend: arrogant, bad-tempered and badly behaved with everyone, it believed it deserved every attention. It was very powerful and had all the other animals and the palace soldiers hounded: it threw them into the pond, broke the floors, stole the fruit and killed the horses. The people hated it and could do nothing, because the king had anyone who touched it killed.

One day all the animals of the kingdom met to find a solution without the king suspecting. They all put forward risky plans, until the ant spoke: they agreed that the mouse, being one of the family, would gnaw through the bark of the trees and the honey stores so the resin and the honey would spill, and the ants dug a tunnel that ended under the palace floor and would destroy its foundations. On the day of the endurance contest proposed by the Obá of another town, when the king came out riding the white elephant, the ants began to bite its legs: the elephant staggered and the palace floor caved in. The people had to help the king down; humiliated — he had to bring out his treasures and hire camel caravans to get back to the palace — he came to hate the elephant, made it a slave and put it to hard labor. Pride is what ruins you: and the small things, united and steady, bring down the biggest.

3The missionary with the powder

An Awó of this Odù was read, arun otonowá came out, and he set out as a missionary. He reached a land where nobody paid him any attention: «There is no prosperity and no hope here — we are all sick, and every day we are robbed». «Then this is where I can be of use», he said: he handed out his powder of toasted hawk feather, with a cross on each person's forehead — and peace and prosperity came.

One day an Awó whose Odù was Ojuani Boka was read, and arun otonowá came out, and he decided to set out for other lands to offer his services as a missionary. On his journey he passed through one town and did not stop; he went on toward the neighboring lands, and when he arrived the residents paid him no attention. When he asked why, they told him: «There is no prosperity and no hope here, since we are all sick, and every day we are robbed».

And the Awó answered them: «Well, if that is how it is, this is where I can be of use, because I have come to carry out a mission. For those troubles I bring a powder: every one of you will rub it on your forehead, and that way your sorrows and your suffering will end, the robberies will stop and the illnesses will cease». The people did as the Awó said, and peace and prosperity came. The powder is made of hawk feather toasted and ground, and a cross is drawn with it on the forehead — that is why the iyefá of this Odù must never be without hawk-feather powder.

4The war over the Awó's wife🔒 Babalawo
5Ogún's curse🔒 Babalawo
6The yam, Orunmila's crown🔒 Babalawo
7The tiger and the donkey🔒 Babalawo
8The town of greed🔒 Babalawo
9The measure of Owon🔒 Babalawo
10Oka the greedy🔒 Babalawo
11The melon and the gourd🔒 Babalawo
12Ojuani Ika settles in the lands of Oyo🔒 Babalawo
13Sekue and the pact with Ozain🔒 Babalawo
14The swindle🔒 Babalawo
15The silver mule🔒 Babalawo
16Itan ni Osha through Opele🔒 Babalawo
13 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 Ojuani Boka in Spanish →

Frequently asked questions about Ojuani Boka

What does the Odù Ojuani Boka mean in Ifá?

The Ifá of measure: the yam is Orunmila's crown, and the sea is king of the rivers because they all run into it — greed is this sign's undoing.

What number is Ojuani Boka among the 256 Odù of Ifá?

Ojuani Boka is Odù number 101 of the 256 in Ifá, part of the Ojuani family.

Which orishas speak in Ojuani Boka?

In the Odù Ojuani Boka these orishas speak: Osanyin, Elegba / Eshu, Ogún, Obatalá, Olokun y Yemayá, Oshún, Egun, Esi.

What is a proverb of the Odù Ojuani Boka?

One of the proverbs of Ojuani Boka says: «The bad comes in through the same door as the good.».

Unlock the 256 Odù See all the Odù
← Ojuani BosaIndexOjuani Batrupon →