Okana Meyi

nº 8 of 256 · Meyi · also Okanran Meji

The world upside down: Eshú gives the opposite of what you ask for, and the tongue that gives away secrets costs a life.

34 patakíes 10 eewó 15 ebbós and works 16 proverbs

First time with an Odù? Learn how to read one →

Okana Meyi is Odù number 8 of the 256 in Ifá, one of the 16 Meyi and the head of the Okana family. It is also written as Okanran Meji. This page brings together its prayer in Yoruba, 34 patakíes (3 with the full text), its proverbs, 15 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 8 of 256 · Meyi
Composition
Okana over Okana
In the Diloggún
1-1 · Okana tonti Okana
Orishas that speak
Eshú (Eluasama) · Shangó · Osun · Olófin · Oyá · Oggún · Obbatalá Yeku Yeku · The Ibeyis · Orunmila · The Elders of the Night

What Ifá says in this sign

Okana Meyi is the world upside down: here Eshú gives the opposite of what people ask him for, a curse turns into a blessing and in the garbage you sometimes find happiness. It is a sign that asks for cunning: on crooked ground, the one who walks straight learns to walk another way.

Its master patakí is the one about the rooster, Olófin's trusted man: he let Eshú pull the words out of him and gave away his lord's private business. The sentence was terrible: «you did not keep my secret: the one you told it to will eat you himself» — and since that day Eshú eats rooster. Here the tongue costs a life: do not give away secrets, never say where you are going, and if they ask you, answer backwards.

«In the garbage you sometimes find happiness — in Okana even a curse turns into a blessing.»The pulse of Okana Meyi

Against the big enemy, this odu gives a guarantee: you have a tall, strong opponent looking for your fall — but he is Iroko, the tree that believed nothing could touch it and refused the sacrifice: with the ebbó to Eshú, he falls under his own weight. The one that was saved was the Royal Palm, the only one that sacrificed when the strong wind came down: that is how the child of this sign stands — bending, safe against the winds.

The inner danger is pride: people here are clever and smart, but a bad head ruins them and drags them into trouble with the law. The war this odu marks is a family war — of blood and of religion — and it can reach the knife: do not feed it. Remember the monkey: he made ebbó to become equal to man and rebelled one day before finishing it — he was left half done. Obedience to the very end is what separates the chimpanzee from the gorilla.

With Eshú fed and your mouth shut, everything turns in your favor: the harm they do you turns into good, a trip brings you fortune, and you become the head of a house with a full granary — it is the Odù of the farm that prospers. Its motto of protection: the mouth I feed will never pass my sentence.

The sign in one line

Keep the secret, answer backwards and give Eshú his rooster — the big enemy falls on his own, and the harm they do you turns into fortune.

The prayer of Okana Meyi · Yoruba

Baba Okana Meji oni kana ni okute Okana Meji ni Eshú bi ebo ada Eshú bi adié pakiko adié onadere Okana Meji. Okana iré Ifá, Okana iré Awó, Okana iré Shangó, Okana iré Eshú bi okan ni Okana umbati osode bayalokun unló.

Súyere
Eshubi awada shureo, Eshubi awada shureo, iro baroro adié barora, Eshubi awada shureo.

Ifá says — what Okana Meyi tells you

The ashé of this sign: Through his effort and his intelligence he gets what he wants. · It is the Odù of the granary and of farming: he will do well in agriculture and will be a prosperous landowner. · The harm they do to him turns into good for him. · A trip will bring him fortune and he will become the head of a house. · The trouble with the law that comes his way, he will win. · Here mistakes are forgiven: Eshú spoils the babalawos.

Proverbs of Okana Meyi · Òwe

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

What is born in Okana Meyi · Ìbí

What is forbidden · Eewó

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

Ebbós of Okana Meyi · The sacrifices that open the road

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

Works of Okana Meyi · The workings of the sign

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

Patakíes of Okana Meyi · The roads of the Odù

1The birth of Okana Meyi

For saving an antelope in someone else's trap from rotting, the landowner gave him a leg: the free hand to prosper. A farmer ruined by animals, he sacrificed to Eshú, who set invisible traps — and from the boa he killed on the road he got fame and fortune.

Before leaving heaven, Okana Meyi made a sacrifice and came down by a different route from the one planned. On the way he found a homestead with a trap where an antelope was starting to rot; he cut it up and got a fire ready to save the meat. The owner, understanding what he had done, thanked him and gave him one of the animal's legs — the part the priest of Ifá takes to this day when he sacrifices. That is why they say Okana was given a free hand to prosper.

In the world he became a farmer, but animals were eating his crops. Through divination he made himself a tunic with pockets full of kolá nuts, cleaned himself with a chicken, took a staff and gathered earth from two hills and from the eaves of his house to call on Eshú. Once calmed, Eshú set invisible traps around the farm that caught the intruders one after another, and Okana prospered on top of that by selling the meat.

When he was widowed of his first wife — who turned out to be a witch, and whose guardian angel would not let her have children — he decided to move. He sacrificed a goat to Eshú, a pig to Ifá, and travelled with two dogs and sixteen packets of cold bread. Halfway there, a mysterious boa — the one that swallowed the travellers on that route — attacked and ate his dogs; weakened, Okana killed her with a stake. That deed made him famous and prosperous, and in the town they gave him several women in marriage.

2Iroko and Aragba (the axe)

The two rival trees were given the same sacrifice. Iroko, believing nothing could touch him because of his strength, refused — and Eshú himself handed men the axe to bring him down. Aragba, who sacrificed, heard his fall echo through the whole forest.

Aragba and Iroko never got along: they were the dog and the cat. Iroko had such strength and such power that everyone feared him; the Elders of the Night met in his house, and it never crossed anyone's mind to attack him. Okana Meyi told them both to honor Eshú with a goat, a rooster, an axe and also a machete. Aragba complied. Iroko refused: he thought he could not be touched.

Eshú feasted with what Aragba put in his hands and then made the men notice how sturdy Iroko was and what good wood he would give. He wanted to knock down the myth that protected that figure, so he offered to guide them to the tree and put an axe in their hands. At first nobody wanted to start; with Eshú's encouragement they went at him with fury. Iroko came down with a crash whose echo ran through the whole forest.

Aragba heard the fall. When he learned that the axe of men had brought down the great Iroko, he knew he had been right to listen, and he praised the diviner with songs. That is why whoever gets this sign is warned that there is a tall and strong enemy in front of them who is after their fall — and that, with the sacrifice to Eshú, the one who falls is the enemy.

3The Royal Palm, the only one that sacrificed

Every tree refused the sacrifice before coming down to the world, except the royal palm. When Shangó and the strong wind came down to destroy the ones spoiled by wickedness, the palm sang about her sacrifice — and was the only one spared.

When all the trees were getting ready to come to the world, they went to see Okana Meyi, who gave the divination to his helper Efun fun Zele — the strong wind. He told them to sacrifice a goat to Eshú; to serve their heads with a rooster, a dove and kolá nuts; to Oggún a rooster, a turtle, wine and roasted yam; and to Shangó a rooster, bitter kolá and wine. They all refused, except Agbon, the royal palm.

Many years later, when they had all prospered and made the earth beautiful, the deities sent Shangó down to the world to find out what was going on, together with Efun fun Zele himself. When they arrived they found that many trees had been spoiled by the wickedness of the world, and through thunder and the force of the wind they destroyed them one by one.

When they reached the home of the royal palm, she began singing the praises of the diviner who read for her in heaven, recalling the sacrifice she had made. She was the only tree whose life was spared. That is why, to this day, the royal palm is the only tree that is safe from the attack of thunder and strong winds.

4The rooster, king of the women🔒 The Notebook5The rooster, trusted man of Olófin🔒 The Notebook6Awó Rooster and the curse that turned into a blessing🔒 The Notebook7Oyá could not give birth🔒 The Notebook8The birth of Awofakan and Ikofafun🔒 The Notebook9The virtue of the monkey🔒 The Notebook10Afeke: Shangó comes down to the world🔒 The Notebook11The divination for the ant🔒 The Notebook12Okana Meyi became the head chief of Ilaye Oko🔒 The Notebook13The rain over Ifé (the divination for Akpon)🔒 The Notebook14The rescue of Akeriwaye🔒 The Notebook15The disastrous crowning of Adeguoye🔒 The Notebook16The six sons of the bandit🔒 The Notebook17The government of the poor🔒 The Notebook18The Awó Rooster and Eshu (the request made backwards)🔒 The Notebook19Ruined by his tongue (why Eshu eats rooster)🔒 The Notebook20Oggún paid double for his Ifá🔒 The Notebook21The cricket came down to the world🔒 The Notebook22When Oliwo looked down on the boys🔒 The Notebook23Obbatalá Yeku Yeku and Obbatalá Aguema🔒 The Notebook24The Awó, his white horse and the swamp🔒 The Notebook25Ifá was divined for the people of the city of Owa🔒 The Notebook26Sakoto, the king who arrived soaked at Owa🔒 The Notebook27Oluwo Igbo and Oluwo Odan (why the forest is dark)🔒 The Notebook28Ifá was divined for Olú (one son became two)🔒 The Notebook29The cricket and the violin🔒 The Notebook30The man who would not believe (the sixteen coins)🔒 The Notebook31The hidden moon🔒 The Notebook32The fisherman who wanted to be a fish🔒 The Notebook33The killer pack🔒 The Notebook34The messenger of Olofin🔒 The Notebook
31 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 Okana Meyi in Spanish →

Frequently asked questions about Okana Meyi

What does the Odù Okana Meyi mean in Ifá?

The world upside down: Eshú gives the opposite of what you ask for, and the tongue that gives away secrets costs a life.

What number is Okana Meyi among the 256 Odù of Ifá?

Okana Meyi is Odù number 8 of the 256 in Ifá, one of the 16 Meyi and the head of the Okana family.

Which orishas speak in Okana Meyi?

In the Odù Okana Meyi these orishas speak: Eshú (Eluasama), Shangó, Osun, Olófin, Oyá, Oggún, Obbatalá Yeku Yeku, The Ibeyis, Orunmila, The Elders of the Night.

What is a proverb of the Odù Okana Meyi?

One of the proverbs of Okana Meyi says: «Water cannot be tied with a rope.».

Unlock the 256 Odù See all the Odù See something to correct? Write to us with your source
← Obara MeyiIndexOgunda Meyi →