Osa Di

Also called Osa Odi, Osa Dio

nº 155 of 256 · Edited by Ricco Ledesma

The war of the hook and the fish, caught by the bait of deceit: be content with your lot, for spiritual peace is the greatest wealth.

16 patakíes 5 eewó 9 ebbós and works 16 proverbs

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

Osa Di is Odù number 155 of the 256 in Ifá, part of the Osa family. It is also written as Osa Odi or Osa Dio. This page brings together its prayer in Yoruba, 16 patakíes (3 in full in plain sight, with their teaching, ebbó and chants), its proverbs, 9 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 155 of 256
Composition: Osa over Odi
In the Diloggún: 9-7 · Osá tonti Odí
Orishas that speak: Yemayá · Oyá · Ogún · Eshu · Shangó · Orunmila · Obatalá · Egun

What Ifá says in this sign

Osa Di, also known as Osa Odi and Osa Dio, is the sign where the fight between the fish and the fishhook began: the fish refused to make ebbó and the bait deceived them. Here people learned to gather in towns in order to live, work with nails was born, and it was decided that each person lives from the talent they bring at birth. Its ruling is one of contentment: accept the fortune you were given and do not envy anyone else's, because peace of spirit is the greatest wealth after health. Here a simple worker lives like a king, and those who have plenty lack what matters most.

You are stubborn and lack calm, and that is why you go astray. Do not curse and do not say "I know" anymore, for those words harm you. Through someone's selfishness or revenge you were separated from your parents at birth, but what you lost long ago can return when you least expect it. An Egun keeps you held back, and other dark spirits drive marriage away from you: lean on your dead and on Yemayá, and feed your head.

«The fish without ebbó bit the bait: Osa Di learns to see the hook inside the deceit.»The pulse of Osa Di

This sign marks betrayal inside the home. A close relative has stolen from you and can bring you tragedies, and a friend to whom you do many favors is setting a trap for you. Measure your favors, because here you work for those who do not deserve it and the helper ends up harmed: from free you can become a slave. Do not go into hidden places for something that belongs to others, for you will be caught inside. And respect the customs of the elders, even if they weigh on you.

In love, the man and the woman live together without illusion, and each one likes someone else. You want to separate and hold back because of your children; if she is the one who leaves, do not go back, for another woman will come to you. You argue with your wife because you want a son who does not come. The woman of this sign has already buried two husbands and must care for her departed elders and for the sick in the family.

At work, a single day of absence was enough for someone else to take your post, and what you earn does not show because curses have been cast on you; your friends did a work against you so that you cannot travel. Even so, a promotion may come to you, and good will come out of something bad. In health, take care of your stomach, your legs, an arm and your memory, and seek calm, because with so much restlessness you could lose your reason.

The sign in one line

Be content with what is yours, respect what is ancestral and soften your head, for the spiritual peace of Osa Di is worth more than everything you envy.

The prayer of Osa Di · Yoruba

Osa Di ishe isheri oshe koloja tobati ishe guolo iba lafimunu adifafun Baba Bokun bante poroki akuko, eyele lebo.

Ifá says — what Osa Di tells you

There are ailments of the stomach and the legs, and cerebral weakness with loss of memory: the head does not respond.
The person ruins herself through stubbornness and lack of calm; one must not curse. Osa Di says: «do not be so stubborn and use your head».
The woman has had two husbands, both now deceased; there are deceased older relatives to attend to, and sick older relatives who need the attention of the Santo and also of the doctor.
She is interested in another man, and he in another woman.
It indicates betrayal within the home; to prevent it, kalalú is placed for Shangó and a bellows for Eshu.
Within the family the traditions of the ancestors must not be criticized: the whirlpool swallowed the maiden who cursed the custom of the river.
With this Odù the godfather runs the risk of losing his luck.
Herbs of this Odù: marjoram and male fern.
That you should not be so stubborn and obstinate, have more calm, not speak curses and not fly off at the first provocation.
That a friend is setting a snare for you to fall into; he has bad intentions toward you, although you do him many favors.
That you will suffer many misfortunes because of a relative; heed advice and watch your actions.
That you fall in love easily, there is a very jealous woman, and that friend wants to ruin your marriage.
That you go about slipping into a hidden place to take something that belongs to someone else: be careful, because they will catch you by surprise inside the house.
That you must feed your head.
Of the male child you long for; you quarrel with your wife because she cannot give him to you. If you wish to obtain him, make ebbó.
That in a job you were dismissed for missing a single day, and someone else was put in your place who will do the same with better results and at lower cost.
That you often travel by ship and now find it difficult; your friends did a work against you to keep you from sailing.
That you should avoid becoming a slave after having been free, or losing your reason.
That your work does not bear fruit for you: some people have cast curses on you.
That a few days ago you had a dream; give thanks to Obatalá and Oshún.
That a friend of yours owes you money and is fond of drinking.
That you speak harshly; you will be promoted or placed in a position where a harm will turn into a good for you.
That you suffer ailments in a leg or an arm, in the stomach or in the head, and that you want your mind to be at peace.
That you want to leave your wife, and do not do so because of your children; there is always something that disturbs you. If she is the one who leaves and you do not go back to her, another woman will come into your life.
That you can no longer say "I know," because saying it harms you.
That you must receive Eshu so that the disorder that reigns in your home comes to an end.
That, whatever happens, you will have another woman, since the one you have is not the one who fulfills you; yours is far away and you pursued her some time ago. You will have to walk always alone.

Proverbs of Osa Di · Òwe

“The jug goes to the fountain so often that in the end it breaks.”
“Whoever raises someone else's dog loses the bread and loses the dog.”
“Two big noses cannot kiss.”
“The egg the dog cannot swallow, the hen can peck.”
“A tiger that eats bone, satisfaction for its throat.”
“Do not be headstrong and use your head.”
“Ancestral customs are not criticized inside the family.”
“When the fences and the sieges come down, relationships go well.”
“The machete asked for so much edge that it ended up as filings.”
“Two opponents in a temper can hardly understand each other.”
“The intruder who gets in among family ends up shamed.”
“Good news is cause for joy.”
“Whoever throws away bread because they are full will beg for it when they are hungry.”
“For the ungrateful, neither give nor take away.”
“The anvil and the hammer do not strike each other because there is iron in between.”
“The chain turns a free man into a slave.”

13 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

Each one lives according to their natural skill, and a humble laborer can live like a king.
If the siege around them is lifted, they achieve a successful relationship.
What they lost long ago returns when they least expect it, and sometimes it is the word of Ifá that brings it back.

Osogbo · what the sign warns

They fear being left without relationships, because the union ends when a new person appears.
The man and the woman live together without being in love or having hopes, and each one likes someone else.
There are betrayals within the family and the house, and a close relative may bring them tragedies and even rob them.

40 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 Osa Di · Ìbí

The conflict between the fishhook and the fish.
The fish, for not wanting to make ebbó, were caught by the hook, which fooled them with the bait.
That men gathered into societies or towns in order to survive.
The works that are done with nails (isherí).
In each of those works this Odù must be prayed.
That each person will live by his natural talent.
Each one must accept the luck he has and not envy others; after health, peace of spirit is the greatest treasure on Earth.
That, through someone's selfishness or revenge, one is separated from one's parents at birth.
Like the king's son, stolen as a newborn, who came to be an Awó and was recognized by his two hairy moles.

What is forbidden · Eewó

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

Do not do favors.
They will not thank you for it, and in the end you will be the one harmed.
Do not criticize the ancestral customs inside your family.
The young woman who cursed the custom of the river was swallowed by the whirlpool.
Do not be stubborn and do not curse.
The person ruins himself through stubbornness and lack of serenity.
Do not say «I know» anymore.
You harm yourself by saying it.
Do not take possession of what belongs to others.
You will be caught inside the house.

Ebbós of Osa Di · The sacrifices that open the road

SpiritualThe ebbó of the king with no responsibility🔒 The Notebook Overcoming enemiesThe monkey's ebbó🔒 The Notebook MoneyThe sacrifice of the lamp, where Osa could not be opened🔒 The Notebook MoneyThe sacrifice of the great revelation🔒 The Notebook

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

Works of Osa Di · The workings of the sign

Overcoming enemiesThe rogation of the 16 doves and the inshé of the gourd🔒 The Notebook SpiritualThe obsessing egun of the platanillo🔒 The Notebook HealthThe reinforcement of Ogún🔒 The Notebook SpiritualThe goat and the Awan of Oyá🔒 The Notebook Overcoming enemiesThe bellows and the kalalú🔒 The Notebook

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

Patakíes of Osa Di · The roads of the Odù

1The king without responsibility

Awo Ori Sese ruled in Oni Efan. He received the throne when he was still very young and looked with envy at people without burdens, because he thought the reign had stolen the freedom he had before. What he liked was fun and celebrations.

For a long time he resigned himself to that calm existence, but the duties of power held him and he had no way to return to his earlier life. The years went by.

One night he wanted to go out for a while, not as a sovereign but as any inhabitant of the town. He took off the ornaments and royal garments, put on ordinary clothes and went out. Nobody noticed who he was. He went out like that many more times and lived as he pleased; often he showed up at parties and costume dances, where nobody guessed his identity.

One day he learned that there would be a costume dance in a nearby village, and he decided to go. Once there, he put on his costume and mixed with the dancers. He met a woman whose beauty matched that of his wife, invited her to be together, and she accepted. She was more demanding than others he had dealt with, because she asked to see his face. The king refused at first, but after some time he showed his face. When he saw that his secret was still safe, he stayed at the party until dawn. Later, he and that beautiful woman lived together as a couple for a long time.

When she became pregnant, she told him a dream of hers: her companion appeared as a king, with a wife and children. The king was so frightened that he left and never came back. Again the years went by.

When the son was grown, mother and son went to Oni Efan to look for work to live on. Just when they arrived, a great feast was being held for the king, and Awo Ori Sese, owner of that land, came out onto the balcony of his palace. The woman turned pale: before her stood the man she had loved most. She pulled herself together and climbed the steps; on seeing her, the king came out to receive her. He asked her to be quiet and told her that he admitted she was right and knew they had a son; that nothing bad would happen to either of them and that they would live in the palace. He assured her that he had always loved her, but that stronger causes had forced him to part from her, and that this was what could be seen now. He asked her to entrust the boy to him so as to raise him as a good man, and promised to help her too.

She answered with one single request: that he never forget his duties. The story closes with the formula To Iban Eshu.

What it teaches

A person who escapes from his duties does not get free of the bonds he left behind: one day they appear again. The right thing is to take charge of what one has caused and to protect those who depend on him.

Ebbó of this path

This path has its own ebbó; the full list is in the complete treatise.

Prayer of this path

OSADI IFA OSUN YEMAYA ONI EFAN OSA EJA OYA ABESA AFOYA ORI SESE EGUN AWO AJA YARAN KAFEREFUN YEMAYA.

The formula that closes the story

To Iban Eshu

This path keeps 1 awó secret in the complete treatise.🔒 The Notebook

2The ungrateful monkey that Obatalá seated at his table

Obatalá and Yemayá lived alone, since their children had spread out across the world, and sadness filled them. One of them was the monkey, Obatalá's son. Everyone neglected him and he went here and there in misery. Obatalá felt pity, brought him home and gave him shelter.

Little by little the monkey won the affection of both. They bought him clothes, and in them he looked like a person; he was always well presented. He took charge of receiving the visitors of the house, and those who used to ignore him began to treat him with respect. At the table they assigned him a fixed seat. So much recognition made him conceited, and he began to think that without him the two would be worth nothing.

One afternoon, while they ate together, Obatalá asked him for the bread. The monkey replied that he should reach for it himself, because nobody bothers a king while he eats. Obatalá, surprised, scolded him, and the monkey answered with boldness. Obatalá left the table and, at that moment, the monkey lunged at Yemayá intending to abuse her. It was not the first time: she had caught him before harassing her in secret. Yemayá grabbed one of her chains and struck him on the head.

Without delay she went to Orunmila, whom in that place they called Awo Lamu Regun. He did the osode, Osa Di came out, and he ruled that whoever is born a monkey remains a monkey. He asked for her chain, prepared it and gave instructions: she should take it to Obatalá, share a meal with the monkey again, serve him plenty of liquor and, when he lost his balance, put the chain on him and lock him up. He explained that it was not wise to fight him: they would always defeat him, but a bite from him would harm their blood.

Obatalá and Yemayá followed the advice. With the monkey drunk, they fastened the chain around his neck and left him as a slave behind bars, where all who passed laughed at seeing him captive. He lost his power in this way and went back to being a simple monkey, for being ungrateful to those who took him in. That is why, when the monkey lives among people, who are regarded as descendants of the two, he stays caged.

What it teaches

A person who receives help and believes himself indispensable ends up losing what he was given. Ingratitude and abuse of trust return each one to his original condition.

The prepared chain

Yemayá gave her chain to Orunmila, who left it prepared. With it, after making the monkey drunk with liquor, they fastened him by the neck and locked him up.

The prayer of this path

OBATALA ORI AKAYA LODE AWO LAMOREGUN GBOGBO LEGODO BOKINI ORI OKE OBATALA NI YEMAYA ODO AFITI ABI OPON LENU ARA WOGBE WA LAYESI KOSI NILE INIRI ELENU MADA ENU EYO ODOO ENI IYA AREWO WOWO TOBOSHE KUN ONI EWA.

This path keeps 1 awó secret in the complete treatise.🔒 The Notebook

3Yemayá and the three little monkeys

Yemayá lived with no one to share her home. One day she passed through the market and saw three very charming little monkeys for sale, and she bought them to keep her company. At home she washed them, perfumed them and dressed them.

The little monkeys filled all her days, and people talked about them nonstop. Yemayá was happy.

In secret she kept a love affair with Orunmila. He visited her on the excuse of religious matters and work, and in private they came together as a couple. He arrived very well dressed, in showy colors, carrying his iñafá and the other items of his craft, and people greeted him with moforibale.

When the monkeys saw him, they were captivated and left with him. Yemayá was left alone again.

What it teaches

Affections kept only out of pleasure can leave with someone who offers something more striking. A hidden relationship and a loyalty without roots do not protect against loneliness.

4The young woman's curse🔒 The Notebook 5The theft of the king's son🔒 The Notebook 6The disobedient bellows🔒 The Notebook 7The hawk that changed color🔒 The Notebook 8Where Osa could not be opened🔒 The Notebook 9The reading made for the great revelation🔒 The Notebook 10The pact of Orunmila with Ikú and Arun🔒 The Notebook 11Discord among friends🔒 The Notebook 12Every trade matters🔒 The Notebook 13The thief and the moon suit🔒 The Notebook 14The three wishes of the dissatisfied man🔒 The Notebook 15The stag and the lion🔒 The Notebook 16The ripe plantains🔒 The Notebook

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 Osa Di in Spanish →

Frequently asked questions about Osa Di

What does the Odù Osa Di mean in Ifá?

The war of the hook and the fish, caught by the bait of deceit: be content with your lot, for spiritual peace is the greatest wealth.

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

Osa Di is Odù number 155 of the 256 in Ifá, part of the Osa family.

Which orishas speak in Osa Di?

In the Odù Osa Di these orishas speak: Yemayá, Oyá, Ogún, Eshu, Shangó, Orunmila, Obatalá, Egun.

What is a proverb of the Odù Osa Di?

One of the proverbs of Osa Di says: «The jug goes to the fountain so often that in the end it breaks.».

Unlock the 256 Odù See all the Odù See something to correct? Write to us with your source

← Osa Wori Index Osa Roso →