Osa Ka

nº 161 of 256

The clown who makes people laugh while his heart weeps: here the naturalness of death was born, and the tired horse works with nobody valuing it.

15 patakíes 5 eewó 9 ebbós and works 18 proverbs

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Osa Ka is Odù number 161 of the 256 in Ifá, part of the Osa family. This page brings together its prayer in Yoruba, 15 patakíes (3 with the full text), its proverbs, 9 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 161 of 256
Composition: Osa over Ika
Orishas that speak: Oshún Ololodi · Azojuano · Shangó · Obatalá · Ogún · Orunmila

What Ifá says in this sign

Osa Ka is the Ifá of the tired horse: worn out from so much work, and in the end with nobody who cares for it or values it — and of the clown, who was born here: while I make them laugh, my heart weeps. People laugh with you — and sometimes at you: this odu comes to give you back the regard you are owed.

Its map of enemies is an inward one: the enemy is inside the house as a friend — what troubles you lives under your own roof, and a snare has been set to take your road from you. Move if this odu insists, do not argue, and look after your job: the greedy eyes on you explain this year's losses.

«While I make them laugh, my heart weeps — the clown of Osa Ka deserves the regard he hands out.»The pulse of Osa Ka

Here the naturalness of death was born — everyone born must die — with one hard rule: do not take pity on the dying, because you or a godchild will die: accompany without merging, serve without absorbing. And there is a family secret: it may be that whoever raised you knew you were not his — as Obatalá with Shangó: the love of raising counts as much as blood, and the spiritual emptiness of your unsettled life gets filled by knowing it.

Your gift cuts both ways: the plate you break, someone else pays for — other people carry your blame: do not abuse that gift, because the cosmic account exists; and the warning from within the trade: this odu is capable of betraying its godfather — do not be the one who does: regard for your elder is your final test.

The remedies for the tired one: thanks and two candles for Azojuano, white clothes and never torn ones, ebbó before the place you want to go (there are traps), and real rest — because you grew old changing places and fell ill changing partners: stay still and heal. The tired horse of Osa Ka, treated well, still wins races

The sign in one line

Rest, look at who is living in your house and do not betray your godfather — the tired horse of Osa Ka still wins, if everyone stops riding it.

The prayer of Osa Ka · Yoruba

Osa kani awani okutele kole adifafun Aritinlo ayua yele olanyo ayua akuko lebo owunko lebo ori lebo adie ewe tinle yokula unlo asho fun fun ikan lowa Osa Ka Ifá Orunmila lodafun oma.

Súyere
Asho fun fun ikan lowa Osa Ika.

Ifá says — what Osa Ka tells you

The Ifá of the tired horse: you are worn out from so much work, and in the end you have nobody who cares for you or values you. The Ifá of the clown: while I make them laugh, my heart weeps — people laugh at you. The Ifá of the enemy inside the house: Ikan Arayé Saluga Kowa Ilé speaks — the enemy is inside the house as a friend, and the trouble is inside your own house. An Ifá of family secrets: there is a great secret in your life — it may be that your father raised you knowing he was not your father, as Obatalá did with Shangó. An Ifá of betraying the godfather: Osa Ka does not respect friendship or give his godfather the regard he is owed, and is capable of betraying him. An Ifá where money smooths the way for what you want. An Ifá of binding: the turtle, with her art and her cunning, bound the horse — it marks a man bound by a woman.
You cannot take pity on people who are at death's door: you, a godchild or someone you love will die.
You have no fixed place and you are restless: the trouble is inside your own house.
You have fallen ill changing partners, and grown old changing places.
Osa Ka has the gift of other people carrying his blame.
There are family secrets concerning you: you have been apart from your father for a long time.
There is a great spiritual emptiness in your life: your life has been an unsettled one.
The man is looking for a woman to marry.
The herbs of this Odù are: white elder, sea parsley and hierba de plata.
The plate you broke, someone else is due to pay for.
The trouble is inside your own house, and a snare has been set to take your road from you.
You want to go somewhere: make ebbó first so you are not in danger, because there are traps.
You want to go to a house to ask for money or something of value.
You have had a great many losses this year: your business went badly because of the eyes on you — the greedy ones.
Move away from where you live.
You are poor and unhappy over a debt you have, and the owner of your house is going to send for you and you will not know what to do.
Give thanks to Azojuano and light him two candles.
Do not wear torn clothes and dress in white.
You laugh, but your heart weeps.
Watch out for traps: they do not deal straight with you, and your road is closed.
Look after your job.
You cannot be stubborn.
You have to respect friendship, both your godfather's and that of your true friends.

Proverbs of Osa Ka · Òwe

“Whoever looks, finds.”
“The trouble that is yours is sitting in your house.”
“The plate you broke, someone else will pay for.”
“To talk about someone else's secret is a shameful act.”
“While I make them laugh, my heart weeps.”
“From so much moving about, my tent rotted.”
“Everyone born comes to the moment when they have to die.”
“Trouble in the street annoys you; trouble at home wears you down.”
“To blame others is to be shamed by our own cowardice.”
“The wind is the only one allowed to have no fixed place.”
“Water taro is not held down by its roots.”
“Epidemics travel in the air and sail through the blood.”
“At feasts nobody is alone; at wakes everyone has an excuse.”
“The mother is the one who raises you, not the one who bore you.”
“Whoever forgets an offense lives with love; the one who holds a grudge has no friends.”
“The sick to the hospital, the dead to the morgue, and the living cheerful.”
“A scolding cuts deeper in a wise man than a thousand lashes in a fool.”
“Horns and gray hair do not come from old age.”

15 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 Osa Ka · Ìbí

The naturalness of death.
Everyone born comes to the moment when they have to die.
The circus tent.
From so much moving about it rotted, and it falls on top of the performers: this person has fallen ill changing partners and grown old changing places.
The clown.
He makes people laugh with a broken heart: you laugh, but your heart weeps.
Confusion about one's sex.
That when the Awó dies a silver coin is put in his mouth.
That the head is prayed over with snapper (ejá-bo).

What is forbidden · Eewó

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

Do not feel pity for people who are at the point of death.
You die, or a relative of yours, or a godchild.
Do not wear torn or ripped clothes.
Dress in white.
Do not be stubborn.
Death killed Malano for being stubborn.
Do not talk about other people's secrets.
Talking about someone else's secret is a shameful act — and private words will become public.
Do not betray your padrino or your true friends.

Ebbós of Osa Ka · The sacrifices that open the road

Beating enemiesThe ebbó of the basket🔒 The Notebook Keeping death awayThe ebbó of the tired horse🔒 The Notebook SpiritualThe ebbó of the broken plates🔒 The Notebook MoneyAritinlo's ebbó🔒 The Notebook SpiritualThe confidant's sacrifice🔒 The Notebook HealthThe sacrifice for the birth of the child🔒 The Notebook

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

Works of Osa Ka · The workings of the sign

HealthThe prayer with the snapper🔒 The Notebook LoveThe female goat of Oshún Ololodi🔒 The Notebook SpiritualAttending to Azojuano🔒 The Notebook

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

Patakíes of Osa Ka · The roads of the Odù

1Malano and her arguing

Malano sold in the market and left no one else's business without sticking her tongue into it. Orunmila told her to make ebbó if she did not want to lose her life; she ignored the warning and went on with her same way of living. Death ended up coming after her and took her, for being stubborn.

In the market a woman named Malano had her sales stand, and there was no one else's business she did not stick her tongue into, even when nobody asked her to.

One day Orunmila warned her to make ebbó if she did not want to lose her life.

Malano ignored the warning and went on living just as always.

So it went until death came after her and, for being stubborn, took her.

2The plate you broke, someone else will pay for

Awó Osa Ka was a womanizer and got the virgin daughter of his Oluwo pregnant, the girl his Oluwo had left in his care before going away on a trip. To get out of the shame he made use of an older client who came for a reading looking for a wife: this Odù came out for him, the Awó did the works for him and arranged for him to meet the young woman without appearing in the middle of it. The old man was smitten; the Awó washed the girl's parts with red mangrove for three days in a row, to tighten them so she would pass for a virgin. They married, and the old man ended up paying for the dishes Awó Osa Ka had broken.

Awó Osa Ka was always after women. One day he took a fancy to the daughter of his Oluwo, who was still a virgin. Nobody ever found out, but the girl got pregnant, and he could find no way to get out of the shame in front of his godfather, who had left her in his care while he was away on a trip.

Around those days an older client came for a reading, looking for a woman to marry. This Odù came out for him, and Awó Osa Ka told him: "You are coming because you want a work done for you to get a woman to marry". That was exactly what the old man wanted, so he did everything the Awó told him. Afterwards the Awó arranged things so the two would meet without him appearing in the middle of it.

The old man was smitten with the girl. Then the Awó prepared the young woman: he washed her parts with red mangrove for three days in a row, to tighten them so she would pass for a virgin.

The old man married her, and that is how he paid for the dishes Awó Osa Ka had broken.

3Shangó's secret

Obatalá kept a secret — the birth of Shangó — and he handed the boy to his daughter Dada Bañani to raise him; he went to see him every day, and the boy grew up spoiled and proud. Ogún, mistreated by Obatalá, was pushed by resentment to keep digging until Yemayá let the secret out. Ogún warned Shangó that he knew something about his life; Shangó, haughty, pushed him to speak, and went off ashamed to confront Yemayá, who denied it all before she confessed. Shangó took revenge on Obatalá and left him. In the person's life there is a family secret: it may be that the father raised them knowing he was not their father.

Shangó's birth was a secret that Obatalá kept, and to raise him he put the boy in the hands of his daughter Dada Bañani. Not a day went by without him going to her house to see his son, who grew up spoiled, badly raised and full of pride.

Ogún, on the other hand, was treated harshly by Obatalá. That left him resentful, and he set out to find out why Shangó was being raised that way. He asked so much that Yemayá ended up letting out the secret he was after.

Some time later, Ogún warned Shangó that he knew something about his life, and that if he told it there would be a huge mess. Shangó, proud, pushed him to speak: there was no secret in his life. Ogún spoke. Shangó went off ashamed to look for Yemayá and repeated to her what he had just heard. She denied it all, but he did not leave her alone until she told him the whole truth.

He took revenge on his father Obatalá, and he left his side, leaving him alone.

Note: this Odù warns that in the life of the person who receives it there is a big secret, and it may be that the father raised them knowing he was not their father.

4Aritinlo the obedient🔒 The Notebook 5The reading made for the birth of a child🔒 The Notebook 6The reading made for Ayekogbeje, a confidant🔒 The Notebook 7The clown🔒 The Notebook 8The disobedience of the fruits🔒 The Notebook 9The dump🔒 The Notebook 10The goatherd🔒 The Notebook 11The ambush🔒 The Notebook 12The turtle rode the horse🔒 The Notebook 13Sickness and health🔒 The Notebook 14The two wings of a sinning angel🔒 The Notebook 15Duty and rebellion🔒 The Notebook

12 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 Ka in Spanish →

Frequently asked questions about Osa Ka

What does the Odù Osa Ka mean in Ifá?

The clown who makes people laugh while his heart weeps: here the naturalness of death was born, and the tired horse works with nobody valuing it.

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

Osa Ka is Odù number 161 of the 256 in Ifá, part of the Osa family.

Which orishas speak in Osa Ka?

In the Odù Osa Ka these orishas speak: Oshún Ololodi, Azojuano, Shangó, Obatalá, Ogún, Orunmila.

What is a proverb of the Odù Osa Ka?

One of the proverbs of Osa Ka says: «Whoever looks, finds.».

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