Osa Rete

nº 164 of 256

Where the Flood washed the Earth clean and the healing powers of plants were born: no work gives a result until 72 hours have passed.

23 patakíes 7 eewó 10 ebbós and works 15 proverbs

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Osa Rete is Odù number 164 of the 256 in Ifá, part of the Osa family. This page brings together its prayer in Yoruba, 23 patakíes (3 with the full text), its proverbs, 10 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 164 of 256
Composition
Osa over Irete
Orishas that speak
Yemayá · Obatalá · Shangó · Osain · Orunmila · Eshu · Egun

What Ifá says in this sign

Osa Rete is the sign where the Earth was washed clean by the Great Flood — and where the healing powers of plants, botany and the doctor's office were born. Its law of waiting is exact: because of Obatalá's unfair complaint, Orunmila ruled that no work gives a result until 72 hours have passed: do not despair on the third day — the ebbó is sprouting.

Its one road is stated outright: only the Saints will help me settle my problems — everything in this odu is settled at their feet. And its ethics of the trade: the Babalawo divines at his own house — he does not visit anyone to read for them — and the Babalawo does not steal, because it holds him back: the cleanness of whoever serves is his license.

«No work gives a result before 72 hours — the ebbó of Osa Rete sprouts in three days.»The pulse of Osa Rete

Its mirror is the enchanted shrimp: having everything, he complained — and being never satisfied brought him his death. Be grateful for what you have while you fight for more. Keep what you promised Obatalá — he granted your request and you did not pay: do not try to swap the debt for something else — and lower your voice: do not talk loudly, because luck reaches quiet houses, and behind a scene comes weeping.

The cautions: your blood (leukemia), your throat, your skin and rheumatism; no green plantain — it does this sign greater harm than most —, and no long physical strain: calm and patience are how you live. Do not visit the sick and do not go out asking after them — a change of head circles this odu — and what you lost (four things by now) is not chased after with someone else's hands: do not take what is not yours.

The promises: the pregnant woman will have a boy, whoever knows least divines most — do not underestimate your own intuition or that of humble people —, and even if your relatives have left you with nothing at all, the crucifix worn, Orunmila's necklace with its nutmeg and your Angel's cap go with you: after the flood of this odu, the earth is always left clean — and it blooms

The sign in one line

Wait your three days, keep your promise to Obatalá and do not complain like the shrimp — after the flood of Osa Rete, everything blooms.

The prayer of Osa Rete · Yoruba

Osa Rete maferefun Oduduwa, Osain, Orun, Olokun. Osa Rete si roto egun baba paraldo afefe Ikú Orun emosabi boshe afefe baba tibaye yo lorun afefelokun oma tibe egun mayogbo oshinshin inle mafun awa Awo mafun baba iyu mafun mawa agbona bailerun egun bailorun.

Súyere
Ewe tomode ewe tomode guere guere omo leri Osain Awo ewe tomode.

Ifá says — what Osa Rete tells you

Proverbs of Osa Rete · Òwe

12 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 Osa Rete · Ìbí

What is forbidden · Eewó

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

Ebbós of Osa Rete · The sacrifices that open the road

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

Works of Osa Rete · The workings of the sign

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

Patakíes of Osa Rete · The roads of the Odù

1Where the Earth was washed clean

The land of Osa Rete Nifa Inle Okun Fekun Dudu was the land of volcanoes: fire lived beneath it, nothing grew, and everything born died. The earth spent its time cursing and complaining, until it was nearly mud in the shape of a person. Olofin sent it ashé so it could ask, and sent Osa Irete to understand it: «it has to be divided». Shangó dressed himself in lightning and thunderbolts and divided the black earth (Inle Okun Fekun Dundun) from the red (Inle Okun Fekun Pupua); the wind cleaned it, and Olofin let the water loose: it rained, the earth was washed clean of all its wicked creatures, and it produced okra, corn and grain; cotton, the ceiba and the coconut were born, and some of the creatures became animals and the rest people. But Olofin told the earth: «now you see how ungrateful you are: you will always have to live complaining and enslaved — there will be earth under the water, which will be the strength that holds you up». The only Saints left on it were Obatalá, Elegba and Shangó.

The land of the volcanoes was called Osa Rete Nifa Inle Okun Fekun Dudu: under its soil lived the fire, no crop came out of it, no being managed to live there and everything that sprouted there died. Olofin watched it in silence, because that land never stopped complaining and throwing curses at everything. It got to a point where it could not take any more and came close to staying as mud in human shape; that shape fell apart and it was mud again. Olofin then sent it ashé to give it a voice to beg: it opened up in cracks and made sounds, and Olofin could not make out those sounds, though they seemed like a plea for forgiveness, and in them it sang: "Baba kuele ni laure, baba kuele ni lare, modupue baba".

To check whether he understood the same thing as he did, Olofin sent Osa Irete. He got to the land and said: "What my father has said is true," and he went back to where Olofin was and told him: "Father, the land is bad, and what you have heard is very true: it is always cursing. It has to be divided, telling one piece apart from another."

Right away Olofin called Shangó and Yemayá Afefelorun, and told them: "I need you. We have to find a way for Osa Irete to live on the land, and for the land to produce, so that the crops are eaten at the right time, and so that things are left to live as long as they have to live, so that the world can hold itself up." Shangó answered: "I am going to start, but I am going to divide the land." He loaded himself with stones and dressed himself in lightning, thunderbolts and sparks that kept falling on the ground and separating it: he marked the black part and named it Inle Okun Fekun Dundun; he marked the red one and named it Inle Okun Fekun Pupua.

Back with Olofin, Shangó announced: "I already divided the lands." Olofin told him: "I know what you did, but you left the red land dry." Shangó answered: "Because this one will be good for painting different things, and when Afefe Ayé (the wind) cleans the lands, the dust will be carried off and will serve to feed them." With the rain he also sent the wind, which swept the lands; it could not hold the red one down, it kept slipping away and ended up mixing with the dark one. Olofin then sent a funnel cloud and a waterspout to gather up the water and take it upward.

When they reported to him, Olofin ordered: "Let the water go" — and the downpour started. The land was left free of all the bad creatures it held. The first thing it gave was okra (ailá); the second, corn (aguadó); the third, beans (eré). Of the trees, the first to be born was the cotton (oú); the second, the ceiba (aragba); the third, the coconut (obi). Olofin sent it his blessing, and of those creatures one part turned into animals and the other, into people.

The land was happy with all of Olofin's children. He heard it and told it: "Now you see how ungrateful you are; but you will always have to live like this. And this I will never forgive you: there will be land under the water, which will be what gives the strength for you to keep going, or you will never be able to live except by complaining, and as a slave, since that is how you are. I will send all the Orishas to help you live." The Earth did not accept and said no; that is why the Orishas that came down had to go up again. Only three Santos stayed on it: Obatalá, Elegba and Shangó.

2The frog and Obatalá's curse

A very hard drought was punishing the land and the frogs, who could not take it any more, broke into croaking. Obatalá heard them and gave them seven days of rain; so much water fell that they, out of pure joy, croaked at the top of their lungs, with such a racket that Obatalá got annoyed and ordered them to be quiet. Since they went on with their joy, first he cursed them and then he told them: "as long as the world is the world, you will live croaking." For being disobedient and for not listening to their elders, there they still are, croaking to this day. The person, for being disobedient, is cursed by an elder; they are somewhat loud and that hurts them — behind the laughing comes the crying.

A very hard drought was punishing the land, and the frogs, who could not take it any more, broke into croaking. Obatalá heard them and gave them seven days of rain. So much water fell that they, out of pure joy, went on croaking at the top of their lungs; with such a racket, Obatalá got annoyed and ordered them to be quiet.

In their joy, they did not stop, and Obatalá took steps: the first was to curse them, and then he told them: "As long as the world is the world, you will live croaking."

So, for being disobedient and for not listening to their elders, there they still are, croaking to this day.

Note: this road warns that the person is cursed by an elder for being disobedient. It also speaks of the person being somewhat loud, and that hurts them. Here, behind the laughing comes the crying.

3The birth of the continents

By order of Olofin, Shangó threw his huge odu-ará and split the Earth in two: that is where the continents came from, and since that day mankind has been apart. Since the split did not give Olofin what he wanted, he cursed it with these words: "for being the way you are, you will always have to complain and live as a slave".

Here Shangó carried out an order from Olofin: he threw his huge odu-ará and split the Earth in two. That is how the continents came about, and since that day mankind has been apart.

Since that split did not give Olofin what he was after, he threw this curse on the Earth: "For being the way you are, you will always have to complain and live as a slave".

20 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 Rete in Spanish →

Frequently asked questions about Osa Rete

What does the Odù Osa Rete mean in Ifá?

Where the Flood washed the Earth clean and the healing powers of plants were born: no work gives a result until 72 hours have passed.

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

Osa Rete is Odù number 164 of the 256 in Ifá, part of the Osa family.

Which orishas speak in Osa Rete?

In the Odù Osa Rete these orishas speak: Yemayá, Obatalá, Shangó, Osain, Orunmila, Eshu, Egun.

What is a proverb of the Odù Osa Rete?

One of the proverbs of Osa Rete says: «The rain washes the earth, but it does not stay on the surface.».

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