Osa Roso

Also called Osa Iroso

nº 156 of 256 · Edited by Ricco Ledesma

Here it originated that Orunmila establishes the Guardian Angel: it makes no difference whether one lives in comfort or in tight quarters, and one must adapt in order to be happy.

23 patakíes 6 eewó 12 ebbós and works 16 proverbs

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Osa Roso is Odù number 156 of the 256 in Ifá, part of the Osa family. It is also written as Osa Iroso. This page brings together its prayer in Yoruba, 23 patakíes (3 in full in plain sight, with their teaching, ebbó and chants), its proverbs, 12 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 156 of 256
Composition: Osa over Iroso
In the Diloggún: 9-4 · Osá tonti Iroso
Orishas that speak: Shangó · Oshún · Oyá · Obatalá · Orunmila · Eshu · Osain · Osun

What Ifá says in this sign

Osa Roso, also known as Osa Iroso, is the sign where Orunmila was given the task of recognizing, in each head, its Guardian Angel, since he is impartial toward all. Here Shangó, with Oyá's help, won the ashé of commerce, here the adodi cared for Obatalá when he was ill and he blessed them, and here unhappiness in marriage was also born. Its ruling is one of calm and money: peace and money are the two pillars of your prosperity, and with peace in your home everything else flourishes. Nothing done against you can sink you, because Olodumare walks with you.

You are used to hardship and you live in little space, but you know how to be happy with much or with little. What is offered to a saint is a debt: you owe Shangó a ram, and that is the reason for the delays and the empty house. Fulfill your promise to him and your paths open; place cornmeal with okra for him so you prosper. A journey to a distant place brings you good, and a woman will help you without counting the sacrifice. If there are doves in your home and they make it dirty, let them be: your luck is there.

«It makes no difference whether one lives in comfort or in tight quarters; and if you live in tight quarters, Orunmila says: enlarge your house.»The pulse of Osa Roso

Near you lives someone, perhaps a woman, with a mayombe charm, and they may bury a nail at your door: watch the entrance and cover the holes in the house. A woman will come to your home to provoke you, and because of her a fight may break out in which you could be killed. Never strike anyone or take what belongs to others, because here that can cost you your life. Be less stubborn and do not curse.

In love, this sign brings the tyrannical husband who mistreats his wife in word and deed until she falls ill; her remedy is in Oshún. Insults within the couple open the door to betrayal. If the woman drinks, especially while pregnant, she can lose her reason, and the one who has already had an abortion must not have another, because a new abortion takes her health away forever. Look after your daughters, for the sign warns that they may go astray and end up being alakuata.

In health, take care of your bones, your circulation and your heart, and attend to sexual weakness, leg cramps and insomnia. Protect yourself from the mosquitoes in your home, which can infect you, and do not leave dirty dishes for the next day, because that is how illness settles into the home. Do not break mirrors.

The sign in one line

Pay what you promised, honor the woman who sacrifices for you and let the doves make a mess, because Olordumare accompanies Osa Roso, and nothing harms him.

The prayer of Osa Roso · Yoruba

Adifafun Osa Roso Oshún Iyá mi ikobosi Iyá niwasi Iyá ni Yalode oguiodo Obatalá abe deba omi male ado ewe kikiriso kede toshe kuele kuele Yeye Moro.

Súyere
Ari dale oñí ekó ayiloda — ekó dale Oshún ekó ayiloda.

Ifá says — what Osa Roso tells you

In the place where you live there is someone, perhaps a woman, with a prenda of mayombe who could be your enemy.
There is a nail buried, or they may bury one for you, at the access to your home with the intention of harming you: protect your door.
When a woman receives this Odù: she suffers internal ailments from an induced abortion. A woman of this sign is forbidden to have abortions: she would lose her health forever.
Daughters must be watched closely: they may lose their way in life and end up as alakuata. Look after your daughter.
The ailments of this Odù: sexual weakness, disorders of the bones, cramps in the legs, conditions of the circulatory system and the heart, and insomnia.
If there are doves in your house, let them make a mess of it: your luck lies there.
Osa Roso is a wanderer: you should go to a distant place, where things will go well for you; if you go to the countryside, perform ebbó so as not to suffer setbacks.
A woman must be careful about drinking alcoholic beverages: she could lose her mind; if she is pregnant, she must perform an ebbó.
It makes no difference whether one lives in comfort or in tight quarters: one must adapt in order to be happy; and if you live in tight quarters, Orunmila says you should enlarge your house.
That in the place where you live there is a woman who owns a prenda of mayombe.
About the door of your house: watch it, so that no one buries a nail there, or perhaps they have already put one there.
That you must be living in very cramped conditions.
That your wife is fond of drinking too much and is pregnant: ask her to stop drinking, because she could lose her mind.
That a woman will come to your house with the purpose of provoking you: do not pay attention to her. There is a woman who wants to be with you and it will cause a great scandal; be careful, because you could be killed.
That you should not raise your hand against anyone, and even less with sticks.
That you owe Shangó, and that is why you have delays: when you fulfill your duty to him, buy lottery tickets.
That you should close the holes your house has.
That you want to go to a faraway place: it will go well for you, and there is a woman there who is sick in her bones; be careful that she does not die.
That you have weakness or cramps in your left leg, and you must take care of your blood circulation.
That no harm anyone tries to cause you will reach you, because Olodumare is with you.
That you should not be stubborn, should stay calm and should not seize what belongs to others: you are intruding on ground that is not yours, so beware of being caught and killed.
That you cannot break mirrors.
That you should put plantains for Shangó.
That where you live there are many mosquitoes: use a mosquito net, so that those bites do not infect you and bring you bad consequences.
That you should not fan yourself with a fan of guano: guano is used for headache, so it is advisable to burn a small piece and take in the smoke.
That you should look after your daughter, so that later on she is not an alakuata.

Proverbs of Osa Roso · Òwe

“What you promise is a debt.”
“Look ahead and look behind.”
“What is written is not rubbed out.”
“When peace comes, everything succeeds.”
“I will live the same in a wide place as in a narrow one, I only want to have happiness.”
“There is no better guarantee than a royal signature.”
“Paying attention to the road saves us stumbles and falls.”
“The danger lies in trusting.”
“Whoever drinks a great deal loses a great deal.”
“Better a little honestly earned than a lot with mud on it.”
“The wolf keeps watch until the shepherd sleeps.”
“The legs hold up the body, and the head holds up life.”
“The stubborn one almost always weeps alone.”
“I would like to do everything the dead man did, except die.”
“No shade frees you from the flame, but the flame frees you from the shade.”
“Better hard bread in peace than banquets and living at war.”

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

Peace and money are the basis of their success and prosperity, and when peace arrives, everything goes well.
They know how to live as well with little as with much, because the only thing they want is to be happy.
If there are doves in their house and they dirty the place, it is a sign of good luck.

Osogbo · what the sign warns

A despotic husband mistreats his wife in words and in deeds, and she falls ill from suffering.
Near them lives a person, perhaps a woman, with a sorcerer's object, and she may be their enemy.
A nail may be hidden under the door of their house to harm 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 Roso · Ìbí

Orunmila's authority to decide which Guardian Angel each human being has.
Obatalá aimed to be the owner of all the heads on earth and cheated the other Santos with his cowrie shell; Orunmila, in contrast, is impartial, because he does not make anyone Santo.
That Orunmila and Oshún eat black hens together.
In the midst of Shangó's fire, Oshún was the only one who risked her life to save Orunmila, who was disabled: «although you were the sinner, only you came back for me».
Unhappiness in marriage.
From the path of Oshún mistreated by Shangó in the land of Eru Oba: she was saved by the ebbó of the hens and the song of the honey.
That four bells be put on Osun.
That dirty dishes must not be left from one day to the next.
So that the illness (Arun) does not feed and remain in the house; this applies to all the children of Obatalá, whatever their Odù may be.
That the adodi were blessed by Obatalá.
They cared for him day and night when he was gravely ill in his land, and as a reward he gave them his blessing.
Giving a ram to Shangó to open the way.
Shangó fell in love with the ram's testicles: that is what the secret of this Odù consists of.
That Shangó received the ashé of commerce.
Oyá helped him: she cut off her braids and put her own clothes on him, and so he was able to trick Ogún and reach Olofin.

What is forbidden · Eewó

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

Do not leave dirty dishes from one day to the next.
So that the illness does not feed and remain in the house.
Do not break mirrors.
A woman must not have abortions.
She loses her health forever.
Do not be stubborn, do not curse, and do not take what is not yours.
Do not raise your hand against anyone, and even less with sticks.
Do not fan yourself with a fan of guano.
Guano is used for headache: a small piece is burned and the smoke is taken in.

Ebbós of Osa Roso · The sacrifices that open the road

LoveThe ebbó of unhappiness in marriage🔒 The Notebook MoneyThe ebbó of the ram and the brooms🔒 The Notebook Overcoming enemiesThe ebbó of the upheaval🔒 The Notebook SpiritualThe ebbó of Ekulambe🔒 The Notebook SpiritualThe ebbó of the Guardian Angel🔒 The Notebook HealthThe sacrifice of Alaguemo🔒 The Notebook MoneyThe sacrifice of Eeka-Alaje🔒 The Notebook

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

Works of Osa Roso · The workings of the sign

LoveOshún's gourd🔒 The Notebook MoneyThe three small dishes for making the letter fore🔒 The Notebook HealthOyá's doll and braids🔒 The Notebook LoveOshún's honey on Shangó🔒 The Notebook SpiritualThe food of Orunmila and Oshún🔒 The Notebook

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

Patakíes of Osa Roso · The roads of the Odù

1Orunmila’s wife reminds him of Shangó’s ram

Orunmila owed Shangó a ram, because of a promise. Although he already had the animal, he kept putting it off and did not hand it over. Shangó noticed and responded by covering with álamo the road that led to Orunmila’s house.

From that day nobody arrived. The aleyos, that is, the people who come to be consulted, no longer appeared. Orunmila set out to investigate the cause, and his wife made him remember the pending debt to Shangó: the ram.

With the debt settled, the aleyos came back to his house.

What it teaches

A promise made to an orisha must be kept, and delay closes the roads even when one already has what is needed to pay. Listening in time to the sensible advice of one’s partner helps bring back what had drifted away.

Paying the promise to Shangó

Hand over the promised ram. This opened the road again and the aleyos returned.

2Oshún mistreated by Shangó and the ebbó of the hens and the honey

Oshún, a young woman from the land of Eru Oba, lived with Shangó. He treated her harshly and abusively, and she, though young, suffered greatly: her nature had changed and little by little she was fading away.

One day Obatalá, who is her father, visited her and understood her situation. He suggested that she go to Orunmila so that he could set things right. Oshún explained her fear: if Shangó saw her visit Orunmila, he would believe she was looking for something to harm him and would leave her, as he had done before. Obatalá fell silent and left worried.

Soon afterward Oshún fell gravely ill. Shangó had been absent from the home for days and knew nothing. When he learned that his daughter was in bed, Obatalá went quickly to Orunmila. Orunmila did the osode, saw this odu and indicated an ebbó for Obatalá’s daughter.

Obatalá obtained what was indicated and the ebbó was performed. When it was finished, Orunmila gave him instructions: he was to hand Oshún the rooster along with the hens, and ask her to spend the whole night sleeping next to the hens, so that they would pass warmth to one another. Then the hens were to be left with the rooster so that they would reproduce. Also, when Shangó came back to the house, Oshún would give him bee honey to eat on a plate and, while he ate, would sing a song dedicated to them.

When Shangó returned, it was done this way. With the song and the dance he was slowly enchanted, and it was he who proposed to Oshún that they do ofikale trupon, something she needed. At the end, Shangó assured her that he would always respect her.

The path also includes a prayer to Oshún for the moment of laying the hens down beside the person, and a procedure with the stones of Oshún and Shangó to sweeten Shangó. The prayer is among the songs and prayers of this path; the procedure is in the complete treatise.

What it teaches

Living under a partner’s abuse makes a person ill, and often the victim stays silent for fear of losing the home. Seeking help in time, with patience and tenderness, can bring peace and respect back to the relationship.

Oshún’s ebbó

Two hens, a calabash, bee honey, bed linen, a little earth from the river, a little earth from the house, cloth taken from her body and the hearts of two mated doves. The other ingredients and plenty of money are added.

Work with the hens and the honey

Oshún sleeps the whole night next to the hens, so that she and the birds give each other warmth. Then the hens are left with the rooster so they reproduce. When Shangó returns, she gives him bee honey to eat on a plate while she sings.

Prayer to Oshún when the hens are laid beside her

ADIFAFUN OSA ROSO OSHUN IYA MI IKOBOSI IYA NIWASI IYA NI YALODE OGUIODO ABALA ABE DEBA OMI MALE ADO EWE MI KIKIRISO KEDE TOSHE KUELE KUELE YEYE MORO.

What Oshún sang while Shangó ate the honey

Ari dale oñí ekó ayiloda, ekó dale Oshún ekó ayiloda

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

3The woman who fell ill from her husband’s mistreatment

There was a husband of rough character who treated his wife badly, both with insults and with aggression.

From so much suffering, she ended up ill.

From this event unhappiness in marriages was born.

What it teaches

Living under mistreatment, whether in words or in deeds, ends up making the sufferer ill. The path points to the origin of unhappiness in the home.

4The adodi take care of Obatalá when he is sick🔒 The Notebook 5The nail🔒 The Notebook 6When Osain made peace with Orunmila🔒 The Notebook 7Oshún, the only one who came back for Orunmila🔒 The Notebook 8Oyá disguises Shangó so that he receives the ashé of commerce🔒 The Notebook 9The goat that frightened the leopard and the ram that imitated him🔒 The Notebook 10Obatalá leaves the Guardian Angel in Orunmila's hands🔒 The Notebook 11Shangó teaches Orunmila to get out of need🔒 The Notebook 12The reading made for Alaguemo🔒 The Notebook 13Ifá promised prosperity to Eeka Alaje🔒 The Notebook 14The ram's testicles🔒 The Notebook 15The land of Eyigbo Meko🔒 The Notebook 16Agbo disrespected Oyá and Shangó🔒 The Notebook 17The ear and the mosquito🔒 The Notebook 18The ungrateful monkey ends up in chains🔒 The Notebook 19How Osa Adiro got free of the egun's slavery🔒 The Notebook 20The offering that won Azojuano's protection🔒 The Notebook 21The sorcerer and the wise man🔒 The Notebook 22The squirrel that made ebbó before the trip🔒 The Notebook 23The path of fire🔒 The Notebook

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 Roso in Spanish →

Frequently asked questions about Osa Roso

What does the Odù Osa Roso mean in Ifá?

Here it originated that Orunmila establishes the Guardian Angel: it makes no difference whether one lives in comfort or in tight quarters, and one must adapt in order to be happy.

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

Osa Roso is Odù number 156 of the 256 in Ifá, part of the Osa family.

Which orishas speak in Osa Roso?

In the Odù Osa Roso these orishas speak: Shangó, Oshún, Oyá, Obatalá, Orunmila, Eshu, Osain, Osun.

What is a proverb of the Odù Osa Roso?

One of the proverbs of Osa Roso says: «What you promise is a debt.».

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