Osa Woriwo

nº 154 of 256

The fortune that comes in through spiritual work: doing favors can cost you your life, and the tiger could not eat the goat — cunning over strength.

20 patakíes 4 eewó 11 ebbós and works 17 proverbs

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Osa Woriwo is Odù number 154 of the 256 in Ifá, part of the Osa family. This page brings together its prayer in Yoruba, 20 patakíes (3 with the full text), its proverbs, 11 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 154 of 256
Composition: Osa over Iwori
Orishas that speak: Orishaoko · Ode (Oshosi) · Oduduwa · Eshu · Obatalá · Shangó · Olokun · Egun

What Ifá says in this sign

Osa Woriwo is the Odù of exceptional good fortune: material success arrives through spiritual work — great luck is coming to you. But its coin has a reverse: here, doing favors can even cost you your life — and whoever arrives frightened at the mat after helping someone already knows why.

Its strategy was taught by the goat: the tiger could not eat him because he saw him chewing corn while saying «I eat stones» — cunning is worth more than strength. Take the gesture for yourself: chew grains of corn now and then, and when they ask what you are eating, answer like the goat. With two-faced enemies, be two-faced back — and not a single deal with the three people marked out.

«The tiger could not manage the goat who said he ate stones — the cunning of Osa Woriwo is worth more than strength.»The pulse of Osa Woriwo

A favor here is major surgery: you have terrible luck doing them — you get paid back badly —, two friends are your worst enemies (one wants to kill you), and your house belongs to everyone but you: do not take anyone in, because the guest in this odu pushes out the owner. But there is a blessed favor coming: do it — and make ebbó before the reward, so you are alive when it arrives.

Its births are great ones: Ayalua, Shangó's mother; Jakuta, the thunder that fights with stones; and the chain of life. And a cosmic humility: everyone wanted to be the Sky and nobody the Earth — Orishaoko took it on: receive him, because whoever accepts the work nobody wants inherits its power.

Look after your teeth, your circulation and the leg where a lame dead one sets his foot — attend to that spirit — and honor the gift Obatalá Oshalufon gave you at birth: speech. The debt you were going to pay will be settled by fate, and with Oshún and Shangó looked after: the great luck of Woriwo arrives — and arrives to stay

The sign in one line

Measure out your favors, chew your corn with a name for eating stones and receive Orishaoko — the exceptional fortune of Woriwo comes in through spiritual work.

The prayer of Osa Woriwo · Yoruba

Osa Iwori abiti eleyela nimiwa adifafun etu tinshomo olu bebe abo akuko lebo.

Súyere
Osa Wo iguro wo Awo aleyo atena soku.

Ifá says — what Osa Woriwo tells you

An Ifá of exceptional good fortune: material success through spiritual work — great luck is coming to you. An Ifá of dangerous favors: doing favors can cost you your life — you arrive frightened at the Awó's house, afraid of losing everything you have after doing favors. An Ifá of cunning over strength: like the goat who beat the tiger by chewing corn and saying he ate stones. The Ifá of the consecrated vulture: its sacred place was settled — «if we do not see the son, we cannot eat the vulture, because the son is in heaven». The Ifá of speech: Obatalá Oshalufon gives human beings the gift of speech from birth, and they develop it through the memory of their parents and of those around them.
This Odù has to be looked into carefully, and a great deal of ebbó made to get clear of death (Ikú).
In osobo: this person is walking steadily down the road of death — ebbó is made with three pieces of beef with four nails in each, taken to three different posts.
You cannot give anyone shelter in your house: they will make your life impossible and you can even lose it if you do not move in time — like the goat with the tiger.
Umbatileyó speaks: the prenda from the country.
Here the woman joins her enemies and they all pay her back badly: to be well she has to live deceiving the people she calls friends.
There is a one-legged spirit following you: that dead one is what gives trouble in one of your legs.
The illnesses of this Odù: trouble with the teeth, the circulatory system, the eyes, pain in the lower limbs and rheumatism.
The herbs of this Odù are: agracejo, almond and marjoram (belladonna).
Your house belongs to everyone but you.
Be loyal: cunning is worth more than strength.
You like doing people harm — not to cause their death, but to play tricks on them.
You are very lucky, and that is the reason you have so many enemies.
You have rather terrible luck doing favors: as a rule you get paid back badly.
You have two friends who are your worst enemies — and one of them wants to kill you.
Your wife is thinking of running off with another man who is your friend: make ebbó so your enemies do not beat you.
Treat your enemies with the same two-facedness they treat you with.
Chew grains of corn now and then, and when they ask what you are eating, answer: «I eat stones».
You are working for other people, and you are in partnership with someone who is rather idle.
You are the owner of your house, and the woman you have suits you.
You will do a favor you will be thanked for, but before you receive the reward, make ebbó — so you are not dead when it comes. You are a Babalawo, and the one you do the favor for is one too or will be, and is a child of Ode.
You borrowed money to pay back when you could: when you go to settle the account you will find out that person has died, and because of that you will have more money.
Look after Oshún and Shangó so the great luck comes to you.
You are due to be in a quarrel over something, and you will have a deal with three people: do not accept anything, or what happened to the goat with the tiger may happen to you.
Look after your sight and your teeth, and be careful of a fall.
You have to receive Ifá.

Proverbs of Osa Woriwo · Òwe

“A favor can cost you your life.”
“What is written in ink is hard work to rub out.”
“An Awó's knife will cut the throat of Orunmila's goat.”
“The vulture was consecrated by Olodumare.”
“If we do not see the message, we cannot eat the vulture.”
“Your house belongs to everyone but you.”
“Write on the mind and time will rub it out; write on the heart and it stays forever.”
“Better to be patient than to be brave.”
“A house with no voice in charge is a house with no owner.”
“A favor that puts your friend in danger is a favor from hell.”
“God gives everyone what they deserve.”
“There is no pain time does not comfort.”
“Better to master yourself than to conquer mountains.”
“Better to go pale once than red a hundred times.”
“A clever tiger cannot be devoured by a stupid one.”
“Everything that rises with pleasure falls with pain.”
“No castle in the air bears more fruit than a root in the ground.”

14 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 Woriwo · Ìbí

Ayalua, Shangó's mother.
Thunder.
It was represented by the sun divinity Jakuta — the one who throws or fights with stones —, guardian of public morals, who threw stones of fire whenever someone acted against Olordumare's wishes: before Shangó was born, there was already thunder and lightning.
The chain of life.
Plants live off the earth, animals off the plants and off each other, men off the animals and the plants — and in the end they all give themselves up to the Earth, which is the origin of them all and holds them up with their struggles and their troubles.
Why the Iyawó is struck with switches when Elegbara is made for them.
The Iyaloshas drove Elegba off with rascabarriga switches, since he would not let Osha be made for his wife the Iyalorisha.
Oduduwa Ore Oko: the hunchback.
That Obatalá Oshalufon gave human beings the gift of speech.
From birth: but the child develops it with the memory of its parents, not with Obatalá — children steal his memory.
That the vulture's sacred place in Ifá was settled.
It sacrificed kola nuts, a ram and 86,000 cowries, and Olodumare himself consumed its kola: nobody on Earth eats the vulture.
That the tiger could not eat the goat.
Cunning is worth more than strength: the goat chewed corn saying he ate stones.
That Olofin gave Orishaoko the moruro staff.
With the gourd of ashé on the handle, 8 colored ribbons and 8 colored shells: «with this you will reign on the Earth, because you are a child of Marikoto».

What is forbidden · Eewó

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

Do not give shelter to anyone in your house.
They will make your life impossible and you can even lose it if you do not act in time — like the he-goat with the tiger.
Do not carry or pamper children if you are an Awó of this sign, not even your own children.
They steal your memory and your power — and if you are omo Obatalá, even more.
Do not accept deals with three people.
So that what happened to the he-goat with the tiger does not happen to you.
Do not do favors without ebbó.
For one favor a life is lost.

Ebbós of Osa Woriwo · The sacrifices that open the road

Keeping death awayThe ebbó of the three posts🔒 The Notebook Beating enemiesThe ebbó of the apron🔒 The Notebook MoneyThe ebbó of the ceiba and the hill🔒 The Notebook Beating enemiesThe ebbó of the cat's claws🔒 The Notebook SpiritualThe ebbó of the oath in Ode🔒 The Notebook SpiritualThe ebbó of the rascabarriga switches🔒 The Notebook MoneyThe ebbó of the thunder🔒 The Notebook

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

Works of Osa Woriwo · The workings of the sign

Keeping death awayThe ram dressed in white🔒 The Notebook SpiritualThe special paraldo of the one-legged egun🔒 The Notebook HealthThe omiero of memory🔒 The Notebook SpiritualThe secret of Orishaoko's staff🔒 The Notebook

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

Patakíes of Osa Woriwo · The roads of the Odù

1The road where the tiger could not eat the goat

The tiger asked the goat for shelter, and the goat let him sleep on the porch: the next day he moved into the front room, then tried to take over the house, and looked at the goat with bad eyes. The goat, suspicious, went to Orunmila's house: an ebbó with an apron with two pockets — stones in one, toasted corn in the other —, chewing the corn and saying he ate stones. When the tiger invited him out for a walk so as to devour him, the goat began chewing: «I am eating stones», and offered him some. The tiger thought that if he ate stones he could eat him too: «wait for me here, I will be right back» — and he stayed in the bush and never came back. Cunning is worth more than strength.

The tiger came to the goat to ask for lodging, and the goat let him sleep on the porch. Morning came and he was already in the living room; then he wanted the whole house, and he spent hours staring at the goat with bad intentions. The goat noticed and lost his trust in him: he suspected that this guest was after harming him, and with that suspicion on him he went right away to see Orunmila.

Orunmila made osode for him, saw this Odù and marked ebbó with an apron with two pockets, one on each side: in one he would carry stones and in the other toasted corn. He had to walk around with the apron on and chew that corn now and then; if anyone asked what he was eating, he would answer that stones, and he would offer some right there.

It happened that one day the tiger got the bad idea of inviting the goat for a walk, meaning to eat him. The goat accepted, and once on the road he took out the corn and started chewing it. Seeing him chew, the tiger wanted to know what he was eating, and the goat answered: "I am eating stones", and offered him some. The tiger — who ate stones — did his math: if the goat ate stones, he could also eat him; so he asked him: "Please, do not go; wait for me here a moment, I will be right back." He left the goat there, stayed in the bush and never came back, and that is how he could not eat him.

2The road where everyone wanted to be the Sky

Nobody wanted to be the Earth — she gets spat on and stepped on — and everyone fought over the Sky. Only one accepted Aiyé, daughter of Olofin and home of the great spirit Inle Oguere Afokoyeri: "Babá, I accept being the owner of the Earth, and on it I will hold up all the plants, all the animals and all the men." It was Orishaoko. Grateful, Olofin handed him the moruro staff with the gourd of ashé, the 8 ribbons and the 8 shells, and promised him: "your children will be my children, you will be blessed and you will reign forever." Then he cleaned him with legumes, grains and fruit that ended up in a hole for Inle Oguere, with the song of Olofin and of Osa Moriwo (Orunmila), his secretary. That is how Orishaoko became odara and started to live on the Earth.

Everyone wanted to be the Sky and nobody the Earth, because the Earth gets spat on and stepped on. In the middle of that discontent there was only one who, seeing how his brothers were snubbing Aiyé (the Earth) — daughter of Olofin and home of the great spirit Inle Oguere Afokoyeri —, went to Olofin, who carried the representation of Oloddumare, and spoke to him like this: "Babá, I accept being the owner of the Earth, and on it I will hold up all the plants, all the animals and all the men." That one was Orishaoko. Olofin took the offer with gratitude and answered him: "From now on your children will be my children, and you will be blessed and you will reign forever, and your secrets will never leave the Earth."

Right away he took a moruro staff with a curved handle, fixed a gourd to the grip, dressed it with 8 ribbons and with 8 igbin (shells) of many colors, and handed it to him saying: "With this you will reign on the Earth, because you are the son of Marikoto, and everyone will always adore you; and when they make you offerings, they will have to paint the staff with dots of osun (red) and of efún (white)."

Then came the cleaning. Olofin passed over Orishaoko's body many legumes, many grains and fruit, plenty of corojo butter, jutía and smoked fish and toasted corn, and he handed all of that to Inle Oguere by throwing it into a hole. He cleaned him again, now with a young rooster and a dove, which also went to Inle Oguere Afokoyeri, while he and Osa Moriwo (Orunmila), his secretary, raised the song: "Orishaoko Ikú afefe aro ogodo gailotitigbaro agba ma agba ave Osha ara gege sarayeye…".

It was then that Orishaoko became odara and could start his life on the Earth. That is why this secret lives with Osa Moriwo and goes with Orishaoko in every fight that was born on the Earth because of envy, betrayal and cursing.

Note: the children of Orishaoko get this secret mounted, with the works that belong to the staff and to the child of Orishaoko himself. Once consecrated, the staff is seated next to Orishaoko.

3Why Osa Moriwo has to take the oath in Ode

Ode and his 7 sons were cold, because the owner of fire (iná) was Ekun, Shangó's favorite tiger, who would not give it to anyone. Ode sent his sons one by one — «erubami, I am afraid», said the eldest — and Ekun ate them all. Orunmila saw Osa Woriwo for him: «you have to have a secret to beat Ekun, and it is obe, the knife». Awo Ifá Yeku and Ogún gave him the oath in obe. Ode went singing to Ekun's house, did not go in when he was invited, waited outside, and in the fight opened his belly with the knife: his 7 sons came out, took the fire and left — but they came out mute, and he covered them with Ekun's abere and set them to guard the secret of fire. So Ode ruled that land, and ever since there have been mute men in the world.

Ode and his 7 children suffered from the cold: the iná — the fire — belonged to Ekun, the favorite of Shangó, and he did not share it with anyone. Ode then sent his oldest son to Ekun's house. The boy resisted: "Erubami, I am afraid." Even so his father made him go, and as soon as he got there, Ekun let him in and ate him. One after another the other children met the same end, until Ode said to himself: "I am going to see Orunmila."

Orunmila saw Osa Woriwo for him and warned him: "You have to have a secret so you can beat Ekun, and that is obe" — the knife.

Awo Ifá Yeku and Ogún swore him in obe, and Ode set out for Ekun's house singing: "Ode tani Awo Ifayoku teremina, orun niguaye teremina, wa iyaye Osaworiwo oñiña teremina, wa iyaye teremina obe loguede teremina".

He found the door closed and knocked. Ekun answered: "Come in." Ode refused to go in: he waited outside, and Ekun had to come out to eat him. There they got into the fight; Ode remembered the obe he was carrying and with that weapon he opened Ekun's belly. His 7 children came out from inside, took the iná and left. But they came out mute, and their father covered them with abere from Ekun and told them to guard the secret of the iná.

That is how Ode became the owner of that land. That is where the mute men in the world come from.

Note: a chain of 7 akofá with tiger skin is hung on Ode.

4Where Osa Woriwo receives Oduduwa and takes the oath in Orun🔒 The Notebook 5The road of the children🔒 The Notebook 6Where the children stole Obatalá's memory🔒 The Notebook 7Ifá was read for the vulture🔒 The Notebook 8The birth of striking the Iyawó with switches🔒 The Notebook 9The birth of thunder🔒 The Notebook 10The owner of the heads🔒 The Notebook 11The chain of life🔒 The Notebook 12When Olofin shared out everything of his🔒 The Notebook 13Why women cannot give to Eshu🔒 The Notebook 14The goat, the dog and the crocodile🔒 The Notebook 15The pimp🔒 The Notebook 16The reign of Osa Wo🔒 The Notebook 17The sorcerer's power of Otala Mobani🔒 The Notebook 18The unbelieving man🔒 The Notebook 19The limit of pleasure🔒 The Notebook 20The firefly and the sparrow🔒 The Notebook

17 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 Woriwo in Spanish →

Frequently asked questions about Osa Woriwo

What does the Odù Osa Woriwo mean in Ifá?

The fortune that comes in through spiritual work: doing favors can cost you your life, and the tiger could not eat the goat — cunning over strength.

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

Osa Woriwo is Odù number 154 of the 256 in Ifá, part of the Osa family.

Which orishas speak in Osa Woriwo?

In the Odù Osa Woriwo these orishas speak: Orishaoko, Ode (Oshosi), Oduduwa, Eshu, Obatalá, Shangó, Olokun, Egun.

What is a proverb of the Odù Osa Woriwo?

One of the proverbs of Osa Woriwo says: «A favor can cost you your life.».

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