Odù 240 of 256 · Oshe family

Oshé Bíle

The oracle of the coconut: the vain one Olofin cursed to roll on the ground serving before Elegbá — here «God willing» was born.

Oshé Bíle is Odù number 240 of the 256 in Ifá, part of the Oshe 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; the detail of iré and osogbo, the eewó and the full recipes open with the Babalawo plan — that locked part is still written in Spanish.

The sign at a glance

Order in Ifá
Odù 240 of 256
Composition
Oshe over Irete
Orishas that speak
Shangó · Elegbá · Olofin · Ogún · Odduduwa y Orunmila · Oshún · Egun

What Ifá says in this sign

Oshé Bíle is the Odù of the coconut oracle: here the Biawé was born, along with reading with obi and the pact that founded it: «Before you speak, you have to count on me, so that what you say can be seen and you never forget me again». And here two sayings were born that the whole world repeats without knowing where they came from: «God willing» and «Forgive me, my Father» — the words of the vain coconut Olofin cursed: white inside and black outside, rolling on the ground and serving in front of Elegbá.

Its owner is Shangó — who here is called Olufalá — and its teaching is that an inheritance is earned: Olofin hands out powers, but the secret is kept for the best one — like the inheritance of Adiatotó: the father only hands his power to the child who deserves it. Earn what is yours by deserving it, not by demanding it.

«White inside and black outside, the vain coconut rolls on the ground telling the truth — Oshé Bíle founded its oracle.»The pulse of Oshé Bíle

Its rule for living with others is blunt: join with someone to gain power — alone you are nobody — and do not repeat what Obi did to Oshé Bíle: you do not leave the partner who fought beside you for a night out, and you do not betray him out of greed — the coconut that betrayed ended up rotting, and that is why Elegbá is set in stone. This is the Ifá of the tiger and the cat: someone wants to take from you what is yours — they will not get it, if you do your part.

This person's mind needs a guide: he is light in his thinking — he does not weigh things before he acts, and that is why he fails: let yourself be guided; he tends not to do anything he is told and to doubt the word of Olofin, the way Obi doubted it. Watch out for a lie told against you and for a betrayal; there are three Santos you owe something to, and the woman whose womb is tied wins her war with ebbó.

The body speaks here: the lungs and choking are watched, the kidney infection is treated — and the good news comes in three: fortune is coming in money, in respect and in influence. Meet force with intelligence — Babá Doma beat Babá Dogun and Babá Dota — and learn from the obi every morning: the one who always tells the truth in front of Elegbá is never shamed.

The sign in one line

Join with someone, do not betray the partner who fought beside you, and think before you act — because the fortune of Oshé Bíle comes to the one who says «God willing» and then keeps his word.

The prayer of Oshé Bíle · Yoruba

Ayaun Royun Bemi Loma Tinshomo Okuni Orodan Oshe Bile Adawe Biawe Babadona, Orun Adiatoto Adafun Alakenta, Oshe Bile Adawe Biawe Babadona, Orun Adiatoto Adafun Alakisisi, Oshe Bile Adawe Biawe Babadona, Orun Adiatoto Adafun Alakentu Dada Omo Toyo Obi Atare Komalie Alakenta, Obi Atare Komalie Alakisisi, Obi Atare Komalie Alakentu Dada Omo Obi Libo Ala Ibo Obi Ifa Awo.

Súyere
Sotuto Torawa Yeye, Sotuto Torawa Yeye, Baba Dogun, Baba Doma, Baba Dota, Sotuto Torawa Yeye.

Ifá says — what Oshé Bíle tells you

Proverbs of Oshé Bíle · Òwe

10 proverb interpretations in this Odù, locked.Every proverb explained: which road it comes from and how it applies. Written in Spanish for now.Unlock →

Iré and Osogbo

8 iré and osogbo readings in this Odù, locked.The iré and osogbo of the sign, sorted by subject — health, money, love, death, loss… Written in Spanish for now.Unlock →

What is born in Oshé Bíle · Ìbí

What is forbidden · Eewó

8 eewó (taboos) in this Odù, locked.What the child of this sign must not eat, do or wear. Written in Spanish for now.Unlock →

Ebbós of Oshé Bíle · The sacrifices that open the road

La pérdidaEbbó of the inheritance (Adiatotó)🔒 Babalawo
EspiritualParaldo of Oshé Bíle🔒 Babalawo
Vencer enemigosEbbó of Babá Doma🔒 Babalawo
Vencer enemigosTo avoid trouble and fights🔒 Babalawo
SaludWorks with Ogún🔒 Babalawo
DineroThe dark soap of Oshé Bíle🔒 Babalawo
EspiritualWork with Elegbara (when this sign comes up over an Awó)🔒 Babalawo
7 ebbós in this Odù, locked.Each full recipe: ingredients, preparation and where it goes. Written in Spanish for now.Unlock →

Works of Oshé Bíle · The workings of the sign

EspiritualThe Treatise of the Biawé: reading with the coconut🔒 Babalawo
EspiritualEshu Alayé and Añakí🔒 Babalawo
EspiritualThe foot work with Shangó🔒 Babalawo
3 works in this Odù, locked.Each full recipe: ingredients, preparation and where it goes. Written in Spanish for now.Unlock →

Patakíes of Oshé Bíle · The roads of the Odù

1The oracle of the obi

Biawé taught only his son Adiatotó the secret of turning the coconuts; when he died, the foster sons stole the papers, but when the Government looked for the true owner, only Adiatotó could prove with the coconuts — which all fell Alafia — that the inheritance was his.

There was an Awó named Biawé who had a son named Adiatotó, and he had taught him his one secret, which was the way to turn the coconuts. But in Biawé's house there were more boys, who were all held to be brothers, and Adiatotó was the youngest.

As soon as Biawé died, the boys who were not his sons stole the papers where the secret was written down. So Adiatotó was left in hardship, until the Government needed to settle the truth and set out to find the owners. Many claimants turned up, but none of them could show the proof that was written in the deed, and the Government found itself having to announce it through its criers.

Adiatotó soon heard what they were looking for. When he came forward, they asked him for the proof, and since he alone had it, because his father had taught him, he said: «This is mine. I will go to the walls that divide the properties, and from there I will throw the coconuts. If they land face up, that is the proof my father taught me».

So, when he threw the coconuts, they all came out Alafia. Then the Government handed him the lands that were being taken from him.

2Adiatotó, the true son of Biawé

Biawé found the oracle of the obi through a revelation from his Guardian Angel and passed the secret to his son Adiatotó day by day; when he died, the half brothers divided up his goods, but before the Obá only Adiatotó could show the proof: he was named heir and gave the rest of his life to reading.

A Babalosha named Biawé had a son named Adiatotó, who was steady and had ashé. Biawé found the oracle of the obi and invented the reading with four pieces of coconut, through a revelation from his Guardian Angel, and gave himself to reading for a fee of $1.05, the 5 cents being for Elegbá, who had helped him find it and helped him read.

Biawé read without teaching anyone. One day, told that he should teach the oracle to his son with all the secrets of the Santo, he called him, and Adiatotó said: «I love my Osha». Biawé told him: «My son, the Santo spoke to me about you: he told me you will be a diviner». And he passed him the secret, day by day, during the readings. The others Biawé cared for as if they were his sons did not like this favoring.

Biawé died, and at his Ituto, Adiatotó's half brothers did not carry out the dead man's will and divided up the land, the animals, the house, the money and the clothes, leaving the true son in poverty. One day the Obá of the city heard about it and called in the ones who called themselves sons and asked them for proof. Only Adiatotó could give it.

So he was recognized as the true heir, his father's goods were given back to him, and he gave the rest of his life to reading.

3The story of Oshé Bíle (the secrets of Biamegbón)

The Awó Biamegbón shared out the five secrets of the coconut among his sons — Alafia, Oyekun, Eyeife, Etawé and Okana — keeping the last one for Adio Tootoó, the only one who never left him; when the father died, before the Obá and over his grave beside the wall, Adio Tootoó asked with the coconuts and every letter answered, handing him the inheritance by full right.

Prayer: Oshe Bile Ara Onu Roy Adifafun Tinshe Omo Okun Adio Adawe Biwegbon Orun Adiatoto Alakentu Otito.

Ebbó: earth from a wall, obi, ekú, epó, itaná, akukó, two yellow adié, opolopo owó.

In the city of Adio there lived an Awó named Biamegbón with his wife Jaga, and he had several sons: the first born he named Adio Tootoó (the oldest of Adio); the second, Adamegbón (the one who breaks the coconut); the third, Alakenta (the one who reads the coconut best); the fourth, Alakesí (the one who raises the most doubt in the coconut). In his house there also lived several foster children who said they were his sons.

This Awó had been given the ashé of Olordumare to be the owner of the secrets of the coconut and to read by them, and he placed the power of the Odù under his sons so they would serve him for divination. He gathered them one by one and handed each of them a secret: to the first, the greatest secret of the coconut, which he called Peace and Happiness, Alafia, with the power of Eyiogbe (the four white sides confirm the answer); to the second, the secret of the death of the coconut, which he called Oyekun, the dark sign, with the power of Oyekun Meyi (the four dark sides deny the answer); to the third, the secret of the fairness of the coconut, the balance of Meyife (two white and two dark confirm exactly what is true), with the power of six Odù: Iwori, Odi, Iroso, Ojuani, Oshé and Ofun; to the fourth, the secret of the vanity of the coconut, which deceives and therefore both saves and kills, which he called Etawé — to know whether it saves or kills you have to ask again — with the power of four Odù: Ogunda, Osa, Otura and Irete.

He kept the last secret for himself when he saw that all his blood sons except Adio Tootoó left for foreign lands as soon as they had learned. And he taught Adio Tootoó the last secret and all the emblems: «the only one that denies everything, Okana» (three dark and one white deny the question completely).

Years went by, and while Adio Tootoó was traveling in the city of Ekirun, his father died suddenly, and the foster children began to claim the inheritance, which was surrounded by a wall Biamegbón had raised to defend his property; at the foot of that wall he was buried. When the news reached Adio Tootoó, he set out for Adio and asked the Obá to serve as judge, since he had the secret to prove he was the lawful first born.

The Obá called the claimants together beside the wall. Adio Tootoó asked the supposed sons what proof they had, and they could not show anything. Then he took four coconuts from his apó and, turning to his father's grave, prayed: «If you really are Biamegbón resting there, answer me with the sign of death you taught me: the four dark ones». He threw, and everyone was amazed when the four dark ones fell. He prayed again: «Do you recognize these men who say they are your sons? If you do not recognize them, answer me with Okana, the flat no». He threw, and Okana fell, and the supposed sons were ruled out. He prayed once more: «Do you recognize me as Adio Tootoó, your beloved son? Answer me with Alafia, the emblem of who I am». And the four white ones fell. Then he asked whether he was the lawful owner of the inheritance, asking for the sign of fairness, Meyife, and two dark and two white fell: they handed him the inheritance by full right.

Last of all he asked whether his brothers would come back one day to claim their share, and Etawé came out; he asked again and Etawé came out again, confirming that they might. And so it happened: years later they came to make their claim, each one wanting to be the eldest, but the power of Adio Tootoó stood firm through Alafia, which is the greatest of them all.

4The vain obi, cursed by Olofin🔒 Babalawo
5The obi serves to stand for Elegbá🔒 Babalawo
6Shangó made his Elegbá🔒 Babalawo
7Ogún and the use of weapons🔒 Babalawo
8The pact between Obi and Oshé Bíle🔒 Babalawo
9Orunmila climbs up to Heaven🔒 Babalawo
10The loneliness of Obi and Oshé Bíle🔒 Babalawo
11The eyes, the nose and the head of the obi speak (the perfumes)🔒 Babalawo
12The wild dove always raises her young🔒 Babalawo
13The skill of Oshé Bíle🔒 Babalawo
14The sinkhole and the three brothers🔒 Babalawo
15Elegbá saved Babá Doma from the arayé🔒 Babalawo
16The dark soap of Oshé Bíle🔒 Babalawo
17Respect for the word of the rooster🔒 Babalawo
18His command founds a village🔒 Babalawo
19Wisdom and ignorance🔒 Babalawo
20Good sense and foolishness🔒 Babalawo
21Cruelty🔒 Babalawo
22The cattleman and the dogs🔒 Babalawo
23Greed and sharpness🔒 Babalawo
20 more patakíes in this Odù, locked.Read every road in full with the Babalawo plan. Written in Spanish for now.Unlock →
Before you subscribe: everything you read on this page is in English, but the locked part of the treatise — the full text of the other patakíes, the recipes for the ebbós and works, the iré and osogbo readings and the eewó — is still written in Spanish. We are translating it. · This page is also available in Spanish: See Oshé Bíle in Spanish →

Frequently asked questions about Oshé Bíle

What does the Odù Oshé Bíle mean in Ifá?

The oracle of the coconut: the vain one Olofin cursed to roll on the ground serving before Elegbá — here «God willing» was born.

What number is Oshé Bíle among the 256 Odù of Ifá?

Oshé Bíle is Odù number 240 of the 256 in Ifá, part of the Oshe family.

Which orishas speak in Oshé Bíle?

In the Odù Oshé Bíle these orishas speak: Shangó, Elegbá, Olofin, Ogún, Odduduwa y Orunmila, Oshún, Egun.

What is a proverb of the Odù Oshé Bíle?

One of the proverbs of Oshé Bíle says: «When you choose the road well, you get to the goal well.».

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