Odù 232 of 256 · Oshe family

Oshé Níwo

The Odù that came down to Earth with Ozain: an Ifá of hypocrisy —those who seem one thing and are another— and of the three knives: godfather, Ogún and Awó.

Oshé Níwo is Odù number 232 of the 256 in Ifá, part of the Oshe family. This page brings together its prayer in Yoruba, 26 patakíes (3 with the full text), its proverbs, 11 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 232 of 256
Composition
Oshe over Ojuani
In the Diloggún
5-11 · Oshé tonti Ojuani
Orishas that speak
Ozain · Eshu · Shangó · Ogún · Elegbá · Los Ibeyi · Oshún · Egun

What Ifá says in this sign

Oshé Níwo — also called Oshé Juani — is the Odù Isalayé of Ozain: it came with him on his journey to Earth — that is why Ozain is received and the Awó is sworn into him. Its charge is against masks: here the great wickedness of those who seem one thing and are another was born — hypocrisy, lying and demagoguery that take on powers by pretending.

It is the Ifá of the three knives — one for the godfather, one for Ogún and one for the Awó — and of a painful war: the Awó's protecting guide falls out with his godfather, the godchild moves away — and when he has godchildren of his own, they will move away from him. Because of the religious tricks and the unfair dealing worked on him, Kuanaldo is received in order to reach the power — and if they do not invite you to a ceremony, do not go: do not put yourself to shame.

«The Devil disguised himself as a dog and the jutía saved the girl — Oshé Níwo unmasks whoever pretends to be what he is not.»The pulse of Oshé Níwo

Its fable is one of terror and rescue: the Devil disguised as a dog married the girl — and the jutía saved her by falling on him from the carob tree. From that come its household weapons: the jutía in her cage in the Awó's house, and washing down with carob herb, with its stick and a red ribbon behind the door — against the disguised, the humble allies.

Its love life calls for urgent order: whoever is going about with three women — one still with her husband — will have to hide or flee; the unmarried one has a dead one living with her who will not let her have a husband — oparaldo —; the married one, between lover and husband, is gambling her life. Promises made lightly to a partner are paid for later at a high price.

Its temper has two ways out: you want to know more than anyone and believe in nobody but yourself — for being disobedient, your spiritual guide leaves you: pay attention to your dreams — or you put yourself in order: because this odu promises greatly: if you are thrifty and organized, you become a millionaire. Do not turn your nose up at what you eat — like the Oshas with Obatalá's yam, you will need it again — and look after your house, since here they tried to kill Orunmila.

The sign in one line

Receive Ozain and your knife, put your love life in order and obey your dreams — Oshé Níwo becomes a millionaire when he trades the mask for saving.

The prayer of Oshé Níwo · Yoruba

Oshé Níwe Oshé Boro Níwe Owonrin Níwe Kokoroshe Ewo Oworin Kokore Biaye Eyele, Oshé Moweyo Owonrin Akakalaye Oba Yebi Inu Oni Omo Lala Awo Okuta Awó Lerí Okuta.

Súyere
Ewe Ayo, Ewe Ayo Ayewe Fun Fifun, Ewe Ayo.

Ifá says — what Oshé Níwo tells you

Proverbs of Oshé Níwo · Òwe

18 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 Níwo · 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 Níwo · The sacrifices that open the road

EspiritualEbbós of this Odù🔒 Babalawo
Vencer enemigosSecret of the jutía of the Devil and the woman🔒 Babalawo
La pérdidaTo lift a curse (shepe)🔒 Babalawo
SaludInshé Ozain so you are not poisoned🔒 Babalawo
Vencer enemigosTo see in your sleep what your enemies are doing🔒 Babalawo
Vencer enemigosWork for arayé and for trouble🔒 Babalawo
6 ebbós in this Odù, locked.Each full recipe: ingredients, preparation and where it goes. Written in Spanish for now.Unlock →

Works of Oshé Níwo · The workings of the sign

EspiritualDog to Shangó with Ozain and Eshu🔒 Babalawo
EspiritualThe agborán Aroní Bebekun Onifá🔒 Babalawo
AmorPrenda for happiness and steadiness with an obiní🔒 Babalawo
EspiritualEshu Ilaré and Eshu Ajá Toriniyo🔒 Babalawo
DineroDoves to Ogún and work to see in dreams🔒 Babalawo
5 works in this Odù, locked.Each full recipe: ingredients, preparation and where it goes. Written in Spanish for now.Unlock →

Patakíes of Oshé Níwo · The roads of the Odù

1The disobedient daughter joins with hunchbacked Elegbá

The daughter gave up her first love at her father's order, but she did not give up the second — who was Elegbá; when Elegbá came back lame and one-armed, she did not recognize him and did not want to take him back, but he reminded her of her oaths and she had no choice but to love him.

A father had a very disobedient daughter, who was seeing a young man and gave him up at her father's orders.

Before long another chance came along, and her father was against that one too. This time she paid him no attention. The man she was seeing was Elegbá, who told her that she belonged to him in body and soul.

Before long Elegbá went away, and when he came back he turned up lame and one-armed. She would not take him back because she did not recognize him. Then Elegbá reminded her of her oaths, and she had no choice but to love him.

2The girl who married the Devil

The good-looking young man who asked for work married the girl on the oath that she would not pry into his secret: every midnight he went out changed into a dog, because he was the Devil. The Awó marked her the ebbó at the foot of the carob, the jutía fell on the Devil, and with the afoshé of their heads the girl saw him and was saved.

Prayer: Oshe Ekue Olori Buruku Toy Apan Obini Eku Ebe Leri Omobini Awo Osheleu Adifafun Orunmila.

Ebbó: akukó, eyelé, jutía, idú, ataré, quail, guinea hen and wood pigeon, every kind of herb, opolopo owó.

In a far-off land there lived a married couple who had an unmarried daughter, and one day a good-looking young man came asking for work. The girl was drawn to him and asked her father to give him work; he told her: «You do not even know who he is or where he comes from.» The girl begged so hard that her father took him on. For a year they worked the land, and afterward the girl and the man married. Then he told her: «There is a secret in my life. Every day, at midnight, I have to go out. Do not trouble yourself to know my secret. Do you swear it to me?» She swore it, and they were living happily.

Every night, at twelve, the man went out, since he was the Devil, who disguised himself as a dog. The girl felt well with him, but that secret would not let her sleep, and she went to the house of Awó Oshé Lerí, the diviner of that land, who saw Oshé Níwe for her and told her that she was living with the Devil. He marked her ebbó and told her that, when he went out, she should go and throw the ebbó at the foot of a carob tree.

When she did it, she met a black dog who tried to attack her. But the jutía (ekú) was asleep in the carob, took fright and fell on top of the Devil, who was the dog, and he ran off. The jutía died, and the girl took her to Orunmila, who took her head, made afoshé of it, gave an eyelé to the jutía's lerí, and with the dove's head made afoshé with charcoal and prayed the sign over it, telling the girl: «Pass this over your head every day and you will see what you want to see.»

When she got home she did it, and saw that her husband was the Devil. He, on smelling the afoshé, fled; and so she was saved, thanks to Orunmila and to the jutía.

Note: the ashé of this sign is made with cinnamon, incense, rosemary, rue, basil, muna, marjoram, mint, sixteen ataré, yam, the heart and offal of a jutía, and the heads of a dove, a guinea hen, a quail and a wood pigeon. It is for the Awó of this sign to work with.

3The dog turned into the Devil

The jutía's son killed the dog's son, who was the Devil changed in shape when he married the girl; the dog took refuge in Odi Roso, and Abukuo was the Santo who killed him in that Odù.

The omó of the jutía killed the omó of the dog, who was the Devil changed in shape, when he married the girl. The dog took refuge in Odi Roso, and Abukuo was the Santo who killed him in that Odù.

4Elegbá, nicknamed «the foolish man»🔒 Babalawo
5Orula lived with his goddaughter🔒 Babalawo
6Awó Iron lives with a girl under age🔒 Babalawo
7The man and the old man of the bush🔒 Babalawo
8Awó Ayeni Ifá and the shadow that goes with him🔒 Babalawo
9Oshé Boro Níwe makes Ifá through the pull of his father's Egun🔒 Babalawo
10Oshé Make Awó, the shepe and the obé he received🔒 Babalawo
11The dog is beaten with clubs at the party🔒 Babalawo
12The dovecotes are born🔒 Babalawo
13Ozain eats dog for the first time🔒 Babalawo
14Ozain marries Inle Oguere🔒 Babalawo
15Obatalá's yam planting🔒 Babalawo
16The war of the guide and the godfather🔒 Babalawo
17The three friends🔒 Babalawo
18When the woman tried to poison her husband🔒 Babalawo
19We are all joined together in love🔒 Babalawo
20The twofold path of Ifá🔒 Babalawo
21The attempt on Ifa Adidemi🔒 Babalawo
22Good conduct saves🔒 Babalawo
23Reason and the quarrel🔒 Babalawo
24The jutía and the plum🔒 Babalawo
25The staff and the frog🔒 Babalawo
26The great moneylender🔒 Babalawo
23 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 Níwo in Spanish →

Frequently asked questions about Oshé Níwo

What does the Odù Oshé Níwo mean in Ifá?

The Odù that came down to Earth with Ozain: an Ifá of hypocrisy —those who seem one thing and are another— and of the three knives: godfather, Ogún and Awó.

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

Oshé Níwo is Odù number 232 of the 256 in Ifá, part of the Oshe family.

Which orishas speak in Oshé Níwo?

In the Odù Oshé Níwo these orishas speak: Ozain, Eshu, Shangó, Ogún, Elegbá, Los Ibeyi, Oshún, Egun.

What is a proverb of the Odù Oshé Níwo?

One of the proverbs of Oshé Níwo says: «He gets out of one only to fall into the other.».

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