Odù 234 of 256 · Oshe family

Oshé Polokána

The need for a companion: the Mamuraye is born, which beats Ikú — look down on nobody, because the humblest one gets you out of trouble.

Oshé Polokána is Odù number 234 of the 256 in Ifá, part of the Oshe family. This page brings together its prayer in Yoruba, 17 patakíes (3 with the full text), its proverbs, 8 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 234 of 256
Composition: Oshe over Okana
In the Diloggún: 5-1 · Oshé tonti Okana
Orishas that speak: Obatalá · Ogún · Orunmila · Eshu · Egun · Olofin

What Ifá says in this sign

Oshé Polokána — also called Oshé Kána — teaches that even for business you need to be steady in your feelings: you need a companion in life — do not throw yourself at the easy life. Here the Mamuraye is born — the goat's teats set over Ifá, which are eaten to beat Ikú — and Jesus, Mary and Joseph speak, the three children of Oshalofun.

Its hero is the crippled man: he seemed useless, and with the trap of the ebbó he filled Obatalá's room with parrots — appearances deceive: look down on nobody, because the humblest one can get you out of trouble. The other side of the coin: your three enemies also come dressed up as something good — the one with the beaked mouth, the one with the hairy chest and the one whose body stinks: the elephant, the monkey and the camel.

«The crippled man who seemed useless filled Obatalá's room with parrots — in Oshé Polokána appearances deceive both ways.»The pulse of Oshé Polokána

Its social sore is the mother gone astray: more woman than mother — she attends to the parties, the work and her conquests, and not to her children: that neglect turns into a deadly end for them. When this Odù comes up for a sick child you move fast: doctor and Osha at the same time, goat's milk, and their Ikofafún or Awofakán to save them.

Its timings and its bodies: the result of the works is seen after seven days — and you like everything fast: things have their own time. The woman watches her breasts — injuries, tumors and what is hidden coming out into the open — and commitments taken on are kept, because the public humiliation in this odu marks you forever. The relic of Ozain you have is no good for you: Obatalá is behind it.

Its promise is one of effort rewarded: with your own effort and the wish to be useful you make great gains — do not let yourself be beaten by what your body or your schooling cannot do, since the crippled man got further than the sound ones. Change the partner who does not help you, look after the dog you have — he untangles the chain of the orugbó — and sacrifice in love: you are unlucky in it, but sacrifice wins it — the only thing holding you back is your habit of disobeying.

The sign in one line

Find yourself a companion, attend to your children before the parties and wait the seven days of the work — the humble one of Oshé Polokána wins where the strong one fails.

The prayer of Oshé Polokána · Yoruba

Oshe Karan Lodafun Baba Yelede Orunmila Lobe Owo Medilogun Omoni Tela Ifa Lodo Orisha Omo Meta Obatala Oshalofun, Oshagriñan, Oshanla, Awire Ayaguna Oun Guibanu Lodafun Tinshola Olordumare Wewe Mamuraye.

Súyere
Mamuraye Iku Mapo Senda Eure Mamuraye.

Ifá says — what Oshé Polokána tells you

The Ifá of the Mamuraye: the goat's teats are set over Ifá and the tureen is covered; they stand for Ikú by the Devil's curse, and that is why they are eaten, to beat Ikú. The Ifá of the woman gone astray: more woman than mother. The Ifá where at the Atefá nothing is spoken until another euré is given to Orunmila, and this is done quickly. The Ifá of appearances that deceive: the crippled man who seemed useless filled Obatalá's room with parrots. The Ifá of the need for a companion in life.
You need a companion in life: do not throw yourself at the easy life.
When this Odù comes up for a sick child, you have to move fast: treat them with the doctor and with Osha, give them goat's milk and hand them Ikofafún or Awofakán to save them.
The result of the works is seen after seven days.
You have three enemies: one has a beaked mouth, another a hairy chest and the third one's body stinks (the elephant, the monkey and the camel); they will come to you as something good.
You have done favors and nobody thanks you for them; you carry a sorrow you have told nobody about.
You like things done for you fast, and things have their own time.
The women go astray: they do not attend to their children and attend only to the parties, the work and their new conquests.
The woman suffers injuries to her breasts, breast cancer and illnesses of the armpits: hidden illnesses that come out into the open; the man loses his head over a woman's breasts.
You can be lamed in your limbs; through commitments taken on and not kept you suffer public humiliation and can be left maimed as a public example.
The mother's neglect and lack of care turn into a deadly end for the children.
They do not help you in the business and you have to change partner; the business is left unfinished for lack of steadiness in your feelings.
With your own effort and the wish to be useful you make great gains: you cannot let yourself be beaten by what your body or your schooling cannot do.
You are unlucky in love, but by making sacrifices you can win it, although you are given to not doing what you are told.
You have success over your enemies if you make the sacrifices marked; you can end up in prison.
You have a relic of Ozain and it is no good for you: Obatalá is behind it.
The goat (euré) gone astray speaks, her teats and her milk: the Mamuraye.
The crippled man speaks, who with the trap of the ebbó caught the flock of parrots: appearances deceive.
The parrots (aikordié) and their feathers speak, Obatalá's trade.
The dog speaks who untangles the chain of the orugbó: the dog you keep has to be well looked after.
The eweses of this Odù are: flor azul, borage, breadfruit and ateje — all of them soothing, tied to tumors and to blood in a bad state; note how much their fruits look like a woman's breasts.

Proverbs of Oshé Polokána · Òwe

“Appearances deceive.”
“More woman than mother.”
“A friend of three days is not shown everything.”
“For everything there is a season, and everything wanted under Heaven has its time.”
“The woman who goes out to meet you dressed as a harlot cannot keep her feet at home: her house is the road to the grave.”
“I do not like it, you do not like it.”
“Poverty walked on its own account.”
“The evidence accuses, the proofs confirm.”
“Out of traps and accidents, death is born.”
“Whoever is capable demands capability.”
“Secret sorrows weigh us down and public ones kill us.”
“Selfish wishes are the worst enemies of the law.”
“When a mother ill-treats a child, a terrible cry splits the sky in two.”
“Whoever disobeys Olorun is punished with interest.”
“Rule by the just is gladness; rule by the wicked is suffering.”

15 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

7 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 Polokána · Ìbí

The Mamuraye.
The goat's teats cut off by Ogún, which are given to everyone to taste and are set over Ifá: the ceremony of Itá Somá to beat Ikú.
That at the Atefá nothing is spoken until another euré is given to Orunmila.
The goat's teats were set over Ifá and covered (it stuck).
That Jesus, Mary and Joseph speak.
The three children of Obatalá Oshalofun, who died of hunger through the goat's unreliability.
The speaking of the crippled or lamed man.
Obatalá's crippled slave, with his effort and his wish to be useful, caught the parrots and won his freedom.
The speaking of breast cancer.
The teats of the goat gone astray grew until they dragged on the floor and fell ill: hidden illnesses that come out into the open.

What is forbidden · Eewó

5 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 Polokána · The sacrifices that open the road

Alejar la muerteEbbó of the Mamuraye🔒 Babalawo

Vencer enemigosEbbó against the arayé🔒 Babalawo

AmorEbbó of the one unlucky in love🔒 Babalawo

DineroEbbó of the crippled man🔒 Babalawo

AmorTo bind the woman🔒 Babalawo

5 ebbós in this Odù, locked.Each full recipe: ingredients, preparation and where it goes. Written in Spanish for now.Unlock →

Works of Oshé Polokána · The workings of the sign

EspiritualEshu Ajimú (Ajanú)🔒 Babalawo

EspiritualObatalá Oshagriñán🔒 Babalawo

EspiritualObatalá Oshalufón🔒 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 Polokána · The roads of the Odù

1Mamuraye

The euré raised by Obatalá Oshagriñán lived a loose life and abandoned her three children; Olofin sent Ogún to cut off her teats in public and give them to everyone to taste, as an example against mothers going astray: the Mamuraye is born.

Ebbó: euré to Ogún, ekú, eyá, epó, owó. Suyere: «Mamuraye Iku Mapo Sendaure Mamuraye».

At one time, Obatalá Oshagriñán had raised a euré, but she lived a loose life of drink, parties and pleasure. She had three children whom she had left with Obatalá, who worked out in the street and, after coming home from work, set about making the food and looking after the euré's children, since she did not bother with them.

The talk went so far that Olofin heard of it and sent Ogún so the euré would get what she deserved. Olofin told Ogún to state in public that he would cut off her teats. When Ogún reached the park, he took hold of the euré and, after letting the public know that he was carrying out an order of Olofin's — and that it would also serve as an example to the other eurés gone astray, to put an end to the loose life they were living —, he cut off her teats and gave them to each and every one present to taste, letting them know the reason.

Notes: the goat's teats are kept over Ifá and afterward the tureen is covered (he may go to prison). Here there are women gone astray, who do not attend to their children and attend only to the parties, the work and their new conquests. The goat's teats stand for Ikú by the Devil's curse; that is why they are eaten, to beat Ikú (it stands for illnesses of the armpits, the legs, the throat, and heart attack).

2The euré falls ill in her teats

The goat was ungrateful to Obatalá, who wanted to set her rules so her milk would be better, and she threw herself at the loose life; her teats grew until they dragged on the floor and fell ill, and everybody milked her.

The goat was ungrateful to Obatalá, since he wanted to set her rules so her milk would be better, and she threw herself at the loose life. Her teats grew so much that they dragged on the floor and fell ill. Everybody milked her.

Notes: it speaks of cancer in the breasts, hidden illnesses that come out into the open. The man is fascinated by a woman's breasts. Work: give rogation to Obatalá with a gourd of raw milk or of euré's milk.

3The goat's children were left without milk

Obatalá, ill and with no milk, begged the goat to nurse her three children; the goat, flirtatious and out for fun, never kept her word, and Obatalá's children died of hunger: Ogún killed the goat and cut off her teats, so her children would have no milk either.

This Ifá says there was a town where a lady lived (Obatalá) who had three children, but, through an illness, her breasts gave no milk and she had to watch her children go hungry, dying because she could not feed them.

One day when Obatalá was walking along a street, in despair and anguish, she saw how a goat was nursing her own kids. She went up to her, told her of her great suffering and asked her the favor of nursing her children so they would not die of hunger. The goat told her to go home, that she would come later. But since the goat was very flirtatious and out for fun, she spent her days flirting and showing off her looks with the different he-goats, and there was never time enough to keep her promises. The days passed, and Obatalá's children died of hunger.

Then Obatalá, seeing the goat's unreliability, sent for Ogún and told him: «I would like you to bring me the goat.» When Ogún turned up with her, Obatalá said: «Through your unreliability my children have died, and as punishment I sentence you!» And she ordered Ogún: «Kill the goat and cut off her teats, so her children have no milk either.» Ogún killed the goat and cut off her teats.

Note: Obatalá ordered that her teats be taken for the ceremony of Itá Somá (Mamuraye). On this road, when Obatalá defends someone, a glass of goat's milk has to be set before her.

4Oshalofun and his three omó: Jesus, Mary and Joseph🔒 Babalawo

5The crippled man🔒 Babalawo

6The one unlucky in love🔒 Babalawo

7Oshé Kána sacrificed against the arayé🔒 Babalawo

8The elephant, the monkey and the camel🔒 Babalawo

9The oak and the cane🔒 Babalawo

10The man and the cat🔒 Babalawo

11The crow and the snake🔒 Babalawo

12The blind man and the trader🔒 Babalawo

13The rain, the grass and the goat🔒 Babalawo

14Vice wipes out reason🔒 Babalawo

15Greed and love🔒 Babalawo

16The orirún🔒 Babalawo

17The trap of the tricksters🔒 Babalawo

14 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 Polokána in Spanish →

Frequently asked questions about Oshé Polokána

What does the Odù Oshé Polokána mean in Ifá?

The need for a companion: the Mamuraye is born, which beats Ikú — look down on nobody, because the humblest one gets you out of trouble.

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

Oshé Polokána is Odù number 234 of the 256 in Ifá, part of the Oshe family.

Which orishas speak in Oshé Polokána?

In the Odù Oshé Polokána these orishas speak: Obatalá, Ogún, Orunmila, Eshu, Egun, Olofin.

What is a proverb of the Odù Oshé Polokána?

One of the proverbs of Oshé Polokána says: «Appearances deceive.».

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