Otura Di

Also called Otura Diablo

nº 200 of 256 · Edited by Ricco Ledesma

Where Elegbara was born, the owner of the will, and the Ibeyis beat the Devil with their little drums: do not betray the secrets people trust you with.

19 patakíes 6 eewó 7 ebbós and works 14 proverbs

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Otura Di is Odù number 200 of the 256 in Ifá, part of the Otura family. It is also written as Otura Diablo. This page brings together its prayer in Yoruba, 19 patakíes (3 in full in plain sight, with their teaching, ebbó and chants), its proverbs, 7 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 200 of 256
Composition: Otura over Odi
Orishas that speak: Elegbara (Eshu Arunika) · The Ibeyis (the twins) · Shangó · Yemayá · Oshánla / Obatalá · Osain · Abita · Oduduwa · Oshún · Egun

What Ifá says in this sign

Otura Di, also known as Otura Diablo, is the sign of will and of secrets. Here is born Elegbara, owner of the will, and here the Ibeyis, small as they were, defeated the Devil by taking turns playing the drum for him until he was worn out. Also born here are Shangó becoming the owner of batá music, which Yemayá obtained for him, and the spear killing the elephant. Whoever consults with this sign knows as much as the awó who reads it, but its ruling is a warning: in this sign secrets are betrayed, and the man hands over what he knows in exchange for a woman's body.

Watch what you tell. A sworn secret that leaves your mouth ends up on everyone's lips and can ruin you, and whoever confides their power to the one who seduces them loses their post, their position and their honor. A woman may bring you great shame and turn your life for the worse, and after that shame the idea of taking your own life may come to you. If that happens to you, do not stay alone: talk about it with someone you trust, look for a doctor or a professional who can help you, and make the ebbó and the Ifá that the sign marks. Receive Oduduwa, who puts a brake on your impulses.

«The Ibeyis defeated the Devil with two little drums: the war of Otura Di is won with a small celebration, not with force.»The pulse of Otura Di

In love you have great charm and luck, and many women want to bind you to keep you for sure; let your will remain your own. The woman of this sign may give herself without love to a man for the good or the whims of her children. At home there is war between parents and children, and the children do not appreciate what was done for them; if they come back repentant, forgive them. One of your children has sores or pimples on the body, and another, a boy, was born to be a diviner and will have to make Ifá. An Egun who believes he owns the house wants to finish off those who live in it: have a mass said for him so that he takes a good path.

In work and money, you have a lot of luck, but you harm yourself. Everything that is yours costs you, and each time you go to a certain place you meet obstacles; sometimes the obstacle is you. Make ebbó so that you do not say one thing for another and end up in trouble with the law. Do not dance, for because of dancing you could end up in jail and people mock you; do not go to the parties you are invited to, do not drink and do not stare at people.

In health, take care of your kidneys, your heart, your circulation, your eyesight, your prostate and your skin. Do not eat spicy or salty food, because they upset your blood, and do not make long physical efforts, which change your heart rhythm. Avoid upsets, which can make you bleed from the mouth or when you move your bowels. Be very clean in your person: Orunmila does not like dirt or bad smells. Make the saint, receive Orunmila, fulfill your duty to Shangó and Obatalá, and only by making Ifá do your health and your finances improve.

The sign in one line

Keep the secrets that are entrusted to you, put drums for the Twins and receive Oduduwa. Will was born in Otura Di and no one should tie it down.

The prayer of Otura Di · Yoruba

Otura Di Adifafún Elegbá Abeyalini Inlé Omode Osanyín Abeyebe Awó Iyá Ni Oshún Mowani Elegbá Un Bowasiye Awó Ifá Moyare Osanyín Ayapa Lorúbbo Bawo Omó Osanyín Eshú Bi Pelu Eyeni Merin Omí Timo Ri Lowani Ilé Dide Ilaya Ninaku Baba Ni Ashó Loddafún Osanyín.

Súyere
Emiso obalube alakoso monijere meye.

Ifá says — what Otura Di tells you

Ailments: conditions of the prostate (prostatitis, prostatism), skin eruptions, disorders of the eyesight and of the circulatory system, and problems of the heart and the kidneys.
The person neglects personal hygiene and does not know that Orunmila does not tolerate bad odor or filth.
If osobo comes out when a sick person is consulted, the person may die within seven days; the Awó asks Orunmila whether he permits him to intervene and, afterward, offers a black dove to Abita.
Spicy food stirs up your blood.
Prolonged physical exertion is forbidden, since it alters the heart rhythm.
The children may suffer skin conditions, with outbreaks on the skin; they will have to make ebbó.
The person will wear a pearl necklace carrying a jet stone and a cross made of ox horn.
When this Odù comes osobo, 3 oparaldos must be done.
With this Odù the person can set up their saint, and only by receiving Ifá will they be able to improve their health and finances.
The herbs of the sign: guacamaya francesa, moruro, yam, colonia, panetela, orozús, cinnamon, verbena and wormseed.
You have many children, and one has sores or pimples on the body: make ebbó for him.
That you must not dance, since dancing may land you in jail and, when you dance, people laugh at you; never tie up a drum and never mock anyone.
You want to go to a place and every time you go you run into an obstacle: be careful, do not tie yourself up.
Make ebbó so that you do not say one thing for another and find yourself in trouble with the law.
That you have a son who will have to receive Ifá, since he was born to be a diviner.
That you have great power of suggestion in love, and many women want to bind you in order to keep you for themselves.
You have a struggle, and to win it you must hold a small celebration and give two drums to the Twins.
That for 7 days there will be heavy rain and thunder: when you hear the thunder, give thanks, but do not be frightened.
Do not drink alcohol or go to any party or dance you are invited to.
That you should avoid upsets, so as not to bring up blood through the mouth or with diarrhea.
That your mother gave you advice and you did not heed it.
That you trust in only one saint and you must respect all of them.
That you must not sit on a chair in the sun or on any stone.
Do not insist on reaching things placed up high, because they may fall on you and break your head.
That a deceased person is waiting for something that you must do for him; offer him food at the door of your house.
That, because of a woman, your life may take an unfavorable course and you may suffer such great shame that you feel like ending your life. If you come to think about that, talk to someone you trust, seek help and do not stay alone.

Proverbs of Otura Di · Òwe

“When the cat is out, the mouse throws a party.”
“Everyone crowds around the man on his feet; nobody knows the man who has fallen.”
“When a secret is sworn, your life is staked on it.”
“A child's ingratitude toward his parents is sentenced by Olodumare.”
“Measured words are honor; unmeasured words are shamelessness.”
“The hawk who steals a chick makes sure of his own death.”
“You taste the chocolate; you do not taste the person being read.”
“A good name draws other people's trust.”
“Good children make us proud; bad ones make us ashamed.”
“Whoever believes does not die; whoever does not believe is already dead.”
“Our acts are the wings of the soul or the chains of the body.”
“A faithful messenger is a lord's best guarantee.”
“Let there be too much rather than too little, if somebody else is paying.”
“Whoever boasts of giving and does not give is cloud and wind without rain.”

11 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

Elegbara, the owner of the will, is born here, and the person counts on his strength.
When this sign comes out in a consultation, the person knows as much as the awó who reads for them.
If they receive Oduduwa, they gain a brake on their impulses.

Osogbo · what the sign warns

The secrets the person placed in someone's hands are betrayed, and trusting someone with a secret can cost them dearly.
The man hands over his secrets for a woman's body, and with them he loses his position and his post and is left ashamed.
Because of a woman, the course of his life changes for the worse.

44 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 Otura Di · Ìbí

Elegbara, the owner of the will.
That the Ibeyis beat the Devil.
Taking turns hiding with the little drums, they made him dance until he was exhausted, and wrung from him the promise to remove the trap from the road.
That Shangó is the owner of the batá drums.
With the help of Yemayá and the trap of Elegba's corojo, Oshánla had to give up the drums to him.
That the spear kills the elephant.
Obatalá sentenced him when the elephant broke the oath of secrecy, and ever since its tusks are placed for Obatalá in the temple.

What is forbidden · Eewó

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

Do not eat spicy food, or food that is very salty or very hot, and do not eat yam or mamey.
Spicy food stirs up your blood.
Do not dance and do not go to dances or parties you are invited to.
Dancing may land you in jail, and besides, people make fun of you.
Never tie any drum.
Do not stare at other people.
To avoid problems: you must not fix your gaze on another person.
Do not make long physical efforts.
They alter your heart rhythm.
Do not reveal the secrets that people place in your hands.
When a pact of secrecy is sealed, one's life is put at stake.

Ebbós of Otura Di · The sacrifices that open the road

Overcoming enemiesThe ebbó of the owner of the will🔒 The Notebook HealthEbbós for the illness🔒 The Notebook LoveThe ebbó of Mayesi🔒 The Notebook Overcoming enemiesThe ebbó of the closed roads🔒 The Notebook

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

Works of Otura Di · The workings of the sign

Overcoming enemiesWhen the person has been worked on with Abita🔒 The Notebook SpiritualThe three oparaldos for the osobo🔒 The Notebook Overcoming enemiesThe prenda Ayina Bembe Kigoshe🔒 The Notebook

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

Patakíes of Otura Di · The roads of the Odù

1The Twins with the Drum Who Wore Out the Devil

A Devil had settled in the middle of a crossroads. There he dug a hidden pit: everyone who crossed fell in and the Devil devoured them. Fear reigned in the town, because those who went from one place to another disappeared and nothing more was ever heard of them.

In that place there were two very young twins, who spent their days playing a small drum. With that sound they called each other. One morning they told their mother that they were going to try their luck, and they left together. On the way, one hid and the other reached the crossroads alone, where the Devil was waiting. The Devil, seeing such a small boy, wanted to send him back home and told him he would not cross. But the boy did not give in. Then the Devil proposed a deal: “If you really want to cross, let me play your drum; I want to make it sound like you.” The twin agreed and gave it to him.

The Devil played once. The boy pretended he had not heard well and asked him to repeat. He played again, and again the boy asked for one more beat, saying it would come out better. By the third time, the Devil still could not get the same sound. At that moment the twin got his drum back and with it called his hidden brother. Once they were together, they set up a relay. The second twin took the big drum that belonged to the Devil and began to play so that the Devil would dance. While one played, the other rested, and they took turns until the Devil, with no strength left, could not keep dancing. The boys kept going without stopping, until one of them asked him what was wrong. The Devil promised to grant him any wish if he would stop playing.

The twin took the chance and demanded that the trap at that crossroads be removed, so that everyone could pass. The Devil kept his word, and from then on the crossroads stayed open to all.

What it teaches

When strength is not enough against an enemy, cleverness and working as a pair, in turns, can wear him out. The powerful one who is overconfident ends up giving up what he once blocked.

2Elegba, Osain and Beyebe Awó Swear to Share Their Secrets

Elegba traveled the world and took pleasure in every town he came to know. He arrived with the night, left before sunrise, and in each place he left a different secret, so that people were bound to him without realizing it.

Everywhere they praised him and served him food on the ground, but he made himself invisible and took it away. One day he reflected that he still did not know the land of Abeyalini Inle.

In that land lived Osain with his son Beyebe Awó, whom he had consecrated in Ifá. The young man governed the place with his father's knowledge, although he felt that something was still missing; Osain insisted that he had one more thing to learn. Because no one there cared for Elegba or for Ifá, the inhabitants lived uneasy and unsettled, and Osain had lost control.

Beyebe Awó spoke with his father: he planned to call on Elegba at midnight, when there would be some stillness, because otherwise they would lose all authority over that land.

He gathered a small goat, three young chickens and a turtle, and went to wait at the gate of the town. He spoke a prayer to call Elegba. When Elegba appeared, Beyebe Awó offered him the food and sang a song in his honor. Elegba was delighted, since nowhere before had he been received like this.

After the feast, well into the early morning, Elegba went with Beyebe Awó to Osain's house. Osain kept the shell of a turtle with honey and palm oil, and served it to Elegba, who was happy with both of them. Father and son then explained to him what was happening.

Elegba told Osain that the problem came from never having used a stone (otá). Since no one knew they were there, he proposed to prepare a stone and a powder (afoshé) from several elements. Osain contributed the plants he knew.

Elegba and Osain withdrew, and each tasted a small portion of the mixture; in this way they gained a strength greater than any other. Then they invited Beyebe Awó to eat of the same, and under the ceiba tree the three swore to share what they knew.

They buried one part of the secret. The other, turned to powder, they scattered over Abeyalini. Elegba visited every house and passed the powder over the head of every inhabitant. In this way Beyebe Awó and Osain came out victorious.

What it teaches

When a land stops looking after Elegba and Ifá, it loses its order and its authority. An offering made in time, and the oath of the three to share their secrets, bring back control, and it reaches every inhabitant.

The ebbó of the story

One small goat, three large young chickens, one turtle, many sticks, the rest of the ingredients of the ebbó, and plenty of money. Beyebe Awó offered it to Elegba at midnight, at the entrance of the town.

Other offerings of this path

Elegba is given a dove, together with Oké, the messenger of Obatalá. If the purpose is war, the offering is a turtle, beside the ceiba tree. On this path a hen is also given to Oshún, who is the mother of Beyebe Awó.

Inshé to dominate

This path has an inshé for gaining control. Its preparation is not given in this public section.

Prayer that opens this path

Otura Di Adifafún Elegbá Abeyalini Inlé Omode Osanyín Beyebe Awó Iyá Ni Oshún Mowani Elegbá Umbo Wasiye Awó Ifá Moyare Osanyín Ayapa Lorúbbo Bawo Omó Osanyín Eshú Ti Pelu Eyeni Merin Emitimo Ni Lo Woni Ilé Dide Ilaya Ni Naku Baba Ni Ashé Loddafún Osanyín.

What Beyebe Awó prayed at the entrance of the town to call Elegba

Eshú Beleke Alaroye Mowa Eni Elegbá Obara Kikeño Eshú Beleke Elegbá Umbo Obara Mi Alado Mobati Elegbá Awó Ifá

What Beyebe Awó sang when Elegba appeared

Eshú Beleke Ifá Laroye Ala Laroye Ifá Laye Elegbá

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

3Mayesi Pleads with Orunmila for His Father

In Iyebu, a town, Mayesi was growing up, the son of a highly respected babalawo. From early childhood he had a special gift, and at a very young age he already behaved like an adult.

One afternoon his father ran into difficulty during a consultation. Mayesi, who was playing in the yard, noticed the problem and spoke to him: in the gourd of water he could see that his father was stuck with the client, who was a son of Shangó. He told him not to charge the man and to give him four mamey fruits from the tree in the yard, but on the condition that the visitor himself bring them down.

The babalawo paid no attention, and the son of Shangó left. Seven days later he came back to complain, because nothing of what had been announced to him had come true.

Only then did the babalawo remember what the boy had said. Even so, he did it wrongly: instead of sending the man, he climbed the tree himself to pick the four fruits and fell, losing consciousness. Mayesi went looking for other awó, but none of them could help, and his father stayed on the ground as if dead. A young awó suggested to Mayesi that, as the favorite son of Orunmila, he should plead with him, since Ifá had stalled.

Mayesi begged Orunmila. From that moment the father began to improve and joy returned.

What it teaches

A gift is not to be despised, and what it announces is followed just as it was said. Doing it halfway brings harm, and when everything is stalled the remaining course is to turn to Orunmila.

Advised ebbó

An ebbó is advised, to prevent one thing being said in place of another and problems with the law arising. It takes one rooster, two hens, two doves, mamey fruits, the rest of the ingredients of the ebbó, and plenty of money.

Prayer that opens this path

Otura Di No Wa Bawo Omó Osanyín Eshú Ti Pelu Eyeni Merin Emitimo Ni Lowoni Ilé Dide Ilaya Ninaku Baba Mi Inshé Ebbó Kuelu Na Oruko Shangó Mofe Akukó Meji Addié Meji Ni Orunmila Ala Fie Orí Ewé Ni Oguedé Okán Eyanla Si Na Ibéyis Mayesi Orí Ejá Baba Atí Keran.

Súyere of this path

Emiso Obalube Alakoso Monijere Meye

4How Shangó and Elegba took the drums from Oshánla🔒 The Notebook 5How Yemayá obtained the batá drums for Shangó🔒 The Notebook 6The toad and the Ibeyis🔒 The Notebook 7The toad Opolo and his children🔒 The Notebook 8How Obatalá used elephant tusks🔒 The Notebook 9When every road was closed🔒 The Notebook 10The sexual vice🔒 The Notebook 11The contest Baata won🔒 The Notebook 12The elephant and the pit🔒 The Notebook 13Fatunmise, son of an awó🔒 The Notebook 14Orishaoko hands over the secret of the yam🔒 The Notebook 15The automatons🔒 The Notebook 16The secrets and a woman's body🔒 The Notebook 17Flattery and criticism🔒 The Notebook 18The blocked way through🔒 The Notebook 19The swindle and the disaster🔒 The Notebook

16 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 Otura Di in Spanish →

Frequently asked questions about Otura Di

What does the Odù Otura Di mean in Ifá?

Where Elegbara was born, the owner of the will, and the Ibeyis beat the Devil with their little drums: do not betray the secrets people trust you with.

What number is Otura Di among the 256 Odù of Ifá?

Otura Di is Odù number 200 of the 256 in Ifá, part of the Otura family.

Which orishas speak in Otura Di?

In the Odù Otura Di these orishas speak: Elegbara (Eshu Arunika), The Ibeyis (the twins), Shangó, Yemayá, Oshánla / Obatalá, Osain, Abita, Oduduwa, Oshún, Egun.

What is a proverb of the Odù Otura Di?

One of the proverbs of Otura Di says: «When the cat is out, the mouse throws a party.».

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