Otura Mo

nº 201 of 256

Where you do good and do not look at whom, and there are no blood sacrifices, only addimú: «the eye of God stops the wrong you do».

22 patakíes 6 eewó 8 ebbós and works 15 proverbs

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Otura Mo is Odù number 201 of the 256 in Ifá, part of the Otura family. This page brings together its prayer in Yoruba, 22 patakíes (3 with the full text), its proverbs, 8 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 201 of 256
Composition
Otura over Iroso
Orishas that speak
Osun · Oduduwa · Azojuano · Yewá · Oyá · Shangó · Oshún · Ogún · Eshu (Lode / Afra) · Obatalá

What Ifá says in this sign

Otura Mo — also called Otura Roso Mun — is the sign of the great proverb of charity: do good and do not look at whom. Its doctrine is honesty as the only road to peace of spirit: expect thanks from nobody — only from Ifá and from the orishas. Its suyere keeps watch over everything: «the eye of God stops the wrong you do».

This is an odu without blood: in this Ifá no animals are sacrificed to the orishas — only addimú, and the ebbó carries no animals. Here the plate of Osun was born — the board with its four cardinal points —, the secret of Yewá and the milk of the nangareo: what is sacred in this sign is served, not spilled.

«Do good and do not look at whom — Otura Mo collects in peace of spirit, not in thank-yous.»The pulse of Otura Mo

Here too harems and polygamy were born: you have had several partners, several creeds, several godmothers and godfathers — many doors opened and little settling. And one intimate warning: there is a hidden vice through which the ashé is lost — it is won back with works and an upright life, before the humiliation arrives. Do not be proud: the peacock was shamed by his own tail.

Your cares are exact: your own plate and cutlery, for you alone; do not smell flowers and do not accept perfume or flowers as gifts — sinusitis comes in that way. Do not take anything that is up high, do not sleep in the dark, have your blood checked and look after your spine and your legs — in a child, in good time, so they are not left paralyzed. Your resguardo is moruro wood: a small piece in your pocket.

Your debts give the orders: you owe Ogún and Oshún, and until you pay them nothing will go right for you; you will have to seat Yemayá, and the three siblings — you the youngest — should receive Orunmila to come out of the bad. Money is coming to you, and a child: what you do not want for yourself, do not wish on anyone — that is the whole secret of Otura Mo.

The sign in one line

Pay what you owe Ogún and Oshún, drop the vice that steals your ashé and do good without looking at whom — the eye of God sees everything in Otura Mo.

The prayer of Otura Mo · Yoruba

Otura Roso Mun Mariwo Opelebo Tuyagba Adifafun Oniti Pisiato Oyu Isheri Owunko, Akuko Lebo Teteregun Ofi Oto Diona Osun Adifafun Barabaniregun.

Súyere
Biwo oshe buruku Olorun eya ri wen — the eye of God stops the evil you do.

Ifá says — what Otura Mo tells you

Proverbs of Otura Mo · Òwe

12 proverb interpretations in this Odù, locked.Every proverb explained: which road it comes from and how it applies.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…Unlock →

What is born in Otura Mo · Ìbí

What is forbidden · Eewó

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

Ebbós of Otura Mo · The sacrifices that open the road

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

Works of Otura Mo · The workings of the sign

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

Patakíes of Otura Mo · The roads of the Odù

1The man protected by Olofin

In a country town lived a man who did wrong in other people's houses, wanting to be with everyone's wife; the Devil (Olose) lived there too. One day that man did wrong in the Devil's own house, and the Devil, on hearing of it, went after him carefully — but could do him no harm, because the man was protected by Olofin. Powerless, he went to Arun (illness): «Make so-and-so ill» — «Consider it done»; but she could not either. Arun went to Olofin: «How is it that I cannot make him ill, when he is doing harm?» — «Because he is protected by me, and my word is law.» Arun told the Devil, and he said: «There is a reason neither you nor I can touch him; but I am going to bring him down with the very thing he does.»

All the people of that town made their living in the fields. Among them there was a man who wronged other people's homes and tried to live with everyone's wives. In that same town the Devil (Olose) had his house.

One day the man wronged the Devil's own house. When he found out, the Devil warned: "I am going to bring this one down." He attacked him with great care, but he could not do him any harm, because Olofin had him protected.

Seeing that he had no strength against him, the Devil went to Arun (sickness) and asked him: "I need you to do me a favor, and that is to make so-and-so sick." Arun's answer was: "Have no doubt, that is done." He went after the man and could not do anything to him either.

Since he was going to look bad in front of the Devil, Arun went before Olofin and asked him: "How is it that I cannot make so-and-so sick, if he is doing harm?" Olofin explained: "Because he is protected by me, and it is done: my word is law."

Arun went back to the Devil and told him: "I cannot do anything, because he is protected by Olofin." The Devil replied: "There is a reason neither you nor I can beat him; but I am going to bring him down with the very thing he does."

2The man with the rooster

At the entrance to a town, a rooster lived on a post of moruro wood: he was the town's watchman. When he died, the town's Awó made osode to do the works and set up another watchman. In that town, a man who gathered damaged produce at the market to resell it was doing very badly; he went to the Awó, who saw Otura Roso for him: his setbacks were witchcraft from his enemies, and he marked him ebbó with whatever witchcraft he found near his house. He found a live rooster thrown into his yard and brought it; once the ebbó was made, the Awó told him to bury a moruro post his own height in the yard and set the rooster to live on top of it. People began coming to him, and the rooster — messenger of Shangó and Oduduwa — woke him at four in the morning to buy wholesale and sell retail to the public. He prospered until he was dealing with the greatest traders. Afterward the Awó performed the ceremony of the moruro and the rooster, made Ifá for him — Otura Roso came out — and told him: «You have to do this again and again so your luck holds, and give rooster's blood to every corner of your house.» That is how Otura Roso settled his luck in the world.

At the entrance of a town, perched on a moruro post, lived a rooster that acted as a watchman. When it died, the Awó of the place did an osode for himself to find out what was going on, do whatever work was needed, and put another rooster in that post.

In the same town there was a man who gathered damaged root vegetables at the market and then resold them. Things were going very badly for him and the business would not take off, so he decided to consult with the Awó of the town. When he did the osode he saw this Ifá, Otura Roso, and explained that his setbacks and his problems came from the witchcraft his enemies were putting on him; he marked him ebbó with the witchcraft he found near his house.

The first thing that turned up was a live rooster, lying in his yard, and with it he came before the Awó. When the ebbó was done, he told him to bury in the yard a moruro post as tall as he was, and to let the rooster live there, on top of the post.

From then on people went around asking for the seller of damaged goods, and the market vendors sent them to the house of the man with the rooster. So many buyers came to him that he began to prosper and left behind the picking up of damaged produce at the market. Every morning at four the rooster woke him, and that rooster was a messenger of Shangó and Oduduwa, and he went down to the market to buy wholesale and then sell the goods to the public in small amounts, something that was not done at the market. His business grew so much that he ended up dealing with the biggest traders in those lands and making a lot of money.

He went back to the Awó, and the Awó told him that a ceremony was still missing, with the moruro post and the rooster. He asked him to bring waste from the market, put it next to the moruro post and there he fed it the rooster, while he prayed: "Osun duro kola Otura Bairosun dubule ni timbeduro ni adeni gagameta balomi ile loya".

In time, the Awó made Ifá for him and the Odù Otura Roso came out. Then he warned him: "What I have done for you, you have to do again and again, so that your luck in the world holds, and you give rooster blood to every corner of your house." That was how Otura Roso finished securing his luck in the world.

3The plate of Osun was born

Orunmila and Olofin sent Oriwa Awó to govern the land of Oniroso, the beginning of the world, but he had nothing to hold it up and called on Olofin in despair. Olofin sent Osun, under the name of Ika Roso, to hold up the children of that land, handing him the four positions — the four points of the world — to set at each corner of the land and to live inside. Oriwa Awó handed him the world and went off with Olofin. Osun governed with difficulty; Ejiogbe came with a white rooster: «this is your great fulfillment, keep it in your head for the world — something is still missing for you, but it will come when you need it». When Ikú would not leave that land, Oshún set sixteen bells on him, and at the sound of the «shaguro», death fled. But Osun had nowhere to eat, he was hungry and he wept; then Otura Roso came and brought him a plate — the board of Ifá — to give him confirmation and security. Iroso Meyi, Ejiogbe, Ika Roso, Iroso Ka and Otura Roso gathered and consecrated it, and Osun sang, giving thanks to Ifá and to Olofin. The plate of Osun stands for Orunmila's board with its four cardinal points.

Orunmila and Olofin sent Oriwa Awó to the land of Oniroso to rule it: it was the beginning of the world. But Oriwa Awó had no support of any kind. Seeing that he could not deliver for Olofin and Orunmila, he grew desperate and began to sing, calling Olofin: "Baba ara orilokun Olofin omo Oniroso omo Orun Oliya". He repeated the song day after day, until Olofin heard him, sent for Osun and charged him: "I am sending you to the land of Oniroso, with the name of Ika Roso, so that you are the one who orders support for all the children of the earth."

Osun was not fully convinced by the charge, and asked: "Father, when do I go?" Olofin's answer was: "In 16 days." Osun added: "All right, my father, if I need anything, you send it to me." Olofin was quiet for a moment and then said: "Take these four positions, which are the four points of the world, so that you put them in each corner of the land and you live inside. But when you arrive, you have to see Oriwa Awó, so that you receive his ashé."

With that, Osun took the road singing: "Akuelerun Baba lode omi Oriwa Osun guede". His arrival made Oriwa Awó very happy, and the two of them knelt down. Oriwa Awó handed him the world and said goodbye: "I am going to where Olofin is." He left at once, and Osun stayed ruling the land of Oniroso with many difficulties. Since something had improved, he prayed: "Otura obani Otura onani moro Ifá gualoba onire oba Oniroso Ifá odara".

That was when Ejiogbe appeared with a white rooster and handed it to him: "This is your great fulfillment, which you will keep on your head for the world." Right after that he prayed to him: "Iroso onire Ifá odara", and on his knees he asked for Olofin's blessing. Ejiogbe added: "Something is missing for you, but it will come when you need it, which is to scare off death: you will be transformed."

Then came a time when death (Ikú) would not leave the land of Oniroso, and Osun was desperate inside his house. He went out on the road, ran into Ika Roso, told him everything that was happening to him and kept walking with this song: "Iyalode abebe yokun sogua iyami molala". Right there Oshún appeared and put 16 bells (shaguro) on Osun. Oshún gave him moforibale and ran off saying: "Shaguro Ikú gureo, shaguro ni gureo". On hearing that song, death ran away.

Osun was still missing something: he had nowhere to eat, he went hungry and he broke into tears. Olofin was watching him and confirmed that he really was missing one thing, the great command; then Otura Roso arrived and brought him a plate, to finish giving Osun the confirmation and the security, because it was the board of Ifá.

After that, Iroso Meyi, Ejiogbe, Ika Roso, Iroso Ka and Otura Roso came together and consecrated him. Osun then sang: "Ifá mayunimo Ifá ma dubule duro ganga labosi, awo akoñu muro okanadeo duro ganga labosi awo". Then, on his knees, he gave thanks to Ifá and to Olofin.

Note: here the plate of Osun was born, the image of Orunmila's board with its four cardinal points. Osun had been born in Iroso Meyi, because the world needed him and Olofin ordered it so; he reached Ika Roso because of Oshún, looking for his power; then Iroso Ka lent him the rooster, to alert him and serve him as a watchman; from there he went to Iroso Bara, which gave him the power of the four columns of the world; and he ended his journey in Otura Roso, where Orunmila handed him the board. In the end, Osun went to dance with Irete Lazo.

19 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 Mo in Spanish →

Frequently asked questions about Otura Mo

What does the Odù Otura Mo mean in Ifá?

Where you do good and do not look at whom, and there are no blood sacrifices, only addimú: «the eye of God stops the wrong you do».

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

Otura Mo is Odù number 201 of the 256 in Ifá, part of the Otura family.

Which orishas speak in Otura Mo?

In the Odù Otura Mo these orishas speak: Osun, Oduduwa, Azojuano, Yewá, Oyá, Shangó, Oshún, Ogún, Eshu (Lode / Afra), Obatalá.

What is a proverb of the Odù Otura Mo?

One of the proverbs of Otura Mo says: «Only God is just.».

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