African Traditional Religion : Odu Ifa discussion

Chant from Eji Ogbe
*
He, who shines light on aje (wealth) is what we call Ifa
He, who disperses people so he may kill a lion (ekun), is the name we call Esu Odara
Mother of Children*(Iyaami) who uses her spiritual eye (mystical power) to take home money
from diverse sources, is the name we call the mothers (awon iya wa, eleiye, aje')
He who shines light on aje, that is you Ifa, go and shine your light of aje (i.e. money, financial blessings) in my path, so*I may be blessed with love and*lots of money
He who disperses people so he may kill a lion is the name we call Esu Odara
Esu Odara, let me meet with good people, who would in turn love and bless me, and direct me
in the right path of honest money or livelihood; so*I may in turn have enough to take care
of my responsibilities
Mother of Children*who uses her spiritual eye (mystical power) to take home money
from diverse sources, that is you, the Mothers
Mothers, wherever IRE of money might be, shine your mystical power there
So that the people (i.e. employers, clients) may reach for me (consider me for...)
So that they, the people, may in turn love and bless me with the abundant IRE of money
So that they may care for me, and handle me, with the good offer of employment (or business, etc.)
Because Fowl's eggs must be handled with care,
Handle me with care
Cherish me
Lead me to the domain of aje (financial success, wealth)
Make me prosperous
Of all of the sweet tastes in the world, none surpasses that of honey
Eji Ogbe, you are primal in Ifa
Bless me with Ire, etc.
Ase

Birth, death, transformation and rebirth. Like all things in the universe, Odu follow this cycle. Eji Ogbe is Birth. It is the substance that flows from the Godhead. It is light; it is expansion. It is growth without resistance; hence known as the open road. I have an English language school called the Open Road Language Academy (had to get in the plug!) Eji Ogbe is the open road.
ase

Part of EjiOgbe verse speaking to the question of women in Ifa

It is Agbagiwo who is the chief priest of divination
In the heavenly abode
Ifa said, “look” at Orunmila
The day he was coming to the earth from heaven
They told him he would marry a woman
They said the woman would deliver children
Two children in a day
Just as the Ifa predicted
Orunmila had a wife
She was pregnant and delivered twins
One was male while the other was female
From the tender age, they both
Watched their father in the act of divination
Just as the male could divine
So could the female
When human beings go to the earth
To live with the diviners
One individual said, you Awawonlaseri [a human character]
Your child does not practice Ifa
Awawonlaseri answered, she is female
They told him that is not taboo

Great Post Awo.

I agree, posting an Odu and their ese, on a weekly basis is a great idea. I'm down for that.

EjiOgbe - the expansion of light from source outward. Movement without opposition. "I'm not skeered" (no resistance). For the client, basically this odu in ire means that the person is in alignment with destiny. So then the only thing they need to worry about is getting off track. Good character is key. In ibi, the client is a victim of his/her own arrogance.

there-is-no-place-on-earth-i-can-go-where-I-will-not-meet-happiness cast Ifa for Odunku'n (sweet potato) on the day he was going to make the journey from the land of Ishu (yam) and Agbado' (corn). Ifa advised Odunkun to make ebo so his life would be sweeter than Isu and Agbado. Isu and Agbado were tasted by the people of earth and they weren't as sweet as Odunkun. It was on that day that Odunkun danced and sang for joy saying he would do the ebo over and over again. Ifa advised there was no value in repeating the ebo. Odunkun sang and danced in praise of the Awo, while the Awo praised Ifa, while Ifa praised Olodumare. When Odunkun started to sing, Esu put a song in Odunkun's mouth. Odunkun started singing;

Aye' Senren ti dun, odun ju oyin lo.
Aye' Senren ti dun, odun ju oyin lo.
Orisa je aye mi o dun, Alayun Gbalayun
Orisa je aye mi o dun, Alayun Gbalayun

Sweet Potato Life, sweeter than honey
Sweet Potato Life, sweeter than honey
Immortals, let my life be sweet, o Alayun Gbalayun
Immortals, let my life be sweet, o Alayun Gbalayun

Ifa says this person is about to go on a journey. Ifa says this person is will receive blessings of ire (long life, abundance, children). Ifa says this person will be succesful. This person should eat sweet potatoes as medicine for good fortune.

(from DAFA by Awo Falokun)
The odus that I post here come from diverse sources, some in books, some from friends, and some from my godparents. sometimes i note from where i got them, sometimes i don't. I don't feel it is necessary, really, as odu are an oral corpus and belong to no one. But i will post the origin if I think it is a good book, such as the one above.

aboru aboye,

dino