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HOW THE DOG LOST HIS VOICE – FROM THE ODU IFA OWONRIN/OGBE

I greet you all in the Yoruba traditional initiates greeting, from the Odu Ifa Ogunda Meji, Aboru Aboye Abosise.

Today I want to share with you a story from the scriptures of Ifa, from the Odu Ifa nicknamed Owonrin/sogbe otherwise called Owonrin/Ogbe. There are 256 major Odu’s of Ifa, which involves 16 major Odu’s which are the Mejis or the sixteen Kings (although they are feminine principles and 240 permutations )born from the 16 elders.

16 x 16 equals 256, then see it this way 16 major and 240 minor all adds up to 256 unimaginable possibilities of the human being and his journey. You can look at it as them marrying into each other and becoming a family.

An Odu  references all situations, circumstances, actions and consequences in life, based on the innumerable ese (poetic tutorials/recitations) relative to the 256 Odu coding. In other words an Odu is your life path. Each Odu has over 4000 interpretations/verses/stories which pertains to the human being for whom it appears when consulted by a competent Babalawo.

No individual Babalawo knows all the verses to each Odu, but the more a Babalawo learns of each Odu, the more competent he is. This is why an Awo will study Ifa for at least twenty years before he becomes independent of his Oluwo, and also a Babalawo if he is wise will continue to learn Ifa until the day he makes his transition.

Below are some examples of Odu. They are marked and read from right to left.

Image result for odu Ifa

The scriptures/chapters and verses from our Odu Ifa are too vast to be contained into any book so it is handed down orally. I believe it is preserved best and more sacred this way.

Where are it’s doctrine, it’s theology, it’s pages and letters written out to lead the way of the lost and searching, such as the Upstanding and highly recognized books like the Holy Bible or the Koran or the Torah, the Bhagavad Gita, The Vedic texts. or even the Tao Te ching? Where is the book contained with Orunmila’s travels? His Journey, his famous mysticism, his virtue and trade? Let me tell you where, it is in the brain and the mind, the store house of knowledge of the Babalawo, who learned it from his teacher and who now passes it along to his Awos (student).

It is fascinating to hear Babalawo say, “Oh Yes, I know what you are talking about. Orunmila told us about it, or taught us that. He traveled the world and would come back and teach us all things he learned there”.

The truth is, all stories that are found in each Odu is apart of each individual’s life and his mission here. The stories (when the Babalawo first chants it in Yoruba) is told of a particular person or thing who goes for divination, and then it tells what comes out in the divination and the sacrifice prescribed. The story then tells if the person did the sacrifice and what happened to his life or if the person did not do it, the outcome.

The training into becoming a Babalawo or even learning Ifa to be qualified as competent is extensive. Here in Nigeria, some parents choose whether a child will go to regular school or will go on the Babalawo’s compound and train as an Awo.

Each student will spend over twenty years learning, from an early age, often times leaving their families to go and live with the Babalawo (His teacher/his Oluwo) and his family, in order for him to learn. He will do chores, he will clean the compound, wash the toilets, run errands, go and pick the bush to make medicines and more. He will sleep when he is told he can, and wake up very early to begin everything all over again. He will work as he trains, and while he is by himself, he will be repeating a new verse of an Odu he picked up that day or most recently, or even an old one, to keep to his memory. He is learning during a consultation his teacher has with some one, or one his teacher will be teaching  him when they are alone, with other students or before Ifa (keep in mind that Ifa is the oracle, Orunmila is the deity).

Orunmila is the owner of the sacred Ifa Oracle, he is also called Ifa. He is the witness of fate and second to the supreme being, Olodumare (God) in the order of importance of the pantheon of deities. On the first day of the Yoruba week we give honor and worship to him as he is our guide on this earth plane.

According to the late Afolobi Epega in his book The Sacred Ifa Oracle’: 

It is through the vision and direction of Orunmila’s words, known as the sacred Odu, that his wisdom and guidance are expressed on earth. Ifa devotees accept that, with the exception of the day we were born and the day we are supposed to die (as opposed to the day many people do die), there is no single event that cannot be forecast and when necessary modified. This forecast takes place through the intricate and mathematically precise process of divination.

The student will learn from his master/teacher. Whenever his teacher has a client, he will sit in on the divination and he will listen attentively, assist with all of the clients needs while he is being fed extraordinary knowledge which will bring him far someday, where he will now have his own students or his children and the cycle continues.

Ifa, is too vast to be contained in any book. It is handed down orally. It is sacred to all who know and appreciate it. Ifa is wisdom. Even Africans, who have embraced foreign religions scoff at it, wanting to embrace anything but them selves, their legacy, have been taught and brain washed to hate themselves and have cast away Ifa. Yet they come meet us on our compound secretly in the nights. The pastors will bring their olive oil to be placed on Osun’s shrine, and bring it to church on Sunday for healing. But I, a foreigner (not by choice, but by way of the African holocaust) who has now returned, thank them, because one man’s trash is a next man’s treasure, and Orunmila’s doctrine is certainly my treasure. Here today I will tell one of my favourite storys from the holy scriptures of the Odu Ifa. The story is one of many which Owonrin/Sogbe (look at it as a chapter like Genesis or Exodus, if it takes that for you to get it) carries.

 

Here now is How Dog Lost his voice.

Iya Agon was the female head of the Masquerade (Her name indicated a Chief of the Masquerade society). There came a time when Iya Agon realized that some people were after her power, wanting to know her secret. She in her wisdom went to consult with a Babalwo. During the divination, the Babalawo saw that enemies were astonished by Iya Agon’s might and power. They wondered where did she get this power from? and so they sought to defeat her. She was advised by Orunmila to do sacrifice so that she would have victory over her enemies. She did as she was told.

Meanwhile over the enemies camp, they had employed a dog to go and spy on Iya Agon. During these times the dog had voice like human beings. He could speak and communicate. The enemies instructed the dog to go and watch Iya Agon, see her secret and come back and reveal it to them. In doing this, they were sure that they would be able to defeat this woman who was too powerful. Dog took on the work with pride and assured them that he was the best spy who could do this job, and so he set out to Iya Agon’s place to spy on her. On his way there he met Esu (Eshu) who asked him where he was going. Dog (Aja in Yoruba) told him he was going to spy on Iya Agon so that he could know her secret. Esu said, “Ok, that’s good, but eat this before you go.” Dog (craven from mawnin) ate what Esu gave to him. After eating, he then went to Iya Agon’s place where he saw her in her secret place doing what she did to make her very powerful. He was happy at what he saw and quickly went back to the enemies camp to report on all the happenings (Jamaicans, imagine now as yuh ah read and as Dog traveled on his way, Lady Ann’s song “Certain bwoy pon de cawna informa!” lol)

When he got to the enemy’s place, they were all happy to see him. Finally they could defeat this woman. They took Dog inside and began to question him.

“Dog, welcome,” said one of them. “So tell us, what did you see?” (“Dog wha yuh si de gal ah do?”)

Dog replied. “Woof woof woof!”

The enemies looked at each other. “Come now! What did you see? Did you see her power?”

Again, Dog said. “Woof woof woof!”

This was odd. Dog could not speak. He had lost his voice.

The enemies continued to question him, beginning to get angry. Yet still, Dog only continued to bark.

When Orunmila had told Iya Agon to do her sacrifice, she did not hesitate, she did it right away. In our tradition Esu is always served first, then the other deities who are prescribed to be served will be. They now go and face the problem on Iya Agon’s (or the human being) behalf, hence Esu intercepting dog on his CIA mission (lol). The food he ate was to his detriment, unbeknownst to him at that time (Esu is so powerful, just do not get on his wrong side) Dog ate the food provided by Esu on his way to spy. To this day, as wise as Dog is, he can never speak again. He is the only one to know Iya Agon’s secret… but he can never tell.

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Jenna
Blogger
Jenna
1 year ago

Want to know more about ogbe owonrin can someone serious and which is have a good heart and I tension help me pls thank you.

Oluwo.osameji
Blogger
Oluwo.osameji
10 months ago
Reply to  Jenna

Ogbe hunle. Don’t travel with crowd relatives. Feed ogun properly. Don’t travel too early in the morning.. ifa says you’ll be free from untimely death.. You’ll prosper ✨️

Omo
Blogger
Omo
4 years ago

Hmmmm

Baba Aka
Blogger
Baba Aka
4 years ago

Thanks for sharing this with the world..
Orunmila will serve you right..Asee

oluwole
5 years ago

Hi Ms. Obara,
Pls are you in nigeria or jamaica. i want to know if i can see you personally.

oluwole
5 years ago
Reply to  Obara Meji

i have sent you a message.pls your response is appreciated.i need help in the financial area of my life.pls tell me what to do

Natalie
Blogger
Natalie
7 years ago

Hi Ms. Obara,

Very interesting. Iya Agbon followed Esu’s instructions and was victorious. Often times we do not follow certain advise/instructions and the outcome becomes detrimental.

A dog is said to be a man’s best friend. Now I understand why. Lol!!

Blessings

Lincoln
7 years ago

Most interesting thing was in the comment lines for me in this post “”””””Oludumare (God) is far removed from us as explained in #3. This is what I mean, when I say God does not need our worship. I know Christians will faint when they read this. God is energy not human with human emotions. Religion has lied to us.”””””” Really isn’t that the weakness of MAN our emotions. I would always tell people, we as human rarely make the right decisions because we make decisions emotionally. Think about it whenever something happens we use our emotions to push our… Read more »

Lincoln
7 years ago
Reply to  Obara Meji

YOU MUST BE MAD- NAH DASH YOU WHEY- I been on the thing I told you about- I am 1/2 way through so trying to pass the next 1/2 before the month end – Me deh here I just haven’t been online much .
Bless UP Sis

Lucinda
Blogger
Lucinda
7 years ago

Great story…that is to show people who actually is the ruler and who is smarter. I hope we all learn a lesson from this story. Do you need a teacher first before you do the initiation? Or you have to learn the information before you have to do the initiation?
Thanks Obara
Love and light

IBQueen
7 years ago

I got the alert while at work, glanced at the post and thought – no sah dis cya read ah wurk, it haffi wait til mi reach home. Suh mi get di chance fi tek it een good. I wonder…. why didn’t I know about this sooner? No sah! It seems as if outta no where many questions have been answered. Question time: 1. How does the IFA tradition facilitate accessing one’s Odu outside of the process of initiation? 2. Is a sacrifice/offering more potent or readily accepted when done by a devotee versus a sumadi laka mi? “Orunmila is… Read more »

PhDiva
7 years ago
Reply to  Obara Meji

Thank you very much!

Can
Can
7 years ago

Good thing the dog craven lol as the dog would have spilled the secrets giving the enemies the upper hand.

Can
Can
7 years ago
Reply to  Obara Meji

Thank you Obara for also sharing your stories and knowledge. It’s my pleasure to be here

CharMD1
7 years ago

Great story! Dog too craven, lol. So in the tradition, are dogs viewed in certain ways since they know her secret, but cant talk?

Prince Marshall
Blogger
Prince Marshall
6 years ago
Reply to  Obara Meji

Thank Obara I am highly appreciated and grateful this odu is directed to me just exactly thanks

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