Ogbe Odi (Ogbè Òdí · Ogbe Odi)

In ancient times, Orunmila had a secretary who woke him every morning. It was Ogbe Sa, and his mission was to receive the obi (kola nut) of the oracle. However, his knowledge became so great that he grew overconfident; he no longer called out to Orunmila, but instead touched him to wake him up.

One day Yeyematero, the thinking mother and wife of Orunmila, saw how Ogbe Sa touched him instead of calling him, and she noticed that Orunmila woke up feeling unwell. She thought: I must find another secretary, for Ogbe Sa is no longer fit for this job.

One day, Oshun and Oggun arrived to consult Ifá. Yeyematero, who was a close friend of Oshun, said to her: My sister, Ogbe Sa is no longer fit to wake Orunmila. She told Oshun what was happening. Oshun replied: In my land, Iyesa, there is a very serious and wise Awo (priest) named Ogbe Di. I will send him to you so you can see if he suits your needs.

When Oshun returned to her land of Iyesa, she called for Ogbe Di and told him: So that you may become great, I am going to send you to the land of Ife. There, your mission will be to call upon Orunmila every day at six in the morning to wake him. She taught him the prayer to wake Orunmila and then said: When you arrive, I will already be at the door with Oggun so that your words may be proven true.

At six in the morning, Ogbe Di arrived at Orunmila's house. Yeyematero received him and asked: Are you the one Oshun sent to wake Orunmila? He answered yes. Yeyematero, observing him closely, said: Well then, wake him.

Ogbe Di knelt before Orunmila and, without touching him, recited the prayer Oshun had taught him. Orunmila woke up feeling peaceful. At that very moment, Oshun and Oggun knocked at the door, and Orunmila answered: Iboru, Iboya, Ibosheshe. Who is this young man who knows so much?

Yeyematero answered him: It is Awo Ogbe Di from the land of Iyesa. From today on, he will replace Ogbe Sa in the task of waking you, and he shall be the master of knowledge.

Since then, Ogbe Di has been wise and great, and he is in charge of waking Orunmila with his prayer in the morning. Awo Ogbe Di, as a reward for the knowledge obtained and the favor Oshun had granted him, gave an akuko (rooster) to Oggun and adie meyi apari (two hens) to Oshun at the river. With this, his power and greatness were reaffirmed not only in the land of Iyesa but in all Yoruba lands.

There were two awos (diviners). One lived in the East (Sunrise) and was named Digaga Yayao Awo, and the other lived in the West (Sunset) and was named Mugaga Eye Awo. Neither knew the other, and their lives were completely isolated. As they lived at a great distance from one another in completely opposite regions, a vast expanse separated them. In the center of this distance stood a mountain/forest (monte) which marked the middle of these two regions; in that mountain lived Ozain with his secrets.

One day, the awo of the East, Digaga Yayao Awo, who lived with Oshun, consulted himself with an osorde (divination). He saw the sign Ogbe Di, which predicted ire ariku toyale lese Orunmila (a blessing of longevity at the feet of Orunmila) and shesi ko (victory). Regarding this, Orunmila marked an ebbo misi (ritual bath) for him, specifically an ebbo misi using peregun (a sacred plant). The wife of this awo was a daughter of Oshun and was the one who gathered herbs for certain tasks; therefore, he sent her to find the herbs for the ritual bath.

The one who lived in the West, Mugaga Eye Awo, consulted himself that same day and also saw Ogbe Di with ire ariku oyale lese Orunmila shesi ko. Regarding this, Orunmila marked an ebbo misi, but his bath required peregun and ewe dun dun (herb of life/Prodigiosa). Since he lived alone, he had to go out to find these herbs for his bath himself.

The awo of the West went out toward the mountain to find herbs, and the apeteví (wife/helper) of the awo of the East also headed toward the same mountain to find the herbs for her husband. In the mountain lived Ozain with his secrets and all his herbs, sticks, and roots. The awo of the West had an excessive vice regarding coffee, but he did not know the plant nor its process.

Ozain was lying down beneath a cedar tree, which was located in front of a coffee bush. Oshun arrived at the mountain before the awo of the West. Both headed toward the center of the forest, but Oshun arrived first. What was her surprise to see that bush which caught her attention so much due to its round, red fruits. She approached the bush without seeing Ozain, who was sitting beneath the cedar tree. She said in a loud voice: I am going to pick these green balls so that when I get home, I can let them ripen to see if they can be eaten.

Upon hearing this, Ozain came out from under the cedar tree and told her: Oshun, this plant is mine, and its fruits are eaten neither green nor ripe. When they are ripe, they must be roasted and then drunk, but with measure, in small quantities, for it is a stimulant; however, in excess, it can be very toxic.

The awo of the West had arrived at the mountain a moment after Oshun, but upon seeing Ozain, he hid behind a palm tree nearby to listen to the conversation. When it ended, Ozain told Oshun: Go gather your herbs and go home.

When Oshun left, the awo came out of his hiding place and went to the coffee bush, very happy because he had discovered the secret that would sustain his vice. Seeing him, Ozain said: You were listening to my conversation with Oshun about the coffee plant. For that reason, the only thing that saves you now is promising me not to drink coffee anymore, because if you do, I will kill you.

The awo made this promise so that Ozain would not kill him. However, Mugaga Eye Awo had not realized that a cat he kept in his house, named Olotenshe, had followed him. When he went to respond to Ozain, the cat transformed into the spirit of Iya Tobi (his mother), who told him: I have always been in your house watching over you, and in what Ozain says, he is right. You must promise him seriously that you will never drink coffee again.

The awo made this solemn promise so that Ozain would not kill him, and Ozain told him: Look, I give you this other secret so that you may live, and he showed him the guinea pepper bush (igi atayeye). And he said: You shall always take its fruit to perform obori (head rogation) for yourself, and thus you will never lack the means to live. And you must attend to your mother, for her shadow will always be in your house in the form of Olotenshe, and thus you will live well. To iban Eshu.

Note: This is why the owner of this Ifá sign does not drink coffee, because it kills him slowly without him realizing it. Here was born the secret of atayeye, the guinea pepper, to feed the head (rogation) when the awo finds himself sick or without strength. The leri (head) is rogated with 16 atare yeye (guinea peppers) to restrengthen oneself and maintain health. Ozain forgave Oshun because every time she gathered herbs, she brought him his derecho (tribute/payment).