Category Archive: Orishas

The Story of Obí – The Coconut / Kola Nut Oracle

Categories:

Clarifying Misconceptions, Divination, Orishas, Religious Practices, Terminology

November 5, 2012

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In Santería Lukumí, Obí divination is performed using four pieces of coconut meat

One of the most familiar tools for divination in Santeria is the oracle of Obí (sometimes called Biague). Obí divination’s primary use is to answer simply questions with “yes” or “no” answers. It is most typically used to confirm if offerings are accepted by the orishas or egun, if ceremonies may proceed, or to get a simple yes/no answer to questions about a person’s life. Obí is one of the most widely used forms of divination in the orisha religions, yet it is also one of the most widely misunderstood or misused oracles. We hope to clarify some of the misconceptions around the use of Obí as well as give you a newfound appreciation for this simple but effective divination system. In the future we’ll share an article about how Obí divination is performed, but this article is focused around who Obí is.

The Evolution of Obi from Kola to Coconut

Obí divination is performed using four pieces of coconut meat in Santería Lukumí, but this oracle has a much older tradition originating in Africa utilizing four pieces of kola nut meat. The kola nut has a brown rough exterior that naturally breaks open revealing lobes of white nut meat inside. In Africa, they use kola nuts that have naturally divided into four lobes.

When the Lucumí people were abducted to Cuba, they found themselves in a different climate where many of their native plants did not grow. Kola nuts do not grow on the island of Cuba, and yet the Lucumí people needed to perform Obí divinationto begin restoring their religious practices. They decided to innovate and used coconut meat instead of kola nut meat for Obí.

In Africa, kola nuts are used for Obí divination. Kola nuts do not grow in the Caribbean.

Coconut was something familiar to the Lukumí people; they called it agbon. By cracking open a coconut and extracting its meat then dividing it into four pieces, they developed a suitable alternative for Obí divination. Over the years, and with the loss of fluency in the Lukumí dialect, Santeria adherents fell into the habit of referring to coconuts as obí since they were being used in the Obí system of divination. But in the strictest sense, the Lukumí word obí actually refers to kola nuts, and agbon is the proper word for coconut. (although you’ll rarely hear anyone call a coconut agbon these days).

Obí divination is most properly conducted using four pieces of coconut meat (Lukumí style) or four pieces of kola nut meat (for folks who want to try a more African style of divination). It is completely inappropriate to use four coconut shells – that is an oracle from a completely different religion (chamalongo divination from Palo Monte). It is also inappropriate to use four cowrie shells for obí divination. This seems to be a fairly modern introduction into the United States by groups seeking to reconstruct a system that is closer to traditional Yoruba worship – however a cursory understanding of odu and the patakis associated with Obí will quickly teach you that using items like shells, pennies, buttons or coconut husks is not only improper, but does not even consult the orisha Obí. This pataki (legend) explains why.

Pataki: The Birth of Obí (found in the odu Obara’sa 6-9)

Obi was an orisha, created by Olofi, who embodied the best of his blessings he could give the Earth. He was kind, patient, always gave to the poor. His spiritual purity made him radiate the purest of white light. All others who men Obí were in awe of his perfection, kindness and wisdom. Obi was sent to act as a remedy for all of the troubles of the world; he was an agent for blessings and goodness. Obi always wore white robes as his preferred garment for they were the color of Olofi’s cool and giving energy. Obi was handsome, with dark black skin, a youthful face and kind eyes.

As Obi travelled across the lands all would throw themselves at Obi’s feet, seeking a blessing, a word of wisdom, or perhaps getting the opportunity to touch the hem of his robes. With all of this attention, Obi began to grow vain and arrogant. He started thinking of himself as the most perfect thing alive, rivaling Olofi himself! He began dressing in the most lavish of white robes made in celebration of his own perfection. His giving nature faded and he began scoffing at the poor who would approach him. But Obi didn’t care what those “lesser than” him thought. He was living high on life and he was going to let everyone know about it.

Obí is an orisha who was punished for his arrogance. He now only speaks on behalf of the other orishas and has no voice of his own.

One day Olofi threw a party and invited all of the orishas to attend. Obi spent weeks preparing for the party. He felt that physical beauty was a blessing from Olofi and he was the most blessed of all. He wanted to make sure everyone in attendance knew it. He dressed himself with extravagant white robes stitched with silver thread and moisturized his cocoa skin with the finest shea butter he could buy. His radiant robes were only eclipsed by the beauty of his flawless black skin. He knew he would make an impression at the party for sure.

Word spread across the villages that all of the orishas would be visiting Olofi’s palace that day, and many of the poorest people lined up outside to beg for alms. They hoped they would see Obi and perhaps he would give them a coin or two as was his custom. As Obi approached Olofi’s palace he saw the poor and destitute people outside begging for money and he was disgusted. “How dare they approach me with their filthy clothes and their dirty faces!” he said. He went up to Olofi’s palace guards and told them to keep the poor away from the party.

Obi entered the party and saw the orishas arrive one by one. Each orisha wore their finest clothing, but Obi’s sparkling white robes were the most impressive of all. Obi was satisfied with the attention he was receiving, then someone knocked at the door. He answered the door and found a poor, smelly beggar with his hand held out begging for coins. Obí recoiled in horror and shouted “How dare you approach Olofi’s home and stick your filthy hand out at me. You are disgusting and vile! GET OUT OF HERE VERMIN!!!” He shouted so loudly that most of the party’s guests turned to see what was happening. Even Olofi saw what Obi had done. The orishas were horrified at Obi’s conduct. How had an orisha that was once so perfect become so arrogant?

The beggar’s appearance at Olofi’s party was such a great irritation to Obi that he couldn’t stop thinking about it. He decided to hold a party of his own in Olofi’s honor and he was going to make sure his guards kept all vagrants far away. Nothing was going to ruin his party. It would be even grander than the one Olofi threw. He decorated his home with gossamer white silk. He had the finest of white exotic flowers imported to grace the halls of his marble mansion. He had his servants sew him a new set of robes made of iridescent white cloth, silver thread and magical fibers so that they would glow like the sun itself. He invited all of the orishas and Olofi. This was going to be the greatest gift he could ever give Olofi and it would prove to everyone that he was the greatest of the orishas on Earth.

At the party all of the orishas arrived to see the spectacle. They enjoyed the finest refreshments, food and decorations. They were truly stunned at the gala that Obi had put on for Olofi. They were even more amazed at his garments that seemed to rival the very radiance of Olofi himself. Yet Olofi had not arrived yet. Obí assumed he would arrive last as was custom for the guest of honor at any function.

As Obí was mingling with his guests he heard a knock at the door. He opened the door and found a dirty beggar dressed in rags at the door with his leprous hand held out asking for alms. Obí was furious! He had taken every precaution to make sure the poor wouldn’t mar his event like they had the last. He blew up in the face of the beggar. “WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE YOU FILTHY DISGUSTING VAGRANT!? GET OFF MY DOORSTEP!! YOU ARE THE WORTHLESS SCUM OF THE EARTH!” and he slammed the door in the face of the beggar.

He turned to face the other orishas and they were stunned. Many stood with their mouths wide open in horror. Elegguá spoke up and said, “Obí, how could you address our father Olofi like that?!” Obi was so enraged that Eleggua’s words hadn’t registered in his mind. Another feeble knock came at the door and Obí spun around and flung the door open saying, “DIDN’T I TELL YOU TO GET THE HELL OUT!!?!” When Obí looked at the vagrant on his doorstep, the man’s image dissolved away to reveal the glowing purity of Olofi standing in his place. Realizing what he had done, Obí threw himself on the floor at Olofi’s feet.

Olofi picked him up and said, “You have lost your way Obí. You were once my most beloved and perfect creation. I gave you my ashé, a sweet voice, a beautiful face and the purity of heart to act as my ambassador on the Earth. But you became vain and arrogant with time. Because of your arrogance, I take away your voice. From now on you will not speak for yourself, but you will only speak what the other orishas want you to speak. As you have thrown yourself at my feet, from now on you will only communicate when you are thrown on the floor in deference to your master. I strip away your exterior beauty, but I cannot take away the ashé I have given you. From here forward you will be ugly and your skin will be coarse and dark, but inside you will always be white as a reminder to the world that your original intent was to represent my purity. As your punishment you will always fall to the earth, over and over again, as a symbol of your fall from grace.

Thus was born the coconut (or kola nut). The coconut which is dark and coarse on the outside but white on the inside. Obí only speaks when it is thrown on the floor and even then, he only says what the other orishas say. Yet, in spite of his divine punishment, his nature is still to be pure, and his purpose to take away the evil of the world carries on. As such, obí can soothe osogbo and remove spiritual heat, but his only purpose is as a servant for the orishas.

When is Obí Appropriate to Use

The legend of Obí clearly explains what is and what is not acceptable to use for Obí. First, it must be dark and coarse on the outside, white on the inside, and fall every day to earth (like a seed or nut from a tree). It can only speak for other orishas – it has no voice of its own. In fact its voice was taken away as a punishment from Olofi. It can only speak when it is thrown on the floor – not a table. This is a direct reference to Obí prostrating himself on the earth before Olofi when he realized his shameful actions. Obi can only be used for yes/no questions. Utilizing Obí to answer deeper questions beyond yes/no is a complete misuse of the tool. Attempting to use Obí to conduct an entire reading for a person’s life circumstances is also inappropriate. That person should instead seek a diloggún reading or a reading from Ifá.

Who Can Perform Obí Divination?

This is a bit of a complex question to answer. Obí, by its nature only speaks on behalf of other orishas. In order to communicate with any orisha, a person must be able to recite the Moyuba prayer (also called Mojuba or the Juba prayer). One of the requirements for a Moyuba is the ability to call upon one’s initiatory lineage. Without kariocha, a person has no initiatory lineage, and therefore they cannot Moyuba, and they cannot divine with Obí. In our church lineage we do not allow aborishas to read Obí, we only permit Olorishas to read Obí. There are some lineages who permit those that have received warriors (aborishas) to read Obí to determine if an offering is acceptable, but they should limit their readings to simple things, and they should most certainly NOT use Obí to read for others as they have no lineage or ashe to be solving other people’s problems. This is the role of a priest or priestess, and not a layperson like an Aborisha. We do not recommend the use of alternative methods of reading “Obí” like tossing four cowries or four coins because these methods are not Obí and as such, there is no assurance that the oracle will answer truthfully – it is not a dependable oracle for it is not supported by pataki, nor by the information contained in odu.

An offering of obí and fresh water is given to the orisha Yemaya. One half is filled with honey, the other is filled with cane syrup.

Obi as an Addimú to the Orishas

Obi is energetically cool and has the power to placate osogbo. As such, Obí is a good offering to the orishas in the form of addimú. When offering Obí to the orishas it is common to simply take a coconut (or kola nut) and crack it open into two pieces. I often fill each piece with some of the items that orisha would enjoy. For Elegguá I would fill one half with rum and the other half with honey. For Changó I might fill one half with white wine and the other with honey. It is also a good idea to offer a gourd full of cool fresh water at the same time the opened coconut is offered to the orisha. Leave the offering there for the required number of days as determined through divination, then dispose of it in nature where the divination indicated would be appropriate. This is a great way to soothe and cool any osogbos (misfortunes). It also gives the orisha Obí an opportunity to be of service to the orishas, and to reveal his true nature as a representative of Olofi’s ashe whose original intent was to soothe all that ails the world.

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SAFE Alert – Fraudulent Orishas Sold Online

Categories:

Orishas, Religious Practices, SAFE Alerts

September 13, 2012

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SAFE Alert! Fraudulent Orishas Sold Online!

It was recently brought to our attention that there is an Ifá foundation claiming to sell orishas online, and what is being sold is little more than concrete sculptures. This organization offers an entire line of Eshus, each of which is attributed different magical properties, or Eshus said to be aligned with different orishas‘ energies. This is not only incredibly outside the tradition of Santeria Lukumí or even traditional Yoruba Ifá practice, but is entirely unethical and fraudulent. This organization claims to be Ifa-centered and descended from Lukumí origins, although they are well-known for their reinvention of religious practice to the point that their current practice is no longer Lukumí nor traditional Yoruban Ifá.

Selling Eshus Like Hotcakes

The baffling Eshu Sigidi sold by this foundation is nothing more than an Nkisi statue from the Congo – not Ifá.

This organization’s online store claims to sell spiritual tools that “ignite your power within”. The area that drew the attention of SAFE (Santeros Against Fraud and Exploitation) is a section claiming to sell Eshus or Elegguas. The site offers Eshus like: “Eshu Obatala“, “Eshu Ogun“, “Eshu Yemonja/Olokun”, “Eshu Oke”, “Eshu Chango“, “Eshu in a Locket”, and even “Eleggua–Eshu Ogun Keychain”! They also offer the baffling “Eshu Sigidi” that appears to be a hybrid between a Congolese Nkisi statue and an Eshu. You will notice in all these instances, they are blending together the names and apparently the attributes of two, sometimes three, orishas‘ energies.

Eshu is Eshu, Eleggua is Eleggua. Eshus are constructed by Babalawos. Elegguas are birthed by Olorishas. They are made in different ways and with different items. While they may be related orishas, it is important to understand that one is not the other. Calling something an Eshu-Eleggua is a red flag that this foundation is operating in the waters of Joseph Campbell’s “similar gods are the same god” philosophy which is not traditional Yoruba nor Lukumí.

Eshu has roads (caminos) with specific names: Eshu Bi, Eshu Laroye, Eshu Barakikeño, Eshu Alawana, etc. not names like “Eshu Ogun” nor “Eshu Obatala“. That is a whole-cloth invention that is outside the scope of traditional Ifá practice.

Orishas Cannot Be Received Through The Mail

Eshu Oshún Ayé – a mish-mash of three different orishas sold by this fraudulent foundation. Notice it hasn’t been fed any animal sacrifice and it is painted green.

Additionally, this foundation of Ifá sends these Eshus through the mail, and never presents them to the intiate on the holy mat “até”. Every orisha or initiation is received by that person while kneeling on a mat (with the exception of the kariocha where the initiate is seated on the Odó which is on top of the mat). The godparent is supposed to pray over the newly consecrated item (be it an Eshu, elekes, idé of Orunmila, Orisha Addimú, etc.), place it in the godchild’s hands and explain what the item is, how to use it, and then bless that initiate that the orisha may serve them to bring iré into their life and keep away osogbo. Babalawos also often chant the songs and prayers for the various odu associated with that initiation. The grass mat “até” is a holy place for us in the Lukumí and Yoruba faiths. This is where the orishas come down to earth and are present in the world. You must receive an orisha or item on the grass mat for that is the meeting place between humankind and the orishas. Receiving something through the mail does not qualify as a legitimate reception of any orisha. That person hasn’t received a thing.

Improperly Constructed Orishas

The Orishas given by this foundation of Ifá were also found to have the wrong items or improper items inside of them. For example, all of the orisha shrines use naturally rounded stones found at the river or ocean (or occasionally pieces of coral – like Eshu Afrá or Babalú Ayé). These are typically metamorphic rocks, not crystals.

The Oshun this individual received from this foundation contained 5 multicolor tumbled quartzite stones, 18 cowries and no tools. Oshun’s otá (stones) must be yellowish or orangish in color and are river rocks, not tumbled quartzite stones. When the foundation of the orisha – the otá (stones) – is incorrect, the very body of the orisha is not properly prepared to receive and seat the spirit of that orisha in the physical form.

The above pictured “Eshu Oshún Ayé” contained nothing more than shredded dollar bills.

The Ogun that this individual had been given contained nine multicolored quartzite rocks, and two out of seven of the proper tools along with a handful of nails. Ogun’s shrine received in the Warriors has one rock (some lineage give two rocks – one for Ogun and one for Ochosi), but certainly not 9. Nine isn’t even Ogun’s ritual numbers. His rocks should be black smooth stones, not multicolored rocks. Additionally, this foundation instructs people to grease Ogun’s shrine with olive oil on a regular basis. There are no olives in Africa. This is an outright invention and is totally illegitimate practice. Ogun’s shrine should be greased with red palm oil (epó) which is easily obtained at any African store or online. We’ve even purchased it on Amazon.com! There is no excuse for using olive oil on our orishas.

The Eshus distributed by their online store had lots of problems too. They had no aches inside, no herbs and none of the expected items required in an Eshu. First, a stone must be present as the resting place for that orisha’s spirit in every orisha shrine. The odu Oshé Meji requires that “The orishas are stone, shells, water and herbs”. No stone, no orisha. Even if the Eshu is constructed of cement, there must be a stone within it or beside it. This person’s “personal Eshu” did not have a stone in it… in fact it had NOTHING inside of it. It was little more than a cement sculpted head. Personal Eshus are supposed to be the most custom of all Eshus. They are tailored for a person’s specific spiritual energy and needs. Sending someone a personal Eshu that is completely empty is not only a fraudulent and unforgivable practice, but can seriously harm someone spiritually.

This victim was sold a “Personal Eshu” that was completely empty and devoid of any required items for empowerment.

The “Eshu Oshun Ayé” this individual bought had shredded dollar bills inside of it, and nothing more. First, Eshu Ayé is made in a conch shell, not as a sculpted cement head. Next, there is no such thing as “Eshu Oshun” – that is an invented name. Eshu is certainly not painted green. Additionally, if any money is to be put inside of an Eshu it would be coinage as the metal of the coins has a real value. Paper does not have a real value for this use. This Eshu had no ashé inside, no herbs, no items of value or spiritual significance. It was a blatant fraud.

Without Animal Sacrifice There is No Orisha

Animal sacrifice seems to be the greatest point of contention with the Santeria and Ifá religions. This foundation which claims to follow an Ifá practice in the more traditional African way, sends out these orishas without having given them any blood sacrifice. You’ll notice the items are sparkling clean. No matter how hard to try to clean an orisha‘s shrine that has been fed, you will always see evidence of some blood left. These never received blood sacrifice.

Animal sacrifice is a necessary and defining part of traditional Ifá and Santeria practice. The blood of animals is sacrificed to the orishas‘ shrines so that they become a concrete and physically rooted incarnation of a spiritual being. The orishas are transcendently spiritual. Creating their shrines makes them physical and gives them manifestation in the physical world so that we can interact with them. Without the act of feeding these items the blood of sacrificed animals they are still ephemeral and not anchored in the physical location of those consecrated items.

Improperly prepared Ogun with nine stones and incomplete tools.

The practice of animal sacrifice was first prescribed by Eshu in the diloggún odu of Ofun Meji. The 16 odus were tasked by Olofi to descend to earth and make it a suitable place for humanity, but Oragun (Ofún) said to Olofi that it was an impossible task for there were too many obstacles to overcome. Eshu stepped forward and prescribed ebó: sacrifice 101 white pigeons to the earth. He explained that the earth was like a leopard that would eat anything on its surface, so to tame it the blood of these sacrificed animals had to touch the earth, cooling it so that humanity could live in peace. Thus was born the act of animal sacrifice as part of our religious practice. Additionally in the diloggún odu Edigbere we are reminded that animal sacrifice not only benefits the person doing the ebó but also helps all of humanity – even those uninvolved in our practices, for it keeps osogbo at bay and helps better our lives.

There are those who would try to modify our religions to remove the act of animal sacrifice. This is a grave mistake. We have ritual requirements both in odu and through the spiritual technology we use, to implement blood sacrifice. No blood sacrifice = no orisha. The blood feeds them and fixes their ephemeral energies into the physical items of their shrines. Additionally, animal sacrifice is a normal part of Yoruban culture which naturally is found in the religions that originate with their culture, namely Lukumí, Ifá and even Brazilian Candomblé. To remove the animal sacrifice is a disrespect to the countless African ancestors who risked their lives to hold to their culture and religion in the face of adversity and persecution from slavery. They felt it was a critical part of our religion to the point that it was worth dying for, should they be discovered. For us to deviate from that practice is a disrespect to their sacrifice and doesn’t hold with the Yoruban cultural value of honoring your ancestors and their efforts; it removes the social component of a religion that is strictly social in nature.

Beware of anyone who claims Santeria Lucumi or Ifá orisha worship without animal sacrifice. Shrines and Eshus given without any animal sacrifice are definitely not orishas and certainly not part of the traditions of Ifá nor Santería Lukumí.

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The Head or Guardian Orisha

Categories:

Ceremonies, Clarifying Misconceptions, Orishas, Religious Practices, Terminology

August 29, 2012

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Changó is one of the most common head orishas in Santería Lucumí. He is the king of our religion and his presence is found in every ceremony in Santeria.

There seems to be a growing trend of people wanting to learn who their orisha is and how they can work with that orisha. In this article we’ll address some of the misconceptions around the guardian orisha, clarify how a person’s tutelary orisha is determined, and why you should or shouldn’t know who it is.

A person’s tutelary orisha (also called a head orisha, guardian orisha or guardian angel) is the orisha that claims a person’s head. They are your patron or matron and act as a guardian and balancing force in a person’s life. A person’s head orisha is not a matter of choice or preference; the tutelary orisha is linked to a person’s destiny. The head orisha is the right divine current of spiritual energy that person needs for his or her life to be balanced so his or her ultimate destiny can be attained.

Not All Orishas Are Equal!

There are literally hundreds of orishas but only a select few of them can be guardian orishas that are actually crowned on a person’s head as part of the ordination of kariocha. The orishas that can be tutelary orishas in Santería Lucumi/Lukumi are:

Aggayu is crowned through a ceremony called “Changó oro Aggayu“. Here is our Aggayú shrine at our Church.

These are the list of tutelary orishas within Lukumí practice that are done directly to a person’s head. In addition to these there are other orishas that are crowned through a ritual adjustment called “oro”. These are also legitimate and traditional initiations with a procedural adjustment.

Orishas Crowned in Other African Religions

In other African Diasporic religions (Candomblé, Ifa, etc.) there are additional orishas crowned beyond those mentioned above. These orishas include Logun Ede, Oshumare, Orisha Oko (direct) and even Olokun. These are legitimate initiations in those religions but are not a traditional part of Santeria Lukumí. There is even a modern trend to begin initiating people to these orishas in Lukumí practice but this is highly unconventional and non-traditional.

Who Is My Head Orisha?

With the growing awareness of Santeria, people find themselves infatuated with the orishas. There is a growing phenomenon of people wanting to know who their orisha is, along with a desire to worship and work with that orisha directly. Unfortunately many people treat this information like a parlor game, trying to guess who a person’s tutelary orisha is prior to divination. There are even espiritistas (spiritualists) who will declare a person’s tutelary orisha in a spiritual mass (misa), or use tarot cards to determine who their orisha is. I recently saw an article in a well-known New Orleans Voodoo publication telling people to perform a shamanic journey to determine who their tutelary orisha is. These are not legitimate practices and are not only fraudulent but can be incredibly harmful to a person’s development.

So how does a person find out who their tutelary orisha is? Simple. You aren’t supposed to know until you are already preparing for kariocha (ordination as a priest). As far as all should be concerned you are under the tutelage and protection of Obatala. Obatala is the owner of all heads – he fashioned our bodies and minds. He is the “head” of the orishas and as such protects and guides all people with fairness and equality. If you want to know who to worship and who to work with, it’s Obatala … until it is time for you to find out who your guardian orisha really is.

The guardian orisha can change before a person is ordained in kariocha and there is no point in knowing until the arrangements are already being made for kariocha. Additionally, a person may be told they are a child of one orisha and they dedicate all of their energy and efforts to bond with that orisha only to find out at the last minute that it has changed and this imbalance in the relationship with the orishas will be reflected negatively in that person’s life reading (itá). As an Aleyo or Aborisha your job is to learn about all the orishas and learn discipline, obedience and humbleness while apprenticing at your godparent’s side. You should not be focusing on one orisha. You should be working on your own self, overcoming your weaknesses and building a relationship with your ancestors long before kariocha. Knowing a person’s guardian orisha is putting the cart before the horse.

When is the Right Time to Determine a Person’s Guardian Orisha?

Ifá-centric houses will defer to the Babalawos in their godfamily to determine a person’s orisha.

There are two times when you can find out who your guardian orisha is. For houses that are Ocha-centric and do not work with Babalawos, this would be the moment you are marked for kariocha. This would happen in a divination where it is determined that you must be crowned a priest. Once this happens, that person should begin making preparations for kariocha – primarily saving money for the ceremony. Once you are close to having all the money in place a cowrie shell divination should be performed to find out who that person’s tutelary or guardian orisha is. That way the godparents know whether they can crown that person (barring any taboos to the contrary) and they can begin to purchase the rights supplies and make the proper arrangements. For example, the initiation for Elegguá costs a lot more than that of Yemaya, so the proper arrangements have to be made according to which orisha that person will receive on their crown.

For Ifa-centric houses, the divination of a person’s crowning orisha is reserved for Babalawos. This is typically done when a person received their Hand of Orunla (Awofakán or Ikofá). At this ceremony, the initiate is given the mysteries of Orunla (Orunmila), the bracelet of Ifá (idé Ifá) and they are told who their tutelary orisha is. If the person has not received their hand of Orunla, this can be done through a divination with Ikin (palm nuts) prior to the initiation.

There have even been instances where one orisha stood up to claim a person’s head moments prior to initiation, or even in the ceremony itself. This often happens when a person’s tutelary orisha is determined way in advance – years before the ceremony – and at the last minute a different orisha possesses that person and claims their head. This is yet another reason why it is best to wait up until the last possible moment to determine the guardian orisha so that there are no dramatic changes that have to be made in the ceremony.

How The Guardian Orisha Is Determined

There are two (maybe three) ways a person’s tutelary or guardian orisha is determined. The first two are through divination. The third is through direct possession, but even this must be confirmed with divination.

Ocha-centric houses will use the diloggún of Eleggua or of the godparent’s crowning orisha to divine a person’s head orisha.

For Ocha-centric houses, the proper way to determine a person’s tutelary orisha is in a ceremony known as a bajada (bringing down) of the guardian orisha. This is usually done by an Obá Oriaté but any sufficiently skilled olorisha that has firm knowledge of odu can perform the ceremony. This is done using the cowrie shells (diloggún) of Elegguá or of the godparent’s tutelary orisha. The divination is performed on a grass mat wrapped in a white sheet that is placed on the ground. The diviner is seated on the ground and the person being consulted is seated on a small stool on the covered mat within reach of the diviner. In the divination, the client will place his head on the mat while the diviner throws the diloggun to bring his guardian orisha “down to the mat” and determine which owns his head.

For Ifá-centric houses, this must be divined using the ikin of Orunmila (palm nuts). Three babalawos must be present for this to be done properly. The babalawos will beat the palm nuts and mark out odu on the table of ifá (opón ifá) and determine which orisha rules that person’s destiny. This ceremony is also perfomed on the floor like the one done in Ocha-centric houses. It is unacceptable for this ceremony to be done with the okuelé (diviner’s chain). Typically this ceremony is done as part of a person receiving their Awofakán or Ikofá (hand of Orunla) but it can be done as just a reading if that person hasn’t received the hand of Orunla yet.

The third way a person’s tutelary orisha can be determined is directly from an orisha when they are possessing a priest or priestess. This can happen at a drum ceremony or other ceremony. Occasionally orishas will descend onto their priests to speak and interact with others. They can declare a person needs to be initiated and who they should be crowned to. While this is a powerful and moving experience, in this day of people faking possessions it is necessary to confirm what was revealed through divination just for good measure.

It is important to reiterate that using obí (four cowries, four coconut pieces or four kola nuts) to divine a person’s orisha is not acceptable and is fraudulent practice. Obí is only used for yes or no questions. Obí can be used to open the bajada reading but the sixteen cowrie shells (diloggún) are what speak and deliver the news of that person’s tutelage. There are no other accepted methods aside from those mentioned above to determine a person’s tutelary orisha within Santeria Lukumí. If you were told that you are a child of an orisha through an alternate method just consider that reading as the orisha taking you under his or her protection, but until the proper method is used, you are NOT confirmed to be a child of that orisha.

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