The main Òrìṣà
The main Òrìṣà
The Òrìṣà are the energies of nature manifested in the visible world as natural phenomena and human behaviour and in the invisible world as spiritual energies that may help us positively affect both natural phenomena (to the extent that they help us acquire peace, joyfulness, etc.) and human behaviour (the energy of water, for instance, has a cleansing effect).
Through consecrations and ritualistic offerings, we may introduce the qualities of individual Òrìṣà into our own lives or harmonise them, and the cleansing rituals enable us to eliminate or neutralise certain influences. All the Òrìṣà are intended to resolve specific issues.
Under the heading The main Òrìṣà, the four primary Òrìṣà are briefly represented along with the ones whose characteristics we most clearly lack.
The Òrìṣà Èṣù
The god of order, organization, discipline, and patience who serves as a messenger between different Òrìṣà as well as between the Òrìṣà and humans.
He is worshiped in order to attract all his qualities into one’s life. Although the Òrìṣà Èṣù plays the most important role in our life, he is truly worshiped only by a handful of people. We all speak about his virtues, but only select few can say that they truly possess them. None of us is organized and disciplined enough, and our lives are more frequently led by chaos than order. Patience is often equated with forbearance, and we tend to perceive it as a sign of weakness.
In reality, patience is the ability of human beings to actively wait for the right moment, to recognize and seize it, to make use of the opportunity that presents itself and accept the gift it brings. This is, therefore, a conscious and wilful activity.
On the other hand, forbearance stands in opposition to passive subordination – the word itself includes the verb “to bear”. It is a virtue that is being imposed with an intention to subordinate someone.
The colours of the Òrìṣà Èṣù are red and black.
The Òrìṣà Ifá – Ọ̀rúnmìlà
The god of destiny, wisdom, and the secrets of human life.
This divinity is also referred to as Ọ̀rùnmilá. The system of divination aimed at the reading of human fate is called Ifá, and due to the importance of Ọ̀rùnmilá’s mission, he is commonly named after this system.
He is worshiped in order to improve our destiny, to minimize the unpleasant and undesirable aspects, to increase one’s potentials, to attract new opportunities in one’s life, etc.
The colours of the Òrìṣà Ifá are green and brown.
The Òrìṣà Ọbàtàlá
The god of creativity, peace, harmony, and purity.
The colour of the Òrìṣà Ọbàtàlá is white.
He is worshiped in order to attract all of the aforementioned qualities into one’s life. When we are creative, we know how to find solutions to our problems. If our energy is pure, we have peace in our life.
Ọbàtàlá created the physical aspect of human beings. This was his original mission. With assistance of the Òrìṣà Ògún, he shaped human bodies.
The Òrìṣà Ògún
Ògún is the god of war. When speaking of war, we also refer to our turbulent way of life on a day-to-day basis. He is the god of civilization and motivation who shows the right path to humans and simultaneously serves as a guiding light for all other deities as well. He is the god of renovation and the god of generosity.
We refer to Ògún as “the generous god” who built a big house without windows and doors so that people could freely come and share the good things with him. His generosity is boundless. People who feel that their life paths are blocked invoke the Òrìṣà Ògún in order to attract new opportunities and make progress. Those who suffer one failure after another are advised to make an offering to Ògún. The same goes for any person who lacks the courage to work, to move on, to invest in something, to pursue the simplest things in life, or to take risk. Risk is another aspect of our daily ritual that also includes trust and faith among other things.
His colour is blue.
The Òrìṣà Ṣàngó
The god of justice, social responsibility, and thunder.
His colours are red and white.
He is worshiped in order to invoke the sense of justice and social responsibility. Someone who is facing legal problems, for example, can make an offering to the Òrìṣà Ṣàngó to bring peace and justice. Ṣàngó is worshiped in order to transform us into winners, especially when we are under intense attack by our enemies, regardless of whether they are visible or invisible – invisible enemies are all kinds of problems that we have and are aware of as well as those that are bubbling up beneath the surface and remain hidden.
The Òrìṣà Ọya
The goddess of tornadoes, the great female warrior, and a symbol of faithfulness, devotion, perfection, and speed.
Her colour is brown.
The Òrìṣà Ọya is a very powerful energy. Bàbá King usually compels women who are initiated into Ọya to try to lead a slower and quieter life. The most magnificent thing we can do in life is to worship our own energy. Mythological sources reveal that the Òrìṣà Ọya can walk through fire without burning an inch of her skin. She is worshiped because of her immense courage, and this is why the worshippers of Ọya must always showcase courage in their own lives. Every worshipper of the Òrìṣà Ọya has to be fast and nimble. Intentionally or unintentionally, one has to create speed in one’s mind and always strive to gain momentum. It is known that if we have courage, we can do anything at any given point in our lives. Ọya is worshiped in order to attract all of the supporting energies that provide blessings in our life and help us to direct our courage and our speed into the right target, thus enabling us to realise our dreams.
The Òrìṣà Ọ̀ṣun
The goddess of love and fertility in all senses of the word and the goddess of multiplication (we turn to her to ask for more of everything – more children, more money, success, good luck, hope, protection, etc.).
Her colour is yellow.
She is the keeper of our love. She is worshiped in order to secure good luck in our love life as well as in business, ensuring that our efforts are crowned with great success. Her symbols are the bodies of fresh waters, including fresh rivers, lakes, streams, and brooks. She is one of the Òrìṣà that is worshiped by the majority of people. If she is not worshiped in order to attract love, then she is worshiped in order to facilitate progress, improve one’s family life, or promote health. Regardless of the circumstances we are in, the energy of the Òrìṣà Ọ̀ṣun can be the answer to our problems.
In mythology Ọ̀ṣun is the universal mother of all children who loves everybody. Ọ̀ṣun is commonly perceived as emotional and romantic. Whenever we are in need of love, we worship the Òrìṣà Ọ̀ṣun and invoke her either for attraction or protection. The same goes for financial and professional life. People who are restless in business, experience one failure after another, and seem unable to make progress in life are advised to worship the Òrìṣà Ọ̀ṣun in order to find stability and make progress.
The Òrìṣà Ọbalúwayé
Ọbalúwayé is the god of healing who possesses vast knowledge in relation to all kinds of illnesses.
His colours are black, red, and white.
The worship of this god should be regarded both as a form of prevention and as a cure as it is specifically aimed at the preservation of our good health not only in relation to the physical aspects of the human body, but also with regards to our feelings and thoughts.
One must never expect that a simple offering to the Òrìṣà Ọbalúwayé is enough to regain perfect health without changing harmful habits and while refusing to abstain from unhealthy food.
The Òrìṣà Ọbalúwayé can alleviate our problems, but only with our assistance.
The Òrìṣà Ọ̀sányìn
The colours of the Òrìṣà Ọ̀sányìn are green and white (either entirely green or green in combination with white).
As he is the god of plants, any type of plant may be offered to him. He is worshiped in order to provide us with the knowledge regarding the characteristics of plants and their use.
Without Ọ̀sányìn there is no Òrìṣà. The common saying goes: Kò sí ewé, kò sí Òrìṣà, meaning “no plants, no Òrìṣà”.
The energy of plants facilitates revitalization and enables us to infuse the symbols of the Òrìṣà with life and energy. Furthermore, the Òrìṣà Ọ̀sányìn has another distinct quality. Mythological sources reveal that he is the deity who was created by the Supreme God Elédùnmarè with the purpose to civilize human beings and enable them to find solutions to their problems with the help of the green planet or, in other words, with the help of plants. Ọ̀sányìn is the god who was created to teach us how to diagnose illnesses and cure them, meaning that he is the god of healing. The difference between Ọ̀sányìn and Ọbalúwayé lies in the fact that Ọ̀sányìn is specialized in the field of plants, while Ọbalúwayé is the actual god of medicine. Whatever is offered to Ògún can also be offered to Ọ̀sányìn. Those who want to acquire wisdom and knowledge with regards to the worship, manipulation, and use of plants have to worship Ọ̀sányìn.
The Òrìṣà Ajé
The Òrìṣà Ajé is the goddess of progress, good luck, and money. If one doesn’t have good luck, one can’t have money. If one doesn’t work, one can’t have money either. However, bear in mind that Ajé doesn’t make money out of thin air. What she does is provide an opportunity to earn money or to attract financial prosperity.
Ajé is a female energy. She is worshiped in order to multiply one’s progress and attract good luck, progress, and money and to retain all of these benefits in the long run.
When we speak of illnesses, we do not refer only to instances when one has to lie down or is taken to a hospital. A constant lack of money, shortage of good luck, or absence of good opportunities is also an illness, and there are other types of illnesses as well, including emotional and energetic ones.
After feeding other people, the energy is released through their satisfaction, and this energy subsequently returns to us and brings us good luck.
The colour of the Òrìṣà Ajé is white.
The Òrìṣà Erinlẹ̀
Erinlẹ̀ is the goddess of hunting who was trained by Ògún. The Òrìṣà Erinlẹ̀ symbolizes both the energy of courage and the energy of eternity. Erinlẹ̀ denotes something immensely vast, something with boundless energy that expands in every direction and radiates through all parts of the universe. The goddess Erinlẹ̀ also possesses the energy of the Òrìṣà Ọ̀sányìn, and that is why they share the same symbols. Furthermore, she also possesses the energy of Ìyá-mí (Mothers of the universe), and a number of Ìyá-mí symbols are found at her altar as well (particularly the birds). The symbol of Erinlẹ̀ is the forest.
All the colours belong to her.
The Òrìṣà Òṣọ́ọ̀sí
Òṣọ́ọ̀sí’s colour is blue (or light blue).
The Òrìṣà Òṣọ́ọ̀sí is the male equivalent to Erinlẹ̀. Everything that applies to Erinlẹ̀ applies to Òṣọ́ọ̀sí as well. The only difference is that Erinlẹ̀ is a female energy while Òṣọ́ọ̀sí is male. The Òrìṣà Òṣọ́ọ̀sí is worshiped in order to attract positive things and facilitate protection. He points us to the right direction in life.
The symbols of Òṣọ́ọ̀sí are an arrow and a bow. The worshippers of this Òrìṣà gain a better focus and can hit their life’s targets more accurately.
The Òrìṣà Èṣùmàrè
The goddess of rainbow, luck, and secrets.
The symbol of the Òrìṣà Èṣùmàrè is a cobra. Èṣùmàrè is also the goddess of wisdom who attracts longevity, order, peace, courage, and persistence. People who worship Èṣùmàrè are always ready to defend themselves. She brings a very special energy of sensitivity, meaning that people’s senses and perception are sharpened so that they are constantly alert. She is connected to Ògún, the god of the day, and to another independent Òrìṣà who is the god of the day as well – Ọlọ́jọ́. While the Òrìṣà Ọlọ́jọ́ is the true god of the day, Ògún is so very important that he is regarded as the god of the day as well. By the same token, Èṣùmàrè is referred to as the goddess of the day due to the important role she plays as well. She has a direct impact on our daily lives.
Her colours are the colours of the rainbow.
The Òrìṣà Yemọja
The Òrìṣà Yemọja is symbolized by the ocean and the sea as well as by fresh waters (rivers, lakes, and streams). Where there is water, there is Yemọja. Yemọja is the energy that soothes our suffering. It is believed that she is the one who alleviates one’s pain. She heals our sorrow and our suffering and evokes the feeling of satisfaction and happiness. She is regarded as the mother of many Òrìṣà. She is known for her ability to save people when they are ill, restless, or when luck turns its back on them. When we are abandoned by our own energy and our good luck or when we are deserted by our friends, we make an offering to the Òrìṣà Yemọja.
Her typical colour is blue or light blue, but it can also be transparent (particularly in relation to transparent beads – bear in mind that water is transparent). A silver calabash may be used for both Yemọja and Ọbàtàlá.
The Òrìṣà Ẹgbẹ́
Ẹgbẹ́ is a spiritual fraternity and a neutral energy. Both Ẹgbẹ́ and Ìyá-mí are collective energies. Ìyá-mí are the mothers of the universe, and by invoking them, one always conjures multiple energies.
The Òrìṣà Ẹgbẹ́ is regarded as our great saviour. Ẹgbẹ́ is the symbol of friendship with our spiritual colleagues. This energy can liberate us from illnesses. Worshiping Ẹgbẹ́ can break the pact with our suffering. It saves us or keeps us in this universe. Regardless of the source of one’s problem and the type of one’s suffering, Ẹgbẹ́ – our spiritual friends and brothers from the parallel invisible world – will help us by making us healthier and stronger and ensuring our life will become valuable and important. These energies liberate us from destructive ideas and tendencies. Some people say they don’t care if they die or fall ill; such individuals usually possess supernatural powers and a restless temper. They are born with the purpose to provoke their parents and their surroundings and are often misunderstood. They are referred to as Àbíkú, and Àbíkú may be soothed by the energy of Ẹgbẹ́. Upon receiving this energy through an initiation, Àbíkú individuals finally calm down and begin to feel truly at home on this planet. The fraternity of Ẹgbẹ́ helps them to receive useful messages and visions even more clearly.
When someone is wasting time and is headed into the wrong direction while constantly suffering, we turn to Ẹgbẹ́ the saviour.
All of the colours belong to Ẹgbẹ́.