O jó se ajé Okándílògún Erènà Odún 2007.

Subject: Elégbàrá, elegba, Esú.

Èşù- Elègbàrà ( echu elégwára ). The word Èşù is obscure to the uninitiated.
Elégbára finds its etymology in the Lúkúmí language from: Èlè – who performs-,
Agbára – order and authority-. He is considered the policeman of the universe.
The Òşà is the owner of the construction permit ( Àşe ) and the roads. Some of
their Oríki (surnames, titles) are: Bárà (one who finds and acquires), Lát ọ pa Lówó
(goes to follow in the footsteps of the wealthy), Alaàjekí (one who possesses
gluttony), alágbána (one who sweeps the path), Alaàroyé ( who owns the
complaints) , etc.
Elégbà , Òşà protector of beggars and traveling merchants, native of Dahomey.
The color of his necklace is red and black. This Òşà in Cuba syncretizes with the
“Child of Atocha” and for the Greeks with “Hermes”. The sacrifices of Elégbà are
different from those of Èşù . A suckling goat and small chicks are sacrificed to
Elégbà . Their food offerings are yam balls, gofio, flour and the “sweets” offered
by street vendors.
Elegbara: E – le – i wa – ara- Whoever has good character in the body, that is, the
one who lives within us, when we eat we are feeding Elegbara; He is the owner of
good fortune. This divinity is represented by the Okutá and the 21 igbín.

Esu sacrifices are offered to him to begin a new life project. It is not received or
lived in houses, it is taboo. A phrase says: Èşù gbà lóhún, Èşù gbà lóde - Èşù
receives there, Èşù receives on the outside. Furthermore, Esu ensures that the
laws of predestination are fulfilled and punishes violators of the established
celestial patterns. He can be seen with an òg ọ in his hands (a type of baton used
for self-defense, which also represents the penis as a symbol of procreation and
the Àşe ) .
Also, sometimes, he carries a doodle (ariwowo) in his hands. The rest of its
representations are: a tricolor hat (white, red and black) and a hemp whistle. Its
collar and banners are tricolor, although sometimes it is identified with red and
black or black and white tones.
He hails from the city of Ketu, Nigeria. It is not syncretized in Cuba. Brazilians
represent him as “Lucifer” , for Amerindians he is “Iuruparí” , for Egyptians “Set” ;
for the Dahomeyans ( Arárá ) “Légba” and for the Bantu “Lucero” . The sacrifices
that are made are: father goat and rooster. The taboos are bitter herbs, dogs, red
peppers and cocoa butter.
Their food offerings are: dried jutía, dried (smoked) fish, fermented flour bread (
eko ), corojo, pounded yams, and ìyan (wet yam).

Èşù came to earth brought by the Odù Ifá Ogbè Ìrètè , to report to Olódùmarè
about the exploits of human beings and the Òrìşà and to take care of the special
relationships between heaven and earth. He was entrusted with obstructing the
work of any of the 200 divinities. To do this, he uses 200 names to be able to
change his personality in multiple ways.
Important note: When the devotee of Èşù or Elégbà is out of harmony with this
Òşà, or does not take into account its taboos and does not comply with the
requirements it demands, they are affected with problems with authority and
closure of all life projects.
Invocation to Èşù:

Èşù Bara, Alaàjekí, Alágbána, nbé ilékùn so kùn Alaàroyé, Èşù nkanmáşe, maa
maa kéyàn òfé me.
(t. Èşù the one who hides and disappears, who possesses gluttony, who sweeps
the road, lives at the door of the house, transforms by rubbing (oil) Alaàroyé (who
possesses the quarrel or controversy), Èşù delivers from evil forces, constantly
Gratify me as chosen, may things be free for me.
Èşù là t ọ pa lówó (chorus) to bù ké ké (encore).

(t. Èşù is going to follow in the footsteps of the wealthy man (chorus) from whom
he takes a part and separates it, separates it).

Alàroyé jóko òde (bis) ibá Òrìşà maa bò, Alàroyé jóko òde.

(t. Whoever is the owner of the contradictions sits on the outside (bis) greeting to
the Òrìşà who usually arrives or hides, to the owner of the contradictions who sits
on the outside).

Ìtanná (itana) – In popular slang: Ataná . Ìtanná is a lamp made with a cotton wick
and corojo oil (epo) . Due to the scarcity of this product, it has been replaced by
candles. The lamps are also called Àtupa (atukua) . The corojo has the power to
attract the Òşà and the light it emanates illuminates their path. It was through the
corojo palm that the Òşà descended to earth. The use of wax candles was
prohibited in Lúkúmí houses.

Elewá- lack of will to undertake something in life. The sympathetic and

parasympathetic nervous system

EŞU : Problems with the environment around him, problems presented by the
client, conflicts with forgiveness, demanding judgments, unresolved anger,
hostility, egocentrism, resentment, fear, bitterness, decrease in love of life,
inability to give love to oneself or to others.

Ęşù is one of the fundamental divinities, and very prominent in Yorùbá

mythology. We have seen it in relation to Òrùnmìlá, to whom he taught the Ifá
oracle, a means of divination of the wishes of the divinities, as well as the search
for a spiritual guide.

According to popular tradition, if he was the instructor of Òrùnmìlá, it would be

said that he was his contemporary, and therefore one of the main divinities, it
would be a mistake, as much as Bascom did, to suggest that Ęşù was the youngest
of the divinities. .

It is very difficult for a casual observer of the Yorùbá religion to understand Ęşù,
and his place in Yorùbá beliefs. Ęşù, he is not the devil, of the Christian concept,
nor the Shaitan of the Muslim faith.

The Devil or the Shaitan, according to these beliefs, is completely evil, but this is
not the case with Ęşù in Yorùbá beliefs. Furthermore, we must emphasize that
there is no dualism in the Yorùbá religion, in the way that Dennett described Ęşù,
as the “Being of darkness, while Ifá, is the being of light and revelation.” Luke is
also wrong in calling Ęşù “the evil divinity who stands in direct opposition to
Olórun.” Ęşù, he is not like Ekwénsu who is a totally evil force, according to the
belief of the Igbo of Nigeria, nor equal to Ahriman, of the Zoroastrian religious
system, who is totally opposite to Ahura Mazda (The Knight of Wisdom). In other
words, the Yorùbá does not know the forces that are totally opposed; one
representing evil, and another representing good. Ęşù, he is not the personal
incarnation of evil, placing himself in opposition to goodness. As one of
Olódùmarè's officials in his theocratic world, he must be seen as part of the
divine, which tests and tempts his people. He provokes people, but that does not
mean that he is against the human race, or that he will do any harm to it. He is
the one who loves to test what is in people's hearts and what is their true
character.

Ęşù must be seen as the official relations between heaven and earth. The Yorùbá
tradition affirms that he maintains relationships with the super-sensitive world
and with human beings on earth. In relation to the super sensible, or sensitive
world, he maintains close relations with Òrùnmìlá, who is notable for his wisdom,
and is the one who knows the desires of the divinities, and who transports these
to men through Ifá. (Ęşù, speaks first teaching Òrùnmìlá) Whenever the oracle
speaks, a sacrifice is prescribed, this must be offered by men and women, who
desire the favor of the gods; A part of each sacrifice goes to Ęşù, (according to the
agreement with Òrùnmìlá) and he ensures to carry the message to the spiritual
world, but if a person refuses to make the command to the divinities, Ęşù will
make his life uncomfortable or she.

The main function of Ęşù is to make arrangements for men and divinities, and
report their actions to the supreme being. As an inspector general, Ęşù is
omnipresent, found in the market, at road junctions, and on the doorsteps of
houses. In his actions he is both ambivalent and ambidextrous. What is intriguing
about Ęşù is that he does not discriminate in developing good as well as bad
efforts, he can be used as an instrument of revenge; It can create hostility
between parent and child, or between husband and wife, as well as between two
friends. At the same time, it can provide children for barren women, good sales
for market women. It can cause a person to behave badly, or act abnormally, as
well as force a debtor to pay a debt to a creditor. (if the latter seeks your help) .
That is why the Yorùbá saying about him: “Ko se idurado de, ko si se iśá fun” “You
don't even run away, you wait for him.” He sees himself as the divine enforcer,
punishing those who do not offer him the prescribed sacrifices, and ensuring
those who do, are amply rewarded.

It should be noted here that the Yorubas believe that Ęşù can and does instigate
men to offend the gods, and thereby provide sacrifices to the wrath of the gods.
That's why some people say that without it, the gods would starve.
The first investigations of the Yorùbá religion, which stated that the place of Ęşù is
always at the crossroads and far from the dwellings of humans, are wrong. We
discover that the true place is the one in which almost every traditional family,
clan or town, each devotee (regardless of the cult to which he or she belongs) has
the symbol and divinity of Ęşù. His cult transcends the limits of any group or
ancestry, no devotee of any divinity will omit to propitiate Ęşù first, before
offerings are made to the divine being that is worshiped. No householder will fail
to offer the first morsel of food, or the first drop of a libation to Ęşù, before the
ancestral spirits are fed. He must be conciliated first, so that in reciprocity, he can
cooperate in the favorable development of the ceremony that is to be performed.
Nobody wants things to be ruined because of him. He must be counted on
seriously, because eventually, he will be the one who brings the offerings to their
recipients, thus maintaining the relationship between human beings, and bringing
the offerings to the supernatural beings. In other words, without Ęşù, the
dynamics of the rite would not exist. If he did not receive the necessary elements
to fulfill his constructive function, he would take revenge by blocking the path of
goodness, and opening paths that are hostile to human beings. For this reason, he
is feared and respected at the same time.

There are individuals who maintain that Ęşù helps them ward off evil, and bring
them peace and prosperity. Parrinder likens Ęşù with this type of relationship to
“A wild dog” who will rarely bite the hand that feeds him, but will attack any evil
that approaches him.

Ęşù does not have an ordinary clergy, because he is associated with all the other
divinities, but wherever these other divinities are worshiped, due homage will be
paid to him; His devotees wear black or brown necklaces around their necks.

It is represented by various types of images. It may be seen in the form of a

simple mound, with the crude form of a human being, with horns on its head, and
a knife or stick in its hand, or it may be represented by a piece of red clay, or
stone stuck in the dirt, or on an upside-down piece of clay with a hole in the
middle.

The offerings to Ęşù are very simple, including a few grains of corn and beans,
chickens or black birds, goats and dogs. Dogs are said to be especially sacred to
him, because they physically eat the ritual sacrifices at the sacred sites of Ęşù.
Hence the common saying among the Yorubas: “Ohun ti aja maa je, Ęşù a se e
(What the dogs are going to eat will be supplied by Ęşù). Epo palm oil is poured
over it, which he loves, but he hates the oil that is extracted from the seeds of
palms (Adin). The first offers to flatter him, and the second to calm his
displeasure. The belief is that if Ęşù is dry, problems will break out, it could be a
fight or pestilence, or an outbreak of fire, which is why palm oil is poured daily on
the pillar that represents it.

We see in Ęşù a personification of good and evil, and the way in which the
Yorùbás pay attention to him is indicative of their recognition, of the presence
and coexistence of the forces of good and evil in the World.

Oşę logbá torí pàpá (Elegbara) Ęşù

Òrìşà igbín (Guardian Angel) “Architect of fortune”

Elegwá Spokesman

Messenger of - Òrìşà igbín Distributes the sacrifice among the Divinities who have
created The misfortune

Inporí is the one who calls Ori

The destiny of man, when he is in communication between his inpori and Ori, if
he says yes with the left, he is not in communication with Ori, and he must give
sacrifice to his Orisa igbin, which can be directly to him, or through Elegbara
messenger, Eegún or the land Ilé.

In all cases of divination, the hand decides or indicates the need for sacrifice or
helps the Ifá conversation.

Ado Işùbí Işùré - Aşé Ęşù

It is the spokesperson for the inner voice of our guardian angel. Elegbara allows
our guardian angel to distribute and give benefits.

Elegba: Who sweeps. It is the position that Elegbara adopts as a divinity

Ęşù: He is the possessor of good and evil, he is the negative part of Elegba. Official
between heaven and earth,
Born in Baba Ejiogbe,
He is personified in Oşé Tura,
He comes into the world in Ogbe Ate.
Okanna Sa.Okannan adi sa agbi lari, Ęşù is called, to receive offerings.
In Irosun Ate, he does good and evil,
associates with Òrùnmìlá in Ogbe Odi: I provide salvation.
In Iworin bogbe spoils luck.
In Irosun Umbo you are allowed freedoms, and it is used to allow people to be
born.
Olódùmarè gave Ęşù, the faculty, Ado Işùbí Işùré (aşé) and it is the one he uses to
this day. He has this aşé, because if someone wants to do something good or bad,
without the approval of Ęşù, he cannot do it.

Important: Ęşù, is not an opponent of Satan, he is the intermediary between

Olódùmarè, and human beings, and between the Irúnmolé and the Òrişàs. There
is no Irúnmolé, nor any Òrişà without the presence of Ęşù. He adopts these two
positions, like Irúnmolé or like Òrişà. His Ilé should be outside the house, nor
should he be sung inside the house.

Symbols:

 Èré beads (red)

 Kunmó Ęşù (club or staff)
 Okuta yangi (red stone)
 Clothing: red, white and black
 Obe Ęşù curved knife
 Two images carved in wood.
 Ojúbo Ęşù (altar) must be surrounded by a bridge.

Worópó (Mother)

Agberú Ęşù (Wife)

FEEDING MATERIAL

 Bitter kola nut, (which is broken into three)

 Oil and if it is olive better.
 Pigeon, goat rooster, fish, chicken rat
 Dog (in case of change of life, because the dog is Ęşù's friend)
 Cassava stew
 Eku, eja, agbado
 Sweet potato (yam)
 Eko
 Guinea and pork (the pork ribs are very good)

Ewo taboos:

 Snails and slugs

 Almond oil
 Ikin (ikin oil)
 Do not say obscene words
 Do not mention the names of loved ones.

Power Mode:

 When he feeds, he touches his statue with the animal's neck.

 It feeds while standing.

Coconut Positions

Received: Normal positions of the Coco: Ejife, Alafia for himself

Okannan for No, and Itawa (undecided, something is missing)

Farewell: Alafia, Ejife. If he gives Okannan, he is still present, and one should
continue praying.

Red Stone: okuta yangi

Ere Ęşù (Tiriri)

He lives on the outside of the house, at the entrance to the door.

Ęşù likes dark places. He doesn't wash, because he puts himself at the mercy of
Ikú Eegún.

Ęşù, he has no power to kill, He only creates dissociation, discord Between the
earthly, from his position in the divine sphere, (celestial), he is the one who
watches over all the priests (that is why, when we make sacrifice, it is sent to
heaven, (and is taken into account) including the divinities.

The king of death Iku, destroys massively Example:

Ògún, Şàngó, Şàpàná They do not forgive when they are offended, and they
destroy mercilessly, these are divinities in their own right, and not agents of Ęşù.

In Oworin – Şogbe, Ęşù creates obstacles in the path of the mortals, to give his
victim an opportunity to recognize the fault, and after this, transform misfortunes
into luck.

All divinities have an Ęşù, all of them, including Òrùnmìlá.

Elegbá, as a divinity, is located in Ketú, Benin

Importance of Ęşù in Alaikú – Opón (alaikú: the one who never dies).

1. Functions as a supervisor. The awo must ensure that the face of Ęşù faces
his own, so that he can observe whether the ritual is completed or not in all its
aspects, until the correct Odú appears, and the response to the divine revelation (
Ęşù, the Overseer)
The second aspect is the linguist. When attributing this function to it, it must be
kept in mind that only the Yorùbá language includes a large number of dialects.
Bestower of Aşé, to be able to see ourselves inside, so that who we really are.
Helps us recognize evil
Eshu : It is the dynamic balance, it is what changes, it is the environment,
everything that surrounds us, it is the energy that produces movement, natural
dynamics. It is the energy that uses polarities to execute transformations. esu is
the energy displaced between the positive and the negative (orishanla-oduwa),
the energy emanated between the nucleus and the atom, it is in turn the action
and the reaction, the restoration, the result. Thus we see how energy moves
between identifiable natural terms: light-dark, dry-wet, love-hate, cold-heat,
inhalation-expulsion, contraction-impulse, bad-good, soft-hard, attraction-
repulsion-centrifugal force- centripetal force, etc. It is the energy that executes
the dynamic transitions from one element to another, from one dimension to
another, it is the transmission of the sound of heat, air, semen to the vagina, it is
the development, Eshu, the Yoruba deity, who "opens and close the roads" is a
whole. If Orishanla is the positive pole and Oduwa is the negative pole, Eshu, the
third figure, is the energy that moves between them and is therefore the
messenger of creation itself, of matter.It is the " illumination of consciousness,
which gives you the ability to transcend the physical restrictions of time and space
and also enables function in all four dimensions. The Orisa reminds us that we are
in constant flow with the universe and nature.

Eşu is the orisa of the roads, the one who keeps the keys to the doors of
prosperity and poverty. He who also keeps the aşe that is given to us. Eşu is the
first one we turn to when we need open doors and roads. So we are in need of
making offers. Some of the offerings we can give you are: roosters, gins and red
palm oil. Esu is the misunderstood orisa. The first that offers its manifestation in
our lives. He is responsible for us making our own choice and decision to
accomplish any task. He is the Olota Orun (the policeman of heaven) he is the
wonderful worker, the owner of the vital force, who was in creation. He attended
when the existence of Olodumaré was proclaimed.

When it appears in divination it is interpreted with: Problems with the

environment around you, problems presented by the client, conflicts with
forgiveness, demanding judgments, unresolved anger, hostility, self-centeredness,
resentment, fear, bitterness, decrease in love for life, inability to give love to
oneself or others. It corresponds to the 4th Anahata chakra.
QUALITIES : Love. Sorry. Delivery. Acceptance. Empathy. Generosity. Goodness.
Compassion. Sweetness, kindness, love, anger, pride, cruelty. It is altruistic love,
devotion. It corresponds to the thymus and cardiac plexus. Inspires figurative
expressions of the heart.

ORGANS : vagus nerve, circulatory system, vessels, lymph nodes, heart.

Planet : Venus (+Love; tendency to give and receive, and to share; generosity of
spirit) (-self-indulgence; greed; emotional demands; inhibition of affections

Identity: Social

Psychological Function : Love

It is expressed in : peace

Conditions : Heart, lungs, circulatory systems, arms, hands

Color: red, black and white. White for Orisanla and the Funfun Orisas, red for
Oduduwa and the Ebora and black as their very identity. These three colors make
up day, afternoon and night, the three races: white, mestizo and black, the
chemical exchange, since one element combined with another creates an
element different from both. It would also be the mystical sum 1+1=1, a man and
a woman produce a child, noting that although the mother conceives twins,
triplets, etc. it will always be a single child. Just as two different elements
combined will give rise to a different one. We see the combination of these colors
in: when the white-semen reaches the red-egg and fertilizes it, then the uterus
closes and remains in darkness and after 9 months a child will be born. P>
 b. E S Ù - THE TWO FACES OF THE DIVINE MESSENGER,
ORIGINAL STORY TO REALLY KNOW WHO ESU IS FROM THE
OSA SIDE.

A long time ago there were two olóko (farmers) who grew up together in
a village located near igbó (forest). When they were children they lived
in the same enclosure sharing meals, playing and learning the wisdom of
their elders. Each called the other Arákùnrin (brother).
When the Arákùnrin reached the age of àkòkò ti okùnrin (puberty), they
were taken before Ògún (Spirit of Iron) for ìkoláabé (circumcision) and
before Ifá for divination. Ifá said that they would live all their lives in
adjacent farms. Ifá said that because they were so close-knit, their
abundance would depend on mutual cooperation. Ifá told the Arákùnrin
that it would be Es ù (Divine Messenger) who would teach them awo
àjosepò (the mystery of cooperation), awo igbó (the mystery of the
forest), awo oko (the mystery of agriculture) and awo ofò- à se (the
mystery of the ability to communicate with the Òrì s à ).
Ifá warned them that if they did not regularly make ebo (offerings to Es ù
) the day would come when Es ù would separate them. If that day came,
they would live their lives as enemies and suffer old age in poverty.
The two young people could not imagine being separated, they could
not imagine being enemies, they could not imagine living their old age in
poverty. They both thought that Ifá had been wrong about their destiny.
They saw no reason to make offerings to Es ù . They neglected the altar
of Es ù , the one that was at the entrance to their village. They assumed
their life of happiness would never change.
A few years later the two young men married and began raising their
families. Together they had gone to igbó (forest) and cleared land for
oko (farm). Both oko were the same size, both oko grew the same crops,
and the men continued their friendship as they worked together tending
the land. One of the young men had learned from his father the
techniques of pulling weeds and clearing weeds. The other man had
learned the techniques of drying seeds and the mechanics of irrigation
from his father. They depended on each other to ensure that each
year's crops provided enough food to support their families and that
there was enough left over to trade in the ojà (market).
The two oko were separated by a narrow path that ran from the river to
the village. The trail was rarely used since there were no other fields in
the vicinity. Often the two men would work for weeks or even months
without seeing anyone traveling on the road that divided their fields.
On the day when Es ù decided to travel along the path that ran between
the two oko , Es ù remembered the words of Ifá . Es ù recognized the two
olóko (farmers) as the men who always passed by their altar at the
entrance of the village without making ebo (offerings). Both young men
continued to believe that they were skilled in awo oko (the mystery of
agriculture). Between them they thought they had all the ire (good
fortune) they needed to maintain abundance. Life seemed full for both
of them.
Es ù hid among the trees and watched the two men work. When they
were bent over the earth, E s ù removed from his àpò-gùn (sack or bag)
efun (white chalk) and ìrosùn (red wood powder). He took ewe (broad
leaf) and mixed the efun (white chalk) with omi - tútù (fresh water),
making òdà'fun (making white paint). He took another ewe (broad leaf)
and mixed the ìrosùn (red wood powder) with omi-tútù (fresh water),
making òdà pupa (red paint). Using her E s ù fingers she painted the
right side of her pupal face (red) and the left side of her fun face (white).
After placing the remaining òdà (painting) back into his àpò'gùn (sack or
bag), E s ù walked along the path singing Orò E s ù tó tó tó akoni , which
means "the word of the divine messenger is always true."
As E s ù approached the two men who were working their farms, they
both raised their heads to see who was singing. Es ù was directly
between them when they raised their heads. Using the same gesture
with each hand, E s ù called their attention back to the earth. Each olóko
(farmer) only saw it for a moment.
After E s ù was out of sight, the arákùnrin (brother) on the right side of
the road said "Who was that strange man with ojú'fun (white face)?"
Arákùnrin (brother) on the left side of the road replied, "Don't you mean
the strange man with the ojú pupa (red face)?"
Both questions were asked innocently, but the argument soon led to a
disagreement, the disagreement led to an argument, and the argument
led to a fight. Before the matter could be resolved, the olóko (farmers)
were rolling around on the ground uprooting their crops and destroying
the ripe sweet potatoes.
The damage done to the farm caused food shortages; there were not
enough sweet potatoes left to feed their families; There was no leftover
to take to ojà (market). Each of the young people was so angry about
what had happened that they never spoke to each other again.
Since that day, those who praise E s ù always say: “ E s ù ma se mi o "
which means "Divine Messenger, do not confuse me."
Comment : The role of E s ù in the Òrì s à cult is multidimensional. In this
story two friends have been advised by divination to make offerings to
Es ù as a basis for their good fortune. They were told that Es ù would
teach them the skills necessary to be effective farmers, to make use of
the natural elements in the forest, and to learn the lessons necessary for
abundance. At that moment, Es ù is presented in his role as The Divine
Messenger. In all Ifá rituals, E s ù is the link between the language of
humans and the language of the Òrì s à . The Ifá ritual begins with an
invocation to E s ù so that E s ù can direct the power of the prayer to its
desired recipient. The Ifá ritual also ends with an invocation to Es ù so
that those who are participating in the ceremony can return to normal
consciousness.
In most forms of earth-centered ritual, the ability to communicate
between humans, Spirits, and Forces in Nature is usually related to the
powers of intuition that are generated by the "Third Eye." This idea is
found in the yogi tradition, which identifies various power centers in the
human body called chakras. Ifá also uses a system of chakras that are
sometimes called àwùjè . In literal terms the àwùjè is the center of the
top of the head. Ifá teaches that it is through this portal that the à se
(power) of the Òrì s à passes before being processed through the rest of
the body.
The àwùjè or chakra that directly connects human consciousness with
the consciousness of the Òrì s à is called ìwùjè . According to Ifá, the
ìwùjè is located in the middle-central region of the forehead. This is
slightly higher than the position associated with the third eye in the
yogic tradition.
When this power center is correctly activated the impulses entering the
body from the outside world can be translated into intuitive
impressions. How this is done varies for each person. Intuition can take
the form of strong feelings, visions, sounds, and complex altered states
in which the person experiences extraordinary dimensions of Being.
During the initiation rituals to the awo Òrì s à , the ìwùjè is opened
through the use of herbal remedies that are applied directly to the
forehead.
In this story, the warning to make offerings to Es ù is an instruction for
the two friends to develop their powers of intuition so that they can
communicate with the Spirits of the Forest. Ifá teaches that there are a
wide variety of elemental spirits that maintain balance and order in the
forest and underground. These Spirits fall under a natural grouping of
Natural Forces called Ogbóni . The word Ogbóni translates as "Wisdom
of the Earth." The elemental spirits associated with Ogbóni guide the
consciousness of animals and plants. They usually do not fall into the
classification of Spirits known as Òrì s à because they do not manifest in
personified form.
Ifá 's advice to the two farmers was to maintain a respectful relationship
with Es ù so that they could enhance their ability to communicate with
those elemental spirits that would have a direct impact on the
productivity of their farms.
In addition to the advice of Ifá , there is a warning. The two friends were
told that if they did not make regular offerings to Es ù the day would
come when Es ù would separate them. This is a common warning in
many of the stories associated with E s ù . This is often misinterpreted as
an indication that E s ù is bad or harmful. It would be more accurate to
say that E s ù is functioning in his role as the Divine Executor. Those who
ignore the issues of spiritual growth eventually suffer the consequences
of their carelessness.
The two friends believed that nothing could separate them. They
thought that all they needed was each other's friendship to survive in
the world. The story here is making a very clear statement that those
who live in Nature must respect Nature's ways in order to take
advantage of Nature's blessings. Ignoring their relationship with Es ù ,
the two men are resisting any communication with the Elemental Spirits
who maintain ecological balance in the forest and on the farm. It is
possible to temporarily disrespect the Laws of Nature, but such
disregard always involves paying a price.
If we pollute the water in the river, the water will eventually become
undrinkable. If we deplete the soil on the farm, eventually the plants
will not grow. If we destroy large segments of the rainforest, the effects
on climate and air density can disrupt the fertility of large sections of the
land. When anyone disregards Natural Law for an extended period of
time, Nature manages to react in the interest of self-preservation.
Reactions like drought and famine can seem harsh and disruptive.
However, from a metaphysical perspective, natural catastrophes can be
understood as attempts by the Forces of nature.