48 LAWS OF POWER: When you show yourself to the world and display your talents, you naturally stir all kinds of resentment, envy, and other manifestations of insecurity... You cannot spend your life worrying about the petty feelings of others.
About five years ago, I started to teach step by step phases of living the medicine: Step #1: Optimize your natural gifts and talents, which is consistent with mastery of your ori. Nothing else matters if you do not start with yourself, your true gifts and essential truth. Anybody who knows me and has followed my work can see that I depend heavily upon my own natural gifts and talents daily. I'm a communicator. My top priority is to convey meaning through words and images. The deeper I delve into my natural gifts and talents, the more Ifá reveals to me about the greater mysteries of life and death. For every bright light, however, there is a dark shadow. In this case, when you begin to optimize your natural gifts and talents, you inadvertently trigger the greatest fears of other people. The closer they are, the stronger the reaction. Sometimes, the people who love you the most will become the most fearful. Consequently, they potentially become the most destructive. This is, however, in keeping with the teachings of Ifá, which tell us in the Holy Odu OfunIrete about how all the òrìsà comprised to destroy ori. As it were, the divinities were planning to descend into the world but they needed a leader. They went to consult Ifá and were told to sacrifice. "What is the sacrifice? " The Babalawo told them they must awaken at dawn and put their foreheads down to pay homage to Olodumare. All the òrìsà felt certain that their destinies were so great that it would be impossible to lose. They all started to celebrate late into the night. The next day, they all overslept. Only ori awoke at dawn and put his forehead down to pay homage to Olodumare. Later, they all assembled at the feet of the Almighty to discover who among the òrìsà would become the leader. The awo revealed Obi Alase, the Kola Nut of Authority. The one who could open it would be the leader. Each òrìsà tried and failed. Finally, it was ori's time. With a single attempt, ori opened the Obi Alase with a BANG! The heavens were filled with jubilation! Everyone sang and danced. But then, they started to think of themselves... "I'm destined to be GREAT! I have tremendous powers! They told me I would change the world..." And so, the òrìsà began to RESENT ori. Their resentment turned to conspiracy. One-by-one, they attacked ori. One-by-one, ori defeated the òrìsà in heaven and RECREATED them on earth, assigning to each of them the natural gifts and talents for which they are praised today. Ori mo gunwa! Remember, destiny is greater than circumstance, more powerful than conditions and more influential than slander. Ori mo gunwa! LISTEN to our Worship Services on the Holy Odu OturaOdi: Finding Your Voice & Turning Adversaries Into Allies
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HEAR WHAT IFA SAYS IN ONE OF HIS REDRESSING VERSES (EJIGBO) TO OPEN DOORS OF OPPORTUNITY FOR HIS DEVOTEE EVEN WHEN THEY ARE AT THE CROSS ROAD OR END ROAD, ORUNMILA GIVE THEM HOPE TO BRING THEM BACK TO LIFE.
E SILEKUN FUNMI, AGBA NI SILEKUN FAGBA BI A SILEKUN FOKU, OKU AWOLE BI A O SILEKU FUN OKU ,OKU AWOLE E SILEKUN FUNMI AGBA NI SILEKUN FAGBA ORI EPO KI I BURU KO RI SI ISALE OMI ORI OSIBATA KI I BURU KO RI SI ISALE ODO ORI IYO KI I BURU KO MA LE DUN LOBE ORI ATA KI I BURU KO MA LE TANI LENU EJIOGBE NI YIO GBE TIBI, TOFO, TEJO ATI GBOGBO IRUNBI KURO LONI GBOGBO OMO AWO LODUN YII O ORUNMILA SAYS OPEN THE DOOR FOR ME AN ELDER OPENS THE DOOR FOR ANOTHER ELDER IF WE OPEN THE DOOR FOR THE DECEASED (SPIRIT) THE DECEASED WILL COME IN IF WE DON'T OPEN THE DOOR, IT WILL STILL COME IN OPEN THE DOOR FOR ME AN ELDER OPENS THE DOOR FOR ANOTHER ELDER IT WOULD NEVER BE SO UNFORTUNATE THAT PALM OIL WOULD SINK UNDER THE WATER THINGS WOULD NEVER BE SO UNFORTUNATE THAT OJUORO LEAF WOULD SINK TO THE BOTTOM OF THE RIVER IT WOULD NEVER TO SO BAD THAT THE SALT WOULD LOSE TASTE IN THE SOUP IFA WILL USE EJIOGBE TO REMOVE ALL THE BLEMISHES, BLOCKAGES AND NEGATIVE FORCES DISTURBING OUR LIVES TO PROGRESS THIS COMING NEW YEAR. ASEEEEEEE LANRE OKEMUYIWA | IjoAdulawo.Weebly.com Orunmila comes to the world to work Ifa but cannot make ends meet. He becomes a fowl trader at Oja Ejigbomekun. Records record sale of 198 of 201 birds, thanks to Esu.
Mi o ri sise, Mo o ri iba ti se and Ori ire a se ni bought one fowl each. They had vowed that they would only marry the man who could guess their names. As Orunmila as returning, his remaining three fowls escaped. He began to sing; Mi o ri sise, I have not seen my three fowls Mo o ri iba ti se, I do not know what to do Ori ire a se ni, But my ori will find them for me Mi o ri sise, Mo o ri iba ti se and Ori ire a se ni heard the strange song and noted that Orunmila was singing their names! They stopped to observe Orunmila, then helped him gather the fowl. Afterward, they promised Orunmila they would all marry him! Mi o ri sise, Mo o ri iba ti se and Ori ire a se ni returned to Orunmila’s house with him. Unknown to him, they each had a taboo: Mi o ri sise must return to heaven if rain falls before reaching her destination Mo o ri iba ti se must return to heaven if a tornado comes before reaching her destination Ori ire a se ni must return to heaven if rain touches her before reaching her destination Esu wanted to test Orunmila’s courage by bringing in storm clouds. Because it is forbidden for Orunmila to be beaten by rain, he put his left knee to the ground and began to recite an incantation. Esu sat on the rain and Orunmila reached home with his three wives. All three became pregnant. None of them were able to return home to receive the blessings from heaven. So, Orunmila never got the wealth that was meant to come from his wives to supplement his own success. It became difficult to raise his large family. A visiting awo came to Orunmila to divine for him. He told Orunmila to sacririfce one goat for his abundance. Orunmila could not afford it. He pawned his first son. Later, he asked Ifa if the sacrifice would manifest. Ifa said he must offer a second goat. Orunmila pawned his second son. When there was no manifestation, Orunmila went to ask Ifa the status and was told to offer a third goat. He pawned his third son. Now, his wives were so frustrated they returned to heaven to ask about their blessings. After three days, Orunmila - who now had no wives, no children - went to Ifa once more. What has happened to my great sacrifice? Ifa said, Orunmila, be patient. He was totally dejected. Meanwhile, his Ori went to Orisanla, Olokun and Aje to inquire into the suffering of their daughters on earth. At that exact moment, the girls arrived, too. At that moment, they were sent back to earth with wealth. At the same time, Esu went to work. He created chaos in the kingdom of Olofin. Esu then went to Olofin to ask him about how to resolve the problems. Olofin sent for three awos, Orunmila, Aluko and Aluko. Esu then returned to Orisanla to ask why he would let his son-in-law, Orunmila suffer on earth. Orisa sent Esu to earth with a yam for Orunmila. Esu decided to make Orunmila work for the prize. He did this by hiding the yam behind the door of Olofin’s bedroom. That was the day the awos responded to Olofin’s call. Orunmila however, left late. On the way he met Esu disguised as the visiting awo who originally divined for him. Esu told Orunmila to ask for the yam behind Olofin’s bedroom door. When the awos arrived they cast Ifa for Olofin. Agbe told Olofin to sacrifice one black goat. Agbe left with the goat. Aluko told Olofin to sacrifice a red gown. Aluko left with the gown. Orunmila told Olofin to sacrifice a rooster for Esu and the yam behind his bedroom door. Olofin brought the rooster. But Orunmila urged him to verify the yam behind his door. The moment the Olofin brought the yam, Esu untied Orunmila’s problems. By the time Orunmila returned home, he met the daughter of Orisanla. She had seen Agbe and Aluko pass by with the goat and red gown. When she saw Orunmila with a yam she became livid. Where are the children??? She started to pack and leave. Orunmila asked her to boil the yam. She agreed but it was too hard. She berated him even more. In anger, she slammed the yam on the ground. When it split, all variety of wealth poured out!! She called Orunmila to see. At that moment, the other two wives returned with their bounty. They started to sing: My children, stop your lamentation Your suffering has ended Happiness has removed the tears From your parents’ eyes They repaid all debts and the children returned home. What does it take to develop that level of confidence in Ifá? How do you imagine Òrúnmìlà must have felt as he returned to consult Ifá a second and third time with no visible results, yet still be told to sacrifice? And what of Òrúnmìlà's wives - the mothers of his children? What level of confidence must they have had in order to support Òrúnmìlà in such a desperate time? Òrìsà Lifestyle demands a very mature outlook on life. It is not a practice for the emotionally weak. You must be willing to forfeit your plans in favor of your destiny when Ifá gives directions that contradict what you had expected. Over time, through experience, you discover the proof of Ifá's wisdom. Gradually, your confidence grows. Fear is no more. May you become totally and absolutely confident in your destiny and Ifá's capacity to guide you along the path of realization. Àse! Live the medicine Obafemi Origunwa, MA | ObafemiO.com |
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