This ceremony took place at the Templo Yoruba Omó Orisha, directed by its founder and President, Roberto Boluffer, Omó Odú, Ogundá Lení, and counted with a significant group of the island’s Babalawós.
Odú: Oturupón Birete Ikú otonowá
Governing orisha : Oshún
Accompanying orisha: Ogún
Defending orisha: Obatalá
We should offer rice pudding to Obatalá
We must do a cleansing with a chicken and sacrifice it to Elegbá
Ebó for the year: 1 rooster, red cloth, sea sand, 2 coconuts, 2 candles, water from inside Oshún and Yemojá, smoked fish and jutía, opolopó owó
Orikí from the Odú Oturupón Birete
Ifa ayalu shishe she adafun
Ayalu puete morubo omo
Sheshe she ni olo babalawo morubo
Ounko shelo, akuko lebo.
Flag: Rectangular, with a white border, divided in two sections. The top section is yellow and the bottom section is dark green.
Advice from Luís Herrera, Oshé’sá
It is important that during the year we focus on family unity, and the stability of married couples.
Beware when eating fish.
This year we must offer as much as we can to Elegbá and the orishas.
Advice from Lázaro Canto, Ogbé’yonú
The sea offered ebó so that it could keep itself and its sand free from unwanted debris.
Take better care of health-related issues and be more observant of what we eat, especially fish. Observe that the fish we eat this year is fresh and not contaminated.
Take better care of marriage unions to avoid separations.
Take better care of the children.
Offer milk with orí and efún to Obatalá to pray for stability.
Avoid disrespect.
Advice from Luís Ramos, Irete Asa
It is important that we think before we act and avoid jumping to unfounded conclusions so that we commit less mistakes.
Be more observant of the stomach and kidneys.
Avoid consumption of flours, grains and leftovers.
It is important to sacrifice to Orí.
When you travel do not return using the same route you departed on.
Do not leave a bird in the hand for two in the bush.
People who practice Palo Bantu-Congo religion-should beware how they use their spiritual powers because if used improperly, it will result in losses in their own family.
This is an excellent year to receive Warriors and Orunmilá
The Odú speaks of heavy rain and flooding. We should pray so that these do not affect us.
Emphasize family unity.
We may see indicators of economic prosperity.
Advice from Roberto Boluffer- Ogundá Lení
The annual Odú relates the story of how marshlands and quicksand were born.
We need to take better care of our lungs and the pleura-the membrane that covers the lungs, as this Odú speaks of tuberculosis and hemostasis, especially in children.
This Odú is also related with the encounter of the sea with the river, which represent Yemojá and Oshún. In this Odú Yemojá had to prove to Oshún that she was older, and wiser, than her.
Whenever you buy fish, ensure that it is fresh. According to a myth from this Odú, fishermen traveled so far out to sea to fish that by the time they returned to shore their catch had spoiled.
In this Odú people seek unity but cannot find it. This is due to lack of communication. To obtain unity we must first learn to communicate, and this year our unity is very important.
Be more observant of stomach problems and especially the digestive process.
The herbs of this Odú are whitemouth (Comelina elegans, L.) and purslane (Portulaca oleracea, L.). We should make omiero with these to bathe and wash our homes.
This is a good year for all those who have to make Ifá, or receive ikofá or awofakán. Take advantage of it.
Be more caring in terms of your religiosity and do not be penny-pinching toward the orishas.
Elegbá asked Oturupón Birete-an okra grower- for a bite to eat and he offered him some of his okra. Instead of grabbing the first okra at hand, which were the most scrumptious and beautiful of the crop, he decided to walk to the back of the field where the least appealing okras were growing. It took him so long to do so that by the time he returned, Elegbá had become impatient and left. As a result, he lost Elegbá’s goodwill and eventually his farm. This is why it is said that one should not be a penny-pincher with the orishas as well as with anyone who approaches us and asks us for alms or a bite to eat. Share what you have with those who are needier than you and you will be compensated with growth, health and even economic prosperity.
The governing orishas of this year remind me of the myth of Oshún and Ogún when they governed the land of the Anaí.
Ogún was creating havoc everywhere except in Anaí, where he lived with Oshún. This town was governed by Oshún and everyone venerated her and dressed in yellow in her honor. Nothing bad ever happened in Anaí. But the people of the other towns that were suffering under Ogún’s onslaught complained to Orunmilá. He meets with Oshún and Ogún and tells Ogún that he could not continue making war on the other villages. At that time elephant hair was used as an idéfá of Orunmilá. Orunmilá makes a pact with Ogún from which they agreed to add two colors to the idéfá: yellow to represent Oshún and green to represent Ogún. This is where the pact between Orunmilá, Oshún and Ogún is made so that the idéfá is yellow and green, as we use it nowadays. Since then Ogún respected all the other towns and would only declare wars on towns that were irreverent and this only after consulting with Orunmilá.
This year we must emphasize that everyone wear their ide’fá.
I bring this up because this Odú reminds me of the land of the Anaí and I believe that it is an important myth precisely because Oshún and Ogún are guiding us this year.
For the first time, this year I bring up the system I call “Equación de Ifá-Ifá Equation,” a project I have worked on for close to twenty years. I offer to share this knowledge with all our Ifá brothers who live in Puerto Rico and also with those that live outside the island, to foster the sharing of knowledge, so that our religion is fortified and continues to enjoy growth and evolution, and to clarify some of the negative shared by views the detractors of our religion so that these can clearly see the great knowledge that exists in this religion.
According to this Ifá Equation that I am putting forth thiss year, Oturupón Birete is linked to the birth of Ejiogbé.
When the planet was still in darkness, represented by Oyekún mejí, the birth of Ejiogbé-the birth of the sun-gives rise to life in the universe and the organization of the celestial bodies.
Ejiogbé represents the sun, the light of day and the east. Oyekún represents the moon, the night, and the west. If we analyze the bellicose situation that we have at the moment, we can compare it to Ejiogbé where the first war known to humanity is said to be born. There was a town where everyone lived happily in their daily routines and subsisted without problems. The Obá of that town began to feel power hungry and decided that he would prepare an army and fleet to go out and conquer other lands. His mother, who was not pleased with the idea, begged him not to go, as there was no need for any of this. But she was unable to convince him. As a last resort, she asked him to do something in her behalf. Upon his return, he had to fly a white flag as a symbol of world peace and the frugality of war, as well as an indicator to her that he was returning alive. This he promised to do, but after his successful conquests, as he was engulfed by the euphoria of the moment, he forgot to fly the white flag his mother had requested. Instead, a black flag was in its place. When told that the fleet was returning, the mother rushed out to the port, but when she saw the black flag in the distance, she had a stroke and died on the spot. When the Obá arrives, he asked for his mother only to find out what had happened. He looks to his boat and realizes that he had forgotten to change the flag as his mother had asked. Since then wars have continued to exist.
Afterward the Obá demanded that everyone in the town place a white flag on their roof, but it was too late for his mother.
This Odú announces two solar eclipses, representing Ejiogbé mejí, and two lunar eclipses representing Oyekún mejí.
We should also sacrifice to Babawá on the roofs of our homes so that this deity covers us with his shawl and safeguard our homes from disease.
We have narrated this verse from Ejiogbé as a demonstration of the possibilities of applying this Ifá Equation for the benefit of all those who are respectful followers and students of this religion.
I call out to all our religious brethren so that instead of expending their energy fighting useless battles with each other, we come together for the benefit of our religion, and that way, together, counter the attacks of our detractors so that the religion prospers and does not die. Remember that strength lies in unity.
Iború Iboyá Iboshishé
Translated in Miami by Obá Oriaté Willie Ramos, Ilarí Obá.
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