Osanyin = Metaphysical Powers…

 

*** The leaf is his knife and his wand. Osanyin represents the two sides of herbal power. The same thing that can cure you, if used improperly can kill you.

*** No Leaf Can Fall From The Tree Without The Authority, Power and Knowledge of God…

Herbalists and Priests enlist the aid of Osanyin, the spirit of herbal medicines, in their work against mental and physical illness caused by malevolent forces and individuals. The power of Osanyin is vested in a wrought iron staff, called an Osanyin staff, that is placed on Altars to this Deity. Orisha Osanyin, the one who has the power of natural medicine, able to represent two sides of power through plants. The same that can heal you, and if used incorrectly can hurt. Health is a state in which one must keep in balance between: physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well being. Being that to achieve all this harmony, they use a lot of the power of plants to create natural medicines that will help and a lot in this process. No leaf can fall from the tree without Osanyin’s authority, power and knowledge. Therefore, no Orisha-Vodun can be consecrated without Osanyin’s permission. Osanyin is a great wizard and witch where one of his main functions is to protect his devotees from his visible and invisible enemies who attack them. Osanyin is described as an extremely disfigured and mischievous man, many believe he has only one eye, one hand, a single leg, a tiny ear that can hear anything and an ear bigger than the head that hears nothing.

The staff is composed of a circle of small birds and a shaft in the middle that elevates a large bird above smaller ones. The reason for this division could be to suggest the relaying of Metaphysical powers from the celestial to the Terrestrial realm. The Yoruba reference to Osanyin as “The one who sees everything,  allowing him a vantage point from which he can protect all of humanity. The birds, emissaries of Ogun, refer to the Herbalist’s understanding of and power over these malevolent people. There are typically sixteen birds, invoking the most sacred number of divination, surrounding and confronting the central bird, which represents the smallpox God. Osanyin the Deity of healing credited with all knowledge of Herbs, Leaves and Roots for Medicinal purposes. The myths of origin, history and religious beliefs of West-Africa were carried by the slaves across to the Americas and the Caribbean. This factor has maintained a continuity in space and time with the original cult. To the Yoruba, health is a state in which there is a blending of physical, mental, emotional social moral and spiritual well-being. To achieve this harmony they resort to divination to find out the cause of and remedy for their illness.

The traditional Healers fall into four groups and of these the Diviner/Herbalist meet the needs of anyone who is ill by providing both diagnosis and medication. Among this group are the Herbalists (Onishegun) who diagnose and provide the remedy through dialogue with the deity and the Osanyin who acquire the knowledge of herbs and the associated incantations through a system of apprenticeship. The herbs are collected by the Herbalists (Onishegun) under whose watchful eyes the medications are prepared. 

*** There Are No Orishas Without Leaves *** Omi-Ero is known as the mixture of some specific Ifa herbs to carry out some spiritual duties or to serve as an antidote to a limited problem. Omi- Ero which literally means “Omi” (water) and “Ero” (antidote) is being used by several Babalawos, Olorishas to carry out a specific task. For instance, Omi-Ero prepared for Ifa will be different from Omi-Ero that will be prepared for Eshu and the rest of the Orishas. Herbal usage in the preparation of Omi-Ero is specific to each Orisha.**Elements for Omi-Ero: Iya Obi Abata (kolanuts) – Ataare (Guinee peppers) – Orogbo (bitter kola) –  Oti (Gin) – Omi (water)… 

Osanyin is a deity or divinity of the medical herbage, his importance is primordial and no ceremony within the Ifá philosophy is made without his involvement. He is the one who finds the force, the vitality and the power of performance, no divinity can pass trough, without him. This power lives in several leaves and herbs, the name of these leaves and herbs and their use, is the most secret of the Deity (Orisha) cult.

Every divinity has its particular leaves and plants, the use of one contraindicated leave could have harmful effects and harvesting is done with extreme care. In wild places, brush or forest where plants grow freely, the plants that grow in gardens should be discarded, because the forest is the home of Osanyin.

The priests of this Deity (Orisha) wakes up very early without having any sexual activity from the day before and goes to the forest without greeting anyone on their way. The priest offers incantations to strip the leaves, roots, bark and fruits and deposits his offering to the deity before leaving the forest. These priests are aware of the leaves used interchangeably, among them we note that there are leaves with virtues such as sheet of fortune, happiness, joy, fertility, fame, longevity, courage.. . But there are also leaves of misery, fever and other even more fearsome illness. The leaves come in form of decoctions, baths of purification which are intended to form a magic lake between the divinity and certain objects that are enshrined including the blood of a specific animal. The employment of the leaves is fundamental, because these leaves are used to elaborate the divine powder of the deities and receive a growing force that creates a strong bond of interdependence between the worshipers.

Osun “Opa Erere” refers to the cult of Ifá and the evocation of the protection of all deceased Babalawos represents the union between Aiye and Orun, the material world and metaphysical sky inhabited by different spiritual entities. Osun staff is so sacred that it has to be kept permanently standing, for its fallen, also means the fall of the Babalawo (death).  Osun should always remain in the vertical position and where a neck gourd will be placed where several medicinal powders are stored. The Osun evokes an Ancient legend that refers to a miraculous palm tree belonging to Orunmila that had 16 small branches distributed on its trunk in four distant sections, from each other, approximately two meters. Each of these branches had, according to itan, four sheets directed to each of the cardinal points. ***When Babalawo dies, before funerals their Osun are taken out of the Ifá Igbodu where they lie in the ground. After the burial of the priest, due rituals are carried out…

Osanyin is the doctor, by a divine mandate and haves a deep knowledge of botany and diseases that afflict humans, he is in charge of preparing the medicine for children and infants. He’s the only divinity that is able to use the corn meal oil to prepare medicinal ointments. All the plants are attributed to this deity, because of the principal basis of his role in the planetary system. It exist and persists a judgment that Osanyin is the divinity of Sorcery and Witchcraft and his followers seek his support against their enemies, in times of disputes, disagreements and fights. This contributes in a double misconception, because the key to the way of living is to live without being attacked and without attacking, however no matter which plan is initiated to any individual, looses the effect if the power of justice is on the individuals side, this because Osanyin is neither an aggressive deity nor a warrior, he is only a medical deity in the planetary system and he is used to cure and remedy those painful diseases that science has not been able to defeat.

It is a belief that Osanyin was born with knowledge about the plants and trees, because he did not learn from anybody. There are many different kinds of Osanyin and the one that is one legged and known as – Osanyin Elese-kan, is the fiercest and has great medicine knowledge.

Osanyin’s magic is so powerful that no one can unravel his spells. Consequently he is petitioned for any purpose where unconquerable magic is required. Osanyin is often depicted as an extremely disfigured, impish man. He has one eye, one hand, one foot, one tiny ear that can hear even a pin drop, and one ear larger than his head that hears nothing. He keeps all of his magic in a calabash that he hangs high in a tree, out of reach.

*** Ifa staffs usually have one bird and of course the inverted Agogo Bells. However, they are in effect the same thing. The sixteen birds surrounding the one bird is obviously a reference to the Itan of when Orunmila entered the town of the Aje (Witches).There is a strong connection between Osanyin and Orunmila and also to Ogun, for the Opa Osun is made out of iron. Ogun lives in the forest, hence his connection to Osanyin.

 *** Osanyin herbs have the power to neutralize the Ajogun – negative forces. Both staffs represent the triumph of consciousness -Ori over the forces of illness and destruction. Osun is the Male aspect of Oshun, the spirit of the river. The Osun is a staff that is traditionally only given to Awo who have Odu pot. The staff represents Oso – the ability to astral travel. The bird on the Osun is  a vulture, representing the Ashe of Oshun. Odu Ifa says that Oso comes to Women via their menstrual cycle as a birth right passed from mother to daughter.

*** Being possessed by a Female Orisha gives a Man the ability to astral travel. When a Man is in the astral realm he is in the land of the Mothers and to go to the land of the Mothers is challenging as a Man, so Ifa teaches that a Male Awo goes to the land of the Mothers disguised as a Female bird. That is the reason why when a Male Awo enters Igbodu  wearing a Mariwo Ede and Beads dangling from his knee. This is the disguise of being a bird. After that, the Ifa Iyawo places his left foot on the Osun staff connection him to the Ancestors.

*Tortoise Favorite Sacrificial Food For Osanyin*  (Irete Owonrin)

“When the palm kernel oil maker is not at home, crows live in his workshop” was the one who cast Ifa for Tortoise, the Miser, when he was trading at Toku. They said he should make a sacrifice so that his secret would not be revealed. Two pigeons, seven pence two oninis and a cock was the sacrifice so that his secret would not be disclosed. Tortoise offered the two pigeons and the seven pence two oninis, but he did not offer the cock with the rest of the sacrifice. Long, long ago there was a famine on earth and in heaven. Tortoise sought a way to get something to eat, and he tried to find a clever trick. He got ready and went to the edge of the market where there was a hollow palm tree, and he hid inside it. When market day arrived and people came to market, Tortoise began to sing: “The palm tree dances, the one that has palm leaves; Dance, I dance. The palm tree staggers about, oh; Dance, I dance. The palm tree flits about the market; Dance, I dance. The palm tree twists and turns through the market; Dance, I dance.”

When Tortoise began to sing in this way, and the people in the market heard him and saw the palm tree walking about the market, the whole market broke up. Then Tortoise came out from the hollow of the palm tree and began to gather the traders’ goods and things to eat. Tortoise was doing this every market day and gathering all the food that came to his hand each market day. When the people saw what was happening, they told the king, and the king sent the God of Iron to the market to bring him whatever was doing this kind of a thing. But when the God of Iron heard the song and saw the palm tree walking, he ran into the forest. Thus, the king sent all the Four Hundred Deities, and they went there but were not able to capture the thing that was breaking up the market. Then Eshu said that he would capture it. When he went, he tied 200 small medicine calabashes on his body, but when he reached the market and the market people assembled, and he heard the song and saw the palm tree walking, he ran into the forest with the others.

When Eshu could not capture the thing, the king sent the God of Medicine to go and bring it to him. When the God of Medicine went, he took a burning iron with him, and he sat down next to the fire of those who sold bean fritters, and he put the burning iron into the fire. After a little while he began to hear the song and to see the palm tree walking. When the market people scattered, the God of Medicine remained seated and did not leave the market; he did not run away with the market people. When Tortoise saw that the market had scattered, he came out and began to gather up the goods, but when he came to the place where bean fritters were sold, he wanted to eat bean fritters. And as he reached out his hand to take a bean fritter, the God of Medicine pulled the burning iron out of the fire and pressed it against Tortoise’s body. Tortoise cried out, promising that both Tortoise and Snail would become slaves of the God of Medicine. The God of Medicine said he would take only Tortoise as his slave and that he would not take Snail. From that day on, we have been using Tortoise to sacrifice to the God of Medicine until this very day. 

*** Ifa says that men can develop the ability of Oso as a consequence of receiving Ifa initiation- Tefa. Men are presented to Odu during Tefa. Being presented to Odu during Tefa gives men the ability to be mediums for Female Orisha – among other things…

*** Praise to the owner of herbal Medicines & Leaves:  The supernatural one, one-who-turns-all-leaves-into-medicine. One who is versed in the use of roots, one who has a sharp, pointed tail like that of a chick. One who has a liver as crystal clear as a fly’s. One who is as powerful as an iron rod. Aroni, the custodian of secrets who fastens medicine on his chest. One who forcibly takes the clothes from a sick man and staggers. He who fights without being guilty. A big masquerade for whom the mortar is rolled. Leaves in the hand – Leaves in the mouth – There is nothing you can’t do – One whose body is full of medicine . He who can revive and can kill – He who uses medicine to fight death. A leopard that prepares medicine to remove  assaults. He drinks some water and uses some to anoint his head. He turns 200 leaves into one – One whose body is full of medicine. The mighty man who preserves the forest for medicinal purposes – The man who uses leaves to do all he wants. 

Herbs have enormous Magical Power, as they hold the Earth’s energy within them. Each herb has unique properties that can enhance one’s magical goals. Herbs also may have medicinal properties. The magical practitioner can draw upon either aspect when performing a spell. Harvest herbs in the morning after the sun has dried the dew but before the heat of the day sets in. Use a sharp magical knife to cut herbs; the knife should be consecrated specifically for this purpose. Thank the plant for its gift, and offer it something in return, perhaps some water. Harvest only the amount of herbs needed, except when pruning the plants, to ensure healthy growth for the following season.

Roots on the other hand – often the most magically potent part of the plant – once chopped or powdered are fairly indistinguishable one from the other. Familiarize yourself with herbs and other botanical. Know what they should look like, and what they should smell like…

SACRED PLANTS = In the world of plants, some are used for sacred and ceremonial purposes, to explore the spirit world. The use of these plants derives from native cultures, whose members have traditionally sought access to the supernormal through the ingestion of the plants and their preparations. The use of these plants differs from contemporary religious practices in a key way. For while religious prayer, ritual and communion are engaged to propitiate god or gods, the use of sacred plants is intended to give the participant direct access to the divine experience. The difference is not slight but radical.

Additionally, the sacred plants are used for healing purposes. True healing puts into order the body, mind and spirit with the past, present and future. Such integration is possible by various means, including by the ceremonial use of the sacred plants. Throughout history these plants have been employed to heal disorders of body, mind and spirit, and today a whole new emerging body of study is currently examining the healing properties of some of these plants.

In the world of plants, some are used for sacred and ceremonial purposes, to explore the spirit world. The use of these plants derives from native cultures, whose members have traditionally sought access to the unknowns through the ingestion of the plants and their preparations. The use of these plants differs from contemporary religious practices in a key way. For while religious prayer, ritual and communion are engaged to propitiate God or Gods, the use of sacred plants is intended to give the participant direct access to the divine experience. The priests of this Orisha refer to Osanyin as the one who sees everything, allowing him a point of view from which he can protect all mankind below. Osanyin is a great wizard and witch where one of his main functions is to protect his devotees from his visible and invisible enemies who attack them. Osanyin is described as an extremely disfigured and mischievous man, many believe he has only one eye, one hand, a single leg, a tiny ear that can hear anything and an ear bigger than the head that hears nothing.

Okanran Oturupon: He further suffered (the loss of voice) when he arrogantly refused to follow Orunmila’s advice. In Osanyin we have a warning against arrogant behavior. The “moral of the story,” is that Osanyin admitted and learned from his mistakes, redeemed himself (Iwa pele), let go of ego and was re-born (the whole point of initiation). So now he is stronger than before (one-legged man running faster than two-legged men). Some interpret the Osun (staff) as a symbol for Osanyin who in the above itan (story) becomes arrogant and learns humility by losing an eye an arm and a leg. The pole represents Osanyin with one eye one arm and one leg or Osanyin after he has learned the lesson of humility (however, in odu there are references to Osanyin without the deformities, so perhaps different incarnations). Ifa symbolism often contains several layers of meaning. In addition, the reference to the diviner and Osanyin working together is another reminder of the symbiotic relationship between Osanyin and Orunmila. This last line refers to the fact that we must ask permission and pay tribute when we enter the forest to collect foliage. “Evil forest” simply reminds us that the forest can be a dangerous place.

The iron beak of the bird Igun (Vulture) and Agogo Bells of the Opa Osun have deep meaning. The iron beak represents the herb “vulture’s beak,” which drives away the Ajoogun and the Aje, the conquering by Orunmila of the Aje. The bells and the bell like cones of the Opa Osun represent leaves; a magically healing leaf of iron, which brings us to another story of how bells protect (in addition to their sound pleasing the mothers). All the Orisa were afraid of the power of the Mothers. They begged Orunmila to protect them since it is remembered that Esu found out the mother’s secrets and told Orunmila. So, Orunmila consulted Ifa and made the prescribed offering (this is the medicine inserted in the cones or inverted Agogo Bells of the Opa Osun): the leaves of Ojushaju, Oyoyo, Aanu, and Agogo Igun, some honey, a parrot feather, Ofun and camwood. The Oyoyo leaf certifies that the witches are pleased (Yonu); Ojushaju that they respect (Shaju) him; Aanu that they will take pity (Shaanu) on him; and agogo Igun so that everything he asks for by means of a Bell (Agogo) shall be obtained.

 

Okanran Oturupon: He further suffered (the loss of voice) when he arrogantly refused to follow Orunmila’s advice. In Osanyin we have a warning against arrogant behavior. The “moral of the story,” is that Osanyin admitted and learned from his mistakes, redeemed himself (Iwa pele), let go of ego and was re-born (the whole point of initiation). So now he is stronger than before (one-legged man running faster than two-legged men). Some interpret the Osun (staff) as a symbol for Osanyin who in the above itan (story) becomes arrogant and learns humility by losing an eye an arm and a leg. The pole represents Osanyin with one eye one arm and one leg or Osanyin after he has learned the lesson of humility (however, in odu there are references to Osanyin without the deformities, so perhaps different incarnations). Ifa symbolism often contains several layers of meaning. In addition, the reference to the diviner and Osanyin working together is another reminder of the symbiotic relationship between Osanyin and Orunmila. This last line refers to the fact that we must ask permission and pay tribute when we enter the forest to collect foliage. “Evil forest” simply reminds us that the forest can be a dangerous place.

The iron beak of the bird Igun (Vulture) and Agogo Bells of the Opa Osun have deep meaning. The iron beak represents the herb “vulture’s beak,” which drives away the Ajoogun and the Aje, the conquering by Orunmila of the Aje. The bells and the bell like cones of the Opa Osun represent leaves; a magically healing leaf of iron, which brings us to another story of how bells protect (in addition to their sound pleasing the mothers).

 All the Orisa were afraid of the power of the Mothers. They begged Orunmila to protect them since it is remembered that Esu found out the mother’s secrets and told Orunmila. So, Orunmila consulted Ifa and made the prescribed offering (this is the medicine inserted in the cones or inverted Agogo Bells of the Opa Osun): the leaves of Ojushaju, Oyoyo, Aanu, and Agogo Igun, some honey, a parrot feather, Ofun and camwood. The Oyoyo leaf certifies that the witches are pleased (Yonu); Ojushaju that they respect (Shaju) him; Aanu that they will take pity (Shaanu) on him; and agogo Igun so that everything he asks for by means of a Bell (Agogo) shall be obtained.

Reference Sources: Wikipedia = Awo  Falokun = Home of Tradition “EjiOdi” = Lekeleke = Maike Figueredo Gomes = Google Search/Photo =Babalawo Obanifa = ReVodution Voodoo = Oluwatoyin Vincent Adepoju =