Ifa days and preparation for ose ifa.

This write up was compiled by omo awo Rodriguez Ifatomi an ifa apprentice under the tutelage of babalawo Obanifa Ile Ife osun state. The work is just to explain days in the weeks in yoruba cosmology and how ifa devotee can prepare for ose ifa.
Atiwaye Ojo:
Origin of Days Ojo is the Yoruba word for days. The religion of the Yoruba people of southwestern Nigreia is Orisa. The word "Orisa" means "those whose heads were created more superior then others." Each of these deities are the ministrers of God (Olodumare), and the word of Almighty God. They are called Orisa (Eni ti ori sa da).
In the beginning, human beings did not have names for the days. It was Obatala (arch divinity, God of Creativity) who went to Olodumare to obtain weekdays for all the rest of Orisa. it was Orunmila who established the days, hence
one of the Odus recited:
Ifa loni oni
Ifa loni ola
Ifa loni ojo mereerin Oosada saye
Translation
It is Ifa who owns today
It is Ifa who owns tomorrow
It is Ifa who owns the fourth day that Orisa made on Earth
In a paragraph of oriki of Obatala one of his daughters asked- can we know the name of the days?Obatala says:Take a day for week of Orisa ala. Pick another day for Ogun, Make another day for Jakuta (Sango)The remaining day is for Awo (Orunmila)it was only four days that Obatala brought from heaven to the world with the 401 deities. Obatala already distributed teh days among the other Orisa, Ogun, Sango and ifa, while he picked a day for himself. The rest of orisa therefore had to share days, e.g. The week day (Ose Ifa) is the same day of Osun. Obatala shares his day with Egungun, Ancestor spirits, Iyami Aje, and Also Elegbara, etc .
Five days is the traditional kalendar week of the Yoruba People. not counting the first day you have four days. Twenty nine days makes a month. that is when the moon is full. The moon spends fifteen days on earth and fifteen days in heaven.
Ojo Aje (Monday)-
is the day on which money joined Orisa on earth and is known as the day of money. Yoruba people use this day to start business, and to discuss economic and social programs.
Ojo Isegun (Tuesday)-
is the day of victory. This isthe day all evil forces are overpowered. It is a good day to start anything that leads to a better quality of life.
Ojoru (Wednesday)-
is the day problesm entered the world. It is the day of confusion.
Ojobo (Thursday)-
is the day on which names of the days arrived. It is a day on which Ancestors visit the family. This is why every important festival begins on Thursday- Ojobo.
Ojo eti (Friday)-
is the day of postponement. It is believed that whatever people have to do on this day should be postponed or else it would fail. This is why business and journeys do not begin on this day.
Abameta (Saturday)-
hias the same attribues as Ojo Eti. In order to avoid three types of negative incidents, the Yoruba don't use Saturday to bury aperson, unless the person is an elder.
Ojo Oiku (Sunday)-
Ojo Ariku otherwise know as Ojo Isinmi is the day of rest, and the day Orunmila
buried Imi, the mother of Esu Odara.
PREPARATION FOR OSE IFA BY IFA DEVOTEE
Ose Ifa (Ifa and Orisa)Preparation
Before beginning any kind of devotion, the Ifa andOrisa devotee must be clean. As E. Boloji Idowu informs us, ritual defilement may be incurred in several ways, depending on what are "taboos" to the particuar divinity who is being worshipped. It is believed that sexual intercourse immediately before worship or when its "stain" has not been removed by thorough washing, is a thing forbidden by all divinities. It is also taboo for a worshipper to carry bad medicine on his/her person. The greatest obstacle to efficacious worship is impurity of the heart. Therefore, moral and ritual cleanliness are pre-requisites of any devotional endeavour.Before performing Ijuba, select the required number of obi abata (sacred kola-nuts), wash them and place them in a bowl of water.
Next perform Ijuba while pouring liberation using any alcoholic beverage.
IjubaIba Olodumare, Olojo oni (Reverence to God the controller of this day)
Iba Ila oorun (Reverence to the East)
Iba Iwo oorun (Reverence to the West)
Iba Ariwa (Reverence to the North)
Iba Guusu (Reverence to the South)
Iba Ile (Reverence to the Earth)
Iba Esu Odara (Reverence to Esu, who works magical wonders)
Iba Eegun Idile mi (Reverence to family masquarades )
Iba Baba (Reverence to my father)
Iba Yeye (Reverence to my mother)
Iba Oluwo (Reverence to my godfather)
Iba to to to mojuba (Complete entire reverence, I pay my respect)
The four devotional phases of Ose Ifa are devotion to Esu, Eegun, Ori and Ifa. Each phase consists of four steps.
1. Invoking the relevant spiritual force
2. Deteremining whether that spiritual force brings Ire (good fortune)or Ibi (bad fortune)
3. Determining the king of Ire or Ibi.
4. Determining the appropriate offering for manifesting Ire or for averting Ibi.
Table 1: Determining Ire or Iba
ALAAFIA
All segments open Ire: the word Alaafia means well being
IWA
Only 3 segments OPEN Ire or Ibi: depends on one's IWA (behavior)
OBI YANOnly
 2 segments OPEN Ire: Obi Yan means the obi is favourable
OKANO
nly 1 segment OPEN ibi: Okan means the heart
OPO TAKU
All segments closed
Ire: Isegun (Victory smash the obi segments)
NOTES If Opotaku appears, smash the obi segments and continue on to the Eegun phase. if Iwa appears, ask again, "Is something good coming?" If Iwa appears the second time then the response is ire.If Ire appears, cast the obi to determine which kind of Ire is coming. The are: Aiku (long life),Aje(financial success),Aya(wifes),Oko(husbands),Omo(children), andIsegun(victory over enemies). Follow the order from Aiku to isegun until recieving a "Yes responce by asking, "Do yousee (name the ire)" (See Table 2)After determining the kind of Ire ask Esu, "Is this obi a sufficient offering to bring about (name of Ire)? If a "Yes" response, leave one or two obi segmetns before the emblem of Esu and plase the rest in the bowl of water. If a "No" response, ask what must be added to make the offering acceptable.
Whenever Alaafia appears, move your hands as IF Throwing water on your face.If ibi appears, cast the obi to determine what kind of ibi is coming. They are:Iku(death),Arun(sickness),Ofo(loss),Ija(fight, quarrel), AND Orun(problem, trouble). Follow the order of severity until recieve a "Yes". Then ask Esu, " Do you see (name the ibi)?" (See Table 2) After determining the kind of Ibi ask Esu. "Is this obi a sufficient offering to avert (name the ibi)?" If a "No" response, ask what must be added to make the offering acceptable.Table 2: Interpretating subsequent casts of OBI
ALAAFIA
All segments OPENED
 IWA
Only 3 segments OPEN Cast again. "Yes" if Iwa appears AGAIN
OBI YAN
Only 2 segments opened
OKan
Only 1 segment opened
OPO Taku
 All segments closed No.