ORISA OLOKUN VENERATION AND WORSHIP BY BABALAWO OBANIFA-Obanifa extreme documentries

ORISA OLOKUN VENERATION AND WORSHIP BY BABALAWO OBANIFA-Obanifa extreme documentries

Babalawo Obanifa will through the medium of this  work will give precise details of Orisa Olokun according to Yoruba Ifa traditional believe and Orisa cosmology. I will correct some errors make by some Orisa devotee as regards Olokun both at home and in the diaspora. Firstly I will start with the name Olokun which arrive from two Yoruba words 'Olo which mean owner' and 'Okun which mean the sea, ocean'. Olokun simply mean 'owner of the sea/ocean’. According to Ifa and Orisa cosmology Olokun is one of the 401irunmonle (duties) that OLODUMARE (God) sent from Ikole Orun (heaven) to Isalu aye (earth) to occupy the pre - genesis of this world we live in. But before I go into the details,  I will use this medium to clear the erroneous opinion of some spiritualist and devotee who think Olokun gender cannot be ascertain. There is great controversy as to the gender of Orisa Olokun. Some claim Olokun is male, other claim it is female and some say it gender cannot be ascertain, that it is androgynous. But the actual fact is that Olokun in IFA and ORISA spirituality is a female accordingly to Yoruba cosmology which is the bases of Olokun worship. Olokun is the goddess of the sea; she is a goddess of wealth and beauty. No fact about Olokun will be complete without tracing it to the creation of the world. I must also correct here that the mistake do made by Orisa devotee in diaspora who do some time call Olokun as Yemoja Olokun, there is nothing of such nature, Yemoja exist as a different Orisa which emerge from Ogun river, read my article on Yemoja 'babalawo Obanifa simple facts about Yemoja' you will know Olokun is a different Orisa from Yemoja the two should not be mix together. Back to my explanation on Orisa Olokun. No spiritual or historical facts about Olokun will ever be completed or genuine without tracing it from the creation of the earth, it is as a result of this that I will trace the myth of Orisa Olokun from the creation of the earth.
According to Ifa and Orisa cosmology in Yoruba spirituality, in the beginning of the earth, the earth was formless, shapeless and everywhere on earth is filled with water. OLODUMARE (God) sent Obatala who is eldest of all the irumonle in heaven to come and create the world. And filled this earth with life. Obatala was given 'Igba iwa' this sacred calabash contains sand, adiye okoko elese marun (hen with five legs) and some other items that space and time will not permit me to list, because I am concerned about Olokun in this work. Obatala is equipped with igba iwa and he descended from Ajule Orun (heaven) to Ikole aye (earth) but before Obatala get to earth. He come to one Junction where he saw a tree called Igi Olufon (this tree is a wine tree) Obatala make wine out of this tree and drink himself to stupor and sleep there for days. When OLODUMARE expect Obatala to come and he failed to show up. OLODUMARE now send Oduduwa who is next in rank to Obatala to check what is happening to Obatala, although OLODUMARE already know what is happening to Obatala, Oduduwa get to Obatala he found Obatala where Obatala is sleeping from the effects of drinking, he try to wake Obatala from the stupor, he takes the igba iwa from Obatala, he then proceed to create the earth by putting sand inside the igba on the water and the five footed hen loose the sand and spread it. The place where the hen spread the sand to become earth, and the remaining part of water are stream and river. All the 401 Irumonle are already in the world when a great flood strike from the entire water source that remains during the creation. That is where Olokun comes. Olokun is a goddess, very powerful and elegant and divine it is Olokun through her power that gathers all the rest of the water body to form sea and ocean. And he saves earth from flood. Olokun have great control over the universe. Because the water body covers the largest percent of the earth wish is under the control Of Olokun. It is Olokun that draws the water and stream and rivers to their present location called sea and ocean to prevent water from flooding the whole earth after creation. This is the main reason while all water sources can trace their link to the sea/ocean.
Olokun after this still continue after this great work to reside among human and other Irumonle in Ile Ife. She begins to work as a diviner. She engages in bead making business as well. She is very respect by other Irumonle because of her truth and honesty. She detests any form of hypocrisy and lie as results she only have few followers, unlike under Irumonle. Olokun also detest any form of dirtiness or filth. It gets to a period that her followers are not even up to seven. She then proceeds to contact Orunmila to carry out Ifa divination reading for her. Why it is that she (Olokun) with all her power has few followers. The Odu Ifa that appears on the divination tray for Olokun that day is Ogbe Irete.Ifa says:

Ogbe ate
Alaere owo
Difa fun olokun seni ade
Lojo ti omi olokun ko to bu boju
Ti omi olokun ko to bu wese
  Translation:
Ogbe ate
One with house full of money
Cast Ifa divination reading for Olokun
On the day the sea water is not sufficient to wash face and leg

Orunmila explain this Ifa to Olokun, he told her, that she should perform sacrifice. That all her followers will come back, that she will be powerful and she will be great and be worship all over the world that all wealth of the world will be in her possession. That her riches will be enormous. Olokun agree she offers the required sacrifice on the spot. Months past things dramatically change for Olokun as she begin to make money, attract more committed followers than ever. One day Olokun notice that there was heap of certain stones of various colors at her backyard, some look like glass, some look as there is liquid running inside them, Olokun be a very astute woman and lover of beauty begin to make ileke(beaded jewelry) out of them. He begins to make string of beads and necklace out of this heap of beautiful stones at his back yard. She will wear them to outing with all other deities. Other deity like this beautiful beads they begin to beg Olokun to make some for them in exchange, they gave her money. Olokun become very rich, now she has money/riches to complement her spiritual power and beauty. Many people who have run away from Olokun begin to come closer to her. She gets many followers more, she is wealthy but with all the wealth and power and beauty of Olokun, Olokun has no husband who she can call her own,  so she can have children. Olokun then return to Orunmila for another Ifa divination .

Orunmila divine for Olokun and the Odu that appears on the divination tray is Ogbe Ofun

Ogbe fi ohun folohun
Ki Orun omon
Dia  fun Olokun seni ade nijo ti fomi oju sogbere Oko rere
A bu fun oduduwa nijo ti yio o lo gbe Olokun ni iyawo ebo omo ni won ni ko se.
  Translation:
Ogbe give property to the rightful owner
So that your conscience and neck will be  free from indebtedness
Ifa divination reading was carry out for Olokun seni ade when she is looking for good husband
It also divine for Oduduwa the day she wants to marry Olokun he was instructed to offer sacrifice so that she can have children.

Orunmila explain the Odu Ifa to Olokun and instruct Olokun to offer the sacrifice, Olokun offers the sacrifice prescribed. Not quite long her prayer is answer and Oduduwa took notice of Olokun great power and wealth and the fact that she has no husband. Oduduwa begin to buy beads from Olokun but with ulterior motive to make marriage proposal to her. Oduduwa is very powerful king and he is also a successful jeweler. But Oduduwa was even afraid to make marriage proposal to Olokun because of Olokun gigantic wealth and spiritual power. Oduduwa really fall in love with olokun because olokun was extremely beautiful woman. Oduduwa went to Babalawo for Ifa divination, so that Olokun can accept his marriage proposal. The Odu that comes out is Ogbe Ofun,   the diviner told Oduduwa that Olokun will accept his marriage proposal, but  instructed Oduduwa to make sacrifice so that Olokun can bear children for him, but Oduduwa didn't observed the sacrifice. Oduduwa went to propose to Olokun. To his great astonishment Olokun accept the marriage proposal immediately as the Ifa priest as predicted. This is how Olokun become the first wife of Oduduwa. But Olokun give Oduduwa a condition that she will not move to the palace of Oduduwa because of her beads making business and Oduduwa consented to this. Olokun is a great lover as she loves Oduduwa without any hypocrisy but she was unable to have any children for Oduduwa. She makes a gorgeous crown for her husband Oduduwa. This crown Is distinguished throughout the world then. The sterility of Olokun, makes Olokun advise Oduduwa to get marry to Olosa, who gives children to Oduduwa.. Olokun without children have great wealth and power and many Orisa like to comes to her for help, wish she usually do, but Olokun still feel unfulfilled, she thinks I need to move, I need to be immortalized, she contacted Orunmila for divination as regards her movement. Orunmila divine for Olokun the Odu ifa that comes out is odu ifa ejiogbe

Gbogbo ola omi ti n be nile aye
Ko le to ti Olokun
Gbogbo iyi odo ti n san won ko le to ti Olosa
Ti o ba to san, sisanisani
To ba to yeni, yiye ni yeni
Dia fun Olokun ti yi o nipa laye
Bu fun Orunmila baba n re idaji okun, idaji osa baba yi okete wale
Translation:
The greatness of all the water in the world can't rival the quantity of water in the ocean
The greatness of all the stream cannot rival the greatness of the water in the sea.
When it is time for success, one should definitely experience success
when it is time to prosper one should actually experience prosperity.
Cast Ifa for Olokun when he seek impact of everlasting greatness

And Orunmila when he wants to carry the rewards of his divination practice to his own abode.

Orunmila explain this Odu Ifa to Olokun, and told her that after certain sacrifice has to  been perform that Olokun will know where to move to as form of immortalization. Orunmila told Olokun that she should get a calabash and take water from the four corner of the world where she use her power to drawn them to at the beginning of the creation, this Olokun should do morning and night., Olokun did as Orunmila instructed and orunmila use the water to carry out a sacrifice and he returned the rest to Olokun, he told her, that olokun should use the water  to bathe and lock herself up in the building for seven days without coming out and She must not open the door until seven days .Olokun did what Orunmila instructed. On the seventh day when Olokun try to open door all the door have turned from their wooden structure to gold, silver, etc., the whole place has become more beautiful with beads, jewelries and cowries. When Olokun try to open the door she discovered that her house has moved  from Ife. It is  now under a big water we now call sea. She trace her step back to Orunmila to show appreciation, she takes Orunmila to her house for appreciation .Orunmila leave with Olokun in underwater house for a very  long period and a lot happen between them .Olokun give birth to Aje Olokun.
The  archeological historical evidence of Olokun is find in Olokun shrine in Ile ife Osun state Nigeria up till date, the Grove is regarded as the ancestral home of Olokun. For example the Ori Olokun (terracotta bust of Olokun) was discovered in early 20 century during archeological excavation at the Olokun Grove in Ile Ife osun state Nigeria by a German Explorer named Leo frobenious, he claims, this European man claim that this Ori Olokun bust is the same as Poseidon (a Greek god). But the man is absolutely wrong in his observation for the following reasons I will give below:

1. Poisedon is  god of the Greek in charge of all water body and earthquake and horses and Poseidon was a brother to Zeus and Hades, the three are Greek gods, Poseidon is a male while Olokun is a female with all fact given above.
2. Secondly while is it that the Ori Olokun bust was not discover in Greek but was excavated from Olokun Grove in Ile Ife Osun state. That mean the worship of Poseidon in Greek must have taken it replica from Yoruba spirituality.
Space and time will not allow me to give details about praises of Olokun but how ever I will still mentioned some of the items to sacrifice to Olokun and some of her taboo as Orisa.

 Olokun like agbo Funfun (white ram), Ireke(sugar cane) ,oyin(honey) ,egbo( mashed maize), abo ewure funfun(white she goat) ,eyele funfun(white pigeon) ,eso (fruits) .Olokun is  a giver of wealth and prosperity given her such item help people who propitiate her to gain her favor of prosperity, retaining or gaining of political or economic power. The taboo of Olokun no light or touch goes to her sacred shrine, she detest any kind of filth or dirtiness, people with tribal mark may find it difficult to see this Orisa spiritually. Uninitiated can go blind if such person enters the sacred shrine of Olokun to take a look. Olokun is being worship today as Orisa in almost all part of the world, Ile Ife, lagos ,Badagry, Benin, Togo, Cuba, United States etc.

Copyright: Babalawo Pele Obasa Obanifa, phone whatsapp contact : +2348166343145, location Ile Ife osun state Nigeria.

                          

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