Odù to Sow Seeds To – JP025

In this strange, strange time, We go into the woods and read from the Odù Ifá. Just some short Ifá Ẹsẹ that you can sow seeds to. If there are any, short interpretations are given following the footnotes from the original author. Enjoy!

Works Referenced
- ߛߊ߲ߞߐߝߊ (Sankɔfa) – JP024
- Esoterracisms: Weeds?
- Ifa Divination Poetry

Asante Sana ߊߛߊ߲ߕߌ ߛߣߊ
Medase Paa ߡߍߘߊߛߋ ߔߊ
Modupe O ߡߏߘߎߔߋ ߏ

Thank you for listening to

Jìgìjìgì ߖߜ߭ߌ߬ߖߜ߭ߌ߬

Transcript

Peace,
I am Mason Olonade and this is Jìgìjìgì: Africulture Podcast. Here we believe building a healthy soil builds a healthy soul, so we share strategies for how to do both. To do both we ask two questions: How do you grow while you grow Kale, Collards, Tomatoes, and Melons. And why, do you think, the healthiest soils are Black?
Odu to Sow Seeds To
In this strange time I wanted to share something light, and I’ll keep sharing them as I find them. As you remember from our episode Sankofa we shared the ese The Cotton Plant and our scientific interpretation of it. We continually search for more relevant wisdom literature to inform our techniques and dexterity as we have our hands in the soil. We also enjoyed the opportunity to share some deeper science with our Siblings of the Soil.
As in life, however we came upon a challenge. Despite our thorough search we hadn’t found another ese quite like The Cotton Plant but we have found other ese that we are honored to share thorough the seasons.
Odu to Sow Seeds To
I join you today from Rock Creek Park. The same place where I recorded our Resources episode. I hope you enjoy the natural accompaniment. I am going to read select seven ese from Ifa Divination Poetry by Wande Abimbola
The titles I will read are:
I Lift Up My Arms In Joyful Satisfaction from Eji Ogbe
A Prayer to Ifa from Iwori Meji
Iwori Meji, The Third Odu to Appear On Earth
The Forest Cannot Be So Full of Trees As To Make Impossible the Recognition of the Iroko Tree from Owanrin Meji
We Are Pleading That The Earth May Not Be Destroyed from Osa Meji
How Oosaoko became God of the Farm
Orangun Meji, The Sign of Fortune
sneeze I am so sorry about that . Allergy Season.
Bolekaja, Let’s Begin.
I Lift Up My Arms In Joyful Satisfaction from Eji Ogbe
I lift up my arms
In joyful satisfaction
Ifa divination was performed for Orunmila,
The father was told that he would not carry his responsibilities to the end of his life.
Orunmila was told to perform sacrifice,
And he performed sacrifice.
As a result, he became impregnable.
He said, “I lift up my arms
In joyful satisfaction.
Ifa divination was performed for Orunmila;
The father was told that he would to marry his responsibilities to the end of his life.
I will carry my own responsibilities to the end of my life.
I lift up my arms in joyful satisfaction.”
There is a footnote: To the Yoruba, it is an important thing for a man to live a long and useful life. That includes being able to carry one’s responsibilities (catering for ones wives, children and other members of the extended family system until full maturity when one’s children normally take over the responsibilities.
From Iwori Meji, A Prayer to Ifa
When the farmer looks at cotton wool
on the other side of the river,
It seems to open its white teeth
Smiling joyfully.
Ifa divination was performed for the
Spider, offspring of those who do all things in a wonderful way.
Ifa, in your own wonderful way,
Bring all good things to me.
When the farmer looks at cotton wool,
On the other side of the river,
It seems to open its white teeth
Smiling joyfully.
The spider is the subject of several Ifa poems, which marvel at its expertise in spinning its thread into different artistic shapes.
You, listener, Spider, don’t hesitate to ask for help to be able to utilize your creativity in your own wonderful way.
Iwori Meji, The Third Odu to Appear on Earth
Ugly, clumsy and crooked
The occiput of vultures resembles the handle of an axe.
Yet it cannot be used in cutting a tree
Ifa divination was performed for Eji Iwori
Who was the third Odu to come down to earth.
They asked him where he planned to stay.
He answered that he had already performed sacrifices with a mortar.
They asked him where he planned to tread the land.
He answer that it was he who spread the tete (spinach) species all over the earth.
They asked him never to go in front of another mans’ house.
He said that it was in the presence of the owner of the land that the teteponla (different spinach variety) covers up the land.
He said that he and agba lived together in the forest.
Tete, walk about about freely.
Tete, walk about in peace.
He said that he and ijokun lived together in the grassland.
Tete walk about freely.
Tete, move about in peace.
He said that he and keekee lived together at Oyo Ajaka.
Tete, walk about freely.
Tete, move about in peace
There is no landowner who can prevent tete from flourishing on his land.
Tete walk about freely
Tete move about in peace.
I’m sure as you listen to that particular ese, you know your own particular Tete, or teteponla, or keekee, or ijokun, all these varieties of these beautiful plants that manage to find themselves in our own way. You should listen to Weeds, that episode where we discuss, some of the deeper intricacies of weeds and what they mean.
From Owanrin Meji, The Forest Cannot Be So Full of Trees As To Make Impossible the Recognition of the Iroko Tree
The great rainbow
Performed divination for the Iroko tree in the city of Igbo.
He therefore added two cowries to three and went to an Ifa priest for divination.
He was told to perform sacrifice.
And he performed it.
After he had performed sacrifice
Esu went and called farmers,
And ordered them to start cleaning the forest.
Inside which the Iroko tree was.
All the trees which were the enemies of Iroko were cut down by the farmers.
But when they got to the foot of the iron tree
Esu commanded that they must not cut him
Be cause he was not an ordinary tree.
When Iroko defeated his enemies
He said that was exactly what his Ifa priests predicted.
“The great Rainbow
Performed Ifa divination for the Iroko tree in the city of Igbo.
When he was living in the midst of his enemies.
The forest cannot be so full of trees
The forest cannot be so crowded with trees
As to make impossible the recognition
Of the Iroko tree.
I have become a great Rainbow.
Alleolopathy is a fascinating concept and here we have an example, spiritually, of the how and some of the why behind the battles that plants have over territories.
From Osa Meji, We are Pleading that the Earth May Not Be Destroyed
Osa, the brightly shining one, Ifa priest of the Earth
Performed divination for the Earth.
The earth was told to stop performing sacrifices intended to make him wealthy.
But to perform instead the sacrifices which would protect him from his enemies.
We are certainly alive
And we are pleading
That as long as we remain on the earth
The earth may not be destroyed.
From Ose Meji, How Oosaoko Became a God of the Farm
Let us gather it together
Let us break it into pieces
Ifa divination was performed for Olasi
Who was going on his annual visit to the farm.
When people hatched a plot against Olasi
He ran away to the farm.
When the intensity of the plot continued
Without diminishing,
Olasi decided to remain on the farm
And no longer returned to the city.
While on the farm he had all the good things of life.
But since the time Olasi left the city
Pregnant women could not be delivered of their babies
Barren women did not dip their white hands in cam wood ointment.
When the matter became unbearable
All of the inhabitants of the city got up
And said that it was time they brought Olasi back into the city,
So that they could have peace.
But Olasi said if he would ever return to the city,
He would eat to his satisfaction,
He would drink sufficient wine
And he would ride on horse back.
Furthermore, they should accompany him with drums and trumpets.
That was exactly how they brought him back into the city.
It was after he returned to the city
That the townspeople started to have peace.
Every year, whenever the exact date of Olasi’s return to the
city came,
It was with drums and trumpets that they townspeople
Remembered him.
He said, “Let us gather it together
Let us break it into pieces.
Ifa divination was performed for Olasi
Who was going on his annual visit to the farm.
Travellers to the city of Ipo,
Travellers to the city of Ofa,
Come and see us conquering with sacrifice.
Who is the person known as Olasi?
That is the name of Oosaoko.
This divinity is responsible for the fertility of all farm products. The devotees of this divinity must not eat fresh yams until the annual rites in honor of the divinity have been performed.
I apologize it’s a little windy and this is our last Ese
Orangun Meji, The Sign of Fortune.
The palm trees which are so conspicuously bent
That some dip their heads in water,
And other dip their heads inside farmland.
Ifa divination was performed for Orangun who lived in the city;
Ifa divination was also performed for Orangun who lived in the village.
Both of them were told to perform sacrifice,
And they performed it.
After they had performed sacrifice,
They started to have different kinds of good things.
They said, “The palm trees which are so conspicuously bent,
that some dip their heads in the water,
And other dip their heads inside farmland
Ifa divination was performed for Orangun who lived in the village
Travellers to the city of Ipo,
Travellers to the city of Of a
When we see Orangun Meji
We begin to see fortune.
It is my fortune to be sharing these Odu with you my Sibling of the Soil.
Share Jigijigi with your friends, family, and especially with other black and african farmers who know why the soil is black. Tell me, are you that somebody? Email me m-a-s-o-n AT a-f-r-i-c-u-l-t-u-r-epodcast.com. Leave us a 5 start review wherever you listen to and we will say then as we say now, Asante Sana, Medase Pa, Modupe O. Thank you for listening to Jigijigi.
Peace