Otura Meji
In the fixed order of Orunmila, Otura-Meji occupies the thirteenth position
The esoteric representation of Otura Meji is the Kasan, which is a
blouse worn by advisers to the Chief and soldiers that symbolizes the interaction between
various ethnic groups. It is a image of the power of the word.
This Odu relates to Ifa and deserters from his cause. It denotes victory over enemies and
prospect of many children.
Physical body element = Arms, hands, and lungs
Children would be disposed to be diplomats, fishmongers or lawyers.
The Market Place
Power of mental judgement
Patience brings great rewards
Sustain from marriage
Recognize Taboo
Peace that comes from an inner knowing
"Stabilize the family"
Suggests meditation and fasting
Confusion and doubt is followed by clarity and abundance.
Otura-Meji opened the way for wealth to come to the world!
Human speech is treacherous, a source of dissension and loss, and a possible cause of
death.
Folklore credits this Odu with the inspiration for their religious leaders of both
Christianity and Islam.
Orunmila never wrecked vengeance or punished 'them' even though he had the power and
ability to do so with impunity.
A single santified word outweighs a load of profane verbiage.
Sprout, big mouth, halve yourselves, lip-lobes, clam up, double tongue, utter.
Lying does not debar one from becoming rich,
Covenant-breading does not debar one from reaching old age;
But the day of sleeping, there awaits trouble!
The most important work done in heaven by Otura-Meji is
the revelation of how the white man attempted to learn from God how to produce a human
being. The white man had become so vast on earth in the field of inventions that he
thought he should crown his achievements by going to God to teach him how to manufacture a
human being. When he got to heaven, he approached an Awo called Ayegbe kooshe gbere
gede, "No mirror can be wide enough to see the length of a whole year".
The white man was advised to give a he-goat to Esu but he refused to do it because
he did not believe in making fetish sacrifices.
Without making the sacrifice he went to the palace of God and asked to be taught how to
produce a human being. Since God never refuses any request made to him, he told the
white man to fetch mud for the work,which he did. God has a large mirror
in his workshop which he looks at when molding any object. He examines the
reflection of the object from the mirror and he must pass it as perfect before confirming
it as being fit for existence.
With the mud fetched by the white man, He molded the image of a human being and the white
man watched him. After molding the human image, God left it to dry and meanwhile
moved to his inner chamber to attend to other callers.
As soon as God left, Esu come into the workshop in the shape of a heavenly police and
asked the white man whether he could not replicate the image prepared by God. the
visitor confirmed that he could. Esu then told him to leave for home with the image,
because it would speak after drying up.
With that piece of deceptive advice, the white man left with the human image. When
he however got home the image could not speak after drying up. that is why the white
man is unable to cast any speaking image to this day. It was on account of the
sacrifice which the white man refused to make.
To speak is to begin to sort out, to divide things. Odd or even?
The person you meet once, meet again, and meet later as an elder in a
town, is called an old man. That was the mane of the Awo Otura-Meji who made
divination for the head of the Imoles to enable them to inherit the prosperity of the
earth with minimal effort, from a sedentary position. He made the
sacrifice.
When he got to the world, he struggled for a long time before he was able to realize his
destiny, but when he finally met Otura-Meji again on earth he made the same sacrifice for
him in the cave and told him that his flock was going to multiply but that the reward of
his sacrifice would be reaped by his descendants and followers. He was told that
money would always come to them with very little or no effort. Those who wanted to
know the truth about God would always come to him for the message. ("Ase O!
Baba")
Olusese awon ni Awo inu igbo, Elu-odan-af'idij'Odu, divined for Orunmila. He was told to sacrifice:- Six mats, six ikoodes, ... so that he might be able to govern his town. They told him that all the people would respect and honor him in this mat. That is why the Babalawo sit on mat to read Ifa till today. Orunmila heeded the advice and speedily made the sacrifice.
I threw a missile;
And it hit a trickster;
Who made a long dress;
To conceal his treachery.
Whoever hides to practice;
Wickedness against others;
Will have evil endangering him openly.
Truth and False hood were arguing between themselves. Truth argued that he was more
powerful that Falsehood. On the other hand Falsehood argued that he was stronger
that the Truth.
Otura-Meji told them that the power of falsehood is transient and ephemeral and that
Truth, although slow and weak, overcomes Falsehood in the end, He then sang:
No matter how powerful wickedness is;
Righteousness overcomes wickedness in the end!
Ase O!
Note: These verses are only a fraction of the entirety of Otura-Meji