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In my first book,
The Way Of The Orisa, HarperCollins Publishing, I
spent a great deal of time delineating the characteristics of the most
prominent Orisa. Today, almost a decade after the original writing was
done, it seems clear to me that further explanation is necessary. To understand
the following, it would be worthwhile to set the stage with an overview
of all the Orisa.
Ifa views the universe
as a perfect construction created by God. Within this perfection,
all possibilities and energies exist. These include those
possibilities or energies that are productive as well as those that are
destructive. These energies were identified thousands of years ago by
Yoruba wisemen. Each was given a name in order to identify its specific
energy. The total corpus of these energies comprises the 401 Imole (Orisa/energies)
that make up and effect our world. It is generally conceded that 200 are
positive energies, while 200 are negative. The extra energy, which creates
the 401, comes from the Ogun complex, which can be expressed, in either
positive or negative terms.
Into this perfectly
constructed universe, Oludumare (God) placed man. We were given the opportunity
to work with the other energies of His creation to improve our lives and
fulfill our chosen destinies. We were not put in charge, but rather placed
at the top of the hierarchy He had created. It does not guarantee our
supremacy. The Dinosaur was once at the top as well! Rather, by using
the tools we were given, intellect, emotion, love and ritual, we could
benefit from the positive aspects of energy and growth while protecting
ourselves from the potentially harmful and destructive energies. But,
in order to accomplish this, we must understand the actual nature of the
energies themselves. The responsibility is ours. Each week, I will address
the energy of a specific Orisa in a way that will make that energy more
understandable and useful to the devotee.
First, let us understand
exactly what Orisa are. Orisa are pure, potent,
energy matrixes, each expressing a specific focus or potential experience.
Each contains both male and female aspects of that energy. What the Orisa
are not, are human like entities endowed with human behavior or goals.
The stories, or pataki, that have become the staple of Orisa understanding
were never made to be interpreted literally. Yet, like almost everything
else in Western culture, the "sizzle" replaced the steak. The problem
is not simply a semantic one, it is a critically significant issue that
has to do with your ability to get your life on track and fulfill your
chosen destiny. This can only be accomplished by absolute connections
with the potent energy the Orisa represent. It cannot be accomplished
by trying to relate to what amount to Disney characters!
When one examines
the tales that were constructed to explain this energy, you see the essence
quite clearly. When one examines the tales in a literal fashion, one gets
lost in a morass of anthropomorphic confusion. As humans sought to explain
the divine energy that they had learned to work with, they did so with
Human like examples. When we take the anthropomorphic (giving human attributes
to something not human) view, we immediately make the energy less that
it truly is.in our attempt to understand divine energy in human terms,
we humanize the energy. In so doing we diminish its power.and our ability
to truly utilize it.
There is another important aspect to understanding Orisa energy. That
has to do with differentiating between the essence of the energy itself,
and the expression of that energy in our lives. The essence is pure. The
expression is our individual use and integration with that essence in
our daily lives. The essence will remain pure. The expression of it will
be ever changing!
Within this reality
of Orisa energy, let us examine Oya!
Oya can be expressed quite simply... it is the essence of Sudden Change!
When one examines
the tales that were constructed to explain this energy, you see the essence
quite clearly. When one examines the tales in a literal fashion, one gets
lost in a morass of anthropomorphic confusion. As humans sought to explain
the divine energy that they had learned to work with, they did so with
Humanlike examples. When we take the anthropomorphic (giving human attributes
to something not human) view, we immediately make the energy less that
it truly is.in our attempt to understand divine energy in human terms,
we humanize the energy. In so doing we diminish its power.and our ability
to truly utilize it.
So, when we make
Oya in charge of the marketplace (an accepted Yoruba traditional view),
we are attempting to show that the market (business) with its sudden changes
from rich to poor and back again, are examples of this Orisa energy. Yet,
in a literal view, we see this matriarchal figure presiding landlord fashion
over the market. Focus on the energy!
When we describe
Oya as the tornado or whirlwind, we are simply giving another example
of the sudden changes this energy provides. Unlike the hurricane, the
tornado springs suddenly to life, and selectively removes things from
its path. It is this sudden change that the tales are meant to
convey. When we take it literally, we create the Hollywood figure of a
deathlike specter hovering over our lives. Wrong! Sudden Change!
Focus on the energy!
When we view Oya
as a singular (alone) figure, it is meant to point out the impermanence
of this energy. One cannot sustain relationships when Sudden Change
is your reason for existence. Oya children must work harder at relationships,
and the theme of abandonment, which follows so many Oya's, is simply the
logical expression of Sudden Change without the human balance it
requires.
When we describe
Oya as the gatekeeper of the cemetery, we are simply pointing out another
of life's sudden changes that are manifested by this Orisa energy. What
change can be more sudden than the passing from this life into the next?
And
finally, when we describe Oya as a beautiful bearded warrior allowed to
fight alongside the male Orisa warriors, we are simply describing the
chauvinistic view of too many male Babalawo and Priests that felt that
this female energy was so undeniably powerful, it had to be somewhat male!
:-)
Interestingly,
children of Oya almost invariably have issues of abandonment in their
lives. Divorce, losses of parent early on, etc. all seem to permeate the
Oya complex.
Oya children were often loners, and could have terrible tempers...yet
the creative aspect of Oya seems to be expressing itself more and more
in our culture and times. So many Oya's are drawn to the arts where their
creativity can effect sudden change in others.
The biggest hurdle you must overcome is the Oya skepticism. Your constant
fear of he other shoe dropping, of repeated abandonment etc. often makes
the Oya too critical and questioning in relationships. Try and ramp it
down.
Wednesday is Oya's day, and offerings suitable to Oya (liquor, oil, honey
etc) should be made
- The Classroom - Index
of Articles
- Experience and learn about the
Orisas from Babalawos, Iyalawos and priests by attending the Orisa
Workshops.
- Call 877-811-7316 (toll-free)
for more information.
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