Odu Ika Meji

Ifa says that all this person's possessions
must be divided through the middle, in two,
in order for him not to loose both halves,
that is to say loose it all.
Ifa says that all this person's possessions
must be divided through the middle, on behalf
of a sacrifice, because for this person
the Ikin were beaten, the Opele was cast
on behalf of his life, for which
a goat should be sacrificed now.
"The beach gradually turns into sea, wet;
the sea gradually turns into beach, dry"
were the ones who cast for Owner of Hot Water
and also cast for Owner of Cool Water.
Both asked what they would have to do
in order to have a good life, abundant.
The Awo's instructed both to make sacrifice.
Oshun offered cold water,
Omolu offered hot water.
When Omolu grabs a child,
he dips it into hot water,
and we say: "It has a fever".
Then Oshun is given palm oil and
whatever else she wants, and she cools
the child in cool water; we say:
"Ha! Olorun did this! When we went to Oshun
she made the child loose its fever."
This was the time when people began
to venerate these two deities.
The people danced and rejoiced,
praising their Awo's who in turn praised Ifa,
while Ifa praised Olodumare, because
their Awo's had spoken the truth.
"The beach gradually turns into sea, wet;
the sea gradually turns into beach, dry"
were the ones who cast for Owner of Hot Water
and also cast for Owner of Cool Water,
when both came from Heaven to Earth.
How do we know Owner of Hot Water?
He is the one we call Omolu.
How do we know Owner of Cool Water?
She is the one we call Oshun.
Aye, this is where Ifa says
that a sacrifice should be made, for we
are too hot, far too hot.
Sacrifice, before hotness kills us.

"The bird takes to the air, the foreigner
travels across the sea, the dog is given a name"
was the one who cast for Erelu the Seafarer, on the day
that he was searching for prosperity and abundance.
Erelu was instructed to make ebo to Eshu. He listened
and made the sacrifice. From that day on, Erelu
the Seafarer received blessings in abundance.
"Sailing ship come, sailing ship go. It is
a good sea that makes the ship travel"
Ifa says this person is about to make a trip,
he should sacrifice for a safe journey. And
Ifa says that a man who earns his living
with boats must make sacrifice for blessings.
This client should cooperate with a stranger,
for a stranger will make him wealthy.
Ebo: bananas, eggs, 1 pot of red palm oil,
1 hen, and money. If this client has an Eshu shrine,
let him place a small wooden toy boat
on a clean white plate in front of it.

"Jump upon", the awo of Cat,
cast fort the Cat when he was
trading every day, but saw
his profits slip through his fingers.
They told him to offer 6 needles,
6 pigeons and 12,000 cowries.
Cat listened and made the offering.
Since then nothing slips through
Cats claws anymore. Ifa say
here is a person that sees
everything slip away from him;
he must sacrifice, so that things
never will evade him anymore.

"You are bad, I am bad" was the one
who cast Ifa for Agbadu the Snake,
who had a soft belly, on the day
that Agbadu would be appointed a Chief.
They instructed Agbadu to make ebo, but he refused.
From that day everybody fled away when they saw Agbadu.
Ifa says that this person has problems in a personal relationship.
And Ifa says that if this person is married, there
are problems in the marriage. Ifa also says that this person
is sometimes overmuch concerned about problems,
which makes them only worse. And there are
people who want to help this client,
but he chases them away. Ifa finally says
that this person must be courageous!
The offering is one head of a snake, one pigeon,
one hen, one pot palm oil, and a sum of money
to be determined by the Awo.
The offering is to Eshu.

Ifa was cast for Palm Fruit.
They told him to sacrifice because of
his problems and worries: a rooster,
and other stuff to be determined
by the Awo. Palm Fruit said that,
because he had such a beautiful
crown on his head, he would never
even think of going to a babalawo
to make an offering. He simply refused
to make a sacrifice. Ifa says that
everybody for whom this Odu falls,
has some serious problems.

Ika Meji

Whenever I cast Ika Meji for a client, in my mind the image forms itself of an overheating ball bearing or an engine that's running hot. More often than not Ika indicates the client running in too high a gear, which is a waste of energy. Tired, very tired clients, the Ika crowd often are! Whenever Ika appears in combination with Oturupon (Ika-Oturupon or Oturupon-Ika), the issue may be very serious, health-wise. Ika Meji is known as "the Controller". Controlled are the evil, violent and cowardly acts that damage the personal integrity and disturb nature's harmony and balance. This Odu contains a warning against cowardice, especially where such cowardice leads to the use of hexes and curses to diminish another person. Such hexing and cursing is not necessarily in the form of a ritual spell: there are many other kinds of hexing/cursing like gossip, lies, malevolence and lack of compassion. Diminishing your own feeling of self-respect is a form of self-hexing. The Odu warns against this kind of behavior, which in the end blocks the appreciation of the individual's own inner value. In Africa this Odu is connected with the hot winds ("harmattan") that bring contagious and epidemic diseases, and the randomness with which they strike. The best protection against destructive randomness is the maintaining of a steady spiritual discipline, part of which is several sorts of personal, family and group protection. Many Yoruba villages hold yearly festivals which mean to protect the area against the negative results of Ika Meji. Ika Meji means many worries, and asks for prudence. The right sacrifice makes it possible to control things. Children of Ika Meji are usually surrounded by people who enjoy hurting others, or who derive pleasure from watching other people suffer. In short, the sadistic kind of people. They should be constantly ontheir guard, because they cannot count on family or friends for help. Sacrificing to, and feeding of, the Ori is necessary for making the right choices.
If this Odu appears in a normal (non-Ita) divination, it says that this is a good time for conception. One should always bear in mind that what reaps what one has sown. There are jealous enemies who try to block the client's chances. The client cannot rely on his children and has financial problems. Making the right sacrifices to Ifa and Ogun will result in many opportunities for being productive and fertile. A blanket instruction in this Odu is to be watchful against possible danger in everything you undertake. You cannot count on friends or family.

Warning!

All combinations with Ika admonish the client to be very careful of everything thyat is, might be or might become an infection. Take this in the broadest sense of the word. If you cut your finger, however small, put some iodine on it. If you take anything out of the fridge, look at the expiration date and when in doubt, don't eat it. Be careful what you eat, cood certain foodstuffs well and thoroughly to kill all possible bacteria. Stay away from places of possible infection or contamination. In this day and age the Ika warning alaso pertains to sex, unfortunately. If you have sex with anybody (with the possible exception of your regular partner), take care of good quality protection! Now don't get paranoid for Ifa does not say that you will get a nasty infection of inflammation or such, Ifa simply says that all combinations with Ika warn against the possibility, so you can take precautions.