10 Characteristics and secrets of Orisha Oko in the Osha-Ifá Rule

Orisha Oko is a male Orisha, Highly respected and true to his word, he is the essence of the land and in life symbolizes agricultural work and crops.

The secrets of this Orisha in yoruba religion they are very broad and their ceremonies cannot be taken lightly.

As a defender of crops, he is in charge of offering solidity to the plantations, these being the ones that provide life support, facilitating the food necessary to live.

Who really is the Yoruba deity Orisha Oko?

We share some of the qualities and characteristics that represent this powerful and sacred Orisha, possessor of many ancestral teachings:

is syncretized with the saint San Isidro Labrador, that is why his day is celebrated on May 15.
Their colors Characteristics are red and white.
Numerology: It is associated with the number 7 and its multiples, like the orisha Yemayá.
you are greeted Maferefun Orisha-Oko!
Odun in which he speaks: Orisha-Oko speaks in the Diloggun by the signs Oddí (number 7), Eyeunle (number 8) and Eyioco (number 2).

1. Origins of this Orisha

Its name comes from the Yoruba Òrìsá Okò which means Orisha of Labrado.

His deity has its origin in the territory of Saki, located to the West of the State of Oyo belonging to Nigeria.

He is the Patron of the arátakos and araokos (peasants).

Son of Obbatalá and Yembo, and he is the one who receives the corpses that the Orisha Yewá gives him in the cemetery.

2. He was the husband of the Orisha of the ocean Olokún

The patakin (Yoruba legend) tells that the Orisha marries Olokun, but when he discovers her deformities he betrays her to others, and Olokún fills with rage, unleashes his anger and begins to fill the earth with water.

Orisha-Oko frightened, complains to Oloddumare and then he orders Olokun tied with chains in the depths of the ocean to calm him down.

Since then, the goddess of the depths of the ocean lives chained there, where man has never been able to reach, only she knows the secrets of the sea and from time to time, her fury grows and the earth is flooded.

3. Orisha Oko has 2 very special peculiarities

These characteristics are shown one of them during the day and the other at night.

During the day he shows himself to be an impeccable man, poised, graceful and
at night he represents death (Ikú) and is disguised as it.

4. Receptacle of the Orisha in the Rule of Osha-Ifá

In the Rule of Osha (santeria) Orisha Oko is represented in a clay pot with plowed earth, a small clay pot containing a handful of snails, two loaded and painted dry coconuts, half white, half red.

Other of his power elements are a stone that has been collected in the field, the tile with a white background and 7 red stripes, which can also be half white, half red.

He also carries in his tools the figure of a hollow farmer who usually carries a secret, an umbrella and two oxen pulling the plow, which are located inside the frying pan with plowed soil.

Your secret snails, that is, "Ayé", are land snails, similar to corkscrews, elongated, and of different colors.

5. Where should the representation of Orisha Oko be placed?

This Orisha must live outside the house, in a place where there is land and where something like yams, sweet potatoes, potatoes, beans, etc. are planted.

When this Orisha is going to be fed, it should be given outside the house and what is sacrificed to him should not be eaten or given away, everything goes to the earth again.

6. Offerings to venerate their deity

To Orisha-Oko you can offer all the food that mother earth gives us and also dry meats.

The yam especially is his favorite and it is good to always have one in your pot for prosperity, or where we have the orisha placed outside the house.

If you want to prepare an offering step by step, read here: Adimu to Orisha Oko to solve a problem.

your animals sacrificial are the ram, the dove and the rooster.

Your herbs (ewes) They are the red vine, sweet potato, partridge vine, guarana vine, cherimoya, peregún, custard apple, yam, peony, and dairy vine, among others.

7. How does Orisha Oko protect us in life?

He is considered the mediator of altercations, conflicts and fights, particularly between women, he is also the judge of the fights between the Orishas.

He is a very industrious worker and keeper of secrets, it is said that his genitals are so large that they hang down to the ground due to the harsh chastity he imposed on himself.

He guarantees the bonanza in the harvests, his emissaries are the bees, symbols of boom and fertility, that is why women who cannot have children usually resort to him.

8. Yoruba Trilogy

It forms a valuable trilogy with Oke (Orisha that symbolizes the mountains) and Oggué (Orisha of the herd animals and horned animals), together they are in charge of:

The crops,
rainfall,
the internal fire of the bowels of the earth.

9. What are the Orisha Oko necklaces like?

Their necklaces (elekes, in Yoruba) are made of pink or lilac beads, and pale turquoise blue, always interspersing their beads in a number of seven, which is their trademark.

10. Orisha Oko is crowned in Santeria?

It is an Orisha that is not received as tutelary, if it is the son of Orisha-Oko Yemayá is crowned with Gold for Orisha Oko.

You can also read: How is the Orisha Oko of Osha different from that of Ifá?

The descendants of the orisha and their qualities:

The children of Orisha-Oko are not usually lovers of parties and neither of the forbidden.

They are very respectful, concerned about their peers, reserved, tireless workers, very formal, dedicated to the people who are under their protection.

Orisha Oko has great power in the Osha, and not only because she is the deity who provides us with abundant food so that we can survive, but because her energy fills us with vitality and ashe.