Why is Obatalá so powerful in Santeria? The Father who gives peace

Obatalá is an Osha head in the Yoruba pantheon that rules over all heads.

He is usually invoked to avoid problems in life, even with the other Orishas, because his deity emanates peace, calm and patience, his energy solves conflicts.

Obatalá is the creator of the Earth, owner of intelligence, thoughts, human dreams and everything white.

As such, Obatala was sent to Earth by Olofin, a deity who would be the equivalent of Jesus Christ in syncretism, to rule the world, do good and take care of order, peace and harmony among men.

Obatalá is the only Orisha who can keep the head of an aleyo (initiated in the Yoruba religion) when there is a dispute between two Orishas for the same omo (son).

It is one of the main Orishas of the Yoruba religion, it represents purity, patience and whiteness.

It was Obatalá who created our Heads. Do you know the History?

The Yoruba stories tell that when Oloddumare the Supreme God sent Obatala and Oduduwa To create the world we live in, Obatalá fell asleep and Oduduwá left him no homework to do, taking all the credits for the work.

When Obatalá complained to Oloddumare, he gave him the task of creating the heads of the people, since during their creation they had been left unfinished.

And as before Obatala's work, human beings had no head, they were very clumsy and did not live well.

After Obatala created the human heads, the world began to function more optimally and fluidly.

As Obatalá is the owner of all human heads, he is also the owner and creator of everything we have in our lerí (head) such as thoughts, dreams, our mind in general.

How is Obatala represented in the Rule of Osha?

According to each path of Obatalá there are different characteristics and attributes of the orisha. But when Obatalá comes down to earth, he usually does it with very slow steps, imitating an older person.

The personality of the children of Obatala It varies as much as the path of each Orisha, because in their paths you can appreciate how diverse their avatars can be.

In some cases he presents himself as a young warrior, in others as an old man, in some cases he is a woman and in others a man.

Obatalá is also reflected as an old man who personifies wisdom, humanity and humility, presents himself with a cane and shows great patience to solve the problems that his children have, bringing harmony.

Offerings and adimuses that Father Blanco Obatalá likes:

Obatalá's favorite offerings (adimú) are all those in which the color white predominates, therefore, they can be placed:

Desserts like rice pudding
foods like milk, bread pudding, cocoa butter
fruits, including soursop, coconut, and yam.
La cascarillaIt is also an element that represents the purity of Obatala and is widely used in their offerings.

It should be noted that Obatalá has a taboo with salt, so it is recommended that none of its offerings be seasoned with salt.

At the end of the article we leave some of their offerings and how to do them step by step.

What is the Mark of Obatalá?

In Santeria, Obatalá is represented by the number 8 and its multiples. For this reason, many of his offerings are given to him in quantities of eight.

His brand is also reflected on the Obatalá necklace. The eleke (necklace), which is mostly white beads with crystal or transparent details, should be placed in multiples of 8.

Among the five foundation necklaces that the religious receives in the Rule of Osha or Santeria, which represent the five main Orishas of the Yoruba pantheon, is the Obatalá necklace, along with that of Elegguá, Oshún, Yemayá and Shangó.

What saint is Obatala in the Catholic Religion?

Obatalá is the orisha who is syncretized with the Virgen de las Mercedes, a saint who is also represented through the color white and virtues such as peace, justice and tranquility.