ᐈ Obatalá 【Who he is, his History, Prayers, Offerings and More】

If you are interested in knowing who is obatalabetter known as the descendant of the Supreme God within Santeria, because you are in the right place, since in this article we will show you all the details you need to get to know this deity in depth.

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Who is Obatala?

Oxalá or Ochalá as it is also known, it is within the Yoruba religion that made the planet and one of the main gods within the pantheon of religion. Likewise, he is considered the one who constituted the beginning of almost all the santeras deities.

Among its attributes we find that is possessed of great intelligence, as well as know what people think or dream. For many, Obatalá is the kindest God of all and he would come to be a kind of Jesus Christ for Santeria, which explains why he is so loved.

The supreme God Olofin (representation of Olodumare) sent Obatalá to rule the world, that is, to take care of humanity from disasters and to maintain peace and order among all species. Such is the power of Obatala that he was given the ability to appease other Yoruba deities such as Shangó and Oggún.

Among the elements that characterize it we find colors like white, which is his favorite above all. Besides, known to be very merciful, of great patience and love for people. This explains its great importance and veneration within the santero cult.

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Because it is of great importance, it is the leading Orisha of all the others. In this sense, he is the one who intercedes with the other deities to protect his children from the evil that torments them. Finallythe person who wants to start in Santeria and cannot be established exactly which orisha should take, then it will be entrusted to Obatalá.

Your day

Like all deities, Obatalá also has his special day. This date is September 24 of all years and is usually celebrated with offerings of all kinds, various foods and even herbs that are especially liked by the Orisha.

A short phrase that makes a special allusion to the deity is usually recited:“Jekúa Baba!” Exclaim the faithful followers of Obatalá in his day.

To satisfy the Orisha on his day, you can dedicate a prayer to him from the depths of your heart, in order to establish a connection and make yourself noticed on this important date. Likewise, it is usually complemented with various meals or sweets, among them you can find rice pudding, rice alone; and fruits like soursop. White colored meals are recommended that do not contain salt.

History of Obatala

The story of Obatalá begins when Olodumare together with Olofin finished the creation of the universe and descended from the clouds to observe its creation. At the moment, They decided in turn to create a God that he would rule in that world over all others. In order for him to maintain the necessary stability and harmony.

This is how, historically, within Santeria, the deity of Obatalá arises and he was entrusted with both the creation of everything within the earth as its maintenance for all the centuries to come. In this way, he became the first to set foot on the world, for which he crowned himself the highest governor within it.

It is said that after creating all living organisms, he created feelings such as greed, lust, selfishness, and fury as a method of punishment for those individuals who did not conform to the natural laws established by the deity. So that all their guides must have an attitude of respect and obedience to enjoy its benefits.

Prayer to Obatala

The prayers or prayers for Obatalá are originally performed in the Yoruba language. Because it was the traditional Yoruba way of worshiping. In addition, this tradition comes from the first ancestors since in the original language it increases the effectiveness and connection that can exist between the Orisha and the santero.

That is why the prayer to Obatalá is still found in Yoruba, but do not worry, we have translated it for you. Next it will be presented in the original language to respect the tradition of the santero cult:

Iba Obatala, Iba Oba Igbo, Iba Oba, N’le ifon, O fi koko rumo ala

Òrìsà ni ma sin. Osha ni ma sin. Orisha ni ma sni

Obatala or his n’un àlà. you or ji n’un àlà. Obatala or tinu ala dide. A-di-ni boitti, Mo juba. Roast.

This text can be understood in Spanish as follows:

«King of purity, I congratulate you on this day; Since you are the patron of all things white, I ask for your complete protection and blessing for me. I who always praise you Obatala, I praise the King of all Heavens, I salute the only owner of the white textiles. You are the head of the white illumination to which I surrender. You are the Orisha that helps me. The Owner of the White Light whom I always accompany. Orisha who sleeps in white, deity who wakes up in white, Obatalá is in everything white. He is the one who creates everything according to his complete eagerness, I give you all my respect. Ashe».

In this way you can dedicate a short but powerful prayer in his name in order to connect with him or pay tribute to him.

Prayer for Money

Since we entered the field of prayers to Obatalá, it should be noted that one of the recurring requests that its faithful pilgrims do is aimed at monetary problems. If you find yourself in financial problems and you want to entrust your person to Obatalá to solve your problems, then you must recite the following prayer:

«Great father, owner of my existence, I come before you today on my knees to beg you that you be the one who places before my gaze the brilliance of all the stars that exist in the world you have created. In order to I can see all my ways with absolute clarity and thus be able to find the happiness that we all seek.

my trails that in a moment have darkened and closed are the reason that has left me in despair and darkness.

My great patron, you who have put me in this universe with all the chances of being happy, I ask you for the necessary light so that I can return to see my paths illuminated. With the purity of your white light be your father the one who opens my ways in order to move towards the future of progress and prosperity.

I believe in you father of all white fabrics. I beg you to help me solve my financial problems I ask you to help me bring money and good fortune to all paths illuminated by your generosity.

I (your full name) youand ask (explain request in detail).

Let it be your kindness, sweetness and your complete understanding those who forget my human mistakes and that I can clearly see your pure and humble heart. PSo that you are the constellation that points my way, and so I can find the support pTo recover the stability that I have lost.

I ask you for your ashé, Obatala
and I honor you as my patron.”

Once you have recited this prayer, Obatalá will progressively help you solve your problems with money. This can vary depending on the orisha, since he can tell if you are really having said problems or not.

Characteristics of the Children of Obatalá

All the guided or better known as children of the deities, acquire typical traits of their Orisha parents. Obatala’s children They are not different from the others in this sense, so they have characteristics of the saint.

First of all, they are people who idolize their father a lot, they always have him on a pedestal and every time they have the chance they pay tribute to him. For this same reason, they must be very clean people both physically and mentally since they represent the whiteness and purity of their father.

They are considered very honest people, devoid of arrogance and respectful. Despite these characteristics, they do not allow themselves to be subjugated by anyone, since they are leaders by nature. Some people comment that they become stubborn and do not change their minds easily due to their directness.

Logically, in order to be a son of Obatalá, it is necessary to comply with a training process to be able to carry the responsibility of being one of the guides of this deity. This is because within the Yoruba religion there are many rules and established laws that must be followed to the letter.

Regarding the workplace, They often occupy high-ranking positions. at their work sites. They usually function as managers and even in senior positions. However, this usually takes its toll on their hair, since they usually have gray hair at an early age, obtaining totally white hair (Obatalá’s color) when they enter old age.

Finally, but less important, They are very overprotective of their closest friends. They are cold and calculating when they are going to execute their plans, which always follow the guidelines stipulated within the Yoruba cult. Which shows once again how respectful they are of religion.

How to attend to it?

If you are a son of Obatalá, or if you are interested in being part of his guides, then it is vitally important that you know how to care for your father Obatala. From the most basic to the most complex. The first thing you should keep in mind is that you should always act with the utmost respect when you are in their presence.

Now a little deeper, you should make an altar in a remote place in your home, preferably in total darkness, and with slight ventilation. Also, if you want me to live in your house, you gotta own her cauldronwhich must be completely white.

Likewise, cleanliness and neatness must reign in your home, since Obatalá, being the patron of everything white (that is, what is pure) does not allow him to reside in a dirty place, since this is considered disrespectful. You can offer white foods such as rice, rice pudding, white pumpkins; among others such as corn, custard and milk. Unlike other saints, he does not consume alcoholic beverages, so it is recommended that you refrain from serving him.

In order to carry out a good ceremony of offering the foods that have already been mentioned, you must have adequate clothing. That is, having exclusively white clothes and a dim light that accompanies you and the Orisha, which also provides an ideal environment for spiritual connection.

When you are going to attend to it, you must also have cocoa butter or better known as Ori, and white tip nut (obi fin). However, you must be extremely careful, since you cannot stain yourself with any of the materials during the ceremony. In this sense, it is advisable not to use palm oil or any of its derivatives, in order to stay as clean as possible.

Paths of Obatala

The paths of Obatalá are very extensive, it is estimated that at least fifty exist. This is mainly because she is the only deity in the entire Yoruba religion who has paths for both women and men. That’s why I know…