Who is Orunmila? Features, children, greetings, food and more!

Orunmila is known to be the chief counselor of all other existing Orixás. Ifá is under his responsibility, which is the divination system used to consult the Orixás.

Due to this, he is considered as the great knower of the destiny of all people, as he has access to this system. Orunmila is an entity of great importance and has been present on Earth from the moment of its creation and also from the emergence of humanity.

Worshiped both in Umbanda and Candomblé, Orunmila has the power of intuition and clairvoyance, which makes him make this clear reading of people’s destinies. Due to this power, it is an Orisha of great prestige, one of the highest. Read more details below!

The story of Orunmila shows that he was present at the moment of creation of Earth and humanity. That’s why he is known to be one of the fun-fun Orixás. Highly esteemed by religions of African origin, he is second only to Olodumare, who is considered the supreme God.

Due to the fact that he fixes everything that is imperfect, Orunmila became known for his syncretized form through the Catholic Church, in which he is seen as the Holy Spirit.

Through his wisdom, this Orisha guides everyone to a path of knowledge, so that they realize that wishing evil or taking revenge on someone, no matter how much this person is your enemy and has done you harm, is something that will turn against you more afternoon. Keep reading to learn more about Orunmila!

In Umbanda, the figure of Orunmila is of great importance because he represents the creation of humanity and where it lives. As the guardian of Ifá, considered the sacred book of Umbanda practitioners, he holds a lot of power and knowledge, combined with his strong critical sense. This makes Orunmila able to exercise his power to fix everything that is needed.

Due to this characteristic, this Orisha is the most sought after by people in times of despair when they don’t know what else to turn to. And, as such, it helps anyone who seeks it out in search of answers and solutions.

The story of Orunmila shows that he had 16 children and each one of them was responsible for representing one of the characteristics of life, such as love, hate, death and others. The way he acted with his children was very strict because this Orisha always demanded a lot of respect for his position.

Another part of his story shows his relationship with Obatalá, who planned to deliver the Babalawo’s wisdom to Orunmila, but considered him too young and still inexperienced for that, as he would carry with him all the knowledge in the world. Put to the test, Orunmila managed to impress Obatalá with his intelligence and cunning.

Orunmila has always been a very strict father with his 16 children and this characteristic made him demand that his children have respect for him. On a certain day, he requested the presence of his children and noticed that one of them refused to kneel.

In the face of this, the Orisha confronted him asking the reason for this and his son promptly replied that he was a king and that he had the same riches as his father and that he could not bow to another. This act caused deep sadness in Orunmila, who retired to Orum, leaving his mission to perfect everything that was created.

The main characteristics of Orunmila are shown through his vast wisdom. This is the wisest Orisha because it holds all the knowledge in the world. Therefore, he is also considered the best advisor of the Orishas, ​​as he has the necessary information to help those who need his help.

This Orisha is contrary to any kind of action surrounded by hatred, revolt and revenge. He is always ready to help anyone who needs his help. But the person needs to be sincere with his feelings and also wish well for others, otherwise his request to Orunmila will not be fulfilled, since he does not tolerate bad feelings.

The children of Orunmilá are very calm and even shy people. As for appearance, they are not usually very tall and have bulky bodies. Very vain, they like to take care of their appearance, especially their hair, something they place much more emphasis on.

As much as they are shy people, they are not adept at isolation and like to meet new people and create friendships. They stand out for their great ability to solve problems and easily understand everything that is part of their personal interests.

Because they like to have orderly environments, these people have a great tendency to become authoritarian to get what they want, imposing their demands.

Orunmila’s connection with the game of cowrie shells is due to the fact that he is the holder of the Ifá, which is used for these purposes of divination, as well as the cowrie shells. That’s because he holds the power of intuition and clairvoyance and through that power he can read the destinies of all people.

Therefore, this action is precisely connected with what is done in búzios games, in which the fate of the people to whom the game is being directed is also guessed, in order to find out more about their paths and what can happen in yours.

Knowing a little more about Orunmila is possible through his aspects, which differ from other Orixás. Each one has their day, special food of their preference, greetings that are made in moments in which they are worshiped and other various aspects.

Therefore, to know in depth about the history and the way in which this Orisha shows and imposes itself, it is also necessary to know these characteristics of his personality and his preferences.

Because in moments of celebration in Umbanda or Candomblé, in the terreiros the Orixás are presented with offerings with their favorite foods, which take their colors and other details. We will explain a little more about these particularities of Orunmila below, check it out!

The day chosen to worship Orunmila and celebrate his power is October 4th. On that day, Umbanda and Candomblé terreiros can hold parties and events in celebration of this Orixá, using their prayers, greetings and all the dishes approved by this powerful advisor. The day of the week related to Orunmila is Friday.

The colors that are linked to this Orisha are green, yellow and ivory white. These are the colors also used during celebrations to worship and honor this powerful and wise Orisha, holder of all the knowledge in the world.

The Orixás have specific foods of their preference that are generally used as a form of thanks in offerings, mainly on specific dates or to thank for something that was attended to by the Orixá in question.

For Orunmila, the food must contain cornmeal or corn flour with honey, cooked yam, fine sweets, shrimp, meat fillets and lobsters. These foods must be distributed in a specific way in white dishes so that the Orisha is pleased.

To celebrate Orunmilá on his day or at any time that this Orisha is worshiped in terreiros, the greeting used is: Epá Ojú Olorún, Ifá Ò! The meaning of this sentence is “Long live the eyes of God, He is Ifá”, which goes against the meaning of the Orisha.

Showing his power and the fact that he holds all the knowledge in the world and, thus, also has in his hands the power to help all people with whatever it may be, being one of the most powerful Orixás, second only to Olodumarê , who is the supreme God.

Offerings to the Orixás must be made carefully because each one of them has specifications and preferences and some cannot tolerate certain types of food or colors. Therefore, it is necessary to have knowledge and, if necessary, seek the help of a more experienced person in the matter.

Offerings made to Orunmila are very easy to prepare. But, in general, they need to be delivered in even portions. They are distributed through white plates and two of these plates must contain a candle in each. The place where the offering will be made must be lined with a white towel. Cornmeal or corn flour cakes, sweets, lobsters, honey, flowers, sweet wine, shrimp and others can be offered to the Orisha.

The energies emanated by Orunmila are beneficial to people’s intellectual side. Therefore, this aspect will be greatly favored by its influence in general, because it is a very wise orixá full of knowledge. At work, creativity is something you will find very high.

The axes and spells to benefit these issues involving work, love and others can be done as follows: macerate cologne leaves with two red roses. Then take a shower with this preparation from the neck down. Afterwards, wear a red piece of clothing and light an old one dedicated to Pomba Gira Maria Padilha do Cabaré.

The axes and spells to ensure people’s union can be done as follows: first write the person’s name with a pencil on paper 16 times. Soon after, write your name above the writings, so that a real tangle is made with the written names.

After that, take the paper and place it on top of an oxybatá leaf (lily pad). Then cook half a cup of hominy and let it cool. After it has cooled, place it on top of the written names. Then cook a yam, peel and mash it, and make 16 dumplings.

Place on top of the hominy. Drizzle all this with honey and land on a hill and at the moment say: “Orunmila, just as Oxum is unique to Oxibatá, make (name of the person) join me”.

Orunmila governs all knowledge in the world and therefore carries with him everything needed to help people who come to him begging for his help. This Orisha is sought after by people who don’t know what to do and need help in some way.

Thus, several aspects of life can be approached by this Orisha, since he is one of the most powerful of all and has the necessary knowledge to be able to resolve these issues.

Even if the problems are of emotional background, relationships, financial problems, clutter, illnesses and others, the Orisha is willing to help anyone who needs his help. Check out some of the orders below…