Who is the ORISHA OSANYIN?
Statues of the Orisha Osanyin. The first statue can be purchased in
any botanica. The second statue is an authentic Yoruba statue of Osanyin
specifically made for a Babalow in Nigera, many centuries ago.
Osanyin (also called Osain) is the orisha of all plant-life, healing, and magic. He is known as a powerful wizard and master of all spells and crafts found in the wild and the untamed areas of nature. The properties of herbs and plants are recognized for both their spiritual and physical qualities. It is believed that the force that drives the universe (known as As’e) is, in part, located in plants. Those with the knowledge of plant-life and their power can unlock their As’e. The rites indigenous to the faith of the Yoruba cannot exist without the plants and herbs provided by Osanyin. It is his magic that is used to conjure the shrines dedicated to the other orishas. Hence, without him, none of the ceremonies can happen.
Osanyin is depicted as a disfigured, impish man, with one eye, one hand, one foot, one tiny ear that can hear a pin drop, and one enormous ear that hears nothing. He stores all his magic in a calabash that is hung high in a tree, out of reach.
How Osanyin becomes Ṣàngó‘s Godfather
One day, Osanyin meets Ṣàngó in the forest. He gives young Ṣàngó a gourd that allows him to breathe fire. As soon as Ṣàngó takes the gourd, he realizes his destiny as the orisha of fire and lightning. From then Osanyin becomes Ṣàngó‘s godfather and mentor.
Later on, Ṣàngó is passing through a village when he spots townspeople chasing a leper and tossing water on him. When Ṣàngó goes in rescue the leper, he discovers it is Osanyin in another form. Ṣàngó rubs herbs on Osanyin’s body to heal him. Then Osanyin falls at Ṣàngó’s feet in gratitude. When the townspeople wonder about this, since Osanyin is the elder of the two, he tells him, “Yes, I am older in age, but Ṣàngó is older in wisdom.”
Osanyin’s Faibles.
Osanyin’s knowledge and dominion over plant-life are often told and retold in the sacred texts of the Ifa. Osanyin was a lame orisha, missing a leg and arm, and blind in one eye. But his older brother Orunmila wanted Osanyin to feel worthy, so he arranged to leave Osanyin on the farm early in the morning with the instruction to pull weeds from between the rows of crops. When Orunmila returned in the evening, he found his younger brother in the middle of the field crying, without having pulled a single weed. Upon asking why his brother why he was weeping and why he had not completed his task, Osanyin replied, “You have asked me to pull the weeds, but there is not one weed here.” He pointed to a plant, and said, “You would have me destroy this, but this will cure ailments of the heart.” He then proceeded to point out many other plants, identifying each of their spiritual qualities and medicinal uses. Orunmila was surprised that his brother had such deep knowledge!
Osanyin = Metaphysical Powers…
The leaf is his knife and his wand. Osanyin represents the two sides of herbal power. The same thing that can cure you, if used improperly can kill you.
No Leaf Can Fall From The Tree Without The Authority, Power, and Knowledge of Oludumare…
Herbalists and Priests enlist the aid of Osanyin, the spirit of herbal medicines, in their work against mental and physical illness caused by malevolent forces and individuals. The Yoruba believe the power of Osanyin is vested in a wrought-iron staff, called an Osanyin staff, that is placed on altars to this Deity (Orisha).
Deity Osanyin Staff
The staff is composed of a circle of small birds and a shaft in the middle that elevates a large bird above smaller ones. The reason for this division could be to suggest the relaying of Metaphysical powers from the celestial to the terrestrial realm. The Yoruba reference to Osanyin as “The one who sees everything, like God (Olodumare)” allowing him a vantage point from which he can protect all of humanity below.
The birds, emissaries of Ogun, refer to the Herbalist’s understanding of and power over these malevolent people. There are typically sixteen birds, invoking the most sacred number of divination, surrounding and confronting the central bird, which represents the smallpox God.
Osanyin the Deity of healing
Osanyin the Deity of healing credited with all knowledge of Herbs, Leaves, and Roots for Medicinal purposes. The myths of origin, history, and religious beliefs of West-Africa were carried by the slaves across to the Americas and the Caribbean. This factor has maintained continuity in space and time with the original cult. To the Yoruba, health is a state in which there is a blending of physical, mental, emotional social moral, and spiritual well-being. To achieve this harmony they resort to divination to find out the cause of and remedy for their illness.
The traditional Healers fall into four groups and of these, the Diviner/Herbalist meets the needs of anyone who is ill by providing both diagnosis and medication. Among this group are the Herbalists (Onishegun) who diagnose and provide the remedy through dialogue with the deity and the Osanyin who acquire the knowledge of herbs and the associated incantations through a system of apprenticeship. The herbs are collected by the Herbalists (Onishegun) under whose watchful eyes the medications are prepared.
There Are No Òrìshás Without Leaves
Òsányìn is a deity or divinity of the medical herbage, his importance is primordial and no ceremony within the Ifá philosophy is made without his involvement. He is the one who finds the force, the vitality, and the power of performance, no divinity can pass trough, without him. This power lives in several leaves and herbs, the name of these leaves and herbs and their use, is the most secret of the Deity (Òrìshà) cult.
Every divinity has its particular leaves and plants, the use of one contraindicated leave could have harmful effects, and harvesting is done with extreme care. In wild places, brush or forest where plants grow freely, the plants that grow in gardens should be discarded, because the forest is the home of Òsányìn.
The priests of this Deity (Òrìshà) wakes up very early without having any sexual activity from the day before and goes to the forest without greeting anyone on their way. The priest offers incantations to strip the leaves, roots, bark, and fruits and deposits his offering to the deity before leaving the forest.
These priests are aware of the leaves used interchangeably, among them, we note that there are leaves with virtues such as a sheet of fortune, happiness, joy, fertility, fame, longevity, courage... But there are also leaves of misery, fever, and other even more fearsome illness. The leaves come in the form of decoction, baths of purification which are intended to form a magic lake between the divinity and certain objects that are enshrined including the blood of a specific animal. The employment of the leaves is fundamental because these leaves are used to elaborate on the divine power of the deities and receive a growing force that creates a strong bond of interdependence between the worshipers.
Omi Ero- Amashi = Medicinal Water
Òsányìn is the doctor, by a divine mandate and have a deep knowledge of botany and diseases that afflict humans, he is in charge of preparing the medicine for children and infants. He’s the only divinity that is able to use the cornmeal oil to prepare medicinal ointments. All the plants are attributed to this deity, because of the principal basis of his role in the planetary system.
Òsányìn is the divinity of Sorcery and Witchcraft and his followers seek his support against their enemies, in times of disputes, disagreements, and fights. This contributes in a double misconception because the key to the way of living is to live without being attacked and without attacking, however, no matter which plan is initiated to any individual, loses the effect if the power of justice is on the individuals' side, this because Òsányìn is neither an aggressive deity nor a warrior, he is only a medical deity in the planetary system and he is used to curing and remedying those painful diseases that science has not been able to defeat.
It is a belief that Òsányìn was born with knowledge about the plants and trees, because he did not learn from anybody. There are many different kinds of Òsányìn and the one that is one-legged and known as – Òsányìn elésè-kan is the fiercest and has great medical knowledge.
Osanyin’s magic is so powerful that no one can unravel his spells. Consequently, he is petitioned for any purpose where unconquerable magic is required. Osanyin is often depicted as an extremely disfigured, impish man. He has one eye, one hand, one foot, one tiny ear that can hear even a pin drop, and one ear larger than his head that hears nothing. He keeps all of his magic in a calabash that he hangs high in a tree, out of reach.
SACRED PLANTS
In the world of plants, some are used for sacred and ceremonial purposes, to explore the spirit world. The use of these plants derives from native cultures, whose members have traditionally sought access to the supernormal through the ingestion of the plants and their preparations. The use of these plants differs from contemporary religious practices in a keyway. For while religious prayer, ritual, and communion are engaged to propitiate god or gods, the use of sacred plants is intended to give the participant direct access to the divine experience. The difference is not slight but radical.
Additionally, sacred plants are used for healing purposes. True healing puts into order the body, mind, and spirit with the past, present, and future. Such integration is possible by various means, including the ceremonial use of the sacred plants. Throughout history, these plants have been employed to heal disorders of body, mind, and spirit, and today a whole new emerging body of study is currently examining the healing properties of some of these plants.
In the world of plants, some are used for sacred and ceremonial purposes, to explore the spirit world. The use of these plants derives from native cultures, whose members have traditionally sought access to the unknowns through the ingestion of the plants and their preparations. The use of these plants differs from contemporary religious practices in a keyway. For while religious prayer, ritual, and communion are engaged to propitiate god or gods, the use of sacred plants is intended to give the participant direct access to the divine experience.
The Orisha OSANYIN | model: Ola Ajibola | face painter & photog: James C. Lewis
Original article by oracleconjure.com
Bruce Lamar
I’ve been studying Ifa alone now with no support for 15+yrs. I suffer from epilepsy and know the cure is growing out there.