Inspired from Odu Ogbe Yonu: TEMPERING OF THE HEAD
Is it fair for a person who is looking for guidance?
How do we temper our head?
There are foods and products which we tend to enjoy, such as eggs, chocolates, soufflés, gasoline, metals, etc. Tempering is when a person adds substance to mold, shape, and harden the product to function well, e.g. ori. For instance, we go to school to get an education, training or skills. If you didn’t learn anything, you have gained no substance. An ori without tempering is an ori without substance; therefore, it is broken or dysfunctional. Some would say it is damaged goods. The concept of “iwa rere – good character/iwa pele – gentle character”.
TEMPERING:
In the earlier days, elders would temper the ori for initiation. They would develop the ori to move from one stage to the next. Testing and challenging the ori, e.g. sticking a fork in it to see if it was done (hardening the head to receive the ashe (fire or initiation)). The hardening is needed to carry the weight of the orisa. Meaning, there were years of training and spiritual development before initiation. It wasn’t a cash-carry or drive thru window process, e.g. McDonald drive-thru.
WHERE DOES THE DEVELOPMENT BEGIN?
The elders and initiators remind me of the story of “Ajala” who was the avatar of Obatala, the head maker – Odu Ogbe Yonu. This is story is taken from “Ajala and choice of ori” by Wande Abimbola, 1975; UNESCO files: “The Ori is chosen in Orun (heaven) and the consequences of this irrevocable choice are on every individual.” Firstly, I have three children, and I am amazed how each one has their own character and innovation toward solving problems, even though they are raised by the same standard – moral and values. The story is about three friends – Oriseeku (son of Ogun), Orileemere (son of Ija) and Afuwape (son of Orunmila) that heading to the abode of Olodumare to choose an ori. They were on their way to Ajala’s home. Oriseeku and Orileemere went straight to Ajala house and Afuwape went to his father’s house to divine on his journey to Ajala’s house. Meanwhile, the two friends reached Ajala’s house to only meet a lot of problems. Meanwhile, Afuwape was instructed to do ebo…three small bags of salt, three times nine thousand cowries. At the end of the story, Ajala knew which ori was good and which one was bad. Afuwape received a good ori and his friends picked their own ori.
80.Afuwape said that he was going to the earth,
And he must first go to Ajala to choose Ori.
Orunmila then took his divination instruments,
And with them he touched Afuwape head.
When he cast the instruments on the ground……
- Ogbeyonu (otherwise known as Ogbegunda) appeared.
When the Orunmila household studied it carefully,
They said, “You, Orunmila,
Your son is going on a journey to certain place.
So that he may choose a good lot there……..
My point here is the importance of tempering the enter head – ori (higher consciousness). It is my opinion that an elder that is dysfunctional – the heads which they make will be dysfunctional. Elders in some lineages don’t mold, shape, and harden the head and/or prepare it for the ase of the orisa(s) OR Ifa. We can see this and experience the ori that is not tempered when they leave nasty remarks on this page. I guess, it’s like putting untreated glass in the stove or an egg in the microwave…if it makes it through the fire, it is all good… if not…it is still good. Tempering of the head is adding substance (you have to have substance to give substance, Odu Ika Fun- you can’t give what you don’t have) that will prepare the person to receive the necessary firing by hardening the head to carry the power (or ase); and for the ase to be seated well or properly on the head…good characteristics. It is a perfect head. When the ase isn’t seated well, the ego takes control and they are dysfunctional; they become destructive to themselves and others around them. Basically, spiritual cultural unconditional love is essential for tempering the ori, so, over time people won’t have problems. I will stop here……….
Odu IdinRete
Ori mi gbe
Ori mi la mi
Tete gbe mi atete niran
Atete gbeni ku forisa
Ori pele o onomo atakara sola
Ori ko da mi re
Orisa ma ma je nsowo ase danu
Ori ko da mi re
My orie save me
Rescue me,
You are swift to save
You save quicker than orisa
Ori pele – greeting ori
Ori cast me right
Don’t let me trade at a loss
