ymi-j Our Mothers

The Divinity Odù and Ìyàmi Òṣòròngà are the highest forms of female power and Divine àṣẹ. They are the most Powerful Mothers and owners of a potent energy that one can only compare to that of Orisha Èṣù and the Supreme God Olódùmarè-Ọlóòrun. No other Yorùbá deity has more power over procreation than the Divinity Odù and Ìyàmi Òṣòròngà, the exception being Òṣun and Yemọja. All Àjé women on Earth are their subordinates and make use of their àṣẹ. Both the Divinity Odù and Ìyàmi Òṣòròngà are Deities that are highly feared and respected in Yorùbáland. These Divinities and Àjé are usually referred to by familiar names: Ìyàmi Òṣòròngà, My Mother the Sorceress; or simply by Ìyámi, My Mother; Ẹlẹyẹ, owner of the bird; Àjé, and as Àgbà or Ìyá Àgbà, Elderly Mother. But, regardless of the name used to refer to Ìyàmi Òṣòròngà and Àjé, their powers are the same and intensely unique. The power of the Divinity Odù and Ìyàmi Òṣòròngà was given to them by Olódùmarè-Ọlóòrun at the time of creation. The Divinity Odù was the only woman among male Orishas sent into the world. And with women's power on Earth, they were in charge of procreation, as they were and still are the owners of all wombs. In this manner, the Divinity Odù, Ìyàmi Òṣòròngà, and all Àjé control the menstrual cycles of women, thus exercising power over human creation and procreation. Given our times and the crises we face, the power of women and what they represent today is more evident than ever. This work reflects not only the power of the Divinity Odù, Ìyàmi Òṣòròngà, and Àjé but also their presence and influence in our daily lives; what they have represented in the past, in the present, and what they will continue to represent in the future. Today, their existence and àṣẹ are fundamentally crucial to our society as it was at the time of creation. The mythical aspect of the Divinity Odù, Ìyàmi Òṣòròngà, and Àjé appears in many publications and has become a current topic of many discussions. In this work, the author included 40 Ìtàns to give the reader a small window into the mythical realm of these Powerful Divinities. Following the Ìtàns, there is a look into the Gèlédé Rituals and Societies of Western Nigeria and Kétu. It is followed by the topics of Àjé Sorceresses, examples of Oríkì Praises to Ìyàmi-Àjé-Ẹlẹyẹ and the Divinity Odù, Sacrifices, 236 Sacred Leaves, 15 Sacred Trees, 21 Sacred Birds, the Orishas and Ìyàmi-Àjé, the Odù-Ifá and Ìyàmi-Àjé, Òògùn: Yorùbá Magical Medicines, a few examples of Ìyàmi-Àjé Òògùn Works and Ọfò Incantations, Power and Rituals, Symbols, Names of Ìyàmi, Sacred Rivers, and The Hunting of Àjé by the malicious Atinga Society. Next, the reader will find two thematic Poems about Ìyàmi-Àjé-Ẹlẹyẹ and the Divinity Odù, as a form of salute and final reverence to Our Mothers, the Owners of the Womb of the World and Root of Creation. Following the poems, there is a review of the controversy of Ìyàmi-Àjé Initiations, Shrines, and Colors. The book closes with the Conclusion and a Selected Glossary of Yorùbá words and topics.