West Africas Orisha and Astrology

BY
SOYINKA I.OGUNBUSOLA
Our ast unierse is ho!e to a host of celestial "odies. #ercury$ %enus$ #ars$ &u'iter$ Saturn
(luto and Uranus) *ere *orshi'ed "y all indigenous cultures around the glo"e under nu!erous
na!es. +hey hae influenced the actions of !an since ti!e i!!e!orial. +he !a,ority of
religious !ythology *as influenced "y astrology) *as it any *onder !an sought out guidance
fro! the heaens.
Bet*een -.$... and /$... B0 the Africans of the Nile alley and great la1es region deised the
stellar calendar. In 2$... B0 the solar calendar *ould !ar1 the era of a ne* age) a dynastic
'eriod e3tended its greatness through an entire !illenniu!. +he 'yra!id "uilders and !onu!ent
architects erected !onolithic structures that till this day continue to !arel !odern architecture.
+he foundation of a cultures s'iritual syste! influenced "y the celestial "odies and their
!oe!ent in the heaens ins'ired the! to erect !onu!ents that !ar1ed the solstices and the
e4uino3es as *ell as the transits of the 'lanets.
+he eneration of the ancestors *as also deter!ined "y the celestial !oe!ents) as translated in
5+he "oo1 of the dead5 and 5+he "oo1 of co!ing forth "y day6$ 5+he coffin te3t$ and (yra!id
te3t. +hese religious te3t or 'a'yrus scrolls are cry'tic descri'tions of allegorical stories of the
deities that resided in the heaens that hae considera"ly influenced their daily lies to such a
high degree that !agnificent te!'les *ere erected in their honor that are still in e3istence today.
+he descendants of this culture *ho !igrated fro! the Nile alley and great la1es region oer
'eriod of generations "eca!e 1no*n as the Yari" a deriatie of Yoru"a of South*estern Nigeria
in West Africa *hose cultural 'ractices *ere and still are dee'ly su"!erged in ancestral
eneration. 7es'ite the e!ergence of 0hristian !issionaries and Isla!ic &ihads there still resides
*ithin this cultural conte3t the traditional Yoru"a8s "elief syste! is 1no*n as Ifa ac1no*ledging
the creator$ Oludu!are through the essence of nature. Oludu!are9 the creator force "irthed the
heaens into e3istence$ thus "ringing into e3istence the e3tensions of the creator) "etter 1no*n as
Orisha a 'ractice consisting of the ac1no*ledg!ent of the creator through the forces of nature.
Within the ele!ents of earth *ind *ater and fire there e3ist an entire 'antheon of West African
deities 1no*n as Orisha$ the ind*elling s'irit of consciousness that 'lays a significant role fro!
the heaens in the daily lies of the 'ractioners of the s'iritual traditions of Ifa) +he Yoru"a
"eliee that it is Orisha *ho guides the consciousness of an indiidual. It is said that there e3ist
2.. Orisha) facets of nature *hich are earthly re'resentations of the cos!os) heaenly energies$
and therefore nothing e3ist or ha''ens in the s1y that does not hae its influence or i"ration on
earth *ithin natures ele!ents and also in hu!an "ehaior. In other *ords as a"oe so "elo*.
+he traditional Yoru"a "eliee that eerything *ithin nature on earth 'ossesses a consciousness)
'lant ani!al !ineral and !an. +he Orisha8s characters are "ased on the characteristic nature of
the 'lanets) their !oe!ents$ such as o''ositions$ transits$ trines$ se3tiles and con,unctions in
astrology and astrono!y. +hese celestial eents are inter'reted fro! the Yoru"a8s o*n cultural
'ers'ectie.
+he sco'e of this article is not intended to discuss the Ifa religious syste! in its entirety) only the
!a,or Orisha as their corres'ondence to the natal "irth chart$ the houses$ inner and outer 'lanets
and transits.
If you could i!agine the "eginning and end of a circle you *ould co!e to understand the neer
ending cycle of creation$ reincarnation transition and that all things created hae a destiny that is
influenced "y the heaens. In traditional Ifa the Orisha or god of destiny is Oru!ila) also 1no*n
as the oracle Orisha. Within the diination syste! of the Yoru"a the O'an Ifa) diining "oard
used in Ifa diination is si!ilar to that of the astrological "irth or natal chart that is diided into
t*ele houses e4ualing thirty degrees$ the distance it ta1es the sun to trael in a day.
+he t*ele houses of the natal chart are areas of life goerned "y a 'articular 'lanet$ in regards to
the traditional Yoru"a8s cultural 'erce'tion of ones e3istence these houses *ould "e ruled "y a
'articular essence in nature or Orisha for instance:
The first house the self or out*ard a''earance and surface 'ersonality is Aries the ra! ruled "y
#ars$ *ithin the Yoru"a tradition the Orisha of iron and steel$ Ogun the *arrior god 'ossessing
assertie and aggressie characteristics rules the first house. It is Ogun *ho is the 'atron of
soldiers$ 'olice Officers$ surgeons$ railroad *or1ers$ *elders$ "ody "uilders$ or anyone e!'loyed
to *or1 *ith iron and steel.
The second house the house of !aterial 'ossessions and !oney is +aurus ruled "y %enus the
goddess of loe) *ithin the Yoru"a 'antheon Orisha of the riers la1es and all "odies of fresh
*ater. Oshun the !other of a"undance do!inates this area of life) !otherhood$ *ealth$ and loe.
The third house the house of duality$ "alance$ co!!unication$ high energy is Ge!ini ruled "y
#ercury. +he cos!ic t*ins of the Yoru"a 'antheon the I"e,i) do!inate in this area of life they
are the ying and yang$ e3'ansion$ and contraction$ 'ositie and negatie energies e3isting *ithin
all life.
The fourth house 'ertains to issues surrounding the ho!e. #aternal$ 'rotectie$ nurturing and
instinctie) 4ualities do!inate in 0ancer ruled "y the !oon. +hese are the attri"utes of the Orisha
Ye!o,a$ Orisha of the ocean$ *hose e"" and flo* of the tides are a result of the !oon *hich is an
attri"ute of her as *ell.
The fifth house Leo ruled "y the sun) a house of en,oy!ent ro!ance$ children$ and !ost of all
creatiity in all as'ects of e3istence. ;ere the illu!ination of the sun is reflectant of the *isdo!
of Oru!ila the Orisha of destiny *ho sits "y the side of Oludu!are the creator god of the
Yoru"a. It is *ithin this as'ect of e3istence *here !an chooses his or her destiny and it is
recorded "y Oru!ila in the 'resence of Oludu!are at *hich ti!e the "reath of life is gien to
!an u'on his or her e!ergence on earth) hence the creation$ and destiny of !an.
The six house %irgo a house of *or1$ health$ and serice ruled "y #ercury. Out of the Yoru"a
'antheon of Orisha it is <su Orisha of the crossroads *ho is res'onsi"le for co!!unication in
eery as'ect of e3istence "et*een the Orisha$ the ancestors$ !an$ and Oludu!are. ;is real! of
e3istence lies "et*een the s'irit *orld and the !aterial *orld. ;is do!ain is *ithin the
crossroads) *hen the sun !oon or 'lanet crosses oer into a arious =odiac signs to assert a
'articular influence. +his is an as'ect of <su$ *or1ing to ensure that the other Orisha are a"le to
sere their 'ur'oses. ;e is also 1no*n as the diine !essenger the !ost i!'ortant Orisha *ithin
the 'antheon. ;is influence !ay also "e found in the third house as *ell.
The seventh house of 'artnershi's is a house of "alance and har!ony) a trait of Li"ra *ho is
ruled "y %enus. ;ere is another do!ain of Oshun that falls *ithin the real! of loe$ ro!ance
and !arriage. Oshun relishes in elegance$ "eauty$ grace$ artistry$ char! charis!a and
refine!ent. She is the Yoru"a goddess of loe.
The eighth house of Scor'io ruled "y (luto this is a house of a"solute 'o*er. Scor'io is one of
the !ost 'o*erful signs of the =odiac is it any *onder that the *arrior Orisha Oya$ also the stor!
goddess of the Yoru"a do!inates this eighth house of transfor!ation$ regeneration$ death$ se3
reincarnation$ and other 'eo'les !oney) inheritances and financing. She is the hurricanes that
for! on the West coast of Africa traeling across the Atlantic *ith *inds that generating
any*here fro! seenty to t*o hundred !iles an hour$ she is the tornados and t*isters that
u'roots trees and houses. She is the only force *ithin nature that has the a"ility to change the
face of the earth fro! her destructie *inds. +his 'o*erful Orisha is also res'onsi"le for
carrying the s'irits of the ne*ly de'arted to the s'irit *orld. In Nigeria it is Oya *ho do!inates
the !ar1et 'lace. In so!e 'arts of Nigeria she is Oya of the Niger >ier) a force *ithin nature to
"e res'ected$ and a !ost for!ida"le *arrior attri"ute *hen ino1ed to fight for *o!en8s rights.
The ninth house the do!ain of Sagittarius) a 'lace of higher education$ religion$ 'hiloso'hy$ and
diine la*) ruled "y &u'iter the 'lanet of e3'ansion$ gro*th$ and good fortune is the largest "ody
in our solar syste! "esides the sun. +his *ould "e the Yoru"a8s 'lanetary counter'art of O"atala
the father of the Orisha) o*ner of the *hite cloth$ he is the 'urity and illu!ination at its =enith$
the Orisha of *isdo! and intelligence$ ruling the 'hysical "ody his do!ain is all *hite fluids of
the "ody$ the s1eletal structure$ and the "rain.
The tenth house of career status and re'utation do!inated "y 0a'ricorn is ruled "y Saturn. +he
Yoru"a 'antheon of Orisha associates Ba"alu?Aiye *ith the 'lanet Saturn$ *hich is the
tas1!aster. Saturn is associated *ith 'atients$ disci'line$ li!itation$ and structure. Ba"alu?Aiye
is considered the Orisha of the earth. ;e can "ring forth either 'ros'erity or sic1ness and disease$
for is also 1no*n as the deity of s!all 'o3$ in 0atholicis! he is referred to as St. La=arus.
The eleventh house is the house of A4uarius do!inated "y u'heaal$ re"ellion$ and sudden
une3'ected eents. >uled "y Uranus these characteristics of re"ellion$ u'raises$ sudden changes$
and u'heaal are traits of the *arrior Orisha Sango the Orisha of thunder lightning and fire.
7uring the course of history *hen Uranus *as transiting (luto this *as a ti!e of great change
through acts of *ar$ slae u'risings$ and re"ellions$ es'ecially in the 0ari""ean islands. +he ciil
rights era *as iolent and tur"ulent as *ell "ringing a"out great change. +hese historical eents
throughout history as iolent as they *ere *ould "e associated *ith the *arrior as'ects of not
only Sango "ut the Orisha Ogun$ and Oya. +his fiery energy of the heaens denotes aggressie
and assertie influences of the heaenly "odies. Within the Yoru"a 'antheon such Orisha *ould
"e called u'on for 'rotection fro! ones ene!ies.
The twelfth house of (ieces ruled "y Ne'tune is dee'ly su"!erged in secrecy 'rone to
illusionary facets of reality. +his house is centered on seclusion and s'irituality. +his house of
the su"conscious is do!inated "y Olo1un the Orisha of the ocean floor. 7ee' and !ysterious his
real! is) the old Yoru"a 'roer" says that no"ody 1no*s *hat lies on the ocean floor. ;is
as'ects are reflectant in the drea! ti!e$ the su"conscious$ and the altered state of consciousness
*hen one enters s'irit 'ossession$ ritual and arious leels of initiations and nu!erous rites of
'assage. Olo1un is considered to "e the star of Africa) he *ould "e considered the o*ner of the
great !ystery syste!s of Africa) 1no*n "y !any na!es. ;e s'ar1s *ithin us the genius *ithin
our "eing actiating our su'er su"conscious.
+he interchangea"le role 'layed "y the Orisha$ and nu!erous celestial "odies and their influence
on one another can "e so!e*hat oer*hel!ing. As the study of astrology and astrono!y
"eco!es !ore adanced our co!'rehension of the Orisha and their 'lanetary characteristics and
si!ilarities continue to re!ain a !ystery to the initiated and uninitiated.
Plagued by savage dreams
drawing blood Ife` Kenyatta is driven to West Africa, traveling through bewitched lands she must
over come the terrifying mirage-like barriers that protect a village shrouded in mystery to under go
a deadly rites of passage that will empower her with the ability to command the elements, invoke
the spirits of the dead, and reside between worlds that of the living and that of the dead to
prepare for the ultimate confrontation!
In the middle passage deep beneath the ocean"s surface a four hundred year old abomination
rises every full moon tormenting the coast of #igeria terrori$ing its citi$ens to the edge of
madness!
While returning from a routine investigation %aptain &atima 'atari and her crew accidentally
stumble across the wreckage of a what they perceive as a horrible shipping accident, until further
investigation reveals the unspeakable the unbelievable a horror unimaginable!
A(AI)A*)+ A, A-A./# 0 /#)I#+ *//K 1,/2+1