13 ODU STUDY

OsaDi

GUIDE
School of Orisa Studies

IFA VERSES & STORIES

YORUBA VOCABULARY

ARTISTIC & CREATIVE ACTIVITES

PRACTICAL APPLICATION

FOLLOW UP EXERCISES

ASA, THE HAWK

ES C APES C APTURE
School of Orisa Studies

HOW TO USE THIS GUIDE

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JOURNALS
The Odu Study Guide is designed to help you follow up on
your interest in learning the sacred texts of Ifa. You don't
have to be a babalawo to enjoy Orunmila's wisdom. All you
Having a special Odu
need is to get familiar with some of the stories and their
Studies Journal is a
symbolism.
perfect place for you
ALWAYS refer to the Odu Study Guide and complete the
to accumulate
activities before you listen to the story. It is filled with
drawings, ideas and
activities and best practices for planning your study.
questions. I suggest
The activities are not done until you complete the FOLLOW
you start an exclusive
UP exercises. This is where you will make the connections
Odu Studies journal
with others and the study becomes meaningful.
and fill it with your
SIX LEVELS OF TRAINING learnings.
School of Orisa Studies

For each main lesson, there is a particular set of educational

exercises. These exercises correspond to the various
CLASSES within the School of Orisa Studies:
FOLLOW
Salt of the Earth: Reflection & vocabulary building UP
Copper: Visual & creative expression Once you have
Brass: Psychological, social & cultural implementation completed the
Silver: Prayers & spiritual exercises exercises and
Gold: Affiliated orisa, rituals & offerings activities, share your
Amethyst: Medicines, charms and preparations experiences with the
community. See the
Get trained before back page for
sharing instructions.
you get initiated...
Obafemi Origunwa, MA

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 HOW TO USE THIS GUIDE

There are six classes within the School of Orisa Studies, each with its own
focus. When you enroll in the Amethyst Class, you have access to ALL
educational resources within the School of Orisa Studies. As you move from
Amethyst to Salt of the Earth, you have less access.

All participants will be able to complete at least FOUR learning objectives

associated with the Odu Study Guide:

.
1. Pre Activities
2. Odu Main Lesson
3. Class-Specific Exercises
Salt of the Earth
Copper
Brass
Silver
Gold
Amethyst
4. Follow up Activities
BEFORE YOU START
Read the Story Summary and Main Themes for an overview of the
m o s t i m p o r t a n t i d e a s . Y o u m a y d i s c o v e r o th e r s a s w e l l .

story summary
Asa, the hawk, was told to sacrifice in
o r d e r t o a v e r t b e i n g d e ta i n e d . H e
r e f u s e d . O n y a g b e , t h e f a r m e r w a s to l d
t o s a c r i f i c e i n o r d e r t o t a k e a d v a n ta g e
of a free opportunity. He refused. One
d a y , A s a s w o o p e d d o w n to c a tc h
O n y a g b e ' s c h i c k e n . I n h i s d e s c e n t,
Asa's wing accidentally flipped over a
b a s k e t , w h i c h c o v e r e d h i m e n ti r e l y .
O n y a g b e ' s w i f e p u t a s t o n e a to p th e
basket. Onyagbe got t h i r s ty and
t h o u g h t t h e b a s k e t c o v e r e d w a te r .
When he lifted the stone, Asa escaped.

MAIN THEMES
Focus A boon
Placing attention on a single outcome A free gift, received without work
Detainment Loss
Forced limitation, in ability to move Removal of resources, opportunity
Predator Escape
A hunter, dominant force To evade capture, be released

02
S C H O O L O F O R I S A S T U D I E S

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I N T R O D U C T I O N

Complete this activity

before listening to the
Main Lesson.

This activity is designed

to build curiosity and
familiarize you with the
symbols and characters
in the story. It will also
enable you to use what
you already know in order
to learn more about the
wisdom of this particular
verse of Ifa.

EXPERIENCE: Recall a specific

C L O S E E N C O U N T E R S
DEFINITION: What is a close encounter? Have
you ever experienced a close encounter,
wherein you almost won or lost something
precious?
List everything in your Odu Studies Journal.
time when you were extremely
close to a significant loss or gain.
What was the scenario and who
was involved? Maybe it was at
work or while you were travelling.
How did the experience shape
your values or perception?
TIP: Think about the reasons you
almost lost or gained something
inadvertently.
 S C H O O L O F O R I S A S T U D I E S

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L I S T E N T O

T H E S T O R Y
School of Orisa Studies

EXERCISES
Odu Study Guide

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School of Orisa Studies Odu Study Guide

EXERCISE 1
QUESTION:
Record your responses in your Odu Studies Journal
If you had to pick out one message to be learned from this verse,
what would it be?
What did Asa almost lose?
What did the farmer nearly gain?
What roles did the farmer's wife and Asa's family play?

VOCABULARY
Asa - Hawk Atimọle - Capture
Onyagbe - Farmer Adiye - Chicken
Apeere - Basket Omi - Water
School of Orisa Studies Odu Study Guide

EXERCISE 2
QUESTION:
Make entries in your Odu Studies Journal
1. Recall the way the story unfolded. If it were a movie or a play, how
many major parts or scenes were there? Now, recall the most
memorable portion of the story. What happened? Who were the
characters?
2. Draw a detailed picture of the most memorable scene.

TIPS
Use pencil first
Take your time
Focus on visualizing the scene, not on realism
FOLLOW UP
OPENING THE STOMACH
The sacred text of Ifa is filled with
wisdom that facilitates mental,
emotional and spiritual healing.
Traditionally, once the babalawo has
shared the messages of Ifa, he will
say, "Ifa has opened his stomach for
you. Now, it is time for you to open
your stomach to Ifa.
"Opening one's stomach" is what
African American Christians call
testifying. It is when you share how
the message resonates with you and
speaks to your condition.
Opening your stomach is an integral
part of the healing process.
INSTRUCTIONS
Make a 3-5 minute video response to
the following questions:
Complete the exercise for your
class
What does this story mean to you?
Why do you believe this story
revealed itself to you at this
particular time?
If there was one lesson you
learned from this story, what
would it be?
What is one thing you can do
immediately in response to this
lesson?
Share the responses at:
facebook.com/groups/OrisaStudies