"Planting" flags is a practice that is particular to OrisaLifestyle in Trinidad. It is reminiscent of a ritual sequence described in the Holy Odu OfunAjitena, which calls for the ritual raising of different colored flags at specific times of the year in order to be blessed by Olodumare.
The yam seed germinates after planting It turns a big tuber The frog in a balanced grip of the soil It calls for it to rain The little children would continue the rites for the elderly Such that the Elders would find something to eat late in life Cast divination for Òfún The one that was going to put an ‘Ena’on Òyèkú The act of bettering one’s life Is what is referred to as Ena - inscription This is the rite observed when a blinder of white curtain is hanged by Babaláwos It is the same thing that is done in Mecca When they hang the white cloth At another time it would be the turn of a red cloth And also when it is the turn to hang the yellow That is how they perform their own rites step by step It would total two hundred and one Anyone that is able to perform all these rites without a mix up Ifá would be proud of that person Because it is an important step of life It is Òfún that is however very good at it He then was doing it for Òyèkú Life pleased them both It is this same rites and rituals that we all are doing He that is a Christian Would go to the river He would be baptized They would give him or her a white piece of cloth He that is a Moslem He would go to Mecca The rites would be performed for him there It is the same thing for the Oya devotees Masquerade devotees Òòsà devotees All arms of traditional cults But whoever that records a lapse in his own Would receive the blame from the Deities in heaven He then started to dance and rejoice He was praising their Babaláwos The Babaláwos were praising Ifá He said it was as their Babaláwo had said The yam seed germinates after planting It turns a big tuber The frog in a balanced grip of the soil It calls for it to rain The little children would continue the rites for the elderly Such that the Elders would find something to eat late in life Cast divination for Òfún The one that was going to put an ‘Ena’ on Òyèkú Ajítenà is a good priest It was Òfún that put an Ena on Òyèkú Ajítenà is a good priest - Holy Odu OfunAjitena In Trinidad, planting flags can begin with an all night ceremony, called ebo. For those familiar with the ebo performed by babalawo, imagine the entire shrine becomes the opon Ifa. The natural floor is the iyerosun. The people rotate and sing various praises for hours, while circling the center pole, which we know as aarin opon, the center of heaven.
At the head of the opon, where Èsù watches the awo, you will find the drummers. Once the opening prayers have concluded, shrine assistant will place calabashes of water, oil, grains, a carafe of liquor and candles.
The first Orisa venerated in song is Èsù. The mongba or iya - male and female priest, respectively - may invoke Èsù with as many songs as the spirit moves them to sing. The participants ask him to guard the palais and open the doors to prosperity. This will continue all night, one Orisa after another, until dawn. at which point, the sacrificial animals will be cleansed, purified and taken out to be offered. Each animal has a sponsor, who either purchased it or is tending to it for someone else. The ebo usually process will be repeated from Tuesday to Saturday morning, and ends with praise for Sango and Ogun. Ogun removes his sword, which was planted in the ground of the palais at the opening ceremony.
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November 2022
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