Obori di Exù In the Yoruba of Nigeria there is a basic divination system called Obì, it is an oracle obtained from the use of the seeds of an African plant, the Cola Acuminata. The Yoruba considered Cola a sacred tree, symbol of the earth, the cosmos and Olorun, the One God. In the diaspora this same system has been maintained, in the scheme and in the interpretation of the combinations, but has modified the basic instrument, the kola nut, replacing it now with four pieces of coconut (in Cuba) now with four shells of the cyprea family (sometimes called nkobos). In Brazil this type of divination is called Obori. Basically it is a binary-structure geomantic oracle, whose usefulness within Umbranda and other African American traditions is fundamental.

Unlike the more complex Jogo dos Buzios with sixteen shells, an exclusive legacy of the priestly order, the oracle of the four shells can be consulted by anyone, without needing to be initiated and its usefulness is essential for anyone who wants to consult their Saints or your Exù. According to tradition, in fact, it is mainly Exù that answers (and is interrogated) in this type of oracle, however it can also be used to consult the other Orixàs, the Pretos Velhos, the Caboclos and other entities cultured in the diaspora. The purpose of this oracle is basically to bring the energies of an individual into harmony, in view of a path of light and a state of fundamental balance for the purpose of a peaceful and fulfilling life. Although there are negative combinations, it will be noted that the purpose of consulting this oracle is to “fix” things. Each combination, even the worst, always offers a glimmer, a suggestion, a possibility of redemption through which the shaman can bring the situation back into a state of irè, that is, of good luck, of balance. The secret of this oracle lies, above all, in the questions asked, in the way they are to be done.

A right question will have a right answer, able to reveal the arcane and to bring the consultant on the path of success and progress. In a certain sense, we can say that the oracular procedure overcomes the mere disclosure of a secret, it does not just answer the question, but offers the possibility of identifying the solution, through further launches of the shells, in a sort of “bargaining” process with the entity consulted. Everything is energy, everything is vibration, even a state of suffering has its own energetic weight which can be lightened or even created by the use of opposing energies, through spiritual practices, behaviors or the use of tools such as special offers that they vibrate with an appropriate energy for the purpose to be achieved. The oracle of the four shells is a living oracle, a dialogue with a spiritual guide who basically wants to come to our aid. It is basically a shamanic oracle, since despite having a fixed basic scheme in the combinations, it is born with a view to continuous evolution. There is never a consultation like another, a fixed ritual: the ebò, or the offers, change from time to time, it will be up to the diviner to negotiate with the entity the type of offer to be made, based on the type of entity with you have to deal with. The consultation procedure is simple, almost trivial in its linearity, yet it offers deep and sometimes complex food for thought, as indeed is the human soul, with a view to deep knowledge of one’s self mindful of the advice engraved on a table of marble at the door of the temple of the god Apollo, in Delphi: gnozi s’autou, that is, know yourself, there is the secret.

Language: Italian