Today, we celebrate the feast day of Obatala, the Orisha of Wisdom, and King of the White Cloth. Obatala is associated with honesty, purpose, and peace, as well as the New Year, forgiveness, and resurrection. As such, he is venerated for clear thinking, calmness, and good judgment. Obatala’s blessings are that of purity, peace, patience, love, understanding, and bliss.
Obatala is the ashe of the clouds. Obatala is the father of all Orishas. He is the owner of the human head and all of its thoughts and dreams - he is the owner of all ori. He also owns everything that is white, silver metals, and the ceiba tree.
Representing purity, Obatala’s clothes, offerings and other items are usually white. He likes white rice (never salted), cocoa butter, cascarilla, cotton, marble eggs, and snails.
Obatala is very loving and patient toward his children, but he must be respected and obeyed.
His ritual symbols are the dove, the elephant, the snail, silver, and cotton. His tool is a horsetail fly whisk.
In Santeria (La Regla Lucumi), Obatala is viewed as the wise parent who gives council and guidance.
In Yoruba mythology, it is believed that Obatala was given the task of creating human beings. One day, due to his thirst, Obatala became drunk with palm wine while molding the human forms from clay, causing him to create malformed vessels. Once Obatala sobered up and saw his mistake, he vowed to never drink again. Obatala is the protector of people with disabilities.
Obatalá is the oldest "orisha funfun" ("white deity"), referring to purity, both physically and symbolically as in the "light" of consciousness.
In Santería, Obatalá is syncretized with Our Lady of Mercy and Jesus Of Nazareth.
Obatalá is said to have an equal number of male paths as female paths, but more often crowns women.
Feast day: September 24
Day of the week: Thursday (or Sunday depending on the lineage)
Number: 8
Color: White
Obatala's Oriki (Praise Names):
- Oluwa Aye - Lord of the Earth
- Alabalashe - He who has divine authority
- Baba Arugbo - Old Master or Father
- Baba Araye - Master or Father of all human beings
- Orishanla (also spelled Orishainla or Oshanla) - the arch divinity
- Olufe - King of Ife or Lord of Ife
- Oseremagbo - King of Ugbo