#elegbe

While many Ifa / Orisa / Isese practitioners have heard the word egbe in the context of a social club or study group*, the Yoruba practice of Egbe veneration has only recently come to this side of the water.  

In a spiritual sense, your Egbe are your spiritual family - or Heavenly Mates as one author calls them. These beings may or may not incarnate, but they care for you in the dimension between conception and birth, and continue to journey with you after you arrive on earth. Incarnated Egbe may become our soulmates, “twin flames”, and good friends, but many remain disembodied, assisting us on another plane. 

Folks then ask: how is this different from one’s Ancestors? An Ancestor is someone who physically incarnated, and is part of the literal bloodline that resulted in your unique existence. The distinction is that they definitely lived on earth in human form, and - in the case of your parents, grandparents, and so on - created a family line.  

My humble theory is that Egbe rode the coattails of spirit guides, Ancestor veneration, and spiritualism (a practice prominent in Latinx / Caribbean sects of Yoruba tradition) until we could get back across the water and make the appropriate distinctions. 

Still, our ignorance hasn’t always saved us. We’ve had Egbe issues for generations, but even some of our most experienced spiritualists didn’t know what they were seeing.  

Premature death, fertility issues, generational “curses”, suicide, anxiety, depression, and all manner of personality issues can be - in a Yoruba context - attributed to a distorted relationship with Egbe.** 

Another telltale sign of Egbe-related problems is a life that’s going along relatively well, but with some glaring, unexplained exception. For example: someone with a brilliant career and every material comfort whose houses keep burning down. A skilled, smart person that can’t keep a job. A genuinely kind, sweet soul that people lie and gossip about, with life-altering results. 

From one perspective, it can sound a bit sinister. Why would anyone want to deal with a spirit like that?! But Egbe loves us so much that sometimes they just want us back home. They see the trials of this life and don’t understand why you had to leave while they’re chillin’ in the spirit realm. If you left a partner there, they miss you. If you fall in love with someone on this side, will you ever come back to them? 

Remember: quite a few of them never lived as humans. They don’t have the same concepts of time and three dimensional reality, and may not realize how finite life is. It’s difficult to explain that we’ll naturally give up our bodies and return. All they know is: we’re not there, right now. Where we really belong. Worse yet, we seem to have forgotten about them!

So they mess with stuff that tugs at your soul. Block your blessings. Make life just uncomfortable enough in just the right ways so that you consider leaving.  

With a few exceptions, my life was pretty dope until my mid to late 20s. In my early 30s, I noticed a shift.  Relationships dried up. I never went hungry, but there was rarely more than just enough money. Despite my previous spiritual work and training, the profound breakthroughs I experienced earlier in my journey eluded me. 

In a fit of frustration, I called my godmother. By many measures, I was doing everything right, but reaping the bare minimum. My godfather cited the proverb, “Work like elephant, eat like rat.” 

Exactly.  

She asked Baba to throw opele*** for a quick answer. A few moments later he says, “Ah. She has to initiate to Osun and Egbe.” 

With just those words, a weight lifted and a light came on. I came close to weeping.   

Osun had always been close to me, but I’d been slated to initiate to Sango for years. I knew that could change... but, wow... Osun? And what the hell was an Egbe???

First, I apologized and pled with Egbe for mercy and to forgive my ignorance. After that, I fussed. In no uncertain terms, I let them know: “If you block me, you don’t get what you want. Without an open road, I can’t do what I need to do for you. Meet me at least halfway, and I’ll answer your call.”

In the meantime, I listened, learned, made an effort with offerings and prayers, and they showed up and showed out. 

How do I know?

There were about 10 years between the time I entered the tradition, and when I initiated to Osun. 

It only took two years after that to initiate to Egbe. 

(Which is also a testament to the power and quick work of Osun. Ore Yeye O!) 

Egbe’s energy can be overwhelming, dense, and unwieldy. They can be demanding, mischievous, even petulant. It takes time to get into a groove with them. 

But they also brought wholeness and understanding: my precarious birth; a family full of miracle babies, miscarriages, and middle aged deaths; our uncanny connection to Spirit... all of it put into context.  

I celebrate my renewed bond with my Egbe, and the sweetness they’ve brought to my life. 

I am so grateful for this joy.

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N.B. - If this resonates, please understand that regardless of the details of your current practice, instruction around and/or initiation to Egbe will likely require the assistance of a reputable, fully trained Yoruba Elegbe / Olorisa / Awo, since the practice remains a rarity in the west. 

Also keep in mind that everyone has a unique destiny. The worship of Orisa, Ifa, Egun (Ancestors) and other energies are enough for many. I can only speak for my path, and what it demanded. If your practice is working for you, keep working it! 

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*E.g., egbe obinrin might refer to a women’s society / club / gathering. Egbe Obataala could refer to a group of Obataala priests and devotees gathering for worship and education centered around that Orisa.  .

**Yes, our circumstances and experiences have sometimes made it difficult to distinguish spiritual problems from the consequences of societal and systemic oppression. Still, one’s relationship with Egbe adds another layer to the story.   

This is also not meant to negate the reality of mental illness and/or clinical diagnoses. Brain chemistry is a thing. However, Egbe is capable of inducing a very particular state that mimics these things - often accompanied by a sense of feeling out of place, lonely, or separated from something important. For me, it often manifested as a deep ennui and heavy sadness.   . 

***The divination chain used by Ifa priests.

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