The African Grey Parrot known as the Loro has a beautiful story in Yoruba Mythology that I resonate with and think about during many tough moments of my life. Born in Oche (5) of the Dilogun, the Loro was a beautiful bird that had vibrant red feathers. The other birds were very jealous of the Loro and decided to invite him to a meeting where they plotted to set him up to be tainted and stained with mud, only leaving his tail feathers red. Not many know that his feathers were red because he has a blood disorder, signifying the importance of taking care of your blood/ internal health when you receive the odu. Getting this odu also warns the person to be careful of going to places/meetings/events where they may not know who is attending (a big reason why I don’t attend social / activist gatherings most of the time). Oshun also speaks in Oche, and the Loro is one of her special animals. Children of Oche are told to wear Loro feathers because they draw luck and prosperity in life. The most important virtue in life is health. The Loro reminds me to not worry about anything but taking care of myself and my health, because people’s judgements, jealously and opinions of you will never be as important as your health (mental, physical, and spiritual).
