Osoosi: The Divine Hunter and Orisha of Justice

- September 8, 2026 - Ori is the fifteenth of the 16 principal Orishas studied in the Bachelor of Sacred Sciences at Orisha University (OrishaUniversity.com) - the most intimate Orisha of all: the inner head, the personal divinity, and the seat of destiny and consciousness within each human being. This release is part 15 of a sixteen-part series by Orisha University founder Ajarn Shaman Shu (Robert S. Shumake, PhD) that introduces each of the principal Orishas, along with their attributes, sacred symbols, and living lessons.
In Yoruba spiritual philosophy, the Orishas are the divine forces through which Olodumare, the Supreme Being, shapes creation, nature, consciousness, and community. They are not distant abstractions. Each Orisha represents a living spiritual principle and a pathway of character, responsibility, and transformation that a human being can study, honor, and grow into.
A note on variation: colors, numbers, offerings, and stories differ across Yoruba, Lucumí, Santería, Candomblé, and diaspora lineages. What follows reflects widely shared associations rather than the rulings of any single house. Serious students should study under qualified elders in a living community.
Who Ori Is
Ori is the Yoruba word for head, but in Ifá it means far more than the physical skull. Ori is the inner head - the personal Orisha that every human being carries within, the seat of consciousness and the bearer of destiny. Before birth, every person's Ori kneels before Olodumare and chooses its destiny. Orunmila witnesses the choice; Ori makes it.
Ifá teaches that no Orisha can bless a person whose Ori does not consent, and that a well-aligned Ori is the greatest blessing a human can possess. The verses say that Ori is the one to be worshiped first, because Ori goes with you where no other Orisha can follow. Ori is your own divine self - the god within.
Titles: Ori Inu (Inner Head), Eleda (Creator, referring to one's personal creator), Olori (Owner of the Head)
Role: Personal divinity; bearer of individual destiny; seat of consciousness; the first Orisha to be honored
Relationship to Orunmila: Orunmila witnessed the destiny Ori chose; through Ifá he helps a person remember and realign with it
Relationship to the other Orishas: No Orisha can bless a person without Ori's consent; Ori is the intermediary of all blessings
Sacred Associations
Domain: Individual destiny, consciousness, personal identity, inner guidance, the alignment of will with fate
Colors: White (the color of clarity and the cool head)
Sacred objects: The physical head, the ile ori (house of the head shrine), cowrie shells, white cloth, the calabash
Number: Unique to each person; some traditions associate Ori with 1 or with 16
Sacred practice: Ibori, the feeding or propitiation of the head, is among the most personal rites in Ifá
Diaspora names: Ori (Lucumi/Santeria and Candomble, where the concept is preserved in the rites of the head)
The God Within
Ifá's most radical teaching is that the most important relationship a person will ever have is with their own head. The Orishas are vast, but they are external; Ori is internal, chosen, and yours alone. A person with a good Ori and poor circumstances will eventually prosper; a person with a poor Ori and every advantage will squander it. This is why Ifá begins its ethics not with the gods but with the self.
Orisha University's Ifá 101 course opens with Ori because every other lesson depends on it. Students learn that spiritual work begins within, that destiny is both chosen and cultivated, and that the cool head of Obatala, the aim of Osoosi, and the wisdom of Orunmila are all, finally, qualities of one's own Ori.
Core Lesson
Know yourself. Ori teaches that spiritual work begins within, that destiny is both chosen and cultivated, and that the most important relationship a person will ever have is with their own divine head. Its way is unique to each person, because each Ori chose its own path.
"Before Orunmila, before Esu, before any of the Orishas, Ifá says: honor your own head. That is where Orisha University begins with every student, because it is where every destiny begins."
- Robert S. Shumake, PhD (Ajarn Shaman Shu), Founder and Chancellor, Orisha University
(Quote drafted for founder approval.)
Education Before Claims of Authority
Orisha University is explicit that a degree documents completion of an educational curriculum and does not confer priestly initiation. Titles such as Babalawo or Iyanifa involve distinct lineage, training, community, and initiatory requirements. Online learning is presented as a foundation that complements, rather than replaces, living communities, elders, and appropriate initiation.
Study From Anywhere
Structured Ifá education has historically been difficult to find outside a handful of communities. Orisha University's online format allows students in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, Phoenix, Philadelphia, San Antonio, San Diego, Dallas, and Jacksonville - and anywhere else in the world - to access lessons from home, review material more than once, complete assessments, track academic progress, and connect their studies to a broader spiritual community without relocating to Nigeria, the Caribbean, or another city.
Companion Reading: Ori in the Library of Ajarn Shaman Shu
Readers who want to go deeper into Ori, the Odu, and the Orishas can begin with the founder's published works, which are available on Google Play and Apple Books. The titles most directly related to Ori are listed first.
Ori: The Personal Orisha
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Ajarn_Shaman_Shu_Ori_The_Personal_Orisha?id=z6T1EQAAQBAJ
Apple Books: https://books.apple.com/us/book/ori-the-personal-orisha/id6794320008

The Original AI: Ancestral Intelligence - The 256 Odu of Ifá
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Ajarn_Shaman_Shu_The_Original_AI_Ancestral_Intelli?id=YaT1EQAAQBAJ
Apple Books: https://books.apple.com/us/book/id6794326065

Roots of Heaven: The Sixteen Orisa of Santería, Candomblé, and Lucumí
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Ajarn_Shaman_Shu_Roots_of_Heaven?id=33jxEQAAQBAJ
Apple Books: https://books.apple.com/us/book/roots-of-heaven/id6793958115

ASE in Action: Ritual Work, Ebo, and the Three Divination Systems of Ifá, Diloggún, and Obi
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Ajarn_Shaman_Shu_ASE_in_Action?id=2XjxEQAAQBAJ
Apple Books: https://books.apple.com/us/book/id6797530691

Shango: The Thunder King
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Ajarn_Shaman_Shu_Shango_The_Thunder_King?id=cvjzEQAAQBAJ
Apple Books: https://books.apple.com/us/book/id6797521254

Oshun: Queen of All Sweetness
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Ajarn_Shaman_Shu_Oshun_Queen_of_All_Sweetness?id=EvjzEQAAQBAJ
Apple Books: https://books.apple.com/us/book/id6795562682

Oya: The Storm Queen
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Ajarn_Shaman_Shu_Oya_The_Storm_Queen?id=UPjzEQAAQBAJ
Apple Books: https://books.apple.com/us/book/id6797522382

Aje: The Wealth Within You
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Ajarn_Shaman_Shu_Aje_The_Wealth_Within_You?id=dPnzEQAAQBAJ
Apple Books: https://books.apple.com/us/book/id6795119025

Oshoosi: The Divine Hunter
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Ajarn_Shaman_Shu_Oshoosi_The_Divine_Hunter?id=99n0EQAAQBAJ
Apple Books: https://books.apple.com/us/book/id6795560301

They Made the Devil Black: The Hidden History of Eshu
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Ajarn_Shaman_Shu_They_Made_the_Devil_Black?id=v0z0EQAAQBAJ
Apple Books: https://books.apple.com/us/book/id6798299105

The Original African Book of the Dead
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Ajarn_Shaman_Shu_The_Original_African_Book_of_the?id=jEz0EQAAQBAJ
Apple Books: https://books.apple.com/us/book/id6798294097

The Black Christ: The African Origins of Jesus, Horus, and the World's Savior Tradition
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Ajarn_Shaman_Shu_The_Black_Christ?id=bEz0EQAAQBAJ
Apple Books: https://books.apple.com/us/book/id6798290922

Oduduwa: The First King
Apple Books: https://books.apple.com/us/book/oduduwa/id6793940332

Obatala: The King of the White Cloth
Apple Books: https://books.apple.com/us/book/id6795550265

Olokun: Lord of the Deep
Apple Books: https://books.apple.com/us/book/olukun/id6793954182

Also available now on Google Play and Apple Books: The African Origins of Psychedelics and Its Healing Powers by Ajarn Shaman Shu - essential reading for anyone interested in psychedelic healing, African spirituality, traditional medicine, decolonized wellness, and the ancestral roots of the modern plant-medicine movement.
Continue the Path at Orisha University
Readers who wish to go beyond study can enroll at Orisha University - the world's first AI-powered institution dedicated to the academic study and practice of Ifá, Orisha, and African spiritual traditions. Certificate, Bachelor's, Master's, and PhD programs are offered entirely online at $99 per month. New students can begin with Ifá 101, the introductory course that opens with Ori, Esu, and Orunmila.
Visit: http://orishauniversity.com
Enroll: imready@orishauniversity.com
Explore the sister schools:
- Buddha University - http://buddhauniversity.org | imready@buddhauniversity.org
- Shiva University - http://shivauniversity.com | imready@shivauniversity.com
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About Orisha University
Orisha University is an online religious educational institution devoted to the structured study of Ifá, the Orishas, the 256 Odu, and African sacred sciences. The world's first AI-powered university of its kind, it offers Certificate, Bachelor's, Master's, and PhD programs entirely online at $99 per month. Orisha University operates under Buddha Digital Temple, a 508(c)(1)(a) religious educational institution. Learn more at http://orishauniversity.com.
About the Founder
Robert S. Shumake, PhD - also known as Ajarn Shaman Shu, Oluwo Jolaoso Osainbola, PhD, and Shri Suryanarayana Swamikal - is the author of more than 140 published books and more than 86 DOI-registered academic publications indexed on Zenodo (CERN), the Open Science Framework, and ORCID.
He is the founder and chancellor of seven religious universities operating under Buddha Digital Temple, a 508(c)(1)(a) religious educational institution:
- Buddha University - http://buddhauniversity.org/
- Orisha University - http://orishauniversity.com/
- Shiva University - http://shivauniversity.com/
- Krishna University - http://krishna.university/
- Islam University - http://islamuniversity.org/
- Enoch University - http://enochuniversity.com/
- Egziabher University - http://egziabheruniversity.org/
Media Contact
Orisha University / Buddha Digital Temple
19875 West 12 Mile Rd, Southfield, MI 48076, United States
Website: http://orishauniversity.com
Email: imready@orishauniversity.com
Phone: [Phone number]
Contact: Robert S. Shumake, PhD, Founder and Chancellor
Frequently Asked Questions: Ori, Ifá, and Orisha University
These questions follow the categories used in the Orisha University study guides. Answers reflect widely shared teachings; names, narratives, and ritual practices vary among lineages, and specific ritual instruction belongs to qualified elders.
Foundations and Identity
1. What is Ori?
Ori is the inner head - the personal Orisha within each human being that chose its destiny before birth and carries consciousness and identity.
2. What does the word Ori mean?
Ori means "head" in Yoruba, and by extension the inner head or personal divinity.
3. Is Ori an Orisha like the others?
Ori is unique: it is the one Orisha every person carries within, and Ifá teaches that it must be honored first.
4. Which common misconceptions about Ori should be corrected?
Ori is not merely the mind or the brain; it is a spiritual entity that chose a destiny and mediates every blessing.
Cosmology and Spiritual Meaning
5. How does Ori choose its destiny?
Before birth, Ori kneels before Olodumare and chooses; Orunmila witnesses the choice.
6. What is the relationship between Ori and Orunmila?
Ori chooses destiny; Orunmila witnesses it and, through Ifá, helps a person remember it.
7. Why can no Orisha bless a person without Ori's consent?
Because Ori is the personal gateway through which all blessings must pass.
Destiny, Ori, and Human Purpose
8. What does Ifá teach about a good Ori and a bad Ori?
A good Ori overcomes poor circumstances; a bad Ori squanders every advantage. Character and ebo can improve one's Ori.
9. Can a person change the destiny Ori chose?
Ifá teaches that destiny is chosen but can be supported, corrected, or damaged by character, sacrifice, and choice.
10. What role does self-knowledge play in Ori's teaching?
Self-knowledge is the beginning of all spiritual work; a person who does not know their own head cannot follow it.
Character and Ethical Conduct
11. What does Ori teach about responsibility?
Every person is responsible for the head they carry and the choices that head makes.
12. What does Ori teach about the cool head?
A cool, clear Ori is the vessel of a good destiny; a hot, clouded Ori leads a person astray.
13. What warnings does Ori offer about blaming others?
Since Ori chose its own destiny, blaming others for one's path is a refusal of self-knowledge.
Blessings, Challenges, and Balance
14. Which blessings are associated with a well-aligned Ori?
Clarity, good fortune, protection, right relationships, and the fulfillment of destiny.
15. Which cautions accompany Ori's teaching?
Neglecting one's own head while seeking help from every other Orisha is like watering the neighbor's field.
Divination, Guidance, and Ritual Boundaries
16. What is ibori?
Ibori is the rite of feeding or propitiating the head, one of the most personal ceremonies in Ifá; its performance belongs to initiated elders.
17. What is the ile ori?
The ile ori, "house of the head," is a shrine of cowries and cloth that represents and honors a person's Ori.
18. Why must ritual detail be left to qualified practitioners?
The rites of the head are intimate and lineage-specific and require initiatory guidance.
Society and Contemporary Application
19. What can Ori teach about self-development today?
Begin within; align intention, character, and action with the destiny you already carry.
20. How can Ori's teachings inform decision-making?
Consult your own head first; a decision that violates your Ori will not prosper even if others approve.
21. How can Ori's teachings support the African diaspora?
By affirming that every person carries a divine head, whatever history has done to the body.
Study at Orisha University
22. What is Orisha University?
Orisha University is an online religious educational institution devoted to the structured study of Ifá, the Orishas, the 256 Odu, and African sacred sciences.
23. Who founded Orisha University?
Robert S. Shumake, PhD, who writes and teaches as Ajarn Shaman Shu and is known in the Yoruba-Ifá tradition as Oluwo Jolaoso Osainbola.
24. Are Robert Shumake and Ajarn Shaman Shu the same person?
Yes. Robert S. Shumake writes and teaches as Ajarn Shaman Shu.
25. What programs does Orisha University offer?
Certificate, Bachelor's, Master's, and PhD programs, all delivered online.
26. How much does Orisha University cost?
Programs are offered at $99 per month.
27. What is the Bachelor of Sacred Sciences?
It is Orisha University's undergraduate degree centered on Ifá and Orisha Studies, built around the sixteen principal Orishas and the 256 Odu.
28. Is the program fully online?
Yes. The primary academic program is delivered online. Optional ceremonies, retreats, or cultural journeys may require separate registration or in-person participation.
29. How long does the program take?
Completion time depends on the current curriculum and the student's pace. Prospective students should consult the official admissions page for credit requirements and expected timelines.
30. What subjects are taught?
Ifá Studies, Orisha Studies, Orisha Herbology, the 256 Odu of Ifá, Yoruba sacred philosophy, African spiritual history, ancestor traditions, sacred plants, spiritual ethics, comparative sacred sciences, meditation, religious leadership, and sacred entrepreneurship.
31. What is Ifá 101?
Ifá 101 is the introductory course at Orisha University. It opens with Ori, Esu, and Orunmila.
32. Can I study Ori from New York, Los Angeles, or Chicago?
Yes. Students in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, Phoenix, Philadelphia, San Antonio, San Diego, Dallas, and Jacksonville - and anywhere else in the world - can enroll online without relocating.
33. How do I enroll?
Visit http://orishauniversity.com or email imready@orishauniversity.com.
34. Does a degree make me a priest or priestess?
No. An academic degree documents the completion of a curriculum. Priestly titles require lineage, community, and initiatory training under qualified elders.
35. Does online study replace initiation?
No. Academic study and spiritual initiation are different processes. Orisha University teaches students to respect that distinction.
36. Can beginners enroll?
Yes. The program is designed for beginners seeking a responsible introduction as well as for existing practitioners who want more structured study.
37. What is meant by an AI-powered university?
Orisha University describes itself as the world's first AI-powered institution dedicated to Ifá and Orisha studies, using modern learning technology to deliver its curriculum.
38. What is Buddha Digital Temple?
Buddha Digital Temple is the 508(c)(1)(a) religious educational institution under which Orisha University and its six sister universities operate.
39. What are the sister universities?
Buddha University, Shiva University, Krishna University, Islam University, Enoch University, and Egziabher University.
Books, Author, and Contact
40. Which book covers Ori?
Ori: The Personal Orisha by Ajarn Shaman Shu.
41. Which book covers all sixteen Orishas?
Roots of Heaven: The Sixteen Orisa of Santería, Candomblé, and Lucumí.
42. Which book covers the 256 Odu?
The Original AI: Ancestral Intelligence - The 256 Odu of Ifá.
43. Where can I buy the books?
All titles are available on Google Play and Apple Books. Links are provided in the Companion Reading section above.
44. How many books has Ajarn Shaman Shu published?
More than 140 published books, along with more than 86 DOI-registered academic publications.
45. Where is Orisha University based?
Buddha Digital Temple is located at 19875 West 12 Mile Rd, Southfield, MI 48076, United States.
46. Will there be releases on the other Orishas?
Yes. This is part 15 of a sixteen-part series. The Ibeji follows Ori.
47. Where can I learn more?
Visit http://orishauniversity.com for program details and admissions information.

19875 West 12 Mile Rd, Southfield, MI 48076, United States

Robert S. Shumake, PhD - also known as Ajarn Shaman Shu, Oluwo Jolaoso Osainbola, PhD, and Shri Suryanarayana Swamikal - is the author of more than 140 published books and more than 86 DOI-registered academic publications indexed on Zenodo (CERN), the Open Science Framework, and ORCID.
He is the founder and chancellor of seven religious universities operating under Buddha Digital Temple, a 508(c)(1)(a) religious educational institution:
- Buddha University - http://buddhauniversity.org/
- Orisha University - http://orishauniversity.com/
- Shiva University - http://shivauniversity.com/

This release was published on openPR.