 |
| ORIXÁ personality types
|
|
IEMANJÁ
| Mother of all the orixás. |
|
Deity of the rivers that lead out to sea, the ocean
| People guided by this deity are strong-willed, protective and somewhat arrogant. They care about hierarchy and social status, are judgmental and materialistic, and feel that all suffering brings just reward. But they are also committed to their partners, value loyalty and believe in one and only true love. Are also very good with teenagers and with helping those starting a new life. |
|
OXALÁ
| Father of all the orixás. |
|
Deity of creation.
| People that contain within them this deity are intellectual, curious, tight-fisted, stubborn, observant and cautious. They paint the world in their colors, because they are objective and manipulative. They are also passionate about the arts, new ideas, new concepts and are able to negotiate multiple paths simultaneously while reaching a single goal. Can also be very sentimental about people and the past, and invest all their emotional energy in idiosyncrasies. |
|
EXU
| First of the orixás. |
|
Deity of communication
| People directed by this deity are ironic, deceitful, ingenious, and very mischievous. They love a bit of drama and will do anything to stir things up, and then sit back and enjoy the outcome. People whose lives are directed by Exu travel a lot, meet a lot of people, talk at length about anything - usually not meaning a word of what they say - care about nothing and everything at the same time. They also like to police behavior and store vast amounts of information on things, and believe in loving as many people as they can. Very good at inspiring people to do things they normally wouldn't do, and are good at bringing disparate people together. |
|
OGUM
| God of iron. |
|
Deity of creativity.
| Those that take Ogum's path will always get things done. They are people that have an iron will, are result-orientated, and have a desire for completion. They tend to be very creative and are very good at communicating messages and teaching. However, like all teachers, they are often outdone and discarded by their pupils, and can be bitter and disenchanted people. They are passionate collectors, patrons of unusual causes, and yet get stuck on lost loves and lost opportunities. Above all, they are people that look to the future, and tire themselves out getting there. |
|
IANSA
| Lover of all the orixás. |
|
Deity of storms and tempests
| People carried by this deity are strong-willed, opinionated, independent and dismissive. In private, they are always searching for something, turning over stones, investigating, prying, poking, hoping to reach a higher state of being or understanding. They are much too open to new experiences, endlessly repeat cycles, and are hard to get a grip on. They become totally obsessed with people and things and then lose interest in everything. They talk a lot about loyalty but don't seem to have much themselves. Tend to be great lovers - if female, then aggressive, if male, then experienced - and like to play the role of artist's muse to perfection. |
|
OXUM
| Queen of all the orixás. |
|
Deity of love .
| Those that possess Oxum are regal, coy, impeccable, vain and materialistic. They can't see much beyond themselves, but if you treat them well they will put you at the center of the universe. They take an almost academic interest in all things beautiful - clothes, people, art - sometimes seeking to compensate for a deficit in themselves, or for confirmation of a personal excess of it. Beauty is also a powerful weapon for children of Oxum, and they use it as a façade to attain all their goals in life: marriage, wealth, position, power. The flip side of her show is prostitution, and those looking for too big a kingdom must be careful in setting their limits. But the good side of Oxum will ensure that they help other people in matters of the heart, as well as in providing for all their children. |
|
XANGÔ
| King of the orixás. |
|
Deity of fire and thunder
| People whose lives are propelled by this deity are self-important, boastful, larger-than-life, exuberant, and very well organized. They love to paint the town red - Xangô's main color - have a good sense of humor, though they always give as good as they get, and like to surround themselves with admirers. People whose lives are directed by Xango are gregarious, but know when to keep quiet. They make for great empire builders and care about justice, but done their way. When they're on their way up they suffer from ego-inflation, and when they fall they bring down everything with them. They inspire people to believe in them, and can often build very colorful worlds. |
|
OXOSSI
| King of candomblé |
|
Deity of the hunt.
| Those illuminated by Oxossi will always know something no one else does. They are people who find, exchange and even trade in secrets. They are people intrigued by the other - race, sex, animal, human - and love to watch and analyze behavior. They are seekers who spend too much time on what they find. In this way they make for good sorcerers, and love to meddle in what they perceive to be the `other world'. Because they are so interested in other people's lives - they prefer biography to fiction - they sometimes ignore their own. Telescopic philanthropists, they care for old people, sick animals, homeless children, and forget their own families. However, like all hunters, they master many skills and are great explorers, build new civilizations, are good homebuilders and never miss an opportunity. . |
|
OSSAIN
| The forest dweller |
|
Deity of herbal remedies.
| Those guided by Ossain always yearn for their spiritual forest. People intrigued by new visual and even physical sensations belong to this deity's wooded realm. They are loners, fiercely individualistic, and fascinated by the idea of going out on a limb. These are people that like to get high on personal adrenaline, that seek extremes because they need to get close to death in order to be able to live. Unfortunately they prefer spirits to people, and can also end up being drug users and become obsessed with escaping from the real world. But their taste for extremity allows them to develop unusual sensitivity which they draw on when helping others. Children of Ossain are perceptive, when they're not out of it, and quirky. They know a lot about medicine, homeopathy, acupuncture, and all sorts of medicinal cures that join body and soul. |
|
NANA
| The spirit of the swamp |
|
The oldest deity of all.
| People who carry Nana are born old, and prefer the company of elders to people their own age. They demonstrate inherent wisdom and an understanding of life which can make them lose interest in things before they have even started. But they are not quitters; they work very hard at what they think is important and maintain very high standards, which people often feel threatened by. As a result children of this deity are under-appreciated and often taken for granted. But they do not compromise, or change their ways, and would rather create more rules and regulations to deal with their disappointments in life than lower their personal standards. This can make them ill eventually, or very bitter and vengeful. But when they find someone who will appreciate them fully they will be the most loyal people on earth. |
|
OBALUAIYE
| King of the earth |
|
Deity of smallpox.
| Those that carry Obaluaiye are practical salt-of-the-earth types, people with few illusions about the world, who feel at home with the daily struggle for survival. They work late at the office and relish personal martyrdom - though they complain a lot about their sacrifices, they can not live without them. They feel pride in helping the weak, but are contemptuous of those that they beat in sport or at business. This makes them into great doctors and warriors, but distant companions. Those that carry this deity prefer the company of orphans to their own children. But they are also very at ease in the world and think nothing of embarking on great adventures without money or contacts. |
|
OXUMARE
| The serpent and rainbow |
|
Deity of transformation.
| Those that carry Oxumare are dynamic, multi-faceted, colorful and unusual. They are masters of disguise and feel at home in a theatre, or a carnival parade. These are people that reinvent themselves constantly, always searching for a new look, casting off old habits and picking up new. They are intrigued by transformation and energy states, and constantly provoke reactions from people, tease people, perform, seduce, befriend, betray. When not being superficial, these are immensely resourceful people who can teach us how to balance continuity and change. They use new masks to give an old message new meaning, but they also use new masks to hide from themselves while unmasking you. |
|
EWA
| The snake |
|
Deity of the lagoon.
| People guided by Ewa are stunning, intelligent, pure at heart, and incredibly idealistic. They possess a kind of unique knowledge about the world, and intimate knowledge about the power of beauty. They are able to dismiss their own beauty, to make sure that they are not loved to death, made into objects or lulled into false security. But they can also despise their own beauty, causing them to run from admirers and themselves. Though their beauty shelters them from reality, they will fight tooth and nail for what they believe is right and gladly die by their own sword. Often what they fight for is beauty itself: not their own, but the world's. |
|
|
|
