Who is Your Head Orisha?

Your head Orisha is one of the most important forces guiding your life. For Ifá beginners, understanding this guardian power helps you recognize why certain lessons, patterns, and strengths connect to your path. At Asanee 44, we teach that correctly identifying your head Orisha requires lineage-based Ifá divination, not quizzes or guesswork. This post explains what the head Orisha is, why it matters, and how you can begin your Ifá journey with the right foundation.

Updated on December 2, 2025

The Role of Your Head Orisha

Orishas are deities or spirits in African traditional religions and their diasporic derivative counterparts. In particular, these spirits are associated with the Ifá tradition of Yorubaland, Nigeria. They live within and around us.

Like humans, they have distinct personalities with strengths and weaknesses of their own. While we honor all Orisha forces, we have a special connection to our head Orishas.

Your head Orisha is one of the most important deities according to Ifá and other diasporic traditions. Many other deities work with you, but your head Orisha is your guardian spirit.

This spirit protects you from harm and guides you along your path. Your guardian Orisha is also responsible for maintaining balance in your life and keeping things running smoothly. 

How Head Orisha Beliefs Differ Across Traditions

Some traditions believe that each person has one guardian spirit, while others think we have two. In the case of one guardian spirit, this energy governs the head. However, in traditions that believe in two, one spirit governs the head, and the other guards the feet.

Among many Ifá priests and priestesses in Yorubaland, the same head Orisha is thought to remain with you throughout your lifetime. However, in some lineages, practitioners believe that your head Orisha changes until you undergo full initiation. Once you complete Itefa or full initiation, your head is stabilized, and you begin receiving higher-level spiritual insight and wisdom. 

In either case, knowing who this deity is can profoundly impact the course of your life.

Major Functions of Your Head Orisha

Your head Orisha bears the responsibility of leading, guiding, and teaching you vital life lessons. These lessons are linked to the unique combination of strengths and weaknesses that define your life path.

Here are a few examples:

• A child of Oshun might encounter lessons in self-worth, love, and economic stability.
• A child of Obatala could be called to cultivate a sense of balance and moral integrity.

You share many personality traits with your guardian spirit. This is because you need certain energetic patterns to accomplish your destiny. In which case, you are equipped with specific aspects of your head Orisha for this purpose. 

Once you discover who your head Orisha is, you may be able to see how the spirit has manifested in your experience. You might notice both positive and negative aspects of your head Orisha within your personality.

How to Discover Your Head Orisha

To find out who your head Orisha is, you need to consult with an Ifá priest or priestess or a diviner from similar traditions. These systems use a complex divination process to determine which deity governs your head.

Each system differs in how it determines your head Orisha. Still, the process is much more complicated than reading a natal chart, tarot cards, bones, or similar divining tools. However, these devices are beneficial for gaining spiritual knowledge and useful for other purposes.

Many new practitioners of Ifá and other diasporic traditions are typically quite excited to identify their head Orisha. The average person generally wants to find out simply for the sake of knowing. However, there are times when knowing your head Orisha is critical for balancing various aspects of your life.

While curiosity is natural, the traditional process is not a casual guessing game. Instead, it involves lineage-based Ifá divination methods that have been preserved for generations.

This is why identifying your head Orisha through online quizzes, non-Ifa-based readings, or untrained practitioners can lead to misinformation. The true process is not just about naming the Orisha. Instead, it involves receiving the accompanying guidance, taboos, blessings, and lessons that come with this knowledge.

Why The Head Orisha Matters for Ifá Beginners

Understanding your head Orisha is one of the first major steps in grounding your Ifá journey. For beginners, this knowledge helps you avoid confusion, misinformation, and practices that fall outside traditional protocol. It ensures that your pathway aligns with the wisdom of lineage-based practice rather than assumptions or modern interpretations.

Discovering your head Orisha connects directly to the Odu Ifá, which reveals the conditions, lessons, and direction of your destiny. Your guardian deity works through the patterns of your Odu, helping you understand challenges, opportunities, and the direction your life is moving.

Finally, this knowledge supports your Ori, or inner head, that governs your purpose. When your Ori is supported by the divine force that guides you, your decisions, intuition, and path become more stable. Your head Orisha and your Ori work together to protect, guide, and shape your journey.

When Knowing Your Head Orisha Is Vital

In situations where people suffer from serious illnesses or endure traumatic events, there may be a need for them to connect with their head Orisha. A person’s head Orisha could be attempting to get their attention in such instances.

In which case, the individual may encounter undue or chronic hardships, necessitating that they establish a strong and meaningful relationship with their guardian spirit.

Doing so will typically set them on the right path to achieving their divine purpose. They may be unknowingly violating certain taboos or otherwise out of alignment. Connecting with their head Orisha can give them better spiritual insight and help them live more productive and prosperous lives.

At Asanee 44, we’ve seen countless situations where this knowledge became a turning point in the following cases and more:

• A business owner facing repeated setbacks found renewed momentum after aligning with the disciplined, obstacle-clearing energy of Ogun.
• A young professional struggling with anxiety gained emotional stability when they began honoring the nurturing presence of Yemoja.
• An elder who had endured years of unexplained illness improved their health once they understood and respected the dietary taboos tied to the wise energy of Obatala.

In each case, the transformation came from building a strong, sustainable relationship with their head Orisha once the issue was identified. These relationships created space for protection, guidance, and course correction in their lives.

If you feel like life is holding you back no matter what you do, it may be your head Orisha signaling the need for alignment. Correctly identifying and honoring them is a vital step toward restoring balance in every area of your life.

Practical Ways to Align With Your Head Orisha

While only trained, initiated diviners can confirm your head Orisha, you can begin preparing yourself for that discovery. These actions are safe, traditionally acceptable ways to help you build awareness of the signs of Orisha presence in your life:

Journal Recurring Dreams and Symbols:

Keep a notebook by your bed to record any dreams featuring specific colors, natural elements, or animals. Over time, you may see patterns that hint at certain Orisha energies. These patterns can become valuable clues before the divination process.

Spend Time in Relevant Natural Spaces

If you feel drawn to rivers, forests, or mountains, schedule quiet time in those spaces. Notice how the air feels, what sounds surround you, and how your energy shifts in those settings. The natural world reflects the Orisha’s presence. Comfort, or a sense of being at home, in a specific environment, could indicate your connection to the deity guiding your path.

Observe Your Emotional Triggers and Strengths

Pay attention to situations that stir courage, compassion, justice, or patience within you. Write down how you respond in these moments. Over time, you may see a consistent thread between your strongest qualities and an Orisha’s well-known traits.

Study Public Symbolism and Stories

Learn about Orisha myths, symbols, and widely known attributes. Pay attention to which narratives or symbols resonate most with you. These signs may be pointing to the elemental force that resonates with you the most.

By the time you enter the formal process, these practices will have sharpened your awareness. You can approach divination as an active participant, already attuned to deeper knowledge about your head Orisha.

Discover Your Head Orisha with Asanee 44

Your head Orisha is a living connection to the force that agreed to guide you before you came to earth. Knowing and honoring this elemental force can help you navigate life with greater confidence, protection, and purpose.

At Asanee 44, we guide you through the process for identifying and aligning with your head Orisha. Our approach is rooted in the Ifá tradition and supported by years of experience working with clients across the African diaspora.

When you choose to learn with Asanee 44, you’re not just getting information. You’re receiving guidance from a source that:

• Respects and honors traditional culture and ancient wisdom
• Pays due homage to the ancestors and elders who have preserved it
• Understands the unique journey of those reconnecting with their roots

Book your Ifá reading today and take the first step toward walking in harmony with your head Orisha’s guidance.

Common Questions About the Head Orisha

Want to Learn More About the Orishas?

To gain deeper knowledge about the attributes, traits, domains of authority, and working with the Orishas, explore our resource library:

• Exploring the Yoruba Pantheon
• How to Work with the Orishas
• Signs an Orisha Is Calling You
• Caring for Orishas While Traveling
• Orishas of the Ifa Tradition Blog Series

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