In the world we navigate today, we are often taught to view wealth through a very narrow, metallic lens. We are told that abundance is a numbers game, measured by the weight of our bank accounts, the prestige of our titles, or the size of our physical possessions.
For many of us, especially within the Black diaspora, this pursuit of material security is often driven by a deep-seated, inherited fear of “not having enough.” This is the vibration of scarcity, a lingering shadow of historical displacement and systemic lack that tells us we must hoard, compete, and exhaust ourselves just to survive.
However, when we turn our gaze back toward our ancestral roots, specifically the profound wisdom of Yoruba cosmology, we find a much more expansive and soul-nourishing definition of prosperity.
Today, I want to invite you into a conversation about Òrìṣà Ọlá, the Òrìṣà of wealth, and how this sacred energy helps us reframe our understanding of what it truly means to live an abundant life.
The “Remembering”: Acknowledging the Scarcity Wound
Before we can step into true abundance, we must first go through the process of The Remembering. We have to acknowledge that many of us carry a “scarcity wound” that is not even our own.
It belongs to our mothers, our grandmothers, and the ancestors who had to make do with very little. This intergenerational trauma manifests as a constant state of “survival mode,” where we feel that resources are finite and that another person’s success somehow diminishes our own.
In the Western framework, wealth is often individualistic and extractive. It is about what you can take and keep for yourself. But in our ancestral traditions, wealth was never meant to be a lonely experience.
When we remember our history, we see that our people survived not through individual hoarding, but through communal flow. Scarcity is a colonised mindset; abundance is our natural, indigenous state of being.
The Unveiling: Who is Òrìṣà Ọlá?
As we move into The Unveiling, we begin to peel back the layers of materialism to see the spiritual blueprint of wealth. In Yoruba tradition, Ọlá represents more than just money (Owó). While Owó is a necessary tool for living in the physical world, Ọlá is a state of being. It is dignity, honour, and the high esteem that comes from living in alignment with your destiny.
Òrìṣà Ọlá is the divine force that governs this expansion. To work with the energy of Ọlá is to understand that wealth is a multi-dimensional garden. If you have money but your health is failing, you are not wealthy.
If you have a high-paying job but your home is devoid of peace and your community does not know your name, you are experiencing a form of spiritual poverty.
Reframing wealth through Òrìṣà Ọlá requires us to look at four key pillars of holistic abundance:
- Alaafia (Health and Peace): The greatest wealth is the vitality of the body and the stillness of the mind. Without your health, you cannot enjoy the fruits of your labour.
- Ogbon and Imoye (Wisdom and Understanding): Knowledge that can be passed down to the next generation is a currency that never devalues.
- Eniyan (People and Community): There is a Yoruba proverb that says, “Eniyan l’aso mi” (People are my clothing). This means that our relationships and our support systems are what truly cover and protect us.
- Iwa Pele (Good Character): In our tradition, your character is your beauty and your ultimate bank account. A person with gold but no character will eventually lose everything, but a person with character can build an empire from nothing.
The Reclaiming: Shifting from Grasping to Flowing
Now we reach The Reclaiming. How do we actually step into this version of abundance in our daily lives? Reclaiming our relationship with wealth means shifting our internal frequency from one of “grasping” to one of “flowing.”
When we are in a scarcity mindset, we hold our breath and clench our fists. But energy, like water, needs movement to remain fresh. Òrìṣà Ọlá teaches us that wealth is a circular energy.
When we give to our community, when we invest in our healing, and when we honour our ancestors, we are keeping the gates of abundance open. To reclaim your abundance, consider these sacred shifts:
- Audit your “Wealth Vocabulary”: Do you constantly say “I can’t afford that” or “Money is hard to come by”? These words are incantations that reinforce scarcity. Try reframing your language to acknowledge the flow, such as “I am choosing to direct my resources elsewhere right now” or “Abundance is seeking me as I seek it.”
- Honour your Lineage: Often, our financial blocks are tied to ancestral “debts” or vows of poverty taken by those before us. Set a place at your ancestral altar specifically to pray for the breaking of these chains. Ask Òrìṣà Ọlá to help you transform “survival” into “thriving” for the sake of your bloodline.
- Practice Radical Gratitude (Ope): In Yoruba culture, gratitude is the key that opens the door to more. When we show appreciation for the small things (the breath in our lungs, the food on our plate, the friend who calls to check in), we signal to the universe that we are a fertile ground for more blessings.
- Invest in “Spiritual Capital”: Spend time nourishing your spirit. Whether through ritual, meditation, or spending time in nature, these acts build a reservoir of peace that allows you to make better, clearer decisions in your physical business and financial life.
Moving Beyond Materialism
The Western world wants us to believe that we are only as valuable as our output. It wants us to stay on the treadmill of “more” without ever asking “why.” But Òrìṣà Ọlá invites us to sit under the shade of the iroko tree and contemplate a different way.
True abundance is the ability to walk through the world with your head held high, knowing that you are supported by a lineage of kings, queens, and resilient spirits. It is the confidence that comes from knowing that the Universe is not a place of lack, but a place of infinite creativity.
When we heal our relationship with wealth, we aren’t just making our lives easier; we are performing an act of resistance. We are saying that we refuse to be defined by a system that was never designed for our flourishing. We are choosing, instead, to be defined by the boundless grace of the Divine.
A Sacred Invitation
Beloved, where in your life are you still operating from a place of “not enough”? Where have you been measuring your worth by someone else’s yardstick?
I invite you to take a deep breath and feel the presence of your ancestors standing behind you. They did not survive the middle passage, the plantations, and the migrations just for us to live in fear of the bills.
They survived so that we could reclaim our joy, our peace, and our rightful place in the flow of universal abundance.
Let us put down the heavy burden of scarcity and pick up the mantle of Ọlá. You are a child of the Divine, and the earth is full of riches meant for your growth and the upliftment of your community. Walk in that truth today.
Book a 15-minute free Call with me – Learn to recognize and transform the negative patterns that may be holding you back and use them for your good. https://gloriaogunbadejo.com/15-minutes-call/
