The Scent of the Forgotten Forest
Introducing EWÉ ÒRÌṢÀ: A Mythic Ritual for the Diaspora Heart
To those who still remember the voice of the leaves,
Some dreams do not begin in sleep.
They begin in silence.
And in silence, the leaves began to speak.
I’ve always walked a different kind of path—not as a prophet of ashes, but as a studiosus of flame. Rooted in the wisdom of ancient traditions and scholars like William Bascom, Osamaro Ibie, Bernard Maupoil, Renée Trautmann, and guided by the orality of my elders in Brazil, Cuba, Nigeria and Haiti, I’ve sought to build a bridge: between the forest and the freeway, between Òrìṣà shrines and modern studio apartments.
Over the years, many of you have written to me—asking not just for teachings, but for something deeper:
“How do I stay connected, Babá?”
“What if I don’t have a terreiro, a spiritual house near me?”
“Can I still live this path in a small flat in Berlin or Boston?”
“How do I honor the Òrìṣà with what I have—time, heart, intention?”
These questions don’t ask for shortcuts. They ask for keys.
INTRODUCING EWÉ ÒRÌSÀ
USE CODE: DAILYIFA25 FOR A 25% SUBSCRIBERS DISCOUNT
🌬️ THE DREAM THAT BECAME A DOORWAY
Some dreams do not come with images. They come with a scent. And some scents are older than memory.
This one arrived in the early morning, just before the world woke. I was dreaming through a forest that felt hollowed out—bare trees, dry earth, no voices in the branches. It was not dead, but it had forgotten how to breathe.
I looked down. The ground was cracked. The altar of nature was closed. And then—it came. Not light. Not sound. A whisper.
“Kò sí ewé, kò sí Òrìṣà.”
Without the leaves, there is no Òrìṣà.
The wind rose. Ọ̀yá danced through the stillness, stirring what had been sleeping.
She carried the breath of change. Behind her, Ọ̀sányìn emerged—limping and radiant, crowned not with gold but with silence and green.
He opened his hand. In it: not one leaf, but many. A bundle of sacred ewé—gathered from the altars of all Òrìṣà. Some soft and cooling, some sharp and awakening, some ancient and bitter. It was Sàṣáyìn itself—the ritual bath of the collective divine.
Each leaf hummed with its Orí. Each one a note in a symphony of purpose. And then, with a single breath, Ọ̀sányìn blew into the leaves. The forest inhaled. And what rose from that breath was a fragrance. Not perfume. Not merely composition. Not just art. But a living scent—steeped in energy, memory, invocation. It was the essence of Sàṣáyìn:
The greenness of basil.
The sharpness of mint.
The clean clarity of leaves that had heard prayers.
It smelled like fresh offerings under early sun. Like the breath before ritual. Like the forest remembering its name. Nothing distracts. Nothing dominates. Just the voice of the leaves. Calling. Clearing. Blessing.
It wasn’t made. It was summoned. And it whispered again:
“They forgot the forest. Remind them. Not with sound. With scent.”
🌿 RETELLING THE SACRED MYTH OF THE LEAVES
Long ago, all the Òrìṣà fought over who would control the secret of healing. Each one claimed their path, their power. But only Ọ̀sányìn knew the language of the leaves. He guarded it with fierce devotion—until envy struck.
In a fit of celestial tension, the Òrìṣà broke the pact of silence. They sought to overpower Ọ̀sányìn, and in the battle, Ọ̀yá raised a wind so strong it tore the ewé from his grasp and scattered them across the world.
The result? No single Òrìṣà would own all healing again. Each one received their own sacred leaf. Ọ̀sányìn remained their keeper. And we, the children of the diaspora, inherited the ritual of Sàṣáyìn—the sacred herbal bath.
💧 WHAT IS SÀṢÁYÌN?
Sàṣáyìn is not a casual bath. It is a ritual:
A harmony of herbs carrying Èrò (directive) and Ògún (activating) energies
A sacred fusion of the four elements
A balance of feminine and masculine frequencies
Activated through alcohol ọti (the spirit), ofò (spoken word), and ẹ̀mí (breath)
In traditional houses, initiates bathe in sacred àgbọ̀ daily or before entering ritual space. Each leaf is prayed over. Each drop is power.
But how can this be done… in cities? In between jobs, kids, classes, and flights?
💨 EWÉ ÒRÌṢÀ – A CONTEMPORARY PRAYER
This is not a perfume. It is a slow ritual in oil.
EWÉ ÒRÌṢÀ is my respectful, modern offering—a way to carry the Òrìṣà not only in thought or altar, but on skin, in scent, and in the intimate pulse of daily life. It does not replace tradition. But it walks beside it. Like a whisper beside the drum.
Each bottle contains:
Sacred leaves associated with over 40 Òrìṣà, including Ọ̀sányìn, Ṣàngó, Ògún, Ọ̀ṣun, Ọbàtálá, Èṣù Ẹlẹ́gbára, Yemọja, Ọ̀rúnmìlà, and many more. Each key Òrìṣà is represented by at least one of their sacred leaves, carefully chosen according to traditional correspondences and energetic harmony.
Essential oils extracted from their most sacred ewé, carefully distilled to preserve both energetic and olfactory purity
Ritual activation through spoken word (ofò), breath (ẹ̀mí), ọti (the spirit), and sacred handling, respecting the lineage of Sàṣáyìn
A skin-friendly, sun-safe base of a super light, natural fraction of coconut oil that honors ancestral practices of anointing, Ori activation, and body consecration
A slow-release fragrance experience, allowing the energy and scent to unfold gradually over hours—unlike alcohol which burns fast and fades
And yes—my own hands. As a chemist and CEO with decades in the cosmetics industry, I know how to formulate and work with the best. But this time, I wanted more than excellence. I wanted spirit.
🧴 WHY OIL?
In the diaspora, coconut has long been more than food or flavor. It is a symbol of purity, community, and divine transmission. It nourishes, protects, carries messages to the Orí, and features in rituals of blessing, divination, and healing.
Using an ultralight, dry natural oil as our base means:
No skin dryness, no allergy risk, no issues in hot weather
No flammability – safe for travel and shipping without restriction
Ideal for hair, pulse points, massage, or even ritual baths (when added to a carrier)
Excellent scent development – the fragrance unfolds slowly, like a prayer remembered layer by layer
In this format, EWÉ ÒRÌṢÀ becomes a return to something older than perfume: anointing. Just as priests and elders have always used sacred oils to mark heads, bless spaces, and consecrate moments, you now carry a tool that speaks to the same soul.
🌿 FROM WATER TO OIL: A SACRED TRANSLATION
In traditional houses, Sàṣáyìn is prepared with fresh herbs in sacred water. But we know that water, when blessed, remembers.
In EWÉ ÒRÌṢÀ, we preserve that memory through transformation.
The leaves were first prayed over, breathed upon, and steeped in the tradition of Àgbọ̀. Their essence was extracted in classic ritual form—not skipped, not rushed.
But instead of staying in water, this sacred concentration was then infused into oil: a new vessel for the same ancestral current.
It’s not a contradiction. It’s an evolution. From liquid bath to sacred balm. From washing to wearing. From pouring to carrying.
The essence remains. The energy flows. The Òrìṣà adapt—as they always have.
🗣️ WHAT PEOPLE SAY
Over the last few years, I offered EWÉ ÒRÌṢÀ informally in Brazil and Germany. The results astonished me:
“I met my current life partner after wearing it on a whim.”
“I use it during meditation—it helps me hear more clearly.”
“My child sleeps better when I spray it in the room.”
“It became part of my offerings—I spray it on candles before I pray.”
“It’s my morning reset.”
“Can I buy one? I want to give it to my sister.”
That’s when I knew: this was not just a scent. It was memory, breath, portal.
🔒 THIS IS NOT FOR SALE. THIS IS A COVENANT.
I want to be clear: EWÉ ÒRÌṢÀ is not for the open market. It is not made for shelves or search engines. It will not be sold by people who do not know the forest.
This is a private release, with a special offer for readers of DAILY IFÁ. You will not find it in stores, fairs, or influencer feeds. And I will not repeat it often.
I can produce only a limited batch, due to the time, prayer, and materials required. This is not fast fragrance. This is slow ritual.
GET EWÉ ÒRÌSÀ
USE CODE: DAILYIFA25 FOR A 25% SUBSCRIBERS DISCOUNT
⏳ HOW TO PARTICIPATE
Reservation is open for 10 days only
The fragrance will be handcrafted in the weeks that follow
Shipping may take some time, depending on customs and country
You’ll receive it with a sacred protective bag
Use Code DAILYIFA25 to get 25% discount as loyal reader of my Newsletters
🌬️ HOW TO USE EWÉ ÒRÌṢÀ
A more detailed ritual guide will be included in your package and is available as a download below.
Note: Though EWÉ ÒRÌṢÀ is oil-based, it comes in a refined spray format—designed for gentle application to skin, hair, aura, and ritual objects without the sharp burst of alcohol. The mist is soft, slow-releasing, and sun-safe.
Here are a few sacred ways to begin:
🌞 Morning offering:
Spray gently into your palms or in front of you. Inhale. Speak to your Orí.
End with: “Kò sí ewé, kò sí Òrìṣà.”🧖 Ritual cleansing:
Spray into a bowl of cool or lukewarm water. Stir with your fingers.
Pour over your head and shoulders while speaking your intention or prayer.💧 Água de Descarroego: A Sacred Ritual of Salt, Scent, and Becoming.
🧘 Meditation anchor:
Mist lightly over your chest or crown before prayer or contemplation.
Let the scent lead you into stillness, breath by breath.🏠 Room clearing:
Spray once into each corner of the room and once at its center.
Walk clockwise. Invoke light, clarity, and presence.🌬️ Aura reset:
Spray around your body in a circular motion.
Sweep your hands through the air like combing energy. Whisper: “I return to my center.”💆 Massage & healing work:
Add 2–3 sprays to your favorite neutral oil (e.g. jojoba or almond).
Use for spiritual massage, energy balancing, or Orí soothing rituals.🧘♀️ Yoga or movement ritual:
Mist over your yoga mat or movement space.
Set your mantra. Move with intention and sacred breath.🔮 Chakra alignment:
Spray near each energy center (root to crown), then place your hand on the point.
Speak: “I awaken the light in this center.”
🌱 Oil-based mists may feel lighter and silkier than water sprays. Shake gently before use to activate the full fragrance experience.
🧭 A FINAL WORD
This is not a product launch. It’s a dream launch. A moment to reconnect with the wind that once carried the leaves. A bottle for your altar. A prayer for your skin. A way to walk with the Òrìṣà, even on grey days.
I will walk this first step with you. And from there, we will listen to the leaves.
Because they remember. If the leaves allow, I may repeat this ritual once or twice a year. If you walk with me now, you walk with the forest's first return.
Àṣẹ,
Babá Tilo Plöger de Àjàgùnnà
Founder of DAILY IFÁ
Bàbáláwo, Bàbálórìṣà, Chemist, Dreamer, Devotee of the Leaves
🔍 What You’ll Receive:
1x EWÉ ÒRÌṢÀ Ritual Fragrance Oil (10 ml)
Sacred drawstring pouch for storage or altar use
Digital PDF with full ritual guide and prayers and making of insights (see annex)
Personal blessing on each unit before shipment
GET EWÉ ÒRÌSÀ
USE CODE: DAILYIFA25 FOR A 25% SUBSCRIBERS DISCOUNT
