2015 February is Gede Nibo

In January, Papa Legba pulled 12 cards.  For February, he pulled GEDE NIBO -

Gede Nibo is the healer and the truth revealer.  He loves to air your dirty laundry in front of everyone.  One of Nibo’s stories is that Ogoun found a stone he brought to Baron. Baron named the stone Gede Nibo and told Ogoun to raise it as his son. Ogoun is not the fatherly kind of guy, but recognized the value of having a spirit who walked among the dead. As a military man, Ogoun had seen his fair share of dead, and believed that having a godson who could command them would give him an edge in battles.  However, he had not forseen the kind of spirit Nibo would grow into.  Ogoun could not command Nibo as he did his other men.  Nibo was obstinate, did not obey orders, talked back with a foul mouth and acted according to his own devices.  Agwe saw this as a plus, and offered to take Nibo aboard Immamou, so that he could put Nibo’s command of the dead to use in crossing the Atlantic.  Thus, Nibo became the “wet” Ghede, sailing alongside other Nago spirits such as Bhalindjo, Badagris and Ossange.  He helped Agwe manage to cross all the teeming dead in the Atlantic Ocean, calling out any issue he saw as truth.  When the Nagos gave him a hard time about his clothes, his eating habits or his distaste of getting wet, he readily pointed out their own hidden foibles, exposing their truth as he saw it: Badagris Type-A personality; Bhalindjo’s hyper focus; Ossange’s passive-aggressive attitude.  In this way, he helped Agwe manage the crew as well.  Sailing over the waters of the world, Nibo at last found a home and place he could call his own.

Gede Nibo’s true talent is for revealing the truth.  Nibo doesn’t shy away from pointing things out, particularly if he can get the last laugh about something.  This month will offer a revelation of some kind – both for each of you personally, as well as for the sosyete as a whole.  In the cold of winter, we often overindulge ourselves – we eat more, we drink more. It’s human nature to do so – a vestigial remembrance of cold winter nights when we had to pack it on for safety and sustenance.  Be careful of your food intake so as not to make yourself sick physically.  Keep warm, stay clear of liars and other assorted “ill” folk and their ability to project onto others.  Their B.S. will make you sick psychologically.  Ask Nibo to reveal them to you, so as not to engage in their illness.

February’s Shadow card is Gran Ibo: The messenger spirit, who cares for the unnamed and unremembered.  With Gede Nibo riding high this month, it will be easy to miss certain things.  Gede can misdirect as much as he can reveal truths.  Gran Ibo is the subtle energy that helps us remember who we are and what we are doing.  Call on her to help focus Nibo’s unruly nature, so you are not run over by his banda antics and his uproarious nature!  Keep a container of wild bird seed on hand and when the days feel like a roller coaster of crazy, toss a handful of seeds to the birds as an offering for Gran Ibo. She will “feel” your need and tame Nibo accordingly.