Why It Is Not Advisable to Do Igo Mmuo in the Afternoon
In Igbo spirituality, Igo Mmuo which is the act of invoking or communing with spirit, is not a meditative practice and conscious ritual of timing, intention, and alignment with the cosmic order. Every element of the day carries a vibration, a pulse that harmonizes or clashes with the flow of chi and the unseen forces that govern existence.
In this ancient worldview, the afternoon is a time that is well understood esoterically. Let’s explore that esoteric perspective together.
The Changing Energy of the Sun
To the spiritually inclined Igbo person or mystic, the sun is a conscious living being, a transmitter of divine frequencies. In the early morning, the sun radiates nurturing energy that opens pathways for prayers, blessings, and new beginnings. Its light carries the purity of birth and the freshness of divine communication.
By contrast, in the afternoon, that same solar force intensifies. Its frequency becomes sharp, piercing, and disruptive. The ancients observed and understood that offerings, invocations, or meditations done under this frequency often yielded distorted results, and as a result they discerned that it was not the best time to carry out rituals which held the intention to recharge the soul (and required the energy of the sun).
It was also well understood by the ancients (Ndi Gboo) that the sun’s afternoon energy “spoils things” not because it is evil, but because it belongs to a different rhythm; a cycle meant for closure, not creation. The afternoon sun does not build; it tests. It burns through illusions. It belongs to the energy that judges, divides, and transforms through pressure.
Afa and the Mystery of Ora Obara
In the sacred system of Afa, the Igbo oracle of cosmic knowledge, this wisdom is preserved in the sign known as Ora Obara. This sign speaks of the afternoon, the time of the day when sunlight begins to age, when the day’s energy bends toward endings.
Afa reminds us that this period is ruled by Ekwensu, the enigmatic force of transformation, divine trickery, and chaos. Ekwensu is the custodian of boundaries, the keeper of crossroads, and the tester of balance. His energy governs moments when one’s inner equilibrium can easily be overturned.
Consequently, Ora Obara is not simply “afternoon.” It is a state of energy; a moment when the cosmic light changes hands, when solar frequencies shift from generative to destructive potential. The eagle, or ugo, which serves as a totem of Ekwensu, also symbolizes this transition in Afa, as it soars closest to the blazing sun, embodying both majesty and peril.
To perform Igo Mmuo in this time is to fly into the sun with unguarded wings, or to risk channeling your positive intentions at a time of the day when the sun’s energy is not at it’s purest or most positive vibration.
The Esoteric Warning
From an esoteric Igbo perspective, the afternoon is the hour of Ekwensu’s watch. This is not a time to send out positive energetic requests or open portals for community invocation. The spiritual frequencies or energies are restless, and the sun’s heat amplifies rather than harmonizes subtle vibrations.
Just as the farmer knows not to sow seeds under harsh noon heat, the spiritualist knows not to “plant” prayers or offerings when the cosmic light is too fierce to nurture them. The energy of the afternoon, under Ekwensu’s domain, tests strength, willpower, and clarity. It is for warriors, not supplicants; for confrontation, not creation.
To Sum It Up
To live in tune with Afa’s wisdom is to respect the rhythms of cosmic order. Morning is for invocation and blessing; afternoon is for vigilance and discernment; evening is for thanksgiving and reflection.
When one learns these sacred timings, one’s spiritual practice becomes not just ritual but one that is perfectly aligned and attuned with divine intelligence, a dance with the universe that ensures balance, alignment, and potency.
Ultimately, there is still an Igbo saying which states: "Mgbè ónyé jì tétá ụ́rá bụ̀ ụ̀tụ́tụ̀ yá," meaning, “Whenever one wakes up from sleep it is their own morning.”
