The Orisha of the Year 2026 is…

Every year, around this time, the same thing happens. Spiritual readings for the year ahead start appearing everywhere. In Cuba, Babalawos divine the year. In Brazil, Pai and Mãe de Santo are on TV and in the newspapers, predicting which Orisha will rule, what must be done, and what must be avoided. Similar things happen in the US and elsewhere. People wait to hear who is right. Whoever’s prediction seems to match events best later on becomes celebrated - more so in Brazil than anywhere else.

I understand why people find these readings comforting. They give shape to uncertainty. They make the future feel a little less random. But there is something important that often gets lost in all of this. Your life is not ruled by a yearly forecast. The Orisha of your year is your Orisha. The ruler of your year is your Ori.

In all Orisha traditions, Ori is not an idea or a metaphor but your personal destiny, your inner divinity, the part of you that chose this life and continues to guide it. No Orisha overrides Ori. No public reading outranks it. When things are aligned, it is because you are in the right relationship with your Ori. When things feel stuck or chaotic, it is often because that relationship has been neglected.

For those who are initiated, Ori walks hand in hand with their head Orisha. That Orisha does not change from year to year. It does not rotate with the calendar. Your obligations, your protections, your challenges all flow from that relationship, not from whoever is declared to be ruling the year in your country.

For those who are not initiated, there is still an accompanying force. That is Obatala. He walks with everyone. Obatala is the father of all humanity. He brings balance, clarity, restraint, and ethical grounding. Before any other relationship is formed, Obatala teaches us how to be human first.

So for 2026, rather than asking which Orisha rules the year, I would invite people to ask something more useful: How am I treating my Ori?

This does not require divination. Just honesty. Take care of your body. Eat properly. Rest. Drink water. Move your body. This is not separate from spirituality. Ori lives in the body. Neglecting your health is neglecting your destiny.

Take care of your mind. Be mindful of what you consume, especially constant outrage, fear, and noise. Not everything needs a reaction. Silence and calm are not laziness. They are necessary to maintain balance and tranquillity. Anger and ego lead to imbalances, which in turn lead to unhappiness.

Tell the truth to yourself. If something in your life no longer works, admit it. If you are tired, stop pushing. If you are angry, acknowledge it without letting it run your life. Ori does not respond well to self-deception. Honour your elders and your ancestors, whether by blood or by lineage. This does not mean accepting harm or staying silent about wrongdoing. It means remembering that you did not arrive here alone, and that wisdom did not start with you.

Avoid excess this year. Excess drama. Excess spending. Excess spiritual performance. Excess promises. You do not need to do more rituals to have a better year. You need to live more cleanly. Also avoid outsourcing responsibility to predictions. A reading can offer insight, but it cannot live your life for you. When everything that goes wrong is blamed on the year, nothing ever really changes.

Avoid comparing your life to other people’s. Your Ori does not respond to someone else’s destiny. What brings another person happiness may bring you imbalance. Avoid neglecting the ordinary things. Paying bills. Keeping your word. Showing up when you say you will. These are not distractions from spiritual life. They are proof that it is working.

If you are initiated, return to the basics this year. Feed your head. Keep your obligations simple and correct. Speak to your elders when you are unsure. Your head Orisha does not need novelty. They need honesty and consistency.

If you are not initiated, you are not missing anything. Obatala’s presence is a powerful and steady protection for everyone, if we allow it. Choose clarity over chaos. Choose peace over spectacle. Choose responsibility over fantasy. Offer fresh water, light a white candle, ask for peace, tranquillity, stability and opportunities to make your life better.

The Readings for the Year will still come, and that is fine. They have their place. But they are not the centre. The centre is your Ori. It always has been. If 2026 brings one lesson, it is that no Orisha rules your life more than the one you already have.