The Order of the White Moon Goddess Gallery Presents

Oya

A woman in a red dress dancing in a storm

A Level I Final Project done by Jess Avelino Flores, student of Moonflower Ministry

Background Information:

Oya is the wife of Shango, the royal ancestor of the Yoruba people, and the God of war. She has two facets, the wind aspect and the water aspect. She is known to wield hurricanes, or a gentle breeze, depending on her mood. In her wind aspect, she helps people to confront their fears, embrace transformation, and overcome obstacles. In her water aspect, Oya is the Goddess of the African Niger River, a symbol of a Protectress, one who is a guardian and represents life and renewal.

She is also worshiped in Vodou, Candomblé (as Iansã), and in Santeria (as Ochún). Word of her traveled from Nigeria, Benin, and Togo, due to the slave trade. She is alternately represented as the sister of Yemaya, the Goddess of the sea and motherhood, or the daughter of Yemaya and Obatalla, the father of humanity and the source of wisdom, purity, compassion, and peace.

Oya is said to be based on a woman who died and became I Goddess due to her great powers. She is seen as the protector of women, the dead, and Queen of the underworld. She is also seen as the Goddess of the marketplace, helping women in their businesses. The nine scarves she wears around her waist are in memory of her nine stillborn children, and she carries a profound sadness about her inability to give birth to her own children.

What is sacred to Oya:

Black beans, cemetery dirt, grapes, red wine, seashells, pennies, and eggplant. Her sacred animals are deer, birds, and water buffalo. Catholics see her as represented by Saint Theresa and shares her feast day of February 2.

She is generally depicted as a dark black woman with wild hair, carrying a sword and horsehair fly swatter called an iruke. She wears nine copper bracelets, and a nine-pointed crown adorned with nine charms: gourd, a scythe, a mattock, a rake, a hoe, an ax, a pick, a lightning bolt, and a shovel.

Her offerings should be in groups of nine. For example, on my altar I have 9 pennies, 9 shells, 9 black beans, 9 grapes when I put grapes, and an eggplant cut into 9 pieces.

Ritual: -“Created by Jess”

I put a pot of dirt and seeds for earth in the North of my altar, to represent grounding. I put incense for air in the East of my altar, to represent communication and knowledge. I put a candle for fire in the South of my altar, to represent transformation. I put ancestor water in the West of my altar, for emotional flow.

I put my medicine bag, and my bracelets and anklets to charge in the middle of the altar during the ceremony. I also put four railroad stakes and put them in the four directions outside my house after the ceremony for a circle of protection.

I call my ancestors: Abuelita Socorra, Abuelo Severino, Papa, Tio Javier, and Tio Americo.

My patron saints: Santa Muerte and Jesus Malverde

My guides: Señora Lisette, Papa Legba, Baron Samedi and Maman Brigitte

These are the ones that I call every day when I meditate and/or drum.

I open with meditation and drumming but used the drumming chant calling for Papa Legba. In Vodou, he is the Loa that opens a ceremony and decides who is needed to answer your request. Being a child of the Guede, I also called on Baron Samedi and Maman Brigitte, the Guede Loa of justice, cemeteries, and the dead.

I am very much a 90s kid, so I use a modified version of the invocation of the directions from the movie “The Craft”. For me, not only is it nostalgic, but there is also something subversive and powerful about being able to use these words.

Hail to the guardians of the watchtowers of the East, the powers of air and invention. Raphael and Bastet, hear me! (light incense)

Hail to the guardians of the watchtowers of the South, the powers of fire and feeling. Azrael and Santa Muerte, hear me! (light candle)

Hail to the guardians of the watchtowers of the West, powers of water and intuition. Cassiel and Oya, hear me (pour ancestor water into offering bowl)

Hail to the guardians of the watchtowers of the North, by the powers of mother and earth. Binael and Atabey, hear me (put seeds into pot of dirt).

For healing my child self, spoken with my hand over my heart:

It is okay to talk about abuse. It is okay to heal. It is good to do things that I care about. It is good to do self-care for myself, so I have energy to take care of my health and others. It is good to set healthy boundaries. In my adult life, I am working to make sure that others are not in the same powerless situation. I may not be able to save the world, but I will save those within my reach.

Thank you, Binael and Atabey, guardians of the watchtowers of the North, go in peace and watch over me until we meet again (cover seeds in pot of dirt).

Thank you, Cassiel and Oya, guardians of the watchtowers of the West, go in peace and watch over me until we meet again (use ancestor water to water seeds that were planted)

Thank you, Azrael and Santa Muerte, guardians of the watchtowers of the South, go in peace and watch over me until we meet again (extinguish candle).

Thank you, Raphael and Bastet, guardians of the watchtowers of the East, go in peace and watch over me until we meet again (pour incense ashes into pot where seeds were planted).

The circle is open, go in peace and hope for the future. Pour a glass of wine and enjoy with cookies :)

African women in red dresses and wearing horns

Oya – Mother of Storms

Original Art:

My Oya altar

An altar with clay bowls, a statue, a candle and a bottle of wine

Links to related websites I used for references:

https://guardian.ng/life/oya-the-yoruba-rain-goddess/

https://www.oriire.com/article/the-mythical-journey-of-oya-an-exploration-of-african-mythology

https://www.thaliatook.com/AMGG/oya.php

https://goddessgift.com/goddesses/oya/

Oya » Santeria Church of the Orishas

Images:

Oya(goddess of rain and hurricane) - AFRICAN NFTS | OpenSea

Check out laitaseer's Shuffles Mother of storms Oya #orisha #oya #magic (shffls.com)

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