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yemaya african goddess

by Sonia Waters Published 4 years ago Updated 2 years ago

Often depicted as a queenly mermaid, Yemaya is considered the Ocean Mother Goddess in Santería
Santería
a]), also known as Regla de Ocha, Regla Lucumí, or Lucumí, is an African diasporic religion that developed in Cuba during the late 19th century. It arose through a process of syncretism between the traditional Yoruba religion of West Africa, the Roman Catholic form of Christianity, and Spiritism.
https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Santería
, an Afro-Caribbean religion practiced around the world. With anchored roots in the Yoruba religion
Yoruba religion
Yoruba religion is the basis for a number of religions in the New World, notably Santería, Umbanda, Trinidad Orisha, Haitian Vodou, and Candomblé. Yoruba religious beliefs are part of Itàn (history), the total complex of songs, histories, stories, and other cultural concepts which make up the Yoruba society.
https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Yoruba_religion
, Yemaya was brought over to the New World by enslaved Africans as early as the 16th century.
Jul 9, 2019

Full Answer

What is Yemayá the goddess of?

She is depicted as a mermaid, capable of venturing into any body of water freely. The Yoruba see Yemayá as the patron spirit of pregnant women. She watches over them and protects them, ensuring a safe labor. She is also associated with amniotic fluid, keeping her children safe against the harsh dangers of the world.

What are the traditional colors of Yemayá?

In Santería or regla de ocha, Yemayá is the mother of all living things as well as the owner of the oceans and seas. Colors: There are many roads to Yemayá, Okute, Asesú, Achabá and Mayelewo are some of them, and each one has a color combination having all blue as a common denominator. Ritual garment color: Blue.

How do you honor the goddess Yemaya?

​She is often honored by celebrations on the eve of the New Year. Devotees send gifts of jewelry, fabric, soap, perfume, and letters along with floating candles that are set adrift in the moonlit sea as gifts to the goddess Yemaya.

What is the energy of Yemaya?

Offerings for her include molasses, coconut cakes, white flowers, and watermelon. For practicing witches, Yemaya has a fierce, nurturing, gentle energy often associated with the moon and sorcery. As the "Mother of All," she is said to help in matters of self-love, fertility, emotional wounds, trauma, and healing work.

What is Yemaya known for?

Yemayá is the Yoruba orisha of motherhood and the sea. She is often represented as a mermaid, but is not just a mermaid. She is the great mother of us all and represents Mother Earth, the life giver. As the patron of women, she is associated with the moon which has a powerful influence on women.

Is Yemaya a deity?

Yemaya, queen of the sea, first emerged in Yorubaland (now in modern Nigeria). A primordial deity, considered the mother of all, some perceive her to be at the root of numerous ancient goddesses, including Isis.

Who is the daughter of Yemaya?

LisaLisa, she's the daughter of Yemaya, who is the sea, and I'm daughter of Shango, who is thunder. And it's really us. Our characters are really like that. Lisa-Kaindé: In the Yoruba religion, you are chosen by an orisha, which is a divinity.

Who is the husband of Yemaya?

She was married to Aganju and had one son, Orungan, and fifteen Orishas came forth from her. They include Ogun, Olokun, Shopona and Shango. Other stories would say that Yemaya was always there in the beginning and all life came from her, including all of the orishas.

What does it mean to see Yemaya?

For practicing witches, Yemaya has a fierce, nurturing, gentle energy often associated with the moon and sorcery. As the "Mother of All," she is said to help in matters of self-love, fertility, emotional wounds, trauma, and healing work.

Who is Yemaya in voodoo?

She is the mother of all Orishas. She is an orisha, in this case patron spirit of rivers, particularly the Ogun River in Nigeria; and oceans in Cuban and Brazilian orisa religions....YemọjaOther namesYemaya, Iemanja, Mother of Water, Mother of all Orishas, Patroness and Protector of Children and Fishermen10 more rows

What color is Yemaya?

white and blueYemaya is the orisha of lakes and seas and the patron of women and of motherhood. She is associated with Our Lady of Regla, the protector of sailors. Fans, seashells, canoes, coral, and the moon all represent her. Her colors are white and blue.

How do I know if my daughter is Oshun?

She is one of the most popular and venerated orishas. If you see the number 5 a lot (my two most recent apartments were on the 5th floor), are attracted to the color yellow or gold and enjoy sweets, specifically honey, then you too may be a child of Oshun.

Who is Yemaya to Chango?

Yemaya is the only one who can keep Chango in check. He has to obey her because she is one of his two mothers. He is said to have two or three wives, his favorite being Ochun. This beautiful goddess is identifed with the Catholic La Virgen de la Caridad del Cobre, Cuba's patron saint.

Who did Yemoja marry?

Yemonja is frequently portrayed as the wife of various male personified orisha, such as Obatala, Okere, Orisha Oko, and Erinle. She is also said to be the mother of Ogun, Sango, Oya, Osun, Oba, Orisha Oko, Babaluaiye, and Osoosi.

Who is the mother of Yemoja?

Yemoja is notably addressed as mother of all the gods in the Yoruba pantheon, in which over three hundred gods and goddesses abound. She is the creatrix-fountainhead of their existence....Author:Agbo FolarinTitle:Maternal goddess in Yoruba art: a new aesthetic acclamation of Yemoja, Oshun and Iya-Mapo5 more rows

Who are the African goddess?

Goddess Africa, also known as Dea Africa, was the personification of Africa by the Romans in the early centuries of the common era. She was one of the fertility and abundance deities to some. Her iconography typically included an elephant-mask head dress, a cornucopia, a military standard, and a lion.

What do devotees send to the goddess Yemaya?

Devotees send gifts of jewelry, fabric, soap, perfume, and letters along with floating candles that are set adrift in the moonlit sea as gifts to the goddess Yemaya. Yemaya is a mother goddess, the goddess of home, fertility, love and family.

What was Yemaya's first gift?

According to legend, Yemaya's first gift to her beloved humans was a sea shell in which her voice could always be heard. To this day we honor Yemaya when we hold a shell to our ear in order to hear her voice, the ocean. Yemaya is a goddess of comfort and inspiration.

What is the goddess of comfort?

Yemaya is a goddess of comfort and inspiration. She reminds us that even the worst catastrophes can be endured and that, with her help, we can learn to negotiate the ebbs and flows of change in our lives with her wisdom, courage, and grace.

What is the name of the goddess of the ocean?

YEMAYA: Goddess of the Ocean and of the New Year. Yemaya was the river goddess of the Yoruba in Nigeria. When her people were hoarded onto the slave ships, Yemaya went with them, thus becoming their Goddess of the Ocean.

What is the name of the Virgin Mary?

Today she is also celebrated under many other names, including the virgin Mary (Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception ), Stella Maris (Star of the Sea), and Our Lady of Regla to name but a few. She is often honored by celebrations on the eve of the New Year.

Where did the Yoruba travel?

She traveled with them from Yoruba to distant lands, comforting them in the holds of the slave ships that took them far away from their homeland in Africa. Known by other names, her traditions continue in the countries to which her people were dispersed.

What does Yemaya do?

Yemaya will help you and comfort you as a loving Mother. She will cleanse and clear your energy and help you to let go of anything that is holding you back with her powerful cleansing waters. She will help you heal deeply with her loving embrace and help you emotions to flow, unblocking anything that may be stuck.

What does Yemaya say in the song "I am Yemaya"?

Looking around, you see a great big woman hovering over the Sea. It is Yemaya. She looks at you and smiles. ‘I am Yemaya, Mother of all. I am so glad you have connected with me. Come child, let me show you who I am.’.

Who is the goddess of the ocean?

Yemaya is an African Goddess and is the Goddess of the Ocean, the womb of creation. She is the Mother of all and is considered this as she is the ruler of all water and all life is thought to have began in the sea, therefore began with Yemaya. She governs the Moon, all female cycles and childbirth.

Myths and Stories of Yemayá

Yemayá was born to Oludumare, the Supreme Being in the Yoruba religion. Oludumare tasked Yemayá with assisting the Orisha Obatala with the creation of humans. Leaving the dwelling place of Oludumare, Yemayá slid down a rope with sixteen other Orisha and engaged in the creation of mankind.

Yemayá: Characteristics

Yemayá serves as the patron of the Ogun river (in Nigeria), although she is not limited to that particular body of water. Her followers may worship Yemayá at any feature of running water. She is depicted as a mermaid, capable of venturing into any body of water freely.

Yemayá and Olokun

Yemayá has another deity associated with her. Olokun is another Orisha associated with water and androgyny. While Yemayá has dominion over the surface of the ocean and the life thereupon, Olokun is the Orisha of the depths. They complement one another. While Yemayá is the goddess of life, none may return from Olokun’s depths alive.

Worship of Yemayá

After slavers brought slaves to the New World via the Middle Passage, Yemayá’s presence increased in the Americas and the Caribbean. Again, Yemayá was originally known as Yemọja, with Yemayá being one of her names she came to be known by in the New World.

Yoruba Childbirth Goddess

Her stylish blue and crystal skirts billow in wave-like motions. One of the Orishas, she is a sensuous, slow-moving figure, just like the water she represents. Very calm and soothing for birthing situations. But she has a curious aversion to salt — so she will float over the ocean but not in it.

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Why is Yemaya so sensitive?

Because of her fierce love for her daughter's and her connections with the waters , she is very sensitive, and just like any mother is with her daughter, Yemaya is ferocious when it comes to keeping her children safe. And, all well-behaved daughters always remember to thank their Mother's for petitions granted.

What do you pray to Yemaya?

Petition Yemaya if you are a woman. You may pray to her with matters of the home, fertility, family, and love. In her kind state, Yemaya is the giver of life, so if you are seeking to have a child, pray to Yemaya.

What is the name of the Queen of the Sea?

And, in Cuba she has three names, depending on which part of her personality you wish to speak with: Yemaya Ataramagwa, The Wealthy Queen Of The Sea, this is her stern persona. Yemaya Achabba, violent, and, The overpowering, Yemaya Olokun who is said to only be seen in dreams.

Who is Mama Watta?

Mama Watta, as she is also known presided over the Ogun River that she called home. Her breasts are full and large from birthing so many creations. It is said that Yemaya gave birth to all the world's water. Petition Yemaya if you are a woman. You may pray to her with matters of the home, fertility, family, and love.

Do daughters of Yemaya remember to thank their mothers?

And, all well-behaved daughters always remember to thank their Mother's for petitions granted. Daughters of Yemaya, this is very important, always, always remember to Thank Yemaya for what she does for you. Yemaya has many other names.

What is the meaning of Yemaya?

Yemaya is a mother Goddess. The Goddess of home, fertility, love and family. She also represents change and consistency - bringing forth life, protecting it, and changing it as is necessary. Yemaya is the daughter of a mortal god-human, Obatala, and his wife. Yemaya and her brother, Aganyu had a son together.

What does Yemaya like?

Yemaya likes sea shells, fish, net, sea horses, anchors and everything related to the sea. She is generally kept in a blue flowered porcelain soup tureen full of water. She is also associated with stars and the full moon, ducks and peacocks. Yemaya controls the parts of the sea that a human knows.

What is the name of the river goddess of the ocean?

Originally, Yemaya was a river Goddess of the Yoruta in Nigeria, which is far from the ocean. She was a nature spirit, an orisha. An orisha shows itself as a force of nature. When her people were loaded on the ships, she went along, becoming the Goddess of the ocean.

What is the difference between Olukun and Yemaya?

Yemaya statue www.amazon.com. Yemaya stays in the uppermost part of the ocean while Olukun is the orisha who resides in the dark depths. Olukun is respected for his ominous power that has no perceived limits or boundaries while Ye maya is associated with life, fertility and creation. Therefore, they balance each other.

How did Yemaya learn divination?

She's also associated with the creative and nurturing forces of the sea. She learned how to do divination by watching her husband, Orula, do consults. Women weren't supposed to do consults but Yemaya was so good at it, her husband made a pact with her that she could use cowry shells to divine.

What does the tide represent in the story of Yemaya?

By rocking the world as a cradle, the tides represent Yemaya's desires to protect and nurture all her children. With Yemaya considered to be the greatest mother there is no surprise that she is very sexual. Since nothing can resist water, she is respected for her strength. Those who hurt her children, Yemaya drowns.

What do the seven seas represent in Yemaya?

Those who worship her wear necklaces of clear and blue beads as well as a blue dress complete with seven layers to represent the seven seas. In a ceremony for Yemaya, everyone dances in a circle and the altar is in the form of a circle. The circle represents the eternal cycle of life.

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