OSHUN = Goddess of Life…

            !!!Oshun Is The Energy of Attraction on All Levels…

**Oshun Is Depicted As The Goddess Who Not Only Gives Life But Also Takes It. Oshun Saves Earth From Destruction By Calling Back The Waters.

**Yèyé mi olówó aró – Yèyé mi ẹlẹsẹ osùn – Yèyé mi amoawomaro – Omi arinmasun na

==My Mother with hands colored by dye – My Mother with feet beautified with camwood – Who knows the secrets of the cults but does not reveal them. Flowing water without ceasing. May Oshun continue to sustain, uplift, and shine her huge blessings upon us today and forever.

**Oore Yeye O! Omi O! Ota O! Eri O! Agba O! Oore Yeye Osun ooooooo!!!

Osun – Oshun, an Orisha (Deity) of the Yoruba people. Oshun is commonly called the river Orisha, or Goddess, in the Yoruba religion and is typically associated with water, purity, fertility, love, and sensuality. She is considered one of the most powerful of all Orishas, and, like other Gods, she possesses human attributes such as vanity, jealousy, and spite.

Several myths exist concerning Oshun and her significance as a Yoruba deity. In most Yoruba stories, Oshun is generally depicted as the protector, savior, or nurturer of humanity. Oshun has also been described as the maintainer of spiritual balance or mother of sweet things. One myth highlights Oshun as the central figure in the creation of human beings. The Yoruba people believe that the Orishas were sent by Olodumare, who is considered the Supreme God, to populate the Earth.

Oshun, being one of the original 17 heavenly beings (Irunmole)sent to Earth, was the only female deity. The other Gods, all male, failed at their attempts to revive and populate the Earth. When they realized they were unable to complete the task given to them by Olodumare, they tried to persuade Oshun to help them. Oshun agreed and brought forth her sweet and powerful waters, bringing life back to Earth and humanity and other species into existence. As that Yoruba myth suggests, humanity would not exist if Oshun, the Goddess of life and fertility, had not acted.

She is commonly described as the favorite of all Orishas by Olodumare, because of her beauty and sensuality. In yet another Yoruba story, Oshun is depicted as the Goddess who not only gives life but also takes it. When angered, Oshun may flood Earth or destroy crops by withholding her waters, thereby causing massive droughts. In one myth, Oshun is incensed by her devotees and sends down rain, nearly flooding the world. Yet once she has been appeased, Oshun saves Earth from destruction by calling back the waters.

Tradition holds that the first interaction between Oshun and human beings took place in Osogbo, Yoruba land. That city is considered sacred, and it is believed to be fiercely protected by the water goddess. Oshun is said to have given the people who went to her river permission to build the city and promised to provide for them, protect them, and grant their prayers if they worshiped her dutifully, making the obligatory offerings, prayers, and other rituals.

Out of that first encounter between the people of Osogbo and Oshun evolved the Oshun festival, which is still practiced today by the Yoruba people. Every year Oshun devotees and other people of the Yoruba religious tradition go to the Oshun River to pay homage, make sacrifice, and ask for a variety of things such as wealth, children, and better health. Although other orishas are honored during the festival, the climax of the festival is centered on Oshun. 

The History Of The 16 Sacred Lamp.

The Ina Olojumerindinlogun Ritual: This is the traditional ritual that involves the lighting of a 16-point Lamp which is believed to be over 600 years old. This ritual is carried out three days after the Iwopopo ritual is done. Within the Osogbo cultural landscape, the lighting of the 16-point Lamp is an important aspect of the annual Osun Osogbo festival. Expectedly, the all-night carnival featured traditional dances and music from various dance groups within Osogboland. The spiritual significance of the lamp ritual can never be over-emphasized. Legend has it that the 16-point lamp was taken from the spirits in the Osogbo groove by a powerful hunter called Olutimehin. The lighting rites were in line with an instruction the hunter received from the goddess of Osogbo when he took the lamp from spirits in the forest. The sixteen Lamps represent the sixteen major Orisa who organized the world, the sixteen major Odu Ifa and the sixteen palm nuts used in Ifa divination which also can be exoterically.

The Lamp is part of the history of the founding of Osogbo kingdom. There was an elephant hunter called Olutimehin. While searching for water during hunting in the Osun groove at night, he stumbled on some spirits dancing around this Lamp. As a powerful hunter, he overpowered them and took the Lamp from them. But the goddess of the river warned that for him to keep the Lamp, he will have to replicate the dance steps of the spirits around the Lamp. It takes no special ceremony to light or put off the lights on the Lamps, however two things must not happen; one, the lights must not go off when the king has not danced around it twice. Two the king must not return during his dance tour of the city to meet the lights burning. To ensure neither of the two undesirable events happen, a palace chief has to constantly stay around the Lamp stand to keep it burning and put it off at the appropriate time. To the Osogbo people the lighting of the Lamp reminds them of their ties to the Osogbo deity. It is a time to renew and strengthen Ancestral bonds. 

Oshun is the energy of attraction on all levels. It is through this Orisha that abundance, fertility, laughter and lightness are called forth. Oshun attracts love, sexuality, joy and prosperity. It is the energy of harmony and song, as beauty in all its forms comes through this Orisha. It enables conception in any manifestation, from a child in the womb to the stroke of genius that sparks a fruitful business endeavor or partnership. Those in alignment with Oshun are often perceived to be open, happy, emotional and social beings. Symbolized by the sweet waters, Oshun demonstrates the power of love itself. Just as a river traverses roots, boulders, curves, and miles of obstacles to reach its destination, love will let nothing stop it from achieving its purpose. Oshun is the river and she whispers to all living things, and animals naturally hear her, without any effort at all. Her favorite are birds like parrots, vultures and peacocks, but She also has command over fish, the water fowl, and the reptiles that come to her river banks. In fact, because we are all dawned to her sweet water to drink. She is the medium that connects all worlds, from the largest animal, to the arid climate vegetable,  the smallest mineral, and we cannot resist her call.

According to the Yoruba elders, Oshun is the “unseen mother present at every gathering”, because, in Yoruba, Oshun is the cosmological forces of water, and attraction. Oshun represents the intensity of the feelings and the spirituality, the human sensuality, the gentleness, the refinement, the love and all related to Women. She protects the pregnant; she is a beautiful Woman, cheering and smiling but inside she’s very severe, suffered and sometimes sad. Therefore She is omnipresent and omnipotent. Yoruba scribes reminds us that “no one is an enemy to water” and therefore everyone has need of and should respect and revere Oshun, as well as Her followers.

** Our Mother Oshun carries a mirror not because she is “vain” but because she represents your divine self-image. It is your self-image that determines how you engage the world and your success and failure. While many believe they have a positive self-image they folly because their self-image is still based on an imperfect human identity and not a divine perfect one.

Oshun The Source: Most people think of Oshun as river goddess, or a fertility goddess. Her power is multidimensional, Oshun (source) from the word “Orisun” the source of a river, a people, of children, of wealth, of life. Oshun represents the perpetually renewing source of life. As the elemental power of water, she makes life possible. Oshun the child giving and curative power of water. She is the birth canal where our Ori is developed.

Oshun: The Owner Of Erindilogun = (Sixteen Cowrie-Shells Divination System) She can be loquacious and beautiful who succeeds by killing you with kindness. or deadly serious old Woman, owner of the spiritual eye (mystical power). She is the benevolent mother and fierce warrior. She heals with her cool waters and destroys indiscriminately with her raging floods. She is the creator and defender of her children. She cries when she is happy, and laughs when she is sad. To accentuate her dual natures, Oshun carries a brass cooling fan in one hand and a brass cutlass in the other.

Oshun Owner Of Birds… Oshun leader of the Iyami – Is much involved in the politics of Kingship. The King’s crown is topped by a bird, symbol of the owners of birds (Aje) who are members of the “Iyami Osoronga cult”. The King rules at the discretion of the “Mothers” and under their watchful eyes.

Oshun Female & Male Principle – Fierce Warrior – Fertility Goddess…

Oshun is the embodiment of Women’s mystical power, the ability to control physical & spiritual forces, to create life through procreation, and the sustenance of life are considered to be ultimate power. it is this secretive power, that men can never understand, that has driven men to try & control Women throughout the ages. It is the power of the Mothers (Iyami). To understand Oshun is to know the intelligence, vitality, caring, and nourishing abilities of Women. Long-suffering, cheats, overlooked, and overworked, but always committed to the survival of humanity. Besides signifying wealth, brass never rusts, it is eternal. In Oshun we have the embodiment of wealth, prosperity, love, beauty, elegance, sexuality , and a divinely sanctioned feminist…

Omi O… Ota O… Edan O… E Kore Yeye Osun O… Sacred Water…Sacred Stones… Sacred Symbol Of Ogboni… All Hail Benevolent Mother… Most Women don’t know the Spiritual powers of their Vagina’s. The Woman Vagina can be used for destruction or for construction of a Man’s destiny. 

Vagina for love potion: Every Woman is an Aje (witch) by nature because they carry Odu (womb), the Odu (womb) inside a Woman is a portal to the spiritual world where life is created and brought to existence through the Vagina. The Woman that wants to carry out this assignment she should not eat or drink or bath in the morning and this assignment is most effective in the morning, and she must not be seeing her menstrual period. While standing bare footed, she should get a clean water and recite this incantation on a bowl of water three times.*Iba Osun sekese – Praise to the Goddess of Mystery  *Latojoku Awede we mo – Spirit that cleans me inside out  *Iba Osun Olodi – Praise to the Goddess of the river *Iba Osun ibu kole – Praise to the Goddess of Seduction. *Yeye Kari – Mother of the Mirror  *Yeye jo – Mother of Dance  *Yeye Opo – Mother of Abundance *O san rere o – We sing your praises. The child of Ife where the sun rises. The Mother who gives a bounteous gift. The tender hearted one. The source of water the child of Ijesa The water to whom the King prostates to receive a gift. Yeye O, Osun, Osun O, Aare me Osun Waa se kumara!

***You Are Mothers – Not Feminists… Stop hiding under the canopy of Oshun strength to peddle feminist ideology. Oshun was never and never will be a feminist. Oshun is the Mother of Creation who nurture, Nourish and support the seeds of continual universal existence.

Ose Otura: Never support feminism, it rather reinstate the ability of Mothers to spank their children to sense when they tend to thread the destructive path. Irosun Meji: Speaks on the power of Oshun that Originate from ‘Iya Mopo’ which Olodumare laced with power to Neutralize all forms of Spiritual powers.            Osa Meji: Says there’s a position a Woman would reach before achieving the feat of been called a Mother, not in literary meaning. Your natural born Feminine strength does not exceeds your family jurisdiction.

** Oshun is the one who gained authority and recognition of female strength and power. Every Woman, regardless of Orisha who is devout, should revere Oshun, because she potentializes the natural Ase of Women, self-love, obstinacy, and the gift of kindness. It’s Oshun who teaches the Man to be sweet, to respect the womb that he came from. Oshun is the strength of water that circumvent and overcome obstacles. Cultured Oshun, breathe Oshun, live Oshun every day!

ORIKI OSUN: Ore yeye osun. Osun sengese Oloriya iyun, Arewa obinrin, Osun oyeeyee nimo Awede wemo.

 Mother Osun Praise to the Mother of mystery The one who has comb made of coral beads The beautiful lady. Osun the very knowledgeable one Spirits that cleans me inside out.

Yeye mi olowo aro Yeye mi elese osun Yeye mi ajimo roro. Yeye mi abimo ma yanku Yeye mi alagbo awoye. Eleti gbaroye Ogbagba ti gbomo re lojo ija. Ari bani gbo nipa tomo.

My Mother with hands colored by dye My Mother with feet beautified with camwood My Mother who is always found neat. My Mother whose child never dies. My Mother, the owner of super healing decoction. Ever ready to hear The one capable of delivering her children. She who cares for one concerning children.

Osun, oyeye nimo Osun onikii Afide remo Apenibu sola Apelodo soro omo Osun eni ide kiisu. Amo awo ma ro. O wa yanrin wa yanrin kowo si. Gbadamu gbadamu obinrin kosee gbamu Obinrin to gbona jokunrin lo. Omi amo rin, omi a moo sun. Ore yeye gbami, eni ani ni gbani.

Osun, gracious Mother, full of wisdom! Osun, gracious Mother. Graceful Mother, full of wisdom. Who adorns her sons with bronze? Who stays a long time in the bottom of the waters generating wealth? Who retires to the river to take care of the children Who does not mind wearing brass bracelets? Who knows the secrets of the cults but does not reveal them? Who grazes and grazes sand and buries money in it? Powerful woman who cannot be attacked. Strong woman fiercer than men. Flowing water without ceasing. Great Mother, protect me! Who we have and who saves us, Osun? save me. !!!Oore Yeye Osun Oo!!!

 

 

 

 

Reference Sources: King Bolarinwa Olayemi Asa = Google Search/Photo = Wikipedia = Babalawo Obanifa = Adulawo TV