Oya

 

 

 

"Here comes Oya with her luminous crown. Here comes Oya with the wind and the rain. She travels the forest, flying over hills. Here comes Oya, Queen of the wind and rain."  

 

 Painting by Meg Easling Copyright 2000

  

 

Oya is tornados, wind and lightning.  She is often associated with Our lady of Candeleria, St. Catherine, St. Teresa, and Saint Barbara.  She is warrior woman ~ an Amazon!  She is armed and helmeted and fights injustice.

Her color is red - Her children wear red beads.  She is storm - tempest and rain. She loves to dance. She is the only Orisha who dares to confront  the spirits of the dead.  She loves eggplant, hens, she-goats, sheep, locust, black horsehair, switches, copper. red wine, eggplant, plums, and grapes.

Her colors are red, purple, brown, and burnt orange.  Her day is Wednesday and her number is 9.  You can call to her by singing, "hekua Oya". She is associated with the dark moon and the planet Uranus. Her places in the home are in the library and study."  

Praise to the Mother of Nine

Queen of the women, save me

Winds of the Earth bring health

Winds of the Heavens bring Fortune

The Wind Mother is Wondrous.

It is so, so be it, so it is."  

 Luisha Teish - Carnival of the Spirit  

 

"Praise to the Spirit of the Wind"

Softly, I hear the wind rise, and gently my broom sweeps the dust away.  Eaves rustle across the Earth and She rises, growing stronger, ever taller, pushing farther, but yielding more,  Oya, who is Queen of the Winds of Change.

Ever long and disruptive you dance through my life, spitting your lightening bolts, your fire, as the furious and torrential rains fall.  My harvest...  taking hold of the shafts of grain, ripping them from their soft, moist place in the earth.  Oya, Mother of Transformation, I pray that I work well for you.

My Lady of the Sunset, it is you who paints the leaves of autumn. I hear the hum of the locusts singing your song.   There in the cemetery, dancing among the tombstones with your Sisters by your side and there in your garden, the leaves and seeds fly, with rain falling upon the Earth.  Death and Life rustling in the Wind, the seasons change and I am compelled to worship you.

Your power is most obvious when manifested through the tumultuous weather changes that occur in autumn.  By fanning your skirt of autumn leaves and dried palm fronds, you produce tornadoes, earthquakes, and hurricanes.  You are the dutiful Mother of Catastrophe, the one who destroys outworn structures and sweeps away debris.

We honor you in Nigeria, the Caribbean, and Brazil.  We honor you everywhere.  In Haiti you are known as Maman Brigitte.  There you have authority over the graves of women.  In India you are feared and revered as Kali-Ma the Mother of Destruction, with the awesome Medusa and with Hecate of the Greeks.  You are similar to Pele, Hawaii's Goddess of the Volcano.  Coaticue of the Aztecs, wearing a skirt made of serpents and a necklace of hands and hearts.  It is you who raises the dust devil, causing whirlwinds and earthquakes with your dance.  You are also known as Changing Woman among Native North Americans.  Fire, Wind, and Water - you are called by many names.

Oya, my lady of the dark of the Moon, Boss Lady of the cemetery.  When your friend, Iku (Death) visits, the last breath exhaled from the body is captured in your Winds.  When it is my turn, take my soul on your wings and delivers me to the land of my ancestors.

In this season of change, let us all together celebrate the lovely Oya, Goddess of the Winds of Change.  May She be pleased with what we offer in Her service.

  ~ Bendis ~

For most of the content, my thanks go to Luisah Teish ~ Carnival of the Spirit

May my editing of your words be appropriate!