PSA
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ִֶָ 𓂃˖˳·˖ ִֶָ ⋆★⋆ ִֶָ˖·˳˖𓂃 ִֶָ
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ִֶָ 𓂃˖˳·˖ ִֶָ ⋆★⋆ ִֶָ˖·˳˖𓂃 ִֶָ
By Teresa Carbine
If you haven’t already read our post on the Orishas, check it out! Once you’re done with that, we can get started…
In celebration of Latin Heritage month, we’re going to discuss the Orishas, who have become an integral part of Latin American and Caribbean culture. As many Africans were forcefully torn from their homeland, they were separated from sacred lands too, namely Yorubaland, home to the Orishas.
Without direct access to these sacred lands, religious practices evolved; Orishas became portable, finding abodes in nature’s beauty in a foreign land. Hence, throughout the African diaspora, the Yoruba religion mixed with Catholicism, in areas such as Brazil and Cuba.
The Seven African Powers come from Yoruba spirituality and are a group of Orishas — powerful deities or spirits — that can help guide, protect, and empower people, especially through the suffering of their people. This belief system originated with the Yoruba people in West Africa and spread across the Caribbean and the Americas, blending with not only Catholicism, but Indigenous beliefs too, especially during and after the transatlantic slave trade.
Oshun, one of the most beloved Orishas, is known for her beauty, sensuality, and healing energy. She’s associated with rivers, honey, gold, and peacocks. Stories about her, like the time she used honey to coax Ogun out of isolation, highlight her role as a peacemaker and creative force (I hope we should all be so lucky as to have Oshun watching over us).
Despite a tumultuous history, Oshun is a shining light as to the resilience of Latin American and Caribbean peoples. She is a deity of love, sensuality, and femininity. We celebrate her in many ways, including offerings of honey, flowers, and gold-colored items, as well as rituals at rivers (I love this for her… who wouldn’t appreciate offerings of flowers and gold?).