Today we pay homage to Yoruba Orisha of Change and Transformation, OYA, the Mother of Nine...
Oya, also known as Yansa or Iansa, is one of the seven primary Orishas in the Yoruba religion, which originated in the Old Oyo Empire of Ancient Yorubaland (present-day Nigeria). She is a powerful force that is revered and honored in many African and diasporic spiritual traditions. Her name is defined as "She Tore" in Yoruba.
In some myths, Oya is said to be the sister of Shango/Chango (the orisha of thunder and fire), born to the Great Sea Mother, the orisha Yemaya. In other myths, she is the third wife of Shango and his favorite one. Oya is also associated with the orisha Ogun, the Orisha of iron and metalwork.
Oya is one of the primary forces that was sent by one of the three manifestations of the Supreme God, known as Olodumare. She is a fierce warrior and tempest who is often shown carrying a machete, hammer, or sword into battle. She fought in many battles beside her brother/consort, Shango. She is the lightning before the thunder and is a mighty force of transition and change. She is mostly worshiped as a Goddess or a deity of the Yoruba people of Africa, specifically Nigeria, Benin, Togo, Ghana, Liberia, and the Ivory Coast; as well as in Afro-Caribbean and Creole spiritualities. She is also honored and revered in Catholicism as Saint Theresa and/or Saint Brigid.
Oya is associated with the number nine due to stories of the orisha giving stillbirth to nine children (four sets of twins and Egungun, who was the ninth). However, other myths speak that she made a sacrifice in order to conceive her nine children by making a skirt with the colors of the rainbow; which is also said to be the reason she is often pictured wearing a skirt of nine colors. Oya wears nine copper bracelets on her right arm and a crown with nine symbols (a gourd, a scythe, a mattock, a rake, a hoe, an ax, a pick, a lightning bolt, and a shovel). Her colors are deep purple, red wine, and rainbow. Her beaded eleke (necklace) contains dark brown and red beads with black and white dots on them. She is also associated with the Water Buffalo and masks due to their spiritual nature.
Oya holds many roles and aspects within African Mythology:
Tempest of Storms (Thunder, Lightning, Winds, Hurricanes, and Tornados)
Guardian of Cemeteries and the Departed
Patronness of the Marketplace
Goddess of Rivers
Queen of Death and Rebirth
"She who turns and changes"
One of the vital roles of Oya is that of cemeteries and funerals. She is in responsible for carrying the souls of the dead to the afterlife and helping souls transition. She stands at the gates, ensuring the boundaries between birth, death, and rebirth are respected, and that every soul is accounted for. She holds the powers of both life and death in her hands, as she is said to give the first breath of life to newborn souls; as well as command the dead. Oya's mannerisms can be gentle as a breeze or as transformational as the worst hurricane. She is called the Great mother of witches or the elders of the night. Her archetype is that of the Crone, which suggests that she is a seasoned High Priestess with both psychic and magickal abilities.
Oya is definitely a powerful force to be reckoned with and her energy should NOT be played with or taken lightly. Much love and respect to the Orisha OYA!
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