In hoodoo practice, Yemaya, is known as one of the "Seven African Powers." Yemaya is an orisha, originally from the traditional religious practices of the Yoruba people in Africa. Orishas are sometimes described as the emissaries of Olodumare, or God Almighty.
Over the past decades, Yemaya has become prominent in the Afro-American religions and other forms of African American diasporic spirtuality which cam be found in various countries of the Caribbean and Latin America as well as parts of the USA South.
On "That Hoodoo You Do," there is an African American spell for Yemaya's Protection, under Working the Spell.
As she is a very popular spirit, Yemaya has many titles and regional variations of her name. Below are only a few:
Cuba--Yemaya, Yemayah, IemanyaYemaya is sometimes called "Inae," "Sirena," "la Princesa de Aioca," or "la Senora María." She is called "Sirena," because she somtimes appears as a beautiful mermaid, sometimes as a double tailed siren-mermaid.1 "Aioca" is the realm of the pseudo-mythical land of freedom and happiness, apparently based on stories of Africa. She is sometimes called "la Senora María" because she syncretized in Catholic imagry with the Madonna as "Our lady of Regla" and "Stella Maris."
Dominican Republic--Yemalla, La Diosa Del Mar, Sirena
Brazil--Iemanja, Janaina (Mestra Jana/Ms. Jana)
Uruguay--Iemanja
USA--Yemaya, Yemalla, Yemana, Yemoja
Africa--Mami Wata, Yemaya, Yemoja, Ymoja, Yemowo
Yemaya is called the "Mother of All," as such she rules the maternal aspects in human lives. She likewise is mistress over the oceans (la duena del mar) and the source of all waters (la madre del agua). She is also known as "Yeye Omo Eja" which means "Mother Whose Children Are Like Fish." Her many children are as uncountable as the fish in the seven seas. It is said she gave birth to the stars, the moon, the sun, and many orishas. The ache of Yemaya is often described as nurturing, protective, and fruitful.
Yemaya lives and rules over the seven seas and large lakes. Yemaya’s day is Saturday. Yemaya’s number is seven (or multiples of seven) for the seven seas. She dresses herself in seven skirts of blue and white, thus her colors are blue and white. Her metal is silver. She sometimes is given a peacock feather fan decorated with sea shells and mother of pearl, a duck feather fan or just duck feathers, or an object like a wisk made with horse tail hair and adorned with blue and white beads. Her feast days are: February 2, September 7, and Mother's Day.
At Crystals, Candles & Cauldrons (927B West 36th Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21211) in June 2013, I purchased a blue candle honoring "Yemaya, the Goddess of the Sea" for a friend of mine. This candle was Eternalux brand, and had a copy of the famous image of Yemaya in a long gown, walking through the waves. The following invocation in Spanish and English was on the candle:
THE GODDESS OF THE SEATo make an offering to Yemaya at the beach, toss seven white roses (or seven of another type white flower) into the water and at the same time give her seven coins, praying for the blessing one wishes to receive.Strange clouds fragments of glory.
Invisioning glimmering stars of a story.
Commanding you among the goddesses of waters.
With your laughter, the storm you disarm.
With your kind word, you return the calm.
The breeze of the east brings you gentle life.
Goddess of the sea and the living waters.
Your cheek kissed the beautiful moon; and with
majesty and stars it filled your mind.
The waves carry beautiful roses,
which the waters will hide.
Their aromas are the hope that makes you,
the Goddess of the Sea.ORACION A LA DIOSA DEL MAR
Extranas nubes fragmentos de una gloria.
En tu frente lucen estrellas de una historia.
Reina tu entre las Diosas de las Aguas.
Con tu reir la tempestad desarmas.
A tu palabra de bondad vuelve la calma.
La Brisa del Este engendro tu vida gentil.
Diosa del Mar y de las aguas vivas.
Tu mejilla beso la Luna bella, y tu frente orno de majestad y estrellas.
Llevan las olas, las bellas rosas que las espumas van a ocultar.
Son tus aromas las esperanzas de quien te aclama, Diosa del Mar.
People have petitioned Yemaya for issues involving fertility, travel by ocean, protection from enemies, healing, marriage, love, blessings, and the development of intuition and psychic gifts.
Offerings include blue or white seven day prayer candles, white flowers, jewelry with transparent, blue, green, or white glass, blue/white stones (aquamarine, blue chalcedony, etc.), salt water fish, molasses. brown sugar, pineapples, papayas, grapes, pears, watermelon, apples, cane syrup, rice cakes, bananas, mangos, white wine, and clear water.
Offerings at the beach can include seven white flowers, cowries, silver (white metal) coins.
Yemaya originally entered hoodoo as one of the "Seven African Powers." Sometime after the late1970s and certainly in the 1980's, devotional candles started being manufactured with prayers in Spanish and with Catholic images to which some of the orisha had been syncretized. No doubt this was in response to arrival of numerous Cuban refugees as well as influx of other Spanish speaking Latino immigrants from around the Caribbean.
copyright 2013, Myth Woodling
1Sometimes Yemaya has been syncretized with other spirits, like the Haitian Vodou "La Sirene"/"LaSiren," particularly in mermaid form as La Sirene traditionally is depicted as a mermaid. I've encountered widely different opinions about this possible connection between the two. To be perfectly honest, there is no reason why people in different Afro-American traditions could not have independently visualized any or several of the female water deities in mermaid form. It is also possible that there may have been some influence in iconography back and forth as there was commerce and other cultural contact between people around the Caribbean.
I recently came across a drawing of a Latina full-figured, dark-haired mermaid at the edge of the waves on a white-sanded beach with moonlight reflected off the ocean waters. This verse was attached:
Mandaram me chamarReturning to the point of syncretization, some practitioners in Vodou, Santeria, etc. are vehemently opposed to syncretizing any of the orisha with lwa. It is my opinion that anyone who is initiated into a religious practice--which I have not been initiated into--is likely to know quite a bit more than me. Hence, it is my goal to remain neutral.
e eu vim do além-mar
A praia é minha morada,
junto com Iemanjá ,
e a permissão de Oxalá.
Trago o amor e a esperança...(Google translation)
Sent for me
and I have come from overseas
The beach is my home,
with Yemanja,
and permission of Oxala.
Bring the love and hope...
Sources
CiberCuba.com, Yemaya, diosa del mar. - Lecturas Cubanas 2005-2012 .
Caminos de Yemaya, Religion Yoruba: Yemaya.
Santeria Church of the Orishas, Yemaya: Santeria Church of the Orishas 2013
Cat Yronwode, THE SEVEN AFRICAN POWERS SIETE POTENICIAS, 1995-2003, accessed 8/19/11.
Prayers and Petitions
Tradtional Prayer for Yemaya
Iya eya ayaba okun oma ire gbogbo awani Iya.Short Spanish Prayer for Yemaya
Yemaya, your love, protects me and helps me. Amen.
Yemaya, tu adoro, me proteje y me ayuda, amen..
Below is another prayer for petitioning Yemaya:
Prayer to YemayaWith the prayer above, I found the instructions below for this prosperity lamp. I include it primarily to contrast with hoodoo methods of lamp work.You who rule the waters, pouring over humankind your protection, O Divine Mother, wash their bodies and their minds, performing a cleansing with your water and instilling in their hearts the respect and veneration due to the force of nature that it symbolizes, let us protect your group of things and what they protect.
We beseech powerful Yemanja, Queen of the waters, to recieve this prayer.
With love and justice, give me the required and necessary strength to withstand everything.
In your sea of nature and harmony, I want to live.
Protect my loved ones from all harm and danger.
Hail Yemanja, Queen of the Sea!Oracion a Yemanja
Vos que gobernais las aguas derramando sobre la humanidad tu proteccion, realizando, Oh Divina Madre, una descarga en sus cuerpos y en sus mentes, limpiando las aguas e infundiendo en sus corazones el respeto y la veneracion debida a esa fuerza de la naturaleza que simboliza, permite que vuestras falanges nos protejan y amparen.
Te suplicamos Yemanja poderosísima, Reina de las aguas este ruego a conseguir.
Con todo amor y justicia dadme fuerza precisa y necesaria para poder soportar todo.
En un mar de naturaleza y armonía quiero vivir.
Proteged a mis seres queridos de todos los males y peligros.
Salve Yemanj, Reina del Mar!
Prosperity Lamp at the Foot of YemayaMainstream Spirituality1 glass container
7 coins of different denominations
1 blue [azulillo]
2 cups spring water
1 white or blue candlePreparation:
Place the two cups of water in a container and dissolve the azulillo, place the candle in the center of the container, about candle place the coins, turn the candle and ask yemaya because all their projects and goals can be met, accustomed always perform an offering (fruits, sardines, soro, atana, oti, candy, maíze, yen de pluma, etc), depending on the work to Eleggua, giving knowledge of what it will do for the well, will carry the message to Olofin.
Lampara de prosperidad al pie de Yemaja
1 envase de vidrio
7 monedas de diferentes denominaciones
1 azulillo
2 tazas de agua de manantial
1 velon blanco o azul
Preparacion:
Coloque las dos tazas de agua en un envase y disuelva el azulillo, ubique el velon en el centro del envase, alrededor del velon coloque las monedas, encienda el velon y pídale a yemaya porque todos sus proyectos y metas puedan cumplirse, acostumbre siempre realizarle una ofrenda (frutas, sardinas, soro, atana, oti, caramelos, maiz, yen de pluma, etc.), dependiendo de la obra a eleggua dandole conocimiento de lo que va a hacer para que el así le lleve el mensaje a olofin.
Yemaya has also entered into mainstream books about spirituality, notably Chicken Soup for the Ocean Lover's Soul:
I recently took my oldest daughter Maya to our local beach to swim and play. She's four years old, and naturally her questionas have become more thoughtful and profound. At the beach she asked--without any prompting from me--"God made us, huh?" We had been working on sand from our castle when she said this. I smoothed away loose and from our castle and took a deep breath, frightened, really, to mess up this answer.Purchase Chicken Soup for the Ocean Lover's Soul online.I considered myself spiritual, but by no meas religious. I believe in compassion, giving your all and doing right by yourself, others and the Earth. The religious symbolism I allow in our house is defined by our Afro-Caribbean culture. I have a shelf--some call it an altar--covered with candles, pictures of saints, shells, a coconut, coins, feathers and beaded necklaces. These things are important definers of who we were as Puerto Ricans, but for the most part they have remained a mystery to Maya. Now she is getting old enough to ask for some explanation.
Before she lost interest, I said, finally, "Yes, Baby, God made us."
That was all I could come up with--a simple answer to a simple question.
"How did she do that??
She? I thought. "Well," I said, "there are a lot of stories about how she did that. Some say she molded people out of the Earth and breathed life into them. And some say that a long, long time ago before dinosaurs were around she made tiny animals first that eventually turned into people."
"Turned into people?"
"After a really long time, yeah, the animals evolved into people." Impressively, I knew she understood that word because she once told me that Pokemon evolve.
"Will Puffy [our cat] evolve into a person?"
"Probably not," I laughed. "I takes a really long time if that that were to ever happen again."
"Is God a boy or a girl?"
"I think God is both, Baby."
"Spencer says God is a boy!" She said this with a tone revealing the audacity of Spencer, one of her classmates. I tried to imagine preschoolers discussing religion on the monkey bars or around the water fountain.
"It's okay that Spencer thinks that," I said.
"Oh," she answered, sounding a bit defeated that maybe Spencer had won a minor victory.
"I think," I said gingerly, "that God is, and looks like, all things in nature."
"Everything?"
"Sure. The sun, the flowers, plants." I pointed to the water. "The ocean." Her eyes followed my hand. "Some say that the ocean is a girl god." Her face brightened. I was offering her the first introduction to a religion that our great-great-grandparents most likely practiced with great passion, as if their identity depended on it. I was proud and scared, praying I would present it right.
"Her name is Yemaya," I said.
"Maya?" she giggled.
"YE-ma-YA," I said again.
Maya semed pleased. She looked at the ocean again. A small wave broke and rolled. Slowly, it spread a thin layer ofwater over the dark sand. "Yemaya," she repeated.
"Yemaya is a goddess. That's what they call a girl god. She's the goddess of the ocean that is part of a bigger God that made us. She is strong and beautiful. She takes care of a lot of people, but sometimes she can destroy things, too."
I watched Maya's face, wondering how she was processing this story. I wanted to believe that it hit her someplace where spirituality and myth are the same. then my beautiful, bright, yet still four-year-old asked, "Do you think Yemaya likes to war pink dresses?"
I alghed again.
"I think maybe white and blue dresses," I said. "They say she likes those colors."
"Not pink? How about purple?"
"Maybe purple." What was I going to say, that Yemaya doesn't like purple?
"Mami?" I thought for sure Maya would go on to ask about every color dress and whether Yemaya liked them or not, but instead she said quietly, "If God looks like Yemaya, can God even look like me?"
I tried to remember something Maya Angelou had once said--after all I had named Maya after her--about the power andimportance of the ocean. I couldn't remember the exact quote because all that overcame me was that Maya, my Maya, was just as powerful and important as the ocean to me. And I said to her, wiping salty water from my face, "Yes, baby, certainly God looks like you, too." --Danette River in Chicken Soup for the Ocean Lover's Soul, Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, 2003, p. 94-96.
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