THE GODDESS AND MAGICK
Oya - Yoruban Goddess
Oya is the Yoruban Goddess of weather, of air and fire, tornadoes, lightning ,
strong winds and buffalo. She is the River Niger. Oya of the funeral
procession, Goddess of structural change. Wife of Chango, they fight together
and create lightning and thunder. Honored and feared, don't invoke her unless
you are ready to deal with the consequences! She is the power of feminine
leadership and she has a special place in the heart of Witches. She is that
which is revealed as well as that which is secret, hers being the domain of speech
yet her residence is in that which is not spoken. She is genius or insanity.
Oya represents hard work; the sifting through chaos to perceive, or perhaps to create, the underlying order, which itself is subject to entropy. She is embedded in philosophy, yet what she represents comes apart under scrutiny. Her influence is observable in the oracular realms.
Oya's ritual dance is performed with ribbons or scarves twirling while the
dancer spins in spirals, representing the winds, the winds of change. She
will take you to the edge, the cutting edge. It is your decision whether or
not to jump. Oya is as destructive as a storm at sea, yet as gentle as the
summer breeze which softly caresses the cheek of your beloved. She embodies the
full range of Feminine expressiveness.
Her color is burnt orange, her number 9. Wednesday is sacred to her. Her
favorite foods are plums, grapes, eggplant and red wine. Her metal is copper.
Make a shrine to her in the library or study of your home.