Yemaya

Yemaja is a goddess, originally of the Yoruba religion, who has become prominent in many Afro-American religions. Africans from what is now called Yorubaland brought Yemaya and a host of other deities/energy forces in nature with them when they were brought to the shores of the Americas as captives. She is the ocean,the essence of motherhood, and a protector of children.

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Name variants:

• Africa: Yemoja, Ymoja, Iemanja Nana Borocum, Iemanja Bomi, Iemanja Boci
• Brazil: Yemanjá, Iemanjá, Imanjá
• Cuba: Yemaya, Yemayah, Iemanya
• Haiti: La Sirène, LaSiren (in Vodou)
• USA (New Orleans Hoodoo): Yemalla, Yemana

In some places, Yemaja is syncretized with other deities:

• Mami Wata
• Nana Buluku
• Nanã

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In Yorùbá mythology, Yemoja is a mother goddess; patron deity of women, especially pregnant women; and the Ogun river (the waters of which are said to cure infertility). Her parents are Oduduwa and Obatala. She was married to Agayu and had one son, Orungan, who raped her successfully one time and attempted a second time; she exploded instead, and fifteen Orishas came forth from her. They include Ogun, Olokun, Shopona and Shango.

Her name is a contraction of Yoruban words that mean "Mother whose children are like fishes". This represents the vastness of her motherhood, her fecundity and her reign over all living things.

Yemaya is celebrated in Ifá tradition as Yemoja[1]. As Iemanja Nana Borocum, or Nana Burku, she is pictured as a very old woman, dressed in black and mauve, connected to mud, swamps, earth.[2] Nana Buluku is an ancient god in Dahomey mythology.

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The goddess is known as Yemanjá or Iemanjá in Brazilian Candomblé.
Every February 2 in Salvador, Bahia, there is a celebration of Iemanjá, which involves thousands of people lining up at dawn to leave their offerings at her shrine in Rio Vermelho. Presents for Iemanjá usually include flowers, perfume, and objects of female vanity (jewelry, combs, mirrors). These are gathered in large baskets and taken out to the sea by local fishermen. Afterwards a massive street party ensues.

In Rio de Janeiro, Iemanjá is celebrated on New Year's Eve, when millions of cariocas dressed in white gather on Copacabana beach to greet the New Year, watch fireworks, and throw flowers and other offerings into the sea for the goddess in the hopes that she will grant them their requests for the coming year.

In the Umbanda religion, Yemoja is a goddess of the ocean and patron deity of the survivors of shipwrecks.

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She is venerated in Vodun as LaSiren.
In Santería, Yemayá is seen as the mother of all living things as well as the owner of all waters. Her number is 7 (a tie into the 7 seas), her colors are blue and white (representing water), and her favorite offerings include melons, molasses ("melaço" - sugar cane syrup), whole fried fishes and pork rinds. She has been syncretized with Our Lady of Regla.

FROM: Wikipedia, "Yemaya"

Yemaya was the river goddess of the Yoruba in Nigeria. When her people were hoarded onto the slave ships, Yemaya went with them, thus becoming their Goddess of the Ocean.


She traveled with them from Yoruba to distant lands, comforting them in the holds of the slave ships that took them far away from their homeland in Africa. Known by other names, her traditions continue in the countries to which her people were dispersed.

She is also called Ymoga (Mother of the Fishes), Iamanga, and Balianne. Today she is also celebrated under many other names, including the virgin Mary (Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception), Stella Maris (Star of the Sea), and Our Lady of Regla...to name but a few.

She is often honored by celebrations on the eve of the New Year. Devotees send gifts of jewelry, fabric, soap, perfume and letters, along with floating candles that are set adrift in the moonlit sea, as gifts to the goddess Yemaya.

Yemaya is a mother goddess, the goddess of home, fertility, love and family. Like water she represents both change and constancy--bringing forth life, protecting it, and changing it as is necessary.

According to legend, Yemaya's first gift to humans was a sea shell in which her voice could always be heard. To this day we honor Yemaya when we hold a shell to our ear in order to hear her voice, the ocean.

Yemaya is a goddess of comfort and inspiration. She reminds us that even the worst catastrophes can be endured and that, with her help, we can learn to negotiate the ebbs and flows of change in our lives with her wisdom, courage, and grace.

FROM: Yemaya: Goddess of the Ocean and of the New Year --also see here.

She is one of the great goddesses of Africa and of the African diaspora. In her original homeland, she was the Yoruba goddess of the Ogun river, where she was said to the be daughter of the sea into whose waters she empties. Her breasts are very large, because she was mother of so many of the Yoruba gods.

She is also the mother of waters--Mama Watta--who gave birth to all the world's waters. Even as she slept, she would create new springs, which gushed forth each time she turned over. At her main temple, at Abeokuta in the Ibara district, she is offered rams, yams and corn.

In the African diaspora, Ymoja has remained a popular divinity. She is Imanje or Yemanja in Brazilian Macumba, where she is ocean-goddess of the crescent moon. In Cuba she is Yemaya, appearing in many variants: Yemaya Ataramagwa, the wealthy queen of the sea; stern Yemaya Achabba; violent Yemaya Oqqutte; and the overpowering Yemaya Olokun, who can be seen only in dreams. She is Agwe in Haiti, La Balianne in New Orleans. She is syncretized with Our Lady of Regla and Mary, Star of the Sea; in Brazil, she is Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, whose followers wear crystal beads and greet her appearance with shouts of "Odoya." On her feastday on February 2, crowds gather on the ocean beaches of Bahia to offer her soap, perfume, jewelry and fabric which, together with letters bearing requests to the goddess, are thrown out to sea.

Text from Patricia Monaghan's The New Book of Goddesses and Heroines
Published by Llewellyn, copyright 1997
FROM: Yemaya (painting there too)

Yemaya is the Yoruban Orisha or Goddess of the living Ocean, considered the Mother of All. She is the source of all the waters, including the rivers of Western Africa, especially the River Ogun. Her name is a contraction of Yey Omo Eja, which means "Mother Whose Children are the Fish". As all life is thought to have begun in the Sea, all life is held to have begun with Yemaya. She is motherly and strongly protective, and cares deeply for all Her children, comforting them and cleansing them of sorrow. She is said to be able to cure infertility in women, and cowrie shells represent Her wealth. She does not easily lose Her temper, but when angered She can be quite destructive and violent, as the Sea in a storm.

Yemaya was brought to the New World with the African diaspora and She is now worshipped in many cultures besides Her original Africa. In Brazilian Candomblé, where She is known as Yemanja or Imanje, She is the Sea Mother who brings fish to the fishermen, and the crescent moon is Her sign. As Yemanja Afodo, also of Brazil, She protects boats travelling on the Sea and grants safe passage.

In Haitian Vodou She is worshipped as a Moon-goddess, and is believed to protect mothers and their children. She is associated with the mermaid-spirits of Lasirenn (Herself a form of Erzulie) who brings seduction and wealth, and Labalenn, Her sister the whale.

Yemaya rules over the surface of the ocean, where life is concentrated. She is associated with the Orisha Olokin (who is variously described as female, male, or hermaphrodite) who represents the depths of the Ocean and the unconscious, and together They form a balance. She is the sister and wife of Aganju, the god of the soil, and the mother of Oya, goddess of the winds.

Our Lady of Regla in Brazil may be linked to Her, and She is equated elsewhere in the Americas with the Virgin Mary as the Great Mother. In parts of Brazil She is honored as the Ocean Goddess at the summer solstice, while in the north east of the country Her festival is held on February 2nd (a day that is also associated with Her daughter Oya, as well as being the feast day of the Celtic Bride), with offerings of blue and white flowers cast into the Sea.Yemaya's colors are blue and white, and She is said to wear a dress with seven skirts that represent the seven seas. Sacred to Her are peacocks, with their beautiful blue/green iridescence, and ducks. The number seven is Hers, also for the seven seas.

Alternate spellings: Yemanja, Yemojá, Yemonja, Yemalla, Yemana, Ymoja, Iamanje, Iemonja, Imanje
Epithets: Achabba, in Her strict aspect; Oqqutte in Her violent aspect: Atarmagwa, the wealthy queen of the sea; Olokun or Olokum as goddess of dreams
Also called: Mama Watta, "Mother of the Waters"
FROM: Yemaya

Other Links:
Photos of the celebration on flickr
Yemaya
Yemaya, Goddess of Surrender
Multicultural Muses: Finding Yemaya - African Goddess of the Sea
YEMAYA - AFRICAN GODDESS OF THE SEA
Afro/Caribbean Gods and Goddesses images- Yemaya
Yemaya Goddess Mask by Lauren Raine
Yemaya -- lists her correspondences and symbolism, important for ritual, altars, etc.
YORUBA RELIGION
Yemaya.html -- correspondences and symbolism
Yemaya & Yemaya 2
African Mythology: Yemaya
Yemaya -- correspondences and symbolism
Yemaya Altar Online Video & Yemaya Online Video
YEMAYA
Random House | Books | The Altar of My Soul by Marta Moreno Vega
Altar Photos, one for Yemaya there.
Lucumí - Altar Statues - Muñecos
Ocean Goddess Yemaya Statue Also here
La Sirene's Page
Yemaya
More Yemaya
She Moves in Mysterious Ways: My relationship with Yemayá
yemaya
yemaya
Spiritual Worker - Santeria

Eshu/Elegua /Exu etc

Eshu (other names include Exú, Elegua and Elegba) is an Orisha, and one of the most respected deities of the tradition. He has a wide range of responsibilities: the protector of travelers, god of roads, particularly crossroads, the deity with the power over fortune and misfortune, and the personification of death, a psychopomp. Every magical ceremony or ritual begins with an offering to Eshu; failure to do so guarantees failure in the intent of the ceremony. Eshu is revered within the Orisa-Ifá system of the Yoruba as well as in syncretic faiths like Santeria/Lukumi and Candomble developed by the descendants of enslaved West Africans in the Americas, where Eshu was identified with Saint Anthony or Saint Michael, depending on the situation. He is identified by the colours red and black, or black and white and his caminos, or paths (compare: avatar) are often represented carrying a cane, shepherd's crook, as well as a pipe.

Eshu is a trickster-god, and plays frequently tempting choices for the purpose of causing maturation. He is a difficult teacher, but a good one. As an example, Eshu was walking down the road one day, wearing a hat that was red on one side and black on the other. Sometime after he departed, the villagers who had seen him began arguing about whether the stranger's hat was black or red. The villagers on one side of the road had only been capable of seeing the black side, and the villagers on the other side had only been capable of seeing the red half. They nearly fought over the argument, until Eshu came back and cleared the mystery, teaching the villagers about how one's perspective can alter a person's perception of reality, and that one can be easily fooled. In other versions of this tale, the two tribes were not stopped short of violence; they actually annihilated each other, and Eshu laughed at the result, saying "Bringing strife is my greatest joy".

The cult of Eshu is widespread in the New World, as well as in Africa, and he is worshipped under many different names and attributes:

• Exu: Although connected with the Orisha Eshu or Elegba of the Yoruba-based traditions of Candomble and Santeria, the exus and exuas of Umbanda and Quimbanda are in fact spirits of the dead.

• Eleggua: Ellegua is another name used among Lukumi for Eshu.

• Legba: In Vodou, Papa Legba is the intermediary between the divine and humanity, while Kalfu is his Petro manifestation. Eshu also resembles the voodoo loa simbi who is both the god of magic and the intermediate between humanity and papa legba.

• Lucero: In Palo Mayombe, Lucero (also Nkuyo\Mañunga\Lubaniba) is the deity of balance and guidance through paths.

• Esu: In Yorubaland, this is an energy that rose out of the Yangi (sacred red rock) and allows people to communicate with the Irunmole, Orisa, Orunmila, and so on. Is the oldest Esu. Also important in the African diaspora. All Esu live in consecrated sacred rocks.

FROM: Wikipedia, Eshu.

When we think of tricksters, we generally imagine folk characters and culture heroes, not gods. Tricksters either tend to be associated with animal spirits (such as Coyote), or are Promethean figures, archetypal "humans" who interact with and upset the world of the gods. But one of the world's greatest and most interesting trickster figures is not only a god, but a god of high metaphysical content. He is Eshu-Elegbara, one of the orisha, the West African deities that are worshiped in many related forms across African and the African diaspora in the New World.

While he embodies many obvious trickster elements-- deceit, humor, lawlessness, sexuality--Eshu-Elegbara is also the god of communication and spiritual language. He is the gatekeeper between the realms of man and gods, the tangled lines of force that make up the cosmic interface, and his sign is the crossroads. In the figure of Eshu-Elegbara, the West African tradition makes a profound argument about the relationship among spiritual communication, divination, and the peculiar chaotic qualities of the trickster. But before we investigate Eshu-Elegbara's character, we must first place him in the general context of orisha worship.

FOR MORE: West Africa's God of Messages, Sex, and Deceit

The Divine Trickster born of ancient myth and found in many cultures across the face of the world, is sometimes known as the Coyote, Raven, Rabbit or Fox. His form changes depending on language and culture. The Yoruba peoples of West Africa, however, know him as Eshu, the divine messenger, who is both loved and feared for his mischief, generosity and hard lessons.

Eshu is considered the most important of the four warrior gods called the Orisa. Travelling through time in the hearts of the slaves taken to the Americas, the Orisa became known to the Portuguese as the Orixa and to the Spanish as the Orisha1. The ancient religion which devotes prayerful worship to the Orisa is properly known as Regla de Ocha, meaning "The Rule of the Orisha".

The name Santeria or "The Way of the Saints", was a colonial term introduced by the Spanish yet is a description commonly used today. Eshu himself went through a variety of changes as he travelled from culture to culture, being called Eleggua in Cuba and Exu in Brazil. No matter what his name, he is a powerful deity whose dual nature flickers with the nuances of day and night, light and dark, cruelty and kindness, creation and destruction - the Divine Trickster.

The Trickster Eshu can be a teacher most kind and cruel. One old story tells of him undertaking a mischievous journey wearing a tall hat, red on one side, white on the other. Making not a sound he walked between two friends, one seeing the white side of his hat, the other seeing the red. Later in the day the two friends spoke to one another about the mysterious man in the hat. Surprisingly, they began to bicker about the colour of the hat. White! Red! The bickering turned to blows, as each man professed to know the right answer and demanded to be acknowledged as the victor in the violent discussion. The Trickster Eshu chuckled at the sight and walked over to the men, now bloodied and angry, and showed them his hat - red on one side and white on the other. He was delighted by the fact they would fight about something as ridiculous as the colour of another man’s hat, ruining their long-standing friendship in the process.
Taking pleasure in testing the strengths and weaknesses of mankind, he provides the lesson of making the right choices in life. He can be found at the crossroads and can see in all directions, watching carefully those who do wrong. His punishment is swift but he can be kind as well, sitting judgement and viewing all sides of a situation.

FOR MORE: Eshu, An Afro-Caribbean Divine Trickster by Susanne Iles

Other Links:
Mythic Imagination Institute - Elegua
Chapter Five --Correspondence, symbolism, info
Eleggua Head Statue
Legba
Papa Legba - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
SevenAfricanPowers.html -- Legba
Eshu
The Lwas: Legba
Lucumí - Altar Statues - Muñecos (Elegba Doll / Muñeco de Eleguá)
(more possibly coming...)

Oya

Oya

Traditional Colors: Purple, reds, oranges and black

Number: 9 (she is called the “mother of nine”)

Areas of Influence: Storms, wind, lightning, tornadoes, death and the cemetery, the marketplace and business, change, witchcraft, athletics

Entities associated with: St. Theresa

Symbols: Lightning bolts, tornadoes, graves, masks

Offerings: Eggplant, red wine, tobacco, plums and purple grapes, legumes

Feast Day: February 2nd

Astrology: Signs of Scorpio and Capricorn

Tarot: The Wheel of Fortune card, Ace of Swords, Page or knight (Princess and Prince in Thoth deck) of swords

Chakra: Third Eye

Gemstones: Amethyst, garnets, black opals, labradorite

Animals: Birds in general but especially sparrows and purple martins, Insects in general but especially fireflies and dragonflies, bats, deer and water buffalo

From: here

OYA
(Yansan)
Saint:
Our Lady of the Presentation of Our Lord. (Santa Virgen de la Candelaria) and St. Theresa.
Day of the Week: Wednesday. Friday is also popular.
Colors and Collars (Ilekes):
Black and white. The collar is made up of nine black beads followed by nine white beads. Then a black bead alternates with a white bead nine times. The pattern is repeated to the desired length. A variant is a collar made of brown beads striped in a variety of colors or lilac or maroon beads striped with colors.
Sacrificial Animals:
Chickens and guinea hens. Some hold that Oya does not eat any four legged animals, but others say that she likes female goats.
Sacrificial Foods:
Ekru-Aro (black-eyed peas unpeeled and cooked in a double boiler. Her favorite fruit is the star apple. Oya loves eggplant. All of her food should be liberally laced with corojo butter. She drinks chequete. Her water should be rain water.
Herbs:
espanta muerto, bonita, varia, palo rayo, cabo de hacha, revienta caballo, Peppercress, marigold, plantain, Jamaican rosewood, mimosa, mugwort, aralia, camphor, breakax, cypress, flamboyan tree.
Ornaments:
Oya wears a crown with nine points from which hang nine charms; a hoe, a pick, a gourd, a lightning bolt, a scythe, a shovel, a rake, an ax, and a mattock.

A spear or a metal rendition of a lightning bolt. A red gourd. The dried seed pod of the flamboyan tree. She also wears nine copper bracelets.

Apataki:

Many years ago, Chango was embroiled in one of his unending wars. He had fought for many days and killed many of his enemies, but, more came than he could kill. He found himself surrounded by his enemies in the middle of the forest.

"Enchile," he shouted, but his famous magical horse had become lost during the fighting. Chango was afraid to yell again. He might be found. He heard his enemies beating the bushes and shaking the trees to find him. If they did, they would kill him.

Without Echinle, Chango had to scurry through gullies and cover himself in river mud to hide from his enemies. Days passed. His implacable enemies did not rest. They did not eat. Chango, tired and hurt, had to keep on running without sleep and without food.

He ran and he ran until he reached the place where Oya lived. It was very deep in the woods. Very few people there knew that Oya was Chango's wife.

Chango came to Oya's house and pounded on the door. She opened it and saw Chango bruised, cut and panting.

"What has happened to you?" cried Oya.

"Oya, they have me surrounded," panted Chango. "They want to hang me from a tree."

"Come in, quick." said Oya, hustling Chango into her house.

"My lightning is not effective against my enemies today," He told Oya.

"That's because you lack the courage to fight," she scolded. Oya gave him water and a bite to eat.

"It's not courage I lack," said Chango. "I'm very tired."

"What do you want from me?" asked Oya.

"If I could escape my enemies' deadly circle, I could rest and sleep." said Chango. "I would recover my strength and destroy my enemies."

"Why is it that you only come to see me when you need help?" asked Oya.

In those ancient times, Chango was used to fighting by himself, but he swallowed his pride.

"Help me, Oya."

Oya thought for a moment and then turned to her husband.

"When night falls," she said. "You will put on one of my dresses. The disguise will let you escape."

"They will still recognize my face," said Chango.

"I will cut off my hair and put it on your head. That will complete the disguise." said Oya. "I will cut off my hair to save my king's life."

They waited until night. Oya lit no fire. She was afraid that the smoke from her chimney would be noticed by Chango's enemies and draw them to the house. When the sun had gone down, but before the moon had risen, Oya cut off her beautiful hair and pinned it to Chango's head. Chango did not know what to do with woman's hair. It fell across his eyes. It tangled in his ears. Oya had him sit down and wove the hair into two long braids.

"Here's a dress," she said. "Put it on quickly, before the moon comes up."

Chango managed to tangle himself up in Oya's dress. "Stand still," she said. "Just stand still and let me dress you."

Finally, Chango was dressed as a passable imitation of Oya. She went to the door and peered out.

"Hurry," she said. "There's no one around."

Chango stepped outside, imitating Oya's dignified walk. He walked until he reached the forest and came across the line of searching men. He greeted his enemies with an imperious tilt of his head and crossed their line. He did not speak to them because his voice is very deep. It would have given him away.

This is the way Chango was able to escape his enemies' trap.

Once he was far away from the forest, he made camp. He rested and slept and ate and regained his strength and his will to fight.

Echinle managed to find his way back to his master. Chango fed him and groomed him.

A few days later, rested and healed, Chango mounted Echinle.

"It is time to kill," said Chango to his horse, and galloped off to find his enemies.

it was dawn when he reached his enemies' camp. He came rushing at them. His fury was terrible to behold. Lightning flashed from his hands. He shouted wild warrior cries. He was still dressed as a woman.

"Oya has turned into Chango," his enemies shouted when they saw the screaming apparition bearing down upon them, long hair flying and a gown flapping in the wind. They panicked.

Behind them, Oya came striding out of her house, fully armed, and began hacking right and left with her ax. Her short hair bristled and shot out electric sparks.

"If Oya helps Chango, there is victory," she shouted, cutting off arms and legs.

Chango and Oya were victorious. Since that battle, Oya has been Chango's inseparable companion in war. With Chango's thunder and Oya's storms, they are invincible and remain so to this day.

Notes:

Oya is the only Orisha that has power over the dead. Since she is a compassionate Orisha, she has allowed many dying children to live as a gift to their parents. Cemeteries are known as "ile yansan", Oya's house. Anyone who uses dead bodies or parts of dead bodies in their ceremonies, must render payment and homage to Oya.

Whenever there is a haunting, Oya is summoned to dismiss the spirit. Sacrifices must be made to ensure that she takes an interest in the matter.

Oya is the Orisha of tornadoes and twisting storms, hurricanes and gales. The four winds are dominated by Elegua, Orunmila, Obatala and Oya.

Oya has such a terrible face that anyone looking on it will be stricken mad or blind. In ceremonies where Oya descends, no one looks upon her. When she possesses someone, she puts on a red crepe dress or a flowered dress and weaves multicolored ribbons around her head. She only dances warrior dances. When her "children" enter trance, some of them can handle live coals with their bare hands.

From: here

Oyá - santo of graveyard gates

Many consider Oyá as Changó's match when it comes to strength and temper, and in the myths the two are often out at war together.

Natural elements
Oyá rules over the storms and the rough weather which often hit Cuba. She takes care of all graveyard gates and makes sure the dead stay where they are meant to. In addition, she has a brighter side as the santo in charge of the rainbow and all its beautiful colours.

Personality traits
This santo of storms is not only responsible for weather changes, but also for the changing moods of most people.

Catholic saint and day of celebration
Oyá is associated with the Catholic saint Santa Teresa. Oyá is celebrated on 15 October.

Dwelling place
As responsible for graveyard gates, that is where she will be most of the time, unless she is out flying with the storms. At home among her followers, on the other hand, she lives in a tureen painted in all the colours of the rainbow.

Food/offerings
Oyá wants aubergines from her devotees and is fond of colourful materials and silk ribbons.

Personality traits of initiates of Oyá
The sons and daughters of Oyá are known for changing moods as abruptly as their mother and the stormy weather she dominates. They are often powerful and may seem to be violent. At the same time you will never find anyone as loyal and as jealous as Oyá's children.

Usual restrictions for initiates of Oyá
Initiates of Oyá should avoid eating aubergines, which should be saved for the day when you really need her help. Moreover, you should watch out for churchyards, as the dead may come down on you.

Colour
Though her colours are those of the rainbow, her necklace consists of a series of nine brown and nine wine-coloured pearls, the latter with white and black stripes.

From: here

NAME: Oya, Oya-Ajere, Ayaba Nikua, Queen of Death, Lady of the Wind, Goddess of the Nine Skirts, Lady of War, Carrier of the Container of Fire. Bearded Amazon, Thunder Maiden, Iya Yansan "Mother of Nine," Ayi Lo Da "She Who Turns & Changes," Oia, Yansa, Yansan, Olla, Aido-Wedo,

AREA OF CONTROL: Change, Chaos, Transformation, Wind & Storm (though she must get her mother Yemaya's permission before she can create a hurricane,) the Marketplace, Women's power. the Gates of Death. She brings the first breath of new borns and takes the last breath of the dieing to the Gates of Death, the Graveyard, the dead can not be raised without her. The Harmattan Wind & Haze, a dry and dusty wind blowing northeast and west off the Sahara into the Gulf of Guinea between November and March (winter,) that like the Santa Ana wind in California is blamed for frayed nerves, and other unpleasantness.

SYMBOLS: The Niger river and it's 9 tributaries, the number 9, Machete or Sword, Multi-colored skirt which she fans and brings the winds, Crown of Copper with nine with 9 charms, a hoe, a pick, a gourd, a lightning bolt, a scythe, a shovel, a rake, an ax, and a mattock. A spear or a metal rendition of a lightning bolt (which is central to the altar of Oya,) Wind, Storms, Hurricanes, Tornadoes, Thunderbolts, Water Buffalo, Buffalo Horns, Flywhisk. Weather Vanes, Kites, Balloons, Pinwheels (9 or placed around her alter,) the Amazon River in Brazil.

COLORS: Red, Purple, Burnt Orange, Brown, Burgundy, Copper, Maroon, Aubergine (dark purple,) Plum.

USUAL IMAGE: Striking black women, sometimes shown bare from the waste up cupping her breasts, sometime show with a beard.

HOLY DAYS: November 25th, Feast of Oya.

RELATIVES: Yemaya the Great Sea Mother (mother,) Shango Storm God ( either husband and/or brother.) Egungun (son, along with 3 sets of twins who are her other children.)

OFFERINGS: Eggplants, Coins, Chocolate Pudding, Fine Cloth in her 9 colors, Red Wind, Star Fruit, Dark grapes, Black Chickens, Rice, Black Beans (cooked in a doublt boiler.) Rain Water.

All her food should be liberally laced with cocoa butter.

TABOOS: Palm kernel oil, Offerings of Ram (which make her particularly angry.) or Pork. Some say Oya does not eat any four legged animals, but others say that she likes an offering of female goat.

From: here

Oya is the powerful Yoruban Orisha of the winds and tempests. She is considered either the sister of the storm-god Shango, or one of His three wives, with Oshun and Oba. She can manifest as winds ranging from the gentlest breeze to the raging hurricane or cyclone. She goes forth with Her husband during His thunderstorms, destroying buildings, ripping up trees, and blowing things down. Oya is known as a fierce warrior and strong protectress of women, who call on Her to settle disputes in their favor.

As the goddess of change, She brings down the dead wood to make room for the new, and She uses Her machete or sword to clear a path for new growth. She is believed to watch over the newly dead and assist them as they make the transition from life. She is equated with the Vodoun lwa Maman Brijit, who, like Oya, guards graveyards.

Oya is the goddess of the Niger River, and Her violent rainstorms are said to be its source. Like Oshun, She is worshipped not only in Africa but in Brazil, where the Amazon is said to be Her river, and where She is equated with the Virgin Mary as Our Lady of La Candelaria. Oya, who is a goddess of a very fiery demeanor, also seems to have a far-flung connection with the Celtic Bride or Bridgit, both in Her Vodoun counterpart Maman Brijit, and in Her associated Catholic saint, Our Lady of La Candelaria, whose feast day, February 2nd, is shared with Bride.

Oya's attributes are the sword or machete and the flywhisk, and Her animal is the water buffalo, in whom She sometimes manifests. Her mother is said to be Yemaya, the Great Sea Mother. Oya Herself is said to be the mother of nine children--Egungun and four sets of twins.

Her number is nine, Her color is burgundy or purple, and Her metal is copper. Offerings to Oya include eggplants, coins, red wine, and cloth.

Alternate names: Oya-ajere "Carrier of the Container of Fire", Ayaba Nikua "Queen of Death", Iya Yansan "Mother of Nine", Ayi Lo Da "She Who Turns and Changes", Oia, Yansa, Yansan.

From: here

Oya is the orisha or storms and changes. She is a much feared orisha due to her powers as she can create a storm so powerful that she can destroy towns upon towns. The winds, tornadoes and lighting are at her every command. Oya also known as Xansa, Oya Yansa (Mother of Nine) was the wife of Ogun before Chango took her away from him. Oya is said to be a lovely tall amazonic woman who is dressed in a wine color dress with a belt that holds a grass skirt with 9 different color cloths. Oya is also the owner of the market place where she would go and sell her goods to maintain her children. Oya's main home or domain is the cemetery. Now a lot of people say or believe that she is the owner of the cemetery. That's all not true. Oya is the gatekeeper. She stands at the cemetery gates and she lets the dead into the cemetery where her sisters Obba and Yewa tends to the body.

Oya is a great warrior who loves to go to battle alongside her husband Chango. Stories say the Oya would put on a pair of pants and grow a beard just to fight like a man at war. Oya has a younger sister named Ayao who is the orisha that resides in the clouds in the sky. It is Ayao that gives her sister Oya the ability to take the spirits of the dead to go fight alongside her which makes up her powerful army.

Oya has brought down many men, many towns and many lands. But as a warrior she protects her children with a strong look and with her destruction she brings changes. Whenever there is a storm that brings destruction, change is needed to rebuild. Sometimes the land is expanded for new homes or new business. That's Oya. She has helped all the orishas in one time or another. As well she has feuded with the orishas at one time or another. Oya is the one that convinced Obba to cut her ear to feed to Chango. Oya is the one that brought down Osain’s gourd where he kept most of his secrets of the herbs.

She also had a feud with her sister Yemaya in which she does not eat ram anymore. At one time she did but due to that disagreement she doesn’t anymore. Let me clear something. Oya and Yemaya are not enemies. The only dilemma between them is the ram. It is said that one day Chango was eating with his mother Yemaya and Oya and with his court and Oya saw that he was giving all of his attention to his mother and Oya became very jealous. Oya saw that Chango gave his mother Yemaya first bite of the ram and since that day, Oya said she will never eat it again. One of Oya’s characteristics is the wind that causes hurricanes. Hurricanes come off the coast of Africa where her town is and logically, a hurricane needs the assistance and strength of the ocean to come on shore to bring change.

(snipped)

From: here

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Chango/Shango

In Yorùbá religion, Sàngó ( also spelled, Sango or Shango, often known as Xangô or Changó in Latin America and the Caribbean, and also known as Jakuta[1]) is perhaps the most popular Orisha; he is a Sky Father, god of thunder and lightning. Sango was a royal ancestor of the Yoruba as he was the third king of the Oyo Kingdom. In the Lukumí (Olokun mi = "my dear one") religion of the Caribbean, Shango is considered the center point of the religion as he represents the Oyo people of West Africa. All the major initiation ceremonies (as performed in Cuba, Puerto Rico and Venezuela for the last few hundred years) are based on the traditional Shango ceremony of Ancient Oyo. This ceremony survived the Middle Passage and is considered to be the most complete to have arrived on Western shores. This variation of the Yoruba initiation ceremony became the basis of all Orisha initiations in the West.

The energy given from this Deity of Thunder is also a major symbol of African resistance against an enslaving European culture. He rules the color red and white; his sacred number is 6; his symbol is the oshe (double-headed axe), which represents swift and balanced justice. His dominance is over male sexuality and human vitality, in general. He is owner of the Bata (3 double-headed drums), as well as the Arts of Music, Dance and Entertainment. Shango can be deduced, in some regards, to be the essence of "strategy" (logic and passion drawn and fashioned precisely to achieve some end).

Shango (or Jakuta)[2] was the third king of Oyo in Yorubaland, and deified after his death; he (along with 14 others) burst forth from the goddess Yemaja's body after her son, Orungan, attempted to rape her for the second time. Of course, there are several stories regarding the birth and parentage of Shango. He is a major character in the divination literature of the Lukumi religion. Stories about Shango's life exemplify some major themes regarding the nature of character and destiny. In one set of stories Shango is the son of Aganju and Obatala. As the story goes, Obatala, the king of the white cloth was travelling and had to cross a river. Aganju, the ferryman and god of fire, refused him passage. Obatala retreated and turned himself into a beautiful woman. He returned to the river and traded his/her body for passage. Shango was the result of this uneasy union. This tension between reason represented by Obatala and fire represented by Aganju would form the foundation of Shango's particular character and nature. In further patakis Shango goes in search of Aganju, his father, and the two of them play out a drama of conflict and resolution that culminates with Shango throwing himself into the fire to prove his lineage. All of the stories regarding Shango revolve around dramatic events such as this one. He has three wives; his favorite (because of her excellent cooking) is Oshun, a river goddess. His other wife, Oba, another river goddess, offered Shango her ear to eat. He scorned her and she became the Oba River, which merges with the Oshun River to form dangerous rapids. Lastly, Oya was Shango's third wife, and stole the secrets of his powerful magic.

The story of Sango from Yorubaland goes like this; Sango was an Alaafin, the king of Oyo. He learnt the secret of magic from the Ibariba, his mother's people. He came back to Oyo and amazed with his ability to make fire come out of his mouth. He thus ruled with fear of his magical powers. He had two war generals, Timi and Gbonka. Timi Agbale Olofa-ina could shoot arrows of fire. Gbonka was equally powerful. Alaafin Sango sensed that he was not safe with these two powerful generals and tried to set them against each other.He sent Gbonka to Ede, another town in Yorubaland, to capture Timi. Gbonka was immune to Timi's fire arrows, because he also mastered the secrets of fire, and put Timi to sleep by chanting incantations. He brought Timi back to Oyo. Sango insisted they fight again in the public square. Gbonka repeated his feat,was again victorious and cut Timi's head off. Gbonka then asked to be burned alive. He was burnt to ashes, and miraculously re-appeared the third day.Gbonka then gave Sango the ultimatum to leave town. Sango sadly left town and committed suicide on the Ayan tree in a place called Koso. His followers quickly rallied and declared that the king did not commit suicide "Oba ko so". They then attacked anybody who said otherwise with lightning. That is why anyone killed by lightning in Yorubaland is buried by Sango worshipers, called Baba-mogba. One of the praise names of Sango is Olukoso- the one who did not hang.

The story of Shango and Oba carries the familiar refrain, "all that glitters is not gold". As has been stated Shango had three wives, Oba, his first and legitimate wife, Oshun, his second wife, and Oya his concubine and the only one of his wives that he made his queen. At that time and in that place they would live in a compound. In that compound, Shango had his own house and each wife had her own house surrounding his. He would then visit his wives in their houses to eat and to sleep with them. Obahow she kept Shango so happy. Oshun, being asked this, was filled with resentment. As children of the first wife, Oba's children would inherit Shango's kingdom. Her children would not have nearly the same status, being born from his concubine. She decided to play a trick on Oba, out of jealousy. She told Oba that many years ago she had cut a small piece of her ear off and dried it. From this she made a powder she would sprinkle on Shango's food. As he ate it, she told Oba, Shango would desire the food and Oshun all the more. Oba, excited by this information, ran home to prepare Shango's amala, his favorite meal. Once it was done she decided that if a little piece of Oshun's ear produced such an effect her whole ear would drive Shango mad with desire for her and he would forget Oshun forever. She sliced off her ear and stirred it into Shango's food. When Shango came to eat he sat down and began eating without looking at his dish. When he finally glanced down he saw an ear floating in the stew. Shango, thinking Oba was trying to poison him, drove her from his house. Oba ran from the compound, crying, and fell to earth to become a river, where she is still worshipped today. As an Orisha she is the patron of matrimony and is said to destroy marriages that abuse either partner.

Veneration of Shango

The religious ritual of Shango was possibly designed in order to help the devotees of Shango gain self-control. Historically, Shango brought prosperity to the Oyo Empire during his reign. After deification, the initiation ceremony dictates that this same prosperity be bestowed upon followers, on a personal level. According to Yoruba and Vodou belief systems, Shango hurls bolts of lightning at the people chosen to be his followers, leaving behind imprints of stone axe blade on the Earth's crust. These blades can be seen easily after heavy rains. Veneration of Shango enables—according to Yoruba belief—a great deal of power and self-control.[citation needed]

Shango altars often contain an often-seen carved figure of a woman holding her bosom as a gift to the god with a single double-blade axe sticking up from her head. The axe symbolizes that this devotee is possessed by Shango. The woman's expression is calm and cool, expressing the qualities she has gained through her faith.

From: Wiki

Shango, Yoruba God of Thunder and Lightning

Shango was the forth king of the ancient Oyo Empire, the West African center of culture and politics for the Yoruba people. The Oyo Empire thrived from the fifteenth century until 1835. Today, there are about 30 million Yoruba people in West Africa, most in Nigeria.

Shango was a powerful king, but some of the people in the Oyo Empire thought he was unfair. When two of his ministers challenged him for the throne, Shango fled into the forest. He wandered in the forest for a long time and eventually hung himself from a tree.

After Shango died, his enemies' houses were set on fire, probably by Shango's friends. But some people believed Shango had gone up into the heavens and was sending fire down to Earth. That’s how Shango became known as the god of thunder and lightning.

As the god of thunder and lightning, Shango has some powerful energy. In artwork he is often depicted with a double ax on his head, the symbol of a thunderbolt, or he is depicted as a fierce ram. Shango’s thunderous energy became a symbol of the resistance of the Yoruba people during the 19th Century when many Yoruba people were taken from Africa to the Americas as slaves.

From: here

Chango (also spelled Shango, Sango, or Xango) is the Spirit of Thunder and Lightning and the wielder of the Double Bladed Axe in the Yoruba pantheon of Orishas or "Seven African Powers". He is said by some to have been the fourth king of the Yorubas.

Chango rules over all forms of fire, including fevers, and is a being of passion and power. He is celebrated for his virility and his risk-taking, for he is a womanizer and an inveterate gambler. Children of Chango are known for their high energy, inventive intelligence, and their pride, which, when they are opposed, can develop into arrogance; they may have strong tempers and are easily provoked to anger. The twin-bladed thunder-axe of Chango can both create and destroy.

Chango's colours are red and white, and his numbers are 4 and 6. Typically his necklace is made by alternating groups of 6 red beads and 6 white beads. The 4th day of each month is a good day to perform the works of Chango, as is any Friday. In addition to the axe, Chango is symbolized by other weapons, including the dagger, the mace, the sword, and the machete -- and he can be represented by a pair of ram's horns.

Offerings to Chango include bitter kola, palm oil, pomegranates, and pumpkins. His favourite foods are cornmeal and okra porridge, bananas, red apples, and red wine. His animals include roosters, rams, bulls, turkeys, and Guinea fowl. Herbs connected with Chango are sarsaparilla, cedar wood, laurel, plantain, rue, and rose of Jericho.

The name Chango Macho -- "Male Chango" -- may seem almost redundant when applied to such a manly being, but in the African Diaspora it helps to distinguish the masculine African Chango from his female Diasporic Catholic "cover," Saint Barbara. The synthesis of Chango with Barbara arose because Barbara is dressed in red and white, Chango's colours, and holds a sword, Chango's weapon. Furthermore, the men who killed Barbara with that sword were immediately struck dead by lightning, Chango's supernal attribute. Thus, in the New World, the Feast of Saint Barbara, December 4th, is celebrated as a festival of Chango-Barbara...

From: here

Chango
Traditional Colors: Red and white, gold also
Number: 4 (or 6)
Areas of Influence: Life, Virility, Justice, Protection, Magick, The Element of Fire, Lightning and Thunder, Drumming
Entities associated with: St. Barbara
Symbols: Double headed axe, thunderstones, drums, lightning bolts, necklace made of alternating red and white beads
Offerings: Alcohol, chili peppers, hot/spicy foods, tamales, corn bread, okra, tobacco
Feast Day: December 4th
Astrology: Leo, the planet Mars
Tarot: The King (or Knight in Thoth deck) of wands, the Prince of Wands
Chakra: 2nd Chakra
Gemstones: Fire opals, carnelian, gold, diamonds
Animals: Cats, both large and small, Cardinals, Golden Tamarin Monkeys, Red Siamese fighting fish, Turtles
Entities of Similar Energy: Mars, Thor and Other War Gods
Plants associated with: Hibiscus, marijuana, chili peppers; sassafras, china berry and red oak trees

From: here

CHANGO (Jakuta, Obakoso)
Saint: St. Barbara.
Day of the Week:
Saturday. Friday is also popular. Huge parties are held in Chango's honor on December 4th, St. Barbara's day according to the Catholic calendar.
Colors and Collars (Ilekes):
His colors are red and white. The collar is made up of six red beads followed by six white beads. Then, a red bead alternates with a white bead six times. The sequence is repeated until the desired length is obtained.
Sacrificial Animals:
Roosters. Complicated Ebos may require sheep, small bulls, pigs, goats, deer, rabbits, and oxen. A horse is required to remove a very strong curse or to change an oracle predicting death.
Sacrificial Foods:
Chango is a glutton. He loves huge portions of corn meal and okra. Apples are his favorite fruit, and he likes pitahaya (cactus fruit). All his food should be heavily loaded with corojo butter. Chango drinks red wine in large quantities. His water should come from a pond.
Herbs:
arabo rojo, cordoban, vacabuey, siguaraya Banyan tree, kapok tree, poplar, sorghum, clematis, hog plum, Cuban spurge, cashews, ironwood, mugwort, bran, climbing vines, bull's testicles, American spurge, leeks, pitahaya, plantains and bananas, red hamelias, Bermuda grass, royal palm, pine, lignum vitae, amansa guapo, pine nuts and apple trees among others.
Ornaments:
A sword, a knife, a machete, an ax, a dagger and a spear, almost always made out of cedar. Chango is also represented by the image of a warrior holding a large double edged hatchet in one hand and a sword in the other. Both images, the warrior and St. Barbara can be found on the same altar.

Apataki:

Obakoso, in Yoruba, means "the king that did not hang himself." This is the story of how Chango came by that name.

Chango has always been a womanizer. Back in the days when he was a king in Africa, he had two wives. He ruled his women hard and he ruled his kingdom hard, for his temper had not mellowed yet with age.

"You are always yelling and stomping in this house," said Wife Number One.

"That's right," said Wife Number Two, "You never have a kind word for anyone."

"All you care about is your stomach," said Wife Number One.

"And you don't care about us, " said Wife Number Two.

"You never buy us presents," said Wife Number One.

"You never take us anywhere," said Wife Number Two.

"You don't love us," wailed both wives in unison.

"I don't stomp around the house," shouted Chango, stomping around the house. "I was having a pleasant morning, thinking about how nice it would be to have a little wild duck and you two have ruined it."

"Do you hear that?" said Wife Number One to Wife Number Two. "I told you all he cared about was his stomach."

"That's it!" shouted Chango. "I'm getting on my horse and riding into the forest. At least no one will nag me there."

"How long are you going to be gone?" asked Wife Number One.

"I'll be back when I'm good and ready. Don't bother looking for me or coming after me," snarled Chango.

"As if we would," sniffed Wife Number Two.

Chango stormed off through the palace, slamming doors and kicking cats. No one paid him any attention, since this was his normal way of walking through the castle. All his subjects were used to Chango's tantrums.

No one waved as Chango rode off into the forest.

"He's in one of his moods," said the groom to a kitchen maid. "He'll be back in a little while." He rubbed the top of his head. "I hope he comes back in a better mood and does not hit me again."

A week passed and Chango had not come back.

"He's with a new woman," some said.

"He is on adventure," said others.

"He's drunk somewhere," said Wife Number One.

A month passed. Chango's wives would burst out crying without reason. His subjects missed the noise of the slamming doors and the screeching cats.

"Where can he be?" They asked.

"he's been gone way too long," said others.

"We have to go and look for him," said Wife Number Two. "I can't stand this any longer."

A well organized search party was sent out into the forest. It returned a week later.

"Well?" asked Wife Number One.

"Nothing," said the captain of the search party.

Rumors began to fly in the palace.

"Chango went into the forest and hung himself because he was ashamed of what a bad king he was," said some people.

"He tied a rope around his neck and jumped off the top of a large Banyan tree because his mistress abandoned him," said others.

The rumors and the search parties kept coming and going. Chango was not to be found. It had been six months since he had ridden off into the forest.

A new massive search was organized. Everyone in the palace, from the youngest child to the oldest woman, set out into the forest. They looked under every stone. They climbed every tree. Slowly, they made their way into the center of the forest.

Hundreds of voices cried out, "Chango! Where are you Chango?" And the echo came back, "Chango."

Women beat their breasts and smeared their bodies with ashes. "Where are you, Chango?" they shouted. "Tell us if you have hung yourself."

Deep in the deepest part of the forest, up on top of the tallest and oldest banyan tree, Chango woke up from a nap. He heard the hundreds of voices that had awakened him. "Chango, Chango. Where are you, Chango?"

Chango was furious. He hated noise and he specially hated it when it woke him up from a nap.

"What is that racket?" he shouted. "Who are all you people?"

Then, he saw that it was hundreds of his warriors and thousands of his subjects beating the bushes, scaring the animals and destroying the peace and quiet of the forest.

Chango's got angrier, as most people do when they are rudely awakened from a nap. He stood up on the topmost branch of the banyan tree and roared, "I am here! I did not hang myself and I will never hang myself."

The forest was silent. A thousand heads looked up to Chango, standing proudly on top of the banyan tree.

"Come down, Chango, come down!" shouted his subjects.

"Quiet," yelled Chango. He waited for all the murmuring and muttering and crying to die out. "I'm not coming down," he said. "If I come down, if I go back to the palace, my wives," he pointed a stiff and slightly dirty finger at them, " Who are now friends, crying over my loss, will start fighting with each other again. What's worse, they'll start fighting with me again."

"No, we won't," shouted Wife Number One.

"You get yourself right down here," said Wife Number Two.

"Come down, Chango. Come down." shouted all his subjects.

Chango sat on the branch and thought about what he should do. He thought and thought until all the shouting had died down again.

"Are you coming down now?" asked Wife Number One. "It's almost time for dinner," said Wife Number Two.

Chango came to a decision. He stood on the branch atop the banyan tree. He raised his arms and shouted, "My people!"

"Come down, Chango." they all cried.

"Quiet!" shouted Chango. I've come to the conclusion that it is just too much of a bother and a problem and a headache to try to govern all of you."

"Are you calling us a problem?" shrieked Wife Number One.

"Are you saying we're a headache?" screamed Wife Number Two.

"From now on," said Chango, as he dodged a couple of well aimed rocks thrown by his wives, "I will still rule you, but I will rule you from far away." Another rock whizzed by his head. "From very far away. I'm going to rule you from the sky."

Ignoring the shouts and tears of his subjects and the curses and stones from his wives, Chango grabbed a thick chain that led from the top of the banyan tree to the sky. He pulled himself up link by link. When he paused for breath and looked down, his subjects were tiny. He could not distinguish his wives. He looked up. The chain disappeared into the blue sky.

He climbed and he climbed and he climbed until he reached the sky. There, he stayed.

He is now an Orisha among the Orishas. Chango looks at the actions of his people down here on earth and is swift in his punishment of the unjust and of those that do not follow the religion or make the sacrifices.

He hurls down deadly thunderbolts on those people. He makes whole cities explode, or he blows them away in terrible tropical storms. His angry words make whole trees go up in flames and his annoyed snorts create wind storms that sweep all that displeases him away forever.

Notes:

Chango is the most popular and the most widely known Orisha in Santeria. He rules violent storms and thunder. He also reconciles these forces into peace and understanding. Like a tropical storm, Chango's attacks are sudden and devastating, but are soon over. During "golpe de Santos" (Santeria ceremonies), Chango descends among the participants and dances with his followers holding his feared two edged sword. When he possesses someone, the "caballo" dances round and round like a top. The possessed Santero will take food to all the other participants in the ceremony. Chango will then demand a sacrifice from those who have eaten.

Chango loves good music, dancing and drumming. He likes to have fun, but is a braggart who provokes violent situations. He loves women and encourages clandestine sexual adventures among his "children".

Chango has three wives, Oba, Oya (who used to be Ogun's wife), and Oshun. Yemaya is his adoptive mother. When Chango becomes aroused, it's necessary to beg his three wives and his adoptive mother to intervene.

The only Orishas respected by Chango are Elegua and Olodumare.

Chango's "children" are recognized at birth by the image of a cross on their tongues. These children cannot have their hair cut until they are twelve, or they will lose their power to see into the future. They are known as the Bamboche, the messengers of Chango.

From: here

Changó - santo of war and thunder

Changó is one of the most popular santos in Cuba. He is the very symbol of what a Cuban male would like to be. He is strong, dances wildly and passionately and knows the art of captivating women. Changó is furthermore fond of telling stories, though they will often surpass reality.

Natural elements
Changó owes part of his strength to the fact that he is the guardian of thunder and lightning. His power is often symbolised by a sword and an axe. The axe is also found in Nigeria, but the sword comes from the Catholic saint of Santa Barbara.

Personality traits
Changó is not only the santo of natural elements such as thunder and lightning, but also of human qualities such as strength and sensual appeal. He is also considered the divinity of dancing and music.

Catholic saint and day of celebration
It may seem strange that Changó is linked to a female Catholic saint, Santa Barbara, as he is the very manifestation of manly qualities. The explanation may lie in one of the old stories about Changó, in which he had to dress up as a woman to flee from an enemy that wanted to kill him. Both are celebrated on 4 December.

Dwelling place
It is said that Changó lives in the royal palm, which is also Cuba's national tree. In the devotee's home he lives in a wooden receptacle called batea, which is placed with the tureens on the altar.

Food/offerings
Changó's favourite dishes are cooked ocra, goat, cock and green bananas. In addition he enjoys a cigar and a little rum.

Personality traits of initiates of Changó
As their father Changó, his devotees are considered to be both strong and wild. Like him they are fond of dancing and flirting, and tend to exaggerate when telling stories.

Usual restrictions for initiates of Changó
If you are initiated to Changó, you should stay away from foods that are red, as these are things you can sacrifice to Changó when life is difficult. You are also often warned against big crowds where you might get yourself into trouble.

Colour
Changó's colour is red. The necklaces people wear when they seek his protection or wish to show they are a son or daughter of only this strong divinity, have alternating red and white beads.

From: here

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Ogún/Oggún

Oggún
He is one of the oldest orishas of the yoruba vault. God of minerals and tools. Pattern of the blacksmiths and blacksmith himself. He also dominates the secrets of the forest and knows how to use them in enchantments.

With his physical strength, personifies the warrior and the irascible and strong man. His children are the proper ones to sacrifice animals, because Oggún is the owner of kuanagdó (knife). He dresses himself as mariwó (skirt made of palm tree leaves) and with a ribbon around the head. He holds a machete which he uses to cut the thicket where he walks. His necklaces are green and black, and sometimes purple.

He lived with their parents (Obatalá and Yemú) and his brothers Ochosi and Elegguá. Oggún was crazily in love with his mother and tried to rape her several times, but Elegguá did everything to avoid it. At the end, Oggún fulfilled his purpose, but he was surprised by his father Obatalá, and before he could say anything, Oggún himself said: "I will curse myself. While the world is the world I will only work for the Ocha." Then, he left to the forest with the only company of his dogs, he hided from mankind and only his brother Ochosi, the hunter was able to see him.

Oggún worked without resting, producing irons, but he was very sad and in displeasure with himself and began using powders ofoché, so that tragedy could dominate the world. At that time, Ochún entered in the forest, she attracted him with her songs and made him try the honey of life.

Then Oggún lost his bitterness. He controls and dominates the mysteries of the forest, help surgeries and operations, owns the chains, walks around the forests, but it is difficult to take him out of them. He began a strong fight with Changó, in spite of being brothers they are enemies, because Changó stole his wife Oyá. Together with Elegguá, he lives at the back of the houses door, which he also takes cares for.

Tuesday is the day of the week to assist him, although in general all warriors are assisted together on Monday, the day to assist Elegguá.

Holder: Iron pan (foundry), where the tools that define him are placed.

Attributes: All working metal instruments and weapons.

Necklaces: Green and black alternately from seven to seven. They are red and purple in Matanzas.

Food: The same given to Elegguá, but sweets and candies.

Sacrificed animals: Goat, chickens, jutías, pigeons and guineas.

From: here

In Haitian Vodou and the traditional faith of the Yoruba, Ogun (or Ogoun, Ogun, Ogou, Ogum) is a loa and orisha who presides over fire, iron, hunting, politics and war. He is the patron of smiths, and is usually displayed with a number of attributes: a machete or sabre, rum and tobacco. He is one of the husbands of Erzulie in Voo Doo, and is a husband of Oshun and Oya and a friend to Eshu in Yoruba mythology.

Ogun is the traditional warrior and is seen as a powerful deity of metal work, similar to Ares and Hephaestus in Greek mythology and Visvakarma in classical Hinduism. He is also prominently represented as Saint George in the syncretic traditions of contemporary Brazil. As such, Ogun is mighty, powerful and triumphal, yet is also known to exhibit the rage and destructiveness of the warrior whose strength and violence must not turn against the community he serves. Perhaps linked to this theme is the new face he has taken on in Haiti which is not exactly related to his African roots, that of a powerful political leader.[1]

He gives strength through prophecy and magic. It is Ogun who is said to have planted the idea in the heads of, led and given power to the slaves for the Haitian Revolution of 1804. Therefore, he is often called in the contemporary period to help the people of Haiti to obtain a government that is more responsive to their needs.

Ogun comes to mount people in various aspects of his character, and the people who venerate him are quite familiar with each of them. Some of these aspects are:

* Ogun the wounded warrior. He assumes a Christ-figure pose which the people know well from their Christian associations.
* Ogun Feraille. He gives strength to the servitors by slapping them on the thighs or back.
* Ogun Badagris. He may lift a person up and carry him or her around to indicate his special attention and patronage.

In all of the varied aspects of Ogoun, however, there is the dominant theme of power and militancy which serves to exemplify his position as a spirit of war.

His possessions can sometimes be violent. Those mounted by him are known to wash their hands in flaming rum without suffering from it later. They dress up in green and black, wave a sabre or machete, chew a cigar and demand rum in an old phrase "Gren mwe fret" (my testicles are cold). Often, this rum is first poured on the ground, then lit and, finally, the fumes generated by this are then allowed to pervade the peristyle. The sword, or much more commonly the machete, is his weapon and he often does strange feats of poking himself with it, or even sticking the handle in the ground, then mounting the blade without piercing his skin.

In Yoruba mythology, Ogun is a primordial Orisha whose first appearance was as a hunter named Tobe Ode. He is said to be the first of the Orisha to descend to the realm of Ile Aiye or the earth to find suitable habitation for future human life. In commemoration of this, one of his praise names is Osin Imole or the "first of the primordial Orisha to come to Earth". Ogun was almost certainly first worshipped by the Yoruba people of West Africa. He is worshipped in places like Ekiti, Oyo and Ondo States. He is believed by his followers to have wo ile sun, which means to sink into the ground in the stead of dying, in a place named Ire-Ekiti. Through out his earthly life, he is thought to have fought for the people of Ire.

In Dahomey mythology, Gu is the god of war and patron deity of smiths and craftsmen. He was sent to earth to make it a nice place for people to live, and he has not yet finished this task.

In Voudou he is syncretized with St. Jacques Majeur (St. James the Greater) in his incarnation as Santiago Matamoros (St. James the Moorslayer).

In Santería and Palo Mayombe, he has been syncretized with Saint Peter.

In the religious tradition of the Afro-Brazilian Candomblé, Ogum (as this Yoruba divinity is known in the Portuguese language) is often identified with Saint George, for example in the state of Rio Grande do Sul. However Ogum may also be represented by Saint Sebastian, as it is often done in the northeast of the country, for example in the state of Bahia. Officially Saint Sebastian is the patron saint of the city of Rio de Janeiro, which is located in the state of the same name in Brazil. Matthias Röhrig Assunção also notes that St. Anthony is often identified with Ogun in Bahia.[2]

In all of his incarnations, Ogoun is a fiery and martial spirit. He can be aggressively masculine — much like the spirit Shango — but can also rule the head of a female or effeminate male initiate to whom he takes a liking. He is also linked with blood, and is for this reason often called upon to heal diseases of the blood.

In the cult of the Orishas he appears in other aspects, such as Ogun Akirun, Ogun Alagbede, Ogun Alara, Ogun Elemona, Ogun Ikole, Ogun Meji, Ogun Oloola, Ogun Onigbajamo, Ogun Onire, Ogun-un, Onile, the latter of which is a feminine incarnation.[3]

From: Wiki

Traditional Colors: Santeria: green & black; Voudou: red and white

Number: 7

Areas of Influence: All metals, war and battle, soldiers, blacksmithing, farming, civilization in general, transportation (automobiles and trains), healing

Entities associated with: St. Peter

Symbols: Machete, sword, farming implements, anvil and hammer

Offerings: Rum, whiskey (especially Jack Daniels?), beer, gunpowder, tobacco, meat, chili, peppers, hot/spicy foods

Feast Day: June 29th

Astrology: Saturn

Tarot: King of Disks (Knight of Disks in Thoth deck).

Chakra: Root

Gemstones: Hematite, iron pyrite, peridot

Animals: Solitary predators such as hawks, rattlesnakes and panthers. Some references say that he likes dogs and wolves.

Entities of Similar Energy: Vulcan, Hephaestos, Wayland

Entities of Similar Energy: The god Mercury, Kokopelli, Odin, Coyote, all tricksters

Plants associated with:Chili peppers, pricklypear cactus, sunflowers

Ogoun, first and foremost, is the spirit of metal. His other attributes are from the areas in which metal has played an important role like war, farming, healing and civilization in general. Ogoun is a strong, powerful masculine orisha who believes hard work is the answer to almost any problem. I always picture him as the half-naked blacksmith, muscular with no hair (burned off in the fire). He is a warrior and can be called upon during war-time (whether that be literal or spiritual) to go to battle. Because of the use of metal, Ogoun is very much a part of agriculture. He owns the plows to till the soil and the implements of the harvest. Ogoun is a put-your-nose-to-the-grind-stone kind of man. He is not flashy and he does not do what he does for glory or fame. He likes to work with his hands. As a blacksmith or welder, he is able to use fire and metal to create the necessary and the beautiful.

While his role in Santeria is primarily of a warrior, in Voudou, he is also a healer, because many of the implements of modern medicine are made of metal. He owns many of our modern machines, including automobiles and trains. Ogoun is a mechanic and can help you out with car trouble. He likes to hunt and fish and loves the forest. The forest is about the only place Ogoun can really find any peace. He gets along very well with Ellegua and Ochossi. As previously stated, Ogoun and Chango do not like each other. I try really hard not to feed them together for any reason. If you are doing a large ritual with many orishas, you can invite them both, just be sure to have their offerings in separate places or on separate tables. Ogoun loves his women. He has been involved with several of the female orisha, but none of those relationships ended well. Family is important to Ogoun. He loves his children and will fiercely protect them but he expects a lot from them. He hates laziness in all forms. He can have a terrible temper and can be a mean drunk. In mammals, the hemoglobin in our blood contains a piece of iron. This is actually what makes our blood red. In this way, each of us contains a small piece of Ogoun. Each of us has the ability to draw upon our inner Ogoun for strength.

Properly Showing Respect to Ogoun
Ogoun accepts offerings of alcohol, tobacco (especially a good cigar), meat (cooked only enough so that it is still pink), metal filings and gunpowder . Be sure to turn alcohol bottles on side when they are empty. Ogoun once hurt some drunken men because he thought they weren’t sharing their liquor but in fact the bottles were empty.

Where to find Ogoun
Railroad tracks, auto repair shops, machine shops or any other place metal is worked with, the forest, gun ranges, military forts (especially Army and Marines).

From: here

The orisha of the woods is Ogun. Ogun is a tall, strong man that wields a heavy machete from side to side chopping everything in his path. He is the one who knows how to manipulate the metal of iron. With his great big anvil deep in the forest he forges and changes the shape of metal into the everyday tools that we as humankind use. Ogun is a well know sorcerer and he knows secrets to all of the plants that the forest contains. With this, he can see where and what you are doing and before you know it, he is in front of you preparing to attack. He is also in charge of construction and the fundaments of building. He is the chief constructor. He is the overseer of labor workers. Without his leadership there is no foundation in anything we do. Ogun is also the technology we use to survive in life. He is the wires that lights up our streets and homes, the cars and buses we drive, the trains and planes we ride. Inseparable friend of Elegua and Ochosi who the trio makes up the “The Warriors” first set of orishas to receive in Santeria.

There is a pataki of Ogun that says that a long time ago he was working hard in the forest. He arrived back to his town and notice that the people of the town were actually not giving him the recognition that he deserved. Ogun worked all day at this and one day his longtime friend Elegua came to visit him. Elegua told Ogun that it seemed like no one really paid him any attention in the town and all they did was use him for his talents. Ogun noticing and listening carefully to Elegua, stood up and turned off the fire that he used to heat up his metals. He grabbed his machete and oti (liquor) and walked into the forest without saying a word. Elegua looked at his friend that just walked until he disappeared amongst the bushes.

Days upon days, the town grew weary and all life came to a stand still. Everyone noticed that Ogun’s house was empty and dark and there was no sign of anyone being there for days. Farmers needed new tools for their plows, soldiers needed new armory. Even the orishas who came to Ogun as well were in need of tuning their essentials. Oya needed her sable sharpened, Ochosi needed new arrow points, Orisha Oko needed a new plow for his crops. Everyone wondered where was Ogun.

The orishas called upon Olofi who came to the town and asked them why are they looking for Ogun. Everyone started to say what they needed, what they wanted and so on. Olofi then told them, did they ever stop to thank Ogun for his work. Did they ever pay homage to the great orisha who works day and night due to his own curse that he put on himself to work day and night. Everyone stayed quiet as the great Olofi was talking. Olofi said that Ogun has retreated deep into the forest and lets see who can get him to come back. Olofi said he was not going to interfere, that he was going to let the orishas and humankind delegate on how to get Ogun back to civilization.

Each orisha, one by one went deep into the forest in search for Ogun. Elegua went looking for his friend and found him sitting by a rock sharpening his machete. Ogun saw him and chased Elegua until Elegua came out of the forest gasping for air. Oya went to look for Ogun and when she found him, he grabbed her and threw across the woods with one swirl of his arm. Oya came back out staggering. Yemaya went, Ochosi went, Chango went, but none succeeded. All the orishas went but their was one orisha who was requesting to go. Oshun. Everyone laughed at her idea because she was the youngest and least knowledgeable of the woods and to face Ogun with the rage that he was in, it would be dangerous. Olofi gave her his blessings and Ochun grabbed 5 yellow cloths, her pouch and marched into the woods.

Oshun saw Ogun from far working on some tools and she started to use her tactics. She went to the river that was nearby and she got undressed. While all of this Oshun is singing and laughing to herself. Showing the lovely and admirable side of her. Ogun heard the singing and laughing and wondered where it was coming from. He glimpsed Oshun bathing naked in the river and was blinded by her beauty. Oshun came out of the river and caressed her body with her main implement, oni (honey). She rubbed it all over while laughing and singing. Without Ogun’s knowledge, Oshun went behind Ogun and smeared some of her honey on his lips. The great orisha was like a tame beast. He was dumbfounded and was in a trance. Oshun walked slowly while giving a seductive dance and dropped one of the yellow cloths on the ground. Ogun still in a trance slowly grabbed the cloth and followed the seductive orisha. Oshun kept her composure and glimpsed at Ogun from the corner of her eye and noticed that he was coming out of the trance, so she danced up to him and smeared more honey on his lips to reinforce the trance. Ogun was caught again and continued to follow Oshun picking up another cloth. Oshun continued to do this until she got near to the town. She dropped the 5th cloth and smeared more honey on Ogun’s lips and walked him straight into town where everyone was waiting in shock to see that this young orisha was able to bring the great forge man to town.

When Ogun reached the center of the town, everyone started to cheer in Ogun’s name. Everyone ran to Ogun and told him how they were sorry for not giving him his homage. All the townsmen brought out the best liquor and foods and they beat the drums in honor of Ogun. Olofi turned to everyone and stated that this was a lesson needed to be learned. When one does something nice for you, you should always be respectful and be humble to that person because you never know when you will need them again. Olofi blinked his eye at the lovely Oshun and retreated back to the heavens.

From that day on Ogun has always been recognized for his actions and he has always received the homage that he deserves.

Maferefun Ogun and Ochun!

Ogun feast day is June 29. His colors are green, red and purple. His main implement is the machete. His sacrifice are all animals but he loves goats, roosters, possum rat, pigeons and the guinea hen. He loves to drink, smoke cigars and dance. Ogun is also know to reside at the train tracks where some of his offerings are taken to besides the forest. Son of Obatala and Yembo, husband of Oshun and Oya his lost wife who was stolen by his brother Chango. The children of Ogun are hard working individuals and they do not rest until they are finish. They love to be in charge of the situation. They will cut and forge anything that they want. Just like Ogun, his children love to dance, drink and enjoy life. Ogun watches over his children very strongly and when he is in battle for one of his children he will not rest until he has won the battle. In Palo Mayombe Ogun is associated with the great warrior Zarabanda in which he was a great king. The same implements used by Ogun is used by Zarabanda. They say if you take out Ogun’s secret from his cauldron, he turns into Zarabanda in egun form.

There are different paths of Ogun

Ogun Alagwede

This Ogun is the oldest. He is the Ogun that knows the secret to forging the metal. This path of Ogun is a hard working and he does not rest until he gets the job done. When Alagwede comes down he mimics the act of forging the metal on top of his anvil.

Ogun Arere

This Ogun also knows the secret of the metal. He is a warrior and cuts through the tall grasses to conquer what needs to be conquered. Accompanied by Ochosi and Elegua to look for game to hunt. Arere loves to drink and battled Chango on certain occasions. He knows the woods profoundly and knows its secrets.

Ogun Chibiriki

This Ogun's rage makes him a great ferocious warrior. This path of Ogun is always in battle for his children and does not rest. Chibiriki has many machetes and knives under his belt that he uses to slice and dice at his enemies. He loves to see blood shed from his enemies. He loves to drink. Its said that when this path of Ogun comes to the land you have to be careful not to have any knives around for he will grab one and begin make cuts on himself to show that he is in battle.

Ogun Onile

He is one of the youngest paths of Ogun. This path loves to drink and dance in all occasions. Onile is able to run swiftly through the woods and attack his enemy without them even noticing he’s approaching. Onile is very fast with his machete. When Onile comes to the earth, he dances and mimics the action of cutting through the tall shrubs.

Ogun Ode

He is the path that walks with Ochosi to bring justice and hunt to mankind. Ogun Ode is always in hunt with Ochosi looking for game to hunt. He is very swift with his actions and he has a hard hand when it comes to justice. He is a sorcerer and knows the secret of the woods.

Ogun Oke

Owner of the forest. This path knows every inch of the forest. The beginning and the end alongside with every plant and animal that grows in it.

Ogun Meyi

This Ogun takes everything double. He walks around swaying machetes in both hands. He is a great warrior and is fond of battles. Everything you put to him should be in double forms. You just cant give him 1 machete you must give him 2.

Ogun Alada

This path is said to be the one that fights alongside Yemaya when she is at her warrior stage.

There is much more paths but it would be impossible to list them all.

From: here

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