RealPagan
Yemaya & Santeria
Ok, so if I forget to make up a title, remind me.
Anyway, hi there. Some of you might remember me from a while back, some of you might not.
My topic of question is one mostly to give myself a giant kick in the tush and get this started. I have been daydreaming of Yemaya for a long while now. I learned about her primarily through a class I took on dance, and we learned a dance and a chant to bless her. It was like... Sort of like a breakthrough for me. There was just something in the name itself that held power.
Yemaya, Yemaja, Yemoja.
When I was pregnant, she was especially dear to me, and I sort of always wondered about her. I feel like... I don't know, I feel like I can't get into connectivity with her, though. She feels very distant to me, almost like she's waiting for me to do something or waiting for me to have some sort of breakthrough.
I guess what I am looking for is some sort of first hand knowledge. Maybe books to read? Information of any kind that isn't dodgy, really. I have read a wide variety of things on her, but I am not really sure what to trust.
Yemaya asesu, Asesu Yemaya. Yemaya olodo, olodo Yemaya.
Any books or info on Santeria would also be appreciated, particularly anthropological or historical texts being particularly interesting to me. Of course, personal accounts or first hand experiences are also welcome. Plus, I feel like I may have asked this question before, but it says I've never posted here so I might have done it somewhere else.
Tags: santeria, yemaya, yemoja
Views: 530
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by MoonCrone on -
Greetings, Tabitha W
Interesting post.
I too feel a connection to my lady Yemaya.
I totally get what you mean about Her name holding power - whichever way it is spelled, (according to which path you walk and come into contact with Her from) because I sense it in the same way too.
She came to me not through childbirth, although I understand that it was like that for you because it is Her way, but through my draw to the sea. Well, I was well passed the age of having children by then! I spend long times at the beach and my favourite element is water and I have a close affinity to all sea life, so I guess it was pretty obvious She would arrive in my life sooner or later.
I don't have a figure or image of Her for my altar yet, but I do have representations of Her on there, including some white quartzy-imbedded type strand line find pebbles and shells sitting in a blue glass bowl, some coral, some dried seaweed, a big Cowrie shell, some Mermaids' purses (empty shark and ray eggs) sitting on a blue glass plate which is decorated with the images of starfish, and a white candle and a pale blue candle both in blue glass candlesticks, a domino tile with the numbers 5 and 2 on it, (She is associated with the number 7) a blue glass scallop shell shaped dish of blue pot pourri of the Sea Breezes variety, a blue glass vase of dainty blue and white silk flowers in a loose arrangement with some silver sprayed grasses, some little bronze fish motifs I found in an art shop, (I think they are intended for sewing onto garments like sequins) plus a string of beads that include white pearls, blue & gold lapis lazuli beads, and sparkling crystals.
I communicate with her by floating little tin foil trays with tea lights and a message for Her written in blue ink on white paper, and small offering (usually a white flower) in them on the river, or by putting a message in a bottle, the stopper sealed shut with wax, and throwing it into the sea.
I give money to the Royal National Lifeboat Institute in Her name, the charity that rescues sailors in peril on the sea, and when I visit the coast and see Stella Maris shrines on the harbour wall I always stop and pay my respects.
I have found her to be distant and gentle, unlike other Deity I have interacted with before, I have found Her guidance to be like dawn breaking rather than an obvious answer hitting you between the eyes, I like to meditate in the bath when I have issues to deal with and problems to solve, and I feel the way forward usually comes to me under Her influence in that way.
But I do get the sense that's only until I cross her if you know what I mean, so no "crimes" against the sea or babies and we should remain on perfectly good terms!!!
Anyways, I've waffled on long enough, if you want more chats, send me a message and I'll be happy to answer.
Good to find somebody here with a connection!
BB, MoonCrone xx
