Can you have more than one orisha?

An individual may over the course of a lifetime worship several Orisha. In fact, according to Bascom, most Yoruba worshiped a group of five or six deities acquired under different circumstances, and regardless of how one came to the worship of an Orisha, he or she was eligible to become a priest of that Orisha.

How many orisha can you have?

Number. Yoruba tradition often says that there are 400 + 1 orishas, which is associated with a sacred number. Other sources suggest that the number is "as many as you can think of, plus one more – an innumerable number". Different oral traditions refer to 400, 700, or 1,440 orishas.

What is initiation to orisha?

Initiation is a seven-day process rich with prayers, animal sacrifice and divination. During the ceremony, orishas are placed inside the initiate's head, which is why the heads of Thomas' initiates were shaved.

What is the difference between an orisha and a deity?

Definition. An orisha may be said to be a deity. Yet defining an orisha as a deity does not do justice to the concept, in large part because the term deity often suggests a sort of anthropomorphic supernatural entity.

How many orishas are there in IFA?

The exact number of orishas is not known, but it is said to be about 400. Some sources claim they are 700, 1440, or even uncountable. Either way, the Orisha are spirits sent out by the supreme god to help humanity succeed on earth and teach them all they need to know spiritually.

"Which Orisha Has My Head? Who am I the Child Of?"

What is the most powerful orisha?

Ṣàngó is viewed as the most powerful and feared of the orisha pantheon. He casts a "thunderstone" to earth, which creates thunder and lightning, to anyone who offends him. Worshippers in Yorubaland in Nigeria do not eat cowpea because they believe that the wrath of the god of iron would descend on them.

How do you become a child of Oshun?

She is one of the most popular and venerated orishas. If you see the number 5 a lot (my two most recent apartments were on the 5th floor), are attracted to the color yellow or gold and enjoy sweets, specifically honey, then you too may be a child of Oshun.

Is Oshun My orisha?

Oshun is commonly called the river orisha, or goddess, in the Yoruba religion and is typically associated with water, purity, fertility, love, and sensuality. She is considered one of the most powerful of all orishas, and, like other gods, she possesses human attributes such as vanity, jealousy, and spite.

How many female orishas are there?

Their participation in creation is given in another version, however, where the Orisha Obatala separates the land from the waters and Olodumare then sends down 17 Orishas to complete the work. 16 Orishas are male and the 17th, Oshun, is not only female but the youngest among them.

Who is the youngest orisha?

Ayagunna is the youngest path, or avatar, of the undergod Obatala in the Lukumi (Santería) pantheon. In this manifestation, Obatala is a youth who battles with a scimitar. He is credited with having spread gunpowder throughout the world.

How much does it cost to become a Santero?

A full-on initiation ceremony into Santeria, which grew out of the Yoruba religion brought to the Americas by African slaves, would cost a foreigner well over $1,000.

Why do Santeria shave their heads?

This is done to rid the initiate of malevolent or harmful spirits of the dead which might have attached themselves. The initiate's head usually receives most attention in this washing; often, their hair will be shaved off. This cleansing of the head is known as the rogación de cabeza.

Do Orishas believe in God?

There are five levels in the cosmology: Orisha worshipers believe in a creator who is called Olodumare or Olorun (God), the Orishas, human beings, human ancestors, and the lowest group, plants and animals.

Who is the orisha of death?

Ọya (Yorùbá: Ọya, also known as Oyá or Oiá; Yàńsàn-án or Yansã; and Iansá or Iansã in Latin America) is an orisha of winds, lightning, and violent storms, death and rebirth.

What is Oshun number?

associated with the number five. Oshun often carries a mirror so that she can admire her beauty. She loves honey, sunflowers, oranges, cinnamon, and pumpkin, and her favorite birds are peacocks and vultures.

Who is the oldest orisha?

Obatala is the oldest of all orishas (imole). His principal wife is Yemaya according to understanding in Caribbean.

What does it mean to be a daughter of Oshun?

She is considered one of the most powerful of all orishas, and, like other gods, she possesses human attributes such as vanity, jealousy, and spite.” Encyclopedia Britannica.

Who was the most powerful African god?

Finally, we have Olodumare, who is also the most powerful god according to Yoruba mythology. He is the “supreme God.” He is omnipotent and is the one who breathes life into the creations of Obatala. He is the creator also of the other gods and powers in the universe.

What does it mean when Oshun comes to you?

We can connect with the goddess Oshun to give love with ease, and to help us move on if our love is not being reciprocated. She reminds us that the only love we need is the love for ourselves. We can then act from a place of abundance, from which we can attract and sustain healthy relationships.

What is Yemaya?

Often depicted as a queenly mermaid, Yemaya is considered the Ocean Mother Goddess in Santería, an Afro-Caribbean religion practiced around the world. With anchored roots in the Yoruba religion, Yemaya was brought over to the New World by enslaved Africans as early as the 16th century.

Does Oshun have a daughter?

Oshun is a Nigerian Yoruba Orisha, a spirit or deity that reflects one of the manifestations of God in the Ifá and Yoruba religions. She is one of the most popular Orisha's and the only female irunmole (primordial) sent to set up the world by Olodumare.

Does Oshun have a child?

But not before Oshun had given birth to a son. This son became Elegba, the great conduit of ase in the Universe, the eternal and infernal trickster.

What color is Oshun?

Ceremonies and Ritual Colors

Osun is the orisha of the river. Her devotees leave her offerings and perform ceremonies at bodies of fresh water such as rivers, streams and canals. She is associated with the colors white, yellow, gold, and sometimes coral.