The Orisha Oshun Speaks!
The goddess Oshun has been flowing through my meditation and dreamwork this week! The story of this Orisha feels important to share!
Oshun is regarded principally as a goddess of love as well as the Orisha of the sweet waters and protective deity of the River Oshun in Nigeria.
Oshun is the youngest goddess. She is found in the sweet waters of the world, such as streams and is also the goddess of fertility.
An important part of her story is Olodumare, the Creator God to the Nigerian who’s sits far up in the heavens.
There was a time when the Orishas decided they were tired of obeying Olodumare. He sat so far away. What did he know about running the Universe? After all, they had control over all things on earth. They thought he was no longer needed.
It is told that Olodumare grew angry and he knew the other Orisha were rebelling. For this, he decided to withhold the rains. Without the life giving rain, the earth dried up, the rivers, lakes, and streams ran dry. No crops grew; animals were dying. Humans, too. The people cried out to the Orisha, “Save us! What have we done to anger you?”
The Orisha heard their cries. They knew that it was they, not the humans that had angered Oloddumare. They asked forgiveness and pleaded with him to bring the rain. But Olodumare was too far away and did not hear.
Oshun asked if she could try. The other Orisha laughed at her. “How can someone so small and young do what her elders could not? Just go back to sitting there, looking pretty.” Oshun persisted. Finally, out of sheer desperation, the other Orisha agreed that she could try. They did not expect her to succeed.
Oshun turned herself in a beautiful peacock. She flew off towards the heaven. It was so far away, that her feathers begin to fall off. As she reached the sun, her colorful feathers were scorched and all the delicate feathers burned off her head. Yet she was determined to reach Olodumare and she flew on.
When Oshun thought she could not fly another mile, she reached the home of the Creator god, Olodumare.
She collapsed in his arms and he saw that the beautiful peacock had been transformed into a vulture. Olodumare took Oshun and nursed her back to health.
“Your bravery and determination has softened my heart. I will bring the rains,” said Olodumare. And he did. “From now on, you, dear vulture, will be the Messenger of the house of Olodumare and I will communicate only through you.”
Oshun, as a vulture, returned to earth to honor and praise. Her gifts of determination and inner strength had saved the world.
This story reminds us that we ALL have a very important purpose while we are here in this earth realm and NO ONE can take that from us!
Even when we feel small and insignificant in the grand scheme of things and even when the sheer weight of the world seems far to much to bare, we have to remain strong and believe that no matter what part we play, we are invaluable within even the tiniest ripples of life!
Although our feathers may become scorched and the beauty that we wish for sometimes does not come to be as we had imagined it, our strength and determination makes us a force to be reckoned with. We are a light that shines and will be seen by those who know our worth!
Now is the time to nurture your own heart so that you can stay strong.
Now is the time to hold space and observe rather than react.
This does not mean inaction, it simply means to contemplate and move forward in a more mindful way, and with complete clarity. while honoring yourself in the process!
The beautiful Orisha Oshun reminds us to be like the sweet waters. Flow and move as you are meant to. Be a drop, a ripple or a tsunami… be a vapor or light mist as your experiences call for but ALWAYS be YOU and the force of light and life that you were placed here for!
Luminously yours,
Sheri