Oh my Gods! Deity spotlight: Oshun
In Beyonce's music video titled ‘Hold up,’ she delivers a stunning representation of her exploration of the emotional stage of being in denial and morose upon discovering a partner’s infidelity. The music video itself is a wonderful performance however to some of her fans who are familiar with ATR paths they will instantly take notice of the subtle, albeit visually clear representations of two of the most popular female Orisha that she cosplays; those being Yemaya and Oshun. So far in this ATR series I’ve talked about Ogun, Elegua, and Chango- but haven’t written anything about the female orisha yet despite them being just as if not more popular than some of the male deities in many contemporary practices. So today we’ll specifically explore Oshun and look into her origins, stories, and how she may be able to help us through the winding rivers of life.
Just a disclaimer before we go into this article, I myself (the writer) am not an initiate of any ATR religions (Santeria, Palo myombe, Ifa, etc.) and so therefore I am simply using the information that is present online and in public books written about the practice. These religions are extremely diverse and to summarize how thousands of active practitioners view their deities/ beliefs is a severe understatement in the complexity that is these religions. My intention is not to expose the mysteries of these religions but rather to educate active seekers who are interested in the hopes that they receive the proper indoctrination of these given paths.
Her story & Origins
Much like with some of the other Orishas her exact origins are pretty murky, with there being no exact consensus on her direct origins. But it should be noted that in some ATR paths it is said that she originated as a woman living during the Oyo Empire- specifically it is believed she was the Queen of this time period and was married to the then King Chango. At some point the Queen died and she gained a cult following, eventually leading her to become deified and perhaps even being syncretized with a pre-existing river/queen goddess (although this last point is purely of my own speculation).
The name Oshun, or sometimes spelled Ochun is the Santeria variant of the Yoruba name for the goddess Osun. According to Yorùbá Lessons with Adéróké the central verb in the name Osun is ‘sun’ (pronounced shoon) which means to burn or roast, however when pronounced in a high tone as ‘sún’ (SHOO-n) it can broadly mean to ‘shift’ and ‘move’ or to ‘gush’ and ‘flow’ something depending on the context of the sentence. The ‘O’ in her name serves as a noun marker and denotes Osún as “the one who/ the thing that oozes,” but more specifically “the one who oozes/flows water.” So greatly is this Orisha linked with water its even said that the very Osún river is named after her.
Another defining feature about Oshun is her great beauty which is often the subject of her many stories. In a predominant myth it recounts how Oshun loved to dance in the deep wilderness where she would soon garner a following as many of the local men came to watch her. Many would ask for her hand in marriage but were rejected by the goddess as she ran away from them. Eventually this large crowd of suitors began to be so numerous and destructive around her home that her mother Yemaya came out and insulted the men for wanting such a beautiful girl as their wife yet they don’t even know her own name. So Yemaya devised a clever contest and told the men that if they did want to marry her they’ll have to know her name, but the problem was that no one in the entire community knew it. One of the men named Orunmila was the orisha of divination, and tried to discover her name via sorcery but to no avail. So he contacted his buddy Elegua to take on the challenge and the divine trickster did just that. At first he disguised himself as a young boy to play near the window of her room in hopes of hearing something but nothing was said. Next he disguised himself as an old man and slept under her porch for sometime until he got tired and decided to leave- however as soon as he was ready to take off the divine messenger heard a loud crash in the house followed by the voice of her angry mother. He soon learnt that Oshun was trying a new dance move and during the session she had accidentally knocked over her mother’s cooking pot, to which Yemaya said the million dollar answer “OSHUN! What on earth are you doing!” He quickly took off and told Orunmila of his discovery (but not before telling him of the absolute hell he went through) and so Orunmila swiftly went to Yemaya and told her the answer. Since then he and Oshun became happily married and continue to be such to this very day.
Divine attributes & roles
Although she is mainly sought after for her appealing representation as the “African Venus/Aphrodite,” goddess of love archetype which isn’t exactly false- but it severely misrepresents her as strictly being just that. But this is further from the truth as Oshun also takes on more extreme and powerful aspects of the element of water in her many paths. So to summarize upon being initiated and going through a series of spiritual alignment, the practitioner will be assigned to a specific manifestation/ aspect of a deity that has chosen them to connect and elevate themselves with. If it is Oshun who chooses you she will offer various paths to learn of her mysteries, these are some examples but do not show the entirety of what might be available:
Ibú Kolé: Identified with the vulture; this is a murky aspect of the beautiful Oshun where she has fallen down on her luck and lives on muddy streams. She is a ferocious witch who feeds on what the vultures bring her.
Ibú Akuaro: Linked with the quail; in this path she heals the sick, performs hard labor, and is fond of charitable works. This is one of her most amiable aspects, where nonetheless, she is a bit of a spendthrift and loves to dance. In this path she destroys evil spells and banishes wicked spirits known as the abikú, who kills small children.
Ibú Alolodi: This variant is strongly tied with waterfalls and sits at the bottom of rivers. There her company normally consists of fish, a half moon, and a star. Ibú Alolodi disdains the dance and is very serious yet deaf, this is why devotees to her must ring a copper bell (known as an agogó) to capture her attention.
Ibú Yumu: Similar to the previous aspect in being old and deaf, this version of Oshun is seen as a warrior and is linked with gold coins. She lives where the river meets the sea and spends her time knitting fishnets at the bottom of the river bed. She is the richest of all her aspects and only leaves her home to wage war with Ogun or when she needs to dig graves in cemeteries.
Ibú Añá: Identified with swamps and marshy waters, this version is said to be a powerful witch and is the owner of the Batáa drums.
Before we wrap up this article with her associations I would like to dedicate this next section to her strong connection with the color yellow as it is the biggest distinguishing quality about her whenever we hear the name Oshun. In one story it is said that Oshun was once a poor girl who only wore a white dress that she constantly wanted clean. So mighty was need that she kept washing the dress in her river which over time had stained the article of clothing into a vibrant yellow color. This is the reason why she only wears yellow clothes but in another sacred story it's said that because of Oshun’s diligence in following Olodumare’s orders he made the color her emblem. Now besides the color the metal gold is also strongly linked with her because of its similar hue however traditionally her sacred metals were and still are brass and copper.
Colors: Besides yellow her other sacred colors are white and coral.
Numbers: 5 and 6
Beasts: Peacocks, guinea-hens, hens, sheep, pigeons, turtles, ducks, quails, vultures, crocodiles, and canaries.
Plants & herbs: Cinnamon, lettuce, oranges, pumpkins, boneset, boneset, yellow dock, burdock, damiana, anise, raspberry, yarrow, chamomile, lotus, myrrh, echinacea
Symbols: A brass fan, anything made of copper or brass, hand fans, fertility artifacts, combs, mirrors, coral reefs, rivers, peacock feathers, cowrie shells, eggs, rivers, ponds, lakes, swamps, springs, wells, and marshy places.
Day of the week: Saturday
Offerings: Sweet wine & champagne, ochinchín (an omelet made of tiny shrimps, finely diced onions, and watercress), honey (one must taste it before offering it to her), jewelry, dancing, yellow rice, almonds, shell fish, sweet potatoes, oranges, melons, pumpkins, supporting resources towards women and pregnancy (like becoming a doula), visiting the river, practicing self-love and pleasure, and sharing acts of kindness and diplomacy.
Oshun has to be one of my favorite Orishas that I have written about so far and she is simply so appealing to all people of all ages. I hope this article brought you closer to the goddess herself and may you folks have a good rest of your day. Ashé!
Some sources I for have those interested in their journey about learning Oshun and the other Orishas are left below:
Power of the Orishas- Santeria & the worship of saints by Migene Gonzalez Wippler
Orishas, goddesses, and voodoo queens by Lilith Dorsey
The handbook of Yoruba religious concepts by Baba Ifa Karade
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