Oshun: Goddess Of Fertility, Healing, And The Sweet Waters

Oshun is the Yoruban orisha--a word that means deity, not quite goddess--of fertility, healing, and the sweet waters of the womb and the river. She brings balance, beauty, and healing to the world. In this meditation, we contemplate her and imagine ourselves in a river imbued with honey-golden light (her color), inviting healing and rebalancing for any experience of inflammation, infertility, frustration, anger, stuckness, or anything else that feels like it needs the soothing feminine touch of the powerful orisha Oshun.

Transcript

Welcome to this guided meditation where we will get to know Oshoon, The Yoruban orisha of femininity, Beauty, And the cool, Fresh waters of the river. I learned about Oshoon while doing some research about divine feminine energies from around the world. But I want to be clear that this is not my background and I am not initiated into any of the religions that worship Oshoon more officially. We will not be calling on Oshoon or working with her directly, But simply meditating with her beauty, Her story, And her wisdom. I encourage you to do some research too if you'd like to learn more about her from those that are closer to her traditions. Now take a moment to get settled. Get comfortable and close your eyes if you'd like. Take some time to consider the land that you're on and your relationship with this land. How you got here, Where your people are, If your ancestors have a history on this land. And then we'll consider Oshoon's lands, Mostly West Africa and throughout parts of the Americas where her people traveled. Contemplate these lands and waters and your relationship with them, Even if it's only in your imagination. Oshoon is an incredibly beautiful woman. She is curvy and abundant, Her hair ornately plaited. She is dressed in yellow, Her favorite color, And is adorned with yellow flowers. She is sweet as golden honey. She is the energy of beauty and fertility, And she has the power to cool and soothe too much heat or fire and has incredibly healing powers. She played an important part in creating the world, Creating human beings, Creating you. Once upon a time, The male Orishas tried to create the world alone without her help and failed miserably until they remembered her power, The ashe of feminine energy and that nothing can exist truly without it. Now, Let's imagine that we are standing by a river. It is a beautiful river with soft, Clear water meandering slowly. We place an offering of sweet honey and bright yellow flowers at the shore, Gifts for Oshoon, And offer thanks. We take a step into the river, Standing on soft, Wide rocks, Gentled from a millennia of shaping by river water. The water is cool, Caressing our tired feet, And it soothes our pain, Our fear, Our anger, And any inflammation in our bodies. The river is an emanation of Oshoon, This Orisha of fertility, Healing, And beauty. These are her sweet waters, And we can feel how they're also a part of us, A part of how we are alive, How we came to be. Take a deep breath and smell the cool, Sweet scent of the river, The healing powers of the water. As you do, The water begins to glow a gentle, Golden color, The color of healing and abundance. You begin to wade more deeply into the water, Feeling it beginning to touch and soothe any parts of your body that are aching, Angry, Or uncomfortable. You find the perfect place to immerse yourself in the water. Just to the depth that feels right for you, Surrounding your body with the healing beauty of Oshoon's sweet water. As you rest within her waters, You do not ask her for anything. You simply offer gratitude for what already is, For the beauty of this perfect place, For the sweet waters that are already within your own body, The life force that is within you that is a part of her. You humble yourself to all you don't know, All you can't control, And thank her for being exactly who she is, For giving you the life force that you share with every other human being, Plant, And animal on this planet. You feel yourself connected within the web of everything and rest in the sweet waters, Allowing them to soothe, Calm, And rebalance whatever parts of you might need that. When this feels complete for you, You make your way back out of the river to the mud on the banks and the gentle, Warming sun that dries your skin. You wrap yourself in a soft towel and sit by the river, Again, Offering Oshoon and the river your thanks and appreciation, Your awareness of her, Your witnessing of her beauty. If you like, Bring your hands together at your heart, On top of your heart, Or however feels most right for you, And bow deeply to the river and to Oshoon. Thank you for spending some time with me honoring Oshoon, A risha of beauty, Fertility, And healing. Your meditation is complete.