Honoring Yemaya, Mother of Oceans, Mother of all Waters
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Yemayá, (also called Yemaya, Yemanjá, Lemanjá), is a Great Mother Goddess honored in Africa and throughout the Afro-diasporic world.
Her origins are in the Yoruba spiritual tradition of West Africa (present day Nigeria) where she is known as Yemoja- guardian of rivers, mothers, births, children, and the life giving waters of Earth.
Through the Atlantic diaspora, she traveled with the enslaved Africans to the Carribbean and Americas, taking on new forms depending on culture and region.
| Region | Name | Primary Association |
|---|---|---|
| Yoruba (Nigeria) | Yemoja | Rivers, motherhood, creation, feminine wisdom |
| Cuba (Santería / Lucumí) | Yemayá | Ocean, tides, protective mother, strength |
| Brazil (Candomblé, Umbanda) | Iemanjá / Yemanjá | Sea queen, beauty, beloved mother of all |
She is the Ocean itself: vast, strong, protective, compassionate, endless.
She is the Mother of all Souls, the one who washes grief clean and teaches emotional strength.
How Yemayá can be experienced spiritually:
By feeling the rhythm of waves, the salt of tears, the sound of the heartbeat in the womb, the nourishment of a mothers' breasts, and the pull of the tide that brings life to shore.
Her Sacred Symbols
Ocean and waves = Her body and voice
Seashells = Her messages
The Moon = Her tides and emotional cycles
Fish and dolphins = Her children
Silver and white = Her cleansing light
Blue and sea green = Her healing waters
Colors and Offerings
These offerings are open-practice, safe, and respectful across the diaspora:
| Offerings | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Cool water in a bowl | Purification and calling Her presence |
| White or light blue flowers | Beauty and gentleness |
| Sea-salt water bath | Emotional cleansing |
| Melon, coconut, or watermelon | Nourishment and sweetness |
| Light blue or white candles | Devotion and clarity |
| Seashells or ocean stones | Honoring Her home |
If you choose to leave offerings by the water:
Never leave plastic, metal, fabric, or anything that pollutes.
Use biodegradable items only.
This is reverence, not reenactment.
How to Honor Yemaya ( non-initiatory ways)
You do not need to be initiated to respectfully honor or speak to Her.
However, you should not call Her as a personal deity for worship unless you are within the Yoruba / Lucumí / Candomblé traditions.
Here are respectful, open ways to connect:
1. Spend time near natural water
Sit by the ocean, lake, or river.
Listen to the rhythm.
Let your breathing match the waves.
2. Cleansing Water Meditation
Place your hands in water (even a bowl).
Imagine Yemayá washing away heaviness, worry, sorrow.
Say simply:
“Mother of Waters, thank you.”
3. Reflect on Your Emotional Life
Yemayá teaches:
-
Boundaries like waves
-
Depth like oceans
-
Release like tides
Ask: Where do I need softness? Where do I need strength?
4. Live with Care and Compassion
Caring for others (and yourself) is one of Her highest forms of devotion.
🌊 A Simple Honoring Prayer
Yemayá, Mother of Seas, Keeper of Tides,
Wash my heart in your gentle waves.
Teach me strength that does not harden,
And softness that does not break.
May your waters carry me toward my becoming.
Aṣẹ.
(Aṣẹ = “So it is,” “let it be so,” a Yoruba word of sacred affirmation.)