The Orishas (Gods of Santeria)- The 7 African Powers - Siete potencias:
 santeria: Ochun or Caridad del Cobre |
In Cuban Santería, Oshun (sometimes spelled Ochún or Ochun) is an Orisha of love, maternity and marriage. She has been syncretized with Our Lady of Charity (La Virgen de la Caridad del Cobre), Cuba's patroness. She is tempermental, so you need to know how to approach her! She is associated with the color yellow, metals gold and copper, peacock feathers, mirrors, and anything of beauty, her favorable day of the week is Saturday and the number she is associated with is 5.
In one story, she had to become a prostitute to feed her children and the other Orishas removed her children from her home. Oshun went insane from grief and wore the same white dress every day; it eventually turned yellow. Aje'-Shaluga, another Orisha, fell in love with her while she was washing her dress. He gave her money and gems which he collected from the bottom of the river he lived in. They were married and she was reunited with her children. Oshun has had many husbands. Different myths attribute husbands to her, including Erinle, Oshosi, Orisha Oko, and Aje'-Shaluga. She is also the sexual partner of Shango, and Ogun. Her children include the Ibeji twins, Idowu, and Logun Ede. |
video de Ochun |
Ochun is the goddess of love, of money and indeed of happiness. She brings to us all the good things of life. She is the goddess of sweet water and can be found where there is fresh water, at rivers, ponds and especially waterfalls. Many offerings are sometimes left for her at the waterfalls. Many ceremonies are done at the river bank. Remember that the future Iyawo must go to the river for a special cleansing by Ochun the night before they are "crowned" in Ocha. Ochun loves to dance and make merry, but she also has a serious side. She is a great diviner and usually her children are very well endowed with psychic abilities, especially when using the sacred seashells or "caracoles" in divination which are the mouths of the Orishas. She is very sensual, but also very sensitive. Sometimes she can be easily offended. Most everyone tries to stay on her good side, since her blessings make life worth living.
 Ochun |
In Haiti, Ochun is known as Erzile. She has the same caracteristics as Ochun, but her colors are slightly different. Ochun's color is yellow and gold, due to the association with money. Ochun is associated with Our Lady of the Caridad del Cobre. Cobre means copper in spanish, and the first money slaves saw in Cuba when they arrived was made of copper. So they identified Ochun with Our Lady of the Caridad del Cobre. Whatever you call the african goddess of love and money, she is the same energy. Her help is often sought when there are problems in a marriage, or when a woman wishes to get married. Her function as an Orisha is very important. Our Lady of the Caridad del Cobre is the patron Saint of Cuba and the people love her dearly. |
 Caridad del Cobre or Oshun |
video: festival of Oshun. "Awo Osun, a New York society of Oshun worshipers, gathers by the Hudson River every summer to honor the deity and pay respects to ancestors. The Harbor Series is a series of short videos about the ritual and cultural uses of the New York waterfront and was inspired by the Village Voice article: Holy Waters, by Erik Baard Fort Washington Park, Manhattan, 2003 runtime: 00:04:50" by Taylor Street |
The Orishas are not seen as gods, they are the servants of God, who is called in our tradition - Olodumare. We call God Olodumare, but at the same time do not see anything wrong with calling God Allah, or Jehovah or Vishnu. Our Orishas are there to help you in your daily life, with your problems of health, with work problems, with problems dealing with your enemies. Just as the Orishas are the servants of Olodumare, so are we, as priests and priestesses, the servants of the Orisha and of Olodumare. Lakshmi is the Hindu goddess of wealth and beauty. We had to include her in our discussion of encarnations of Ochun. She is the wife of Vishnu and accompanies him on every encarnation into the world. She rides with him on the great Garuda eagle. Her daughter is Kama, the goddess of love. She, like Ochun, is the giver of all the good things of life. Many Hindus give sacrifices, offerings and mantras to her to insure her blessings.
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