Category Archives: spiritual information

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Yemeya

“A religion without a goddess is halfway to atheism.”
― Dion Fortune

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Yemeya

Goddess of the Sea. Mother of the Sea. Mother of Pearl. Mother of Dreams & Secrets. Empress of the Seven Oceans. Orisha of the Oceans. Womb of Creation. Constantly Coming Woman. Stella Maris (Star of the Sea). Mama Watta (Mother Water). Truly, THE Mother of All. Her name is spelled in many different ways depending on where one resides: Yemeya, Yemaya, Ymoja, Yemaja, Iemanja, Yemalla, Yemalia, Yemonja, Yemana, Balianna.

In Yoroba land, from where this Goddess originates, Yeye Omo Eja means The Mother Whose Children Are Fish. We begin as fish-like fetuses in the waters of our mothers’ wombs, we must traverse those early embryonic fluids and evolve to our human baby form. Both modern-day science and ancient cultures have an understanding that all life originated from the sea. And, one day, it is to these waters and the earth itself that we shall again return.

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In the oral tradition of the Yoruba tribe of West Africa, originally Yemeya was the river goddess of their largest tributary, Ogun River, which was well-known to bring fertility. She resided far away from any ocean. She was an Orisha, a powerful force of nature. Yemeya was married to Aganyu, both were mortal god-humans, children of other mortal god-humans, created by Olodumare, the God Almighty.

Together, Yemeya and Aganyu had a son named Orungun. When Orungun became a teenager, he rebelled against his Father by raping his Mother. When Orungun attempted to rape his Mother a second time, she escaped to the highest mountaintop, the Chappal Waddi also known as the Mountain of Death, where she evoked all manner of retribution and justice by cursing her son until he died. Soon after, Yemeya found herself pregnant for her son, thus it came to pass, on that majestic mountaintop, 7900 feet above sea level, that she gave birth to 14 powerful nature spirits called Orishas. As her uterine waters spilled forth, a Great Flood ensued, which in turn created our world’s seven oceans. In her deep and regretful sorrow, Yemeya decided to take her life. Much later her bones birthed the first mortal man and woman, hence, Yemoja is called the Mother of All.

When her people were brutally captured and hoarded onto the slave ships, Yemaya had no choice but to gather her Spirit and go on this frightful journey, to protect and to guide the lives of her tribe, granting as many as possible safe passage to the New World. Africans, from this area, having never experience the expansive salty waterways, and under severe distress, naturally elevated Yemeya to the Goddess of the Ocean. The African diaspora brought Yemeya to a new land where she was to be worshiped by West Africans, Afro-Caribbeans and Brazilians alike for many purposes… fisherman pray to her for fish and prosperity, travelers and sailors pray to her for safe passage and calm seas, mothers pray to her for protection and guidance, maidens & women with empty wombs pray to her for fertility, all manners of people pray to her for seductive prowess and wealth, inhabitants of the coastal terrains pray to her for benevolent waves and gentle storms, and, of course, in those early slave days, Africans and their offspring simply prayed to survive.

Dedicated to slaves thrown over during Middle Passage!

Dedicated to slaves thrown over during Middle Passage!

According to legend, Yemaya’s first gift to the Africans of the New World was a sea shell in which her voice could always be heard. To this day we honor Yemaya when we hold a shell to our ear in order to hear her voice, the ocean. Listen!

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I met Yemeya while living on the islands of Belize. She taught me how to float, how to surrender and definitely how to play in her waters. She reminded me to take time to replenish, to nurture and to nourish myself. She brought me coral, conch pearls and all manner of conch jewelry in which to beautify my body. She bewitched the fisherman on my behalf ensuring a constant supply of good seafood to my home and restaurant. She protected my young boys as they traversed the Caribbean Sea, learning to swim, to snorkel, to dive, to haul lobster, to spearfish and to play. She saved my life one stormy day on the sea while I was drowning by sending me her most treasured consort, Old Man of the Sea, Juni Zladivar. She entertained me with dolphins, turtles, manatees and many more sea creatures. She magically enlivened my life with her incandescent colors on the early morning seascapes. She healed my aches and pains with her salty waters. She comforted me when life seemed like it offered more than I could bear. She is my unwavering, most trustworthy friend. She continues to be my benefactor!

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Yemeya embodies all aspects of a balanced, healthy Mother archetype… Deeply caring, kind, compassionate, understanding, forgiving, protective, comforting, empowered, abundant, providing, resplendent, nurturing, creative, merciful, generous, forbidding, powerful and stern.

“Invoke Yemeya for blessings, compassion, wisdom, fertility, creation, riches, inspiration, mother hood, female power, natural wealth, love spells, white magic, sea spells, fertility rituals, water magic, women’s issues, childbirth, sustaining life, washing away sorrows, revealing mysteries, acquiring ancient wisdom, protecting the home, learning not to give your power away, and comforting children in crisis. Invoke her as Erzukie for beauty, good fortune, and good health. Invoke her as Yemoja to cure infertility, as Yemana for rain, as Emanjah for teaching children, as Yemaya Olokun for dream magic and protecting babies in the womb; and as Yemaya Atarmagwa for money spells. Invoke Yemaya as Agwe for affection and blessings.” (https://broomcloset.wordpress.com/2013/02/07/yemaya-african-ocean-goddess/)

Consider this when building an altar to her…

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Yemeya is worshiped by crescent or full moons and on February 2nd as well as the Eve of Summer Solstice. Her lucky number is seven, like the seven seas. Her favorite day of the week is Saturday. Don the colors of blue, white or silver. She loves the smell of raspberry and cinnamon. Her coveted Gems are lapis lazuli, quartz crystals, pearls, mother of pearl, coral, moonstone, aquamarine, and turquoise. Naturally, she loves fish and all the creatures of the sea including ducks, as well as doves, but especially peacocks as they have her favorite colors. Her most coveted food and flower objects are oranges, tropical flowers, watermelons, yams, grains, seaweeds and other plants growing in the sea. Bring additional offerings of melons, molasses, whole fried fish and/or pork rinds to gain her favor.

Yemaya has graced my presence to grant me her energies: a woman who has been uprooted, relocated and challenged to unbearable extremes. A mother who has created, birthed, loved, cared, and tended her child only to lose that cherished baby. An empress who has been adored, worshiped and exalted and then quite suddenly, deviled, denied and enslaved only then to rise again to her rightful and truthful position and station in life.

As I call upon the sacred energies of the Mt. Shasta glaciers, high up in the Northern California Cascade ranges, galaxies away from West Africa, I hear Yemaya… she shows me the drought conditions of the once abundant Sacramento headwaters, she turns my attention to the polluted, rapidly declining state of our Seven Seas, she holds me (and all of us Wo/Men) accountable for this imbalance.

The Goddess speaks…”Until the Mother is worshiped and returned to her rightful place as the eternal creative force of this Earth, your world will remain in turmoil and the balance of your eco-systems will continue to deteriorate. Until the Goddess is exalted and revered for the never-ending source of everything she provides, human existence itself stands threatened. It is time now to carefully listen as the Mother is calling!”

“Only women who are enabled to sense a female divinity within their own spirit can bring about the profound changes that need to be made if humanity is to last much longer as one of earth’s life forms. The survival of any species depends on the nurturing behavior of its females, not the aggressive behavior of its males. It seems clear that the best hope for humanity is to return to its pre-patriarchal ethic of male submission to the Goddess spirit, not in the hierarchical sense that men understand as power-over.” Barbara G. Walker from Restoring the Goddess

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Under The Ceiba: The Sacred World Tree of the Maya

The Ceiba Tree is the sacred World Tree of the Maya, as such, it has many representations. According to the mythology of the ancient Maya of Central America, where I live, the great Ceiba tree stood at the center of the earth, connecting our Earth world to the Spirit world in the heavens above. The Ceiba descends 9 levels into the underworld, which is not considered hell, but a cold, damp, dark place called Xibalbá. “The presence of the Ceiba in the underworld is a very ancient concept throughout the Maya world. In the sixteenth century, Diego de Landa, first bishop of Yucatan, recorded that the souls of the benevolent dead entered “a place where nothing would give pain, where there would be an abundance of food and delicious drinks, and a refreshing and shady tree they called Yaxché, the Ceiba beneath whose branches and shade they might rest and be in peace forever.” (http://maxwellinstitute.byu.edu) The underworld is in fact not a place of punishment, but a place where darkness may go to be transformed to light.

The bridge from the underworld to the heavens is middle Earth, our Earth. The Ceiba then reaches upward 13 levels to the heavens where Hunab Ku, their Supreme Deity, resides at the top. Every Maya village, both ancient and modern, is centered around a Ceiba as this tree offers protection, enlightenment, prosperity and eternal life. Even today, as forest are being cleared, it is not uncommon to see the workers leave in place their sacred Ceiba, such is its significance to their lives. Hunab Ku, is not only Supreme Creator, but its energy represents the very source from which all consciousness springs. The Ceiba tree and this Deity’s importance cannot be underestimated now in the closing days of the Mayan Calendar.

The Mayan Calendar, which is quickly counting down to 13-0-0-0-0-, will commence with an extraordinary astrological event of our Earth and Sun conjuncting with the intersection of the Milky Way and the Solar System’s ecliptic cycle forming a cross in the sky. This cross has been symbolized by the Maya as a Ceiba Tree and it marks the end of a cycle and the beginning of a new era. The Ceiba Tree, the Tree of Life, is where all life force begins and ends, and sitting in its center is Hunab Ku, often thought of as a God, but which is really a point: a point from which all consciousness originates. A place from which everything is either created or destroyed in very predictable cyclic patterns. Soon our Earth, the Sun and the center of the Milky Way, Hunab Ku, will line up into that Tree of Life design and we will be passing through that gateway, and as we pass through the portal, our consciousness is upgraded, evolved, created anew again. Also, what no longer works is destroyed.

Now, let’s look at this in light of the most recent Earth changes in Japan. An earthquake occurred, and a tsunami followed on its tail. These are two natural events that will occur from time to time on the earth. A lot of people speak about Haarp, quite honestly I do not put much thought into that, as this intensification on the Earth is part of the needed shifting and moving which will get us ready for that upcoming MilkyWay alignment. In fact, there’s much more natural movements to come. What is most unnatural is the nuclear situation that came on the heels of this event. That is catastrophically disastrous and with that said, I even believe this is a miracle. The Galactics have said so many times, they cannot come, they cannot land, they cannot fully disclose until we lay down our nuclear armament. Will Japan lead us to that reality? Will we actually learn our lessons? Germany had 60,000 people form a human line and shield in front of one of their nuclear plants in protest, proclaiming, NO More Use of Nuclear Energy!  Enough is Enough!” Honestly, enough is enough. Aren’t we tired beyond belief of defending ourselves against ourselves? Have we not yet understood that this defense may lead to our own extinction?

When my husband moved to the island of Caye Caulker in 1987, he planted a Ceiba Tree, understanding its significance in the region, his intention was to protect our property. This Ceiba, the only one on the island, grew and flourished! In the year 2000, Hurricane Keith swept through our island, causing much damage including taking down our beloved Ceiba. A devastating category 4 hurricane that left its mark on the people of Caye Caulker with 80% of everyone’s house roofs’ missing, coconuts and other island trees and foliage uprooted, electrical poles knocked over and water supplies contaminated: the Red Cross declared a state of an emergency and requested all women and children be evacuated from the island until a clean-up had been commenced in full. That meant my three children and myself, all under the age of 5, had to relocate to the States, leaving my husband behind in the wake of this terrible mess to clean-up with all the other men.

Eventually, weeks later, after a large-scale restoration and clean-up project on the island, the children and I made it back to our much longed for and sweet home . As we entered our garden path, no longer lush in foliage, the first thing I noticed was our Ceiba tree lying supine on the ground. My husband hurriedly pointed out to me that the Ceiba had actually sprouted roots while lying on the ground, showing that it was indeed not dead. He knew I would interprete a dead Ceiba as an ominous sign of needing to leave the island. He told me he planned to jack the tree back up into standing position.

Sure enough, a few days later, he and a crew of ten men, including a disgruntled neighbor, who bears no goodwill for my family, gathered together to upright the Ceiba. Needless to say, their attempts failed miserably and the neighbor, who had the bright idea, to cut the top out of the Ceiba in order to lessen its weight, was almost seriously injured that day by the tree nearly falling on him.

Weeks later, my husbands good friend came by with an idea on how to help the tree. Together the two of them went at it. Two good souls with pure energy for the land. Together they braced the tree back into upright position. Our gorgeous Grandfather Ceiba flourished again and it sprouted a looper which went onto to be Caye Caulker’s second Ceiba Tree.

Figuratively, literally, or symbolically, 7 billion of us now all stand underneath the shade of the majestic Ceiba Tree. Billions of zombie-like souls exisitng here are at a total loss as to who they are, where they are and what is going on around them. Countless more are heavily sleeping under the tree awaiting a sudden wake-up jolt. A handful of disconnected and disembodied reptiles, disguised as humans, are working hard at taking down this tree for the immense natural resources that lie beneath it. A large army of followers stand at their beck and call ready to dispense their orders. And a handful of chosen benevolent beings are honoring and holding the World Tree in all its light, love and glory. Our efforts have been enormous and our numbers grow rapidly each day as our actions ripple out awakening all the innocent sleepers.

Hold hands now with the next available awake person and let us sing a spiritual song of healing to the Galaxy, “Kumbaya, Hunab, Kumbaya. Kumbaya, Hunab, Kumbaya. Someone’s crying, Hunab, someone’s crying. Come by here, My Lord, Come by here!” Someone’s laughing, Hunab, someone’s laughing. Kumbaya, Hunab, Kumbaya”.

At breathtaking speed, we are racing towards that Galactic Alignment that will offer everyone a place on the Sacred Tree of Life. Say farewell to those going to the Underworld and rejoice in their moment to tranform their lives to the light. Say hello to those kindred souls on middle Earth who are here to heal the damages left over from extremely Dark Ages. And celebrate those incredible beings who will ascend to the heavens to live with the Masters as their work is complete: José Argüelles (January 24, 1939 – March 23, 2011), brought us Earth Day, the Harmonic Convergence, widespread knowldege of the Mayan Calendar especially the date Dec. 21, 2012 and is considered to be the reincarnation of Pacal Votan, Mayan Prophet whos tomb was most recently sealed in Palnque, Mexico. His parting words via his partner, “The message that he wanted me to convey to kin is that everything is now the responsibility of the people who have heard the message. There is much work to be done. He said to tell all kin: “EVERYTHING IS PERFECT!!! Love everyone. Hate no one. God bless everyone.” He will now be assisting the closing of the cycle from the other side of the veil. “Perfect was my time of coming. Perfect was my mission. Perfect was the time of my going. Perfect is the discovery of my prophecy .” Telektonon 11.67 I extend all of my love to everyone in this most heartbreaking (but miraculous) time.”

I stand at my Ceiba this day and I bow down, I am humbled but I stand unafraid as I joyously await our alignment!

Navajo