Oshun by Afolabi

This is an essay on Oshun by the late priest of Yemaya, Afolabi. Oshun by Afolabi I come from a House of Osha that is full of Oshun’s children. Nowhere is Oshun’s beauty more evident in all her glory, both sweet and sour, than in the forms in which she appears through her children. I am…

Shokunin: An Active Attitude to your Skill and Craft

I really like the Japanese idea of Shokunin, where you practice your craft with diligence and precision, striving for you to work your best for the betterment of the person and the process. “The Japanese word shokunin is defined by both Japanese and Japanese-English dictionaries as ‘craftsman’ or ‘artisan,’ but such a literal description does…

Asojano’s Ja and Kacha

Asojano /Asowano / Asohano – Babalu Aye uses a straw broom to clean people and restore health. The ha (ha is a Fon word meaning broom) is made from palm fibers. Within the beaded handle part is an elaborate concoction that is wrapped in cloth, imbibing the straw broom with the power to heal. The…

Agogo Oduduwa Orisa Aiye

This is an agogo (sacred bell) used in the worship of Oduduwa. Oduduwa or Oddua is an orisha funfun (white orisha). He is the closest Lukumi deity we have to Olodumare. The difference between Oduduwa and Olofin in the Lukumi religion is that Oduduwa set foot on the earth, but Olofin did not. Odua’s agogo…

Oya’s Vainas

The vaina is Oya’s sacred musical instrument, used to call the presence of the deity of transformation to be present. It is the seed pod of the flamboyán tree (Delonix regia) which has beautiful flame-red flowers when in season. The pod acts like an ashere (rattle) unique to Oya. I really enjoy making these vainas…

Oshún Ibu Akuaro Idé

This is an idé made for an old friend who is about to crown his second Oshun. Oshun Ibu Akuaro, also called Aparo or Acuaro is Oshosi’s wife. She is a hunter and uses a net. She also takes the skins of birds, such as the quail and pheasant. There are several different ways of…

My Beading Manifesto

I have done a lot of beadwork for a lot of people, and it has been wonderful. I have a day job, so I try and bead for others in my spare time and can be a little slow when my bread-and-butter work gets hectic. I wrote the following a while ago when I had…

Book Vlog: Botánicas by Joseph Murphy

This is a wonderful book on the healing and spiritual stores called botánicas dotted across the US but especially concentrated in cities such as New York, Miami, Chicago, and Los Angeles. They are a mix of Afro-Atlantic and Latin American religions, traditions, and aesthetics. Joseph Murphy is an exceptional and insightful scholar on Afro-Atlantic religions…

Dada Omolowo Ori Omo Lube o

Dada and Abayani Dada is the deity of riches and protector of children and is therefore related to the development and care of the human embryo and especially the human head alongside Obatala. The Lukumi believe Dada is Shango’s junior sibling. Dada’s children are ordained to Shango. Dada is male, and his consecrated materials are…