Seven African Powers by Monique Joiner Siedlak

Author:Monique Joiner Siedlak
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Oshun Publications, LLC

Eight

Oya

Goddess of Tornado

The Orisha of the connection between the living and the dead is Oya. A favored lover of Chango, Oya can control lightning, hail, tornadoes to fight her adversaries.

Oya is an Orisha who owns both storms and wind. She represents change and brings upon transition even if a human being did not ask for it. She brings change, storms, tornadoes, wind, lightning, death, witchcraft, athletics, and business. Oya is the most aggressive of all the female Orishas. She is known as a fierce warrior and staunch protector of women who appeal to her to resolve disputes in their favor. Oya often fights in wars alongside Chango, using lightning and two swords as weapons.

She can create winds ranging from the calm breeze to the strong hurricane. She goes onwards with her husband through his thunderstorms, tearing up trees, wrecking buildings, and blowing things down. Oya is recognized as a mighty and fierce warrior. A staunch protector of women who appeal to her to resolve disputes in their favor.

Chango chooses her to fight by his side because of her role in rescuing him from other Orishas. The story goes that Chango had a love for seducing other Orishas’ wives. One night at a party, the other Orishas captured Chango and locked him up in a prison cell, tossing the key away. Oya wondered where Chango was and had a vision of him being imprisoned. She sent forward lightning bolts that broke the jail cell bars and rushed in upon a storm to save him. She is a mighty warrior whose army consists of the spirits of the dead (Egun).

Oya is known to guard the gates of cemeteries, ensuring that both the boundaries of death and life are honored. She is a private Orisha who obscures her face by wearing a mask. She wears a long, colorful skirt, and when she dances, it is said to bring about tornadoes. Rainbows are said to belong to her and represent the colors found in her colorful skirt.

She loves grapes, white rice, and eggplant. Devotees shake the seed pod of a framboyan tree to summon her. The sounds emitted from the pod are said to echo the sound of thunder. It is not unusual to come across small offerings placed in busy marketplaces in honor of her. Oya resides over markets because they symbolize change.

Oya brings about purification. The wind is also representative of Oyo’s ways, blowing away the bad things in life that no longer serve us and blowing new stuff onto our path that will help us to grow.

Oya is the elder sister to the goddesses Oshun and Yemaya. She is believed to be the Crone characteristic of this Triple goddess trio. As a Crone Goddess, she is a teacher of reality and a source of justice. During the wind, rain, snow, and thunderstorms, take in Oya’s power by meditating. Think of Storm from the X-men.

With nine being her favorite number, she has nine children. The children of Oya are strong. They are

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