Lyrics via The Online Guide to Salvador da Bahia, Brazil: FAQs.

Back from the bembe…. it was for Sango. It wasn;t what I expected, very Cuban, but not like we do it in Trinidad.

For those who don’t know, all traditional Yoruba music is in a call and response format… there is a lead singer, who leads the singing, but the rest of the group answer.

For me, I found the chorale part a little difficult tonight. They didn’t sing the words clearly, so it was hard to pick up the songs. You know, in Trinidad, I went to many Orisha gatherings, and although I didn’t know the songs, while I was there, I’d be able to pick up the songs quickly, because the chorale sang together and in time. That was definitely not so tonight.

I danced… I danced for hours, but that I expected.

Ochun says you must think twice before making any decisions. You’re usually a laid-back, calm person, but right now you feel as if opportunities were just slipping through your fingers. This is the time when you must get your act together. Your guarding Orisha recommends you to arrange a bouquet of white flowers in the name of Obbatala and sprinkle plenty of cascarilla as talc. Just remember that cascarilla is nothing but a thin powder made of dried egg shells.

From: CaribbeanInside.com

Ochun says you’re really tense and thin-skinned these days; this is not doing you any good because it winds up getting your entire nervous system on edge and sending bad ripple effects all over your body, the way you act and your character. This Orisha recommends you to drink a stew made with five jasmine leaves before going to bed and make a cross with a couple of linden twigs that you’re going to put under the pillow.

From: Caribbean Inside . com

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This is so true… I think all of this stuff is getting to me… I am definitely seriously tense and this is probably why my stomach is acting up the way it is.

Ochun says you’re concerned about your finances because you can’t stand to be almost penniless. Your guarding Orisha suggests you not to worry because you’re right now protected by the king of all monarchs, Chango, and everything will be normal as usual once again. Your guarding Orisha suggests you to carry a piece of magnet and a one-cent coin smeared in honey in your pocket. That will keep your lucky star shining down on you all the time.

From Caribbean Inside: Horoscopes:

Ochun Four Week Predictions

Ochun says there are lots and lots of evil eyes and bad thoughts hovering around you these days. That’s worse than the most devilish witchcraft work. Your guarding Orisha suggests you to lie to people about the way you really feel or how you’re seeing things. You should also dress in red as often as you can and hug a palm tree or a ceiba if you happen to see it.

Source: CaribbeanInside.com | Horoscopes

A few nights ago I was talking to a friend, a new friend. It was wonderful, we talked for two hours about Orisa and how we came to it, our understanding of it, and I felt much better to express my faith in Oludumare and the Orisas, as well as my personal devotion and love for my Mother Osun.

I was telling him about the struggles I’ve been through, and the struggle of the moment to find work.

I told him about the way people around me see me shining, and although I didn’t believe it before, enough people around me have told me that I glow and shine, I have learnt to accept that this is something I do.

I mentioned to him that people see the shininess, and have no idea what I am going through. I shine even when I am heartbroken, freaking out, sad and confused.

He told me a pataki by way of that characteristic in an Omo Osun.

Osun and Orunmilla were married. One day Orunmilla got sick and Oludumare told Osun that the only way to save him was to dance, and to keep dancing until Orunmilla rose from the bed.

So Osun began to dance, and dance. At first, she was been lovely to watch, her movements balanced and beautiful. However, after hours and hours, she began to feel tired and Orunmilla hadn’t yet risen from the bed.

So Osun kept dancing. More and more hours slipped by, and exhaustion gave way to pain; pain in her back, pain in her feet and in her head. Yet, she couldn’t stop dancing, because she had to save her lover.

So she eventually began to cry because of the pain, but she didn’t stop dancing. She was sad and confused, tired and in pain, but she didn’t stop dancing. She danced with tears streaming down her face, and kept on until Orunmilla rose up from the bed.

They say all Omo Osun are like that. On the surface people see happiness, they see the dance, but they don’t know what pain it costs to maintain that, and for the most part they hide it well.

As my friend told me this story, I smiled wrily because I recognised myself in the story. I saw my own way of doing things in the story.

I had to laugh, they say the people who really understand Osun are her daughters. I’ll say my understanding of Osun grows as I begin to understand myself.

Items needed:

1. Orange rind
2. Dried orange leaves
3. Brown sugar
4. An iron pot

Place the ingredients in a pot and burn them.

Smother the fire and leave the smoldering mixture smoking heavily.

Offer the incense to Osun saying:

“oshun oguao mi inle osbun igua iya mio igua iko bo si iya mi

guasi iya mi omo y alorde ogno mi inle ashe oshun.”

Or, respectfully pray to Oshun in your own language for the money and economic prosperity that you need.

On Tuesday night I fixed a pumpkin for Osun. I made it with and for love. I followed the instructions pretty closely. The five egg yolks was very hard. I went through quite a few of them before I could get five whole yolks.

The pumpkin is a big beautiful light yellow one, it’s belly lusciously round.

Earlier in the day, I went and collected all the things I needed, and started working on it.

We were sitting on my bed, he was threatening to fuck me even though we were on pause where sex is concerned. Aunt Flow is in town.

(Sidenote:I don’t care how fucking appalling some people find talking about one’s period is and can be. Personally, I think we’re in denial regarding the human body, and therefore have issues at even the mere mention of something that is as normal as defecating and urinating. You never seem to hear a vehement protestation regarding the word ’shit’ or ‘pee’. Why is the female body such a threatening thing? And why are we still repressing all reference to the female body and it’s functions, other than in an obviously sexual way? Did you know there isn’t a medical term for the fluid women secrete during arousal?)

But I digress. Seriously.

Here is another version of the pumpkin for Osun offering, except this one is for love and marriage. Osun Pumpkin For Prosperity is very similar, with only slight variations. I posted this one for oyasdawta last week, and got to thinking about how similar they are.

I fouund versions of both those rituals in a number of online archives, and it had to be edited and reformatted. Here’s the offering below.

Take a pumpkin, cut off top, clean out the insides, it but leave some seeds in it. (Maybe five.)

Write your lovers name on a brown piece of  paper, place in the bottom of the pumpkin with five fish hooks.

Cover the paper and hooks with honey, then sprinkle with cinnamon. Then on top of that carefully place five egg yolks. Over that carefully cover it all with cooking oil. You want to try and keep the layers though some stuff will float.

Once you have filled the pumpkin with the oil (fill it to about 2 inches below the top of the pumpkin.  You now need to get 5 of those floating wicks (you know for floating candles.)

Light the wicks and  let burn for one hour, repeat the lighting and burning for one hour for five days (so make sure you have  enough oil in there.)

After five days go to a river with it (again this is directed to Oshun.)

Offer the pumpkin to Oshun with five cents.