Orisha Pantheon: Yemayá

Yemayá (pronounced Yeh-mah-YAH), also known as Yemoja in Yorubaland and Iemanjá in Brazil, is the Great Mother Orisha of the Ocean, the matron of motherhood, healing, and the waters that sustain all life. She embodies nurture, compassion, and emotional flow, and her presence is felt in the rhythm of the waves and the pull of the moon upon the tides.

She is both gentle and immense—a goddess of deep emotion and vast wisdom. Like the sea she governs, Yemayá can soothe or storm, but always with the intention of cleansing, protecting, and transforming. Her waters cradle both creation and renewal.

Mythology & Lore

In the Yoruba tradition of West Africa, Yemayá is one of the eldest and most revered Orishas—divine forces of nature that embody the energies of the universe. She is the mother of all Orishas, her waters forming the amniotic sea from which all life was born.

Yemayá’s name comes from Yeye omo eja—“Mother whose children are the fish”—symbolizing her countless offspring and her nurturing reach over all beings. She is the protector of women, mothers, sailors, and children, and is honored wherever ocean waters touch the earth.

In the diaspora, Yemayá traveled with the enslaved peoples of Africa, merging with local deities and evolving through Santería (Cuba), Candomblé (Brazil), and Vodou (Haiti). Despite her many names and faces, her essence remains constant: she is the eternal mother, the one who washes away pain, renews the heart, and guides her children home through the waves.

Some stories tell that she wept so deeply for her children that her tears formed the oceans themselves; others say she pours her love through rain, rivers, and tears—reminding us that water always finds its way.

Symbols & Colors

• Colors: Blue (ocean, depth, truth), silver (moonlight, intuition), white (purity, foam, peace), turquoise (healing, harmony)

• Symbols: Seashells, moon, ocean waves, fish, pearls, boats, cowrie shells, mother-of-pearl

• Animals: Fish, dolphins, whales, sea turtles, seabirds

• Plants/Herbs: Seaweed, water lily, white rose, coconut, myrrh, chamomile, aloe

• Sacred Associations: Ocean, moon, motherhood, fertility, cleansing, emotional healing, protection, intuition

Crystals & Stones

Crystals that align with Yemayá’s nurturing and purifying vibration:

• Aquamarine – emotional release, serenity, cleansing

• Moonstone – intuition, cycles, feminine power

• Larimar – ocean energy, peace, communication

• Pearl – maternal love, purity, self-worth

• Selenite – spiritual cleansing, divine connection

• Blue Lace Agate – soothing communication, calm expression

Rituals & Offerings

• Ocean Devotion: Visit the shore to honor Yemayá. Bring offerings of flowers (especially white roses), seashells, fruit, or coconut milk. Whisper prayers into the waves and let them carry your gratitude to her.

• New Moon Cleansing: Light a blue or white candle, pour water into a bowl, and ask Yemayá to wash away negativity and replenish your energy.

• Mother Blessings: Call upon her for support in motherhood, fertility, or emotional rebirth.

• Offerings: White roses, coconuts, melons, molasses, fish, perfume, silver jewelry, honey, rice, rum, and sea water.

• Acts of Devotion: Keep a clean bowl of water on your altar as a reflection of her ocean, changed weekly to maintain clarity and flow.

Metaphysical Work with Yemayá

• Emotional Healing: Yemayá’s waters cleanse grief, soothe pain, and help release buried emotions.

• Protection: She shields her children from harm, especially those traveling or crossing emotional depths.

• Fertility & Birth: As mother of all life, she blesses conception, childbirth, and creative endeavors.

• Nurturing & Compassion: Yemayá restores peace and reminds us of unconditional love.

• Cleansing & Renewal: Her energy clears spiritual stagnation and encourages forgiveness and new beginnings.

• Intuition & Dreams: Her connection to the moon enhances psychic awareness and dream work.

Invocation Example

"Yemayá, Mother of Tides,
Flow through my heart and cleanse my soul.
Bless me with peace as vast as your sea,
And cradle me in your boundless love."

Modern Worship & Practice

Yemayá is honored worldwide—from the shores of Nigeria to the beaches of Brazil and the Caribbean. Modern practitioners celebrate her feast days (notably February 2nd and September 7th) by offering flowers to the sea, wearing her colors, and holding ceremonies of music and dance.

• Altars: Decorate with blue and white fabrics, shells, pearls, sea glass, and water bowls.

• Mantra/Chant: “Odò Yemayá, mo juba!” — “I give respect to the Mother of the Waters.”

• Ritual Timing: Her energy is strongest during the new and full moons, near the ocean, or when working with emotional healing.

Yemayá teaches that all emotion, even sorrow, is sacred—water that must flow to keep the soul alive. To walk with her is to embrace empathy, depth, and renewal.