Goddess Of The Ocean

Yemaya Prayer

Oh Divine Yemaya, "bring health and strength to those worthy to receive it. We hope, dear Lady, that through your intercession we receive what we ask for in prayer. Although we know that, because of our faults, we do not deserve what we ask for, we beg you nevertheless to answer our prayers. Amen."

Yemaya is a magnificent aspect of the Divine Mother. She is primarily considered an African-Brazilian Goddess; yet she has followed her people to many far and distant ports. She has found a home on a variety of Caribbean Islands, including Cuba, Haiti, Trinidad, and in Central, South and North America, and she has certainly found a home in my heart, here in Huntington Beach, California! Yemaya was originally the Ogun River Goddess of the Yoruba in Nigeria. In Africa, known as Mama Watta, Mother of Water, she was considered the source of all water, the source of all life and was prayed to for fertility and for aid with childbirth. Yemaya traveled with her people on the slave ships, comforting them during their forced migration to the New World. Through this passage her role expanded to Mother Ocean, she evolved and adapted to support the needs and changes of her children.

 Today Yemaya is known by many names, Mother of Pearls, Mother Ocean, Stella Maris (Star of the Sea), Yeyé Omo Eja, which means Mother Whose Children Are the Fish, Mother of Dreams, Mother of Water, Mother of All, to name just a few. In Brazil, some of her followers consider Yemaya as a savior for having protected their ancestors during their voyage from Africa and honor her as their national goddess. In Haiti she is Agwe, Mother of the Sea, in Haitian Vodou, she is a Moon Goddess aligned with protecting mothers and children, in Trinidad she is a River Goddess and in New Orleans she is called La Balianne. 

Goddess Yemaya’s domain is water, rivers, and what is often considered the birthplace of all of life on earth - the oceans and the seas. She is specifically associated with the upper part of the ocean, which contains the most life. Her first gift was a shell so that her people would always be able to hear her voice. Her name Mother Whose Children are the Fish, denotes that her children are countless and further relates her infinite and all encompassing life giving aspect. Her symbols and associations include, the sea/ocean, rivers and all bodies of water, the six-pointed star, pearls, cowrie shells, mother of pearl, sea shells, silver, Mother Mary, mermaids, the full moon, the crescent moon, white flowers, the number 7, and the colors blue and white. Yemaya is typically depicted as a mermaid or as a beautiful woman emerging from the sea - often with pearls pouring from her palms. She is sometimes referenced as wearing seven skirts of blue and white.

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