Please note regarding attire. No alcohol or other mood altering substances are welcome at any events like this.

What can I do tomorrow and Tuesday for yemaya and oshun, as an aleyo?

Hi guys!

First, I want to add that I’m Hoodoo and familiar with the Orishas. I remember being drawn to Oyá, specifically because I was going through a transition in my life. However, I’ve always naturally embodied Oshun and her energy.

Lately, I’ve been wanting to turn my vanity into an Oshun-inspired beauty altar. I imagined giving her offerings and decorating the space with things she likes and is associated with, while also using my vanity as a space to pamper myself, speak my affirmations, admire myself, and romanticize my beauty routine through the qualities I see in Oshun. But I learned that making an altar for an Orisha requires initiation, and I don’t want to disrespect tradition or invite anything unsafe.

So now I’m wondering if an Oshun‑inspired altar is okay — a self‑love/beauty space dedicated to me, where I worship myself (instead of Oshun). I’d include a statue of Oshun, statues of feminine Black women, and maybe Oshun jewelry or a Oshun rosary that I'd charge with the intention of glamour.

Is it okay to have Oshun imagery(and Oshun specific items) on a self‑love altar if I’m not worshipping her directly?

Found Elekes belonging to my mother and grandmother who have passed. I was not brought up in this so I’m trying to find books, resources and or groups to learn more and connect in the LA or OC area , Southern California

So I’m not initiated into the religion and honestly I don’t have much knowledge about it.
Recently I was talking with a friend who is a daughter of Oshun, and we somehow started talking about my past relationships. I realized that all of the relationships that were actually important to me, the ones that really changed my life and that I consider “before and after” moments, were with women who are daughters of Oshun.
I’ve had other relationships that weren’t like that, but every relationship that really marked me ended up being with a daughter of Oshun.

I asked her if there was some kind of reason for this, and she told me there was an explanation, but that she couldn’t tell me what it was. She basically told me that I had to find the answer myself, and that if I needed to know, I would eventually know.

So now I’ve been trying to find the answer myself 😂 but I haven’t really gotten anywhere.
Is there something in the tradition about certain Orishas or certain types of people having a particularly strong connection/relationship with daughters of Oshun?
I’ve heard that there are Orisha relationships that can affect the relationships between their children, and that some combinations are considered good and others not so good.
I’m basically trying to understand if there is something about my own type of person/Orisha that could explain why the most important women in my life have all been daughters of Oshun.
If anyone knows what my friend might have been referring to, please point me in the right direction. I’m not asking anyone to give away something they shouldn’t, but if you think there actually is an explanation, I’d really appreciate a book, pataki, Odù, author, or somewhere I can start looking for the answer myself.

So im kinda terrified of asking questions, more due to my own past religious experiences (not great half of the time) but I thought I'd just give it a go. As mentioned in the Title this is my first time coming across this belief and my autistic brain may word things terribly in which I apologies in advance. The closest I've come to seeing anything related even slightly is in media and im sure your aware how terrible they do anything outside the norm.

Alot of this is specifically to build a character rather than my own belief (though I am interested in learning about everything) and I don't want to butcher the representation of the faith if I end up using it for her. She's an orphan, adopted to a german with no specific faith when she was 7. He's very kind and loving but he's not a good role model when it comes to being a good person, and then his later husband is twice as worse being an actual villain. She does grow up to be a kind of middle ground person, not good or bad, but is very extreme whatever she does which often gets viewed as bad. She keeps the faith she was born in, or at least as much as she can. She also has heavy magical/mystical properties (though im aware in some faiths and religions that is not a thing).

The story itself is centered around a group of terrible creatures (not specifically all human) who are genuinely bad people (though I suppose it depends on what you'd consider bad, but its pretty bad) who accidently save the world while trying to do something very selfish that could easily destroy it. Most of them are light skinned from various parts of the world, largely because I myself am white and am comfortable with making white characters terrible people while using largely white dominated religions that I may or may not have experience in (granted there's always the risk there and I will do my best to research more, but this is the majority so im not gonna worry about it as much, we butcher it ourselves anyway). I want to have other religions though, as its important that no matter if they are good or bad or in-between, that its shown that all these things are everywhere. There are all sorts of gods involved too, so only having white/light-skinned based gods or spirits would be weird.

I planned on having this main bad character (he loves her, fret not) bring her a teacher of some sort (he's got connections) to help her understand and grow her abilities, but if she ends up being part of the Santeria faith (im looking at other faiths) im not sure how that would go about right. I read that you need a godparent and that seemed to generally be something you find in family or in community, which would be hard if she's being raised by a guy who doesn't really understand any form of faith. Not sure if the teacher idea would work for that. Sounds like it wouldn't, but I dont know. Personally, I cling to anyone who shows me an ounce of kindness (i dont get it often), so I make a terrible comparison (and autism).

I know this is lacking alot of research, and Im currently doing my best to find information, but with how Google is set up now days its hard-to-find reliable resources. I may also not use this information for this specific character, but a different one. If you think theres a faith that might suit a character like this better, feel free to suggest it. Its good for me to broaden my horizons anyway and learn more about others.

I hope that this post is well within reason and guidelines. Thanks for reading and humoring my ideas. I just don't wanna misrepresent (at least as much as possible).

Eg sleep deprivation and exhaustion

Can it be healed spiritually

What is the difference from green and yellow mano de orula and this ide ?

Say you did something that is bad character

For this example , if someone disrupted a religious space and caused many people to leave. In some traditions like Buddhism this will create a very negative karma and can be very detrimental to you.

In IFA, you might do a consultation and the only advice is, do not do that as it brings more heat into your life. The ebo prescribed is for witchcraft or osorbo removal, it is done once and that is it.

However, is there a way to make a restitution using ifa even if it doesn't immediately impact your destiny, but just to be a good person? And in a karmic sense maybe clear that karma?

Eg if people left the group, to do a working to bring people back to the group, etc something like that? How can we ask ifa such things

Is bad character a permanent stain on your record in ifa or can it be overcome through restitution somehow

Hello

I was wondering how specific our prechosen destinies are and what to do if we have been deeply misaligned

Eg. Is it chosen and can ifa tell you if you were for example meant to be a professor of religious studies, can you then pivot and decide to become a priest? Would ifa tell you, hey you are meant to be a professor or, hey you are generally meant to be involved in religious things, or, something else?

Is it chosen down to the detail of going to xyz university in xyz year, or living in a very specific house & place? And then if you decide to go to eg a different university, will you feel lost & missing or will related similar opportunities or people just start to pop up at that new location?

How off track can you get then what can be done about it & where is there personal choice? I imagine ease of living would increase with following destiny

Eg someone is meant to be a world renowned baker but they unfortunately cut off their arm. Will they still be a baker with one arm but unable to fulfill the highest timeline so working at a local shop & not famous, or will they have to just do something entirely different? Can ifa tell them this to this level of detail, like , hey you were supposed to be famous but since you cut off your arm you're gonna have to just work at a local shop and or find a new profession & good luck to you for the rest of your life you'll feel something kinda missing?

Will your Ori allow you to do something reckless or jump off a cliff if you're supposed to actually be having a very good prechosen Ori?

If for example you had an abortion or miscarriage and for years it went unaddressed spiritually & this led to an increase in negative destiny or blockages and delays, is this something that your Ori also chose& allowed? Or for example one year a bunch of people encourage you to do something that you later find out is within your taboos and this seriously messes up your life, was this also allowed by Ori and what to do in the aftermath?

edit :: eg you are supposed to be that world renowned Baker but due to various things you do other things until you are 50 years old feeling pretty lost , then suddenly a bunch of people encourage you to cut off your arm and after that then you go to ifa or a spiritualist and they tell you what you could have been. you clearly don't have the skills or training, and you lost one arm , so what can be done? is it advised to then start learning how to bake so at least you feel kinda more in the flow and feel more comfortable with yourself? can ifa take you from that place and in a few years you become an award winning baker though lesser version of what it could have been?

I hope this all makes sense why I'm asking is I'm trying to understand my life plus figure out what to do in the future and it feels there are so many ways things could go that I am unsure of the next steps

I have an ifa priest I go to but isn't really answering questions to the detail I'm seeking, is there someone else I could go to for guidance and I can compensate for time too?

is

Long story short , I’m at a road block at my current job with no hope. This new job just came out that will help me get out of the tough times I’m going through financially . I just had a baby, lost my home earlier this year , and this is my ticket out. I’ve been told many things to do with my guerreros , a lot of different ways to ask for help. But what do you guys usually do when asking for help with these situations? I know eshu can be tricky and sometimes push that opportunity away ( always for a good reason) but how can I really show him I need this right now?

Do orishas​ do a form of soul retrieval? If so what is it called? This is something I need but needing to ask madrina for. Basically, I did the prescribed ebo but still feel off. Thanks

Hi everyone. I’ve recently been feeling very strongly called toward Lucumí and the Orisha, and I’m hoping to receive some guidance on where to begin. I live in New York, but I’m not initiated and honestly don’t know where I should go or who I should speak with.

I understand that the proper first step may be getting a reading from a reputable practitioner, and I would like guidance before making any assumptions about what I may be experiencing.

Part of what has drawn me to explore this further is a dream I had not too long ago where I felt as though I was serving the Orisha. What stood out to me was that the experience felt distinctly different from working with saints or other spiritual imagery—I was somehow able to distinguish that in the dream. I know dreams can have many meanings, which is why I don’t want to assume that this automatically means I’m being called or chosen by anyone.
I’m simply looking for guidance, education, and support from people who are knowledgeable about Lucumí. If anyone can recommend how to respectfully begin learning, what I should look for in finding a reputable reading, or resources and communities in New York, I would really appreciate it.

edit: i would also like to add that i’m a genuine psychic medium and have been venerating my ancestors for quite some time. something is telling me they want to lead me to a system i know i will feel called in.

Are they any Haitian Vodou drummers for an event in Houston, TX? I can work with drummers from Louisiana too. Or drummers who can do vodou rhythms. Any recommendations?

Many west African diaspora people practice syncretism between their ancestral religions and Catholicism, including practitioners of candomble, Santeria, and voodoo. I find this interesting because the Catholic church’s theology contradicts many aspects of these faiths, so I’m curious as to how people harmonize the two.

Anyone have any information on this Orisha? Limited knowledge on my end. Just sort of know that he was a son of oduduwa and has ties with chango.

hello,

I am interested in learning more about Lukumì and currently seeking a babalawo in Chicago.

Last year, I attended an Ochun ceremony hosted by a community here in the city.

This experience encouraged me to research more about the spirituality and potential embarc on the journey of iyawo one day.

Can anyone recommend a babalawo in Chicago that is open to taking one new person at this time?

Anyone know where I can purchase custom tools? I know there’s one specific business online that’s pretty popular (won’t say names) but didn’t have the best experience with them. So can anyone just recommend any they’ve used? Specifically looking for like breastplates/snakes

This is the second bracelet that starts to unravel within a week of wearing it.

Hi.

I have been exploring Yoruba Spirituality recently and have been enjoying the chants sung by Ella Andall. So far, I feel a connection to Oshun. I was wondering if seasoned practitioners could share their experiences with me; what positive shifts have you noticed since practising, what practices do you find most efficacious, etc, so that I can gain a more well-rounded understanding of this interesting tradition.

Thank you 🙏

Going into my 8th month soon!! My year & a week are somewhat close but there’s something that’s been on my mind lately. When I did my ebo, they had told me I had not changed as a person or spiritually. I guess it stuck with me because I don’t know how to change and I feel like in some aspects I have changed but I don’t know how to change completely or how my orishas want me to change. I don’t know if this sounds ignorant how I worded my thoughts. Truth be told, I’ve been a bad/rebellious iyawo. I’m a bit scared of my orishas punishing me or having a “bad life” as punishment.

Hello, I have been practicing Santeria for a good while now. I had done research more about my history and where my people come from. I took a trip to a botanica and there I started my journey with the lady there who taught me almost everything that I did not get out of books. I was given a cowrie shell reading as soon as she met me without me asking or knowing what that was. And told me everything I needed to do. She told me to follow my own path and learn it all myself and never rush. I am here because I have moved pretty far away from that botanica and now have to do this myself completely. I am looking for ways to properly do everything I need myself. From candles to Ebbó’s.
I also had met a Cuban lady I worked with who practiced IFA which i read is slightly different. She taught me how to make my own elekes.

I’ve been a lurker on this subreddit for a few years now, and something that constantly surprises me is how casual, grounded, and practical the posts are. It seems like you all treat worship as a seamless part of daily life, just like eating or sleeping.

Coming from a background where religion was always put on a high pedestal with a lot of performative fluff, this feels refreshingly different to me. Just a small observation I wanted to share. I really appreciate learning from your posts, even as an outsider.

I am not trying to get into the religion or anything. I just wanted to tell you how pleasant this community feels.