lukumi diaspora

YEMAYÁ AND ÒSHÚN'S TAKE ON BREASTFEEDING

Beautiful mothers, mothers-to-be and women who plan on someday having a child; I woke up today embraced by the loving energy of Goddesses Yemayá and Òshún asking me to share their plea in calling back women to breastfeed, and also asking women to become aware of the deep and negative spiritual ramifications that comes from being, uninformed about the power of breastfeeding. 

A child’s makeup such as its growth, psychological responses, and much more is not only taking place through DNA via the hormones that crosses the placenta. For if you didn’t know, breastmilk also contains hormones. Hormones that design the child’s character, love language, their brain’s functionality and countless of other characteristics. These profound influential hormones shapes a child both, inside the womb and while being breastfed. 

In today’s modern society, the use of baby bottles and baby formula is quite normal and little by little, women are being influenced by food industries and its’ propagandas to believe that it’s much better and more socially acceptable to use baby bottles and the vast array of baby formulas out there, than to breastfeed. Yemayá and Òshún though, reminds us of the broken bonds that occurs between mother and child when she opts not to nurse her baby. When a woman holds her child to her bosom, the resting place of emotions and intimate sensitive feelings, and breastfeeds her baby, her most passionate love is conveyed to her newborn. The dependent baby starts to learn what protection is long before it can even learn how to utter his or her first words. 

Today’s demanding lifestyles and professional obligations, brings a sense of spiritual death to the bond between the mother and her baby when forced to go back to work and having to get back to the survival rollercoaster ride of life. In many homes where marriage is still present, mothers find themselves separating from her newborn child as early as two months after birth. Let’s not even speak about how much harder it is for single mothers and those who fall under the low-income spectrum. That disconnect that occurs when a child is separated from its mother at such a fragile early stage, is detrimental to his/her spiritual, psychological, mental, and emotional frame. As a spiritual healer, to me, this is trauma. A level of trauma that can last a lifetime, and that subsequently, as other female daughters are born and they too grow and have children of their own, the broken cycle continues as life pressures and demands increases; …thus, giving way for the continuation of such trauma to go on for decades. 

Furthermore, Yemayá and Òshún also brings to our attention an equally important matter to be addressed by mothers who still do nurse their child; and that is, being aware of her own spiritual, emotional, physical, and mental state of mind as she breastfeeds. When breastfeeding your baby, it is imperative to keep in mind that this is not just the action of nourishing your child. It is also a spiritual and divine sustenance of love itself that is taking place. But what’s suppose to be the feeding of love, can turn into a deposit of negative emotions when doing so under duress, in a state of anger, depression, heightened levels of anxiety, low self-esteem and so on. It is even advised to be conscious of your environment when breastfeeding. This can mean, being alert to the kind of music you’re listening to, the level of stress you’re feeling, and the negative thoughts and emotions that are flowing through you when nursing your child. Whatever a nursing mother feeds into her mind, body and spirit, is being energetically deposited into her milk. Whatever you influence your milk with, will be fed to your baby. 

Remember, when you breastfeed your precious child, it’s done at the seat of your heart chakra or Anahata in its original Sanskrit name. This fourth energy center, sings lyrics of love, compassion, beauty and  balance. Let’s make sure, to the best of ones human abilities that, the energy being transmitted to the baby, is that of pure and clean love that helps promote emotional growth, an unbroken sense of protection, and the rhythmic harmony of divine power. In other words, my Spiritual Warriors, when you breastfeed your baby, I want you to let him or her know how much of a king and queen he/she is. Nurse your child with divine love, and most importantly, regardless of what the professionals might say, Yemayá and Oshún says, to breastfeed your baby for as long as you can or for as long as you and your child wishes to do so. The loving mothers Yemayá and Òshún wants to remind women how important this stage of a child’s life is and that no matter how much you can spoil them in years to come, it can never substitute the loving nurturing and unbreakable bond that needs to take place during those fragile years of a child’s early life. The divine Òrísha Mothers wants to bring to your awareness how status, money, power, fancy looking homes, your physical beauty, competition, your quest for recognition and other material things of life, will never make up for the traumatic experience of separating from your newborn too soon and can never take the place of the love language that needs to be experienced during breastfeeding.

With Divine Love, 

Spiritual Doctor AFI


The love and blessing are in the breasts.

The love and blessing are in the breasts.

LIBRA SEASON AND THE ÒRÍSHAS

Welcome to Libra season my beloved Spiritual Warriors. The time has come to balance your life as we now embrace the fall equinox. Hopefully, Virgo season furnished you with the necessary tools for you to now balance it all out. While Virgo cycle was the, getting down to business period, Libra now stands before you and asks: “now what are you going to do with all this information you acquired last season?”

This month of September celebrates on the 24th, the Òrísha Òbátalá, the God of white cloth, elected by the Creator to be the sculptor of human bodies, owner of our heads, and the truest representation of humility. This benevolent and androgynous West-African deity who possess both male and female characteristics, teaches us all there is to know about compassion.  Lukùmí elders always refer to Òbátalá as “paz, humildad, y paciencia” (peace, humility, and patience). Because Òbátalá, with the Creators’ permission and blessing, sculpted the human body and gave us our head, He is also the Great Judge. The seeker of truth and weigher of options. All in the name of justice. For this reason, it’s no surprise to me Òbátalá’s feast day falls on Libra’s side of the fence. 

Libra is all about balance and peace; areas over which Òbátalá governs. For the next four weeks, don’t be surprised if you find yourself needing, in search of, and/or requiring balance, from the places you attend, to the people you interact with. Òbátalá invites you to embrace the capacity to change, by first asking yourself the following questions: “Is this (person/place/thing), healthy for me?” “Does it make me want to become a better person?” “Is this (person/place/thing), loving to me? And if the answer to any of these questions is no, then first and foremost, Òbátalá reminds you to show compassion for yourself by making choices that demonstrates just that, compassion.

Being that Venus is the natural ruler of Libra, this is the time to allow yourself to experience self-love, harmony, and peace, while also focusing on partnerships, networking, and sociability. Your business is waiting for you to make new connections so that it may continue to grow (or start growing). So therefore, being rigid in your lack of flexibility and staying isolated is not going to be beneficial for you in Libra’s world. Libra is about creativity, self-love, and venturing out. This does not necessarily mean your life should be just about partying, for not all of us are party-animals, but, it is advised you give yourself the opportunity to have more fun. During this season, your level of communication will play a major role in how you grow. As my grandmother use to say, “boca cerrada no come”, (shut mouths don’t get fed). So metaphorically speaking, if you don’t get out there and connect with people, your business venture won’t get fed. Your heart won’t get fed. Your creative ideas won’t be nourished either. Being that Libra is a cardinal sign, which simply means, the presence of a turning point in temperate seasons, venturing out will bring about the changes your life needs. For some of you might be hard changes but nonetheless, necessary for growth. The crux of the matter is that your turning point will be brought upon by balance. Doing too much in just one area is not going to yield the advancement you desire and deserve.

During this Libra season, the God of white cloth Òbátalá proposes you revisit your ideas, thoughts, and recently-made decisions. In order to be fair, just, and bring about balance, don’t be surprised if you find yourself reconsidering what you had already signed off on. Just as the Justice card suggests (card associated with Libra), this is a time to do things a little differently than you used to. You must approach love relationships with honesty, respect, and transparency. In your professional life, if you are the kind of individual who tends to make rapid and impulsive decisions then this time around, you should take some time to reflect, reconsider, weigh your options, and then proceed. If your tendency is that of going around in circles and taking an unnecessary long time to decide on important matters, then perhaps this time around you should honor your gut feeling more often and go with your first decision. This is part of what balance is all about. Be ready to take responsibility for your actions, be fair, and act in alignment with your higher self. This means, it’s ok to make mistakes and/or to have made them in the past. The time to correct/address past mistakes has come and the time to reconsider current decisions has also arrived, so that you can avoid future blunders and mishaps to the best of your human abilities. This is compassion.

You can honor Òbátalá the remainder of this month by wearing and/or using the colors white and silver. Mountain tops and hills are the locations consider to be His home. Meditating/praying at these sites will keep you close to His energy, elevated, and uplifted. As for accessories and stones, He’s associated with quartz crystal, ivory, bone, howlite, and chalcedony. White doves are very symbolic of Òbátalá, as elders back in the day considers them to be the messenger of Òlófin (God). Wearing a silver dove pendant represents the energy of Òbátalá as well. Sundays, a great day for prayer/meditation ands attending to your spiritual altars, is Òbátalá’s day of the week.

My Spiritual Warriors, allow this Libra season and Òbátalá’s energy to shake off of you dead weight that keeps you off balance. Be flexible, allow for new beginnings, and breathe-in deeply the air of change.

With Divine Love,

Spiritual Doctor AFI

IF THIS BIRTHED YOU AND I, NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE.

IF THIS BIRTHED YOU AND I, NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE.

VIRGO SEASON AND THE ÒRÍSHAS

The Mother of Waters Yemayá fuels you with strength.

The Mother of Waters Yemayá fuels you with strength.

In the month of September, we celebrate three very important Òríshas; Yemayá, Òshún, and Òbátalá. Òríshas are considered to be the extensions of the Creator in the eyes of the Yoruba. One of the various practices of the Yoruba is venerating ancestors and the forces of nature. We honor those that came before us. As well as, the sacred earth and energy that holds our bones after we’ve transited to spirit. History has shown us that the vast majority of earth-based religions and their folk-wisdom, have been influenced by astronomy. From the study of the universe its positions, motions, and properties of celestial objects – we have the gift of astrology. Astrology explains how the positions, transits, and properties of the planets, affect people, energy and events. The magic starts in the heavens. Through the forces of nature - The Yoruba’s acknowledge, show honor and reverence to Òlódumare (The Creator/God). We can find the presence of the Òríshas in the strong and powerful elements of earth, wind, fire, and water. These natural elements also are in alignment with astrological zodiac signs and seasons. To venerate the Òríshas is to acknowledge the energies of the sacred earth, the cosmos and celestial bodies, for they are intricately intertwined.

On September 8th, we celebrate the great maternal energy of Yemayá/Yemojá, mother of waters and Goddess of the oceans. Yemaya is the Òrísha who is nurturing in nature, protective and considered to be the Mother of All.

The Òrísha Òshún, is observed on September 12th. She is the Yoruba Goddess of love, fertility and luxury. She governs rivers and fresh water. As the mother of abundance, she relishes in refinement. Òshún possesses characteristics of seducing and charming everything she desires with the sweetness of honey and charisma she possesses – and this makes her an exceptional witch.

During this Virgo season, I invite you to dive deep into the energy of the Goddess of love, Òshún. Reevaluate where your heart is and whether or not you’re receiving the love, care, attention, and value you deserve. This also means you will have to reexamine if you are giving the same to others and not being selfish. On the same level, this is not just exclusive to what you are receiving from someone else, as you must also review if you are giving the same to yourself. Òshún is very radical when it comes to love - and self-love is first the best love. When she’s made up her mind about something, there’s no convincing her otherwise. She urges us to make up our mind to treat ourselves kindly, with love, and respect. Òshún suggests you prioritize the people and places that will be healthy for all areas of your life. The river cleanses and renews us, feeds and nurtures us in practical ways. As the Goddess of the rivers, Òshún is steadily consistent and focused on moving forward. Just as the currents of her waters, she never go backwards. This means, there’s no room for making excuses and second-guessing yourself. Time to release and let go of whatever/whomever has been holding you back and blocking your blessings. If you are the only block, then Òshún invites you to get out of your own head. The time has come for you to think of yourself abundantly, so that you may manifest abundance. Terminate your poverty mentality, to really step into everything you are and can become. By merging with the energy of Òshún you can become organized, detailed oriented, and steady, as Òshún’s energy is.

You can honor Òshún’s energy this month by wearing and/or using her colors which are all tones of yellow, gold, amber, and coral. She loves scents such as sandalwood, vetiver, and orange. You can burn incense or use essential oils made of these scents. As for accessories and stones, she’s associated with fans, mirrors, amber, coral, and brass. The sunflower is her flower of choice and number 5 belongs to her. You may also put up yellow roses around the house and yellow scented candles. Honey is truly representative of the energy of Òshún as well. If possible in your city, you might want to visit a river to meditate/pray in its presence as that is where the Goddess of love Òshún’s energy resides.

For my ocean lovers and those with high nurturing tendencies, during this Virgo season, Yemayá invites you to nurture yourself. Yemayá is a very strong-willed Òrísha. She always knows what she wants, but just as the waves can change, her energy can be both serene and very violent at times. For this matter, Yemayá wants you to invite change into your life that steers you toward your ultimate purpose. This season can show you that not all things are black and white and that at times you should be flexible in order to step into the fullness of your destiny. Yemayá is a great Òrísha to go to for issues having to do with motherhood, family concerns, and healing. This season invites you to bring healing to past traumas in your life affecting the present. This will be a good time to release resentment and do away with negative patterns of thought. Yemayá is symbolic of expansion, therefore her energy wants you to not limit yourself to less when there’s so much more for you out there.

Honoring Yemayá can be done with all tones of the color blue. Whether you wear or invite this color into your home, Yemayá’s presence will be felt in a very nurturing way but will also give you the strength you need to make difficult decisions. Lighting a blue candle is a great way to make space for her energy in your life. Her number is 7 and some of the gemstones associated with Yemayá are pearls, mother of pearl, silver, blue topaz, and aquamarine.

Though the great Òrísha Òbátalá is also celebrated in September, this strong energy will be spoken about in the next newsletter since its feast day is September 24th, which belongs to Libra season.

My beloved Spiritual Warriors, allow this Virgo season to birth a new version of you by releasing old toxic energy, focusing on new tasks, carrying things out to its’ finish line, expanding your horizons, and elevating your vibration.

With Divine Love,

Spiritual Doctor AFI