Maferefun Yalorde!

Today is the feast day of Ochun, lady of the sweet waters, of love and honey and joy.

Artist: Hubert Escobar

Ochun is considered the youngest of the Orishas, and though she represents the beauty and sweetness of life, she is a source of profound strength and power. One of my favorite patakines (sacred stories) about Ochun tells about a time where there was a great drought on earth and everyone was suffering. Other Orishas had tried to reach Olodumare (God) to tell him what was going on, but were unsuccessful. Finally, Ochun climbed on the back of a peacock (one of her sacred symbols) and flew up through the sky, past the scorching sun, and to the realm of Olodumare. On the way, the heat of the sun had burned the feathers of the peacock, such that it no longer had the lovely, colorful plumage. This is said to be the first vulture. Ochun herself was also badly burnt, her beauty marred by fire. Olodumare realized that she had sacrificed her vanity for the well-being of the world, and he healed her, though her beauty was not restored. This highlights how Ochun's beauty is not solely physical - her strength, love, and beauty shine on the inside. Olodumare heard her plea, and allowed the rains to fall again on earth. Since then Ochun has been known as a messenger of God.

Ochun is dear to me. Aside from Elegua and my guardian Orisha, Obatalá, she was one of the first saints to step forward in my life as a guide, support, teacher, and wellspring of deep love and joy. On this day, her feast day, as we openly honor and praise her, I feel her abundant felicity in my heart, a special kind of lightness that I clearly sense is her sacred essence coursing through me. 

My son, Gabriel, is Ochun's son. While all of my children are loving and expressive in their own ways, Gabriel is by far the most demonstrative, both physically and verbally. He's a total romantic. He often says, "You know what?? I love you and I like you!" Every single morning when Lourdes wakes up and stumbles out into the living room, Gabriel lights up and greets her with an affectionate, "Good morning, sweety!!!" He hugs, he snuggles, he loves to be loved, and he adores sneaking into the bathroom to douse himself in my perfume, or his dad's cologne (another attribute of Ochun, ha!). It warms my heart in ways that cannot be expressed adequately in words. This morning he woke up and said, "I'm so happy today!" When he saw his father he said, "Dad, it's Ochun's day!" He picked out a freshly made cookie to offer her, and he helped me light some candles in our window. 

Maferefun Ochun, Yalorde, Yeye...todos los días.