Olokun by Tshikamba

Harmonia Rosales @honeiee

"A small portion of a larger painting. This is Olokun, the god of the primordial waters. Angered that Obatala created the lands without her consent, Olokun sought to reclaim her dominion with a great flood. To stop the floods Obatala chains her to the bottom of the ocean…this is the very moment before she is imprisoned within her own kingdom. She stands as a symbol of the chaos that bubbles beneath our calm surface, a profound reminder of the lesser-known parts of ourselves we often retreat from."

Aje is a specific Orisha in Yoruba religion and mythology, associated with wealth, prosperity, and economic fortune. Aje is often depicted as a beautiful and alluring woman, symbolizing the power of money and economic stability. Worshipers of Aje believe in her ability to bring financial success and good fortune to individuals and communities. Rituals and ceremonies dedicated to Aje involve offerings and prayers to seek her blessings for prosperity and abundance. The veneration of Aje reflects the importance of economic well-being in the Yoruba culture, and the Orisha is highly regarded in the spiritual traditions of the Yoruba people.

Remember even in the darkest times you are never alone

The spirits, your ancestors, and the Orishas themselves walk beside you

With them by your side nothing can block your path for long

Ashe

Enthroned Olokun, yoruba goddess of Sea, Benin

"Les chaînes d'Olokun", acrylic on paper, 21 x 29,7 cm.

You are the daughter of Olokun, my sister. You’ll remember the days of the sign of the cross before breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

— Julio Tizzani, A Scar Where Goodbyes Are Written: An Anthology of Venezuelan Poets in Chile, transl by David M. Brunson, (2023)

If black mermaids are just woke agenda, let me introduce you to Olokún.

Dreams Of Olokun | Mami Wata & Papi Wata | Decoding Dreams, Protection, Altars, Yemaya, & Earth

A unique Online Symposium focusing on witchcraft, spirit work, shapeshifting, sorcery, cunning ways, and enchantments from the aqueous realms.

November 10th, 11th, and 12th Online!

Watch live and receive the recordings! Which will be available for 6 months after the conference.

2023 Registration is OPEN!

Ibase #Olokun Oba Omi O. This is a piece I put together for myself for the owner of the ocean, keeper of mysteries and treasurses of the deep. This #trident is made of #sterlingsilver with #apatite , #sunstone , and a #cowerie #bezelset into it. The chain isnmade of Apatite and #crystalquartz . #statement piece #necklace #pendant #ocean #water https://www.instagram.com/p/ColWg8yt2ly/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

Lee Osun

Òrìṣà Olòkun is said to have been intersex, having neither or both genders. In spite of this, they did indeed have a child, a daughter…

Ruling the deepest and darkest depths of the oceans; all hidden wisdom and knowledge is known to them.

They alone can unearth treasures and wisdom that no mortal can naturally make contact with; the depths of the ocean will kill any man, and possibly many other Òrìṣà.

Olòkun is… mysterious. But he is what it means to be grounded, even amongst the most tumultuous of emotions and external forces.

LONG POST ALERT A body of work over a year in the making. Broken into 3 "Acts" with an "Epilogue" section located in the rear of the gallery, this collection of works is a visual metaphor for the journey of the Black American, from pre-colonial times to contemporary times to a futurist Afro-topia. This is not simply about Blacks in space (although it is that too). This is about using culture and history to imagine an unseen and prosperous future. Imagining how the future looks provides mental armor for the now. This show is about adaptation and change in the face of danger. Our imagination is what makes us human. Slavery made us aliens, but my antennae are coming in nicely. This show has taken a lot to think about and to make, and I hope you can come to experience it. I have a hard time believing I myself put this much work into an idea. Featuring @dji75mike Also, I'll be playing music that reflects the vibe of the journey. Yes, I'll be playing music. Thank you for joining me on this Black Pop journey, but now, it is time to pivot. Pivot with me, through time and space. @cecretbycegallery 516 Houston St. Nashville Opening reception: THIS SATURDAY AUGUST 6 6-9pm (Space Emoji) #afrofuturism #oshun #shango #olodumare #oya #yemeya #olokun #ogun #yoruba (at Houston Station) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cg0i7JwOFwR/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

Let’s start with Eshu-Elegbara, the orisha of the crossroads. Called Eleggua in Cuba, Papa Legba in Haiti, Exú in Brazil, and related to the signifyin(g) monkey tales in the United States, this trickster is the keeper of the gate between cosmic and human consciousness. He is the process of human sense-perception and cognition, as well as the logic that undergirds and makes understanding possible. Eshu interprets one’s destiny from Ifá to the babalawo during divination. In one legend, this trickster’s sexual appetite cursed him with a perpetually erect penis, a symbol of his eager intercourse between worlds and the penetration of realms that marks the crossroads as an erotic zone.

Despite this imagery, Eshu contains feminine paths. Ogundipe states that Eshu “is at once both male and female. Although his masculinity is depicted as visually and graphically overwhelming, his equally expressive femininity renders his enormous sexuality ambiguous, contrary, and genderless.” Eshu’s indeterminacy sits at the heart of Yoruba hermeneutics, an approach to truth that leaves meaning open-ended and unresolved. Eshu’s presence at the gates of consciousness is essentially queer. Birth order names further reveal how Yoruba logic exceeds simple binaries. While twins (Ibeji) are considered sacred, the Idowu (child born after twins) and the Alaba/Idogbe (second male or female child born after twins) continue the dynamic unfolding of ashe. And while orishas like Olokun and Inle are explicitly androgynous, homosexuality and gender-bending marble through the expressions of many prominent orishas, including Yemayá, the orisha of maternity and the sea, and Changó, the orisha of male virility. Cabrera noted in her fieldwork that the deeds of the orishas indicated homoerotic intimacy was “not such a terrible mark of shame.”

Cosmological Queerness Across the Yoruba Diaspora, James Padilioni jr.