Oya, Yansa

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Oya’s Symbols:

Oya has a few symbols associated with her.  Among them are the lightning bolt with crossed arrows, the vector or hurricane symbol, nine violet feathers carried by a spiraling wind, nine veils each of a different color, a necklace or skirt with nine colors, and a spiral wind chime made of nine ornamental spearheads.

Oya’s Colors:

Oya’s colors vary from place to place, but the main one is purple or dark burghundy or maroon.  She is also symbolized by the nine colors, purple, blue, green, yellow, orange, red, black, white, and brown.  Depending on her function at a given time, she may wear purple and orange to work a storm, dark red to motivate a group of warriors or sportsmen to work as a team, all colors to make a tornado, etc.

Offerings to Oya:

Traditions vary, but for our ile Baalat Teva in Israel, Oya loves eggplants, beets, red wines, and purple grapes.  She also enjoys popcorn and sesame seeds, especially caramel corn or sesame candy.  She likes black beans, rice, and chickpeas too.  She loves chocolate.

She does not eat any four legged animals, but enjoys chicken, especially black feathered or black skinned silkies.  She also doesn’t like palm kernel oil, so be careful with any ingredients you’re cooking with.  Most margerine has it, so just use butter, pure cocoa butter, or chicken fat, but not beef, lard, or lamb fat.  Check the ingredients of any chocolate you offer her as well.  To be safe, I just use cocoa powder to make any chocolate candies I wish to offer her from scratch, or do divination to see which specific chocolates she will accept.

Learn more offering recipes such as Oya’s Skirt Eggplant in Red Sauce at Auset.net.

Immolations:

Oya’s “incense” offerings shouldn’t actually be burnt but steamed like potpourri, or sprayed, splashed, or fed to a plant with large leaves.  She doesn’t much like smoke.  She likes grass clippings, green herbs, red and white flowers, and other nice smelling things.  Pine needles are good for her too.

Make sure that any oils you’re using for her don’t contain any palm oil whatsoever.  Also, don’t burn them straight.  Use water, and if it runs low, add a little more water until the candle underneath burns out.  If using essential oils, she likes scents that smell like rain, storms, or their aftermath.  China Rain essential oil blend is a good choice, as is sweetgrass and cyprus.

Libations:

Zubrowka, which is a special sort of vodka infused with a special kind of grass in the Ukraine.  If you can’t find any, steep some sweet grass or green beans in some vodka for nine days in a dark place.

Click here for inspiring links, photos, and more related to Oya on Facebook!

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