Oshun’s Beauty Secrets

honeycombOshun is the West African deity of feminine beauty, prosperity, and dance.  Her children in the traditions as well as solitary practitioners with a strong affinity towards her are uniquely attractive, charismatic people.  Though many of their beauty secrets are indeed secret, some are open to sharing with the public for the purpose of bringing more joy into the world.

Water

You may need more water than you think.  The standard dose per day is 8 glasses, and this is enough for a 100-120 lbs. woman with relatively low physical activity.  If you are heavier or more active though, you’ll need more.  Here is a convenient calculator to find your exact minimum.

If you aren’t getting enough water, then the sugar in your blood can be like sand paper in your blood vessels, slowly breaking them down.  It is harder for your body to get rid of poisons.  Your arteries are also more easily clogged, and you’re more prone to blood clots, liver problems, and many other health issues that are preventable simply by drinking more water.

Though you should avoid sugary drinks, natural fruit juices are a great way to get water, vitamins, and minerals at the same time, and quickly.

Honey

Honey is wonderful for the skin and hair.  It helps your skin and hair to hold in moisture, and kills bacteria that clog pores.  If you tend to chafe in the summer, a weekly coating of honey for 20 minutes before a bath or shower helps to soothe raw and damaged skin.  When you get a cut or scrape, use honey instead of antibiotic ointments.

The best sort of honey to use for beauty is wild African honey. It is darker and a bit thinner than the sort of honey you buy in the grocery stores.  You can add a little to your body oil, but take care not to use too much at a time, or you’ll attract bees.  It doesn’t take much to be effective if you’re leaving it on the skin.

Hot Dancing

You may notice that when Oshun is riding someone, or people are dancing in reverence to Oshun, it resembles soukous or belly dancing.  This is because dancing with the pelvis is not only seductive but healthy.  It works your core and abdominal muscles without scraping your tailbone on the ground.  It shapes your body to give you a more hourglass figure and perky bottom.  It also strengthens the muscles that support your internal organs, which leads to easier childbirth, less painful menstruation, easier weight management, and for men, greater virility.

Exercise is good for you in general, but taking the time to focus on the core and pelvis is extremely important.  So if you haven’t already, add belly dance or soukous to your daily routine.

K. Sis. Nicole T.N. Lasher

Webmatron of Orisha.me.

2 Comments:

  1. Is soukous the real name of belly dancing?

    • In a way, yes. Soukous style music is a fusion of traditional music from the Congo region and Afro Cuban rumba. The type of dancing done to it comes mainly from traditional dances, which predated beledi or Arab and Persian belly dancing.

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