Goddess Oshun, Yoruban Orisha of the sweet waters. Oshun is a Love Goddess and the Essence of the Arts, a dancer, creator, magician.... she is the very vibrance of life! She is the goddess who brings you love in every way - especially the love within yourself. She gazes into the mirror as should you, to appreciate and honor your beauty, inside and out. She is the force behind self-love and love for the community at large. Oshun is a mother goddess, a sensual goddess and a magickal being who especially can help you with divination. As the Orisha of Love, she is the one to go to for romance. She does not discriminate in any way- not age, race, gender, and sexual orientation. She is generous and kind, she holds space for love in all its forms and especially loves her daughters who love others freely and with compassion. She is also the goddess of joy, helping you to re-joice and re-member your being into the joy the world has to offer you.

Oshun brings us love in all its forms. She helps us celebrate and be aware of all the beauty that life has to offer us. She helps you SHINE your brightest!

She has many Avatars and "Caminos" (paths) and some of her symbols are: the vulture, crocodile, jaguar, peacocks, bees, fish and butterflies. Also, sunflowers, hand fan, a mirror, and brass bell are some of her favorite altar items as well as the yellow pot where her spirit abides.

Her colors are yellow, copper and gold- but she also loves silver and everything shinny and bright! Her favorite foods include: honey, oranges, cinnamon, pumpkins and shrimp. Place a yellow pot (with cover) at your altar

New Year's Ritual for 2020 blessings with the Goddess Oshun. Suggested materials in addition to what is in your kit:.

Yellow, gold or clear plate. No plastic but paper is OK.

1/4 cup (or more) cup of rice

5 oranges or mandarinas/tangerines with the top sliced off.

Brown (or white) sugar

5 Oranges

Following are suggestions on how you can set up your altar, you can choose to do this in any way you want, the most important ingredients are your heartfelt intentions, faith in what you are doing, and using your tools with the awareness that YOU are a powerful and divine being creating magick.

I would suggest that you have yellow flowers if possible at your altar as the energy of flowers will sweeten your Sacred space and help you ground and center.

The rice and lentils represents abundance and prosperity, sugar and honey for sweetness, cinnamon for speedy and safe travel to where you want to go, Bay leaves for manifestation and magick. You could add yellow food coloring to the rice and/or sugar and toss it to make it more beautiful. You could also add edible glitter to the mix as well as powdered cinnamon and Nutmeg.

Light your Sage bundle and cleanse your Sacred Space and all of your tools as you begin by thanking goddess Oshun for her presents and presence!

Ask goddess Oshun to bless you this New Year with abundance, love and everything beautiful the Universe has in store for you.

Thank Oshun for the spiritual animal she has brought forth in the form of the crocodile. A messenger that will serve as your guide to further give you insight when you meditate or you do readings and other forms of divination.

Lay down your yellow altar cloth and in the middle place the plate you're using for your items. Set up your Oshun candle right behind it or beside it. Place your Tiny but Mighty Oshun goddess in the center of the rice plate, surrounded by the oranges, sea shells, and with the Cowrie shell either right above her head. This powerful Cowrie shell is for divination and also holds symbolism of the Yoni, new beginnings and re-birth, as well as magick and all the Sacred secrets that are well guarded. The Cowrie shell holds a space you can whisper into it your deepest secrets and desires.

If you have brass, gold, copper and/or also chocolate coins they can be used to decorate. If you have extra cinnamon sticks you can use these also for decoration. The cinnamon is for empowering of your wishes and divination and the coins are also for prosperity..

Once you have set up the altar with all your Treasures in a way that satisfies you,

Llight your Palo Santo to bring in the sweetness. You can say a prayer to Oshun, meditate, or simply talk to Her in All her names, opening Sacred space and calling her forth by jingling the copper bells to call her energy forth.

Begin your ritual (you can say this in your own words, add to it, subtract from it....make it yours).

Dear Mother Oshun golden yellow and copper bright light of brass and sweet water beauty, may my deepest wishes for the new year come true.

I thank you as you open the Caminos and the paths I need to travel on I thank you for your protection as I bathe in your Sweet water and your light that shines my path wherever I choose to go.

May you remain bright within me throughout the year, protect me from any ill- will or any bad thoughts and intentions thrown my way. I thank you for your blessings in my love life and romance, in my career, my family and friends with your sweet protection and generosity. Your sweet honey blessing and sweet water flows....Thank you Mother Oshun! How Sweet the year will go! And here, you pour the honey into each one of the orange caps. (Don't forget to taste it first before you pour as Oshun was once poisoned so we do this as a loving gesture).

Take a whole Bay leaf in your hands, close your eyes and make your wishes for the New Year . You can write them down on the leaf with a sharpie if you choose. Do this for every unbroken leaf you received. If you have a broken or bent leaf, think about what that may signify to you. Is there a part of you, your life that feels broken and needs to be healed this coming year; is there something that is "bent" and needs redirection in the New Year-for example, getting back on track with exercise, taking a new direction in career or relationship. Basically, think about the leaves as you make your wish and use them a scrying and divination. Each leaf has its own independent energy and you can power it up by using the shape of the leaf. Bay or Laurel leaves are powerful herbs that have been used throughout time for mandas throughout time.

Abre Caminos (Open Paths) Ritual with Oshun:

Set your leaves aside and prepare 2 cups of boiling water. To it, you will add the lentils, bay leaves, cinnamon stick and cloves. Stir each item in one at a time, stirring counterclockwise to clear away obstacles. When all items are in, stir clockwise to bring in ease and flow for the whole year through. Use this to soak your feet in it, thank goddess Oshun for the sweetness of this year coming and for her companionship throughout this year as she guides you and opens your path for your highest good.

In the name of the Goddess in All Her names, we welcome this 2020 in the sweetness of Ochun, may you be blessed and prosperous in all ways. Love and Joy. Shine my luv! YOU are a magickal and Sacred Divine being!!

Besitos y amor,

Claudia