Oshún/Ochun/Oxum
Goddess of Love and Beauty. Once a river spirit, she is now revered as the ruler of all sweet (non-salt) waters, including lakes. Guardian of women and children, of sensuality and fertility. Partial to gold, pumpkin, honey, brass, perfume,mirrors, cinnamon, champagne, and peacock feathers. Her colors are gold and yellow and her number is 5 and multiples of 5, andher day is Friday. Cognate with Our Lady of Charity (La Caridad del Cobre), Venus, Aphrodite, Freya, Ishtar, Erzulie Freda & others.
She favors Flirtatious and sensuous, she rules over lovers, family problems, children, fertility, and prosperity. As "La Caridad del Cobre" ("Our Lady of La Caridad") she is the patron of Cuba. She is sometimes depicted as a mermaid.
Song in Praise of Oshun
In this city
everybody is Oshun's::
Man, boy, girl and woman
And all the city
radiates magic -
Gifts in the salt waters
Gifts in the sweet waters
And all the city shines.
Whether a lieutenant
or a fisherman's son
Or an important official -
If they bear gifts
They are all the same.
The power living
in the waters
Does not distinguish
between colors
And all the city is Oshun's.
From: Oshun Across the Waters
by Joseph Murphy
- Portrait of Oshun/ochun/Oxum with poem
- Original art by Maggie Hawksby; copyright ©
- Modify and copy
- Notecard included inside