held by two waters
reflections on Yemaya’s guidance, Oshun’s sweetness, & learning to trust the tides.
in the Afrodiasporic tradition of Lucumí Ifá, September 7th & 8th are the feast days of Los Dos Aguas—the two waters. these days honor Yemaya & Oshun, when devotees across the world bring offerings of gratitude, prayers, & petitions to these two great Orishas.
it makes sense that Yemaya is guiding my year. during my 2025 reading, Ifá spoke these words over me: “Yemaya adores you. she sees there were times you had to endure, you’ve held out long enough. you can rest now, she’s got you.” those words washed over me like the tide itself—assuring me that i no longer have to brace myself against the waves. Yemaya is holding me.
as the Orisha of the ocean—the great mother who nurtures, protects, & holds us—her energy has mirrored my own unfolding. at 25, my 7 year, my Yemaya year—i found myself healing my inner child, stepping deeper into my womanhood, & uncovering truths that had been waiting for me beneath the surface. now, at 26, i feel her waves still moving me forward—teaching me how to reclaim my body, how to live more independently, & how to trust in my own abilities.
but Yemaya does not move alone. her relationship with Oshun, the Orisha of the river, sweetness, & sensuality, shows me that water is never just one thing. Yemaya is the ocean’s depth, while Oshun is the river’s flow. one holds the expanse of mystery; the other carries intimacy & delight. together, they create balance—saltwater & freshwater meeting, currents mixing, life renewing itself.
i feel their dual presence shaping me. Yemaya calls me to be steady, to mother myself, to endure the storms with strength. Oshun reminds me not to lose sight of joy, to let sweetness touch me, to move through life with grace & laughter. Yemaya has been the anchor in my healing, the force that steadies me when i want to drift away. Oshun has been the current that brings me back to myself with gentleness, showing me that pleasure & softness aren’t luxuries but necessities.
to walk with both of them is to honor the waters within me—the vast ocean of my womb, the rivers that flow through my body, the tides of emotion that rise & fall each day. i am learning that i am not meant to choose between being strong or soft, vast or tender. i am meant to be both. Yemaya & Oshun remind me that wholeness comes from honoring all of my waters.
Omi ooo! Ore Yeye ooo!
Maferefun Yemaya ati Oshun!