What is Orisa?

The Orisa (pronounced “Orisha“)tradition originated in West Africa, in the area once called Yorubaland that is now modern day Nigeria and Benin. 

It is an nature-based tradition that emphazises good character and seeks to maintain the intergral balance that exists between all creation, including human beings (we often forget that we, too, are a part of creation!).

The Orisa tradition is monotheistic. Orisa practitioners (called aborisa) believe that there is one source of all things, whom we call Olorun. Olorun has various aspects or manifestations of Herself (Olorun is neither female nor male but I am determined to remind humanity about the feminine side of divinity) that are reflected in the orisas.  The orisas are spirits or emanations of Olorun (some liken them to angels or messengers of God) that manifest through the forces of nature/the Universe and fulfill Olorun’s will upon the earth.  The orisas assist human beings in finding and maintaining the balance that we need in order to live lives that reflect our highest potential and purpose.

Orisa came to be practiced in the Western Hemisphere when Africans were brought to the Americas in shackles.  Though enduring a holocaust that lasted centuries, enslaved and oppressed Africans were able to keep their (our) culture and traditions alive through their creativity and ingenuity.  Many Africans hid the orisas behind Catholicism, appearing to worship Catholic saints but instead were worshipping the orisas.  Santeria, or “the way of the saints,” is a result of that syncretism.

The orisa tradition is now practiced around the world with an estimated 100 million followers. 

Below is a list of some of the major orisas:

• Elegba/Ellegua: Often called “the trickster” Elegba is the holder of ashe (pronounced “ah-shay”, ashe is Olorun’s energy that permeates the entire Universe). Because Elegba is the holder of ashe, He is the orisa that we always go to first because nothing gets done without him.  He is the energy that stands at the crossroads between the physical and spiritual realms.  I personally believe that Elegba is called a trickster because He is misunderstood.  Elegba is like karma, always providing lessons so that we can evolve.  To some people this may seem “tricky” but Elegba has always came across as very practical and logical to me.
• Obatala: The King of the White Cloth, Obatala is the energy of peace, harmony, and “cool-headedness.”  He represents spiritual purity and spiritual light.  Obatala is the embodiment of wisdom.  In the Orisa tradition, the soul is thought to live in the head, as the seat of our high selves.  Orisas own heads, meaning that each person has a type of energy that corresponds to an orisa.  Through divination, one can learn what orisa owns one’s head.  However, until one is initiated into the priesthood of a particular orisa, Obatala owns the head.  Thus, Obatala is considered the owner of all heads.  In nature, Obatala’s domain is the mountains.
• Yemoja/Yemaya: Yemoja is the maternal aspect of Olorun.  She is the mother and her energy is very much like what most mothers are – protective and nurturing yet upholding one to high standards.  She is the creative force that brings life into the world.  Her name means “the mother whose children are as numerous as the fish in the ocean,” pointing to Her role as the mother of us all.  In nature, She is reflected in the ocean in its vastness and its depth.
• Ogun: The orisha of iron, Ogun represents the energy behind progress.  His energy is that of action and reaction.  With His iron-like nature, Ogun represents truth and justice.  He is one of the warrior orisas, along with Elegba, Ochosi, and Osun.  While Elegba opens doors, Ogun clears paths and removes barriers.  It is said that it was energy of Ogun that prompted the Haitian Revolution, in his role as defender of truth and justice.  In nature, Ogun manifests in iron and in the fire that is within the earth.
• Shango: Shango is probably one of the most popular Orishas.  His energy is all things “masculine” – strength, endurance, and manly beauty.  As the lord of thunder and lightning, he embodies spiritual illumination and transformation.  Just as lightning can make the darkest night appear like the brightest morning, so Shango can bring spiritual illumination instantaneously.  He is viewed as the master of strategy, illuminating our strongest points and helping us to attack our weak points head on so that we can move closer to our high selves.
• Oya/Yansa: Oya is the orisha of the wind and air.  She is the energy of change and transformation, sweeping out the old, outdated modes of existance and bringing in the new.  She brings the wind that comes with Shango’s thunder and lightening.  Her warrior energy rules over the cemetary; thus she is associated with Egun (ancestors) , endings, and transitions in general.
• Oshun: While Yemoja’s energy is seen in large and life-giving power of the ocean, Oshun’s energy is in the “sweet waters” of the lakes, streams, and rivers.  Her energy is the essence of love, unity, attraction, and female beauty.  Oshun’s energy is the joy of life that makes life worth living.  Oshun represents new beginnings, the wonders of spring, and the fertile energy of the New Moon.  Oshun is my mother; she rules my head and I have been initiated as her priestess. 
• Ochosi: The guardian of the forest, Ochosi is a warrior along with Elegba, Ogun, and Osun.  While Ogun is an active energy that clears paths, Ochosi is a centered, focused energy that brings direction.  He is represented as a left-handed archer who always hits his mark.
• Babaluaye: The orisa of sickness and disease, he is also the healer of sickness and disease.  Babaluaye means “king of the earth” and therefore his associated with the earth element.  He represents discipline and learning how to become a master in this material realm.
• Osain: Osain is the orisa of herbal medicine.  He uses herbs to heal and cleanse.
• Aganju: The orisa of the volcano.  Ironically, he is the energy of stability as he can take fire (lava) and create earth.