Annual Osun River Ritual

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You’re invited to join the annual river ritual in London, coinciding with the week-long Oshogba Festival in Yorubaland (Nigeria), which starts on 14th August. As always our focus in honouring Mami Osun is for love to manifest, for healing to vibrate and to experience abundance in all areas of our lives. We celebrate Mami Osun to channel all things sweet and smooth like the flow of her cooling, healing waters and sacred honey.

Collectively we summon her sensuousness, generosity and nurture. We bring our full offerings of all her special food to thank her for always sweetening our lives, despite the many struggles and tragedies we face. She is always there!
You will join others in the spirit of Ubuntu, bringing your love, giving thanks, enjoying the peace and joy of the occasion, and letting go enough to be charmed by the empowering vibrations of this communal ritual.

About Osun and her healing waters – river force
Osun is the Orisa (and mother) of sweet, fresh waters. She is a source of well being. As one of many forces of nature in the Yoruba Ifa tradition, she represents healing, nurturing, creativity among many other impressions. She is also increasingly one of the most revered Orisa in the pantheon in the African diaspora.

Nurturers, as Mami Osun represents, can be both sweet and comforting and strong disciplinarians. She can therefore take up serious causes on our behalf – fighting those unwanted energies that unsettle us from time to time. You will know what these are personally for you.  Rivers, Osun’s symbol, either flow gently and sweetly or can be rapid and raging.  But waters are ever cleansing, renewing and bringing life, healing and abundance. 

What to bring (your offerings to Osun )
These are all symbolic, representing abundance, love, prosperity, mysteries (as in the secret way water is in the coconut), beauty, fertility, creativity and so on. 
– 1 coconut (dry one)
– green plantain – half (if you have or can get one – peeled and cut it into dices)
– buy a small piece of yam (get locally – but don’t worry if you cant. If you can, you need to peel and cut into dices – ideally – roast it a bit in the oven – you can probably do it the night before?
– brown sugar (not loads – some of what you have already at home)
– boiled sweets (at the river, you remove the wrappers)
– sweet biscuits
– popcorn (uncooked kernels)
– a cheap £1 shop mirror (a small one)
– tiny bit of white cloth (or paper)
– bottle of drink (small one – like Grace or one of those makes)
– fruits (light coloured – eg honeydew melons, tangerines, bananas)
– honey
– coins – not pounds
– 20ps/ 10s and 5s
– if you have cowrie shells
– bring a few/five (but don’t worry if you don’t)
– herbs (mixture/any greenery/healing ones or ones for flavouring)
– flowers – white/yellow
– incense- small perfume/fragrance oil (get a sample bottle from somewhere?)
– a tray to place your offering on (this won’t go into the river unless it’s biodegradable) – it’s to place the offering on before it goes into the river.
Anything that expresses your creativity, sensuality, fertility and aspirations for these.
– your lunch/snacks to eat after in the park (Optional)

ALSO
– Music making items – bells, shack shack (maracas), flutes, what you have can make music, drums- Write your desires/aspirations on a piece of paper (fold very small, which can go as part of your offering)
What we will do
This is a light-hearted experience of deep significance, and is not meant to be complicated but ultimately to express readiness and willingness to be part of shared ritual experience in the honour of the goddess of love! We gather in her name – walk towards a spot where we can lay our offerings. We sing, make music and experience the Love Vibration of Mami Osun. If you want to leave after the ritual you can, otherwise you can join us in the park to relax and enjoy late lunch,(weather permitting).

What to wear
We wear white for purity, peace and unity. In the diaspora, yellow and white are used for Mami Osun. However, this is usually white in Yoruba. It’s up to you whether you do either or both, main thing is to be comfortable in what you wear. The looseness of clothing reflects the free flow of river, free flow and welcome of the gentleness the river source. Certainly wear comfortable shoes for small walk to the main ritual area. We can go into the water, so you might want to bring something to put on your feet to allow this.

CAUTION & SPECIAL NOTICE
If you have attended the ritual before, please note that whilst it is not advisable to go into the water, should you wish to do so please wear appropriate footwear. This is especially so for any children who attend with you. Do be careful as we’re not sure what harmful items might be in the water.

This year, we will meet:
– at an earlier time: 11.00am and location: Morden Underground Station
– and be in a different location: next to the children’s play area, on the other side of the Rose Garden to do the ritual.
– there may also be a chance to see/hear about what wild life can be found in the river Wandle.
***Please remember to take your litter with you or use the bags provided. ***
– ONLY items that are biodegradable must go into the river.

Prepare before the day
Find a little space (time) to commune with yourself and decide your personal objective for being part of the ritual. You can look up Osun and what she’s about. The sources online are generally okay. (We are deliberately avoiding being prescriptiveness to allow you to intuit for yourself.) Part of the process is your self-initiated readiness to be open and allow spirit to guide you. Avoid discussing what you plan to do with those who just wont appreciate it. But do let your brother/sister who may be interested know and bring them too; children love this day and there is a nice, wooded play area at this new location. 

Where to meet?
At Morden Station – last stop on the Northern Line – south bound.
From there we will walk towards the location of the ritual. The walk altogether is about 10-15 minutes , where MORDEN HALL PARK is.
We will keep you informed nearer the time should there be any changes.
REMEMBER to Dress up if you want, don’t be modest – if you want to show off your OSUN in dress and style – go for it! Mami Osun also represents beauty – one of her symbols being the fan. Express yourself but be comfortable.
Learn a tune to the Goddess and share with the group, if you like too.
CONTACT: michelleyaa@waywivewordz.com for more information about the day.
See you then… and please share the flyer/link
Any donations will go to drummers and associated African Indigenous Spiritual charities.
Do remember to follow our Eventbrite page and socials.