Yemoja

Yemoja, also spelled Yemọja or Yemaya, is a major Orisha in Yoruba religion and in its Afro-diasporic traditions such as Santería, Candomblé, and related practices. She is the goddess of water, especially rivers and the sea, and a central maternal figure associated with motherhood, childbirth, fertility, and the protection of women and children. In many traditions she is considered the mother of all Orishas and a life-giving guardian of the family and of the waters that sustain life.

Iconography and symbolism commonly emphasize her role as a nurturing mother. She is often linked to the sea in maritime cultures and is typically associated with blue and white colors, as well as symbols such as shells or fish. Ritual practices for Yemoja may include singing, dancing, and offerings of food, flowers, and water or palm wine at her altars.

The exact genealogies of Yemoja vary across communities, reflecting the fluid nature of oral tradition within Yoruba-derived systems. In diasporic contexts, her worship is adapted to local cultures while preserving core attributes of motherhood, protection, and the life-sustaining power of water.

In Latin American and Caribbean contexts, Yemoja is widely venerated as Yemayá and is one of the most prominent Orishas in Santería. She is also associated with Brazilian Candomblé as Iemanjá. In some Catholic-influenced practices, she is syncretized with Our Lady of Regla or the sea-related Marian icons, illustrating her enduring cultural reach beyond Africa.