Encyclopedia of Goddesses: Stars

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Goddess Aja

Aja is a West African woodland goddess.

Aja is revered as a wise lady and healer across Nigeria and the New World Yoruba culture.

She is in charge of woods, woodlands, and the therapeutic plants that grow there.

Her disciples learn herb knowledge from her, guaranteeing their bodily and spiritual well-being.

Aja, Herbs, And Ritual Offerings

When supernatural entities accept or reject ceremonial offerings, Osun and the Aje play a significant role.

When acknowledged, they strengthen and support herbal remedies; if not, they undermine their effectiveness and that of the ceremonial components.

Animals like ign (vultures) and aja (dogs), who eat the sacrificial sacrifices, are inspired by Aje. Consequently, they are revered by the babalawo and Eleerindınlogun.

Additionally, Chief Mrs. Elsoj made it clear that due to their close connection to and involvement with Osun, the Aje's leader, the Eleerindınlogun, herbs and roots are easily accessible to them as a result.

So, unlike diviners in other systems who must first pay particular devotion to the Aje in order for the elements to be effective, they are given the ability to employ ritual and herbal components at whim.

Before extracting herbs or roots for ritual preparation, they chant a number of praises to the Iyami and ask for their assistance.

The standing of Aje and Osun among them is agreed upon by every single one of my sources.

In the words of Ifa priest of Babalawo Oyegbad, this is summarized:

Aje, often referred to as Iyami, are strong as such that the cosmos has been entrusted to their protection by Olodumare.

They now have control and authority over its business thanks to him. The cosmos is firmly held together by them. They continue to keep the planet in order.

Osun is not only one of them; she is also their leader. In addition, Osun's function is essential in restoring harmony to any tense relationship.

Osun's standing among the spiritual beings explains why her influence over ritual procedures is crucial to the deity's plan for resolving disputes and crises.

The effectiveness of the ceremonial sacrifices suggested by diviners may be achieved by communication with all spiritual beings.

Therefore, it is said that Osun, the head of the Aje, has the mystic ability to restrain or remove the violent acts of other deities as well as human potential and prosperity.

Legends, Belief And Folklore Associated with Goddess Aja.

Aja is an Orisha in Yoruba mythology, patron of the forest, its animals, and herbal healers, whom she taught their craft.

Aja may also refer to a "wild wind" in Yoruba.

If someone gets taken away by aja and later returns, it is said that he would become a strong "jujuman" (or babalawo).

The voyage is said to last anywhere from 7 to 3 months, and the individual who is carried is said to have gone to the country of the dead or heaven (Orun)."

She is a botanist who knows all there is to know about plants and is a master of potions and healing herbs. She taught this art to the Yoruba people, who continue to perform it now.

In Yoruba folklore and consequently in Santerian religious practice, Aja is a great healer.

She is considered to be the spirit who taught all other healers how to do their jobs.

She is a strong Orisha, and it is said that if she takes you away but lets you return after a few days, you will be bestowed with her magical abilities.

A. B. Ellis said in Yoruba-Speaking Peoples of the Slave Coast of West Africa, published in 1894, that

"Aja, whose name seems to mean "wild vine," whisks strangers away into the woods and educates them about the therapeutic powers of plants, but she never hurts them.

Aja is humanoid in appearance, although she is short, standing between one and two feet tall.

Women utilize the aja vine to treat enflamed breasts."

Aja is one of the most elusive Earth Gods and Goddesses since she chooses to show herself to humanity rather than hurt or fear them.

Worshiping Aja is much rarer in the West, but it shouldn't matter since Aja symbolizes a global value of environmental care and preservation, regardless of religion or spiritual calling.

Aja safeguards the woods, which are home to trees that provide oxygen and filter the air and water for all living creatures.

There would be more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere if trees were not safeguarding humans, and there would be no barrier to limit the speed of an already fast changing climate.

Among the Nigerian Goddesses and Gods, Orisha is immensely popular.

Goddess Aja is the spirit of the forest and the animals that live there, as well as domestic healers.

Goddess Aja much like Goddess Diana of Europe and Goddess Korravai of India is a woodland goddess, and also a goddess of animals.

Goddess Aja always teaches us understanding empathy for the natural world, and a well-balanced empathy is the preventive strategy that prevents environmental degradation, destruction, and ecological anguish.

Thus Goddess Aja and Her true healing begins to unfold naturally and inevitably.

~Kiran Atma

Frequently Asked Questions:

Who Is Goddess Aja?

Aja is an Orisha, a spirit that inhabits the forest and its creatures, as well as herbal healers. She would search her woodlands for medical plants and combine the herbs, roots, and other plant components to develop treatments for the ill.

Who is Africa's most powerful goddess?

In Yoruba religion, Oshun is known as the river orisha, or goddess, and is linked with water, cleanliness, fertility, love, and sensuality. She is one of the most powerful orishas, yet she, like other gods, exhibits human characteristics including vanity, envy, and spite.

What is the name of the African healer goddess?

In Yoruba folklore and consequently in Santerian religious practice, Aja is a great healer. She is considered to be the spirit who taught all other healers how to do their jobs. She is a strong Orisha, and it is said that if she takes you away but lets you return after a few days, you will be bestowed with her magical abilities.

What is the name of the African nature goddess?

Asase Yaa is regarded as Mother Earth, the earth goddess of fertility, and the upholder of truth by the Akan people of West Africa.

Which dark goddess is the most powerful?

She's one of the most well-known and revered Orishas. Among the Yorùbá people, Oshun is a significant river god. Divinity, femininity, fertility, beauty, and love are all goddesses to her. She has a link to fate and divination.

What are the seven African superpowers?

Initiation into the Seven African Powers is another frequent initiation (Elegua, Obatala, Oggun, Chango, Yemaya, Oshun, and Orunmilla). Babalu-Aye is often substituted for Orunmilla by Cuban devotees. The Seven African Powers have been merged into a single eleke.

What exactly are orisha?

orisha, often written orixa or orisa, is a Yoruba deity who lives in southern Nigeria. The Edo of southern Nigeria, the Ewe of Ghana, Benin, and Togo, and the Fon of Benin all worship them (who refer to them as voduns).

What is the maximum number of orishas you can have?

According to Yoruba culture, there are 400 + 1 orisha, which is considered a holy number. According to some reports, the number is "as many as you can conceive of plus one more - an infinite number." Depending to the oral tradition, there are 400, 700, or 1,440 orisha.

References And Further Reading:

Abiodun, Rowland. “Woman in Yoruba Religious Images.” African Languages and Cultures 2, no. 1 (1989): 1–18. http://www.jstor.org/stable/1771702.

Olmsted, David L. “Comparative Notes on Yoruba and Lucumí.” Language 29, no. 2 (1953): 157–64. https://doi.org/10.2307/410168.

Morton-Williams, Peter. “The Yoruba Ogboni Cult in [Uppercase Letter O with Vertical Line below]y[Lowercase Letter o with Vertical Line Below].” Africa: Journal of the International African Institute 30, no. 4 (1960): 362–74. https://doi.org/10.2307/1157598.

Drewal, Henry John. “Mami Wata: Arts for Water Spirits in Africa and Its Diasporas.” African Arts 41, no. 2 (2008): 60–83. http://www.jstor.org/stable/20447886.

Dennett, R. E. “How the Yoruba Count (Continued).” Journal of the Royal African Society 17, no. 65 (1917): 60–71. http://www.jstor.org/stable/715685.
Drewal, Henry John, John Pemberton, and Rowland Abiodun. “Yoruba: Nine Centuries of African Art and Thought.” African Arts 23, no. 1 (1989): 68–104. https://doi.org/10.2307/3336802.

Majasan, J. A. “Folklore as an Instrument of Education among the Yoruba.” Folklore 80, no. 1 (1969): 41–59. http://www.jstor.org/stable/1259337.

Yai, Ọlabiyi Babalọla. “In Praise of Metonymy: The Concepts of ‘Tradition’ and ‘Creativity’ in the Transmission of Yoruba Artistry over Time and Space.” Research in African Literatures 24, no. 4 (1993): 29–37. http://www.jstor.org/stable/3820251.

Matory, J. Lorand. “Rival Empires: Islam and the Religions of Spirit Possession among the Ọ̀yọ́-Yorùbá.” American Ethnologist 21, no. 3 (1994): 495–515. http://www.jstor.org/stable/645918.

Akínyemí, Akíntúndé. “Yorùbá Oral Literature: A Source of Indigenous Education for Children.” Journal of African Cultural Studies 16, no. 2 (2003): 161–79. http://www.jstor.org/stable/3559467.

Falen, Douglas J. “Vodún, Spiritual Insecurity, and Religious Importation in Benin.” Journal of Religion in Africa 46, no. 4 (2016): 453–83. http://www.jstor.org/stable/26358824.

~Kiran Atma

Goddess Airmed

Airmed is a healing goddess from Ireland.

Airmed is a Tuatha De Danann goddess who heals people who have been wounded in battles and conflicts.

She gathers and arranges herbs for health and healing, and she teaches plant medicine to her disciples.

She is venerated as a goddess of Witchcraft and witchcraft, guarding the hidden wells, springs, and rivers of healing.

~Kiran Atma

Goddess Aine

Aine is the goddess of love in Ireland.

Aine, also known as the Faery Queen of Munster, is allied with faeries and woodland witchcraft.

Her name is derived from the Gaelic word an, which means "bright."

She is a moon goddess who inspires and promotes passionate love between women and men, as well as being revered for her fertility and healing abilities.

When she is crossed as the Dark Maiden, she is angry, protecting betrayed lovers and seeking vengeance on those she believes are inappropriate partners.

In her honor, the Midsummer Feast is celebrated.

~Kiran Atma

Goddess Aglaia

Aglaia is a Greek goddess of beauty and grandeur.

Aglaia is a spirit of vegetation and springtime.

She is one of the Three Graces.

Euphrosyne and Thalia, her two sisters, are often portrayed dancing in a circle with her.

As a kind of homage, she instructs her followers to dress in splendor and elegance.

~Kiran Atma

Goddess Aida Wedo

Aida Wedo is the goddess of rainbows in West Africa.

Aida Wedo is a Yoruban and Voudoun goddess who takes the form of a rainbow python, a snake with iridescent scales.

Her rainbow body encircles the world and the oceans, making her a cosmic guardian and the connection between heaven and earth.

Water, wind, fire, rainbows, and serpents are all under her control.

She is a benign deity who teaches her devotees honesty, strength, and mind-body-spirit unification.

Her hue is white, since it is the manifestation of all colors, and her worshippers have traditionally given her rice, eggs, and milk.

Goddess Aha Njoku

Aha Njoku, the yam goddess of West Africa.

Aha Njoku is credited with the invention and cultivation of yams, a mainstay of the Nigerian Ibo people's diet.

She keeps an eye on the yam harvest and protects the ladies who tend to the yams.

Goddess Agemem

Agemem is the Philippine goddess of creation.

Agemem and her spouse Kadaklan are the creators of the universe, as well as the sun, moon, stars, and earth.

Goddess Acpaxapo

Mesoamerican goddess of intuition, Acpaxapo.

Acpaxapo is a snake with a woman's face and hair, according to the Otomi people of Mexico.

She communicates with her devotees, giving messages, omens, and future prophecies.

Queen Of Heaven - Goddess In The Stars

The many stars in the night sky, which were so apparent to our forefathers before the development of artificial lighting, were sometimes referred to as spirits or minor divinities.

When they were female, they were commonly shown as lively young ladies (Slavic Zorya), and were frequently the children of the sun and/or moon goddess (Baltic Ausrin and Valkyrin).

Occasionally, a temptress occurs, such as African Morongo (see Massasi), who lusted for her son and, after her husband raped her, planned for his murder as a punishment.

A star goddess may appear as an elderly lady, as in the case of South American Ceiuci, or as a young woman, as in the case of Tibetan Goddess.

Traditionally, a few stars and star groupings have been noted for their prominence in the sky at various times.

In Egypt, the rise of the star Sirius in the springtime corresponded with the Niger River's land-renewing floods. The star was related with rebi and was the chariot of the goddess Sothis.

The morning and evening star, which we name Venus after a Roman goddess who was not originally related with the planet, occurs in numerous mythology (Eastern Mediterranean Ishtar and Astarte, North American Gendenwitha); she was usually connected with relationships and love.

The sexual relationship might be catastrophic at times, as with the Baltic Saul's Meita, the cherished sun daughter raped by her moon dad.

Occasionally, a star goddess is linked to a human enterprise other than lovemaking, such as when Celtic Sirona controlled the healing arts.

Many civilizations saw the Pleiades as a group of sisters or playmates (North American Chehiayam and Kusi'tawa'qari, for example). There are a variety of stories for how a group of girls became stars, including being punished for doing something banned (typically little, such as whistling) or developing from a mutual attraction for males who dwell in the area.

Violence or incest is occasionally invoked, as it was with Australian Abobi. Their father, a rapist, chased that goddess's daughters until she transformed them into s Some constellations, such as Andromeda, Cassiopeia, and Cyno, are named after Greek gods and heroines.