Oya, the Orisha of storms, wind, and air in general, is said to dislike smoke. So when we are giving observances to her, or asking for her energy for a spell, we usually give her potpourri, sprays, or liquids to evaporate. In more scientific streams of Vodun, she is also fed through Iroko or by watering other tropical plants with large leaves who would feed her relatively quickly and well, and make it rain more. You can also make sprays in her honor to increase certain aspects of her presence in an area. There are sprays for various purposes, and I will share some of those recipes here. These are bases or concentrates that should be mixed with 400-600 ml. of water minus the tea amounts.
Before you consider making these sprays, you should be observant to Eshu and Oya. This means that you should be initiated into a cult of Oya in an African or diaspora ile, or you should be regularly giving observances and offerings to Oya for long enough that she is giving you gifts in return in the physical realm, not just a good “vibe”. This is not to discriminate against the uninitiated, just to warn that even if you had to go it alone and be a solitary practitioner, you should know what you are doing.
Oya’s energy can be extremely chaotic, and if you don’t know how to deal with the “flux”, you can end up making something that does the opposite of what was intended. Oya is the Mother of the Ancestors/Egungun, the Mother of the Abiku, and her breasts are wisdom that is sometimes very hard earned. You want to have some experience in welcoming the positive things she blows your way and accepting and dealing with some of the harshness before you make physical items that embody her.
I’ll put this another way…
Do you see this evil purple looking liquid?
Evil Purple
This is what happened when a friend and student of mine was making SWEEP! but deviated from the recipe. She entered the flux and a certain energy wriggled into her brain that told her to add some things that would cause chaos. So what she made was not a sweet but assertive dark burgundy brew that would blow away any lingering depression and pain between clients in her clinic, but a scary purple wrecking ball like herbal war water that would obliterate every emotional or material attachment leaving only apathy and indifference in its wake.
This is what you use when you’re leaving a spouse who you hope never contacts you ever again, not between clients or after a depressing visitor. Even then, you try not to get any on you, and just squirt and RUN.
Mind you, the person who made this is VERY observant of Oya, and still got poked in the flux. Be careful.
Please do not alter these recipes. If you can’t find something, and want an adequate substitution, contact us BEFORE you make a wrecking ball.
SWEEP!
SWEEP! spray sweeps away negative or old, stale energy to make way for the new. It clears without replacing it with anything. It is a neutralizer that drives things away and makes a clean slate.
Ingredients:
- 3 black peppercorns
- one tea serving’s worth of sage
- a tea serving’s worth of roses
- a tea serving’s worth of rosemary
- 6 drops cinnamon fragrance or essential oil
- 10 drops citronella essential oil
- 10 drops China Rain essential blend or cyclamen absolute
Instructions:
- Light some incense for Eshu, but just a little bit because you don’t want there to be too much smoke for too long. Give him some candy or a few coins to make up for the lack of smoke.
- Call to Eshu and ask him to open the gate.
- Smoke the bottle you’ll be using, and add the essential oils.
- Prepare your cauldron or potpourri pot.
- Put the dry herbs and then some water in the cauldron or pot.
- Heat the pot and call to Oya in a gentle but respectful way.
- Dance and sweep the room clean while you wait for the pot to nearly boil. Sing or hum to Oya while you do this. I recommend some gentle music, as it will be around half an hour. (Yes, Oya is very athletic.)
- Once you get a good steam going, ask Oya to infuse the waters with the energy to sweep away the negative energy.
- Let the cauldron cool, and then strain the liquids into the bottle, filling the rest of the way with clean water.
- Give it shake.
- Thank Oya, and then Eshu.
Your SWEEP! is ready to use.
TEAR!
TEAR! is a very aggressive “warring” spray that stays and battles against negative energy, thieves, and other vampiric, life-sucking forces. It is good for a place where you are often stuck dealing with negative people who like to hang around. This will make them very uncomfortable. It can be used in conjunction with Hot-foot powder.
Ingredients:
- 6 peppercorns
- 6 English peppers (allspice)
- 3 cloves
- a lobe of myrrh
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tiny quarter toothpick dipping of red pepper oil and keep it at that if you don’t want to make totally repellent pepper spray (I am talking to YOU, Arden. :: stern teacher face and grumbling about magma wall of protection ::) OR a tip of a dried red pepper
- 3 shots of unflavored rum or vodka
- 10 drops of China Rain or cyclamen absolute
- 10 drops of sweetgrass essential oil
- 5 drops cypress oil
- 5 drops of lily fragrance oil (yes, to remind of funerals/Ancestors)
- a pinch of sifted graveyard dirt
Instructions:
- Give observances to Eshu and Oya.
- During the observances, smoke your bottle, and add the ingredients plus the water, and give them a shake.
- Keep shaking for awhile. They will let you know when they’re done.
- Wrap the bottle in a multicolor cloth, and keep it in a cool, dark place for 9 days.
- On the 9th day, during your observances, give the first spray to Oya.
Your TEAR! is ready to use. Fire at will.
F***! no wait…Quiet Storm 😉
We know that Oshun is in charge of romantic love and whatnot, but from time to time, she dances with Oya in our hearts and minds. The chaos and the confusion is partly Oya’s department. She’s that “quiet storm”. Want to create that mood. Try this spray on your sheets.
Ingredients:
- 3+6 black peppercorns
- 3 cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 10 drops rose oil
- 5 drops patchouli oil
- 10 drops China Rain or cyclamen
- 10 drops sweetgrass oil
- 5 drops cinnamon oil
Instructions:
- Give observances to Eshu and Oya.
- Mix, and wrap it up for 9 days.
- Give the first spray to Oya.
Your Quiet Storm is ready to rain down. Spray a bit on the sheets. Keep it light. 🙂
Student Photos
Here is some Sweep! made by Arden:
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Alafia, Adupe pupo for sharing this information and tools.