Offering to Iemanjá: see how to please her and tips to make your own!

Yemanja is the African deity of salt water, motherhood, fertility, family and protection. The day of Iemanjá is celebrated on February 2nd throughout Brazil, with many offerings and celebrations and, in some places, it is celebrated on December 8th as Nossa Senhora da Conceição in syncretism.

In these celebrations people wear white clothes, go out in procession and can take popcorn baths. If they are held in coastal cities, the celebrations are held by the sea, with many white roses being offered to Iemanjá.

Whether in celebrations, religious houses or just to make a request, many offerings are made to the Queen of the Sea. Such offerings can be white roses, orchids, chrysanthemums, candles and clothes. Typically, offerings are delivered to the seaside. Learn more about Iemanjá in this article and learn how to make an offering!

Iemanjá is the mother of almost all orixás, mother of all heads and protector of fishermen and family. This Iabá (female orixá) is highly respected, loved and worshiped within Afro-Brazilian religions such as Umbanda and Candomblé, which are better known. More information about Iemanjá will be discussed in the next topics. Check out!

Iemanjá is a very important Iabá for being the orixá that gave rise to the various deities of African religions. According to the stories, Iemanjá is the daughter of Olokum, the ruler of the seas, from whom she got a potion to escape danger, and married Oduduá, with whom she had ten orisha children.

Due to her children’s breastfeeding, her breasts became bigger and fuller, bringing a feeling of shame to Iabá. Tired of marriage, she decided to leave Oduduá and go in search of her own happiness. Over time, she married Okerê, however, this union was unhappy.

By drinking too much, Okerê acted rudely with Iemanjá when talking about her breasts. So Iabá ran away disappointed. Okerê pursued her to get her back and, to escape this persecution, Iemanjá decided to take the potion that her father had given her. So Iemanjá turned into a river to flow into the sea.

To retrieve it, Okerê turned into a mountain to block its path. However, her son Xangô helped her, creating passages through the mountain valleys. Finally, Iemanjá managed to continue her path until she reached the sea, becoming the Queen of the Sea.

As an African deity, Iemanjá is represented as a black woman with long, dark, wavy hair. However, there is a more popular representation in Brazil in which the skin color is white and has long, straight and dark hair. She may be holding a mirror (abebé), her sacred object, which reflects everything that is opposite, or she may have open arms.

Regarding the body, it is an adult woman with wide hips and full breasts, symbolizing pregnancy, motherhood and nutrition. Because she is the goddess of salt water, or mermaid mother, other images represent her as a mermaid, upper half woman, lower half fish.

Iemanjá wears a long, light blue dress with long sleeves and a silver starfish or shell crown on her head. The clothing style can also change to a strapless dress, with large bows at the waist and near the neck at the back, colored light blue.

In relation to the other orixás, Iemanjá is the wife of Oxalá and mother of Ogun, Oxossi, Xangô, Omolu, Exu and some others. She also adopted Obaluaê and has the ability to love and care for all her children, whether orishas or humans. According to the stories, Iemanjá has no rivalries with other orishas, ​​while Oxum has friction with Iansã and Obá.

While Iemanjá is the female orixá of salt water, Oxum is the female orixá of fresh water. Both are water deities, the difference between them is that while Iemanjá governs the family, sentimentality and protection, Oxum governs gold, financial prosperity and gestation. However, both govern fertility, emotional and love.

When talking about religious syncretism, Iemanjá is the African deity of salt waters and is associated with Nossa Senhora dos Navegantes, however, it also has other associations such as Nossa Senhora das Candeias, Nossa Senhora da Conceição, Nossa Senhora da Piedade and even Virgin Mary.

These associations emerged in the 18th century through the clash of African religions brought by blacks with Catholicism, at the time of slavery. The Catholic Church tried to force slaves to adhere to Christian doctrine in their lives, wanting to prevent the performance of worship and the execution of activities of their beliefs.

Iemanjá’s children are very emotional, they seem docile and fragile, but, like the sea itself, they can react very intensely. They are attached to the family, treat everyone with education and affection. A striking feature is how loving they are, they tend to be overprotective and like to take great care of those they love, even when people have attitudes that hurt and hurt.

Moreover, if the children of this Iabá feel deceived or go beyond the limits, they end up becoming vindictive and spiteful. The hearts of Yemanja’s children are huge, they end up taking on the responsibilities and problems of others and burdening themselves with it. The desire to take care of loved ones is greater than anything else and, because of that, they are easily disappointed.

There are several prayers to Yemanja, either to open paths, or for protection or for other areas of life. The following prayer is for protection, author unknown.

“Divine mother, protector of fishermen and who governs humanity, give us protection. Oh sweet Yemanja, clean our auras, deliver us from all temptations. You are the force of nature, beautiful goddess of love and kindness (order her). Help us by unloading our materials from all impurities and may your phalanx protect us, giving us health and peace. May your will be done. Odoya!

Plants, flowers, leaves and herbs are used for baths, offerings, such as natural incense, room smoke and also being burned in candles, depending on the ritual, magic or sympathy you are performing. Each orixá has its plants, flowers and herbs.

The most popular Yemanja leaves and herbs are lavender, lavender, jasmine, white rose, orange blossom and hydrangea. The other types of plant of this Iabá are marine moss, cow’s paw, Marianinha, Araçá da praia and lily of the marsh. Normally, they are used for cleaning and unloading baths.

Each orixá is pleased in a different way, it has its own plants, foods, colors, aromas and this is no different with Iemanjá. Usually, these treats are made as offerings when making a request, wish or as a thank you.

To please the Queen of the Sea, bet on sweets and fruits such as hominy, manjar and plum or peach syrup. As for the offerings made with flowers, white roses, orchids and chrysanthemums are delivered to the seaside, accompanied by blue, pink and white candles.

White roses are easy to find flowers to buy in flower shops and even in some markets. They are the flowers most used as offerings by people, especially in the new year, by the sea, when making requests by jumping the 7 waves. Continue reading and learn how to make an offering to Iemanjá!

First, any type of offering must be carried out with the guidance of a person responsible for Umbanda or Candomblé, as each one has its own way of being offered to each orisha. Talk to a Mãe or Pai de Santo before making an offering.

White roses are the most common and easily accessible offerings, delivered on New Year’s Eve, when jumping the 7 waves of the sea, in celebrations of Iemanjá’s day on February 2nd, in unloading baths and opening paths or in other specific situations.

Baths made with flowers are also performed outside the celebration days to open paths, to clean, purify and discharge negative energies, ask for a new love, a new job, for protection.

Next, learn how to make a Bath for the Purification of Yemanja. You will need:

2 liters of water
1 handful of coarse salt
Petals of a white rose
1 tablespoon Lavender Sap

Crush the rose petals, add the other ingredients and mix. Say a prayer to Yemanja while preparing the bath, asking for purification and renewal of energy. Let the ingredients boil in the water for 2 or 3 minutes, turn off the heat and let it cool.

After finishing the common bath, throw the Yemanja bath from the neck down. Do this process calmly, while mentalizing your desires and keeping positive thoughts. This bath must be performed on a Saturday.

In addition to flowers, candles and clothing, maritime objects such as shells and food are also used as offerings to the Queen of the Sea. The most common foods are hominy, manjar and some dishes made with fish and coconut milk. In the next topics, see a hominy recipe for Iemanjá.

Remember that any type of offering must be made with the guidance of an Umbanda or Candomblé person, so that everything is done correctly. Food can also be offered in celebrations, services and when making requests. If you attend any Umbanda or Candomblé house, talk to the person in charge of the place.

Offerings are considered beautiful gifts that must be delivered to the seaside. When offering food or other products that are perishable, they must be placed in specific places, such as a forest or a field.

Next, see a recipe for Manjar de Coco for Iemanjá. You will need:

1 can of condensed milk
1 glass of coconut milk
2 cans of milk (measurement made with condensed milk can)
3 tablespoons of cornstarch
1 white or light blue dinnerware plate
1 quart of white or light blue dinnerware with handles
1 bottle of white champagne
White roses in odd number

Mix all the ingredients, bring to a medium heat and stir without pause until the manjar releases from the bottom of the pan, forming a very firm porridge. Pour the contents into a pudding mold and let it cool. Unmould the manjar on a white plate and garnish with the roses.

This is a very simple delicacy recipe to please Iemanjá, very sweet and tasty. There are others…