#its in the black and white view of the world

[thesirenisles]

Honoring Yemaya: Goddess of the New Year

"She dances on the surface of the ocean, silver and blue and pearly white in the Sun and Moon.  But in a storm–watch out!" -Nisi Shawl

Today is the first Moon day of 2025! I felt a calling to place the spotlight on the "Mother of All Living Things" and honor her energy as we proceed into the New Year. Enjoy!

Introduction

Yoruba spirituality is a vibrant and deeply rooted religious tradition that encompasses a wide range of deities (or Orishas) and philosophical principles, originating amongst the Yoruba people of West Africa. Following the diaspora of its people, this religious tradition birthed similar variations such as Ifa, Vodin, Santeria, Hoodoo, and Candomblé amongst the people of the Western hemisphere. Orishas are comparable to Archangels and viewed as demi-deities to the Supreme Being, Olodumare. There are hundreds of them, each governing a facet of nature or human life. However, Yemaya is amongst the 7 most revered Orishas.

"The mermaid, the full moon; and intelligence beyond human comprehension."

-Luisah Teish, Priestess from "Jambalaya"

Who is Yemaya? 🌙

Yemaya (sometimes Yemoja, Yemanjá, Iemanjá) is a principal Orisha of the Ifa pantheon. Her name most closely translates to "Mother whose Children are Fish" or "Mother of the Ocean". She is also known as "Mother of All Orishas" She is the Goddess of the seas, divine creation, motherhood, fertility, birth or new beginnings, natural cycles, the moon, and protection of women and children, specifically those who have been mistreated or abused. She is said to have birthed most of the other Orishas, very powerful. Yemaya's domain includes the visible and nurturing waters of the world, her energy depicted by the vast and all-encompassing waters of the seas. The ocean waters bring life, but also have the power to destroy it.

Other associations include the Black Madonna of Regia (a Cuban depiction of the Virgin Mary) and Stella Maris "Star of the Sea", (another depiction of the Virgin Mary) that is believed to protect those who travel by sea. (see below)

Yemaya's Origins

Her mythical origins depict her as daughter of the Sky God, Olodumare. She is brought to Earth to create divine order and balance. Some accounts say she manifested from the primordial waters of her oceanic counterpart Olokun, who rules the mysteries of the depths. Yemaya and Olokun are written as husband and wife sometimes, while brother and sister in other texts. Olokun is also sometimes written without gender at all.

The two Orishas are a complimentary pair. While Yemaya rules what is visible and known of the ocean, Olokun's domain is hidden and unknown.. but still abundant with life, thus primordial. One nurtures life and the other hold its very mysteries and secret power. Duality! Worship of the Orisha spread from Africa along with the trade of African peoples, her memory a beacon of survival for the oppressed.

Goddess of the New Year

Yemaya's associations with birth and new beginnings makes her the perfect Goddess to work with for the New Year. The ocean is a reminder of where we come from and where we shall return, a cosmic force much greater than ourselves. Celebrations and rituals for the Goddess are held on beaches and at the shores to honor her energy. For example, in Brazil, Yemaya is traditionally celebrated on New Year's Eve at the height of their Summer. On the beach, they dress in shades blue and white, dance, celebrate, pray, and offer gifts to the Goddess in preparation for the New Year.

"It is common to make a papier-mache vessel, decorate it with symbols of Yemaya, and fill it with her favorite offerings before letting it float away on the sea. Sometimes, this is followed by lighting a candle set into the sand." (_) The purpose being to show gratitude for the year you've passed and pray for blessings, guidance, or luck for the year to come. In return, her waters cleanse and regenerate your spirit.

Offerings

Perfume, seashells, jewelry, pearls, mirrors, fresh white flowers, fish, watermelon, coconut cake, molasses, pomegranate, candles, rice, sweet dumplings, caramel corn, and sachet powder.

Ways to Honor Yemaya

Visit the water: Whether that's a river, lake, ocean, etc.

Offer Water: As the Goddess of the sea, you can offer water in a bowl or glass. You can place it near an image or symbol of Yemaya.

Light a Candle: Light a blue or white candle specifically, to channel her nurturing energy.

Take a Bath: Set out some fresh white flowers, seashells, and candles. Add sea salt. Take time to visualize the water cleansing your spirit.

Wearing Yemaya's Colors: White and blue can be utilized to channel her energy, similar to the candle.

Small Offerings Upon your Altar: A stature of Yemaya or something from the list above will do the trick, nothing extravagant.

Cleanse and Purify: Yemaya represents purity and renewal, so smudging your space with sage or palo santo can be a way to honor her, inviting positive energy for the new year.

Sing or Chant: The Goddess favors rhythm and the ocean's waves. You can chant her name or sing songs to her, invoking her presence with a peaceful, loving spirit.

Honor with Gratitude

While performing any of these showings of gratitude, recite words of thanks and prayer. Even if you do not practice the spirituality or religion, you are still welcome. She is an all-loving and encompassing presence, akin to the waters of the tide. She accepts all just as she birthed all, as long as she is shown gratitude and respect.

A simple prayer for the New Year:

"Yemaya, Mother of the Seas, I honor your nurturing waters and ask for your protection and blessings in the year ahead. May your love and guidance flow through my life like the waves, bringing peace, strength, and new beginnings. Grant me clarity, abundance, and health as I step into this new year. I trust in your wisdom, and I welcome your divine presence. Ashe."

In honoring Yemaya, may we be inspired to embrace the power of compassion, nurture our growth, and find balance in the vast waters of life.

Wishing you blessings all 2025! Thank you for reading!

@thesirenisles | masterlist

Photo Art credit: Pinterest, Original Botanica

[wishfairies]

1. Meghan Markle already expressed fear of being stalked

2. A lot of cooking tv Shows are filmed in sets or stage houses (do you really think celebrities are going around letting the world know how their houses look like?)

3. Considering how fast people found the stage house where the show was filmed (i think i saw it the same day as the trailer or the next one) i take it as proof that not doing it in her house as the smart choice

Also a stage house is protecting both her and the kids privacy as not showing where they live or what is their window view so stalkers can't find them

4. Meghan is a public figure. She *CHOOSE* to be a public figure 1st by becoming ab Actress and again when she said yes to Prince Harry, the kids did not

5. Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet are 5 and 3 they have no idea what a public figure means and don't even know they are Royals (There's a story on how Prince William and Princess Catherine only told George when he was 7, why would the Sussex do it diferent?)

6. A Cooking show where you hang out with your friends is not a original idea, there's millions of this type of shows. Meghan did not copy either a Black or a White woman by having her show

Also for the comments i have seen on Twitter : Feminism is about woman having choices. They can choose if they want to be "homemakers" or "boss babes" just because Meghan's new show is more home-y it doesn’t mean she is not a feminist anymore also there's a big chance that the show its being made to promote her Lifestyle A.R.O brand (and having a Netflix show it's still a form of Working)

(Also if you’re one of those people who fell the need to send me hate on anon everytime i post about a woman that the Internet hates -> unless i'm in the mood for arguing, which i'm not, your ask will be deleted. This is my blog i share MY OPINION here if you don't like the block button is free and way less work)

[bugbuoyx]

I think it's funny when people say trans men don't experience misogyny. I experience it alot as an out and proud and obvious trans person. Most folks are good, they don't blink an eye (even in the rural south) but for some you can see it like a switch. The biggest tell in my experience is they start treating you like the world's biggest idiot. Like you couldn't possibly know more than them about anything. I also tend to get babied, people stop letting me do things I was doing previously such as lifting heavy stuff and outdoorsy type work.

I just think it's ridiculous that the most basic elements of misogyny, elements that have been defined and discussed for years, no longer count as misogyny because it's directed at a trans guy. How do people even claim it's "misdirected" (which is such a bullshit word irt oppression) it's all very clearly directed at me for having formerly been a woman*. And what of my time spent living as a girl? Does all that misogyny mysteriously disappear, all of my former experiences rendered moot by the fact I'm now a guy*.

I haven't even gotten into how cis men can be misogynistic towards each other but rad fems and people who pretend they aren't rad fems but boil misogyny down to "woman only oppression" like to ignore that. What do you call it when a cis guy shames another guy by calling him a pussy? "You hit like a girl" anyone? You can't explain this away as "misdirected" because the intended target is not a girl, is not mistakenly being perceived as a girl, it is a deliberate act of misogyny in order to enforce the patriarchal status quo.

[mcytegg]

mapicc is always so aware of how squishy his friends are, and he is so mindful of it at all times 😭 like i remember during pangis wipe out vod, there was a point where jepexx logged out and he was genuinely so worried and asking what happened bc jepexx was on one heart at that point AJKIXJXJFJWJSJXJDDJDJWJ

[harbingersecho]

I don't feel pain I never escape I'm under the bed I'm licking the floor

[kindaorangey]

dude assad zaman is a good actor. did u guys know this

[that-binchh]

as much as i love reading cherik fics, i do have to turn off my brain every time because every fic seems to have a line or two about how mutant issues is the most pressing social injustice. and like as a black person, that line is so tone deaf to me because racism in the x-men world is both visible and invisible, which is actually so true to reality that it lowkey makes me sick.

[thornswoggled]

(ch 86, 74, 1, 3)

it took a long time for the manga to finally tell the full story of what happened to chises family, and i think it will take a while longer until we learn the full story of how seth met chise, and what led her to attempt suicide

i wont be "disappointed," per se, if we never see it, because it could come down to yamazaki feeling that the implication is enough, and maybe she just doesnt want to portray it explicitly for any number of reasons. but i think its important that we see her grapple with the memory of it, for the same reasons i rambled on about the dragon curse yesterday

chise is still unwilling to interrogate who she is as a person, for fear that she might not like the answer (see: "i think what i did was cruel, i wonder if im treating these people any differently than i would sheep?") its significant that when we learn of her past, we watch it as a passive observer - her memories are literally presented to her in the form of a tv with a vhs. shes able to watch without participating or being able to change anything. and thats all to be expected - she was a child without autonomy, completely beholden to the actions of adults. but when it comes to her attempt to "fly" - this is something still in fairly recent memory, and a choice she had the means to take. i believe we wont see the immediate events that led to her trafficking until chise reaches a point where she is able to wrestle with her identity and how its been informed by her ptsd. its probably why we also havent seen elias follow up on the above question from 74. if he asks her now, she wont be at a point where shes ready to answer

i think about seth and chises meeting a lot. do you think he followed her for a while before he decided to approach her? what was their brief time together like? its all very compelling to me

[dreamspring]

sigh. people putting oversimplified batman no kill rule discourse on the dash again...

[namelessprince]

you dont understand everywhere that jayson's outfit is white, lizzies is black. literally black and white.

[chappybird]

anyone else get those rpers who make their character a constant victim, and who try to tell you what to do in the actions? or even folks who dictate traits about your character. woe. i may be desperate for rp a lot, but i am so sick of it.

not an uncommon problem but I would say it's much more common amongst immature rpers with very narrow black and white world views. If their character is a victim then they can't be a perpetrator. The other thing is a sense of entitlement and poor RP skills.

[femmefaggot]

ouhh the hypocrisy i love internet so bad

[creepyclothdoll]

The Devil's Wheel

The Devil’s Wheel

“If you say yes,” said the Devil, “a single man, somewhere in the world, will be killed on the spot. But three million dollars is nothing to sneeze at, missus.”

“What’s the catch?” You squint at him suspiciously over the red-and-black striped carnival booth. You’re smarter than he thinks you are– a devil deal always has a catch, and you’re determined to catch him before he catches you. 

“Well, the catch is that you’ll know you did it. And I’ll know, too. And the big man upstairs’ll know, I ‘spose. But what’s the chariot of salvation without a little sin to grease the wheels? You can repent from your mansion balcony, looking out at your waterfront views, sipping a bellini in your eighties. But hey, it’s up to you– take my deal or leave it.”

The Devil lights a cigar without a match, taking an inhale, and blowing out a cloud of deep, sweet-smelling tobacco laced faintly with something that reminds you of rotten eggs. If he does have horns, they’re hidden under his lemon yellow carnival barker hat. He wears a clean pinstripe suit and a red bowtie. No cloven hooves, no big pointy fork, but you know he’s the Devil without having to be told. Though he did introduce himself.

He’s been perfectly polite. 

You know you need the money. He knows it too, or he wouldn’t have brought you here, to this strange dark room, whisking you away from your new house in the suburbs as fast as a wish. Now you’re in some sort of warehouse, where all the windows seem to be blacked out– or, maybe, they simply look out into pitch darkness, though it is the middle of the day. A single white spotlight shines down on the two of you. 

“Wait a minute, wait a minute,” you say. “I bet the man is someone I know, right? My husband?”

“Could be,” the Devil says with a pointed grin. “That’s for the wheel to decide.”

He steps back and raises his black-gloved hand as the tarp flies off of the large veiled object behind him. The light of the carnival wheel nearly blinds you. Blinking lights line the sides. Jingling music blares over speakers you can’t see. The flickering sign above it reads:

THE DEVIL’S WHEEL

“Step right up and claim your fortune,” the Devil barks. “Spin the wheel and pay the price! Or leave now, and a man keeps his life.”

You examine the wheel. 

The gambling addict

The doting boyfriend

The escaped convict

The dog dad

The secretive sadist

“These are all the possible men I can kill?” You ask, thumbing the side of the wheel. It rolls smoothly in your hand. Then you quickly stop, realizing that this might constitute a spin under the Devil’s rules. He flashes a smile at you, watching you halt its motion. 

“Addicts, convicts, murderers– plenty of terrible options for you to land on, missus!”

“Serial wife murderer?”

“Now who would miss a fellow like that? I can guarantee that the whole world would be better off without him in it, and that’s a fact.”

The hard worker

The compulsive liar

The animal torturer

The widower

The desperate businessman

The failed musician

The beloved son

“My husband is on here too,” you say. 

“Your husband Dave, yes. The wheel has to be fair, otherwise there’s simply no stakes.”

“I know what’s gonna happen,” you say, crossing your arms. “This wheel is rigged. I’m gonna spin it around, and it’ll go through all the killers and stuff, and then it’s gonna land on my husband no matter what.”

“Why, I would never disgrace the wheel that way,” the Devil says, wounded. “I swear on my own mother’s grave– may she never escape it. In fact, take one free spin, just to test it out! This one’s on me, no death, no dollars.”

You cautiously reach up to the top of the wheel and feel its heaviness in your hand. The weight of hundreds of lives. But also, millions of dollars. You pull the wheel down and let it go.

Clackity-clackity-clackity-clackity

Round and round it goes. 

The college graduate

The hockey fan

The Eagle Scout

The cold older brother

The charming younger brother

The two-faced middle child

The perfectionist

The slob 

Your husband Dave

Clackity-clackity-clackity.

Finally, the wheel lands on a name. A title, really.

The photographer

“Hmm, tough, missus, but that’s the way of the wheel. But hey, look! Your husband is allllll the way over here,” he points with his cane to the very bottom of the wheel, all the way on the other side from where the arrow landed. “As you can see, it’s not rigged. The wheel truly is random.”

“So… there really isn’t another catch?” You ask. 

“Isn’t it enough for you to end a man’s life? You need a steeper price? If you’re really such a glutton for punishment, I’ll gladly re-negotiate the terms.”

“No, no… wait.” You examine the wheel, glancing between it and the Devil.

You really could use that three million dollars. Newly married, new house, you and your husband’s combined debt– those student loans really follow you around. He’s quite a bit older than you, and even he hasn’t paid them off yet, to the point where the whole time you were dating you watched him stress out about money. You had to have a small, budget wedding, and a small, budget honeymoon. Three million dollars could be big for the two of you. You could re-do your honeymoon and go somewhere nice, like Hawaii, instead of just taking two weeks in Atlantic City. You deserve it. 

Even so, do you really want to kill an innocent photographer? Or an innocent seasonal allergy sufferer? Or an innocent blogger? Just because you don’t know or love these people doesn’t mean that someone doesn’t. 

The cancer survivor

The bereaved

The applicant

Some of these were so vague. They could be anyone, honestly. Your neighbors, your father, your friends…

The newlywed

The ex-gifted kid

The uncle

The Badgers fan

“My husband is a Badgers fan,” you say.

“How lovely,” the Devil says. 

Then it hits you.

Of course.

The weightlifter.

The careful driver.

The manager.

The claustrophobe.

Your husband Dave lifts weights at the gym twice a month. You wouldn’t call him a pro, but he does it. He also drives like he’s got a bowl of hot soup in his lap all the time, because he’s afraid of being pulled over. He just got promoted to management at his company, and he takes the stairs to his seventh-story office because he hates how small and cramped the elevator is.

“I get your game,” you announce. “You thought you could get me, but I figured you out, jackass!” “Oh really? What is my game, pray tell?” The Devil responds, leaning against his cane.

“All these different titles– they’re all just different ways to describe the same guy. My husband isn’t one notch on the wheel, he’s every notch. No matter what I land on, Dave dies. I’m wise to your tricks!” 

The Devil cackles. 

“You’re a clever one, that’s for sure. I thought you’d never figure it out.”

“Thanks but no thanks, man,” you say with a triumphant smirk. “I’m no rube. No deal. Take me back home.”

“As you wish, missus,” the Devil says. He snaps his fingers, and you’re gone, back to your brand-new house with your new husband. “Don’t say I never tried to help anyone.”

[bluinary]

Reblogging this before everyone hops on the "you should've known better" train

I'm convinced I have the worst vibes detector of all time. I used to be a fan of Creepshow Art, iilluminaughtii, and James Somerton- all high-profile creators who got their careers tanked because they're bad people. Given the absolutely huge number of creators I subscribe to it's not surprising that this has happened multiple times, but still.

Then again, when I expressed this sentiment in the past and kicked myself for not being more aware of the red flags, someone told me that means I just want to see the good in people and am more willing to forgive faults than others are. I think that's spot-on tbh; I'm a very naive and forgiving person, which has often been taken advantage of. But it's just my nature, I can't help it.

This will inevitably happen to me again, but I'd rather not beat myself up over not constantly being attuned to every red flag people give off.

[and-this-of-all-my-hopes]

So, I feel like I’m losing my mind. I keep seeing metas about how Aziraphale wants Crowley to return to Heaven and be an angel again because he wants them to be on the same side/be good/change/etc., etc., etc. but I don’t see that at all. I actually see it as the very opposite.

Aziraphale loves Crowley just as he is. But there’s something more. Something huge.

Aziraphale loves Crowley and because he is an angel who is stuck in seeing things as black and white, he constantly praises Crowley for being nice. For being good. For being kind.

Aziraphale has watched Crowley on and off for 6,000 years. He watched him thwart the plans of Heaven and Hell because it was unjust. He spared the lives of innocents. He did small things that made Aziraphale happy just because (like making Hamlet successful and saving valuable books). And because Aziraphale sees things in black and white, he sees all the things Crowley has done as nice, as good, as kind.

Crowley vehemently attests he’s not nice or good or kind.

He’s not exactly wrong nor is he lying when he says this. When Crowley spares goats during a cruel bet over a righteous man and swallowing laudanum to prevent a suicide, when he prevents Armageddon by working with Aziraphale and stopping the Anti-Christ from being the Anti-Christ, he’s not doing the nice/good/kind thing.

He’s doing the right thing.

Crowley chooses to do the right thing without hesitation. He is better than all of Heaven and Hell who have callous and dispassionate view of all existence because he questions, because he makes choices. Crowley sees the world for all its messiness and he sees himself. He sees a place where he fits in. He sees the blurred edges.

And Aziraphale sees that, even if seeing the blurred edges is hard for him.

But here’s the thing that Aziraphale can’t voice.

It’s the reason why he told Crowley about being allowed to return to Heaven and become an angel again. He doesn’t want Crowley to change. He doesn’t think Crowley is flawed. Or not enough.

It’s something that is so monumental that it cannot be put into words. Because to put it into words would be more than blasphemy. It’s down right unthinkable for anyone in Heaven, Hell, or Earth to say what Aziraphale knows deep in his soul.

God was wrong to cast out Crowley.

Aziraphale believes Crowley can/should return to Heaven because he knows that Crowley should never have fallen in the first place. He wants him to be forgiven because when Crowley fell it was unjust. Aziraphale is trying to correct a mistake. He’s trying to do the right thing.

Yes, Crowley would never accept returning to Heaven. And Aziraphale was wrong to even suggest it (although that conversation is another can of worms to unpack).

Aziraphale loves Crowley. He loves him exactly as he is. He doesn’t want him to change. Aziraphale knows that Crowley the best of all of them. He wants to change Heaven because of it. Because God was wrong and Aziraphale knows it.

Aziraphale may have difficulty seeing beyond black and white, but when it comes to Crowley he sees everything crystal clear and in vivid color.

[spittingoutthebloodandscreaming]

People keep trying to rehabilitate radf*m ideology only to trip and fall into rancid ideas as a result, can we just stop trying please. Its not the seventies anymore and there are more than two available forms of feminism