Ochumare/Oxumare: African Orisha of Direct Movement, Guardian of Children, The serpent, The Rainbow

Ochumare/Oxumare: African Orisha of Direct Movement, Guardian of Children, The serpent, The Rainbow

Ochumare represents the union between heaven and Earth, the balance between the men and the Orishas. It is androgynous and represents the movement, the permanence and the wealth. He is the assistant of Chango and the Crown of Yemaya. He is the son of Nana Buruku  Iroko and Babaluaye are his brothers. His cult comes from territory Yewe, this reached its peak in the 19th century, but has been lost due to the few who have the secrets. It is said that you helped cure the blindness of Olodumare, when it offered him to reside in the Orun. His colors are related to Oya and worship him through Yemaya. Oshumare’s cult is also through the Babalawos. His Elekes are made with 7 transparent accounts interspersed with 11 yellow and 11 Golden.

In Yoruba mythology, Oshunmare is a divine serpent connected to the Orixa Oxumare. Oxumare (O Shoo Mah Ray) is the serpent which is believed to create the rainbow, both male and female, and is a symbol of creation, human procreation and the link between the world of the mundane and that of the ancestors.

Oxumare is also one of the Orixa that can changes sex. Some Orixa such as Oxossi have a path of the opposite sex (i.e. La Penya). Oxumare is male in some parts of the year and female in the other. In some Houses, Oxumare spends half the year with a male top and female bottom, and half with a female top and male bottom. Damballah Wedo is Oxumare's counterpart among the Fon based Lwa of the Vodoun religion. Like Damballah Wedo, Oxumare is a rainbow serpent. He/She is the messenger from Olodumare.

This idea is more a part of worship in the Americas than it is in West Africa.

Among the African Yoruba, Olodumare (God) is essentially unreachable. Thus the Orixa. They are our intermediaries and helpers, because Olodumare has more important things to do than worry about the lives of humans. Oxumare is something of an exception to that generality. Oxumare brings messages to us directly from Olodumare. As such He/She is very important for our welfare.

When a Spirit Medium is working, it is very often Oxumare who holds place while another Orixa is being called.

In some groups, Oxumare is said to be a messenger of Xango. Other groups consider Him/Her to be more powerful, not limited to a single Orixa.