YEMAYA - Queen Mother of the Sea

YEMAYA (Yemana)
 Santeria

 Yemaya is a Mother Goddess, associated with the ocean. (As well as other bodies of water; lakes, rivers, etc) As the tides of all bodies of water are related to the moon, so is Yemaya associated as a Moon Goddess. She is known to be compassionate and nurturing, but also fierce - especially as a protector of her loved ones.  Yemaya is the Mother of all living things, owner of all waters and in Santeria, the orisha of Motherhood.

 Yemaya teaches us about balance, about the ebb and flow of life like the tides. She guides us to find balance between our emotional selves (water) and physical being (earth) and as such she is a powerful matriarch goddess to call upon for help with;
Balance
Release
Cycles
Healing
Mother/Daughter relationships
Feminine issues
Menstrual cycles
Fertility
Protection
Environmental issues (especially for oceans and bodies of water and/or sea animals)

Colors; White, Blue, Sea-Green
Symbols; Water, Sea Shells, White Roses, Dolphins, Sea Turtles, Opal, Silver, Coins, coconut, Watermelon, Honey, and the number Seven

Some links to more info;

http://craftychickscuppacoffee.blogspot.com/2010/05/my-yemaya-shrine-prayer-yemaya.html

http://wn.com/prayer_to_yemaya

http://www.aboutsanteria.com/yemayaacute.html

http://santeriachurch.org/the-orishas/yemaya/

http://www.mythicrhythm.com/yemaya-within-cultivating-unconditional-love/

XIV Balance: Yemana

 From The Goddess Tarot by Kris Waldherr
"Yemana, the Santeria goddess of the ocean is often called upon to provide rain: water that brings forth life and nurtures the earth, like waters of the womb. She symbolizes the divine balance between heaven and earth. Card meanings; experiencing or seeking a deep sense of harmony and union. Integration. Moderation. Balance between spiritual and physical."

In other tarot decks - Temperance.

This card appears now as Yemana is urging you to find or create balance in your life. Too much focus on one area of your life has possibly caused you to overlook or ignore another part of your life. Call on Yemana (Yemaya) to help cleanse away the unnecessary aspects of life with her gentle, rain-like healing. Ask for clarity to help you see what needs to be balanced in your life, and take steps to rebalance it. Yemaya can also help you to take those steps, and to remember that life is always in a state of give and take - like the ebb and flow of the ocean's tides in relation to the phases of the moon.