London Rivers Week 2024: Honouring Mama Osun

We enjoyed it so much last year that the Annual Osun River Ritual organisers and Thames21 are again inviting you to this special tribute to the river goddess Mama Osun. This event is part of the celebration for London Rivers Week.

Osun is the river deity (Orisa) of sweet waters. She is the symbol of abundance, beauty, creativity, fertility, joy, love, sensuality and so much more. The Ifa tradition of the Yoruba, from which she stems, acknowledges her importance to the environment and human life.

Without her, nothing can be produced, nothing grows or is reproduced, since she represents the force of nature that expresses creativity, nurture and divine love.

The River Thames, into which flows the Wandle River where we usually celebrate Mama Osun, is constantly bombarded with toxic waste. Wet wipes, plastic bottles and several other hazardous items are thrown into the river every single day. This is a violation of the sacredness of water and therefore of Mama Osun. All indigenous communities have sacred symbols and rituals that promote harmony with our environment. It is our collective responsibility to embrace this harmony by celebrating and preserving our rivers.

You are invited to celebrate Mama Osun as a symbol of our life and love for our environment. We will gather at Battersea Bridge Southside, do a brief clean up, followed by a communal and collective offering of the dainties she adores. This is a wonderful therapeutic and feel good experience – bring the family, children (big and small) would love it!

REGISTER HERE: https://book.plinth.org.uk/e/y13eIrwYCO4u77JxHfWB

Her favourite items (ebos), which you can bring to add to the collective offering include:

• Light coloured fruits (melons, mangos, tangerines, bananas, golden delicious apples, etc)
• Honey, sweets (unwrapped) and Brown sugar (even molasses), sweet biscuits
• sweet drinks, sweet, sensual fragrance (incense)
• coconuts, nuts, pumpkins, pumpkin seeds,
• flowers (yellow and white, especially) (lots of flowers)
• coins, fans and shells , mirrors, fans…
• plantain, sweet potato, cornmeal and sweet corn

Please note the above is not exhaustive. Also, you do not need to bring all, but what you would like to add to the collective offering. You may wish to make your own personal offering to the river.

*Bring any kind of musical instruments (bells, especially), to call on the river goddess during the offering.

What to wear

We all wear white or yellow or both in her honour (yes even to do a clean up!) She is always stunning looking, which is why we keep her sacred waters pristine too.

NOTE: you will be provided with clean-up equipment (boots, gloves, bags, etc.) but you MUST CONFIRM that you will be attending so we have enough supply.

Where to meet

We meet just across the road from the Battersea Bridge Southside entrance: look for the Thames21 vehicle. Buses 170, 319, 19, 345, 49 will take you there.

Time

Assemble at 15.15pm

If you’d like to know more about Osun, there are plenty of resources online about her, but do check out the links below.

Any questions, do contact us.

We look forward to sharing this beautiful experience with you.

Do bring enough water and wear appropriate clothing to accommodate for the weather.

*** Please arrive at 15.15pm to grab equipment and hear the health and safety advice.***

SIMILAR EVENTS

Who is Mama Osun: Why do we honour her https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ctPnl0dagGA&t=743s

REGISTER HERE: https://book.plinth.org.uk/e/y13eIrwYCO4u77JxHfWB