River Clean-Up And offering to Mami Osun

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

So who is Osun?

She is the river deity (Orisa) of sweet waters. As a symbol of abundance, beauty, creativity, fertility, joy, love, sensuality and so much more, honouring her is always a joy. In the Ifa tradition of the Yoruba,  Mami Osun is also acknowledged for 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.

Where do we honour this beautiful Orisa?

We go to the River Thames  into which flows the Wandle River. Sadly, the Thames 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.

Meeting place:

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. Be on time to do a brief clean up, followed by a communal and collective offering of the dainties Mami Osun adores.

Time

Assemble at 15.15pm

The take away

You’re in for a wonderful therapeutic and feel good experience – why not bring the family, children – they will love it!

What offerings to bring

·       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)

·       coins, fans and shells , mirrors, fans…

·       plantain, sweet potato, cornmeal and sweet corn

The above is not exhaustive. Remember, 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.

Also 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.

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.

In the meantime, 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.***

Please view more info here: https://youtu.be/9ofmMGrJ-F0?si=pcTV8tp0rtcQRFao