Re-Membering the Divine Feminine: Yemaya—Mother of All, Keeper of the Sacred Waters

Throughout April, we’re celebrating the sacred energies of the Divine Feminine, showcasing goddess archetypes from cultures around the world as mirrors for your own spiritual and soulful empowerment. Today, we turn our attention to Yemaya, the revered Yoruba goddess of the ocean, maternal protector of all life, and keeper of healing waters.

Who is Yemaya?

Yemaya (also spelled Yemoja or Iemanjá) originates from the Yoruba religion of West Africa and has been embraced across the African diaspora, especially in the Caribbean and Latin America. She is known as the mother of all Orishas—divine beings who serve as intermediaries between the Creator and humanity.

Associated with the nurturing yet powerful energy of the ocean, Yemaya is both healer and warrior. She is the womb of life itself, the flowing river of emotion and intuition, and the sacred tide that washes away pain. She governs the moon, femininity, fertility, and the cycles of birth and rebirth. Her name is often translated as “Mother whose children are the fish”—a poetic recognition of her vast, unconditional love for all beings.

Why Yemaya Still Matters

Have you ever stood at the ocean’s edge, and felt the immense strength? Have you listened to the rhythm of the tides? Felt the power of the moon’s cycles to move the ocean and to move you? Maybe you’ve felt small, yet empowered all at once as you absorb the negative ions of the water….

In a world that praises hustle over healing, and control over connection, Yemaya’s energy invites us to soften—without losing our strength. She reminds us that true power flows, it doesn’t force. Yemaya isn’t passive; she is protective, wise, and unyielding when it comes to defending what matters. But she operates through intuition, empathy, and grace.

If you’ve been longing for a deeper connection with yourself, your emotions, or the sacred rhythm of life, Yemaya is the goddess who meets you where you are—with compassion, not condemnation. She teaches that nurturing yourself is not a luxury. It’s a necessity.

Water as a Portal to the Divine Feminine

Yemaya’s sacred element is water, the original source of all life and the great purifier. In her presence, you’re invited to cleanse away shame, grief, and guilt—ancestral and personal. Her ocean swells with the sacred feminine: emotional depth, intuition, and cyclical wisdom. And in her waves, you’re reminded that you are not broken—you are becoming.

Divine Feminine Prompt:

🌊 Take a cleansing bath or meditate with water today. Let it be an intentional moment of connection to your body, your emotions, and your feminine essence. Visualize Yemaya’s ocean flowing through you, releasing what no longer serves, and filling you with serenity and strength.

Use this moment to honor your own depths. Just as the tide ebbs and flows, you are allowed to shift, to surrender, and to rise again.

Yemaya Lives in You

As you embody Yemaya’s energy, you begin to re-member your divine feminine essence: intuitive, nurturing, powerful, and in tune with the natural cycles. Whether you cry, dance, or simply breathe deeply today, do it with reverence for the sacred sea within you.

There is no one right way to be a goddess. But when you choose to honor yourself—fully, compassionately, and without apology—you awaken the ancient memory of who you’ve always been.

Join us tomorrow as we continue our journey into divine feminine embodiment. If Yemaya speaks to your soul, stay with her. Let her be your guide as you flow through the rest of this sacred month.

And if you’re just beginning to feel the stirrings of the goddess within—trust that you’re exactly where you need to be.