Lady of the Ocean, Queen of Mothers, Mother of the Children of the Fishes. She is the River of Life, the ocean is her womb, and she is the mother of many of the Orishas. Yemaya shares the oceans with her lover / brother / son / brother-self, Olokun, and She governs the uppermost part of the waters where the sun’s rays mingle with Her waters to promote life and growth. Yemaya is everlasting, She is motherhood, the universal drive for the survival of a species, the procreative urge, the instinct of a mother protecting her young, and She is the governess of all life on Earth. She is the Most Fruitful of Women, and both She and Olokun are the protectors and benefactors of those who wish to conceive. Yemoya, being the mother of Shango, also has jurisdiction over rain and snow. She has seven roads and seven manifestations, all corresponding to the Seven Seas. She is the blood that pumps through our veins, and the sound of our blood rushing through our bodies is Her lullaby. She is in constant motion, never resting, ever vigilant and though she may seem calm on the surface, there is always activity within Her waters. The Great Mother possesses breathtaking beauty, patience and a gentle hand, yet She is also fearsome, temperamental, moody and stern. She nurtures her children, but She is also a disciplinarian. She is symbolized by the fish, mermaid, seagull, wharf rat, ibis, vulture and duck, and She shares the beauty of the peacock feather with Oshun. Her ofrenda is a bounty of melons and grapes, strewn with the petals of the flowers of motherhood, draped with sea mosses.
Claire –
This is a very lovely scent. It starts out smelling very strongly of fresh grass and greenery (especially in the bottle), but it softens a bit when worn, balanced out by the scent of lilac and hints of other flowers. It really does capture a verdant forest and the scent is very lasting through the day.
oonakali –
My most beloved scent made by BPAL I love to get it once more even by a different name never wanted to surround myself in a smell as much as this. It is the hope of spring and the lilac bush out in front of my house after a spring rain.
wickedphd –
When I was a little girl, my grandmother had a lilac bush that, to tiny me, was as large as a tree. I used to play under it all day and into dusk when I parents picked me. This scent is that lilac bush, and my childhood under it, in a bottle. The first time I sniffed it I burst into tears. I hope it restocks soon.
WinteryCate –
Absolutely exquisite. This is the scent of an ancient, moon-dappled forest when the lilacs are all in full bloom. Rather than being a strong floral, it’s a damp, green scent that captures lilac blossoms just as they’re opening. I’d say it’s either a more mature scent, or one that’s better suited to magical summer evenings.
When I wear it to bed, I have the most incredible dreams…
Leona –
A very grassy, green scent. Like broken green twigs and moss, and some sort of floral scent I can’t quite identify but it makes me think of the forests that I used to play in as a child. Perhaps moon flowers?
All in all a beautiful scent, very clean and dry.