Ochun

Saint: Our Lady of Charity (La Caridad del Cobre), Cuba's patron Saint.
Day of the Week: Saturday. It is the day that lovers must act if they want their love returned.
Colors and Collars (Ilekes):
Coral and amber. The collar is strung with yellow and red beads. Amber and coral are to be used if the Santero has the money. The collar is made up of five amber beads followed by five coral beads. Then, one amber bead alternates with one coral bead five times. The pattern is repeated to obtain the desired length.
Sacrificial Animals:
Neutered or female goat, white chickens, sheep, female calf, female pig, female rabbit. Ochun does not like any other type of bird. Her sacrifices should be made next to rivers or other sources of flowing sweet water.
Sacrificial Foods:
Ochin-Ochin (spinach with shrimp) and pumpkins. Her fruit is the lucuma. All of her food should be liberally garnished with honey. Ochun drinks chamomille tea. The water for the tea, and all water used in a ceremony for Ochun, should be river water.

All offerings to Ochun must be extremely clean and well prepared. She will not enter a dirty house.
Herbs:
Rose, sunflowers, Indian lotus, morasun, alambrilla, frescura, cucaracha, hierba nina, arabito, mazorquilla, paraguita morada, hierba fina, ale and female ferns, creeping crowfoot, purslane, oranges and orange leaves, papaya, amber, anise seed and flower, peppergrass, marigold, sow thistle, river weeds, seaweed, white hamelias, plantain, vervain, lantana, purple grapes, maidenhair fern, rosemary, wild lettuce.
Ornaments:
Copper is Ochun's metal and she is sometimes represented by a gourd crowned by festive feathers and filled with copper pennies. She also loves gold and her chief ornaments consist of a golden crown with five points. From the points, hang five rays, five spears or five arrows. Ochun also owns two oars, a bell, and five bracelets. She loves fans made of peacock feathers.

       Ochun is the most beautiful Orisha.She is sexy,flirtatious and    happy.As goddess of rivers,she loves to bathe naked in natural springs.

As Chango's wife, she is understanding of the difficulties in love and marriage. She also helps those with money problems, since she controls the purse strings in Chango's household. But, the petitioner should beware, Ochun can take money away as easily as she bestows it.

Ochun loves parties and celebrations. No one has ever seen her cry. When Ochun takes over the body of a believer during a "golpe de Santo", she laughs continuously and puts on the airs of a distinguished society lady. Her arrival is always greeted with the words, "yeye dari yeyeo'.

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