Today after a release of Beyonce’s visual art and music in which she speaks of some pretty significant symbology that may be tied to West African rooted practices, my time line and inbox was a buzz with Team Orisa Hashtags and references or comparisons of Beyonce representing Oshun in this blazing Glory... and something did not sit well in my spirit the moment I heard it let alone saw it...
Do not get me wrong there is no Hateration on my part as while I cannot claim to be part of the Beehive by any means I do find Beyonce entertaining and talented.
The issue I have are the obvious ones in which the empowered beautiful women gets to have water gush through and from her, while she wears yellow and go apeshit on a neighborhood while being applauded for her power in her stride and beauty.
My issue as an Olorisa is that there was simply not enough for me to see Oshun there past the obvious good looks and perhaps golden hued clothing.
See the problematic lenz by which Oshun is often seen is this aesthetically pleasing eye catching woman who captivates men and women alike, men want her women want to be her. The issue is by that standard Ive seen other empowered feminine Orisa also “water” deities who embody this very thing as well to various degrees.
Why was it so easy to see Oshun in that imagery and not Oya, Yemoja, Obba Nani?
The reasoning comes from this standard by which beauty is measured that boxes the Divine feminine and how it manifest physically through ones fashion or general expression.
I wonder if Gaby Sidibe shot this visual art in a yellow gown would people be seeing this Oshun imagery? If it was Viola Davis, or Tachina Arnold, or Cicely Tyson or any of the various beautiful black woman of different ages, skin tones, body shapes and such, would this celebrated and glorified image of Oshun be identified?
I think Beyonces look, and dare I even say her skin complexion and well kept flowing hair helps aid the notion of her beauty and touches on a under current of colorist thinking prevalent in the new world and diaspora. I believe this would not have been afforded to perhaps some other women in the industry.
I personally think its important to see that Obba Nani, Yemoja and Oya are present in a woman's power and dare I say Ire, the awesome beauty seen in the destructive flood of the river banks, can likewise be seen in the fire, the Tsunami or the tornado/ maelstrom. The mix of an empowered walk and equal confident beauty exhibited in the powerful woman is not exclusive to Oshun alone, not by any means. That could have easily been other female orisa manifesting through a woman who found an outlet to her pain by destroying and deconstructing things around her until she got to herself and allowed herself to go through the same process so that healing can occur, and in turn the next step of her journey into further loving herself and resetting expectations and standards for the next possible relationship.
Again this is nothing against the Artist Beyonce, but a plea for folks to adjust their lens a bit and perhaps see the many facetted divine feminine as it exist in all women at various stages in their life. Look past the obvious and perhaps delve into the deeper understanding of Orisa as they manifest physically and spiritually.
That is all...
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