Oya

Mistress of the Nine Winds

Oya is the Yoruba orisha of winds, storms, and transformation, mistress of the tempest and guardian of the gates of the dead. Wife and fierce companion of Shango, she rides the whirlwind and the lightning, wielding a blade and a horsetail whisk to clear the way for change. She commands the Niger River and the marketplace, and her gusting fury topples whatever has outlived its time.