Omolú

Omolú, son of Nanã, was born with a body covered with wounds.

His mother was frightened by his condition and, as she did not know how to care for him, abandoned him in the shade of some rocks.

His cry caught the eye of Iyemanjá, who saw him and immediately rescued him.

Iyemanjá, the "mother of all", was not afraid to take care of him. She loved him as if she were her own son, healed his wounds and only scars remained on the child's skin.

Omolú was incredibly beautiful: the only flaw being these scars.

Omolú was ashamed of the scars and did not want to be seen by the other orixás. Therefore, he was hidden.

One day all the Orixás got together for a party. Ogum noticed Omolú's absence and asked for him. When he realized that Omolú was not showing up because he was ashamed of his condition, Ogum entered the forest and prepared for Omolú a straw cover that would cover his entire body. With this new costume, Omolú felt comfortable to join all the other Orixás at the party. But he didn't dance. In fact, Omolú is very reserved and attentive.

At a certain point, Iansã approached him and the wind blew over him. His hood was lifted and his scars transformed into a shower of popcorn. At that very moment, he appeared in his radiant and amazing beauty.

Omolú never resented his mother Nanã for abandoning him. On the contrary, surrounded and supported by Iyemanjá's unconditional love, he grew up loving his natural mother and thanking him because all his sufferings allowed him to evolve spiritually.

He understood the greatness of being received by someone who was not his natural mother and being raised by her and loved as his own son.

He experienced the greatest pain of all, that of abandonment, and the greatest love of all: the unconditional love of motherhood.

He let the love that Iyemanjá gave him heal his wounded soul, and allowed himself to love and return the love received also to the person who hurt him most and most deeply: his mother.

Omolú embodies the power of love.

But more and more importantly, he embodies the transforming force of pain personally experienced and overcome with love.

We find Omolú in the abandoned children, the marginalized, the homeless.

And we find Omolú in all caregivers who, at any level, spend their lives helping the needy.

Omolú is transformation, healing of diseases and relief for the pain of the soul.

Atotô!