Bushmama Africa Lucumi Initiation

Yemaya is the orisha of the ocean in Lucumi tradition, also known as Santeria. Yemaya is the feminine piece of God associated with motherhood and the moon, and every layer in the sea has a special flavor of it associated with her: nuanced, graceful and beautiful. She is deep and vast and provides us with spaces for healing, loyalty, nurturing.

Sometimes there are people who clearly exhibit the characteristics of the Orisha, and one person in our world who embodies Yemaya's healing, loving, nurturing and mothering, on individual and community levels, is Reshawn "Bushmama Africa" Goods. Through divination it has been determined that Reshawn is accompanied by Yemaya. It has also been determined that the community would benefit from her formal initiation as a Lucumi priest, as it would allow her to practice with the other made heads of the Lucumi community.

We are passing around this fundraising page as a "vessel" to fill with Yemaya's abundance for her Omo (child), Reshawn. 


We are asking you give as much as you can on Reshawn's behalf for this important elevation that will benefit her spiritual development and in turn will benefit everyone she already serves and the community at large. 


Reshawn is someone who gives and gives. In the face of systemic oppression, she offers herself as a conduit for spirit in the lives of many. She hosts a women's moon circle every new and full moon (twice a month)! She wears many hats as an artist, mother, home-schooler, activist, advocate, event planner, healer, medium and spirit worker. Her brilliance has probably touched your life in some way.

Reshawn is active in a supportive Lucumi house of worship, headed by a loving, reputable, and ethical santera, Lisa Oshun Funke. Reshawn's madrina (godmother) is loved by her god family and respected by the larger Lucumi community. She is an activist and supporter of Bay Area arts. She is a social worker who often donates her own physical and spiritual work for the sake of others.

As her god family, we are running this campaign for Reshawn because Spirit has said that her Ocha needs happen as soon as possible. Doing this work now
will benefit everyone who surrounds Reshawn, whatever their spiritual path. She has her foot in many doors, and shares openly. Being initiated as a priestess, she will access more ashe and bring that into her healing work, her art work, and her community work. She will be recognized as the elder that she is.

In Reshawn's Ifa initiation, Spirit revealed that she is to be a bridge of healing between the Ifa and Lucumi traditions, rooted in West Africa. Her ancestors are pushing for this to happen!


The money will be used to pay the bare minimum for people who will perform the initiation, and cover costs of the materials needed for this multi-day intense process. It involves a number of skilled and devoted people to provide the offerings, divination, songs, and drumming, and prayers that have been passed down by oral tradition for generation. She is benefitting from some donated services, so the cost of this ceremony is truly as low as it could possibly be.

7 is a sacred number to Yemaya, so dollar amounts divisible by 7 are encouraged!

To experience what she does, feel free to connect via Facebook, and ask about the bi-monthly woman's moon rituals.

We are also organizing an event to raise funds for this campaign, so please stay updated!