Our Lady of Regla

Special petitions may be made to her for issues of the family, fertility, childbirth, children, protection of children, health, money, unity, love, marriage, for prospective mates, harmony in the home, harmony in the family, & harmony in relationships. 

Our Lady of Regla is synchronized with Yemaya, particularly in the Santerian traditions of Cuba and she often appears as The Black Madonna.

The Virgin of Regla is named for a seaport in Spain in the city of Regla. There is also a city in Cuba named Regla (on the same bay as Havana). The Patroness of Regla, Cuba is also called Virgen de Regla.

Part of the magick and mystery of the Lady of Regla is that she was most likely an African Deity who was originally synchronized with Catholicism when it traveled to Africa. Images of the Black Madonna were then carried back to Europe before eventually being synchronized once again by slaves in Cuba who practiced the Lukumi religion from Nigeria. It was here that she was transformed into Yemaya and thus came full circle.

Her color is blue, her day of the week is Friday and she is known to help with health and money problems in addition to her traditional role with the family and love. 

Yemaya is associated with all of these things as well as Motherhood, the ocean and the moon. A traditional offering for Yemaya includes a rum filled watermelon.

The Lady of Regla’s themes are kinship, protection, kindness, the moon, love, devotion, fertility, and relationships. Her symbols are fish, the moon, silver or blue items and the crab. This fish mother swims in with summer rains bringing all things maternal, nurturing, round and full of love. The Lady of Regla is also the patroness of the astrological sign Cancer. Associated characteristics are compassion, family closeness, and stability. 

Get Closer to the Goddess

Eat fish or crustaceans on Her Feast Day to invoke the energies of love, empathy, compassion, and fertility into any area of your life. Add lemon juice to spice up your magick or emphasize devotion to kinship.

To gain Lady Regla’s guidance & insight, leave Her an offering of yams before going to bed. You may gain message concerning future loves, difficult family matters, and more. According to local legend, this offering will gain the favor of Our Lady. Have your pen & paper ready to write those dreams down! 

Traditional Prayer to Yemaya

Yemojá, owner of the river,

My mother Yemojá, Most Gracious Mother.

You who gave birth to all the divinities, my Mother whose crown is the rainbow, 

Yemojá who calms all suffering.

Great Mother, Great Mother, Great Mother, 

Yemojá sustains us. 

Ashé.

~Blessings~