The Cuban content creator Yenly Landa shared an emotional video on TikTok showcasing the preparations she made at her home to support her goddaughter during an Oshún coronation, the major initiation ritual within the Regla de Ocha.
In the clip, Yenly introduces herself as the godmother of the ceremony and explains that the orisha was the one who guided her goddaughter to the door of her ilé, meaning her religious home. "When an orisha places someone in your path, they are also giving you a responsibility," she states in the video.
One of the most striking moments of the story is the search for the ritual objects: the Cuban woman visited several Dollar Tree stores early in the morning to find plates and cups intended as gifts for the participating santeros.
"Look at these plates, do you know where I got them? At Dollar Tree. Yes, my love. I woke up very early this morning and went to all the stores," she says casually.
She was only missing one cup to complete the set, and it was her god sister who found it in another store. "I couldn't find all the cups, I was just missing one, and my god sister ended up finding it for me," she recounts.
Yenly prepared small bags and individual gifts for each of the santeros who will place their hands and their aché —the sacred energy— in the consecration of their goddaughter.
Although the video details the material preparations, the creator makes it clear that what is truly important goes far beyond those elements. "Darlings, what you see here is not the most important thing, a coronation; what truly matters goes so much further. But you know, I love to put love into the small details," she expresses.
For Yenly, Oshún holds a special place in her religious life. "When it comes to Oshún, everything for me has a special feeling because Oshún is sweetness, love, prosperity, beauty, but also firmness," she says in the clip.
Oshún is the orisha of freshwater, love, fertility, and prosperity in Cuban santería, and is syncretized with the Virgin of Charity of Cobre, the patron saint of Cuba, whose festival is celebrated on September 8th.
The coronation, also known as "making a saint," is the major initiation rite of the Regla de Ocha. Following the consecration, the initiated person—referred to as iyawó—remains in seclusion for seven days in the igbodú or sacred room, bound for life to their guardian orisha.
The video illustrates how the Cuban diaspora in the United States preserves its religious traditions by adapting available resources and combining devotion and creativity. The post garnered more than 73,400 views, nearly 9,800 likes, and almost 800 shares, demonstrating a high level of engagement with the video.
Yenly announced that in an upcoming video, she will show how she finishes preparing each little bag for the santeros and closed the clip with a blessing: "Oshún bless you all."
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