The Cuban Witch

This sailor's a real catch! Dive on by his cozy coral reef and find out what's really going on under the sea!

The "Hands of Autumn" captures that subtle yet mystical energy that surges through nature's seasonal change.

Burst into "Firebloom" with this surreal digital nature-themed collage.

Butterflies and blood, the gothic "Bloodwood" is not for the faint of heart!

Spread some love... with arrows.

Yemaya is an Orisha, originally of the Yoruba religion, who has become prominent in many Afro-American and Latin religions. Africans brought Yemaya and a host of other deities, and energy forces in nature with them when they were brought to the shores of the Americas as captives. Yemaya is the mother of all living things, as well as the owner of all waters. She is the vast ocean, the essence of motherhood, a protector of children, and a goddess of magic and witches. In Cuban Santeria, she has been syncretized with Our Lady of Regla.

Yemaya is an Orisha, originally of the Yoruba religion, who has become prominent in many Afro-American and Latin religions. Africans brought Yemaya and a host of other deities, and energy forces in nature with them when they were brought to the shores of the Americas as captives. Yemaya is the mother of all living things, as well as the owner of all waters. She is the vast ocean, the essence of motherhood, a protector of children, and a goddess of magic and witches. In Cuban Santeria, she has been syncretized with Our Lady of Regla.

Yemaya is an Orisha, originally of the Yoruba religion, who has become prominent in many Afro-American and Latin religions. Africans brought Yemaya and a host of other deities, and energy forces in nature with them when they were brought to the shores of the Americas as captives. Yemaya is the mother of all living things, as well as the owner of all waters. She is the vast ocean, the essence of motherhood, a protector of children, and a goddess of magic and witches. In Cuban Santeria, she has been syncretized with Our Lady of Regla.

Mary, usually referred to by Christians as the Virgin Mary or Saint Mary and occasionally Madonna, was a Jewish woman of Nazareth in Galilee, identified in the New Testament as the mother of Jesus Christ.

According to official Catholic accounts of the Guadalupan apparitions, during a walk from his home village to Mexico City early on the morning of December 9, 1531, Juan Diego saw a vision of a young girl of fifteen to sixteen, surrounded by light. This event occurred on the slopes of the Hill of Tepeyac. Speaking in the local language of Nahuatl, the Lady asked for a church to be built at that site in her honor.

La Virgen de la Caridad del Cobre, also known as Our Lady of Charity, is the patroness of Cuba. Her story began around 1608, when two brothers, Rodrigo and Juan de Hoyos, along with their slave, Juan Moreno, set out to the Bay of Nipe for salt. While out in the bay, a terrible storm arose, rocking their tiny boat violently with its waves. The three men prayed desperately to the Virgin Mary for her protection and deliverance. The skies suddenly cleared as if in response, and the great storm was gone.

Venus was a Roman goddess principally associated with love, beauty and fertility, who played a key role in many Roman religious festivals and myths. Venus was commonly associated with the Greek goddess Aphrodite and the Etruscan deity Turan, borrowing aspects from each. Eros was the son of Aphrodite and Ares, the Greek god of war.

Archangel Uriel is known as the angel of wisdom. He shines the light of God’s truth into the darkness of confusion. People often ask for Uriel’s help in learning new information, resolving conflicts, and letting go of destructive emotions such as anxiety or anger.

Archangel Raphael is both a sage and a seer who grants healing (physically and emotionally) through the giving and receiving of love. He is said to encourage people to communicate and share their inner wisdom and promote healing with thoughts, words and creative action.

Archangel Orion is the Archangel of aspirations, true inner-wishes, and manifestation. When you're wishing and hoping that your dreams will manifest, Archangel Orion might just appear. It's because he wants us to strive for what we truly want, instead of going after what we think that we want.

St. Michael is an archangel whose gentle influence is present throughout several religions and spiritual practices. He is often seen as both a great military force and a healer. For many, he has become a symbol not just of strength and protection, but of humility as well.

St. Gabriel is the archangel who is sometimes regarded as the angel of death, the prince of fire and thunder as well as, more frequently, one of God's chief messengers. He is also called the chief of the four favored angels, and the spirit of truth.

In Egyptian mythology, Sekhmet was originally the warrior goddess of Upper Egypt, and the protector of the pharaohs. It was said that her breath created the desert. She is depicted as a mighty lioness, the fiercest hunter known to the Egyptians. When Lower Egypt was conquered by Upper Egypt, Sekhmet was seen as the more powerful of the two warrior goddesses, the other, Bast, have been the protector of Lower Egypt. It was Sekhmet who would eventually be seen as the Avenger of Wrongs, and the Scarlet Lady.

Nuestra Señora de la Santa Muerte (Spanish for Our Lady of the Holy Death) or, colloquially, Santa Muerte (Holy Death), is a female deity (or folk saint depending on school of thought) in Mexican folk religion, particularly Folk Catholicism, venerated primarily in Mexico and the Southwestern United States. A personification of death, she is associated with healing, protection, and safe delivery to the afterlife by her devotees.

Quan Yin is one of the most universally beloved of deities in the Buddhist tradition. She is the embodiment of compassionate loving kindness. As the Bodhisattva of Compassion, she hears the cries of all beings. As a true Enlightened One, Quan Yin has vowed to remain in the earthly realms, and not enter the heavenly worlds until all other living things have completed their own journey of enlightenment, and thus become liberated from the pain-filled cycle of birth, death, and rebirth.

In Greek religion and mythology, Pan is the god of the wild, shepherds and flocks, nature of mountain wilds and rustic music, and companion of the nymphs. He has the hindquarters, legs, and horns of a goat, in the same manner as a faun or satyr and is often associated with sexuality.

In Yoruba Mythology, Oya is the Undergoddess of the Niger River. She is a female warrior and the Orisha of fire, fertility, lightning, wind and magic. She creates hurricanes and tornadoes, and guards the passage to the Underworld. She is the spirit of tornadoes (which are said to be her whirling skirts as she dances), of lightning (the power of which she acquired from her husband, Chango), of earthquakes, and of any form of natural destruction. In essence, Oya is the spirit of change, of transition, and of the chaos that often brings it about. Her association with the marketplace, and more specifically with the gates of cemeteries (as opposed to the entire Underworld), emphasizes her aspect as a facilitator of transition.

Inspired by a friend's love and passion for tea, I've added a very special diva to the "Simply Divine" line-up. As the tea-aficionado's graceful muse and guardian, Our Lady of Tea brings with her an enchanting and irresistible aura of serenity to all friendly gatherings (not to mention a generous supply of tea, as well!). A percentage of the proceeds from Our Lady of Tea will be donated to the Make-A-Wish Foundation by the artist.

Oshun is an Orisha, originally of the Yoruba religion, who has become prominent in many Afro-American and Latin religions. Africans brought Oshun and a host of other deities, and energy forces in nature with them when they were brought to the shores of the Americas as captives. Oshun is the force of harmony. Harmony we see as beauty, feel as love, and experience as ecstasy. She reigns over love, intimacy, beauty, wealth and diplomacy. In Cuban Santeria, Oshun is an Orisha of love, maternity and marriage. She has been syncretized with La Virgen de la Caridad del Cobre, (Our Lady of Charity), Cuba's patron saint. She is associated with the color yellow, metals gold and copper, peacock feathers, mirrors, and anything of beauty.

Obatala is an Orisha. He is the Sky Father and the creator of human bodies, which were brought to life by the smooth breath of Olodumare. Obatala is the father of all Orishas and the owner of all ori.

Nut was the Egyptian goddess of the nighttime sky and all heavenly bodies, and a symbol of protection for the dead when they enter the afterlife. According to the Egyptians, during the day, the heavenly bodies, such as the sun and moon, would make their way across her body. They would be swallowed at dusk, pass through her digestive system during the night, and be reborn at dawn. She was usually pictured as a woman arched on her toes and fingertips over the earth; her body portrayed as a star-filled sky.

The Morrigan (also known as the Morrigu) was the shape-shifting Celtic Goddess of War, Fate and Death. She presided over rivers, lakes and fresh water, in addition to being the patroness of revenge, night, magic, prophecy, priestesses and witches. Her name is interpreted in various forms..."Great Queen," "Phantom Queen" or "Queen of Demons." She was said to hover over battlefields in the form of a raven or hooded crow and frequently foretold or influenced the outcome of the fray.

Lilith is a character in Jewish mythology found earliest in the Babylonian Talmud, and is generally thought to be related to a class of female demons. In Jewish folklore, Lilith was Adam's first wife, who was created at the same time and from the same earth as he was. Lilith abandoned both her husband and marriage after refusing to become subservient to Adam. She was subsequently cursed by God for her disobedience when she would not return to the Garden of Eden after an affair with the archangel, Samael.

Kali is the Hindu goddess of time, creation, destruction and power. She is also seen as the divine mother and a fierce protector who can liberate the oppressed.

Jesus, also referred to as Jesus of Nazareth or Jesus Christ, was a Jewish preacher who became the central figure of Christianity. Christians believe him to be the Son of God and the awaited Messiah prophesied in the Old Testament.

Hera is the goddess of women and marriage in Greek mythology and religion. She is the daughter of the Titans Cronus and Rhea. Hera is married to her brother Zeus and is titled as the Queen of Heaven. One of her characteristics is her jealous and vengeful nature against Zeus's other lovers and offspring and against the mortals who cross her.

Queen of Witches... Queen of Ghosts... Mother of the Dark Moon... Goddess of Magick, the Underworld, and Guardian of the Triple Crossroads—the pre-Olympian moon goddess, Hecate, has carried many titles and worn many masks through the ages, but her power and influence still remain unbowed.

Grandmother Spider is the creator of the world in Southwestern Native American religions and myths, such as that of the Pueblo and Navajo peoples. According to mythology, she was responsible for all the stars in the sky. When she took a web she had spun, laced it with dew, and threw it into the sky, the sparkling dew drops became a sea of endless stars. She also brought the gift of fire, light and warmth to all humanity, and taught them how to make pottery, and appropriately enough, how to weave.

Gaea (Gaia) or Mother Earth, was the great goddess of the early Greeks. She represented the fertile Earth and was worshiped as the omnipotent Universal Mother. In Greek mythology, she created the universe and gave birth to both the first race of gods, known as the Titans, and the first humans.

Eve is an important figure in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam as she was the first woman created by God. She was created from Adam's rib to be both his wife and companion. Unfortunately, however, she would eventually unwittingly succumb to the Serpent's temptation and eat the forbidden fruit from off the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. Eve shares the fruit with her husband, and as a result, the first humans are cursed and expelled from the Garden of Eden by God forever for their disobedience.

In Yoruba mythology, Eleggua is the Orisha associated with the crossroads or "opening the ways". Often depicted as a child or a small man, he is a playful trickster and a brilliant strategist amongst the divinities. Worshipers often have a cement head with a metal spike in its top, and cowrie shells for eyes and a mouth, as a representation of Eleggua which receives offerings and bestows protection in return. He is the appropriator of ceremonies. No ceremony should be started without paying tribute to him first. Without Eleggua being acknowledged first, chances are the outcome desired in a ceremony will not come to full fruition.