Offerings:
Rainbow-painted eggs, basin of water with rainbow painted on bottom, blue and white candles, white dessert or those prepared with milk and powdered sugar, sweet coffee. The shed skin of a snake.
Litany:
Pour Ayida Wedo, l'arc en ciel, femme de Damballah, 'les eaux d'en haut, 'la pluie, la profondeur marine, les sources qui nourrissent la race. Ayida Wedo, Dieu la Mere. Acceptez nos offrandes. Entrez dans nos coeurs, dans no bras, dans nos jambes. Entrez ici. Dansez avec nous.
Kreyol:
Pou Ayida Wedo, lakansiel, fanm Danbala, Dlo anle, la pli, fon lan me, sous kap nouri ras nou. Ayida Wedo, Manman nou. Aksepte ofran'n nou. Antre nan ke nou, nan bra nou, nan jam'm nou. Antre vin'n danse avek nou.
Translation:
For Ayida Wedo, the rainbow side of Danbala, the 'water from above,' the rain, the depths of the sea, the streams which nourish the race, Ayida Wedo, God the Mother. Accept our offerings. Enter into our hearts, our arms, our legs. Enter and dance with us.
Traditional:
Ayida Wedo is the serpent wife of Danbala Wedo. She is a water serpent with ranibow colored scales, whose symbol, the rainbow, arches across the sky. Danbala Wedo, the snake God, gave rain to the world. As the drops of water fell from the sky, they formed a rainbow of color. Danbala fell in love with Ayida, the rainbow serpent arched over the heavens. They married and joined as a double helix of snakes, giving birth to the human race. Ayida is the power of the sky, is the all-beneficent mother and protector of creation. Ayida is all the Waters above, the celestial Waters. As loyal wife of Danbala she is rarely summoned without him. She is a very ancient root Lwa. Together with Danbala, she represents fecundity. Her colors are azure blue and white. She is syncretized with Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception.
