Osram Ne Nsoromma

As I mentioned in a previous post, one of my favorite adinkra symbols is Nsoromma, which means "child of the heavens (stars)". It is the symbol of guardianship and a reminder that God is the father and watches over all people.

One of my husband's favorite adinkra symbols is Osram, which means the moon. This is the symbol for patience. The related proverb is 'it takes the moon quite a while to go round the world' – you need to show patience when awaiting a particular event or outcome.

While looking through The Adinkra Dictionary, we found another symbol that combined both of ours - Osram Ne Nsoromma. This means "the moon and the star". It is the symbol of love, faithfulness, and harmony. This symbol reflects the harmony that exists in the bonding between a man and a woman.

The related proverb: "Kyekye pe aware." (The North Star has a deep llove for marriage. She is always in the sky waiting for the return of the moon, her husband.)

This would also make a wonderful addition in your wedding decor to incorporate West African culture. For more adinkra symbols click here.

African Wisdom

Ananse Ntontan means "spider's web". It is the Adinkra symbol that represents wisdom, creativity and the complexities of life. Ananse, the spider, is a well-known character in African folktales. I personally do not like spiders, but I do appreciate their webs (from afar).

Since my goal in 2008 is to have more wisdom, I have been inspired to create jewelry with Adinkra symols on them. So this is my first addition to my African Wisdom Collection, a pair of Ananse's Web (ntontan) earrings made with yellow horn bone beads and antique brass web focal beads and antique brass findings. Measures approximately 1 1/2" in length from earwire.