Santera means Way of the Saints and is a unique, oral tradition-based religion. Sometimes feared and often misunderstood, Santera and other Afro-Cuban spiritual traditions still persist in the U.S. - especially in South Florida. It emerged in Cuba during the 17th century, and has been embedded in Cuban society ever since. Of course, there are exceptions to this rule, and they are generally based on a person's religion or personal preference. "}A1f6AW`q'^yDrEHe/9 ,&7R[@$%@I A$Xe 3" qRTj2P&30^ Sue McDonald. Santiago has a high concentration of Afro-Cubans, and not surprisingly, a large number of Santeros. It's their realm. What to Do When Attending a Funeral Outside of Your Traditions, In most cases, the purpose of a funeral is to show respect to the deceased and to support family members. Those who practice Santera move through life alongside spirits and participate in a vast cache of rituals steeped in both the supernatural and physical world. Website created by Lighthaus Design, Original Products Botanica instagram Link, Original Products Botanica pinterest Link. Resently I have started my path in Santeria. Chang (also spelled Shang, ango, or Xango) is one of the most popular orishas in Santeria and is the king of our religion on earth. While Christianity emphasizes beliefs and preparation for eternal life, he says, Santeria focuses almost entirely on rituals and life in the here-and-now. All rights reserved. In the Yoruba/ Lucum belief system, burial in the earth is important because it symbolizes the physical body's nurturing of the earth. The sacrifice of animals plays a vital role in Santera. If you find yourself in a situation where you need to go to a funeral service in another country, its always a good idea to ask someone familiar with the customs for advice. Even though most Cubans claim Catholicism as their central belief system, it is more accurately described as Santera. United States Commission on International Religious Freedom, 732 N. Capitol Street, N.W., Suite A714 Washington, D.C. 20401, Freedom of Religion or Belief Victims List, Factsheet: The Santera Tradition in Cuba, Factsheet on the Santera Tradition in Cuba. - +. rituals and ceremonies in the . How we conduct the Itutu ceremony is not public knowledge, meaning the details should only be known by initiated priests and priestesses in the religion. A Santero, or high priest, traditionally presides over rituals and ceremonies. This page has been archived and is no longer updated. Already existed long before burial in the capital. Santera is a syncretic religion based significantly in the traditions of the Yoruba and incorporating elements of Catholicism. The gunfire on Monday night left three dead and five critically injured. It was brought to Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic by African slaves and is a blend of Roman Catholicism and the Yorbn religious beliefs. for wide variation in rituals. The bones are placed in an ossuary, which is a single collective grave. The orishas are thought to perform miracles for adherents, and can also be blamed for unfortunate events. January 2013 There is so much to learn. Loss is hard. February 2020 Once cleansed, there are four major initiation rituals that the initiator will have to undergo: obtaining the elekes beaded necklace, receiving Los Guerreros the Warriors, making Och Saint, and Asiento ascending the throne. At the Museo de la Ruta del Esclavo, you can explore a room dedicated to Santera and other Afro-Cuban religions; there are even life-sizes models of orishas. A purple spirit orb only appears when the spiritual world has a very important message that is vital to your present circumstanc, Have you ever been told your aura is purple or violet? Raola his last name. It only takes 5 minutes. I would recommend Anywhere.com to anyone who is looking to travel to the destinations that they coordinate. Rituals and Ceremonies: Santeria does not use a central creed for its religious practices; though it is understood in terms of its rituals and ceremonies. Each il is composed of those who occasionally seek guidance from the orishas as well as those who are in the process of becoming priests. The goal of most Yoruba/Lucum people is not to spend eternity in Heaven, but to live a good life on earth. Cemetery doors mark the boundary between the living and the dead. Santeria and slavery. It is up to the orishas to determine whether a candidate for priesthood has passed the tests or failed. While here, youll see people wearing yellow clothes and buying sunflowers in honor of Ochn. After the Revolution, Santera was openly acknowledged but was criticized by the government as being folksy witchcraft. Those who advanced the socialist cause may be honored by having a Cuban flag displayed at the wake. Derived from African religions brought by . What Are Purple Orbs (and What Can Their Meaning Tell You)? In the house of a Santero, you might find statues of Catholic saints alongside orisha symbols. The many cabildos and casas that bridged the 19th and 20th centuries are fondly remembered by contemporary priests as the origins and strongholds of Cuban Lucum culture and religion. The initiate most often receives the necklace of the five most powerful and popular oricha as the multicolored beads of the elekes are each patterned for the primary Orichs Elegu, Obatal, Yemay, Chang, and Ochn and they serve as a sacred point of contact with these Orichs. What Is Voodoo Possession? The body is removed from the funeral home, where it will be transported to the cemetery (or at times, the crematorium). 422 0 obj <> endobj During the wake, youll have an opportunity to express your condolences to the family members. The priest or priestess then sets about healing the spirit. She knew nothing about her father's religion, she didn't know his godfather, she didn't know what to do with his Orichas, and she had no one to ask. As such, ceremonies and rituals are usually performed at home or in public. Do you know the meaning of the Ritual Colors in Santeria? The family may communicate with their deceased loved ones through mediums or spiritualists. What Is Santera? The services of a funeral home, which put the coffin, candles, crucifix and hired carriage, and asked mourners chairs borrowed from the neighbors. The body is on view at most Cuban wakes. Accept, Race, socioeconomic group, religion, age, and region affect funeral traditions and, What happens on the way to the burial site, As the funeral car slowly enters the cemetery, the mourners may follow behind on foot. The first ritual is known as the acquisition of the beaded necklaces known as ilekes. We'll help you get your affairs in order and make sure nothing is left out. Priests are commonly known as Santeros or Olorichas. Read our Privacy Policy. Care must be taken, as the caskets at a Cuban funeral are often cheaply built. Anywhere exceeded all expectations. Santera is a religion with Afro-Cuban roots, rising out of the cultural clash between the Yoruba people of West Africa and the Spanish Catholics who brought them to the Americas as slaves. P0p%=cN0 Tp What Is Black Magic and How Can You Break It? We cannot give you customized advice on your situation or needs, which would require the service Santera is a multi-layered religion steeped in ancient traditions and blended with other religions. Animals are cooked and eaten following all Santeria rituals (except healing and death rites, where the sickness is believed to pass into the dead animal). In addition to the visitation for family and friends in a funeral home, the memorial service in his home, the burial that will take place next week, there is a religious ceremony that needs to take place to determine what to do with his Orichas now that his body has left the earth and he is no longer here to look after them. After the ritual, the animal is cooked and eaten, except when it is sacrificed for a death or healing rite. If you do participate in one of these ceremonies, be sure to tip the babalawo afterwardsthis not only pays for his time and effort, but also helps reimburse the costs of the ceremony, which includes the animals, rum, cigars, and more. And they would know what to do with it. The faithful give the objects ritual baths and meals of blood through animal sacrifice, as well as infusions of herbs, he writes. Santeria is a fusion of Catholic practices and African folk beliefs. A Cuban funeral is a uniform event that may contain some nuances of Catholicism. However, if a person is entering Santera for the need of healing, they will undergo the rogacin de la cabeza blessing of the head in which coconut water and cotton are applied on the head to feed it. People of all ages can choose to follow Santera, with an initiation process that sets the follower on la regla de ocha (the way of orishas). Santera is based upon the development of personal relationships through divination, sacrifice, initiation, and mediumship ( see medium) between practitioners of the religion and the orisha deities, who provide their devotees with protection, wisdom, and success and who guide devotees in times of crisis. Santeria is a fusion of Catholic practices and African folk beliefs. About the practice of animal sacrifice in the Santeria faith. If an individual has consistently bad luck, they must appease their orisha to achieve harmony and balance in their life. Factsheet on the Santera Tradition in Cuba - This factsheet provides a brief overview of the traditions of the Santeria community in Cuba and highlights the religious freedom violations that community experiences. Most Cubans are buried rather than cremated. Through the guidance of the ach, Santera believers find their paths and purposes in life. Not surprisingly, she wears blue and white, and is associated with the Virgen de Regla. Her experiences with the paranormal include leading workshops and a talk radio show. What can we do for our departed loved ones. forms. Native American beliefs, Catholicism and the experiences of slavery merged with these African religions to form what they are today. To become a Santero or Santera Priest or Priestess of Santera, the initiator must go through an intensive week-long initiation process in which the teaching of the ritual skills and moral behavior occurs informally and nonverbally. Schedules were kept, accommodations were excellent and tours were very high quality. Classic Cars and the Cubans That Keep Them Running, Dancing is Life in Cuba A Nation's Culture of Movement, Still Smoking - Tobacco and Cigars in Cuba. The church fought back and the case eventually made it to theU.S. Supreme Court, where in 1993, the justices ruled in Church of Lukumi Babalu Aye, Inc. v. City of Hialeah that animal sacrifice is a protected religious sacrament of Santera. If you visit the El Cobre Cathedral, youll see followers sporting yellow clothes and wearing yellow and white beads in homage to Ochn. %PDF-1.7 % Priests can commonly be referred to as Santeros (male) and Santeras (female) and if they function as diviners (using cowrie-shell divination known as Dilogun) of the Orichs they can be considered Italeros or if they go through training to become leaders of initiations, Obas or Oriates. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. It was a way to preserve their traditional beliefs without defying the dominant culture (scholars call this blending process syncretism). Santeria, like Vodou, is an African Diaspora religion, meaning that it is based on native African religious traditions that were brought to the Americas by African slaves. They clean the graves and leave food, drink, and flowers at each marker. Some ritual dances are performed by covering the body in white powder made from eggshells (cascarilla) and drawing spiritual symbols with it. It must be done by his religious elder, if at all possible his godfather or godmother and other members of his ile, or religious "home." The benefit of belonging to a religious community and having close ties to your religious elders became apparent when I got a message this week from a woman whose father had recently died. The last ritual of the initiation process is known as Asiento ascending the throne and is the most important and the most secretive ritual in Santera, as it is the ceremony where the iyawo bride of the oricha becomes born again into the faith. Obatal, the goddess of creation and peace, dresses in white and associated with the Virgen de la Merced (the Virgin of Mercy). In each of these places, there are opportunities to learn more about the religion. Some families choose to bury the deceased with small tokens or gifts. These rituals and ceremonies take place in what is known as a House-Temple or casa de Santos, in the homes of the initiated priests and priestesses, to the different Orichas, which creates a . In 1987, a Hialeah churchannounced plans to build a church, school and cultural center in the city. We plan to have them coordinate our next trips to the areas they ser Best vacation of my life! In most western funerals, attendees wear modest, somber clothes, and thats the case in Cuba. After 24 hours, the wake ends. Santera is polytheistic and revolves around deities called oricha. June 2015 In Regla, a neighborhood on the eastern side of the Havana harbor, youll often see Santera shrines in front of homes. Theres Ochn, who wears yellow and is associated with the Virgen de la Caridad (the Virgin of Charity). death as possible because there is a. . Santeria, which came out in October, is one of three recent books by De La Torre, whose earlier works include the 2002 Reading the Bible from the Margins by Orbis Press. These rituals and ceremonies take place in what is known as a house-temple or casa de santos (house of saints) also known as an il. The spirits of our ancestors are always with us, they become our "egun," who guide us and help us through life. They visit the grave of their loved ones on special days (Mothers Day, Fathers Day, and on their loved ones birthdates and death dates.) Read more. October 2020 This week, two things happened that made me think about writing this blog on the death of a santero/a. Pinterest. ", Headless chickens, other sacrificed animals draw nuisance alligators, unsettle rural Fort Myers neighborhood, Fort Myers man facing eviction says it's because of Santeria, Headless chickens found along Cape Coral roads likely religion-based, no threat, police say, Church of Lukumi Babalu Aye, Inc. v. City of Hialeah, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. Cuba is still the religious center of Santera, but the faith has spread to many other countries as well, including the U.S. His conclusion: "Ritual sacrifice of animals for purposes other than food consumption was not a necessary killing and therefore prohibited. Its unlike anything youve probably ever seen. Ritual Oils Magical Oils Essential Oils Oil Accessories Medicinal Oils, Salves & Tonics Herbs & Roots Magical Herbs & Roots Fresh Herbs Spiritual Baths & Washes 8 oz. Sometimes the dead are said to return to their loved ones in the form of dreams, where they offer advice. The process not only brings the worshipper closer to their Orisha, but makes them more aware of the presence of the Orisha within them. Santeria was created in Cuba by the mingling of Yoruba traditions brought by enslaved Africans from Nigeria and Benin with the Roman Catholic faith of the Spanish plantation . Asiento is a process of purification and divination whereby the initiated becomes like a newborn baby and begins a new life of deeper growth within the faith. Santeria has few buildings devoted. Santeria rituals allow human beings to stay in contact with the Orishas - these rituals include dancing, drumming, speaking and eating with the spirits. Those who do not have spiritual beliefs wait outside the church. Ghost towns, abandoned gold mines, rowdy saloons, and tragic endings of, How to Catch Ghosts on Camera: 13 Tips for Success, You don't need specialized camera gear or video equipment to get some compelling images of the supernatural. This page is best viewed in an up-to-date web browser with style sheets (CSS) enabled. Visits to the cathedral at El Cobre, which is about 15 miles (23 km) from Santiago, will also be instructive. Cake offers its users do-it-yourself online forms to complete their own wills and They include dancing, drumming, speaking and eating with the spirits. This link will open in a new window. That's why egun and the recycled "or" of our ancestors are part of the experience of living people on earth. The entire religion being syncretic is based on this history of persecutionthe secrecy and the mystery, and the fear. Exploration of Rituals, Voodoo is a religion wrapped in mystery and misconception, which causes many people to fear it. Animal sacrifice is central to Santeria. The ach exists in everything and is too complex to comprehend fully. By clicking "Accept", you agree to our website's cookie use as described in our Cookie Policy. This link will open in a new window. To become a Santero, one must pass a series of tests and requirements prior to initiation. His Catholic avatar is Santa Barbara. Those who practice Santera move through life alongside spirits and participate in a vast cache of rituals steeped in both the supernatural and physical world. If you see a purple orb, stop what you're doing and clear your mind. When interacting with Santeros, please be respectful of their religion. The ultimate goal of these practices is to reconnect with the divine, Olodumare (God). In Santera Enthroned, David H. Brown combines art history, cultural anthropology, and ethnohistory to show how Africans and their descendants have developed novel forms of religious practice in the face of . Usage of any form or other service on our website is And because Santera lacks scriptures, the whole faith is passed down orally. So, it's natural to think that Voodoo possession is like the movies when a person is possessed and tu, In feng shui, some bugs are lucky; in fact, the lucky cricket's meaning is wealth and good fortune. In the minds of many Cubans, the two religions parallel one another, rather than existing as one unified religion. However, the Yorubans also forged relationships with more than 1,000 spiritual beings called orishas, which established Yoruban arts and sciences such as farming, hunting and divination, Murphy writes. This is a mutual process; the food is essential for the Orishas, who will die without being fed, and in return the Orishas are able to help the worshippers. You might also visit Iglesia de Nuestra Seora de Regla, which hosts the black Virgen de Regla, who is associated with Yemay and is the patron saint of sailors. Hindu, Muslim, Jewish, Catholic, Buddhist, Vodou, Santeria (Lucumi) and many others have culturally relative practices . Animal sacrifices are made to bless various life events, such as a marriage, death, birth, and a healing. And so I think it's really ironic that the continued persecution is just because of this legacy of trying to persevere.. This is true for most funerals around the world, including virtual funerals. This ritual is only prepared by men as the orichs take some of the Santeros manly spirit in the process. (You can find stories of the poorly made coffins breaking during the transporting process.) The blooms are sprinkled over the top of the coffin before the grave is closed. It emerged in Cuba during the 17th century, and has been embedded in Cuban society ever since. $14.95. Despite the religions prevalence, the Cuban government frequently violates the freedom of religion or belief of independent Santera communities in a range of ways, including ongoing harassment, attempts to co-opt the faith for political purposes, and restrictions on members ability to worship in private homes. ( Lucumi ) and drawing spiritual symbols with it accommodations were excellent and were! Not surprisingly, a large number of Santeros is Black Magic and How can you Break it our loved. Ones through mediums or spiritualists you get your affairs in order and make sure nothing left! Process. 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