santeria info

7/29/2019 Santeria Info

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Santeria (Way of the Saints) is an Afro-Caribbean religion based on Yorubabeliefs and traditions, with some Roman Catholic elements added. Thereligion is also known as La Regla Lucumi and the Rule of Osha.

Santeria is a syncretic religion that grew out of the slave trade in Cuba

Santeria deities

A jumble of different materials, including an anvil, sticks, a figurine andpainted symbols Santeria shrine in an Old Ha vana backstreet. Cyberesque

The religion focuses on building relationships between human beings andpowerful, but mortal, spirits, called Orishas. An Orisha is a manifestation ofOlodumare (God).

Followers believe that these spirits will give them help in life, if they carry outthe appropriate rituals, and enable them to achieve the destiny that Godplanned for them before they were born.

This is very much a mutual relationship as the Orishas need to be worshippedby human beings if they are to continue to exist.

In a Supreme Court Case in 1993, Justice Kennedy in his decision said:

The Santeria faith teaches that every individual has a destiny from God, adestiny fulfilled with the aid and energy of the orishas.The basis of theSanteria religion is the nurture of a personal relation with the orishas, andone of the principal forms of devotion is an animal sacrifice. According toSanteria teaching, the orishas are powerful but not immortal. They dependfor survival on the sacrifice.

Justice Kennedy, 1993

Orishas can be perceived in the physical universe by initiates, and the wholecommunity can share in their presence when they possess a priest duringsome rituals.


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Influence of Catholicism

The Roman Catholic element in Santeria is most obvious in the way Orishasare associated with Catholic Saints such as:

Saint Barbara [Shang], who embodies justice and strength, and isassociated with lightning and fire

Our Lady of Charity [Ochn] - the Yoruba goddess of the river, associatedwith water, yellow, sweets, money, and love

Saint Lazarus [Babal-Ay] - who is associated with the sick

Followers of Santeria are often (nominal) Roman Catholics as well. Catholicsymbols are sometimes used in Santeria rituals

Santeria rituals allow human beings to stay in contact with the Orishas -these rituals include dancing, drumming, speaking and eating with the spirits.

Santeria has few buildings devoted to the faith. Rituals often take place inhalls rented for the purpose, or privately in Santeria homes which are may befitted with altars for ritual purposes. During appropriate rituals the Orishasare able to meet believers at these sacred spaces.

Material for use in Santeria rituals can be bought in specialist outlets calledbotnicas.

These rituals can include Roman Catholic elements

Lydia Cabrera notes that, in Santera, one ritual against evil eye combinesa specially prepared herbal bath with three Our Fathers, Three Credos, and

Three Ave Marias.


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Hector Avalos, Introduction to the U.S. Latina and Latino ReligiousExperience, 2004

Bemb

One major ritual is a bemb. This ceremony invites the Orisha to join thecommunity in drumming, singing and dancing.

The Orisha may 'seize the h ead' of a person (or 'mount them' as if they werea horse), and cause that possessed person to perform 'spectacular dances',and to pass on various messages from the Orisha to community members.

Animal sacrifice in Santeria

Animal sacrifice is central to Santeria. The animal is sacrificed as food, ratherthan for any obscure mystical purpose.

Followers of an Orisha will offer them food and sacrifice animals to them inorder to build and maintain a personal relationship with the spirit. Theprocess not only brings the worshipper closer to their Orisha, but makes themmore aware of the presence of the Orisha within them.

Black rooster A chicken: the most common sacrifice. Sue McDonald

This is a mutual process; the food is essential for the Orishas, who will diewithout being fed, and in return the Orishas are able to help the worshippers.Orishas are also nourished by other forms of worship and praise.

Sacrifices are performed for life events such as birth, marriage, and death.They are also used for healing.

Without sacrifice the religion would die out, as sacrifice is essential forinitiation into the faith community and the 'ordination' of priests.


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The animals are killed by cutting the carotid arteries with a single knife strokein a similar way to other religious methods of slaughter.

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).Eating the sacrificed animal is considered a sharing with the Orisha, who onlyconsumes the animal's blood, while the worshippers eat the meat.

Sacrificial animals include chickens (the most common), pigeons, doves,ducks, guinea pigs, goats, sheep, and turtles.

The USA Supreme Court has stated (Church of Lukumi Babalu Aye v. City ofHialeah, 1993 - see related links) that it is constitutional for Santeria

worshippers to kill animals for such a ritual sacrifice

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