Santeria combines influences of Caribbean tradition, West Africa's Yoruba spirituality, and elements of Catholicism. This is a Lukumi based discussion forum. In chapter 3, Mbiti proposes the controversial idea that African eschatological notions are insufficiently developed because Africans lack a future dimension of time, a gap which he suggests is appropriately filled by Christianity with its eschatalogy of heaven, hell, a resurrection, and a final judgement at the end of time. The Swahili call this community of the dead Mizimu, while their abode is referred to as Kuzimu. This use of the metaphor of a journey is related to the fact that in general, as indicated earlier, Africans view life itself as a journey. What can we do for our departed loved ones? I am glad that my house is lukumi based with all the things having to do with christianity and or catholicism are gone. This anthology of essays discusses and contextualizes the famous 1987 controversial case regarding the burial of SM Otieno, a Kenyan Luo. Some of the most popular orishas include: It is estimated that about a million or so Americans currently practice Santeria, but it's hard to determine whether this count is accurate or not. Oya is a warrior, and the guardian of the dead. A Santero, or high priest, traditionally presides over rituals and ceremonies. Sign of Taurus, Venus and House II: Personality Traits (Full Guide). Discussing African notions of afterlife necessitates several preliminary and pertinent observations. Once the spirit comes into the member, it can speak to the god (Bondye), dead people, heal, protect, and even do magic. Merced filed a lawsuit with city officials said he could no longer perform animal sacrifices as part of his religious practice. Rites of Passage in Contemporary Africa: Interaction Between Christian and African Traditional Religions. This dance is only interrupted, not ended, by physical death. The "orishas are the representatives of the supreme God, and . First, Africa is characterized by a tremendous ethnic and cultural diversity. What happens when there is no community? Ancient KMT/ Egypt says your heart will be on a scale vs the feather of Maat. It has grown beyond its Yoruba and Catholic origins to become a religion in its own right, and a powerful symbol of the religious creativity of Afro-Cuban culture. It doesn't appear in any feeds, and anyone with a direct link to it will see a message like this one. Dressed in a loose white gauze shirt, white pants and white hat, the red-bearded drummer Babaila taps out the same beat he has played for 35 years. A redefinition of the human person also seems to be indicated in the Christian discourse. New York, 2000. This recommendation finds significant support in the thought of a growing number of African theologians such as Jean Marc Ela, a Cameroonian priest, who find the demotion and demonization of African beliefs problematic. Deep stuff. If you are angry, rather than learn to control your anger and address the problem in a different way, you can just go around punching people in the face. (February 22, 2023). These theologians also argue that beyond the question of the status of ancestors in the hereafter, the ban on African beliefs in ancestors has far reaching implications in the here and now. Iwa is an intermediary of the distant and magnificent figure that does not involve itself with humans, Bondye (God). Cynics say that this is because Santeria brings considerable hard currency to the island. This article will factor in this palpable ethnic diversity in order to avoid sweeping generalizations. Doctrinally, to ban ancestral veneration, then, is to demand that Africans abandon this quite viable notion of family (Ela, 1990, p. 17). Each deity represents an aspect . This is very much a mutual relationship as the Orishas need to be worshipped by human beings if they are to continue to exist. To put it simply, Santera is a religion for and by women. Mortuary rituals also reveal that Africans consider death a paradox. I.e. The denigration of the body implicit in these songs is quite alien to indigenous understandings of the human person and the person's destiny after death. Members mostly join as adults, usually after feeling that a particular Orisha has called them to do so. In fact the cross is rite there too and the sun when your at your Zenith. Drawing largely on his experiences as an African Catholic priest, Ela asserts the compatibility of African beliefs with Christianity and argues for their reclamation as both doctrinally viable and socially relevant for Africans' quest for beliefs and practices that enhance and nurture life in the here and now. The Cabildos were not only ethnic clubs but also religious organizations under the secret leadership of the babalawo - the religious functionary whose patron divinity was Orunmilla, the oracle divinity of the Yoruba. Thus, in the Egyptian Book of the Dead, a text designed to be a guide for the soul as it journeyed on beyond physical death, Osiris determines the destiny of the dead. Sacrificial animals include chickens (the most common), pigeons, doves, ducks, guinea pigs, goats, sheep, and turtles. Santeria was created in Cuba by the mingling of Yoruba . Membership is taken seriously, and members are expected to take part in the life of the il. Occultist.net shares information on magic, witchcraft and alternative spirituality. 5 Pages. Today, roughly 70 percent of Cubans observe one or more Santeria or other religious practices based in an African tradition. Needless to say, Africans who have come into contact with Islam and Christianity have been influenced by the rather sharply defined eschatological notions featuring a final judgment, heaven and hell, and final resurrection as destinies of the soul. Cubas government considered it ancient sorcery. Readers will also find plenty of valuable book reviews and courses which may prove to be helpful for obtaining greater knowledge. 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. Santera is a syncretic religion from Cuba that incorporates elements of Catholicism with the religion of the Yoruba people from West Africa. According to this myth, upon death people ascended to the sky via the rope for a short period and came back rejuvenated to earth. Now available on Amazon. They are shaped and influenced by other belief systems that they encounter in history. . Sign of Aries, Mars and House I: Personality Traits, Relationships.. How to Create Positive Affirmations That ACTUALLY Work. Wazobia, N.Y., 1994. Such rituals and related "oratures" (myths, stories, and songs) constitute a commentary by humans on their experiences in this world and its beyond and offer significant clues regarding concepts of the afterlife. They are consumed by the community afterward. Summarizing distinctive markers of this African worldview, Sambuli Mosha isolates four key ideas, namely: (1) the centrality of belief in God, (2) an acknowledgment of the intrinsic unity between individuals and communities, (3) viewing the universe as an interconnected, interdependent whole, (4) embracing life as a process of spiritual formation and transformation (Mosha, 2000). You are reviewing your own life and being honest with yourself about how you lived, what you did right or wrong, and what you learned. Does Santera believe in the afterlife? For decades, Santeria has. Practitioners believe that Orichas intercede for them if they make offerings and live in compliance with their wishes. Like many religions, Santeria also offers community. Santeria is based on Yoruba beliefs, while Voodoo is based on Fon and Ewe beliefs. A central ritual involves practitioners drumming, singing, and dancing to encourage a lwa to possess one of their members. the religion is not just nature based but Everything has Ashe. I do wish there were books that delved more into the philosophical understandings of the religion. In Santera, this concept idea has syncretised with Roman Catholic beliefs about guardian angels and Spiritist notions of the protecciones or protector spirits. Simultaneously, however, death is not an annihilation of the person. Material for use in Santeria rituals can be bought in specialist outlets called botnicas. @Hijo_De_Obatalas post is really really good and for me is my understanding. Santeria and Voodoo were both presented in the Western Hemisphere by slaves from North Africa, most likely Nigeria. There is one thing they all have in common: the desire for fast or immediate results through magical means, rather than having to practice for weeks, months or even years before receiving the results through their own practice. We don't have the concept of "sin" and "hell," which are Christian concepts. As a result of these ceremonial exchanges, the oracle often determines that one particular orisha has claimed the devotee as its child. The SM Otieno Case: Death and Burial in Modern Kenya. In situations where a corpse is not retrievable, say because of drowning, a burial must still be performed, and so in some societies, a surrogate is used. Santeria is not much different from any other religion. Merced was pleased with the ruling, and said, "Now Santeros can practice their religion at home without being afraid of being fined, arrested or taken to court.". This status, however, is not automatic. They are also used for healing. At drum dances called bembs, initiated devotees, now properly called olorishasthose who have the orishamay lose their ordinary consciousness and manifest that of their orisha patrons. The Yoruba call this inner person ori-inu (Idowu, 1994, p. 170). If we tried to live in harmony with our Ori and the world around us, we didn't destroy the planet or harm other people, our energy gets "recycled" for lack of a better word back into the universe so we can continue to be a part of the physical world. The essays analyze the legal ramifications of the case as well as religio-cultural and historical roots of the controversy and suggest that the controversy was symptomatic of the seeming clash between Western and indigenous African (specifically Luo) views regarding life, death, and the hereafter. The Luo of Kenya call this ritual Duogo (Ongonga in Cox, 1998, p. 236), while the Xhosa of South Africa call it Ukubuyisa (Pato, in Oosthuizen and Irving, 1992, p. 134). . Now, I present you with the opportunity to REQUEST A RITUAL directly on this website. In 1993 the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously upheld the right of devotees to practice the controversial rite of animal sacrifice in the case Church of the Lukumi Babalu Aye v. Hialeah . Appropriate burial and "disposal" of the body is therefore important; otherwise, the person cannot make the transition into the other world. There are police officers in New York who pray to Obatala, the father of all deities, or orishas, before they slip on their gun belts. When after a long time such individuals are no longer remembered by name, they enter a state of what Mbiti calls collective immortality as they blend into the general world of those who have gone before (Mbiti, 1969). Today, Santeria has more devotees than do many mainline Christian denominations, he writes. Priesthood and Initiation Research from Arizona State University and the University of Wyoming has found that religious beliefs about the afterlife predicted how people value and practice sustainability. Hindus believe that when someone dies, he or she is born into a different body largely determined by his or her previous life. All these markers shape the way Africans conceptualize both this life and the hereafter. It may seem that the Yoruba are patriarchal because men filled the role of a king and there were chiefs; however, the women ran the family and daily life. Perhaps because of human disobedience or greed, this relationship was lost. Having measured their moral worth against the feather of Maat (symbolizing truth and justice), he sends them "west," to the "abode of the righteous," or to "hell." Without sacrifice the religion would die out, as sacrifice is essential for initiation into the faith community and the 'ordination' of priests. Santeria has a priesthood that includes both men and women. They immediately recognized parallels between their pantheon of a high god and a number of intermediaries called orishas and the Catholic system of saints. Does Santeria believe in the afterlife? Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. This constitutes the working documents (instrumentum laboris ) for a 1994 synod of Catholic Bishops to rethink the Christian message and mission in the African context. One pertinent essay by D. M. Hostetter is entitled "Disarming the Emandloti: the Ancestors," and notes how, in Christian discourse, the ancestors are subordinated to Jesus who is said to disempower them. The rare cases of cruel treatment of animals are punishable by law. To become a Santero, or high priest, one must pass a series of tests and requirements prior to initiation. Attempts were made to convert the enslaved Africans, but while they accepted much of the missionary teachings, they didn't find that these provided sufficient 'religious fulfilment'. My clients tend to be ambitious people from all walks of life. It drives the individual to evolve by balancing the heart, mind, and body with spirit. Such restless and wondering spirits are said to haunt and afflict the living as they try to gain their attention. De La Torre also edited Handbook of U.S. Theologies of Liberation, examining Christian concepts and the interrelationship between religion, community and culture from the perspective of U.S. marginalized communities. 2021 google commercial; where did charles ingalls move to after walnut grove 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. Christianity borrowed from ancient cultures actually. Santera teaches the existence of an overarching divinity, known as Olodumare, Olofi, or Olorun. Although many people think that they are one and the same, Santeria and Voodoo have quite a bit of differences. The belief that the dead are not dead is expressed and dramatized through rituals designed to welcome and install the deceased back into the world of the living. Drawing examples from across the continent, Mbiti offers a systematic account of African beliefs. My Faith as An African. Santeria incorporates elements of several faiths and so is what's called a 'syncretic' religion. He corresponds to the Catholic Saint Lazarus. Originating in West Africa among the Yoruba . Chapter 10 focuses on Gikuyu religious beliefs and highlights the place of ancestors (ngoma ) in this system. in Cuba the Catholic church was tolerant of ethnic traditions and even allowed various African groups to create their own "clubs," which became known as the Cabildos. The world below was the opposite of the world above, since it lacked in beauty and prosperity. The seven main Orishas are known as the Seven African Powers. Many contemporary practitioners refer to the tradition as the religion of the orishas or the Lukumi religion, after the name by which the Yoruba were known in Cuba. Open Document. Animal sacrifice is central to Santeria. Murphy discusses the continuity of Yoruba religion in America, specifically in Cuba, discussing, inter alia, Yoruba notions about God and how these are linked with concepts of the person. Espiritismo is similar. While this dynamism is manifest in all aspects of belief, here we focus on concepts of the hereafter. Priesthood involves training and initiation. Mortuary rituals also emphasize the integral connection between the "inner and outer person." Regardless of your primary motivations, you can now hire me for a consultation and to do the difficult part of the equation for you, while you reap the rewards. Thus, while Africans continue to see death as a "saying yes" to God's summons, this summons is a prelude to God's judgment, which determines one's final postmortem destiny in heaven or hell. The Spanish words for these priests are santero or santera. To make more trouble? Devotion to the orishas takes four principal forms: divination, sacrifice, spirit mediumship, and initiation. New York, 1965. It is said that going through the physical death process is exhausting to the sojourner and therefore the deceased needs a few days to recuperate before continuing in the next phase of the life journey. Santeria combines influences of Caribbean tradition, West Africa's Yoruba spirituality, and elements of Catholicism. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. Ancestorhood is therefore a status of honor reserved for the exemplary dead. B. Ojwang, eds. This is primarily an account of Yoruba notions of God. Voodoo can also be spelled as Vodou or Vodun. As Ela, for example, argues in his book My Faith as An African (1990), ancestral veneration is simultaneously an affirmation about life after death but also an affirmation of African notions of family, which includes the living, the dead, as well as the not yet born. Learn Religions. One's ori, therefore, is the essence of one's personality as it controls and guides one's life according to the destiny received prior to birth. (M'passou in Cox, 1998, p. 28). These commonalities in worldview despite cultural ethnic differences will be assumed in this article. 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 owners. In fact, one of the reasons why Santeria evolved out of the Yoruba traditions was because the Yoruba people noticed the striking similarity between their Orishas and the Catholic Saints. Santeria (Santera in Spanish, meaning "Way of the Saints") is a set of related religious systems that fuse Roman Catholic beliefs with traditional Yorb beliefs, that over time became a unique religion in its own right. These myths also indicate that in God's original intentions, the world was orderly, and human beings led a happy life in a state of immortality as long as they were close to God, their creator. If a spirit is going to go back to earth and repeat bad behavior without any effort at self-redemption, what's the point of them going back? These offerings may range from simple presentations before home altars to elaborate feasts in the orishas honour. The Gikuyu call such persons muimwo ni iri (rejected by the people). The religion emphasizes the here and now rather than the afterlife, and it focuses on natural forces. . ." What is the origin of Santeria? Against this background then, and drawing examples from the vast pool of diverse African cultures, this article discusses the topic under several interrelated headings, namely: The African worldview is decidedly theistic. Nairobi, Kenya, 1971. "What is Santeria?" Such frustrated persons may have to "come back," looking for help or for some vital equipment necessary of the journey. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. The deceased is also ritually consulted to indicate his or her acceptance thus to be reintegrated into the family (Gundani in Cox, 1998, p. 201). Meticulous and proper burial signifies that Africans understand the finality of death as a marker of the end of physical life. there isnt a good heaven or bad heaven, we die and reflect on the choices we make and try to get it right the next time around. 24ff). thunder and power are two aspects of nature that are represented by the deity. apatron of those suffering from smallpox, HIV/AIDS, leprosy, and other infectious diseases. The roots go back to Africa, where the Yoruba tribes practiced the Lucumi religion. Apart from vague notions that it somehow involves animal sacrifice and is a syncretistic religion blending Catholic and African beliefs, most Americans know little of anything about Santeria, yet it is probably the most-practiced religion in Cuba and is growing in the United States, De La Torre argues in Santeria: The Beliefs and Rituals of a Growing Religion in America by Eerdmans. African Synod: Instrumentum Laboris. Such theologians assert the compatibility of African beliefs with Christian ones if only the latter can shed their Western garb and be clothed afresh in terms of African culture, a process called "inculturation." She also speaks extensively about the glimpses of the afterlife she saw as a child. In order to maintain their religion, Africans living on the island prayed in secret by superimposing their orishas on Catholic saints. The bottom line is that Santeria is not Voodoo, as many people believe, but they share a common history. Santeria (Way of the Saints) is an Afro-Caribbean religion based on Yoruba beliefs and traditions, with some Roman Catholic elements added. Across the many ethnic groupings and cultural expressions, however, one can discern commonalities in worldviews that make it possible to speak of an "African" worldview as compared, say, to a "Hindu" one. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. The Yoruba people have always been a matrilineal society. Obviously, in our worldview that kind of violent behavior stirs up all kinds of osorbo and creates problems for other people, as well as for the one who can't control his impulses. As a Living-Dead one continues to be involved in matters of the corporate group of family and clan and retains one's personal name and corporate identity in this context. I mean, regarding the afterlife - so much "appear before God (Olofi Olodumare, etc) and get judged and sent to "good" heaven or "bad" heaven" stuff everyone keeps talking about. Santeria is a religion developed by enslaved peoples throughout the Spanish Caribbean. Rituals for summoning the, Read More My New Grimoire Goetia Rising is Now Available!Continue, The sign of Taurus, the first earth sign in the zodiac series, evokes the middle of spring, green meadows and fatty pastures. The notion may be due to the strong influence of Islam and Christianity on Yoruba culture at the time Idowu collected his materials. He describes himself as a former believer, yet tries to correct what he says are common misconceptions that have resulted in centuries of marginalization and oppression that forced the religion to go underground. This entry presents a brief, general picture of Africa's traditional religious heritage, focusing on the major beliefs because, De La Torre calls for dialogue between Christianity and Santeria, which share both commonalities and fundamental differences. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. For this reason, even when a wild beast devours a body, leaving only a few shreds or pieces, these are carefully collected and accorded a full and respectful burial. Both spirits Orishas and Loas are sometimes identified with Catholic saints. When the rope was severed, death became a permanent feature of the human condition. Sickness was not known, and when people died, Imana brought them back to life after three days. This is an excerpt from my new, soon to be published book on necromancy. Elements of Santera and its African roots permeate Cuban culture, including by Sometimes feared and often misunderstood, Santera and other Afro-Cuban spiritual traditions still persist in the U.S. - especially in South Florida. ." Hector Avalos, Introduction to the U.S. Latina and Latino Religious Experience, 2004, Eugenio Matibag, If and Interpretation: An Afro-Caribbean Literary Practice, in Sacred Possessions: Vodou, Santera, Obeah and the Caribbean (ed. 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