Illness, they say, is a call from the Orisha, a crisis to a waken one to one's destiny as a servant of the Orisha. In the If oracle, for example, a trained priest, a babalawo (father of the mystery), interprets the fall of consecrated palm nuts to reveal the orishas response to a seekers question. The installation of the deceased back into family simultaneously marks the induction of the deceased into the world of ancestors. Thus, for example, among the Swazi, burial of the dead is only done after three days. Reflection and resources at the intersection of faith and culture through an inclusive Christian lens. This status, however, is not automatic. 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. 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. We know the difference and we have to be conscious of our actions. Does Santera believe in the afterlife? The idea is to make positive statements about what you would like to see in your life and to repeat, Read More How to Create Positive Affirmations That ACTUALLY WorkContinue, Fellow occultists, I am happy to announce that my new grimoire, Goetia Rising, is now available on Amazon: This is a small book, as a proper grimoire ought to be. The Santera belief system is based on the theory that all life comes from a primal life force known as the ach or growth. Many dress in white to symbolize purity. Joseph M. Murphy Professor of Theology, Georgetown University. A priest has 'made the saint', which means that they have been 'reborn in the spirit' and made a commitment to serve a particular Orisha. A redefinition of the human person also seems to be indicated in the Christian discourse. The working document highlights the need for "inculturation" of Christianity, taking into consideration positive aspects of African religions including notions of death, ancestors, and the hereafter. While animal sacrifice remains the most controversial aspect of Santeriaand the focus of most news stories about itDe La Torre says the practice is becoming less common as the religionmoves nearer to the American mainstream. Santeria is based on Yoruba beliefs, while Voodoo is based on Fon and Ewe beliefs. Wazobia, N.Y., 1994. Thus, as another song reminds the listener, the issue that one should worry about is not death itself, since death is inevitable. - Wikimedia Commons by Susanne Bollinger / CC-BY-SA-4.. Santera developed in Cuba during the 19 th century and has continued to spread in America, particularly in large cities like Miami, New York, and Los Angeles primarily through Caribbean island immigrants. Catholic symbols are sometimes used in Santeria rituals. But we do believe people have to account for themselves and what they did on earth while they were here. It originated in Cuba and was historically practiced by descendants of West African slaves. This entry presents a brief, general picture of Africa's traditional religious heritage, focusing on the major beliefs because these underlie the, Pan-Africanism is an internationalist philosophy that is based on the idea that Africans and people of African descent share a common bond. When the rope was severed, death became a permanent feature of the human condition. Like many religions, Santeria also offers community. Priesthood and Initiation But there's a different approach. Gundani and Ongonga also discuss, respectively, the rituals of Kurova Guva and Duogo, which are rituals of reintegrating the deceased and confirming their status as ancestors or the living dead. Santeria, a closed religion, has drawn false advertising that animals are sacrificed while performing rituals. In Santera, this concept idea has syncretised with Roman Catholic beliefs about guardian angels and Spiritist notions of the protecciones or protector spirits. Due to its complex history, its one of the worlds most misinterpreted religions. The SM Otieno Case: Death and Burial in Modern Kenya. Being moral exemplars, the ancestors are also considered custodians and enforcers of justice and morality among the living, and because they are considered ontologically closer to God, they function as intermediaries between God and the people. Two thousand years later, these Egyptian ideas of the hereafter were part of the repertoire of beliefs in circulation in the Mediterranean world as Christianity was taking shape. Mortuary rituals also emphasize the integral connection between the "inner and outer person." In Voodoo, the possessed individual is known as. The word syncretistic means to "draw together" or "combine." In a religious environment, this involves the mixing of elements from different or independent religious traditions to create a new belief system. Originating in West Africa among the Yoruba . Thus, this is a status clearly linked or even dependent on one's place in and relationship to the corporate group, particularly the family. For a long time Santeria was a secretive underground religion, but it's becoming increasingly visible in the Americas: Once dismissed as a ghetto religion practiced only by the Caribbean poor and uneducated, Santeria has a growing following among middle-class professionals, including white, black and Asian Americans. Lets start with an elucidation of Santeria and then Voodoo before jumping into the list of similarities and differences, or feel free to skip ahead. Belief that people can be possessed by spirits is more common among Latino evangelical Protestants (80%) than among mainline Protestants (63%), Catholics (56%) or the religiously unaffiliated (43%). In August 2009, the 5th U.S. The one thing that is for sure, both Santeria and Voodoo have mysterious, occult practices. In effect, it may be considered a mainstream American faith along with Christianity, Judaism and Islam.. There is no strict orthodoxy on this issue and thus interpretations differ. Their subsequent pact with the spirit reflects both their respect for the power of the Orisha to claim their lives and their gratitude for the Orisha's agency in effecting a cure. Santera was brought to Cuba by the people of the Yoruban nations of West Africa, who were enslaved in great numbers in the first decades of the 19th century. Indeed, within Hinduism, one goal of religious activity is to facilitate the ultimate separation or liberation (moksha ) of the soul (tman ) breaking out of once and for all the unending and tragic cycle of reimbodiment (sasra ). Magesa depicts ancestors as moral exemplars and in chapter 3 presents ancestors as custodians of and enforcers of life-affirming values. Santeria is a fairly complex system, because it blends the Yoruba orishas, or . Recently, recognizing that rituals to honor the dead are carried out despite the ban, and conceding that ancestors hold a key position in African traditional religions the Catholic Synod of African Bishops recommended that attempts be made to harmonize African beliefs in ancestors with Christian beliefs regarding saints (Schotte, 1992, p. 55). 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. Santeria is one of the many African syncretistic religions created in the Americas. Death is therefore frustrating because it takes way a loved one and robs people of the companionship and other gifts that such a relationship brings. During crucial moments of this life journey, special rituals (rites of passage) designed to mark, celebrate, and help the individual successfully negotiate the key turning points, including death, are performed. The world without photography will be meaningless to us if there is no light and color, which opens up our minds and expresses passion. Practitioners believe that this divinity created the universe but takes little interest in human affairs. New York, 1965. Members mostly join as adults, usually after feeling that a particular Orisha has called them to do so. They are marred with dark mystery due to the secrecy that guards these esoteric segments of their practice. Portsmouth, N.H., 1969. Today, almost 80 percent of the Cuban population practice Santeria, which is sometimes described as the national religion.. Im not sure I ever heard of bad heaven outside of one book by a missionary, so I dont necessarily prescribe to it. However, thats not the case. There is a Spanish influence in Santeria, whereas in Voodoo religion the French influence is more prominent. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. Furthermore, during the period between death and burial, the Swazi, as do other communities, observe a vigil both to console the bereaved and to keep the deceased person company as they transit between this world and the next (M'passou in Cox, 1998). Between 1940 and 1960, the immigrants from Cuba spread Santeria in the United States. 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. Nairobi, Kenya, 1971. Santeria combines influences of Caribbean tradition, West Africa's Yoruba spirituality, and elements of Catholicism. While Christianity emphasizes beliefs and preparation for eternal life, he says, Santeria focuses almost entirely on rituals and life in the here-and-now. Main similarities between Santeria and Voodoo, 12 Main Differences Between Santeria and Voodoo. Her faith is called Santeria or Regla de Osha/IFA, a religion grounded in African beliefs that were transported to the New World aboard slave ships and melded with Christian beliefs in Cuba. Many people are involved with Santeria to a lesser extent, without becoming members of an il. Santeria worshippers have a constitutional right to use animal sacrifice in their ceremonies, and the animals are usually well cared for prior to sacrifice. In general, within the African context, such a rigid dualism between body and soul is not found. This is primarily an account of Yoruba notions of God. Oldmar: God in Yoruba Belief. 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. Encyclopedia of Religion. Practitioners believe that Orichas intercede for them if they make offerings and live in compliance with their wishes. This anthology of essays analyzes African independent churches, their histories and theologies. Kenyatta, Jomo. One such song exhorts the listeners to remember that "our bodies are like flowers that wither and die" and that "We shall leave our bodies right here on earth and go to heaven in/with our souls/spirits" (mioyo ) (Kikuyu Catholic Hymnal, 1992, hymn 108). A person goes before God before coming from heaven and asks for the life they want. The world below was the opposite of the world above, since it lacked in beauty and prosperity. This combination now forms the deities of the contemporary Santeria religion. . It was about "ancient" origins of all the Christmas traditions. Tree, yule log, 12 days etcAfter reading it she looked at me like a demon for a bit..lol. Santera is a syncretic religion based significantly in the traditions of the Yoruba and incorporating elements of Catholicism. The Luo call such restless, deceased persons jochiende, while the Shona call them mashave. In Voodoo, Oungan is consulted but he may often send his clients to medical professionals. Santera is a religion of African origin that developed in Cuba before spreading throughout Latin America and the United States. but only faith in Almighty God can bring them a happy afterlife. We hope she's right. Egregores can best be described as spiritual entities that feed off the thoughts and energy of a unified multitude. Africans also believe in a universe that is in process of formation and transformation, and therefore life means being involved in a process of becoming, together. Elements of Santera and its African roots permeate Cuban culture, including by Simultaneously, however, while many seem to have embraced these Christianized notions of the afterlife, there is evidence, even among Christianized Africans, of a marked resistance to the seeming demonization of African beliefs, particularly beliefs in ancestors. we worship the orisha and honor our ancestors. Being an Afro-Cuban religion, Santeria is an adaptable tradition that has no central authority. Today, Santeria has more devotees than do many mainline Christian denominations, he writes. Initiation is a solemn and life-changing event for the follower and unites them with their Orisha, and with other followers of that Orisha. Offerings to the lwa include fruit and the blood of sacrificed animals. African Religions: The Moral Traditions of Abundant Life. More clues regarding African notions of afterlife can be gleaned from an examination of African concepts of the person. Governed by Mars, fiery and voluntary planet, Aries is in analogy with House I, concerning the Self, the decisions, the behavior. (2020, August 28). In some areas, African slaves learned that honoring their ancestral orishas was far safer if their Catholic owners believed they were worshiping saints instead - hence the tradition of overlap between the two. Voodoo can be traced to the Fon and Ewe in West Africa, currently known as Benin. Discussing African notions of afterlife necessitates several preliminary and pertinent observations. Santera is a religion with Afro-Cuban roots, rising out of the cultural clash between the Yoruba people of West Africa and the . They belong to the Six Nations, formerly known as the Iroquois or Haudenosaunee Confederacy. Encyclopedia.com. I conduct summoning rituals for clients - https://occultist.net/product/ritual-for-hire/, To learn more about practical magick, get my latest book "The Psy-Mage Compendium" on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3ouvops, The sign of Aries, the first sign of Fire in the zodiac series, evokes the beginning of spring, the struggle of life and natural forces in action. Deep stuff. This is very much a mutual relationship as the Orishas need to be worshipped by human beings if they are to continue to exist. 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. 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. Santeria means the way of saints, whereas the term voodoo meaning moral fiber has its origin in African-Haitian religious, traditional practices. Elsewhere, for example among the Agikuyu of Kenya, ideas of heaven and hell were introduced de novo, since this community's prior concepts of the hereafter had no such notions. Although many people think that they are one and the same, Santeria and Voodoo have quite a bit of differences. Thus, for example, one Gikuyu Christian funeral song bids the deceased farewell and expresses the hope that the person will be met at the gates of heaven by "multitudes of God's angels" (Kikuyu Catholic Hymnal, 1992, hymn 101). Santeria evolved when African slaves were stolen from their homelands during the Colonial period and forced to work in Caribbean sugar plantations. The slaves took each African god (Orisha) and renamed them after the . . Copyright 2023, Good Faith Media | Site by, Baptist Pastor Recognized for Lifetime Contributions to Cuba, COVID-19, Inflation, Inept Govt Plague Cuban People, Religious Minorities Plight Too Often Overlooked, Handbook of U.S. Theologies of Liberation, Santeria: The Beliefs and Rituals of a Growing Religion in America. Managing editor at EthicsDaily.com from 2003-2009, Allen wrote more than 1,500 news stories during his tenure. To become a Santero, or high priest, one must pass a series of tests and requirements prior to initiation. This process had a tremendous impact on all aspects of African beliefs, including notions of the afterlife, our immediate concern here. 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. Close suggestions Search Search Search Search It is likely that Orisha traditions will continue to grow and be recognized as one of the principal African contributions to world culture. This ceremony invites the Orisha to join the community in drumming, singing and dancing. Winter Solstice and Sol invictus. In chapters 13 and 14 Idowu discusses Yoruba notions of human nature and definition of the person. ", Ray, Benjamin. A number of adherents of Santeria have made the news lately, because the religion does incorporate animal sacrifice typically chickens, but sometimes other animals such as goats. 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. The city claimed "animal sacrifices jeopardize public health and violate its slaughterhouse and animal cruelty ordinances." The rare cases of cruel treatment of animals are punishable by law. These commonalities in worldview despite cultural ethnic differences will be assumed in this article. . It's a choice. Santeria combines influences of Caribbean tradition, West Africa's Yoruba spirituality, and elements of Catholicism. Sign of Aries, Mars and House I: Personality Traits, Relationships.. How to Create Positive Affirmations That ACTUALLY Work. The Heartbeat of Indigenous Africa. 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. Santera, (Spanish: The Way of the Saints) also called La Regla de Ocha (Spanish: The Order of the Orishas) or La Religin Lucum (Spanish: The Order of Lucum), the most common name given to a religious tradition of African origin that was developed in Cuba and then spread throughout Latin America and the United States. Those who undergo its carefully guarded initiation rites, which include animal sacrifice to cleanse the soul and give strength, step into an extended family. From the Cuban Revolution of 1959 to the early 21st century, nearly one million Cubans left the island, bringing Orisha religion to cities throughout the Americas, particularly Miami and New York. She or he is 'godmother' or 'godfather' to a family of sisters and brothers en santo, in the spirit. Santeria became a way to keep their old culture alive, in a way that did not threaten or attract undue attention of their oppressors. African Synod: Instrumentum Laboris. Each deity represents an aspect of nature, like thunder, and a human characteristic, like power. Eleggua is the gatekeeper between life and the afterlife in heaven and is the connection between the Orishas, humans, and god. In chapter 8 he discusses the African notions of personal immortality and the status of the living dead, while in chapter 14 he discusses African ideas of death and the hereafter and offers an exegesis of sample funeral rituals. Lizette Alvarez explained in a New York Times article about Santeria philosophy: "The religion emphasizes the here and now rather than the afterlife, and it focuses on natural forces. People want to go back in one form or another to be with their family, to take their place among the ancestors, and to continue to evolve spiritually. Although Santeria is a religious path that is not rooted in Indo-European polytheism like many other contemporary Pagan religions, it's still a faith that is practiced by many thousands of people in the United States and other countries today. Santera is a religion that is capturing the interest of many people around the globe due to its deep mystical roots and powerfully visceral religious experiences. Beginning in the 19th century, the enslaved Cuban. Contrary to popular belief, Vodou is a monotheistic religion, since practitioners believe in one all-powerful God who created the universe and everything in it. Because each style has its own formatting nuances that evolve over time and not all information is available for every reference entry or article, Encyclopedia.com cannot guarantee each citation it generates. 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? There is no central organisation in Santeria. Santeria and Voodoo are not witchcraft but a religious belief that is highly misunderstood . To be thus rejected, excommunicated and forgotten, is truly to die in the African understanding. Perhaps because of human disobedience or greed, this relationship was lost. What those heavens entail etc. These two religions have the same place of origin: West Africa. 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