The one thing that is for sure, both Santeria and Voodoo have mysterious, occult practices. Mugambi, Jesse, and J. The slaves took each African god (Orisha) and renamed them after the . For Ela, such a reclamation is not only doctrinally valid and acceptable but would serve as one possible antidote to "this worldly" problems that thrive on radical individualism (Ela, 1990, pp. The Yoruba people have always been a matrilineal society. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). 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. This is often the house of senior Santeria priest, who heads an extended family: He, or more often, she, is the head of the il in the deeper sense of 'family'. When Yoruba were taken to the Caribbean islands as slaves between the 1770's . Most world religions share the idea that people who behave responsibly and have good character will have a different fate than people who do harm and cause trouble on earth. Santera focuses on building relationships between human beings and powerful (but mortal) spirits or divinities called o risha. This is a monograph on African belief systems. The USA Supreme Court has stated (Church of Lukumi Babalu Aye v. City of Hialeah, 1993 - see related links) that it is constitutional for Santeria worshippers to kill animals for such a ritual sacrifice. The traditional rituals of reinstating the dead into the world of the living, for example, seem to reappear camouflaged in the quite prevalent Christian rituals of "unveiling the tombstone" or "unveiling the cross." Mbiti, John. Wigington, Patti. Dennis M'passou writes on "The Continuing Tension Between Christianity and Rites of Passage in Swaziland," Paul Gundani explores "The Roman Catholic Church and the Kurova Guva Ritual in Zimbabwe," and Jude Ongonga writes on "The River-Lake Luo Phenomenon of Death." Kenyatta, Jomo. De La Torre traces the roots of Santeria to the Yoruba people of Africa, who were brought from Africa to colonial Cuba as slaves and forced to embrace Catholicism. 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). Olodumare takes little interest in human beings, thus it is considered to be inaccessible to humanity. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. Followers believe that these spirits will give them help in life, if they carry out the appropriate rituals, and enable them to achieve the destiny that God planned for them before they were born. In the African worldview, then, notions about the "afterlife" and notions of "this life" complement and flow into one another. My Faith as An African. The rituals involve performers drumming that make most of the music, singing, dancing, praying, and even animal sacrifice. She is the author of Daily Spellbook for the Good Witch, Wicca Practical Magic and The Daily Spell Journal. Furthermore, the ban is seemingly based on Christian notions of afterlife that define salvation as a matter of the individual's disembodied soul getting to an "otherworldly heaven." There are many reasons why they are drawn to Santeria. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans said the Euless ordinance "placed a substantial burden on Merced's free exercise of religion without advancing a compelling governmental interest." While traditionally one's body was considered integral to one's person and was therefore considered important even after death, today Christian funeral songs depict the body as incidental if not detrimental to one's positive destiny after death. 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%). We know the difference and we have to be conscious of our actions. The religion is also known as La Regla Lucumi and. According to this myth, upon death people ascended to the sky via the rope for a short period and came back rejuvenated to earth. Mosha contextualizes this education within the African theistic worldview with its emphasis on wholeness and interconnectedness of life as well its unfolding nature. Many testify that it was their experience of a life-threatening illness which first prompted their devotion to an Orisha. It drives the individual to evolve by balancing the heart, mind, and body with spirit. To some extent, Santeria includes magical practice, although this magical system is based upon interaction with and understanding of the orishas. Both Santeria and Voodoo are religious practices upheld by people who believe in a common God that is served by several spirits. We try to cultivate good character while on earth because it helps us in our spiritual evolution, and it also makes society a more pleasant place to live in. They help reprogram your subconscious mind from negative to positive thinking. Mortuary rituals also reveal that Africans consider death a paradox. Christianity borrowed from ancient cultures actually. On the one hand, death and burial signifies an end to one's physical life. 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. It doesn't appear in any feeds, and anyone with a direct link to it will see a message like this one. Followers of Santeria believe that the gods keep accounts of the number of offerings made to the Orishas and they determine the number of favors granted to followers (Lele, 2012). I don't think this is limited to Christianity. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. Facing Mount Kenya. There are about three thousand African ethnic groups, each boasting a distinctive common history, culture, language, and recognizable belief system. Belief in Santeria can peacefully coexist with a belief in Christianity, and especially Catholicism. ." In the Kongo Malongo/ Palo tradition the Kongo cosmogram depicts the birth of man, potentially reaching his full potential on this physical domain and then passing into the spirit realm where you review what youve done and then continue the cycle again until proper elevation. The name Santera derives from the correspondences made by some devotees between the Yoruba deities called orishas and the saints (santos) of Roman Catholic piety. Idowu, Bolaji. This is very much a mutual relationship as the Orishas need to be worshipped by human beings if they are to continue to exist. Kenyatta distinguishes between the worship of Ngai (God) and the veneration of ancestors who he portrays as mediators between God and the living. There are many clear differences between these two religions. African Religions: The Moral Traditions of Abundant Life. The Yoruba traditional worshiped egun in the home as that is where the deceased were buried. To put it simply, Santera is a religion for and by women. but only faith in Almighty God can bring them a happy afterlife. Through the guidance of the ach, Santera believers find . The world below was the opposite of the world above, since it lacked in beauty and prosperity. Death is depicted as "saying goodbye" to the living or "saying yes" (gwitika in Gikuyu) to a summons by God. 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. Santeria worshippers have a constitutional right to use animal sacrifice in their ceremonies, and the animals are usually well cared for prior to sacrifice. 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." 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). Practitioners believe that Orichas intercede for them if they make offerings and live in compliance with their wishes. The orishas serve as messengers between the human world and the divine. Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography. Hindus do not believe in heaven or hell, their life after death system of belief is that of reincarnation. Santeria developed among Afro-Cuban communities while Voodoo developed among Afro-Haitian communities. 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. The basis of the Santeria religion is the nurture of a personal relation with the orishas, and one of the principal forms of devotion is an animal sacrifice. 143ff). There are lawyers and professors, civil servants and musicians whose homes are filled with altars laden with flowers, rum, cake and cigars to keep the gods happy and helpful. This article will factor in this palpable ethnic diversity in order to avoid sweeping generalizations. Now, I present you with the opportunity to REQUEST A RITUAL directly on this website. 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. Each deity represents an aspect . Santeria combines influences of Caribbean tradition, West Africa's Yoruba spirituality, and elements of Catholicism. Bob Allen is managing editor of EthicsDaily.com. Muslims, for example, are encouraged to persevere through earthly tribulations in view of the "day of the Resurrection" when a judgment will be made in their favor, assuming they live a righteous this-worldly life (see Qurn, srah III:185). The study was recently published in Psychology of Religion and Spirituality. Ive been conducting rituals for clients for many years. This is reminiscent of rituals of communion with the deceased through shared meals and libations. ." This frustration is expressed though funeral dirges. Thus, this is a status clearly linked or even dependent on one's place in and relationship to the corporate group, particularly the family. Im not sure I ever heard of bad heaven outside of one book by a missionary, so I dont necessarily prescribe to it. The Yoruba call this inner person ori-inu (Idowu, 1994, p. 170). Santeria. We don't think people are always going to be naturally good. 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