The Santeria Religion

[pablo]

Thanks Debbie,

If there are two of us here shall we have an arguement now. En mi Rama.....Just joking

Another thing to note is that most of the animals are eaten except for certain parts that are cooked for the orisha. Ours is a truly pagan religion that has grown out of the land. I think it is sad that most meat eaters have no idea of animal husbandry or that meat does not come in shrink-wrapped portions.

Also only priests can perform animal sacrifice and not all rituals need animals. The animals are obtained from Viveros that can be found in most cities and are humanely treated so as not to offend the orisha. To sacrifice a four legged animal like a goat needs the priest to have a special additional ceremony to be granted the right to do so. Many of us have pets!

The Lukumi religion is a highly disciplined and structured religion.

I would be more inclined to trust my child with a Lukumi priest than a Xtian priest.

I hope this helps to explain things

Pablo

[Summer]

You made a point about the religion that I was hoping would be made; that most of the animals that are used for ritualistic purposes are eaten. That is an important thing for people to know.

LOL at the 2 of us fighting. I am a daughter of Obatala, so it is very hard to upset me! Have no fear there. Do you know who your ruling Orisha is? How long have you been in the religion? I am naturally curious about you, hope you don't mind. ;D

[Creator]

I found this on the net... I thought it was an interesting read. And he's kind of cute too...

www.angelfire.com/my/IyawoExperience/index.html

[Summer]

I have talked with Mr. Ochun on other message board. He is a really cool guy. Sounds like he had a really good time with his year of initiation, and it seems like he learned a lot!

[Summer]

I am a little bit scared to go through my Iyawo year myself. It is a year of prohibitions, in order to reach another level of being. Course, I am still not sure that I will become a Priestess in the Lukumi Santaria religion yet. I am still thinking about it, as it carries a LOT of responsibility with it!

[Summer]

My son has been invited to become initiated in the religion. It's my 17 year old one. I told him about it, and he is thinking on it right now. It is a huge responsebility for someone so young in my opinion, and I will step back, like a true daughter of Obatala, and let him make his decision on his own. Power can be a rather intimidating thing for any person, let along a young person!

[Summer]

www.honor-ur-ancestors.com/thealtar.htm

A link to a great site I found about setting up a traditional ancestor alter.

[Summer]

www.miami.com/html/streetmiami/1105streetexit_pg1.html

Another website I found with a cartoon that describes a little bit about my religion. Interesting.

[jimmyRRpage]

pablo said:

Thanks Debbie,

If there are two of us here shall we have an arguement now. En mi Rama.....Just joking

Another thing to note is that most of the animals are eaten except for certain parts that are cooked for the orisha. Ours is a truly pagan religion that has grown out of the land. I think it is sad that most meat eaters have no idea of animal husbandry or that meat does not come in shrink-wrapped portions.

Also only priests can perform animal sacrifice and not all rituals need animals. The animals are obtained from Viveros that can be found in most cities and are humanely treated so as not to offend the orisha. To sacrifice a four legged animal like a goat needs the priest to have a special additional ceremony to be granted the right to do so. Many of us have pets!

The Lukumi religion is a highly disciplined and structured religion.

I would be more inclined to trust my child with a Lukumi priest than a Xtian priest.

I hope this helps to explain things

Pablo

Something funny... the old ritualistic Jewish Sacrifices from the Torah were like this. Unlike many representations, the meat was cooked, and certain portions were shared among the people, with the exception of God's portion. Granted, this did not apply to the Shabbat Offering, whihc was only God's, and was burned to ashes. The animals were not allowed to suffer, and God chose which animals were sacrificed by laying down rules.

It's hard to know whether Jews miss the sacrifices or not. There was one time where I wondered how our relationship with God would be if we still did the ritual sacrifices. It isn't barbaric. It's a way to honor God. I don't know if I could ever participate myself, but at one point, I did wonder...

And you're right. It is sad that many people think meat only comes in shrinkwrapped portions.

Granted, I can only know it because my Uncle is a hunter (which I could never do myself), and we have a family friend who raises Black Angus cows, Bisen, and other cows.

BTW, this is a great thread, and I love the links. I'm learning alot about Santaria, and it intrigues me (in a good way), so thanks.

[Thorn]

Another question. This is more about the community that the religion itself:

Debbie, from your picture, I'm assuming you weren't born into one of the cultures that developed and make the majority of the membership of Santeria. Do you find that other members of the faith treat you differently? Do you get a sense of resentment from them, or even just feel like an outsider?

I ask because "Cultural appropriation" is such a big deal among Native Americans when dealing with people of European ancestry who practice (or take inspiration from) their spirituality. It's even an issue between Pagan Reconstructionists and Wiccans or ecclectic pagans.

OTOH, I know vodou has had white practitioners almost since the beginning, I just don't know how seriously they were taken and if it's the same in other African syncretic religions.

One of the reasons I don't see myself getting beyond an intellectual interest in these religions, is that I'm afraid of being disrespectful to the cultures that gave them birth.

[Summer]

Yes, I have had some negativity from one African American believer. I was shocked by it, but really shouldn't have been. His opinion was that in order to have faith in the Orishas, one must be African American. I disagree with him.

The Orishas called to me in my dreams, and basically led me to a place where I would be able to find a way to connect with them. I believe that it is them who calls us, not the other way around. And any one who might disagree with me, I feel should take it up with the Orishas. They saved my life, and one of my children's sanity as well. So I will always be a believer in them, no matter what any person of any descent says to me. I don't feel that it is being disrespectful to anyone's culture for me to be a believer or a practitioner of the Lukumi Santeria tradition.

[Thorn]

That's very true. When the gods call, it'd be pretty stupid not to follow!

[Summer]

You can say that again! LOL! ;D

[pablo]

“Something funny... the old ritualistic Jewish Sacrifices from the Torah were like this. Unlike many representations, the meat was cooked, and certain portions were shared among the people, with the exception of God's portion. “

Jimmy,

That is just the tip. The Yoruba were said to have migrated to what is now South-Western Nigeria from North Africa.

J O Lucas and M Odudoye have both looked at the etymology of various Yoruba words and have concluded that the words and linguistic structures have come from ancient Egyptian and also Semitic origins.

Serological studies also indicate the Yoruba have some Semitic biological marker. Now Semitic does not equal Jewish. Anyway we can blame the golden calf for all that (joke).

Now, as I have said elsewhere there is scientific proof and there is faith so I would invite you to be the judge.

There are however those who need their racial, social or ethnic group to be “The best”. These idiots the wish to trace their group back to the very dawn of time so some people find the research of Lucas et al to be heretical. I don't care we humans are really mongrels "human races" are not a scientific fact, as the Human Genome project has proven (LOL).

Pablo

[Creator]

I have been reading some on Orishanet and have a few questions;

I guess this will be for Pablo to answer since he is the only one who's gone through the one year in white...

How does one manage to work or take the kids to school if one can't go out before noon and not after dark? Here in Sweden it gets dark around 3pm in the winter. That would leave 3 hours to be out of the house

Also, that website mentioned that one mustn't let anyone who hasn't been initiated touch you during that year... Does this mean being a celibate for this time? What if you have to take care of children - got to touch them...

And is it true that one has to cut ones hair off? Didn't say so on this site but I heard it from somewhere.

Can anyone interested do the Divination part of this religion, to find out who your ruling Orisha is, without going any further?

Silly questions? Maybe, but I was born curious.