Training includes divinatory work, herbalism, and counseling. Winter Solstice and Sol invictus. ." "What is Santeria?" Author of. In Santeria, the ritual performing ceremonies are known as, In Santeria, there are rites sketched to make peace with the soul of the departed called. Santeria (The way of the Saints) is an Afro-Caribbean religion based on Yoruba beliefs and traditions, with some Roman Catholic elements added. This frustration is expressed though funeral dirges. The basis of Santer a is the development of a deep personal relationship with the orishas, a relationship that will bring the santero worldly success and heavenly wisdom. What happens when there is no community? Now, in some belief systems, say Hinduism, the person is defined as the soul that is contained or even imprisoned in the body. A bull is also killed specifically for the deceased's grandfather to alert him so that he can await the deceased (Mbiti, 1969, p. 155). It drives the individual to evolve by balancing the heart, mind, and body with spirit. Discord: https://discord.gg/Tg3Cbwft, Press J to jump to the feed. In a landmark 1993 case, the Church of Lakumi Babalu Aye successfully sued the city of Hialeah, Florida, for the right to practice animal sacrifice within a religious context; the Supreme Court determined that it was a protected activity. Spiritual guides working to pay off karmic debt for elevation. Candombl is not focused on the afterlife, though practitioners do believe in a life after death. Cubas government considered it ancient sorcery. Nairobi, Kenya, 1992. The Luo call such restless, deceased persons jochiende, while the Shona call them mashave. What does Santeria believe about the afterlife? Each Orisha is an aspect of one supreme god. Divination can be done by casting palm nuts, interpreting the fall of shells, or using a divided coconut. 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. Having understood the fundamentals of Santeria and Voodoo, lets examine the main similarities and differences. Sun on the cross sacrificing your ego. This ritual involves throwing an ekwele, a chain of 8 shaped pieces. Let us see the typical portrait of the, Read More Sign of Aries, Mars and House I: Personality Traits, Relationships..Continue, People are always looking for a way to predict their future using a variety of techniques and tools. Facing Mount Kenya. This is reminiscent of rituals of communion with the deceased through shared meals and libations. To some extent, Santeria includes magical practice, although this magical system is based upon interaction with and understanding of the orishas. Lewiston, N.Y., 1992. I've never heard the good go to heaven and the bad go to hell though. They are shaped and influenced by other belief systems that they encounter in history. Mbiti, John. Nairobi, Kenya, 1989. The Luo of Kenya, for example, use the yago fruit, which is several feet in length and is laid in the grave to represent the dead. Sometimes feared and often misunderstood, Santera and other Afro-Cuban spiritual traditions still persist in the U.S. - especially in South Florida. Santeria and Voodoo were both presented in the Western Hemisphere by slaves from North Africa, most likely Nigeria. It is popularly known as Lucumi in Cuba where traditions are maintained by Lucumi priests and priestesses who were slaves during the end of the 18th and early 19th centuries. Under the Yoruba babalawo, the Catholic calendar was wisely utilized for the veneration of African saints. Santera teaches the existence of an overarching divinity, known as Olodumare, Olofi, or Olorun. Priests have special powers because they have been 'entered' by an Orisha. Encyclopedia.com gives you the ability to cite reference entries and articles according to common styles from the Modern Language Association (MLA), The Chicago Manual of Style, and the American Psychological Association (APA). A redefinition of the human person also seems to be indicated in the Christian discourse. The slaves took each African god (Orisha) and renamed them after the . 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). Santeria for many years was considered to be a secret religion. 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. In Cuba, the practice became known as Santeria, while in Haiti, it started being referred to as Voodoo. . Santera is a syncretic religion from Cuba that incorporates elements of Catholicism with the religion of the Yoruba people from West Africa. 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. 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. As we recall, Africans believe that the destiny of the individual and the community are interdependent, interconnected, and intertwined. Sickness was not known, and when people died, Imana brought them back to life after three days. 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. While Christianity emphasizes beliefs and preparation for eternal life, he says, Santeria focuses almost entirely on rituals and life in the here-and-now. One can also study comparative religious chronology through a . Initially, human beings lived close to the sky and were therefore near enough to the world above to enjoy its benefits without struggle and labor. 5 Pages. Empirical Studies of African Independent/Indigenous Churches. 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). 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. According to the myth, humans continue to suffer hardships in this world, until one day when, their expiation over, they will return to the sky. But someone who cold-bloodedly murders his family isn't going to have the same fate as a person who has gone through life trying to be supportive and helpful to his family. Many women pray to her for conceiving a child. Among the Gikuyu, as was typical in most indigenous African communities, though one's moral misconduct could provoke divine anger and punishment, such punishment was this-worldly rather than delayed and otherworldly. 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. 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. Santera is a syncretic religion based significantly in the traditions of the Yoruba and incorporating elements of Catholicism. Whereas in indigenous African thought ancestors were moral exemplars, enjoying a status of honor to which the living could aspire, today, ancestors are in Christian discourse depicted as evil forces of the same character with the devil. https://www.encyclopedia.com/environment/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/afterlife-african-concepts, "Afterlife: African Concepts 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. Then, copy and paste the text into your bibliography or works cited list. They belong to the Six Nations, formerly known as the Iroquois or Haudenosaunee Confederacy. 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." The seven main Orishas are known as the Seven African Powers. It seems from this myth that the Tutsi understand happiness and immortality to be dependent on how well they maintain the link between themselves and God. Olokun also presides over meditation, mental health, dreaming, psychic abilities and water-based healing. 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. This is an excerpt from my new, soon to be published book on necromancy. 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. 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. Lets see the typical portrait of the natives, Read More Sign of Taurus, Venus and House II: Personality Traits (Full Guide)Continue. As this creator deity is inaccessible to humanity, no major offerings are dedicated to it. It would seem, then, that contemporary debates about the afterlife in Africa are simultaneously discussions about this world and this life. The Swahili call this community of the dead Mizimu, while their abode is referred to as Kuzimu. He corresponds to the Catholic Saint Lazarus. It is practiced differently in rural and urban areas and also in Haiti and other locations such as New Orleans, a very popular center. Thus, it is possible to speak of the Yoruba notions of afterlife and compare these, say, to the Igbo or Zulu concepts, noting distinctions and similarities. Encyclopedia of Religion. Mosha, Sambuli. This is a monograph on African belief systems. Many testify that it was their experience of a life-threatening illness which first prompted their devotion to an Orisha. Santeria, a religion created several centuries ago by West Africans enslaved in colonial Cuba and imported to New York City more than 40 years ago, is going public. Moreover, in the African view, to be is to participate in an ongoing dance of life propelled by God's creative and sustaining power. The songs also indicate that Christianized Africans have embraced Christian eschatological ideas of heaven and hell and even a postmortem judgment. 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. We even consult the Babalawos in heaven and either do or dont do Ebo. In the early 18th century, practitioners combined their masters pantheon of Catholic saints with their own spirits, the Orisha. Santera: An African Religion in America. Santera is an Afro-Cuban or Afro-Caribbean religion created in Cuba by the Yoruba people who were brought to the island as enslaved people. When the rope was severed, death became a permanent feature of the human condition. Today, the pyramids where the pharaohs, ancient Egyptian kings believed to be immortal, were entombed remain an enduring testimony of the ancient Egyptians' preoccupation with life after death. Slowly, the African religious rituals merged with Christianity. Many Christians, albeit in camouflaged or covert ways, continue to honor and remember their dead through ritual in spite of the formal doctrinal ban. Revolutionary Cuba clamped-down on Santeria at first, but over the last 15 years or so the government tolerated it more and more and now allows it to flourish. Membership is taken seriously, and members are expected to take part in the life of the il. Thus, for example, among the Swazi, burial of the dead is only done after three days. 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 ). 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). It means way of saints or honor of saints. In general, within the African context, such a rigid dualism between body and soul is not found. That a person is considered a composite and integral whole is also evident in that often, when people claim to encounter the dead through visions and dreams or when they communicate with them through ritual, they claim to have met or spoken with "so and so," a person identifiable by name, rather than the "ghost" of so and so. Oya is a warrior, and the guardian of the dead. Though the deceased may be physically gone, they are still here as persons and the living can still communicate with them. 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'. 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. For many years, Santeria was kept secret, and limited to those of African ancestry. It is well developed in Spanish-speaking people and colonies. The installation of the deceased back into family simultaneously marks the induction of the deceased into the world of ancestors. and cause more harm? African Religions: The Moral Traditions of Abundant Life. . Drawing examples from across the continent, Mbiti offers a systematic account of African beliefs. However, etutu is our process of funeral rights and it does include judgement. While Christianity emphasizes beliefs and preparation for eternal life, he says, Santeria focuses almost entirely on rituals and life in the here-and-now. Santera is a Spanish word meaning "The Way of the Saints.". Santeria fought its way up, and even after the Constitution in Cuba proclaimed freedom of religion, the religion continued to face much opposition. Death is depicted as "saying goodbye" to the living or "saying yes" (gwitika in Gikuyu) to a summons by God. Later on, the region came under Islamic influence, and today much of North Africa is Islamic and culturally Arabic. Explains that santera is a sensible religion that focuses on helping individuals live more in harmony with themselves and the world around them. Santeria incorporates elements of several faiths and so is what's called a 'syncretic' religion. However, the date of retrieval is often important. This dance is only interrupted, not ended, by physical death. Maryknoll, N.Y., 1990. Hindus believe that when someone dies, he or she is born into a different body largely determined by his or her previous life. Devotion to the orishas takes four principal forms: divination, sacrifice, spirit mediumship, and initiation. Sign of Taurus, Venus and House II: Personality Traits (Full Guide). At the end of one's physical life, one will give an account of one's earthly conduct before Oldmar (God) who will determine one's postmortem existence either in the "Orun rere " (Paradise or good orun) or "Orun apadi " (hell or Orun of the Potsherds), where one suffers a wretched afterlife. Ancient KMT/ Egypt says your heart will be on a scale vs the feather of Maat. but only faith in Almighty God can bring them a happy afterlife. African belief systems have been most palpably influenced and shaped by the encounter with nineteenth-century missionary Christianity. Ancestorhood is therefore a status of honor reserved for the exemplary dead. In 2009, a federal court ruled that a Texas Santero, Jose Merced, could not be prevented by the city of Euless from sacrificing goats in his home. In Santera, this concept idea has syncretised with Roman Catholic beliefs about guardian angels and Spiritist notions of the protecciones or protector spirits. A religion started in secret. A Santero, or high priest, traditionally presides over rituals and ceremonies. Offerings to the lwa include fruit and the blood of sacrificed animals. Today, almost 80 percent of the Cuban population practice Santeria, which is sometimes described as the national religion.. Properly known as Lukum in the Yorb language, meaning "friendship," Santeria was the religion practiced by descendants of many Yorb slaves in Cuba, over time . It is believed that access to the orishas can be achieved through various types of divination. 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. P'bitek notes that the Acholi approach the dead as identifiable persons rather than mere disembodied spirits (cwiny ) or shadows (tipo ). Occultist.net is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. The animal is sacrificed as food, rather than for any obscure mystical purpose. They also adopted some features from Catholicism. 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. The religion emphasizes the here and now rather than the afterlife, and it focuses on natural forces. The one thing that is for sure, both Santeria and Voodoo have mysterious, occult practices. The religion is also known as La Regla Lucumi and the Rule of Osha. 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." Henceforth, the deceased person can be honored in family rituals alongside other ancestors and enjoy a privileged position both among the living and the dead. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. 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 planned for them before they were born. 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. Because of the social stigma commonly associated with Santeria by followers of mainstream religions, it is possible that many adherents of Santeria keep their beliefs and practices secret from their neighbors. The centre of the religion is Cuba, but it has spread to the USA and other nearby countries, particularly after the Cuban revolution in 1959. The animals are killed by cutting the carotid arteries with a single knife stroke in a similar way to other religious methods of slaughter. Ostensibly based on a true story, Revelation is a claustrophobic account of what happens when you accept food from a stranger. 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. Devotees see the Orisha tradition as a world religion and have received public recognition of their spiritual achievements. 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