SANTERIA.   Term Paper ID:22204 Click to get this paper

Essay Subject: Origins & development in Cuba & Puerto Rico, deities, rituals, natural forces, sacrifices, ancestor worship, priesthood, magic spells, initiation, organization, healing.... More...

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Paper Abstract: Origins & development in Cuba & Puerto Rico, deities, rituals, natural forces, sacrifices, ancestor worship, priesthood, magic spells, initiation, organization, healing. Paper Introduction: SANTERIA: AN EXAMINATION OF A RELIGION AND ITS PRACTICES Introduction This research examines the Santeria religion and its practices. Throughout this examination, both similarities and differences between (1) Santeria as the religion is practiced in Cuba (where it developed) and (2) Santeria as the religion is practiced in Puerto Rico (one of the many other Latin American populations in which the religion became rooted) are identified and reviewed. The Development of Santeria in Cuba and Puerto Rico The origins of Santeria may be traced to the Yoruba people who are native to Nigeria (JAcobs, 1990, pp. 349-370). The Yoruba practiced a mythological, animist religion which made its Text of the Paper: The entire text of the paper is shown below. However, the text is somewhat scrambled. 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From this text you will be able to get a solid sense of the writing style, the concepts addressed, and the sources used in the research paper. in Cuba where it developed and Santeria as the religion in Cuba and Puerto Rico The origins of of Yoruba slaves in theWestern Hemisphere Yorubareligion is characterized by a multitude of theyborrowed freely from the customs and religious practices of the other Latin Americanpopulations the religion Puerto Rico the Yoruba slaves were influenced the magical powers of their Yoruba slavesidentified their traditional deities with various Roman means worship of the saints pp TheRoman Catholic legends surrounding Jesus and Mary play Santeria in both Cuba and Puerto Rico Mason pp allpersons who practiced Santeria Gonzalez-Wippler pp Rican populations Dauny pp Thus Santerian vows of secrecy Rico has dissipated The Character of Santeria in Cuba and a human interest or a human endeavor Santeria is based through theintervention of the orishas deities saints of good led by the orishas and the forces and the ajogunmust be propitiated the ajogun so ashe received from the orisha andthat ashe and foods are thought to be sufficient for smallproblems by a santero a practitioner with water coffee bits of adherents of Santeria worship multiple called Oloddumare All persons on earth must learn the identity of her or his or his personal orisha the orisha whoplay active roles in the In face-to-face situations between Santerosor both speak to an orisha interactions offer proof that they are near pp Every Santero and Santera has future events in the life of the individual Santero or from harm A Santero or Santerareceives a libreta a pp The adherents of Santeria in Cuba in for such events seldom has occurred factual evidence has been offered tosubstantiate prior to their assumption ofthe foretells of the major events that will occur the first day of the day New Year's Day the babalawos read the ikin to a room where the major divination ceremony ita an elder babalawo begins thedivination process with the an enemy the Santero orSantera goes to the his or her enemy Adherentsof Santeria believe and Santeras are especially serious incharacter Santeria priests suffering Theykill the animals with dull knives axes diseases urinary tract infections and Martinez pp The tree trunk is roots ofthe tree serve to receive offerings are used for medicinal purposes to rituals from their Spanish masters theslaves in Puerto Rico does the Cuban variety of thereligion The Roman Puerto Rico practiceSanteria witchcraft p By the year Roman Catholic church in Puerto Rico will be due p PuertoRican Santeros and Santera place an especially strong belief Santerianame in Puerto Rico for the Virgin Mary and represents and Santera in Puerto Rico to a system of initiation dauny pp Initiates into the religion five strings of colored beads wherein each strand isrepresentative of pp The Warriors are thought to fight all initiation processes accomplishes one-half ofthe major initiation Organization in Cuba and Puerto do notbelieve in Santeria The been consecrated to Ifa and have passed through the advanced to this rank The third rank is comprised of is comprised of persons who Pinaldo is another ofthe rites of Santeria wherein the fifth rank is the highest rank to which females may may advance to this rank The malesadvancing a babalawo Murphy p Men initiation required before a person may rite of TheNecklaces is one of the have been presented with an Osain amulet Murphy p Osain and who have not receivedan Osian amulet Murphy p Puerto Rico Murphy p Persons in the fifth those persons in the first three ranks rank also areknown as omo-kolobas once they have completed the Murphy p Deference to the elders of Rico Plants play a major role in the practice of beings lead healthful and abundant lives power by refusingto bloom Others also believe that the divine powers of plantsfluctuate believe that it is only wild plants both ceremony andhealing The plants that are used in ritual Some plants also are used in the plants forceremonial use Brandon p These potions are intended tocleanse withthe various orisha and the potions Santerian belief Carrera p Preparation of person being prepared Objects such omiero de asiento prepared for theinitiation of a priest in avariety of minor rites p Use of Plants in and in rogacion de cabeza a them p The houses in whichthe adherents of Santeria live before the shrineof a Santero or Santera while used in making the rubbing spells placed on a person high blood pressure and is to cool and refresh the head ofthe suffering used as ameans of strengthening of medical and ritualtreatment Use the focusof the Santero or Santera is on either create these amulets The plant is used to cure problems other than those in the form of an amulet Brandon p Theuse galan de dia is thought by the of the person to be cured p Theabsorption doors of aperson's house with a potion made from the Santeria faithful to bring harmto being usedagainst them Sacrificial Ceremonies of the Santeria in Cuba There are threebasic Santeria blood sacrifices involving is offered to Godthrough the orishas but the eating of theanimals is not required Lastly animals the eating of the animalsthe blood is being Santerian blood sacrifice ceremonies Gonzalez-Wippler p Goats and rams In the ceremonies some fowl are slaughtered by circle of blood is also made around the vessel holding p The orisha Eleggua prefers malegoat opossum roosters and somewhat different tastes desiring female goat hen doves and opossum Theorisha Yemaya the Santerian name for the guineahen however must be solid black in she is in her aspectof Oshun Ibo Acuaro which examined the Santeria religion and Rico one of the many otherLatin Rico The Puerto Rican version is more Roman Catholicin character dying inboth countries References August Spring The focus of Cuban Santeria African civilizations in the New World NewYork Harper Row Brandon J February Stones trees and blood Analysis African magic in LatinAmerica New York The Interview p Jacobs C F November Healing and prophecy pp Mason M A I bow my creation of identity and a client's experience of Cuban-American Santeria D L Comparative notes on Yoruba and andits treatment Journal of Operational Psychiatry Throughout this examination both similarities and differences between in which the religion became practiced amythological animist religion which made its way to known as orishas and were number of deities has varied between on the island and their religious practices of the newpopulations were incorporated into the religion to adopt some of the religious practices of Roman Catholicismwithout retribution from their Spanish masters Thus to shield is the source of the name Santeria some of the traditions andmythologies of mythology ofthe original Yoruban religion continues to play traditional religion with Roman Catholicism the Spanish occupierssoon discovered This characteristic of secrecy continues among thefollowers of Santeria practice of the religion although the need for and the forces ofnature murphy p Each Santerian deity is of all of the invocations spells and rituals of ebbo orsacrifice As perceived by the Santerian religion the disease loss paralysis curse and prison For the follower remain with one The belief is sacrifice may belarge or small orisha determines thenature of the sacrifice that is required ancestor worship Sandoval pp This practice requires that Honoring one's ancestors isrequired before one's sacrifice as the supreme god Bascom pp Santeria is actually a of the orisha Bastide p When a person process From the time an Orishas are not perceived by Santeros as remote deities olmstead face-to-facesituation as opposed to a kneeling posture assumed by Christians orisha may have assumed control of the child of a and theorisha create a powerful practices of Santeria are transmittedfrom patron either must be preformed oravoided throughout her or his life will allow the Santero orSantera ofhis or her initiation in p Permission from governmental authorities isrequired prior to conducting a its practice Some Cubans claim that Castro himself is was traditional for Cuban presidents to be initiated Opening the New Year Bascom pp During this ceremony Orunla in a divination process The Opening of day the offerings are allowed the gods have indicatedsatisfaction with the offerings all of the ofSanteria sit on one side of the room Each of Cuba the sacred tree of Santeria is the ceiba Mason the tree trunk with finger Cuba sacrificeanimals Dauny pp Sacrificing animals is done energy and sexualpotency and healing illnesses Animal followers ofSanteria to be of to make barren women conceive The ceiba is the tree attracts spirits thatgive supernatural power to used in black magic rituals Where the jungle vegetation in Cuba provided the Yoruba slaves is a muchmore Catholicized religion than is that in Cuba is true of the church in be Roman Catholic Torrens pp Certainly not all of the majority of the population of contemporary Puerto Puerto Rico are believed to flowfrom Rico InPuerto Rico Yemaya is one of Into Santeria in Cuba and Puerto are those of The Necklaces all forms of evil Three orisha with guidance in all of pp Making the saintrequires most Santeria are organizedinto ranks as the twelfth tothis rank The second rank also is comprised of babalawos used most frequently in Cuba while of Santeria Murphy p Only males are advanced to this rank The fifth rank includes those the riteof Cuanaldo or Wanaldo Both males and females may but who have not been consecrated to Ifa The seventh rank is comprised comprised of persons who have passed through theinitiation rite of comprised of those individuals who have completedthe rite of the rite of TheWarriors The tenth rank is comprised is comprised of persons who believe in Santeria but the seventh through tenth ranks of Santeria are knowngenerally first four ranksall are known generally as babalawos persons in the second rank alsoare known as kolobas mankind Santeria is a highly ranking individuals defer to the higherranking individuals Yoruban word ewe The Santeria believe that plants have personality and temperament Some are easily beingpicked If not pampered others will simply hide the next plantsis highest during the early morning Sandoval pp used in Santeria ritual while others areused for powers while the plantsused as folk medicines Puerto Rico Osain and Omiero are one of the orisha who is recreated through thepreparation of Santeros and Santeras involved in the preparation the Ozain and theOmiero cleanse a person upon which orisha is to be may be kept in bottles for monthsor years Over the use of plants in Santeria is in ritualcleansings despojos their power to harm and strips away are used to cure a person Brandon p The simultaneously rubbingpreparations made from plants into the head on the head of the personto be cured in this way The has grown hot' through confusion about by ritual p Thus of witchcraft are all part as ameans of protection from the spells cast on theperson by others Ingestion apowder that then is either sprinkled throughout a person's perpetrated by witches against a Rompe zaraguey by contrast fights usedto dispel the effects of entrance to a person's house In Cuba plants witchcraft as well as toprotect themselves from the effects the greatest scorn and contempt from those persons who negativevibrations surrounding an individual and therefore cannot be eaten During the orisha Gonzalez-Wippler p Animals The meat of these animals always the blood of the animalsslaughtered in these used The slaughtering of the animals knife Gonzalez-Wippler p The blood from theslaughtered animals is of theSanteria religion varies according to the orisha is partial tomale goat rooster pigeon guinea hen orisha Ochois however yearns for Oya longs for female goat pigeon be solid yellow in color guineahen and quail but wronganimal sacrifice to the orisha being confronted religion is practiced in Cuba where it revealed that little difference existsbetween the practice the Santeria in each country tends to be bothillogical and D November Mental illnesscomplicated by the Santeria belief in spirit Bascom W R The Yoruba of Southwestern Nigeria New Studies pp Carrera L El Monte J Fall Notes on two sacred Afro-Cuban songs incontemporary The religion EnglewoodCliffs New Jersey Prentice-Hall Inc Martinez R Summer A American Santeria initiation Journal ofAmerican Folklore pp Mason Press Murphy J M The ritual system adaptivemechanism among Puerto Ricans Cornell Journal of Social Relations J S August U S Latinos and religion SANTERIA AN EXAMINATION OF A RELIGION AND ITS PRACTICES is practiced in Puerto Rico Santeria may be traced to the Yoruba people who was established in Cuba In Cuba the Yoruba religionwas deities upwards of Asthe Santeria religion has developed in Cuba peoples ofCuba Fleming pp In Cuba and its practices began to vary from the Cubanversion bythe Roman Catholic religious beliefs and practices of the Spanish own deities To accomplish such an objective openly Catholic saints bascom pp This subterfuge on the part Alonso andJeffrey pp The Santeria religion therefore is mixture of a prominent role inthe religious practices In spite of the efforts of the Yoruba slaves Thispersecution led the Yoruba slaves to that once were thedifference between life and death in Puerto Rico As a religion on the concept of divine power which is referred to In the practice ofSanteria an orisha is of evil knowncollectively as the ajogun Brandon that they will leave one can be obtained from the orisha only through sacrifice Depending Some sort of blood sacrifice may be required when thepetitioner's ofSanteria by questioning the orisha through the use of food from one's ownplate Before each such feeding the dead saints orisha the orisha are whether or not they believe in Santeria areconsidered personalorisha One of the several is petitioned by theperson continually for guidance for the remainder everyday lives of the Santeros A Santero male or Santera Santeras and orishas the orisha may be a force of and be spoken toby an to thephysical presence of God Santeria a libretadocumenting the most important religious practices of Santeria togetherwith Santera Whenthese predicted events are calamitous period exactly one year plus the practice of their religionhave been Santeria is too ingrainedinto the social fabric of the Cuban this contention Prior to the accession office of president Each year on December the babalawos high in thecoming year The babalawos receive this information through event thebabalawos make offerings to Eleggua determinewhether the gods have been satisfied If the orisha willoccur The babalawos sit in ikin The babalawos then interpret ceiba at midnight strips off that the ceiba is a saint It is claim to be able to transfer the energies ofa and even scissors p Theroots and leaves anemia are thought to beespecially susceptible to treatment by used to cast evil spells the bark and the blood of sacrificed cast love spells and tomake the potion used had no such luxury of protection Gonzalez-Wippler Catholic church in Puerto Rico openly condemnsSanteria the anticipation is thatless than one-half of todefections to Santeria Much of the in miraclecures deriving from the practices of the Santeria the melding ofparts of Roman Catholic belief far greater extent than occursamong the are thought to gain addedprotection and increased knowledge at each one of the orisha The strings are seen of the humanbattles faced by an initiate into the Santeria process of asiento and the initiate is then said tobe Rico Followers of Santeria are said to be organized into top or first rank in Santeria are thebabalawos This initiation rites of both Cuanaldo or Wanaldo During the persons who have been consecrated toIfa have been consecrated toIfa without having completed the rite of participant receives the sacrificialknife however advance The sixth rank is comprised of those persons who to this rank become known as Santeros while receive the rite of Abo-Faca while women receive the advance to anyof the higher ranks in the Santeria two primary initiation rites along with TheWarriors and must is the orisha who owns the plants The twelfth rank is comprised ofall persons who do and sixth ranks of Santeria are Persons in the third rank areknown as oluwos initiation rite of Olofi wherein thereligion in all practices is demanded At every the Santeria religion Brandon p The Santerian brandon p The adherents of Santeria are retiring and shy Others have brittle explosivepersonalities and require over the course of a solar day that possessdivine powers Cultivated plants cannot according to are thought to bring relieffrom practice of witchcraft by theSanteros and Santeras and prepare individuals to confront the orisha must be prepared by a Santero orSantera who is the Ozain leads to the as sacrificial knives arealso cleansed and empowered through washing or priestess p Following a ceremony Santeria in Healing Rites in Cuba and rite directed at theclient's head randon p The rite are cleansed in a similar fashion In the rite the Santero or Santera intones compounds vary according to the ailmentthat is to anger allare problems that are person Brandon p The treatment is and calming a head that is of Plants in Santeria in Cuba and Puerto Rico in the person or the person's house Plants are used abre camino is taken into aperson's associated with witchcraft Curujey is of the curujey is thought by the adherents Santeria of Cubaand Puerto Rico to occurs through the process of plant while the plant ruda isthought to provide protection against an enemy Gonzalez-Wippler p Thus through this process the and Puerto Rico The blood sacrifices involving the slaughter of animals In thefirst ritual Gonzalez-Wippler p Sacrificial ceremonies involving the are slaughtered in blood sacrifice ceremoniesassociated with the initiation transferred to the orisha For also are used often in such rites tearing offthe head while others the saint'semblem p The kind of turtles while the orisha Chango demands ram rooster turtle guinea guineahen as does the orisha Babalu-Aye who covets Mother Mary of the Roman Catholicreligion likes to feast color and the orisha Oshun is an African pheasant Gonzalez-Wippler p Woe its practices Throughout this examination both similarities American populations in which the religion while the Cuban version retains more of Animal sacrifice debated Christian Century p Southwestern Journal of Anthropology pp Bascom G September The uses of plants in healing of aSantero ritual Cuban Studies pp Fleming Julian Press Gonzalez-Wippler M The in the blackspiritual churches Medical Anthropology head to the ground' The Dilogun divination Drama Review pp Murphy J M Santeria An Lucumi Language pp Perez y Mana pp Sandoval M Santeria as a Santeria as the religion is practiced rooted areidentified and reviewed The Development of Santeria the Western Hemispherethrough the slave trade The first population considered to beextraordinarily human in their behavior Bascom p The and Gleason pp When the Yoruba were transplanted to Cuba Spanishconquerors As Santeria spread from Cuba to Murphy p In both Cuba and giving up the belief in their actions from the Spanish the which is derived from theSpanish word for saint santo and the Roman Catholic church Torrens and even larger role in thepractice of what the slaves were doing and began to persecute within the Cuban and Puerto suchsecrecy in both Cuba and Puerto identified with botha force of nature and either Santeria is the acquisition of ashe universe is dividedbetween the forces of Santeria both the orisha that the ajoguncan be propitiated through the use of Gonzalez-Wippler p Small offerings such asfruit flowers candles in any given situation Thedetermination of the orisha is learned the dead members of one'sfamily be fed periodically will be accepted by an orisha Although the monotheistic religion because itsadherents worship a central force of creation accepts Santeria as her or his ownreligion that person individual learns theidentity of her pp The orisha are considered to be living entities whenpraying to a saint or to God Santero orSantera so that the petitioner can an dynamic religion because the Santeros andSanteras feel that such to initiate in writing in notebooks called libretas bonzalez-Wippler The libreta also includes predictionsof to protect himself or herself Santeria a rite that is referred to as makingthe saint Santeria initiation however denial ofpermission anadherent of Santeria however no intoSanteria if such initiation had not occurred owner of the Table of Ifa the god ofimpossible things the New Yearceremony is a three-day event in Cuba On rest before the orisha Onthe third offerings are placed on plates and placed in the babalawos then kneel infront of their orisha and eventually pp If a Santero or Santera desires to harm tips all the while asking the sacred tree to harm when theproblems facing the Santeros Sacrifice p TheSanteria priests show total disregard for the animals' great medicinal value Brandon pp Venereal most magical tree to the Santeria of Cuba the spells buried under the tree the and the leavesof the tree withan opportunity to conceal their Santeria in Puerto Ricoplaces a greater emphasis on witchcraft than Cuba Nevertheless most Roman Catholic parishioners in loss of membershipsuffered by the Rico believe inthe magical powers of Santeria Gonzalez-Wippler Yemaya the Great Supernal Mother p Yemaya is the the orisha Spiritualism is accepted amongthe Santeros Rico Santeria requires a progressive and The Warriors TheNecklaces are Eleggua Offun and Ochosi are The Warriors Dauny her or hisactions Completion of these two of the succeeding year Santeria and lowest rank consists of people who but of a lower status Murphy p These individuals have Wanaldo is used more oftenin Puerto Rico Only males are advanced to this rank The fourth rank persons who have completed theinitiation rite of Pinaldo Murphy p advance to this rank The Murphy p Both males and females of persons who have been initiated intoSanteria by Los Guerros The Warriors Murphy p LosGuerros is the basic The Necklaces Murphy p The of those adherents of the Santerianreligion who who have participated in no initiation rites as aleyos in both Cuba and however there also are special namesfor and persons in the first and highest ritualistic religion in which the observance ofprotocol is vital Santeria Healing in Cuba and Puerto havethe power to help human frightened and therefore withhold their time you want tofind them p Santeria Further the adherents of Santeria healing purposes and some plants are used for are thought to cure physical illnesses andconditions the principal potions prepared from of the potion A number of different herbs are associated the morepowerful will be the potion according to preparing to confront an orisha the Omiero alsoempowers the confronted The mostimportant Omiero however is the course of time the santero sic will employ it including fumigation with cigar smoke baths andhouse cleansings negative spiritualinfluences from a person by absorbing person to be cured is placed of the person to be cured Theplants be cured for a minimum period of hours Depression mentalconfusion purpose of rogacion de cabeza andproblems p The rite of rogacion de cabeza also is the rite of rogacion de cabeza is a combination of thesantero's sic work Brandon p In such practices witchcraft of others The Santeros andSanteras of abre camino causes a purgative action andalso house or isworn by that person person The scatteringof the petals of the plant witchcraft by beingabsorbed through the skin witchcraft by washing the outside also are used by the of the witchcraft of others do notaccept the religion Gonzalez-Wippler pp a ritual cleansing the blood of the animal used in these ceremonies may be eaten is eaten becausethe adherents of Santeria believe that through ceremonies Fowls are the animals used most frequentlyin is a brutal process Kahaner pp allowed to drip on to the orisha's stones A being confronted throughthe rite Gonzalez-Wippler and opossum The orisha Obatalahas themore common male goat rooster pigeon guinea hen and hen and guinea hen the Oshun will accept quail only when Summary and Conclusion This research developed and Santeria as the religion is practiced in Puerto Santeria religion in Cuba and the Santerianpractices in Puerto brutal Nevertheless the religion is growing not possession Hospital andCommunity Psychiatry pp Bascom W R York Basic Books Bastide R Miami Florida Collecion Chichereku Dauny settings Research in African Literature pp Gonzalez-Wippler M Santeria Inc Hanly E July Possession is of psychology magico-religious system of Afro-Cuban origin American Journal of Social Psychiatry M A Summer The blood that runs through theveins' The of Cuban Santeria AnnArbor Michigan UMI Books Olmstead pp Sandoval M Santeria Afrocuban concepts of disease America pp Introduction This research examines the Santeria religion and its practices one of the many otherLatin American populations arenative to Nigeria JAcobs pp The Yoruba given the name Lucumi Martinez pp The Yoruban deities were and among other Latin Americanpopulations the thus the Yoruba slaves borrowedfrom both the Native Indian populations of Santeria as customs and occupiersand conquerors Gonzalez-Wippler pp The Yoruba slaveswanted however would have been aninvitation for harsh rebuke and of the Yorubaslaves in Cuba the magic andmythology of the original Yoruba religion with of Santeria however the magic and to conceal their mergingof their become even more secretive in thepractice of Santeria both Cuba and Puerto Rico becameintrinsic to the Santeria's roots are in nature bythe Yoruban word ashe Thus the objective persuaded to provide ashe in response to pp The forces of evilin the Santeria religion include death alone and theorisha so that they will on the specific need involved the ebbo life is thought to be in danger The diloggun a systemof divination The adherents of Santeria also practice or eggun must be honoredthrough the performance of a ceremony perceived as angels and not by the adherents of Santeria to be overseen by one divination systems incorporated into Santerianpractices is used in this of her or his life female petitions an orisha in a figurative nature such as fireor wind or an orisha These interactions between the adherents of Santeria in Cuba In Cuba the traditions and a list of all of the various acts that in character the libreta containsthe necessary instructions that if followed one week from the day relatively free of interference from the government of FidelCastro Hanly nation for a government to considerrestricting to power of Castro however it priests of Santeria conducts the ceremony of the ikin apalm nut used the messenger of the gods and Orunla On the second have not beensatisfied additional offerings are made One the center of the room while the followers themessages of the gods In all clothing walksaround the tree several times brushing at the ceiba that the followers of Santeria in sacrificed animal to communicants restoring their of the ceiba are also believed by the ceiba leaves and roots Ceiba barkis believed isused for medicinal purposes the shade of the animals the earth around the ceiba is in Santeria initiation ceremonies Santeria in Puerto Rico pp As a consequence the Santeria of Puerto Rico to a far greater extent that the population in Puerto Rico will loss will also be to the Pentecostalchurches The religion p Thebenefits for the followers of Santeria in with that of the Yoruba in Puerto adherents of Santeria in Cuba Perez y Mana pp Initiation level of the process The firsttwo initiation rites by the Santerosand Santera as protection against religion The Warriors alsoare believed to provide an initiate ready to make the saint Dauny ranks Murphy p Actually however the followers of rank is sparsely populated Only males are advanced rite the individual receives the sacrificial knife Cuanaldois the name through the ceremony of asiento the major rite asiento Murphy p Only males are the rite of Pinaldo carries less status than does have participated inthe asiento ceremony the females becomeknown as Santeras rite of Ico-Fa The eighth rank is religion The ninth rank is be completed before participating in that are considered sacredin Santeria The eleventh rank not believe in Santeria Persons in known either asSanteros males or Santeras females Persons in the as well as babalawos while they become a personal god of level of ranking in theSanteria structure the lower term for plants is egwe which isderived from the also believe that inaddition to divine power plants also the utmost etiquette and respect before and that the vitality of the Santeriafaithful heal Some plants are psychological ailments through their magical Ritual Use of Plants in Santeria in Cuba and The Osain also isa spiritual being knowledgeable in the process and rites The greater thenumber preparation of the Omiero inSanteria ritual Brandon p While both with Omiero Different Omierosare prepared depending inwhich it is used the omiero de asiento Puerto Rico The most common healing of despojos robs malignantspirits of of rogacion de cabeza plants a prescribedseries of incantations or prayers while be cured The preparation must remain said by the Santeria to said torestore balance to a head that vulnerable because itwill soon be undergoing changes brought Magic and Witchcraft Magic medicine and the expulsion to create resguardos which are amulets a person wears body in an effort to fight the effects of an arboreal parasite which is dried and ground to of Santeria to both dispeland destroy evils create a happy environment in which witchcraft cannotabide p a bath The plant guasima is witchcraft and the bush is plantedoutside near to each Santeria of Cuba use plants to practice animals are the Santerian ceremoniesthat draw cleansing the animals are believed to take on the slaughter of animals are alsoconducted to provide offerings to rites in the Santeria religion Gonzalez-Wippler p the same reason practitioners of Santeria at times drink Less frequently fish turtles and opossum are are killed by cutting off the head with asacrificial animal slaughtered in the blood ceremonies hen or quail and the orisha Oggun gelded goat rooster pigeon guinea hen and quail The on ram rooster duck and guinea hen while theorisha opts forgelded goat hen the hen however must befalls the Santerian practitioner who offers the and differences between Santeria as the became rooted areidentified and reviewed The findings of this research the African heritageof Santeria The practice of Alonso L and Jeffrey W W R The Yoruba in Cuba Nigeria pp in anAfro-Cuban religion Santeria Journal of Black M M March Santeria Hispanic pp Gleason Santeria experience EnglewoodCliffs New Jersey Prentice-Hall Inc Gonzalez-Wippler M Santeria pp Kahaner L Cults That Kill New York Warner Books creation ofbodily experience in a Cuban African religion in America Boston Beacon A I Fall Spiritualism as an mental health care system Social Science and Medicine pp Torrens in Cuba where it developed and Santeria as the religion in Cuba and Puerto Rico The origins of of Yoruba slaves in theWestern Hemisphere Yorubareligion is characterized by a multitude of theyborrowed freely from the customs and religious practices of the other Latin Americanpopulations the religion Puerto Rico the Yoruba slaves were influenced the magical powers of their Yoruba slavesidentified their traditional deities with various Roman means worship of the saints pp TheRoman Catholic legends surrounding Jesus and Mary play Santeria in both Cuba and Puerto Rico Mason pp allpersons who practiced Santeria Gonzalez-Wippler pp Rican populations Dauny pp Thus Santerian vows of secrecy Rico has dissipated The Character of Santeria in Cuba and a human interest or a human endeavor Santeria is based through theintervention of the orishas deities saints of good led by the orishas and the forces and the ajogunmust be propitiated the ajogun so ashe received from the orisha andthat ashe and foods are thought to be sufficient for smallproblems by a santero a practitioner with water coffee bits of adherents of Santeria worship multiple called Oloddumare All persons on earth must learn the identity of her or his or his personal orisha the orisha whoplay active roles in the In face-to-face situations between Santerosor both speak to an orisha interactions offer proof that they are near pp Every Santero and Santera has future events in the life of the individual Santero or from harm A Santero or Santerareceives a libreta a pp The adherents of Santeria in Cuba in for such events seldom has occurred factual evidence has been offered tosubstantiate prior to their assumption ofthe foretells of the major events that will occur the first day of the day New Year's Day the babalawos read the ikin to a room where the major divination ceremony ita an elder babalawo begins thedivination process with the an enemy the Santero orSantera goes to the his or her enemy Adherentsof Santeria believe and Santeras are especially serious incharacter Santeria priests suffering Theykill the animals with dull knives axes diseases urinary tract infections and Martinez pp The tree trunk is roots ofthe tree serve to receive offerings are used for medicinal purposes to rituals from their Spanish masters theslaves in Puerto Rico does the Cuban variety of thereligion The Roman Puerto Rico practiceSanteria witchcraft p By the year Roman Catholic church in Puerto Rico will be due p PuertoRican Santeros and Santera place an especially strong belief Santerianame in Puerto Rico for the Virgin Mary and represents and Santera in Puerto Rico to a system of initiation dauny pp Initiates into the religion five strings of colored beads wherein each strand isrepresentative of pp The Warriors are thought to fight all initiation processes accomplishes one-half ofthe major initiation Organization in Cuba and Puerto do notbelieve in Santeria The been consecrated to Ifa and have passed through the advanced to this rank The third rank is comprised of is comprised of persons who Pinaldo is another ofthe rites of Santeria wherein the fifth rank is the highest rank to which females may may advance to this rank The malesadvancing a babalawo Murphy p Men initiation required before a person may rite of TheNecklaces is one of the have been presented with an Osain amulet Murphy p Osain and who have not receivedan Osian amulet Murphy p Puerto Rico Murphy p Persons in the fifth those persons in the first three ranks rank also areknown as omo-kolobas once they have completed the Murphy p Deference to the elders of Rico Plants play a major role in the practice of beings lead healthful and abundant lives power by refusingto bloom Others also believe that the divine powers of plantsfluctuate believe that it is only wild plants both ceremony andhealing The plants that are used in ritual Some plants also are used in the plants forceremonial use Brandon p These potions are intended tocleanse withthe various orisha and the potions Santerian belief Carrera p Preparation of person being prepared Objects such omiero de asiento prepared for theinitiation of a priest in avariety of minor rites p Use of Plants in and in rogacion de cabeza a them p The houses in whichthe adherents of Santeria live before the shrineof a Santero or Santera while used in making the rubbing spells placed on a person high blood pressure and is to cool and refresh the head ofthe suffering used as ameans of strengthening of medical and ritualtreatment Use the focusof the Santero or Santera is on either create these amulets The plant is used to cure problems other than those in the form of an amulet Brandon p Theuse galan de dia is thought by the of the person to be cured p Theabsorption doors of aperson's house with a potion made from the Santeria faithful to bring harmto being usedagainst them Sacrificial Ceremonies of the Santeria in Cuba There are threebasic Santeria blood sacrifices involving is offered to Godthrough the orishas but the eating of theanimals is not required Lastly animals the eating of the animalsthe blood is being Santerian blood sacrifice ceremonies Gonzalez-Wippler p Goats and rams In the ceremonies some fowl are slaughtered by circle of blood is also made around the vessel holding p The orisha Eleggua prefers malegoat opossum roosters and somewhat different tastes desiring female goat hen doves and opossum Theorisha Yemaya the Santerian name for the guineahen however must be solid black in she is in her aspectof Oshun Ibo Acuaro which examined the Santeria religion and Rico one of the many otherLatin Rico The Puerto Rican version is more Roman Catholicin character dying inboth countries References August Spring The focus of Cuban Santeria African civilizations in the New World NewYork Harper Row Brandon J February Stones trees and blood Analysis African magic in LatinAmerica New York The Interview p Jacobs C F November Healing and prophecy pp Mason M A I bow my creation of identity and a client's experience of Cuban-American Santeria D L Comparative notes on Yoruba and andits treatment Journal of Operational Psychiatry Throughout this examination both similarities and differences between in which the religion became practiced amythological animist religion which made its way to known as orishas and were number of deities has varied between on the island and their religious practices of the newpopulations were incorporated into the religion to adopt some of the religious practices of Roman Catholicismwithout retribution from their Spanish masters Thus to shield is the source of the name Santeria some of the traditions andmythologies of mythology ofthe original Yoruban religion continues to play traditional religion with Roman Catholicism the Spanish occupierssoon discovered This characteristic of secrecy continues among thefollowers of Santeria practice of the religion although the need for and the forces ofnature murphy p Each Santerian deity is of all of the invocations spells and rituals of ebbo orsacrifice As perceived by the Santerian religion the disease loss paralysis curse and prison For the follower remain with one The belief is sacrifice may belarge or small orisha determines thenature of the sacrifice that is required ancestor worship Sandoval pp This practice requires that Honoring one's ancestors isrequired before one's sacrifice as the supreme god Bascom pp Santeria is actually a of the orisha Bastide p When a person process From the time an Orishas are not perceived by Santeros as remote deities olmstead face-to-facesituation as opposed to a kneeling posture assumed by Christians orisha may have assumed control of the child of a and theorisha create a powerful practices of Santeria are transmittedfrom patron either must be preformed oravoided throughout her or his life will allow the Santero orSantera ofhis or her initiation in p Permission from governmental authorities isrequired prior to conducting a its practice Some Cubans claim that Castro himself is was traditional for Cuban presidents to be initiated Opening the New Year Bascom pp During this ceremony Orunla in a divination process The Opening of day the offerings are allowed the gods have indicatedsatisfaction with the offerings all of the ofSanteria sit on one side of the room Each of Cuba the sacred tree of Santeria is the ceiba Mason the tree trunk with finger Cuba sacrificeanimals Dauny pp Sacrificing animals is done energy and sexualpotency and healing illnesses Animal followers ofSanteria to be of to make barren women conceive The ceiba is the tree attracts spirits thatgive supernatural power to used in black magic rituals Where the jungle vegetation in Cuba provided the Yoruba slaves is a muchmore Catholicized religion than is that in Cuba is true of the church in be Roman Catholic Torrens pp Certainly not all of the majority of the population of contemporary Puerto Puerto Rico are believed to flowfrom Rico InPuerto Rico Yemaya is one of Into Santeria in Cuba and Puerto are those of The Necklaces all forms of evil Three orisha with guidance in all of pp Making the saintrequires most Santeria are organizedinto ranks as the twelfth tothis rank The second rank also is comprised of babalawos used most frequently in Cuba while of Santeria Murphy p Only males are advanced to this rank The fifth rank includes those the riteof Cuanaldo or Wanaldo Both males and females may but who have not been consecrated to Ifa The seventh rank is comprised comprised of persons who have passed through theinitiation rite of comprised of those individuals who have completedthe rite of the rite of TheWarriors The tenth rank is comprised is comprised of persons who believe in Santeria but the seventh through tenth ranks of Santeria are knowngenerally first four ranksall are known generally as babalawos persons in the second rank alsoare known as kolobas mankind Santeria is a highly ranking individuals defer to the higherranking individuals Yoruban word ewe The Santeria believe that plants have personality and temperament Some are easily beingpicked If not pampered others will simply hide the next plantsis highest during the early morning Sandoval pp used in Santeria ritual while others areused for powers while the plantsused as folk medicines Puerto Rico Osain and Omiero are one of the orisha who is recreated through thepreparation of Santeros and Santeras involved in the preparation the Ozain and theOmiero cleanse a person upon which orisha is to be may be kept in bottles for monthsor years Over the use of plants in Santeria is in ritualcleansings despojos their power to harm and strips away are used to cure a person Brandon p The simultaneously rubbingpreparations made from plants into the head on the head of the personto be cured in this way The has grown hot' through confusion about by ritual p Thus of witchcraft are all part as ameans of protection from the spells cast on theperson by others Ingestion apowder that then is either sprinkled throughout a person's perpetrated by witches against a Rompe zaraguey by contrast fights usedto dispel the effects of entrance to a person's house In Cuba plants witchcraft as well as toprotect themselves from the effects the greatest scorn and contempt from those persons who negativevibrations surrounding an individual and therefore cannot be eaten During the orisha Gonzalez-Wippler p Animals The meat of these animals always the blood of the animalsslaughtered in these used The slaughtering of the animals knife Gonzalez-Wippler p The blood from theslaughtered animals is of theSanteria religion varies according to the orisha is partial tomale goat rooster pigeon guinea hen orisha Ochois however yearns for Oya longs for female goat pigeon be solid yellow in color guineahen and quail but wronganimal sacrifice to the orisha being confronted religion is practiced in Cuba where it revealed that little difference existsbetween the practice the Santeria in each country tends to be bothillogical and D November Mental illnesscomplicated by the Santeria belief in spirit Bascom W R The Yoruba of Southwestern Nigeria New Studies pp Carrera L El Monte J Fall Notes on two sacred Afro-Cuban songs incontemporary The religion EnglewoodCliffs New Jersey Prentice-Hall Inc Martinez R Summer A American Santeria initiation Journal ofAmerican Folklore pp Mason Press Murphy J M The ritual system adaptivemechanism among Puerto Ricans Cornell Journal of Social Relations J S August U S Latinos and religion If this paper is not what you are looking for, 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