During the slave trade, the Yoruba of southwestern Nigeria who were brought to Cuba were forbidden to practice their religion by their Spanish masters. To protect themselves, the slaves opted for the identification and disguise of the Orishas with some of the Catholic Saints worshipped by the Spaniards, allowing them to worship their deities without fear of punishment. This book presents the major Orishas of Santeria in their syncretic identifications with some of the Catholic Saints.

Two manuscripts in one book: Santería: The Ultimate Guide to Lucumí Spells, Rituals, Orishas, and Practices, Along with the History of How Yoruba Lived On in America Orishas: The Ultimate Guide to African Orisha Deities and Their Presence in Yoruba, Santeria, Voodoo, and Hoodoo, Along with an Explanation of Diloggun Divination Hundreds of years ago, the Yoruba people of Nigeria and West Africa were brought to America as slaves. Luckily, they successfully preserved their heritage and ancestral spirits by disguising their deities as Catholic saints. In secret, they worshipped. The result is the new-age religion known as Santería, a blend of Catholicism and African traditional beliefs. Santería offers valuable and insightful information into the origins, beliefs, and practices of the syncretic Lucumí religion. This book will teach you the remarkable secrets of the Yoruba people. In part one, you will: Discover how to invoke the orishas and the seven African Powers. Master the art of divination to foretell your future. Never worry about negative and evil forces again. See practical examples of how to use divine power to achieve your goals. Learn the powerful spells and rituals the Yoruba use to channel their gods. Master the use of ashé and iwa pele. Become a powerful child of the gods. And so much more! In part two, you will: Learn how the Orishas came to be, starting with the source of all things - Olodumare Discover which Orisha to call upon for specific circumstances Find out how to praise and invoke the presence of the Orishas Learn how to get divine answers for your heart's questions using Diloggun Discover how to interpret the answers you get from Obi and Diloggun And so much more! With this book as your guide, you now have a starting point to the life you desire. Santería will set you on the path to uncovering your roots and help you to establish a spiritual bond with the spirits of your ancestors. You will also find truths about the Orishas and the basic steps you need to take to worship the Orisha of your choice - particularly the major Orishas. One thing is certain, Orisha worship is bound to influence your life significantly, and you can determine the energy (positive or negative) that you draw from them. So, what are you waiting for? Click on the "Add to Cart" button to get your copy of this book today!

"On his own terms, Brandon more than fulfills his promise to take the reader on the transatlantic journey of the orisha and to explore the complexities of African memory in the diaspora." —American Historical Review "He adeptly addresses broader issues, such as power relations within Caribbean slavery, multiculturalism, and the forms of religious accommodation to cultural change. In addition, he offers a fresh and cogent assessment of the production and reproduction of African beliefs and practices in new contexts. Brandon's exemplary archival research is supplemented by skillful participant observation." —Choice The Yoruba religious tradition arose in West Africa, but its influence has spread beyond Africa to millions of adherents in the Americas as well. Santeria from Africa to the New World retraces one path taken by this tradition—a path from Africa to Cuba and to New York City. George Brandon examines the religion's transatlantic route through Cuban Santeria, Puerto Rican Espiritismo, and Black Nationalism. In following the historical and anthropological evolution of the Yoruba religion, Brandon discusses broader questions of power, multiculturalism, cultural change, and the production and reproduction of African retentions.

Are you familiar with the seven African powers? Do you want to learn the secret of their powers? Do you want to cultivate your own spiritual energy? Are you interested in learning how the ancient Yoruba survived slavery with the help of their ancestral spirits? Hundreds of years ago, the Yoruba people of Nigeria and West Africa were brought to America as slaves. Luckily, they successfully preserved their heritage and ancestral spirits by disguising their deities as Catholic saints. In secret, they worshipped. The result is the new-age religion known as Santería, a blend of Catholicism and African traditional beliefs. Santería offers valuable and insightful information into the origins, beliefs, and practices of the syncretic Lucumí religion. This book will teach you the remarkable secrets of the Yoruba people. In this book, you will: Discover how to invoke the orishas and the seven African Powers. Master the art of divination to foretell your future. Never worry about negative and evil forces again. See practical examples of how to use divine power to achieve your goals. Learn the powerful spells and rituals the Yoruba use to channel their gods. Master the use of ashé and iwa pele. Become a powerful child of the gods. And so much more! With this book as your guide, you now have a starting point to the life you desire. Santería will set you on the path to uncovering your roots and help you to establish a spiritual bond with the spirits of your ancestors. So, what are you waiting for? Click on the "Add to Cart" button to get your copy of this book today!

Gain a deep understanding of the Orishas from A to Z! You are not alone. The spirits of our ancestors are with you. The ancient Orishas, known for their tremendous powers, will help you on your journey through life. With their Ashe at your disposal, you can command tremendous results and ultimately live a fulfilled life. In this book, secrets and praises of the Orishas are laid bare - waiting for you to read, digest, and apply. You don't have to look far for divine answers. This book will show you how to find your answers with ease. In this book, you will: Learn how the Orishas came to be, starting with the source of all things - Olodumare Discover which Orisha to call upon for specific circumstances Find out how to praise and invoke the presence of the Orishas Learn how to get divine answers for your heart's questions using Diloggun Discover how to interpret the answers you get from Obi and Diloggun And so much more! In the book, you'll find truths about the Orishas and the basic steps you need to take to worship the Orisha of your choice - particularly the major Orishas. One thing is certain, Orisha worship is bound to influence your life significantly, and you can determine the energy (positive or negative) that you draw from them. There's more than meets the eye in this book. So what are you waiting for? Click on the "add to cart" button to get your copy of this book!

"Throughout Africa and beyond in the Diaspora caused by the slave trade, the divine feminine was revered in the forms of goddesses, like the ancient Nana Buluku; water spirits like Yemaya, Oshun, and Mami Wata; and the warrior Oya. The power of these goddesses and spirit beings has taken root in the West. This book shows us how to celebrate and cultivate the traits of these goddesses, drawing upon their strengths to empower our own lives"--

The first book on Santer�s holiest divination system, the Diloggun. Explores the lore surrounding this mysterious oracle, the living Bible of one of the world's fastest growing faiths. Examines each family of " odu" and how their actions affect the spiritual development of the individual. An indispensable guide to the mysteries of the orishas.

Shango came over to America in the hearts of his devotees. They did not choose to make the middle passage, but many of them survived it because they had Shango's example of one who could beat any odds and make any situation advantageous; Shango exemplifies the Philosophy of "When Life Throws Lemons at You, Make Lemonade." His capacity to adapt, to break with old modes, to be individualistic and iconoclastic, makes shango a perfect divinity for the new world, for all of these are traits that have helped us survive and thrive. It is in this spirit that I brazenly claim shango as our beloved paradigm. The most popular orisha in America.

This book by Miguel De La Torre offers a fascinating guide to the history, beliefs, rituals, and culture of Santería — a religious tradition that, despite persecution, suppression, and its own secretive nature, has close to a million adherents in the United States alone. Santería is a religion with Afro-Cuban roots, rising out of the cultural clash between the Yoruba people of West Africa and the Spanish Catholics who brought them to the Americas as slaves. As a faith of the marginalized and persecuted, it gave oppressed men and women strength and the will to survive. With the exile of thousands of Cubans in the wake of Castro's revolution in 1959, Santería came to the United States, where it is gradually coming to be recognized as a legitimate faith tradition. Apart from vague suspicions that Santería's rituals include animal sacrifice and notions that it is a “syncretistic” form of Catholicism, most people in America's cultural and religious mainstream know very little about this rich faith tradition — in fact, many have never heard of it at all. De La Torre, who was reared in Santería, sets out in this book to provide a basic understanding of its inner workings. He clearly explains the particular worldview, myths, rituals, and practices of Santería, and he discusses what role the religion typically plays in the life of its practitioners as well as the cultural influence it continues to exert in Latin American communities today. In offering a balanced, informed survey of Santería from his unique “insider-outsider” perspective, De La Torre also provides insight into how Christianity and Santería can enter into dialogue — a dialogue that will challenge Christians to consider what this emerging faith tradition can teach them about their own. Enhanced with illustrations, tables, and a glossary, De La Torre's Santería sheds light on a religion all too often shrouded in mystery and misunderstanding.

The first book to explore the sacred myths of Santería • Includes more than 100 myths, stories, and histories about the odu and the orishas • Reassembles the oral fragments from the African diaspora into coherent stories • Demonstrates that the African peoples, specifically the Yoruba, were deeply spiritual At the core of the diloggún--the sacred divination system of Santería--are the sacred stories known as the patakís, narratives whose themes are as powerful and relevant today as they were in the minds of the ancient Yoruba who safeguarded them. Each patakí is connected to one or more of the 16 odu, the principal creative forces of Santería. Some recount the lives of orishas on earth, others the lives of individuals in heaven, and some tell of the odu themselves, for even they once walked the earth as mortals. The first book to explore these ancient African stories in English, Teachings of the Santería Gods recounts more than 100 of these sacred parables, including many stories reassembled from the oral tradition of the African diaspora. Ranging from creation myths to what happens when a love potion works far too well, these stories share the wisdom and spirituality of the Yoruba people of ancient Africa and form the living, oral bible of one of the world’s fastest-growing faiths.