Paganism & Wicca - What Is Santeria?

 

Santeria is a saints' religion, but not just any saints. Kidnapped Yorubas enslaved in Cuba were adamant about maintaining their ancient spiritual practices and loyalty to the orishas. 

• The colonial rulers banned and prohibited African spiritual practices, and anyone who disobeyed the order faced harsh punishment. 

• What should We do? Slaves were forced to convert to Roman Catholicism, and the Church provided graphic representations of the Holy Family and saints to aid conversion of the illiterate. 

• Santeria was created. A repurposed new born faith. Through the usage of matching pictures, each orisha were linked to particular Roman Catholic holy saints. 

• As a result, Ochossi the Sacred Archer assumed the persona of St Sebastian, whose votive iconography depicts him being wounded by arrows. 

• This syncretism seems reasonable at times: a saint and an orisha may have a lot in common, but other times the links are strange. 

• Chango, Master of Thunder and Lightning and Spirit of Male Sexual Prowess, was syncretized with St Barbara, the young virgin martyr, since her votive picture depicts lightning. 

• Syncretism provides security: one may seem to be praying to St Barbara while really communing with Chango. 

• Syncretism, on the other hand, leads to complexity. 

• Santeria in modern times maintains a Yoruba spiritual framework with Roman Catholic influences, as well as influences from other African traditions, indigenous Taino Indian influences, and others. 

• Some Santeria followers are devout Roman Catholics, while others have abandoned syncretism, feeling that the time for masks is passed. 

• Many others choose the middle road. In all instances, however, the main emphasis of Santeria is devotion to the orishas/saints and connection with them. 

Related to -  Orisha and Vodoun.

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Paganism & Wicca - Who Are The Orisha?

 

Orisha are African spirits came to the Western Hemisphere with their human followers during the slave trade. 

• Some local orisha no longer exist in Africa, but solely in Western Hemisphere traditions, in places particularly ravaged by slavery. 

• Candomble and Santeria are based on them.

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Paganism & Wicca - Who Is Aje The Yoruba Goddess?

 

Aje is a Yoruba term that means "witchcraft." It literally means "Our Mothers," and it refers to supernatural feminine energies that may be employed for good or evil. 

• When balanced and directed benevolently, Aje is very useful to the whole society. 
• Nevertheless, some individuals only use the term Aje to indicate only negative manifestations of this power, similar to how they use the phrase "witchcraft." 

• The term is also cognate with the words "prosperity" and "wealth" in another sense. 
• Aje is a term that describes both the power (magical energy) and individuals who embody and manage it. 

• Although any woman might be Aje, it is most firmly associated with elderly ladies. 
• Despite the fact that Aje are human, they are commonly depicted as birds, and they are commanded by the Orisha Oshun, who has strong ties to witchcraft, birds, and feminine power. 
• The masculine orishas Oko and Ogun are likewise linked to Aje. 

MAGICAL PROFESSIONS: Metalworkers; 

DIVINE WITCH: Oshun, Orisha Oko;

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Paganism & Wicca - What Is Orixa?

 

 

Afro-Brazilian cultures employ the spelling orixa, which is a Portuguese variant of orisha. “O-ree-sha” has the same pronunciation as “o-ree-sha.”

• Again, this has the same meaning as the original word and refers to a family of spirits and entities brought to the Western hemisphere during the slave trade by their believers and followers.

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