Can I join Santeria?

In the Cuban religion of Santería, individuals are required to go through an initiation process to become a full practitioner, known as a santero (male) or santera (female).

What do people in Santeria believe in?

The Santeria faith teaches that every individual has a destiny from God, a destiny fulfilled with the aid and energy of the orishas. The basis of the Santeria religion is the nurture of a personal relation with the orishas, and one of the principal forms of devotion is an animal sacrifice.

How much does it cost to be initiated in Santeria?

The average price to become initiated into the religion in the country ranges from $1,000 to $3,000, and the initiation ceremony includes a sacrifice of live animals, dance and “the mixing of an assortment of holy plants for seven days.” In the U.S. and Europe, becoming a santero could cost anywhere from $5,000 to …

Can you initiate yourself into Santería?

The initiation itself is called hacerse santo, which means “making oneself santo”. Through a week-long ritual you receive the power of the santos that guide your life. In addition, you receive the representations of all the various santos you are to place in tureens in your personal home altar.

What happens when someone touches your elekes?

Elekes can not be touched by anyone except for priests, and if they are touched, the person touching them must clean them. The beads all have different meanings and represent different divinities of Ifa. “I look at my beads as spirits. If something bad is about to happen to me, they start to itch really bad.

Does Santeria believe in the afterlife?

The religion emphasizes the here and now rather than the afterlife, and it focuses on natural forces. Like many religions, Santeria also offers community. Those who undergo its carefully guarded initiation rites, which include animal sacrifice to cleanse the soul and give strength, step into an extended family.

Does Santeria have a holy book?

There are no official churches or temples in the religion. As such, ceremonies and rituals are usually performed at home or in public. And because Santería lacks scriptures, the whole faith is passed down orally. This is why ceremonies and rites are so important.

What does Santo mean in Santería?

saint
Santo is the Spanish word for a Catholic saint. The term regla de Ocha, which is another term for Santería, is derived from the word orisha.

Does Santería have a holy book?

What does the green and yellow bracelet mean in Santeria?

It should be the first ceremony anyone receives in the Santaria religion. At the end of this you can wear the green and yellow bracelet that signifies you know who your Orisha is and have taken the ceremony. The only way to really know your true Orisha and sign is to take the ceremony.

Can you sleep in your elekes?

The Elekes ceremony involves a Godparent consecrating the necklaces and giving them Ashé through a series of ritual songs, baths, and sacrifices (Ebo). Elekes should be worn at all times except when sleeping, bathing, drinking alcohol, or having sex.

What happens after death in Santería?

A proper death after a long life is assured through the Itutu, a divination ceremony that meant to ease the soul, assure it, and clear away all negative ties to others during the just ended life; it can also assure that the soul not be reincarnated but remain in the ancestral realm, unless the soul chooses otherwise to …

What is the Santeria religion?

The Santeria Religion is a syncretic religion which originated in the Caribbean and is known by various names, Regla de Ocha , La Regla Lucumi or Lucumi . Santeria is a word used by others to describe the folk religions of Africa.

What is Santeria ritual?

Santeria rituals allow human beings to stay in contact with the Orishas – these rituals include dancing, drumming, speaking and eating with the spirits. Santeria has few buildings devoted to the faith.

Where is Santeria practiced?

Santería is a religion found in Latin America. It is mainly practiced in but not limited to Cuba, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Panama, and Colombia. There is also a large population who practice it in the United States.

What does Santeria mean?

Santería is a Spanish word that means the “worship of saints”. Santería is influenced by and syncretized with Roman Catholicism. Its sacred language is the Lucumí language, a variety of Yoruba .