Category: Santeria

Posted on by

The importance of spiritual protection

I am sure I have written about the importance of spiritual protection before, however, this topic tends to be ignored.

What is Spiritual Protection?

I compare spiritual protection with the natural antibodies we have in our bodies to protect us against fight diseases, even during childhood years we have vaccines to boost our defenses against viruses and diseases, as we grow older, the antibodies get stronger and keep our bodies healthy by fighting disease when we come in contact with germs, if our antibodies fail to protect us, we get sick.

This is a natural process and we never know exactly when or how it is happening because we cannot see it.

Spiritual protection works in a similar way. By maintaining and reinforcing the “antibodies” which will fight against negative spiritual energies that come in contact with us during different times of our journey. If these antibodies fail, we become weak and vulnerable.

Spiritual protection is the way to give our spiritual guides the tools needed to fight negative energies before they affect us directly.

When is the best time for spiritual protection?

With spiritual protection, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

The best time for spiritual protection is when things are going right, when you feel strong, when you feel happy, when you are working to reach your goals, and when you feel stable and successful.

Most people only reach out for help from the spirits when something goes wrong, when they lose the job, the partner, the house, the opportunity, and in every case I consult, I am able to see how easy some situations could have been avoided with the right protections in place.

This does not mean that having spiritual protection will make your life perfect and that you will never have problems or difficulties in your life, most difficult situations we go thru are meant to happen anyways and is the way we grow and learn, but there are 2 important things we can receive with spiritual protection:

1) We are less vulnerable during difficult times, it makes our falls easier and it is easier to recover.

2) It makes it harder for negative spirits and energies to reach us and create unbalances, chaotic energies, and tragedies in our lives.

Just like keeping your physical body healthy is an everyday task, keeping your spiritual protections in place should be an ongoing task of anyone involved in the spiritual world.

Whether you do any spiritual work to influence others, receive or give spiritual readings, or call your spirits to help, the first thing you need to learn is how to activate and strengthen your own spiritual protection.

One easy way to activate your own spiritual protections is by working with your guides and ancestors and finding ways to strengthen their own protection capabilities.

Some people are more sensitive than others, some people are born with weak spiritual protections and they must continue reinforcing them on a regular basis.

Every spiritual practice and religion have different ways to work with spiritual protections, I talk about my own experiences and personal knowledge with spiritism, santeria, and Palo.

One way to boost the energies and protection abilities of your own spiritual guides is by preparing amulets; these amulets are usually prepared with natural ingredients (sticks, stones, beads, feathers, crystal) to attract protection forces to your realm.

In some cases, initiations are needed to get the person to a well-protected state, it is hard to generalize because every solution is unique to the needs of the spiritual guides of the person.

The key is to find the spirits with the energy, which is compatible with you, willing to bring the protection forces to you.

I usually call it good spiritual hygiene, without spiritual protections, we as spiritual beings, are vulnerable.

Always remember, the protection is best to have in place before things go wrong, it will make it easier for you to bounce back.

I have listed a few protection ceremonials in the store and it amazes me how they are way less popular than attraction or other types of work.

Protection, protection, protection, never let your guard down and your journey will be much easier and happier! It will make it easier for you to recover from difficult times, it will make it easier for you not to fall deep, and if you are struggling now, it is never too late to get you strong and to help you find the balance you need In your life.

There are different types of protection ceremonials I do in my spiritual practices, however, there is not such a thing as one size fits all, this is a general guide:

1) Overall Spiritual Protection: This protection is done with your own spiritual guides to help them be stronger and defend you in your everyday life

2) Child protection: We do this for every child in our family (sometimes for the unborn children when needed) to ensure their protections are in place and the child can grow up to be successful adults. I always tell people that this is the type of protection you would like your parents did for you.

3) Protection against spiritual attacks

4) Protection against your enemies spiritual and psychical

5) Financial – Carrier Protection

6) House protection – To protect peace and harmony in your home and family

7) Evil Eye Protection – This is needed for people who are more sensitive to negative energies coming from others when your own defenses are low, you are most vulnerable to these energies affecting you

8) Relationship – Love protection

9) Specific protection when spiritual work or spiritual communication is being performed

10) Protection against witchcraft – Any witchcraft done against you is only as strong as weak are your own spiritual protections

11) Protection against sickness – If your spiritual protections are hight, your own health will improve

Every situation is different, there is no one size fits all when it comes to spiritual work.

Ashe

Yaya Maria

Posted on by

Babalu Aye ~ Saint Lazarous

Babalu Aye, San Lazaro, Azojano is one of the most loved, respected, feared, and venerated Orishas in the Cuban Santeria tradition.
Babalu Aye is the Orisha who reigns over all matters related to health, psychical, and spiritual.
Babalu Aye is the protector of the sick, the weak, the hurt, the injured.
Babalu Aye is a miraculous and humble Orisha, the Orisha of healing and disease.
Babalu Aye appears as a sick man with sores and trembling arms and legs that is why it is syncretized with Saint Lazarus in the Cuban Santeria tradition.

Babalu Aye teaches compassion, love, and responsibility.
Babalu Aye is worshipped and respected for all the miracles he performs, he is particularly known for his healing powers.
Babalu Aye is accompanied by two dogs and wears cloth made of burlap with purple adornments.
In the Lukumi tradition, Babalu Aye was punished by Olofi (God) with sickness & afflictions. He lost his health, riches & prosperity for not having good character and for being disobedient. Babalu Aye’s trials on earth are a lesson of humility; perseverance, integrity, and good character.
Babalu Aye is also the protector of all animals, especially dogs. Dogs were his only companion (besides Elegua) when he was suffering his trials & tribulations.
Babalu Aye is loving but stern, no one wants to be on his bad side and meet his wrath. Babalu Aye is loved, respected, and feared.

Babalu Aye’s colors are royal purple, yellow and brown. His sacred number is 17. Burlap is sacred to him and used in his offerings & items made for him.
December 17th is a day we honor Babalu Aye, many celebrations are done on December 16th waiting for midnight.
In the Santeria tradition, the ceremonial for worshiping Babalu Aye is called The Awan

In this ceremony, Babalu Aye is placed next to a basket lined with burlap material with offerings are placed around it. At nighttime, the lights go down, the only lighting used are the candles, everyone gathers around the basket and cleanse each one with the contents of the plates to remove negativity, for protection, health, and prosperity. After cleansing, the items are cast into the main basket. 

This ceremony brings the Ashe of Babalu Aye to the lives of those present.

Babalu Aye represents health and sickness, humility and pride, abundance and scarcity, love and fear.

PRAYER TO BABALU AYE

Posted on by

Prayer to Babalu Aye

Jekua Babalu Aye Agronica!

Ashe, Babalu Aye, Ashe

Babalu Aye
Patron and assistant of the poor, the sick, and the downtrodden
Helper of the forgotten, forlorn, the disrespected ones
With this prayer, I request your compassionate assistance
And with the aid of Olodumare,
May you always protect me during sickness
And also in good health
Babalu Aye, give me the strength to overcome obstacles
And to achieve my full potential during my sojourn on Earth
Babalu Aye, help all those who cannot help themselves
And remain always by my side

Ashe, Babalu Aye, Ashe

Posted on by

What can you do with the Santeria Orishas without being initiated?

We all love the Orishas, their energy is out there, it is everywhere.
Santeria is a traditional folk religion, we follow the traditions and teachings of our ancestors and we do not make the rules, the Orishas do!
Most ceremonials in Santeria require initiation, however, there are some things “aleyos” (non initiated followers) can do safely and efficiently.

  1. Altars: You can build an altar to pay homage to a particular Orisha, however, it must be understood that building an altar does not mean that you have that Orisha in the physical form or that you have been initiated into Santeria. That is another process altogether, you can not self-initiate into Santeria.
  2. Offerings: It’s always a good idea to speak to a Santero or Babalao to discuss your plans if you want to make offerings to an Orisha.
    For example, let’s say that you want to give Oshun honey, five oranges, sweets, and leave five pennies. That sounds great, but what if she doesn’t want that from you. How would you know? Oshun may only want you to bring her sunflowers or maybe Elegua is the Orisha who wants your offerings. This is where consultation comes in. It’s wise to consult an initiated priest to find out if you can: first, give the offering, and secondly what is required of you. Always consult before you do the offering, not after you start.
  3. Orisha’s Prayers: A deeper understanding of what and where the Orishas are will help if you would like to pray/talk/propitiate them.
    The Orisha’s energies are in nature. For example, if you want to talk to Oshun, you go to the river. If you want to talk to Yemaya, you go to the ocean. If you want to talk to Obatala, you go to the highest mountain you can find. If you want to talk to Ogun, you go to the forest or the railroad … But once again, you should know who to approach and when that is why consultations are so important.
  4. Promises to the Orishas: Since the beginning of times, people have been making promises to the Gods, if you ever make a promise to any Orisha, make sure you pay it.
  5. Summoning or invocation: It’s NOT wise to try to summon the energy of one Orisha if you are not initiated to that particular Orisha.
  6. The Orishas are raw living energy and without the help of an initiated Santero(a) it will become a big problem.
  7. Head Orisha: Everyone has a head Orisha, and it is not always the Orisha you may feel attracted to.
    The only way to find your ruling Orisha is by consulting Orula with the mediation of a Babalawo, that is the way we do it in my house, some houses use the reading done by an Oba/Italero. Either way, it has to be done IN PERSON and never over the phone or the internet.
    There may be times when an Orisha will “stand up” to help you, but it does not mean it is your head Orisha.
  8. Animal Sacrifice: An uninitiated in the Santeria religion should never do any animal sacrifice offering to the Orishas.

Most rituals and consecrations to the Orishas in Santeria require initiation, however, to pay homage or talk to the Orishas, just look around you, their energy is out there, it is everywhere.

Ashe

Yaya Maria

Posted on by

Who are the Santeria Orishas?

orishas

There are many Orishas in the Santeria tradition, some are very known: Elegua, Ogun, Ochosi, Obatala, Chango, Oshun, Yemaya, Oya, others are not as popular, but not least powerful.

Anyone can call the Orishas for help, the Orisha Spirits are everywhere and you do not need to be initiated to call for their help or favors.

You can prepare small altars, make offerings and pay homage to any Orisha, however, you must understand and acknowledge the fact that that building an altar or having an amulet done for any Orisha does not mean that you have that Orisha, you cannot self-initiate to Santeria. Santeria initiations and consultations must be done in person by a qualified Santero or Babalawo!

It is always a good idea to discuss what you want to do with an initiated priest, sometimes the Orishas may not want what you are offering or there may be other Orishas willing to come and help you.  In the Santeria Tradition, initiated priests have the tools to ask the Orishas what they want for every situation and we always ask them before we set any offerings. Sometimes the Orisha you feel attracted to may not be your guardian or ruling Orisha.

The Orisha’s energies are part of nature, Elegua is everywhere, but always work for him in the bushes, if you want to talk to Oshun, you go to the river, if you want to talk to Yemaya, go to the ocean, to reach for Obatala, go to the highest mountain close to you, works for Ogun are best if done in the railroads, for Oya in the Cemetery and so on ..

But It is not wise to invoke the energy of any Orisha if you are not initiated, even initiated priests have to train themselves how to work with their own Orishas, this is living energy and can cause huge problems in untrained hands or unprepared bodies.

The energy of the Orishas is everywhere, just look around you, they always protect and hear you even when you think they may not.

Ashe
Yaya Maria

Posted on by — 1 Comment

Prayer to The Orishas

May Elegua open the doors of opportunities and remove obstacles from your path
May Ogun to give you the courage to overcome your problems and defeat your enemies
May Oshosi bring Justice and Balance to your life
May Orula bestow his Wisdom upon you
May Obatala bring Peace, Tranquility, and Harmony to your life
May Babalu Aye heal your body and soul
May Olokun grant stability to your being
May Yemaya renovate and refresh your life with the powers of her waters
May Chango give you the strength to fight and win your battles
May Oshun fulfill your dreams of love and riches
May Oya bring with her Winds of change and prosperity to your realm

Ashe
Yaya Maria

Posted on by

The Important Role and Legacy of Women in Santeria

Women were the shapers of the Santeria traditions we practice today.

Nowadays Santeria, The Ocha Rule, is practiced all over the world, Santeria originated in Cuba, every single Santeria Priest anywhere in the world has a link of origin to a Santeria house in Cuba and most of those houses have a woman at its root, it is very important to learn to respect our religion, its roots and the women who made it possible.

Up until the mid-1930s, women wielded tremendous power as heads of almost all of the most influential Santeria houses and almost all of Santeria’s family trees have a woman as the root.

Women, in fact, held most of the power in the religion, ruling as heads of houses and as Oriatés until well into the 20th century.

It was relatively recently that men have come to take over the roles that were exclusively held by women. Since the 1800s most houses of Santo were formed and ruled by women.

Women were the real movers and shakers and they were the main force who shaped Santeria and its initiations into what it is today. Almost all the branches of the religion were founded by women.

Today I want to honor tribute and my respects to all the women who created the legacy of the Santeria religion, the famous and the not so famous, they are an important part of our history and I feel empowered and honored every time I name them in my prayers.

Today I Mojugba (I give praise) to the effort, hard work, and contributions of all the important Santeras (Santeria High Priestess) who left their legacy to the new generations and I hope the new generations of Santeros do not forget their roots and learn to respect the role of women and the roots of the Santeria tradition.

Aurora Lamar (Obá Tolá) – Founder of Branch La Pimienta
Timotea “Latuán” Albear – Founder of the Branch La Pimienta.
Ña Belén Gonzales (Apoto) – Root of the pimienta, culo verde, and trapito branches
Rosalía Gramosa (Efuché Warikondó) – Founder of La Rama de los Millonarios- The Reformer of the Religion
Susana Cantero (Omí Toké) Founder of the Rama Coral
Ña Margarita Armenteros (Aina) Founder of the house San Jose 80
Ña Caridad Argudín founded the Cabildo Africano Lucumí
Josefa Herrera ruled The Cabildo de Yemayá in Regla
Susana Cantero ruled another Cabildo de Yemayá.
Fermenita Gómez (Ocha Bí), founded the Cabildo de Ferminita Gómez, one of the great centers of Olokun worship.
Ma Monserrate Gonzales (Obá Tero) a core foundation of the religion in Matanzas

And so many more…..

The founders and leaders of most of the Santeria houses were women who ruled entirely or shared that rule with their Babalawo husbands.

Women traditionally led all the major ceremonies and performed all the rites involved in the initiation of new Santeros that are now the province of the Oriaté and the role of Oriaté was first held by women.

Notorious woman oriatés wereTeresita Ariosa Eni Ochún and Guillermina Castel.

Timotea Albear (Ayayí La Tuán) was the Oriaté used by almost all of the houses up until the time of her death. She, in fact, was the one who trained the first male Oriaté Octavio Samar Rodriguez (Obadimeyi).

It was only after the death of Timotea Albear in 1935 that Obadimeyi began to gain power as an Oriaté, but before long all the Oriatés were male.

But now we are beginning to see more women training to become Oriatés. Perhaps before long Santeria will be ruled over by women once more.

Ashe
Yaya Maria