The first book to explore the history, methods, and thinking behind sacrifice in the growing Santería faith • Explains the animal sacrifice ceremony in step-by-step detail • Shares the ancient African sacred stories that reveal the well-thought-out metaphysics and spirituality behind the practice of animal sacrifice • Chronicles the legal fight all the way to its 1993 U.S. Supreme Court victory to establish legal protection for the Santería faith and its practitioners Tackling the biggest controversy surrounding his faith, Santería priest Ócha’ni Lele explains for the first time in print the practice and importance of animal sacrifice as a religious sacrament. Describing the animal sacrifice ceremony in step-by-step detail, including the songs and chants used, he examines the thinking and metaphysics behind the ritual and reveals the deep connections to the odu of the diloggún--the source of all practices in this Afro-Cuban faith. Tracing the legal battle spearheaded by Oba Ernesto Pichardo, head of the Church of the Lukumi of Babaluaiye, over the right to practice animal sacrifice as a religious sacrament, Lele chronicles the fight all the way to its 1993 U.S. Supreme Court victory, which established legal protection for the Santería faith and its practitioners. Weaving together oral fragments stemming from the ancient Yoruba of West Africa, the author reconstructs their sacred stories, or patakís, that demonstrate the well-thought-out metaphysics and spirituality behind the practice of animal sacrifice in the Yoruba and Santería religion, including explanations about why each animal can be regarded as food for both humans and the orisha as well as how sacrifice is not limited to animals. Shedding light on the extraordinary global growth of this religion over the past 50 years, Lele’s guide to the sacrificial ceremonies of Santería enables initiates to learn proper ceremony protocol as well as gives outsiders a glimpse into this most secretive world of the santeros.

A guide to the history, beliefs, rituals, and culture of 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. With the exile of thousands of Cubans after Castro's revolution in 1959, Santería came to the United States, where it is gradually coming to be recognized as a legitimate faith tradition, one about which most people in America's mainstream know very little. De La Torre explains the worldview, myths, rituals, and history of Santería, and 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.--From publisher description.

When the Yoruba of West Africa were brought to Cuba as slaves, they preserved their religious heritage by disguising their gods as Catholic saints and worshiping them in secret. The resulting religion is Santería, a blend of primitive magic and Catholicism now practiced by an estimated five million Hispanic Americans. Blending informed study with her personal experience, González-Wippler describes Santería¿s pantheon of gods ("orishas "); the priests ("santeros" ); the divining shells used to consult the gods (the "Diloggún" ) and the herbal potions prepared as medicinal cures and for magic ("Ewe ) "as well as controversial ceremonies-including animal sacrifice. She has obtained remarkable photographs and interviews with Santería leaders that highlight aspects of the religion rarely revealed to nonbelievers. This book satisfies the need for knowledge of this expanding religious force that links its devotees in America to a spiritual wisdom seemingly lost in modern society.

★55% off bookstores! Discounted retail price now of $29.95 instead of $36.95★ Which Orisha calls to you? Your clients will never stop thanking you for enriching their knowledge of the Yoruba religion (Santerìa). Orishas are African spirits respected and served in Cuban Santeria, as well as other Caribbean traditions. Santería is a religion with Afro-Cuban roots, born of the cultural clash between the Yoruba people of West Africa and the Spanish Catholics who brought them to the Americas as slaves. What makes Santeria so unique is the fact that it is a syncretic religion - it combines the beliefs and practices of several religions, primarily the African Yoruba religion with Roman Catholic elements mixed in. Today, many people still turn to the Orishas for help and guidance in not only their little problems, but also the big ones of life. You will learn that each Orisha have specific actions and temperament. Where you can find Yemaya Oshun's favorite food How to petition Changò What are you waiting for? Take advantage of this launch offer ★★Buy it now and let your customers find out what their Orisha is.

In 1992 Smithsonian anthropologist Michael Atwood Mason traveled to Cuba for initiation as a priest into the Santería religion. Since then he has created an active oricha “house” and has initiated five others as priests. He is a rare combination: a scholar-practitioner who is equally fluent in his profession and his religion. Interweaving his roles as researcher and priest, Mason explores Santería as a contemporary phenomenon and offers an understanding of its complexity through his own experiences and those of its many practitioners. Balancing deftly between a devotee's account of participation and an anthropologist's theoretical analysis, Living Santería offers an original and insightful understanding of this growing religious tradition.

When the Yorubas of West Africa were brought to Cuba as slaves, they preserved their heritage by worshiping secretly. The resulting religion, Santeria, is controversial for its ceremonies including animal sacrifice. This book clears many misunderstandings held by those outside the Santeria community. 75 photos.

The principle of sacrifice is as old as human life itself. This book provides an overview of sacrificial practices around the world since prehistoric times. It also examines the reasons behind these rituals, and in the case of human sacrifice an attempt is made to understand the mentality of the 'victims' who often willingly went to their deaths.