Santeria Saints

Santeria, meaning “Way of the Saints”, is a syncretic, Afro-Caribbean religion that grew out of slave trade in Cuba, and is based on Yoruba traditions and Roman Catholic incorporations (BBC). The initiation of Santeria can be dated to roughly the early sixteenth century during the bustling transatlantic slave trade, which involved Cuba. In this period, cultural diffusion was not uncommon, as African slaves from Nigeria and Benin were keen on maintaining the religious practices of their home country. The flexibility of the Christian missionaries allowed them to continue their belief systems, but they were still expected to embrace Christian beliefs, and so they did. Yoruba and Roman Catholic traditions were able to blend fairly easily due to

He, white, thick hair and brown skin, was an experienced high priest; he was wise to say the least. He gave me an assuring smile and asked of me my name, place of birth, and date of birth. He placed in my hands two shells and asked me to rub them between my hands. During this time he chanted in a language that I did not recognize as Spanish, so I assumed it to be the language of the Yoruba. He then instructed me to throw down the shells. After observing the shells, he wrote down a formula-like pattern and began the interpretation based on the position of the shells. We repeated this process three additional times during the entire reading. He gave began to give me insight immediately after the analysis of the first shell throwing, and continued to do so throughout the other throwing as well. After the fourth one, which was the last for the interpretation segment of the reading, he sat for a few moments to synchronize my entire reading into a fluid string of explanations. Following this, I was instructed to throw the shells once more for any questions that I might have about my reading. We discussed my inquiries, my readings, and then possible solutions to the issues he thought I might encounter. Subsequently, that concluded our session. At the end of the session, he commented on my intuitiveness, and mentioned many of the same things other mediums have told me as well. I cannot say that I did not expect him to point it out, as I subconsciously wondered if he would, but I still find his acknowledgement of it ironic,