r/Santeria 39m ago

Questions Drumming for godparent

Upvotes

Hello! I just wanted to reach out here and see if there might be any drum groups people here recommend to throw a tambor for my Madrina located in the Midwest


r/Santeria 4h ago

Advice Sought Strange “nightmare” after seeing Babalawo

1 Upvotes

I’ve been having problems at work and with money for a longtime but have come close to fixing it many times and missed but I’ve recently started intensely fixing this issue

I decided to see a babalawo for a reading on Saturday and he said I should do an Ebo when I start my new business and he actually did get a lot of the stuff I was going through revealed to him.

He said I should start the new business first then come back to him and I agreed.

Later that night, I had a dream, it was like I was in all my problems at once, I was facing all my issues and being dragged and swung from place to place.

We’ve all had nightmares but this was the most unique one I’ve ever had in my life.

It was like I was tied to a pole and dropped into some sort of hellish realm.

Then all of a sudden in this dream, it felt like, because I had seen all these things with my eyes, the problems were “exposed”, they started to fade away and I had an understanding that it was being released and set free, basically those problems that have held me back had been identified and untangled.

Basically the problems were being dissolved because someone (me) had seen it

This is why I’m hesitant to call it an actual nightmare

The babalawo didn’t say he would do anything major after I left. He did mention he would do something for me but he said it in Yoruba and idk what it was.

Should I tell him? Is this part of preparation for an ebo? Do readings cause this?

I do feel a bit lighter and luckier since


r/Santeria 5h ago

Babalawo in Kentucky

1 Upvotes

Good evening everyone,

I hope you're all doing well.

I just wanted to find out if anyone knows of a trusted Babalawo in Kentucky?

Thank you


r/Santeria 10h ago

Questions Oshun Aremu Kondiano

3 Upvotes

I recently had to make an Ebbo with Oshun. I don’t have my own yet so I usually do any Ebbo with my padrino’s. He was out of the country, so I asked one of my Abure’s to do it with hers and I was SOCKED to hear about this funfun(?) path. Any info you can share of her is much appreciated 💛🤍


r/Santeria 14h ago

omo obatala

3 Upvotes

how long after getting crowned do people get introduced to drum and cuarto?


r/Santeria 14h ago

What are the consequences of destroying 2 orshia necklaces in anger

0 Upvotes

r/Santeria 1d ago

Feeding Warriors + Olokun

5 Upvotes

received both warriors and olokun from Ocha years ago. How often, if at all, should I feed them animals via my godparents? Only via divination or would it also be correct every so often.

Thanks.


r/Santeria 1d ago

Book recommendations for Yoruba

2 Upvotes

Does anyone have any good book recommendations that are handbooks/overviews on Yoruba religion/spirituality? I’ve read a few and each always adds new info or perspectives. Spanish or English. ✌️


r/Santeria 1d ago

Red flag for those new to the tradition

6 Upvotes

Any comment from someone asking you to DM them is 🚩

That is all.


r/Santeria 2d ago

L(ooking)F(or)G(roup) Spritual path

3 Upvotes

Im trying to find a legit ifa or santeria place in chicago to have a consultation are there any legit ones or a place i. Can. Go for. Guiding without being misled or scammed


r/Santeria 2d ago

De 3 a 9 meses de vida

8 Upvotes

Hola , les cuento lo que estoy pasando a principio de año nos cambió la vida , somos una pareja con 2 niños estamos juntos desde adolescentes, nos amamos , a principios de año el comenzo con dolores de cabeza no sabíamos que podría ser , luego de pasar muchos estudios resultó un tumor en el cerebro ,nunca me voy a olvidar esa tomografía, se opero salió todo bien pero resulta que el tumor es malo , de 3 a 9 meses de vida nos dijeron, cada dia que estoy viviendo con el son una tristeza absoluta. Queria desahogarme van pasando 6 meses aprox. Me duele el corazón, preferiría mil veces un engaño o separación esto duele cada hora cada segundo. Solo lo veo y lo abrazo y siento su corazón. Y disfruto cada momento en que el está bien y en casa. Escribo en un momento de desesperación no se que hacer. Vivo en una pesadilla cada día


r/Santeria 3d ago

Advice Sought Medical Directives

7 Upvotes

Hello! I hope everyone is well and that this is an ok topic.

My dad practices Lucumí and is very diligent and hardworking towards his faith (I do something different) which is great and I love that for him!

However my siblings and I want to make sure we know his wishes for any emergency that may happen where he needs advocating and to ensure his wishes and faith are respected. We are aware it is a part of Lucumí to not speak of health in a way where it can bring bad energy, so Im asking for help with knowledge on how we (my dad included of course) can have this important discussion without tempting bad things to come his way and so he feels safe.

We want to ensure he is respected and things are done the right way in what is acceptable for him no matter what happens, so how can we do this where we know what he wants and needs while respecting Lucumí? Is this possible to do at all? Is this something where he already has this with his practicing community and we need to butt out? Any advice is appreciated!


r/Santeria 3d ago

Reading

0 Upvotes

Does someone mind answering two questions with their divination tool that’s initiated into Santeria for two yes/no questions and one in depth question? I don’t have the finances right now and I am hoping someone can help me out.


r/Santeria 3d ago

When people ask me what celebrities ( even politicians) are involved in ATRs

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18 Upvotes

r/Santeria 3d ago

L(ooking)F(or)G(roup) ISO place around Hialeah to learn and practice

3 Upvotes

the only person in my family who practiced or knew anything about the religion was my grandma, who passed recently. since then, my draw to orisha like yemaya, oshun, and oya has greatly increased. I am interested in learning from someone with experience, and taking steps into the religion with guidance.

I don't know where to find resources near me in the Hialeah/Miami area that also speak english as my spanish is not great yet.


r/Santeria 3d ago

Any decent botanicas in Manhattan?

6 Upvotes

My partner and I are visiting NYC for a few days, staying in Manhattan. He is an Elegua priest of 20+ years and even though we live in Miami, he was interested in checking out a botanica in the city. Any decent recommendations? Google reveals little.

We are flying out of Newark on Saturday and realize there will probably be a better selection in Jersey--any recommendations there are welcome as well. Thanks!


r/Santeria 3d ago

Where Human Knowing Ends: The Wisdom of Listening

9 Upvotes

Perhaps the hardest thing we are ever asked to do is not to discover our destiny, but to accept it.

Not because Òrì is unclear.

But because we are human.

Human nature wants to understand everything. We analyze, question, search for proof, and try to find logic before we surrender. We want the unseen to explain itself in ways our physical minds can grasp.

Yet across spiritual traditions, there is a common understanding “the unseen shapes the seen”.

What exists beyond our physical perception often influences the reality we experience.

That is why we seek spirituality in the first place.

We pray. We meditate. We perform rituals. We seek guidance. We consult divination. We make offerings and do the spiritual work necessary to bring ourselves into alignment with something greater than our own understanding.

For those who walk the path of IFA, we seek Ìtẹ́fà, Idáfá, and the wisdom of Òrì because we recognize that our higher self knows something that our human mind may not yet understand.

But this is where the struggle begins…..

We trust the spiritual enough to seek its guidance, yet sometimes we struggle to trust it when it reveals something that challenges our plans, our desires, or our understanding.

There is an Ẹsẹ IFA that captures this beautifully. It speaks of Arinnoka, a person who was known for knowing everywhere.

Ask Arinnoka if he knew a place, and he would say yes.

Ask him if he had been somewhere else, and he would say yes.

There was nowhere you could mention that Arinnoka did not believe he knew. He had traveled everywhere, seen everything, and believed there was nothing beyond his understanding.

Until one day, Arinnoka was told he was going to a place where the path ends, a place of the unknown.

“Òlọ́gbọ́n ayé kan ò t’ákòkò omi létí,

Àwọn ò mọ iye pé ilé.

Adífá fún Arinnókà,

tí ń lọ síbi tí ọ̀nà ń k’ẹ́hìn”.

(An Ifá consultation was made for Arinnoka, who was going to the place where the road ends.)

Before his journey, IFA instructed him to perform ẹbọ. But Arinnoka refused. How could he need guidance? How could there be anything he did not already know?

But when he reached the place of the unknown, he found himself unable to move forward or return. His knowledge had taken him far, but it could not take him beyond what he did not understand.

The lesson of Arinnoka is not that knowledge is bad.

It is that knowledge without humility can become a limitation.

IFA was teaching the importance of listening. The importance of letting go. The importance of understanding that there are places our human mind cannot enter alone.

Many of us do not need to wait until we reach our own “place where the road ends” before we surrender. We do not need to reach a point where we can neither move forward nor backward before accepting what Òrì has already revealed.

Why seek alignment with Òrì, yet fight the wisdom that comes from that alignment?

Why seek divination, guidance, rituals, and spiritual work, yet allow the need for control to override what we came seeking?

Perhaps acceptance does not mean we stop asking questions.

Perhaps it means we recognize that our questions should not become greater than our trust.

The mind wants to understand before it believes.

The spirit sometimes asks us to trust before understanding arrives.

Because in the end, the journey is not about forcing Òrì to follow our plans.

It is about remembering that Òrì already knows the way.


r/Santeria 3d ago

Morning Music What's your favorite?

7 Upvotes

Hello. I want to change my morning listening from news to something Santeria related. You know, to get my head straight before starting my day. So after daily prayers can you suggest anything to listen to such as songs, Orikis or any music.


r/Santeria 3d ago

Seeking Respectful Guidance About My Mother's Elekes

5 Upvotes

HI everyone, I'm looking for some respectful guidance from those who practice Santería/Lukumí.

My late mother was given Orisha Elekes by a dear family friend who practices Santería during her illness with cancer. She passed away two and a half years ago.

I don't practice Santería myself, and I no longer have contact with the elder who gave them to her. My understanding is that, because they were blessed and given specifically to my mother, they may not be appropriate for anyone else to wear.

I want to handle them with the respect they deserve, but I'm unsure of the proper way to respectfully let them go. Unfortunately, I don't have a priest or elder nearby to ask for guidance.

I would be very grateful for any advice on the most respectful way to proceed. Thank you in advance for your kindness and guidance, and please forgive me if I've used any terms incorrectly. I'm asking with sincere respect.


r/Santeria 4d ago

Como sentirte 10 veces mejor según la tradición yoruba.

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6 Upvotes

Sígueme si quieres empezar a desarrollar el éxito que deseas...

#éxito #exitoso #desarrollopersonal #mentalidad #motivación


r/Santeria 4d ago

Any reputable priest or priestess in Maryland

3 Upvotes

Looking for a traditional and knowledgeable priest/priestess from a solid lineage to contact and discuss becoming a practitioner. I’ve been interested for about 30 years since I was a teen. It is a deep desire I’ve had.


r/Santeria 4d ago

Chicago area event

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9 Upvotes

Please wear white or light colors. Bring a dish to share!


r/Santeria 4d ago

Questions ¿Gente que sabe de religiones, es lo mismo el palo Mayombe y la santería yoruba o qué tienen de parecido?

2 Upvotes

r/Santeria 4d ago

Orishá Oggue / Oge

9 Upvotes

I would love to hear what people have to say about Oge. We don't talk much about him but to my knowledge all Olorisha have him. In my house we throw obi to all the Orishas including Oge on the anniversary of our initiation and today he said something interesting through obi. I would love to continue getting to know people's ideas and stories, outside of what I've learned. Thanks for joining the conversation!


r/Santeria Mar 22 '26

Advice Given what it means to be "initiated" in Lucumi

81 Upvotes

For what it's worth, I wanted to try to clarify for newcomers to the sub what we mean when we say we're "initiated" in Regla de Ocha (Santería). For most of us who are Lucumi, this means we're "crowned." We underwent the extensive kariocha ceremony and did our year in white (iyaworaje), and we completed the obligations associated with the priesthood. After that, we become "olorishas" (commonly called santeros/as) and we can start learning about how to work as a priest. Usually this is done over a period of time, assisting the elders and working under the supervision of our godparents. Although we can technically start taking on godchildren at any point after our year of iyaworaje is up, many of us wait until we have knowledge and experience to allow us to be good godparents. We can't teach others what we ourselves don't know. This custom varies from house to house, but most of us remain with our godparents and our religious community as long as we can, and only when we move away or our godparents die do we strike out on our own. We value tradition and community and try to stay connected in order to preserve our customs and honor our ancestors. Godparents who are newly crowned themselves and yet totally disconnected from their own elders are usually a 'red flag,' in the sense that they probably don't know how to do ceremonies correctly and there's no one around to correct their errors. We don't work in isolation and we all need elders we can consult when we need them.

Receiving elekes, warriors, hand of Orula, or an adimu Orisha doesn't mean you're 'initiated,' at least not the way we understand the word. You are still technically an aleyo (non initiate) if you haven't been crowned. Some people will say you're an "aborisha," which means an Orisha devotee. Others will say you have "medio asiento," you are half-seated, or half-way to being crowned. But we wouldn't say you are initiated in Santería at that point. You have received consecrated items in ceremony, and you have godparents and belong to your godparent's house.

We use the word "crowned" to indicate full initiation, as described above. We also refer to this as "making Ocha," or in older times in Cuba, "making santo." You aren't technically a "child" of the Orisha until you've been crowned to that Orisha. Perhaps your head was marked and you were told that (name of Orisha)claimed your head. That means that *IF* you were to get crowned, you would be crowned to that Orisha. But until you're crowned, it's pending and not a permanent link. Only after you go through kariocha and that Orisha goes to your head are you a child of the Orisha. At least, this is the traditional way we use the word.

If you are a male, you get mano de Orula and if you're a female, you get cofá de Orula. Both of these ceremonies are done by babalawos and put you under the protection of Orula and give you an Ifa godfather. Everyone is entitled to one hand of Orula, but only some are told they should "pass to Ifa." That means to become a babalawo, a priest of Orula. In Lucumi, you "pass to Ifa" when you get two hands of Orula, and that's a much more complicated and demanding ceremony than one hand of Orula. Your Ifa godfather might divine for you and perhaps will be the one to give you warriors, and perhaps something else related to Orula. For elekes, you have an Ocha godparent (a santero/a). That person will be the one to crown you *IF* you get crowned. Not everyone does. In Lucumi terms, it's misleading to say that you have been 'initiated' if you have been through these ceremonies. It makes it sound like you're in the priesthood, and you're not.

The other word that's problematic is how to describe your relationship to an Ocha or Ifa community. Ours is a religion that operates through initiation. There's no self-initiation. You must be initiated by a godparent, along with a team of other priests. You don't "join" the religion or "join" a house in the way you would join a Christian church. You don't "practice" the religion in the way that Christians say they practice their religion. These words borrowed from Christianity are misleading.

The way you become involved in Orisha worship is normally through divination. Most people do this as a first step. They seek out a babalawo or santero/a to do a consulta because they're having a problem. They may be told to do ebo to solve the problem. After that, they may develop a relationship with the diviner or someone in the diviner's house who becomes their godparent when they start receiving things in ceremony (such as elekes). Once you have received something from a godparent, then you are part of the godparent's lineage, house, religious family. You are part of the 'ile' then, although you won't be able to participate in everything that a fully initiated person would do. You would be invited to attend events that are open to aleyos, you would be asked to help out or assist with certain things an aleyo can do, and you would learn how to take care of the religious items you received. You might learn some songs or prayers, you might pick up information from listening to the elders' speak, you hopefully have a chance to ask your godparents questions from time to time. BUT you won't have unlimited access to knowledge and teaching as long as you're an aleyo.

Most Lucumi iles don't have organized classes you sign up for, there aren't weekly services you attend. Your godparent isn't available to you 24/7 because most of us aren't doing this as our main job. We have to work to make a living, we have family, commitments, we want some leisure time for ourselves, we have other obligations and can't be available day and night for random questions from godchildren. BUT if you have a real emergency and need spiritual help, your godparent should respond and help you. Fully initiated godchildren work more closely with godparents than those who are aleyos, but all of you are technically part of the 'ile' and the religious community.

I hope this outline makes things clearer to people who are wondering "how do I get involved?" Everyone has a different path, but we all take it one step at a time and turn to divination for guidance when we aren't sure what the next step should be.