Sacrificial ceremonies of Santería : a complete guide to the rituals and practices

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. Spirituality/Religion Cover 1 Title Page 5 Dedication 7 Epigraph 3 Acknowledgments 11 Table of Contents 9 Introduction: Work and Worship 17 Chapter 1: The Sacrament of Sacrificein the Lucumí Faith 29 The Sacred Language of Lucumí 29 The Etymology of the Word Sacrifice 32 Types of Sacrificial Offerings 34 Forms of Divination 35 The Centrality of Sacrifice 39 Chapter 2: Olódumare and the Orishas 40 Olódumare, the Ultimate Godhead 41 Olorún, the Creative Force 43 Olófin, the Law Giver 45 The Orishas, Emissaries of God 45 Chapter 3: First Phase of the Globalization of the Lucumí Faith 62 The Stereotypical View of Modern Lucumí 64 Defining Globalization 67 The Roots of Santería 71 The Growth of SanterÍa in Cuba 73 Catholic Syncretism 75 The Cofradia System 79 Regeneration of the Tradition 82 Chapter 4: Second Phase of the Globalization of the Lucumí Faith 84 The Transformative Period of Santería, 1870–1959 86 The Rise of Afro-Cubanism 93 Migration to the United States 96 The Cuban Revolution and the Exodus of Lucumí 99 Chapter 5: The Legal Battle for Lucumí in the United States 103 Upping the Ante, All the Way to the Supreme Court 111 Chapter 6: Preparations for Sacrifice 124 The Work of Worship 126 The Sacrificial Animals of the Orishas 128 Other Considerations 131 Divination before Sacrifice 131 Interpreting the Cast 140 Dealing with Negative Patterns 143 Additional Considerations on the Five Basic Patterns 145 Post Divination: Final Preparations and Considerations 147 Chapter 7: Blood and Honey 151 The Sacrifice of the Four-Legged Animals 153 The Sacrifice of the Feathered Animals 160 The Closing Ceremony of Fifetu 171 Chapter 8: The Patakís behind the Sacrificial Tradition 176 Why the Rooster Was First Sacrificed 180 Where the Goat Was First Sacrificed 185 The Pact between Orishaokó and Olófin 194 The Saga of the Ram 195 The Ungrateful Hen 204 The Curse of the Jutía 206 The Importance of Feeding the Dead 208 The Birth of Red Blood Cells 212 How the Pigeon Was First Sacrificed 214 Why Orúnmila Eats Hens and not Roosters 220 The World’s First Sacrifice 224 The Proper Spirit of Sacrifice 225 Glossary 236 Notes 228 Bibliography 233 Index 252 Other Books by Ócha’ni Lele 4 About Inner Traditions • Bear & Company 260 Copyright & Permissions 6 Backcover 262 Spirituality;,Religion Spirituality,Religion The first book to explore the history, methods, and thinking behind sacrifice in the growing SanterIa 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 SanterIa faith and its practitioners Tackling the biggest controversy surrounding his faith, SanterIa priest Ocha'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 diloggUn--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 SanterIa faith and its practitioners. Weaving together oral fragments stemming from the ancient Yoruba of West Africa, the author reconstructs their sacred stories, or patakIs, that demonstrate the well-thought-out metaphysics and spirituality behind the practice of animal sacrifice in the Yoruba and SanterIa 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 SanterIa enables initiates to learn proper ceremony protocol as well as gives outsiders a glimpse into this most secretive world of the santeros An introduction to the sacrament of sacrifice in the Lucumí faith Olódumare and the Orishas: god in Lucumí belief The migration and globalization of the Lucumí faith: the first steps The migration and globalization of the Lucumí faith: the second steps Preparations for sacrifice Blood and honey: the sacrificial ritual The patakís behind the sacrificial tradition. Ócha'ni Lele explains the practice and importance of animal sacrifice in Santería. He describes the ceremonies in step-by-step detail and reveals the deep connections to the odu of the diloggún. The book also chronicles the struggle for legal recognition of Santería, shedding light on the extraordinary growth of the faith over the past 50 years