How many people practice santeria

Although Santeria is a religious path that is not rooted in Indo-European polytheism like many other contemporary Pagan religions, it's still a faith that is practiced by many thousands of people in the United States and other countries today.

Santeria combines influences of Caribbean tradition, West Africa's Yoruba spirituality, and elements of Catholicism. To become a Santero, or high priest, one must pass a series of tests and requirements prior to initiation. In a landmark case, the Church of Lakumi Babalu Aye successfully sued the city of Hialeah, Florida, for the right to practice animal sacrifice within a religious context; the Supreme Court determined that it was a protected activity.

Santeria is, in fact, not one set of beliefs, but a "syncretic" religion, which means it blends aspects of a variety of different faiths and cultures, despite the fact that some of these beliefs might be contradictory to one another.

Santeria evolved when African slaves were stolen from their homelands during the Colonial period and forced to work in Caribbean sugar plantations. Santeria is a fairly complex system, because it blends the Yoruba orishas , or divine beings, with the Catholic saints. In some areas, African slaves learned that honoring their ancestral orishas was far safer if their Catholic owners believed they were worshiping saints instead - hence the tradition of overlap between the two.

The orishas serve as messengers between the human world and the divine. They are called upon by priests by a variety of methods, including trances and possession, divination , ritual, and even sacrifice. To some extent, Santeria includes magical practice, although this magical system is based upon interaction with and understanding of the orishas. Today, there are many Americans who practice Santeria. A Santero, or high priest , traditionally presides over rituals and ceremonies.

To become a Santero, one must pass a series of tests and requirements prior to initiation. Training includes divinatory work, herbalism, and counseling. It is up to the orishas to determine whether a candidate for priesthood has passed the tests or failed. Most Santeros have studied for a long time to become part of the priesthood, and it is rarely open to those who are not part of the society or culture.

For many years, Santeria was kept secret, and limited to those of African ancestry. According to the Church of Santeria ,. There are a number of different orishas , and most of them correspond to a Catholic saint.

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Still Smoking - Tobacco and Cigars in Cuba. The Blessing and Curse of the Revolution. The Five Best Drives in Cuba. The Geography of Cuba. The People of Cuba. The U. Once camouflaged sufficiently with their masters' traditions, the Africans' religion became known as Santeria, Spanish for "the praise of the saints" — and its beliefs, customs and sounds have become widespread in the Americas.

Neighborhood ceremonies You don't need real estate to practice Santeria. Drumming and initiation ceremonies take place in community rooms, homes and even former candy stores most weekends in Latino, West Indian and African neighborhoods. Candles, perfumes and paraphernalia are sold in botanicas in every borough. These are the signs that Santeria has followers. Says Americo Paez, a something Santeria priest from the Bronx, "The religion was being practiced very little in the U. However, Santeria still was misunderstood and feared.

Today, the religion remains stigmatized in the United States. A dark reputation Among the reasons for its dark reputation are the practice of animal sacrifice, rumors of the use of so-called black magic and the concept of spiritual possession. One reveler at the gathering in Ridgewood explained that casting spells or performing black magic, is an abuse. He compared Santeria priests who use their power injudiciously to Catholic priests charged with abusing their followers. We are naturally evil in instinct.

In , the U. Supreme Court affirmed that the freedom of religion covers the ritual sacrifice of animals. Then, there's possession, for which there is scant scientific rationale, but Santeros often take it quite literally.

Indeed, a drumming is hardly complete unless one of the disciples starts dancing into a trance. Dancing, in turn, is among the highest forms of worship of the African spirits.