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In the previous episode, I decided to try something new — including a transcript rather than just a basic summary. I liked it and will probably continue doing that for future episodes. If nothing else, it addresses an issue I had in the past, when trying to figure out what to include in the podcast versus the blog.
Before I get started on the news, I want to let everyone know that I’ve started up a “Year In White” Facebook Page. To be honest, I’m not completely sure how I’ll be using it just yet. Initially, I think I’ll just add “highlights” to it, which will include links to special posts, podcast episodes, and that sort of thing. I’d really like to see some user-generated discussions on there, instead of it all just being stuff I come up with on my own.
A surprising amount of my audience seem to be iyawos, those fresh out of their year, and those looking to make ocha soon. I absolutely love that! Whether you fall into one of those categories or not, please visit the Facebook page and introduce yourself.
At the time of this recording, there page only has a single fan. That’s depressing. Become a fan and show me some love.
NEWS
The only thing I was able to find was an article from an August 4th posting by NBC Bay Area entitled, “Decapitated Animals Has San Jose Thinking Santeria.”
First off, shouldn’t the title use ‘have’ rather than ‘has’? Whatever.
According to the article:
Decapitated animals in San Jose have some scared and authorities searching for clues.
A jogger found three goats with their heads severed from their bodies on Penetencia Creek, near the Alum Rock Park entrance in San Jose Saturday.
Chicken feathers were also discovered near the bodies. Animal control officers are investigating the case, and whether it could be linked to “santeria,” a religious sect that performs animal sacrifices.
Authorities says it appears the animals were not killed in Alum Rock but instead the remains were boxed and dumped along the trail.
Local animal control is asking anyone who might have seen unusual activity near the Alum Rock trail on Friday night, to call them.
Why are animal control officers investigating whether it is linked to Santeria? If the animals were dumped illegally, the person who did it committed a crime. If the animals were killed inhumanely, the person who did it committed a crime. Even if it was the result of a religious practice, it still may have violated dumping laws. I think what continues to frustrate me with stuff like this is that the focus goes straight to what might have motivated the action, rather than addressing what — if any — laws were broken.
Inevitably, the comments on these news stories are what make them entertaining. There are a few groups of commenter that drive me nuts.
There are the “Civilized” people. They make arguments against the religion or its practices. Typically, they end up taking the stance that “primitive” practices like this need to become more modern and stop killing animals.
There are the “Off-Topic” people. The easiest way to spot these are by the back-and-forth arguments about whether it’s ever alright to kill a defenseless animal. Also in this group of people are those who compare animal sacrifice to what happens in a slaughter house or butcher shop. These discussions simply distract people from the real issue at hand.
The third group are the “Fluffy Bunny” folks. They mean well and want to defend the religion. They make statements that portray the religion (and those involved) as if it could do no wrong. This is where you’ll hear that all animals are cooked and eaten after they are sacrificed. If they do put blame on someone for their actions, it will be done in a way that distances that person from the religion (i.e. “They weren’t a real santero. That never happens usually.”). It’s good to stand up for the religion, but be honest about it. Saying that sacrificed animals always get cooked and eaten afterwards isn’t helping to give your arguments any credibility. If that animal is taking on osogbo, there’s no way it would be eaten.
Before I start ranting too much about that, I guess I should change topics…
Each month, I take a look at the various search terms used on the site, pick a handful that I think might be interesting, and I discuss them a bit with you.
“ASK AN ABORISHA”
elegua benefit: Elegua is the orisha that opens paths in life. He can help with luck, prosperity, and communication. Given his importance in the religion, it’s easy to see why people are very anxious to learn about him. Don’t forget about the other warriors, though. Yes, Elegua opens the path, but Ogun, Ochosi, and Osun are there to make sure that — as you go down that path — obstacles are cleared, you do not walk alone, and that someone is always keeping an eye out for danger. The benefit Elegua brings you is more effective when he is balanced out by the other orisha.
giving candy to doorways and elegua: I’m not sure about giving candy to the doorway itself, but you could certainly leave candy for Elegua in or next to a doorway. If you have Elegua, you can leave your candy directly with him. Either way, let him know that the candy is for him — either in thanks for what he’s already brought you or to sweeten him up for what you’d like to come your way.
how should you use elegua candle: Before I answer this, let me tell you about my most recent trip to a botanica. I was getting a small statue of Obatala, which I was considering giving as a gift to someone. A woman who worked at the botanica asked me if I had Obatala’s candle already or not and that I really should get it. I couldn’t help but laugh. If it helps you concentrate on what you’re doing and you feel like it works for you, go for it. For me, personally, there’s zero difference between a normal candle and one that has a picture of an orisha on it. Aside from the price tag, of course. There are people who charge their candles with special herbs or whatever, but that’s not what these stores are selling. Maybe I’m just jaded by the rows and rows of “Lucky Lottery” candles that all have the same “Lucky Numbers” written on them, but a lot of that stuff just feels too much like a gimmick. When working with Elegua or any of the orisha, the candle is there as an offering of light (or, some might say, ache). Whether you have a small tea-light or a seven-day candle, they serve the same purpose. It just comes down to preference.
how to understand elegua: If you find out, be sure to let me know… Aside from throwing Obi or Diloggun, it would just come down to interpretation on your part. Some people claim he speaks to them in dreams. Others see meaning behind seemingly random things in their life. The only certain way I know of is to go in for a reading by a qualified santero, if you’re unable to throw shells on your own.
make elegua santeria: That is a little ambiguous. There is the literal making of Elegua, in which a priest uses stone or cement to create a physical manifestation of Elegua, which is later washed and fed. There is also a figure of speech in which “making Elegua” would signify becoming a priest of Elegua, which I don’t really know much about aside from it being fairly expensive.
elegua ago: Online, I’ve seen “ago” typically translated as “open”. The gist, though, is that you’re trying to get Elegua’s attention, in hopes that he will help you stay on (or get to) your desired path.
orisha soperas: These are the containers — usually porcelain — that hold the orisha’s tools, otanes, and shells.
fancy soperas: There are definitely some soperas that are more attractive than others. They usually cost quite a bit, too. One thing to keep in mind is that as you grow in the religion, your orisha will grow, too. You’ll probably be better off starting out small at first, saving the money you would’ve spent on an elaborately detailed sopera and spend it on making ocha instead.
how to make my eggun work for me: Well, you can’t make them do anything. You can make offerings, tell them what you want, and that sort of thing, but — beyond that — it’s up to them.
eggun boveda: This is an issue that confused me a lot when I first started. You have an eggun corner or shrine and then you have a boveda. The boveda is a bowl or glass filled with water. It is for your muertos, spirits, or whatever you prefer to call them. You might have a muerto that also happens to be an eggun, but it probably doesn’t happen as often as you might think. One way to look at it is that your eggun are like a really old grandparent, while the muerto is a young friend. Eggun always have your best interest at heart. They might be able to help out once and a while — sometimes in surprising ways — but it’s usually going to be pretty subtle. With your muerto, you may be close, but you aren’t family. Whether you call it evolution, enlightenment, or elevation, the result is that some will have your interests in mind more than others. They will usually be able to work with you in a way that’s more noticeable than your eggun. A lot of the information out there about working with muerto comes from theSpiritist movement started by Alan Kardec. Water, light, food, drink, or objects may be offered to the spirits. The term “boveda” is often interchangeably used to refer to both the container of water as well as the general area or altar where one works with the spirits.
who is your orisha: My orisha is Oshun. I remember being kind of upset when I was first told that. For the longest time, I had assumed I would crown Obatala. I saw myself as a child of Obatala and didn’t think there was any way that the reading would come out any different. I was wrong. As much as I owe to Obatala, Oshun has really helped me a lot since I got into this religion and I wouldn’t trade her as my crown for anything.
what will happen if you don’t wear white in your year of ocha: Some say that it makes it easier for you to pick up negative energies or that it lessens your ashe. I can’t really comment either way, since I don’t think I’ve asked my godfather about that yet. My personal take on it is that it has a lot to do with intent. If you know you should be wearing white and just choose not to because you don’t want to, that’s going to take its toll on you more than if you had a legitimate reason to break the taboo.
santeria for dummies: This was a fictional book title I came up with a while back. I really wish someone would make one. Unfortunately, there are so many introductory books out there already, there probably isn’t much of a real demand for it. It would be amusing if someone made a book like this, though, that covered what types of clothes to wear, basic dance steps, popular songs, orisha food recipes, and that type of thing instead of the usual, “What color is associated with Oya?” stuff.
grave robbing orisha: No grave robbing happens for or by the orisha. Scouts honor. I’ve heard people talk about taking stuff from graves, but that’s usually for palo mayombe.
elegua+jesus+satan: …Awesome. The person doing that search definitely wanted to keep their options open. I’ve mentioned the topic before, but I’ll say it again… Even though this religion originally survived by hiding in the shadows of Catholicism, they are two distinct religions and always have been.
found a strange bag with money hanging from tree santeria: I get some of the most unusual search traffic sometimes. Well, if I saw a bag with money in a tree, my first thought would probably be to take the money — not do a Google search. I assume this is a paper bag with a few dollars in it and maybe some change. I’m sure if it was a bank bag full of hundred-dollar bills, my site wouldn’t be the one you come to. Without knowing what else was in the bag, it’s hard to say. I think it’s safe to say that pretty much anything involving a tree and money is going to be for helping the person’s finances grow.
santeria ashes in a bed: I don’t think I’ve ever heard of that one. If it’s ash rather than dirt or some other material, the only spiritual thing I can think of would be in stuff involving change. Ashes are usually the one thing that remains when all else burns away. With it being in a bed, I’m going to go out on a limb and say it’s probably related to your sex-life or relationships. You might want to focus your attention on your recent (or soon-to be) ex-lover.
santeria curse signs: In Santeria, there’s not really an Evil Eye you can stare someone down with, a Sigil to draw, or Mummy’s Curse you can leave behind. On the spiritual side, there is plenty you can do with muertos or even some hoodoo-style witchcraft. Within the religion itself, though, the main thing I’ve heard about is when someone writes an enemy’s name on a piece of paper and puts it into Ogun. It’s not so much that Ogun is going to curse that person. Ogun is great at removing obstacles out of your way. By putting the name into his cauldron, you are signifying that person is an obstacle and should be moved out of your way. There are variants for other orisha, too. You might attach a picture or name of someone to Obatala’s whip [whisk] as a way of keeping them in line and under control. Again, this isn’t so much a curse on that person as it is just using that orisha’s natural influence to help the situation. I have a high amount of skepticism for any claims that are made about someone “using an orisha” against someone in a malicious fashion.
symptoms of santeria curse: Symptoms may include abdominal pain, agitation, anxiety, constipation, decreased sex drive, diarrhea or loose stools, difficulty with ejaculation, dizziness, dry mouth, fatigue, gas, headache, and decreased appetite. Actually, those are side-effects of Zoloft. Never mind. Look, if you are already researching the symptoms, you probably already have some things going on that you don’t feel right about. If it’s something you feel might be the result of a spiritual attack, either take some Zoloft to get things off your mind or get a reading done by a santero.
curses with animal skulls: What’s the fascination with curses lately, people? If you’re working with an animal skull and you’re very careful, you can probably charge it with helpful herbs and oils right in the brain cavity. You’ll probably want to plug the hole when you’re done, but a little wax should be ok for that. How you actually do the curse kind of depends on what you’re trying to accomplish and what type of skull you’ve got. You’ll want to work with the animals natural attributes and tendencies, if you want it to be effective. If you’re interested in working with animal bones and what to learn more about what various animals represent, there’s a book called “Animal-Speak” that covers quite a lot of material.
sweeten up a man santeria: I wouldn’t really count this as a traditional Santeria practice, but you could probably make a hoodoo-style “honey jar” and put it to Oshun. The basic idea is to put the person’s name on a piece of paper or their picture. You can also help things out by adding a note. In present-tense terms, describe how good things are between you both (as in, “So-and-so spends more time with me and we have fun together” or whatever it is you’re looking for). Try to be a little general, if you write a note about what you want. Give Oshun the credit she deserves, rather than dictating how everything should play out. Now place your material in a glass jar and fill the jar with fresh honey. Before sealing the lid on, get a few drops of honey on your finger and taste it. As you taste the sweetness of the honey, think about the sweetness the other person will have towards you. Like the honey you just poured into the jar, the effect isn’t going to be all that fast. It might take some time. While it’s working — or you’re waiting for it to — put it somewhere safe where it won’t be disturbed. Every once and a while, come back to it and think back as to what you were looking for when you first started and how things have improved since then. When you feel like things have run their course, you can empty out the jar outside somewhere discreet.
FINAL THOUGHTS
If you haven’t become a fan of the Year In White page on Facebook, what are you waiting for? By becoming a fan, it shows your support of what I’m doing. I also encourage everyone to participate in the discussions and create your own if it’s something you’re interested in. I’m always looking for ideas and suggestions. The Facebook page is a great platform for that.
Maferefún eggun.
Maferefún orisha.
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Related to the San Jose news article, there was a rather disturbing post on SF Weekly (http://blogs.sfweekly.com/thesnitch/2010/08/decapitated_goats.php). In it, San Jose Animal Control officers are apparently investigating whether this “was the aftermath of some manner of Satanic ceremony. ”
Why even include such a sensationalist claim as that? Animal Control Officers are no more qualified to speak of religious motivation than a priest is qualified to speak about the best way to rescue a cat from a tree.
Even if they did, for some reason, feel the need to mention the claim — perhaps knowing how foolish it would make the person who said it sound — it’s hard to ignore the large “Satanic” image in the middle of the article.
This is the kind of nonsense one might expect from some hole-in-the-wall town in the middle of The Bible Belt, not from some major city. Given how diverse San Francisco is, I guess I just expected more from the media out there.