What does Yemaya mean?

Often depicted as a queenly mermaid, Yemaya is considered the Ocean Mother Goddess in Santería, an Afro-Caribbean religion practiced around the world. With anchored roots in the Yoruba religion, Yemaya was brought over to the New World by enslaved Africans as early as the 16th century.

What are elekes beads?

Elekes can not be touched by anyone except for priests, and if they are touched, the person touching them must clean them. The beads all have different meanings and represent different divinities of Ifa. “The elekes I have mean life, protection and one of them represents my god Oshun,” Scott said.

How many orishas can you have?

Number. Yoruba tradition often says that there are 400 + 1 orishas, which is associated with a sacred number. Other sources suggest that the number is “as many as you can think of, plus one more – an innumerable number”. Different oral traditions refer to 400, 700, or 1,440 orishas.

What does green and yellow beads mean?

Green connects us to unconditional love and is used for balancing our whole being. It connects us to nature and to empathy with others.​​​​ ​ Yellow (warm) Represents sunbeams, warmth, healing and motion.

What does it mean to get your warriors in Santeria?

An additional ritual, known as “receiving the warriors”, is a ritual where the initiated receives objects from their padrino that represents the warriors: iron tools to represent Ogún; an iron bow and arrow to represent Ochosi; and an iron or silver chalice surmounted by a rooster to represent Osún.

Can I wear Orula bracelet?

It should be the first ceremony anyone receives in the Santaria religion. At the end of this you can wear the green and yellow bracelet that signifies you know who your Orisha is and have taken the ceremony. The only way to really know your true Orisha and sign is to take the ceremony. It is not for the faint hearted.

Who is the most powerful orisha?

Ṣàngó
Ṣàngó is viewed as the most powerful and feared of the orisha pantheon. He casts a “thunderstone” to earth, which creates thunder and lightning, to anyone who offends him. Worshippers in Yorubaland in Nigeria do not eat cowpea because they believe that the wrath of the god of iron would descend on them.

Do you have to shave your head in Santería?

In contemporary Santería initiations the shaving of the head makes for a particularly important element. Yet during the early years of the Cuban Revolution, many practitioners told me that they could not fully shave their heads for fear of being discovered as Santería priests.

How much does it cost to be initiated in Santeria?

A full-on initiation ceremony into Santeria, which grew out of the Yoruba religion brought to the Americas by African slaves, would cost a foreigner well over $1,000.

What is the hand of Orula?

The Mano de Orula ceremony is one of the most important initiations within the Lukumi tradition. Awo Fakan for men or Ikofa Fun for women is a three-day-long ceremony that can only be performed by Babalawos. This beautiful ceremony is not for the faint of heart.

How do you know if you’re a child of Oshun?

She is one of the most popular and venerated orishas. If you see the number 5 a lot (my two most recent apartments were on the 5th floor), are attracted to the color yellow or gold and enjoy sweets, specifically honey, then you too may be a child of Oshun.