So I got to thinking recently.....I'm sure you have all discovered this is a dangerous pool for me to swim in......and I have this tendency to link... 2 Comments
So recently one of my old posts got ressurrected and tossed around :
http://noblepagan.com/wicca-86/sacred_space_your_altar-2776/
It was a... 7 Comments
Okay so here I am a practioner of Wicca for 17 years. A lot of you already know that though. This does NOT mean that I am the most Wiccany or Witchy... 9 Comments
After sharing The Spiritual Component of Autism (Pantheon) and reading the discussions that followed, I got to thinking about how medication effects... 4 Comments
If you read last week's article, What Is Hoodoo?, you must know by now that Hoodoo is very eclectic and personal when it comes to choosing deities to worship, as we Hoodooists do not have to share a specific creed or way of working. But believe me, when I see a Hoodoo/Voodoo/Santeria altar, it does not look like a Wiccan altar at all.
I think that, in many ways, we adopt deities and helping spirits very openly. It is not rare to find Buddhas, Angels, Fairies and other non-African deities among the Orishas, the Lwas, the Three Venezuelan Powers, Pomba Gira and Exús... and though the new generation of Hoodoo comes mainly from Paganism and is not too fond of Catholic imagery, the older generations of Hoodooists worship saints, Mary and Jesus, and of course God and the Holy spirit, so you'll have to add a bit (or a lot) of that in your image of a Hoodoo altar.
The first pantheon that I am going to talk about is the Yoruba pantheon. The Nigerian slaves stolen from Africa and taken to America introduced their cult into society by syncretizing their deities, the Orishas, with Catholic Saints. The Orishas are forces of Nature and sons of Oloddumare, the Creator of the Universe. There are hundreds of Orishas, but the “Seven African Powers” are the most worshipped.
They are:
Obatalá, King of the Orishas, owner of destiny and patron of all Humanity.
The purest of all Orishas, always dressed in glowing white, as he is the open sky. White candles, white stones (like pearls and moonstones) and all white sugar sweets are offered to him. He is one of the most loved Orishas as he is a kind, gentle and forgiving spirit that is specially fond of children and handicapped people. The wine and honey of palms are also traditional offerings to him, specially in the Brazilian branches of his cult. On the side of the wheel, two albino snakes represent him, as the snake is a holy animal on African religions of the Yoruba root that represents divinity.
Elegguá, Orisha of the crossroads, owner of the Ashé (which could be translated as luck or spiritual force) and patron of children, is luck personified – both the good and the bad luck.
Standing in the threshold of this world and the others, knows all secrets and gives his protection to those that accept changes and challenges from him. His colours are red and black, and his most common offerings are rum, cigars and coconuts. He is a must on all Santeria altars, as he allows the communication with all Divine entities and takes care of our petitions – but he is a trickster, and in the form of Exu is a spirit that wanders the crossroads at night, haunting those who do not take care of their spiritual life.
Yemanya, Goddess of the salt waters, Divine Mother of all Orishas and patron of Motherhood and Wealth.
The oldest and wisest of all female Orishas, and probably the most famous goddess of the whole Orisha pantheon as she is extremely generous and kind to those who worship them. Blue and white are her colours, and she loves perfumes, jewels and mirrors as offering - anything that represents wealth and luxury. Offerings of champagne bottles in small wooden ships are traditional offerings for her in Cuba and Venezuela. She is said to love her sons and daughters so much that she sometimes “calls” them to walk into the sea until they drown and pass to live in her underwater kingdom.
Shangó, Orisha of fire, Maker of Justice and patron of music and dance, is a complex archetype as he is the Sacred Male Principle (so used in love spells) and the Judge of human acts (also used in justice spells).
A protective, loving Orisha that is pleased by dancing and singing before him. Apples, watermelon and tomatoes are some of his favourite offerings, but also rum and cigars as Eleggua. He provides karma and brings back the good and bad we have made. He is also the god of thunder and storm – something much needed in Africa – and along with his wife Oyá, whom is the spirit of the lightning, brings the rain to the land – that makes him a symbol of wealth and fertility.
Ochum, goddess of the sweet waters, Queen of Love and patron of women, is here represented with a bowl of Oñi, her sacred potion, of which one of the main ingredients is honey.
Gold and orange are her colours, and offerings of honey, pumpkins and papaya are the tradition. She loves music and dance and there are many legends that speak about her magickal dancing abilities and her superb beauty. But she is no Barbie! All female Orishas are fierce warriors that defend their clans passionately – but this Goddess uses no weapons, as she only needs her spells and intelligence to win on every situation.
Oggum, Orisha of the forest, master forger and patron of warriors, land workers and crafters is one of the most unusual archetypes in Santeria, as he is a self-sufficient, righteous spirit that lives in the deep of the woods, where no-one can find him, working on the iron weapons he creates in his blacksmith's.
Protector of prisoners, refugees, and all that suffer the injustice and violence in this world, he has the warmest heart even though he's one of the bravest warriors in the Orishas. He is treated with much respect and symbolized with the machete, a long and wide knife used to cut sugar canes. He is usually asked for help with Eleggua's mediation, as he is Oggun's best friends.
Oya, Orisha of lightning, is queen of the dead, patron of merchants and owner of the market place, is the fiercest female warrior among the Orishas, as she looks over the souls of those who have gone.
All tones of pink and purple and the lighting are her symbols, and shares the making of rain with her husband Shango. A mysterious, magickal Orisha - grapes, plums and wine are common offerings to her. As death gods/goddesses are no taboo among African culture, her sons and daughters are many. She is powerful and merciful, and with her son Iku, keeper of the land of the dead's gate, rules over the coming and going of spirits into this world, helping spiritually evolved people to come back and teach after they are gone from this world, in the shape of spiritual guides. She lives in the jungle, where she can dance alone in her purple and pink robe.
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Carolina Gonzalez - The Hoodoo Shop Blog - Shop
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