From the most important ceremony of the Yoruba religion you can become a santero, consecrating yourself as your guardian orisha or guardian angel.
There are many reasons why people decide to become santeros. It may be by vocation of priesthood, for a matter of health, to achieve stability in life, avoid danger, etc. This is determined by the Orishas, by means of the religions.
How can I become a santero?
La Santer a has a creator god and a large number of saints known as orishas . Santer a means the worship of the saints.
The orishas govern everything and there is an orisha for every eventuality of life, for these saints govern all aspects of nature and human life .
The adoration of the saints or orishas takes place in a house of saints, where they dance and perform rituals of worship, such as trances and divination.
All orishas represent some of the human archetypes . For example, Sahng is the masculine, partying and bellicose god. Obatal represents wisdom and patience, Osh n is the goddess of eroticism and sexuality and Eleggu is a joker, restless and mischievous.
Ceremony to become a santero (Kari ocha)
Kari ocha is the ceremony where the orisha is crowned with a saint so that a person becomes a santero. This ceremony is for a lifetime and takes place for a week, but the process to be a santero takes 1 year and 7 days.
Before carrying it out, the guardian Orisha or guardian angel must have been determined.
To become a saint, the person must be crowned at his godfather's house, where he will receive a kind of “baptism, ” a ceremony that only santeros can perform and that is forbidden to babalawos.
In the kari ocha, his sacred necklaces, banners of the orishas (Ilekes) are given to him and that is when the person is placed under the protection and blessings of the saints. This is an important ceremony consisting of several rites, so it lasts for several hours. It is when the initiate who will be a santero must be prepared to “make a day”. Then you can receive The Hand of Orula .
The Hand of Orula is the initiation into the world of Santería or Ifá . This is a 3-day ceremony that puts the person under the protection of Orula (Orunmila). During this time, the Odu and the Ifá Table are used to obtain a sign (Odu) that will accompany the santero throughout his life.
This Odu, one among the 256 possible, is a revelation of the path of the initiate in religion . Thus, it is obtained a saint's saint and a name of saint, the name that identifies the santero forever, within religion.
When a person is ready, he goes through complete initiation (kariocha) and can become Father of Secrets (Babalawo) and serve as High Priest.
After this period, the Osha person is reborn, gets a new life in which he works to help others and advances in his own life.
When you become a santero, it is said that you already have “holy deed” and this means that from that moment you can start practicing santeria and start other people, as long as your orisha does not forbid it.
Becoming a santero is not a decision that should be taken lightly, because from that moment you will have your orisha guard with you 24 hours a day. It is a lifestyle and a responsibility that you must take assuming a great commitment for a lifetime.
Seen on Tarot Lago Azul, by Pedro, editor of the White Brotherhood
Where to make me holy
