MIAMI -- Sometimes, says Cuban-born Ernesto Pichardo, it seems like he's been campaigning nonstop for 30 years. Twenty-one years ago Pichardo, a Santeria priest, took a fight for the right to practice his religion all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court -- and won.
Now he wages a different campaign. The priest is leading an effort to make his religion's sacred text, the Book of Diagnosis in Ifa Divination, widely available for scholars. Written in Spanish and Yoruba, the book combines Yoruba and Afro-Cuban history with culture, philosophy, metaphysics, religion, and spiritual knowledge, according to a press release last month. Initially published in Cuba in the 1940s, the book has been in the hands of priests and priestesses but out of the public eye for 50 years.
"The consensus among the priests: That's what this book is, from the oral," says Pichardo, thumbing through a copy of the text on his dining room table. The pages are thin and brittle. Acid from the paper eats away at the edges. A thick black type, the kind used on an old manual typewriter, marches across the pages.
Pichardo's serious demeanor drops away as he finds a list of items needed in one spell, all typewritten in Yuroba. "Now look, look at the fees."
$12.60? A visitor squints at the squished type.
"No, that's 12.60 Cuban pesos," he says, laughing at finding this window into the past. "This says two roosters, two pigeons, two hens, an herb, two machetes, two small drums. ... a bush rat, and two bottles of palm oil, and roasted corn."
Modern-day roosters in Miami cost $10 or $12 each.
Santeria is based on an African knowledge system that includes divination. Although religious texts have existed, the religion of the Yoruba has been primarily an oral tradition, whose students are taught by watching and assisting more senior priests in religious rituals.
Pichardo acknowledges taking these texts public could be controversial, even within his own faith. Santeria is mostly practiced privately in homes, and some within the faith prefer it that way. But Pichardo believes having such a canon could help bring new light to the texts as well as build wider respect for and acceptance of the Afro-Cuban Santeria as a religion in America.
A statement released last month at Florida International University lauded the effort.
"That practitioners of the religion are now willing to share their original sacred texts with the public shows a significant shift in position. It is a realization of the global dimension of the religion, and the strength of its intellectual traditions and knowledge system. This pending announcement will refute the stereotype of Yoruba-Lukumi religion as a religion without texts or books. The two Ifa texts are immensely valuable to the practice of the religion and are also rich goldmines for the scientific study of an enduring African civilization and knowledge system."
An estimated 20,000 people in South Florida practice Santeria, a form of Afro-Caribbean nature worship originally brought to the Caribbean and North America by slaves. The religion teaches that there is one god, Odolumare, assisted by minor deities or orishas that function somewhat like saints in the Catholic tradition.
In the Cuban-Santeria faith, God created heaven, earth, the planetary system and all life. The gender of God is unknown. Both genders are represented equally in everything, says Pichardo. One is not superior to the other. The orishas are empowered to assist in the creation and evolution of all existence. Destructive forces and constructive forces in the world keep each other in check.
When men and women become priests in the tradition, they do so by learning that everything has an order, that it comes from a beginning. Searching for that beginning and following the process to its logical conclusion is part of the thought process of Santeros, Pichardo said.
Translating and publishing the text will enable scientists, scholars and the public to understand how Santeria began and what its tenets are, instead of relying on secondary sources or rumor.
Santeria is about finding practical solutions to everyday problems through rituals like divination, those who study and practice the religion say. The original source of those solutions passed on through generations could soon be more readily available when the myths and practical instructions for rituals are finally published in English.
But the sacred texts carry more than the possibility of better divination. Scholars hope they could also help decode an ancient African way of thinking that still has relevance today for many Americans and Afro-Caribbeans.
If either of these come to fruition, Pichardo's latest efforts may be far more reaching overall for followers of Santeria than his court case.
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Comments (16)
THe above article has been proven many times to have no true connection to santeria. The Matamoros murder of Mark Kilroy, University of Texas student, in 1989 was not related to Santeria or Palo at all, the leader had made up a bunch of stuff based on the film "The Believers".
February 19, 2008 3:32 PM | Report Offensive Comments
Posted on February 19, 2008 15:32
Christy McKerny
Two Roosters, Two Hens, Palm Oil… is that all?
What follows is not a demonization or stereotyping of Santeria, it is simply the truth.
Santeria has another face, I have seen it, it’s not cool, its crazy cruel.
In 1989 Mark Kilroy a college student was abducted while visiting Matamoros Mexico.
The kidnappers were santeros. . This group of santeros made their living smuggling drugs and humans across the Rio Grande River into Texas. The leader [Constanzo] his santera Sara Aldrete, La Madrina, along with the others performed ritual human sacrifices at Rancho Santa Elena which is what befell the young spring breaker. Constanzo had a penchant for wearing jewelry crafted from human bones. Aldrete was a popular college student at Brownsville Tx.
Kilroy was only one of many human beings used as a sacrifice in their religious rites. At this one location police found remains of 13 other victims, including another U.S. citizen and a 9-year-old child. Also discovered was a santeros Nganga [a large pot] that contained the victims body parts.
After her capture Aldrete told reporters they only practiced Christian Santeria, and that the human sacrifices made them invisible when smuggling their contraband. Aldrete when questioned further on Santeria responded , “I don’t think the religion will end with us, because it has a lot of people like us in it.”
No doubt santeria and similar religions attract honest people but they appeal to criminals because of the power they promise. When you enlist the services of a priest who owns or controls an nganga, you can pay him or her to send the slave souls out as spiritual bodyguards to protect you. On the other hand, you can ask the priest to send the souls out as goons or killers to harm your enemies.
Some current criminal border elements are practicing this. Talk to any one who lives along the border or is working border narcotics and they'll tell you the same thing.
One group, [Grupo Zeta] is particularly vicious in their smuggling operations, they carry enormous firepower. After clashes with the Mexican Army evidence of these ritualistic religions has been found.
February 18, 2008 9:04 PM | Report Offensive Comments
Posted on February 18, 2008 21:04
Scott, you are correct....
Mystery religions are a mystery, not because you can not share the info, but because it is through personal experience and knowledge. You can not internalize religion just by reading a book....it is more then facts.
The facts can aid others to know what your values are, not what the totality of the faith is.
terra
Vox ID # 106218
February 17, 2008 8:08 PM | Report Offensive Comments
Posted on February 17, 2008 20:08
The dissemination of knowledge does not dis-empower the practice, the tradition or the mysteries. The mysteries, as any true spiritual person can tell you, are within... where our mythos is created and where ritual and spell are empowered.
Vox ID: 220444
February 17, 2008 12:22 PM | Report Offensive Comments
Posted on February 17, 2008 12:22
As a Wiccan I understand the need to show that our paths are not evil, though with all the books on the shelves about Wicca, they still can not tell all that it is.Some things can not be learned out of books..and I imagine Ifa and Santeria are the same.
It's good that something about these other religions are written about in On Faith.
terra
February 17, 2008 2:27 AM | Report Offensive Comments
Posted on February 17, 2008 02:27
I have to agree with the last two in it should only be for your clergy, just as a Wiccan Book of Shadows should only be for the Wiccan. But to publish such a book and omit the parts that need to be keep hidden would greatly help in terms of PR. It always takes great courage to come forth from the shadows, may God bless you on this indevour.
February 16, 2008 9:52 AM | Report Offensive Comments
Posted on February 16, 2008 09:52
Dear Sir/Madam
I want to relay,as a Lukumi (Santeria) Priest, I am very proud about Abure Pichardo's accomplishment in the legal victory against the city of Hialiah. This feat has given us the constitutional right of religious freedom afforded to all U.S. citizens,denied those of the Lukumi faith for so long.
My only concern is that this publication is something meant to be viewed and put into practise by legitimate initaited clergy only!
The situation here is, we are referring to a book of sacred knowledge passed from Godparent to godchild. This isn't a book in the same genre as those that can be purchased in your local corner Botanica or ordered from Barnes and Noble!
This is my opinion. I base it off of having been a priest of Shango for 42 years.
Oba Alaishe Ile Osha Ifa bi Olorun
Thanks for your time and attention,
Onelio Sotolongo Omoni Shango Leti
Ile Osha Ifa bi Olorun
February 16, 2008 2:49 AM | Report Offensive Comments
Posted on February 16, 2008 02:49
Dear Sir/Madam
I want to relay,as a Lukumi (Santeria) Priest, I am very proud about Abure Pichardo's accomplishment in the legal victory against the city of Hialiah. This feat has given us the constitutional right of religious freedom afforded to all U.S. citizens,denied those of the Lukumi faith for so long.
My only concern is that this publication is something meant to be viewed and put into practise by legitimate initaited clergy only!
The situation here is, we are referring to a book of sacred knowledge passed from Godparent to godchild. This isn't a book in the same genre as those that can be purchased in your local corner Botanica or ordered from Barnes and Noble!
This is my opinion. I base it off of having been a priest of Shango for 42 years.
Oba Alaishe Ile Osha Ifa bi Olorun
Thanks for your time and attention,
Onelio Sotolongo Omoni Shango Leti
Ile Osha Ifa bi Olorun
February 16, 2008 2:49 AM | Report Offensive Comments
Posted on February 16, 2008 02:49
I hope he succeeds because I would really like to read this to learn more about Santeria.
February 15, 2008 4:11 PM | Report Offensive Comments
Posted on February 15, 2008 16:11
Highly controversial. As usual, Professor Pichardo embarks on a beneficial crusade so that followers as well as academia have access to such rare and sought after sacred text. The community in general will also benefit by demystifying this ancient religion that through stereotyping has caused some to be afraid of the unknown. Congratulations to the author, Christy McKerney, for such an informative article of interest to so many thousands of us that would not have otherwise learned of this event.
February 15, 2008 3:35 PM | Report Offensive Comments
Posted on February 15, 2008 15:35
I hope the Santeros will not make the same mistake as their Jewish, Muslim, and Christian brethren and replace the worship of the mysterious divine with idolatry of their paper texts.
February 15, 2008 1:40 PM | Report Offensive Comments
Posted on February 15, 2008 13:40
How refreshing to read so articulate an article on a religion that is customarily demonized or stereotyped as black magic. The nature base of this practice is sorely needed today as never before. Ernesto Pichardo is a scholarly leader, and we are fortunate to have him among the leaders of faith in today's unsteady world.
February 15, 2008 1:39 PM | Report Offensive Comments
Posted on February 15, 2008 13:39
How refreshing to read so articulate an article on a religion that is customarily demonized or stereotyped as black magic. The nature base of this practice is sorely needed today as never before. Ernesto Pichardo is a scholarly leader, and we are fortunate to have him among the leaders of faith in today's unsteady world.
February 15, 2008 1:39 PM | Report Offensive Comments
Posted on February 15, 2008 13:39
I hope the Santeros will not make the same mistake as their Jewish, Muslim, and Christian brethren and replace the worship of the mysterious divine with idolatry of their paper texts.
February 15, 2008 1:39 PM | Report Offensive Comments
Posted on February 15, 2008 13:39
How refreshing to read so articulate an article on a religion that is customarily demonized or stereotyped as black magic. The nature base of this practice is sorely needed today as never before. Ernesto Pichardo is a scholarly leader, and we are fortunate to have him among the leaders of faith in today's unsteady world.
February 15, 2008 1:39 PM | Report Offensive Comments
Posted on February 15, 2008 13:39
May success attend this venture!
The publication will be the preservation of the history. The history will make possible a community of knowledge and innovation will come about. Thus a living body will be restored.
LL
February 15, 2008 12:30 PM | Report Offensive Comments
Posted on February 15, 2008 12:30