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Thursday, June 20, 2019

Contemplation on the odu Obara Iwori

Deep within us
Lies a shared river of memories
Flowing across generations
Feeding our thoughts
Fueling our emotions
Nourishing our soul
A torrential outpouring of experiences
Sprung from a single source
Growing as it moves through time
We inhabit the tributaries
Sometimes flowing freely
Other times stagnant
We must learn to swim
Read the ebbs and flows
That make up our home
Or be left to drown
We are the river
It runs forever in our veins

Wednesday, June 12, 2019

Contemplation on the Odu Oshe Ogbe

I saw it
That light in your eyes
I saw it flash so brightly
The whole room was
Blinded
It’s quite magnificent
Like a midsummer rain
Washing over everyone
Drenched in you
I could not help myself
I had to paint a picture
Of your night sky
A voyager enchanted with
Stars so clear I could
Reach out and touch them
I hope to see them again
But even if I don’t
I still have this painting
Of you

Wednesday, June 5, 2019

How to greet a priest in the Lucumi / Santeria tradition


I posted this in response to question on facebook, but realized it should really be stand alone. In the lucumi/santeria community, aleyos always greet Santeros/as with the greeting "Benedicion" (blessings in spanish) and if an informal setting, they cross their arms and touch each shoulder to the priest's opposite shoulder. In a formal setting, you would dobale (or prostrate yourself on the ground). If you have a male Orisa as your guardian Orisa, you lie face down in front of them, if a female, you first lie on your right side, then on your left (arm supporting head) as they touch your shoulders and say their blessing. If you don't know who "owns" your head, it's assumed to be Obatala and you do the male prostration. 

Younger priests usually greet elder priests with that same "Bendicion".  Aleyos and santeros/as greet babalawos by saying "Iboru Iboya Iboshishe" or the Yoruba language version "aboru aboye aboshishe" and touch the floor with their left fingers. Iboru Iboye Iboshishe and Aboru Aboye Aboshishe are the same (different pronounciations), and the mean "May ebo (offerings) reach heaven, may ebo be accepted, may what ebo was made for come to pass"

The response made by santeros/as or babalawos who are greeted is "A wa wato" or in Yoruba "Ogbo ato".  Awa wato and Ogbo ato are really the same thing and mean essentially "may you have long life". Babalawos who are from a Nigerian (not afro-cuban) lineage may go a bit longer and say "Ogbo ato isuri iwori wofun", which means many you have long life with the blessing of the odu Iwori Wofun" That particular Odu is Iwori Ofun and is famous for turning war into peace.

I hope that is helpful for the beginners in this tradition.