The Orishas

If you have been privileged to attend a Santeria anniversary party or to visit a busy ilé during a batá, you know that food is the...

To consider and appreciate the role and place of Spiritism in Lukumí or Orisha practices, we must first take a step back and understand...

The subject of racial inequity, bias, and discrimination makes many people feel discomfort. Racial perceptions and inequities are linked...

It is nearly the end of June, and our family has been in strict isolation for the last 15-weeks as COVID-19 continues to create havoc in...

It is no secret that I absolutely love Ogun. How could I not? He has been a constant presence in my life for decades. This strong orisha...

The realm of Osaín or Osayin encompasses all flora, fauna and the land. Osaín is at the very heart of the Orisha practices. Those of us...

“All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players: they have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time...

I wrote this article nearly eight years ago. It was meant to be an introduction to a series of posts dedicated to explore the background...

This is a complex subject that in all fairness requires more than a simple article to properly lay it out with all its pros and cons....

Updated copy as of 1.14.2019 at 9:29 p.m. EST. Nearly 6 years after I published this story in 2013, I find even more blatant disrespect...

Something on my mind of late that I’d like to take a minute to write about is this- it is important to stay “clean” and be a good person...

In our ilé we celebrate two anniversaries in the month of December. Mine is on December 12th and my husband’s is on the 13th. As you can...

Love and desperation are not really a good combination. When someone gets a whiff of desperation the immediate reaction is to bolt out...

The process is seating the orisha inside of the ultimate stone, one’s head, is called kariosha. Also known as yoko orisha, asiento (to be...

When I started to develop a relationship with my Eleguá at first I was very much buttoned up, then as time went by, I started to feel as...

If you have made the commitment to receive the Warriors from a Lukumí house proper training is important. I realize that from house to...

Recently I had a lovely visitor on the blog make a comment about an article I wrote. She had to nerve to tell me that it was a huge...

My first memory of Yemayá is forever linked to the sticky sweet flavor of Coconut Candy. I can’t remember exactly how young I was, but it...

This will be a short and targeted rant. This week I have seen a few prime examples of people who act based on emotions; both in Santería...

This week I had a dream that left me thinking about ethics. Here is what happened in my dream. I was finished setting up my altar for my...