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| Cheryl Dunn |
EMELIA IS a Santera, a Santería priestess, who practices
her faith in the northern coastal town of Cardenas. For years,
she was a full-time functionary of the Communist party. But
she felt a powerful spiritual calling more than 15 years ago,
when she was confronted with an illness that left her hospitalized
for several months and unable to move her arm or leg. She had
long been devoted to Santeria and her struggles inspired her
to make the substantial commitment to become a Santera.
She
now spends her days dedicated to the rituals of healing carried
down through the generations. She travels, sometimes for days
at a time, to help followers — her godchildren —
face everything from marriage problems to work troubles to
illness.
FROM
THE INTERVIEW: "When I was 25 years old, I came to Santería
and was crowned with the saint. At the beginning, I didn't
understand religion. But gradually you understand it more,
and as you get to know it and understand it, you love it more
and more. This is the same as when someone brings a child
into this world. You already love what you have in your womb,
but afterwards, when you know what maternity is like, you
love him or her even more."
"We
can't do harm, because if we do harm, as the saying goes,
your own harm comes walking behind."
"Santería
takes up a lot of time, you can't do things that require so
much work, because you are a Santera in the morning, at noon,
in the evening, at night."
About
Santería
The
Afro-Cuban faith of Santería is a mix of the West African
religion of Yorba and Catholicism. Slaves from Africa adopted
this form of saint worship so they could continue practicing
their faith under a guise that placated their Catholic slave
masters.
Followers
worship ancestors, nature (represented by the spirits called
Orisa) and divination — the understanding of life patterns
with the help of priests and priestesses, who act as go-betweens
with the spirits. Deep involvement requires a rigorous regimen
of prayer, rituals, offerings and sacrifice (anything from
fruit to jewelry to animals). New initiates wear white for
up to a year.
Followers
believe in one God; Olodumare Santería is at once mystical
and practical. Santeras divine followers' life paths and help
them to change their courses for the better, to realize their
material and spiritual potential. Santería holds the
only aspects of your life that you cannot change are the day
you're born and the day you will die. There are few absolutes,
other than to do no harm to other humans or to the larger
universe.
Among
the traditions is the coconut ritual, which is used to help
devotees confront troubling questions. The Santera throws
the meat of a coconut (obi) and, from the pattern they create
when they fall, assesses the positive and negative forces
at work.
