​At the beginning of every new year, Orisha communities anxiously await the announcement of the Letter of the Year," and they spend a good amount of time discussing how it applies to them.  But, because there are numerous Letters of the Year coming from different religious houses around the world, some people also spend a lot of time arguing about which letter of the year is the "right" one, or the one that carries the most weight.
 
Before the internet age, news about the Letter of the Year was spread by word of mouth, and rarely extended beyond the confines of the geographical location where the ceremony was held. For example, at the Sociedad el Cristo in Palmira, Cuba, the Letter of the Year has been taken out consistently, year after year, for almost a century, and it was circulated among members of the Sociedad, along with their friends and neighbors, usually those living in Palmira or neighboring towns and villages. It was understood that the information drawn from the Letter of the Year applied to those who identified with that particular community. People living in other places, especially outside Cuba, were rarely aware that the Letter of the Year from El Cristo existed. Instead, if they were involved in Orisha worship, they turned to their own houses to find the Letter of the Year that applied to them.
 
Since the 1990s, an increasing number of Letters of the Year have appeared on the internet in Spanish and in English, generating debate about which Letter anyone should follow, and why. Does geographical location determine which Letter applies to you? If you aren't associated with any particular Orisha community, which Letter do you follow? Does history and continuity make one Letter more authentic and accurate than another? And, if there are so many Letters of the Year from different places and they all say different things, how meaningful can any of them really be? Is it possible for one Letter of the Year to apply to all humanity?
 
Certainly, it takes a knowledgeable and experienced group of Babalawos to take out the Letter of the Year for a community. The ceremony requires the participation of numerous people trained in the interpretation of Odu, and oversight by a group of religious elders to ensure everything is done correctly.  Individuals who have religious and community ties to a specific group will naturally be inclined to follow the advice given by members of their own group. Unfortunately, an increasing number of people initiated into the religion today have no such ties, they have no community, and they turn to the internet to "shop around" for a Letter of the Year that makes sense to them.

​Some of the information, such as the Ruling Odu or Sign, the witnesses, the kind of iré or osorbo predicted, and the suggested offerings and remedies for initiated priests and Babalawos, will only make sense to people who understand the religion's ritual language.  For those who aren't initiated and don't understand the language, those parts of the Letter will not have much importance, although if during the year they seek out the advice of a diviner or Orisha priest, the information will be useful in terms of what actions might effectively resolve a problem. 
 
The more important parts of the Letter are the pieces of advice and the proverbs associated with the ruling Odu. These apply to everyone, and can be useful not only in terms of preparing for potential problems but also to avoid hardship and suffering along the way. Much of the advice is based on common sense, but it's particularly relevant to the situations we're going to encounter in the coming year, so it's important to keep it forefront in our minds.  The advice always touches on points of health and nutrition, relationships, financial issues, and ethical behavior. We should always pay attention to our health, of course, but in the coming year, we need to be particularly aware of problems related to parts of the body that the Letter of the Year mentions, because those parts are especially vulnerable. The same is true about the rules of ethical behavior. We should always treat others with kindness and courtesy, but some years we need to be more concerned about specific kinds of issues. A warning that says don't offer things you can't fulfill is good general advice for everyone, but when it comes as part of the Letter of the Year, it warns us that not fulfilling promises is a special concern because it has the potential to cause very serious problems at some point during the year.
 
Other pieces of advice may seem arbitrary and even whimsical, such as "don't whistle" or "don't keep dogs in the house." These are based on patakis, sacred myths, that someone in the religion would probably know and be able to interpret in the proper context, but those outside the religion would dismiss as unimportant. This is where godparents and religious elders can be so important, because they can explain points made in the Letter of the Year that aren't apparent at first glance. For example, the warning about dogs is related to a story about Ogun, where a dog betrayed his presence to an enemy. Dogs are generally loyal and faithful to their masters but they also operate on instinct. Ogun's dog barked and revealed where Ogun was hidden, causing Ogun to suffer at his enemy's hands. Even though it was unintentional, the dog's behavior led to Ogun's downfall. If we have a pet dog who lives in the house with us, we aren't necessarily going to exile the dog to an outdoor kennel for the rest of its life or get rid of the dog. We should, however, be aware that a dog in the house can lead to problems, so we should be vigilant, and we shouldn't expect the dog to behave in ways that are contrary to its instincts and nature. In a more general sense, we have to be concerned about possible unintentional betrayal from someone we trust. The caution against whistling is a reference to Elegua, who whistles to warn us of danger. It's like the story of the little boy who cried wolf; he cried wolf so many times that when a wolf really came along, no one believed him. Elegua is the only one who has the right to whistle, and out of respect for him, we shouldn't whistle in the house. In broader terms, this warning could be taken to mean don't call for help when you don't need it, don't abuse the willingness of others to help you when you're perfectly capable of resolving your own problems. Or, don't encroach on someone else's authority; respect what rightly belongs to someone else.
 
The proverbs that are associated with the ruling Odu also offer good advice, and call attention to issues that are going to predominate in the coming year.  For example, warnings about using time effectively, pacing yourself, knowing when to take charge of a situation or when to delegate to others, and what to expect in your interactions with others helps you navigate the coming year more successfully. The proverbs also offer advice about behavior modification that will make your life go more smoothly. They call attention to specific issues you need to work on, and issues that you're going to face. Being forewarned is being prepared, because it makes you aware of areas where you're most vulnerable.

​Many people also get an individual reading for the year via a reading or consulta with a godparent. This is always a good idea, because it complements the general Letter of the Year for the community. The key to using both effectively is to look for areas where there are similarities, parallel pieces of advice, and emphasis on specific issues in both readings.  If there are apparent contradictions, talk to the diviner or godparent about how to interpret these, and how to reconcile the information. The Letter of the Year, along with a personal reading for the year, are often good points of departure for conversations with your godparent or religious elder, and an opportunity for you to learn more about the religion.
 
Is the future written in stone? Absolutely not. We come to earth with a destiny, and the challenge is to live out our destiny in the best possible way. The Letter of the Year isn't "fortune telling" but rather an analysis of the energy that surrounds us at a given moment in time. Whether as part of a group or as an individual, we're likely to confront obstacles that are caused by these energies, and we need to be prepared to deal with them. How they impact us depends to a large extent on how we confront them and how we deal with them.
 
In the coming weeks, we'll look more at the advice and proverbs for 2017, and talk about how the advice pertains to you.

​When a newspaper or television channel reports on an activity linked to Santería, it very often focuses on animal sacrifice, either as a denunciation of our "cruelty to animals" or to present us as a menace to the public because we leave decomposing animal carcasses in public places. This puts the idea of animal sacrifice in the forefront of everyone's mind when they think about our religion, usually in the most negative way possible.  We need to launch an educational campaign to clarify what our practices really are, and to put the idea of sacrifice in the proper context.
 
In the Lucumí religion, animal sacrifice does exist as a practice. And, we can't deny that it's an aspect of the religion that causes contention because it's so open to misunderstanding.  A growing number of practitioners of the religion disregard protocol or lack proper training in this matter. And, there are other people who, for one reason or another, appropriate our belief system for their own ends and kill animals in ceremonies that have nothing to do with our religion.  An untrained or self-proclaimed "santero" may throw a plastic bag full of decapitated chickens into the river, where other people, out on a walk, find it washed ashore. Or, he may mistreat or mishandle the animals to be sacrificed, drawing the attention of concerned neighbors. This kind of behavior naturally creates a public spectacle, and it results in bad press for us all.  Thankfully, it's not the norm. Animal sacrifice is not done in the way that the media usually shows it, and it's not done as frequently as most people think.

​A priest who has been properly trained in Lucumi practices knows that sacrifices must be done in a particular way and the ebo (offering) dealt with appropriately. We respect the environment and don't pollute or contaminate the natural world. We don't leave animal carcasses in places where they will shock and upset people, or cause health problems for the community. When stories appear in the papers about "santería remains" that have been discarded in an improper way, or animals that have been tortured by so-called santeros, those of us who practice the religion in a responsible way are the first to feel outrage. Such incidents disguise and distort who we are and what we believe.

​There are many, many forms of making a sacrifice, and giving the life of an animal is only one of them, usually reserved for very important and serious occasions, or as the last alternative when all other avenues of resolving a problem have been tried.  One of the simplest, most effective and most common "ebos" or offerings is cool water (omi tutu) and a coconut (obi) placed on the altar before our orishas. These small gifts show gratitude and love, and sometimes are all that's needed. Prayers, songs, and spending quiet time in reflection with the orishas are also effective ebos. So is behavior modification. Many times, the problems we have in life are caused by our own hot heads or rash actions. We can learn to bite our tongue, control our tempers, think before we speak or act. This is another form of sacrifice, because it takes work on our part to improve our relationship to the world around us.
 
Fresh fruit is another common offering to the orishas, along with root vegetables like squash ad sweet potatoes. We can cook food for the orishas (adimus) and share our meals with them. Each orisha has his or her favorite dishes, and the time and love we put into preparing them shows a form of devotion. When we offer them food, it represents a sacrifice of time, energy and expense, and creates a bond between us and the Divine. We can put flowers on the altar or light candles. We can decorate their soperas (receptacles where the orishas live) with beautiful embroidered clothes. We can give the orishas small presents that they like, such as a fan for Oshun, or a small toy for Elegua.  Our life as religious people consists in large part of making ebo, but most of the time, it doesn't involve animal sacrifice.
 
When an orisha worshipper goes for a consulta (divination, or reading with shells), if the reading comes in osorbo (with obstacles or problems), an ebo needs to be identified that will help solve the problem. A responsible diviner begins with the simple and easy solutions, and only mentions the possible sacrifice of an animal if every other option is rejected first. If an animal is called for to save someone's life or resolve some other serious problem, it should be done by a fully initiated priest or priestess who knows how to kill the animal swiftly and with the minimum of suffering. There is a strict protocol to follow.  The kind of animal is determined according to the orisha receiving the offering - we give a "feathered animal" (hens, roosters, guinea hens, doves) or on more rare occasions a four-legged animal, usually a goat.  We don't sacrifice domestic pets like cats and dogs or other animals like horses. And, we certainly don't do human sacrifice. It seems ludicrous in this day and age that the media would make these accusations against us, yet sometimes they do.
 
When an animal is offered, it's blessed by those present at the ceremony. We sing and thank the animal for giving its life. The person who offers the animal is very conscious of the fact that the animal is dying on his behalf, and should express the proper humility and gratitude. The ceremony is carried out in a private space, with great seriousness. Afterward, unless the animal has been used to clean the person of some terrible illness or serious witchcraft, the people who participated in the ceremony prepare and eat it in a communal meal. In the event the animal cannot be eaten, the diviner determines how to dispose of it properly. Wherever it goes, it must not contaminate the earth or the waters, and it should not cause other people fear or expose them to potential health problems.  In the countryside in Cuba, the animal carcass can be thrown on the roof of the house, where vultures will devour it within the hour. In urban areas in the developed world, the carcass usually ends up in the garbage can.  If divination requires that it be left in some other place, like on the railroad tracks or at a crossroad, the diviner must think carefully about how to do that in the least intrusive and offensive way possible. If an isolated area can be found, fine. Otherwise, the ebo might be placed there only for a few moments while prayers are said, and then removed and placed in the garbage once the symbolic act has been performed. Our religion adapts itself to modern life, and we need to make modifications in the way we dispose of ebos to do the minimum amount of harm to the world we live in.

​The Lucumi religion teaches us that nothing in life is free. We must give up something in order to get something. We propitiate and appease the Divine by making sacrifices in different forms. Obviously, most people find the offering of fruit and flowers to be more pleasant than the shedding of an animal's blood. But blood is a powerful life force. Blood contains divine energy. The animal gives its life so we can live. One day we, too, will die and our bodies will feed the earth. Until then, we give offerings in many different forms so that we can have health, prosperity, spiritual evolution, and peace. Everything in the universe involves the exchange of energy. We can shift the energy from bad to good by making ebo. Our oral histories tell many stories about people who made ebo and saved themselves, their families, their towns. Making ebo shows devotion and trust in the power of the Divine. Blood is not the only way to make ebo, but it is sometimes necessary. We can't overlook it as an option, but we shouldn't turn to it as the first choice. We give animal sacrifice all the respect it deserves, and we don't undertake it lightly. 
 
Today, many people are opposed to the killing of any kind of animal, and yet, not all of these people are vegans or vegetarians. They've created a massive disconnect in their minds between the living animal and the package of chicken breasts they buy at the store. They eat meat at home and in restaurants, without thinking about the animals that died to provide them with that food. Our religion teaches us to honor our ancestors and respect traditions. Our ancestors were, by and large, poor people who didn't have meat in their diet every day. But, when it was necessary to sacrifice a hen or a goat to make ebo, they did it. They offered the animal first to the orishas, and then nourished their bodies with food they had made sacred by praying over it.  Today, when we sacrifice an animal, it's with the same desire to connect our bodies, minds and spirits to our actions, to take ownership and responsibility for what we do, to do it with respect and gratitude, to control excesses and not go to extremes, not create public spectacles or hazards, and to above all, follow religious protocol in these matters, so our actions are not taken out of context and judged in a bad light.
 
We have protection under the constitution of the United States to practice our religion in peace, and this includes the right to do animal sacrifice in a religious ceremony when necessary. But, although it is our legal right, we're often challenged by people who think the constitution doesn't stretch to include us. We've experienced discrimination, prejudice and hate crimes for our beliefs. When the media misrepresents us and portrays us all in a negative light, it fuels the fear and suspicion some people have of those who are different from them. Our religion comes from Africa via Latin America. Although today it's practiced by people of all races, ethnicities and backgrounds, it still has an aura of the foreign about it. It's easy for other people to point fingers at us and find fault with what we do, and yet, when we start to deny people their constitutional rights on the basis of religious discrimination, we're opening the doors to other problems. If you deny us our constitutional rights today, who will protect your rights tomorrow when someone wants to take them away?

​I often get messages from people who are new to the religion or just finding their way inside, and they write to say how frustrated they are by the process. In many places, there's no visible Ocha community, and no easy way to find someone honest and knowledgeable who can work with them.  People sometimes go to a botánica and hope the people working there are involved in the religion. That's not always the case. A botánica is just a store that sells religious supplies, and anyone can own one. You can buy beaded necklaces there in the colors of the Orichas, but until they're consecrated properly through a ceremony, they're nothing but beaded necklaces.  Some botánica owners are Lucumi practitioners and others are not. Some are honest and helpful, some are not. It's not a foolproof method.  We don't have churches per se, and we don't have regular services held on a certain day of the week in a particular place. We don't have pastors or ministers who keep regular hours in a church office, who list their names in the phone book. How do you find an olorisha or babalawo when you need one? Very often, it's a hit and miss process. Through friends, online communities, through university classes dealing with Afro-Caribbean cultures, through community centers where African style drumming or dancing takes place, sometimes you can meet someone who will invite you to an Ocha event of some kind. But, in many cases, it's a matter of luck. If you're meant to be in the religion, and if you're patient and persistent, sooner or later you'll find your way inside.

 There are socio-cultural and historical reasons why the Lucumi religion isn't more visible in the modern sense of the word. Most of us live in a world where we expect to be able to find information within minutes. We look on the internet to find an address with a map. We search directories for names and phone numbers. When we have questions, we expect to find an answer. The Lucumi religion doesn't fit into that paradigm very well. Ours is a community-based religion, formed around lineages and ancestors.  In Cuba, even today, the majority of Olorishas and Babalawos grew up in families where the religion was practiced by other family members or neighbors. Almost everyone knew where to go to get a consulta (reading), where there were drumming events, where Olorishas and Babalawos lived. People who needed something could drop in to a neighbor's house, or go on the referral of a friend or family members, and deal with someone who was well known in the community. There was no need to advertise services. At various times in Cuba's past, people who practiced the religion were persecuted, or at least discouraged from practicing openly. This created a certain amount of secrecy, which helped the religion survive in times of oppression.  But, in many cases, it was an open secret, meaning that people in a community knew who practiced the religion, even though they didn't talk about it to strangers.
 
Also contributing to the insider vs. outsider mentality is the fact that the Lucumi religion is one that functions in large part via initiations. Aleyos, or "outsiders," don't have access to the "secrets" of the religion, because there's no reason for them to know. What would they do with the information if they had it? Without the aché that comes from initiation, the information is useless. To know just for the sake of curiosity is pointless. Olorishas are careful to not give too much information to strangers, because the folk wisdom of our proverbs continually warn us not to give away too freely what we know. We can never be sure how other people will use the knowledge they get from us and, if they have bad intentions, we can do harm by sharing what we know with them.  There's a sense that the religion is meant to be shared by those who have "made Ocha," or who have been crowned in the religion.  Aleyos can participate in certain kinds of activities, and can also establish a relationship with a godparent, going for consultas or looking for remedies to specific problems. But to participate in a kariocha ceremony (full initiation), only those who have been through the ceremony themselves can take part. If you haven't experienced it, you aren't allowed to know what happens or how the ceremony is done. These customs create another layer of secrecy around around the religion for those who want to know more, but can't find any doors open to them.

​As the religion moved out of local communities and spread throughout the diaspora, it became harder to identify people who practiced the religion. In areas with a large Cuban-American population like New York and Miami, it's slightly easier to find someone who knows someone in the religion, simply because there are more Olorishas in those places. But for people who live in other areas of the country, Olorishas may work in isolation from each other and not even know that other Olorishas live in their town.  Now that travel is easier and we have more technology at our fingertips, some Lucumi practitioners stay in touch with their religious "home" (ilé) and godparents via internet and phone, and make yearly visits to see them. People belonging to a particular Lucumi community may not always live in the same place.
 
Adding to the confusion, there are various ways of worshipping the Orichas, and practitioners from different traditions don't always agree on how things are done. Whether the person made Ocha in Cuba or Ifa in Africa, whether they identify as traditional African or as a New World variation, there will be differences in their ways of thinking. Brazil, Haiti, Jamaica and other Caribbean-basin countries also have their practices, which sometimes resemble and sometimes differ radically from the way Lucumi practitioners do things. Some people incorporate Spiritism into their practices, others don't. Even among those who identify as Lucumí, there will be disagreements and differences about how things are done in one rama (lineage) versus another. There's common ground, but also a lot of gray areas that confuse people who want to understand what the religion is all about. Most people will ultimately fall back on the line, "This is what I learned from my godparent, so this is how I do things." And, when you ask a question, many will tell you: "Ask your godparent." If you don't have a godparent, you don't know where to begin.

​This is the reality of the situation today, and there's not much we can do to change it. Any attempt to create a directory or catalogue of services is full of problems. Who can check to be sure that the Olorisha or Babalawo is really who he says he is? How do we know he was really initiated? How do we know he's honest? If we don't know the person, how can we vouch for him? Some Olorishas refuse to make recommendations to people they don't know, worried that if things go wrong, they'll be blamed. The element of trust is lacking, and we know that there are charlatans out there. We don't want to hand people over to someone who'll abuse them. At the same time, if we don't know the person who is asking for help, we have no way of knowing if the person is sincere or not. The person may be mentally ill or dangerous, and if we send him to see someone we know, we might cause problems for our religious brethren.
 
The best advice for newcomers is to be patient. Keep your eyes and ears open. Send your intentions out into the universe. Talk to people you meet about your interest in the religion. When you least expect it, you might find someone who can help you. Use care if you're going online to search for a spiritual guide. You might meet helpful and kind people on line, or you might meet a hustler. If you live in a place with a lot of cultural events, attend those that have to do with African and Afro-Caribbean music and art. If you can take a class on African or Afro-Caribbean culture, again, you might meet someone. The point is you never know where you'll find the person who can help you. It might take years, and you have to be patient.  If you're able to go to Cuba, you can speed up the process because it's easy to find people there in the religion. However, unless you know the culture well, speak Spanish, and have connections to people you trust, you can also open yourself up to fraud.  There's no easy path if you don't know where the first step is, but you need to keep looking without letting yourself become frustrated in the process.

​I'm prompted to write about this topic because of news stories that crop up from time to time, exposing "santeria priests" who sexually abuse women coming to them for help.  Sadly, this kind of thing happens in every religion, but because ours in not well known or well understood in mainstream culture, there's a lot of room for misunderstanding and abuse to take place.
 
First, let's be clear:  Anyone who has been initiated in this religion has a moral imperative not to engage in sexual relations with someone who comes looking for spiritual guidance or help.  Those who offer readings, spiritual cleansings, or religious ceremonies to people can't look at those people as potential sex partners. Whether you dress it up in romance and say it's "love," or call it a sexual urge that's too strong to ignore, it's wrong.  The babalawo or olorisha (santero) addressing the person's problem needs to behave in a professional way, which means you do something to keep an objective distance, you focus on the person's problems, and you don't do anything that will make them feel vulnerable and exposed.  People who are in despair and desperate for solutions will often act against their better judgment. If they feel trapped in a situation that's unbearable, they'll accept any solution to get out of it. The priest who claims that performing sexual acts will rid the woman of her problems is not only lying, he's abusing his power over the woman in that situation to put her under duress. She may feel she can't say "no" because he's made her believe that her future good luck and well being depend on doing what he says. Religious leaders in any religion can be unscrupulous and manipulative people, but Santería is enveloped in mystery in the popular imagination, giving Santeros and Babalawos even more power over people by confusing what they do with the supernatural. Will he do witchcraft against you if you don't obey? Will he put a spell on you? Spiritual advisors can make people feel fearful of the unknown and, thus, manipulate them into giving them money or doing sexual favors. This is just plain wrong in any religion, including ours.

Some priests take a more subtle approach and cultivate godchildren with the intent of having a sexual relationship with them. Initially, the relationship may seem to be legitimate, based on spirituality and a true interest in the religion. But, over time, the flirting turns into seduction, and the seduction leads to sex.  Often, the woman who falls in love with her godfather will say that it was meant to be, it's love, they couldn't resist the temptation. However, too often, it's just part of a pattern that's repeated again and again. The godfather goes from woman to woman, using each one and discarding her later, as a way to show sexual prowess or, in many cases, make money from the women, who agree to undergo different religious ceremonies that are expensive and perhaps not even necessary.  
 
It's forbidden in our religion for godparents and godchildren to have sexual relations. Period. Does it happen anyway? Absolutely. But, that doesn't make it right. There are several very good reasons for this taboo to be in place. First, there's a power imbalance between godparent and godchild. The godparent is the one who has authority, knowledge, aché, the ability to make things happen for the godchild. He should be completely focused on the godchild's well being and spiritual evolution. Sex complicates that process because the dynamic between people changes when they are lovers.  Through consultas, the godparent gains tremendous insight into the person's character and situation. He becomes aware of weaknesses and vulnerabilities that he could use, if he so chooses, to manipulate the person into making decisions that could be counter-productive for the godchild's progress.  Or, these insights can create problems in the personal relationship that, in turn, create conflict in the religious relationship. There are odu that speak about lying and cheating, for example. What if this information comes out in an odu during a reading taking place beween a godparent and godchild who also happen to be lovers? Common sense dictates that someone who is romantically and sexually involved with a person not do readings for that person. Objectivity is missing, and the insights that come from the reading can be used to manipulate the relationship in unhealthy ways.

When someone makes Ocha (is fully initiated in the religion), they're literally reborn in the process and the godparent "gives birth" to them as future olorishas. The godparent becomes the ocha family of that person, and his ancestors become part of your religious family. You have ocha brothers and sisters, those who have the same godparent as you.  As in most religions, there's a taboo against incest. Having sex with someone who is your "parent" is wrong.  The Lucumi religion operates much as a clan society does. We form lineages. We have close ties to those who belong to the same lineage. We work together as a group, as a family. This is a relationship for life. We can't have people hooking up in sexual relationships and then breaking up, and then hooking up with someone else in the same group. That leads to disharmony and conflict.  Many ocha houses have been ripped apart by romantic and sexual relationships that didn't work out. People leave the godparent's house and end up with no one to guide them spiritually. They become orphans. Many problems can be avoided if people use a little common sense and avoid complications that will bring trouble into the house. Keep the relationship one of family, parents and children, brothers and sisters. Look for sexual partners elsewhere.

What happens if there is sexual tension between people? We're human, and it will happen from time to time. Ethically, when a diviner feels a strong sexual attraction to the person he's divining for, he should excuse himself, withdraw, and find another diviner to help that person. If he removes himself from the equation early on, and no spiritual connection exists between him and the one seeking the consulta, he's free to act on his feelings as an ordinary person would. Flirt, make a date, go out, but do it as an ordinary man, not as a priest. Don't use your religious connection to impress or control the one you're dating.  As soon as the diviner becomes aware of sexual tension, decide how to handle it. If you want to pursue it, withdraw as the person's spiritual advisor. If you want to continue as their spiritual advisor, get a handle on the situation and put a definite end to any flirtations, make it abundantly clear that nothing will happen, even if the one seeking advice makes sexual overtures toward you. Keep it professional.

That's one reason why I usually advise people to take time to get to know someone well before entering into the godparent relationship. If there's going to be a romance, it should happen before the godparent-godchild relationship develops, when there's still time to find a different godparent. If you're going to fall in love with your spiritual advisor, he can't be your spiritual advisor anymore. You need someone who can be more objective with you.  Once you have entered into the godparent-godchild relationship, it's the moral imperative of both parties to keep the relationship free of sex. Look for sex outside that relationship, and do all you can to control urges to act on sexual feelings toward each other.  People who see psychotherapists often develop powerful "crushes" on the one who is helping them, and the same thing is true in religion.  For the same reason you shouldn't have sex with your therapist, you shouldn't have sex with your spiritual advisor or godparent. 

The Lucumi religion has nothing against sex in general, and doesn't consider it a sin to have sex. People are free to express their sexuality in any way they like, just not with their ocha family members and especially not with the godparent.  A healthy sex life is part of a person's general well-being. But, because sexual and romantic relationships are complex and fraught with potential conflict, they don't belong inside the ocha family.

If you go to someone for a consulta and he asks you to have sex as part of a religious ceremony, know that this is absolutely not ok. It's not a legitimate practice. Walk away. Report him to the authorities as a sexual predator. If you are shopping around for a godparent, steer away from anyone who's flirting with you, trying to seduce you, or who has a reputation for having sex with godchildren.  It's not in your best interest to be around that person. If you have a godfather who is pressuring you in any way to have sex with him, speak to some of the elders in your community and ask for their advice. Don't give in to demands because you feel afraid or intimidated. Look for someone to support you, and confront the godparent to discuss the problem.

​There's a lot of confusion about "the letter of the year" because different versions circulate on the internet these days. For people who aren't in the religion and don't understand the practice, the logical question is: which one applies to me? People also wonder: what importance, if any, does it have for me, and where does this custom come from? What am I supposed to do with the information?

First, it's important to understand that the letter of the year is not like fortune telling or a horoscope prediction for the year. To "take out" the letter of the year is a religious ceremony done by a group of babalawos (Ifa priests) who consult Orula to determine what Odu (letra, letter or sign) will influence the energy that comes to us during the year. It's traditionally done on the evening of December 31. This is generally a community event where babalawos, olorishas ("santeros" or Orisha priests and priestesses), aleyos (people who are not initiated but interested in the religion) and family members come together to await the news. After the primary Odu is determined, the babalawos gather other information such as who the ruling Orishas are for the year, what kind of ebo (offering or sacrifice) needs to be done, and what other Odus are "witnesses" or will have some influence during the year. Based on their knowledge of Odu, its orientation and its meaning, they then interpret the "letra del año" for the general community and offer advice. The proverbs complement that advice and are used in Odu interpretation to explain the general nature of each Odu.
 
The first part of any letra del año will offer information that is primarily used by initiated priests and priestesses to take care of their religious obligations for the year, such as the herbs to be used in spiritual baths or cleansing ceremonies and the offerings to be made to different Orishas. Most of the language used here is in Lucumí ceremonial language (a variation on Yoruba) so it will not make sense to people who aren't familiar with it. For the most part, the general public doesn't need to be concerned about it.

​For most people, the most important aspects of the letra del año are the pieces of advice and the proverbs. These apply to everyone. They tell you what to focus on, what to avoid, what to reflect on, and offer general guidance about how to handle situations that present themselves during the year. These are meant for analysis and reflection. People are encouraged to talk about the information and consider how it can be used in their own lives. If you have a godparent in the religion, you would have conversations with your godparent about the letra del año and you would clarify any doubts you have about it. If you don't have a godparent, you can still reflect on the advice and apply it as you see fit. Most of it is common sense and not hard to understand.
 
So, which letra del año applies to you? If you belong to a religious house and have a godparent, you'll follow the letra del año that your godparent indicates is best for you. Some people are attached to a particular letra del año by geographical location - if you live in Miami, you go by the Miami letra - and some people are attached to a letra by their religious affiliation with a particular lineage - I made Ocha in Palmira, Cuba, so that's the letra I go by, regardless of where I live. There is really no "right" or "wrong" way to apply the letra del año. Some people look at several of them and try to find common threads. Others prefer to stick to one and ignore the others.

​In Cuba, the letra del año is traditionally done by Babalawos, via Ifa divination with Orula. There are communities around the world, however, where olorishas take out the letter of the year for their community. Whether it can only be done by babalawos, or also by olorishas, is a point that's hotly debated. My advice, if you are in doubt, is to follow the instructions of your godparent if you have one, and if you don't, you can safely choose any letra del año that's done by a long-established community of babalawos, such as the one from Palmira or the one from Havana. In Palmira, for example, babalawos have pulled the letter of the year without interruption each December 31, since the year 1927. Although it's not widely published and circulated outside of Cuba (due to the lack of technology on the island), it is a highly respected tradition, stemming back to the days when Tatá Gaitán and Cundo Sevilla, along with other famous babalawos, took out the letter together.
 
How does it apply to you? The letra del año isn't directed at any one individual so it's not a personalized reading. It describes the energy and the situation that an entire group of people may face during the year. You may be part of the group, or you may be an exception to it. Others may experience problems with health, but your health will be fine. Again, the letra del año is not fortune telling. It's not predicting that you, specifically, will get sick. But it says that there will be a likelihood of a specific kind of sickness or health problem in your community or in the world, for example, many bad cases of flu or an outbreak of an infectious disease. You should be aware of the possibility and take precautions - get a flu shot or see your doctor, wash your hands often- and you may not be exposed to anything, so you will be fine. But others around you will be sick. If you are forewarned that there is a tendency toward a certain kind of problem, you can take steps to avoid that problem in many cases.

​Some people get an individual reading for the year (a "consulta"), done by a babalawo or olorisha who is trained as a diviner. These will be much more specific to you, of course, and you can then dovetail what you learn from your individual reading with what the general letra del año says, to get a more explicit idea of what you might experience during the coming year.
 
In divination, all Odu will come with "osorbo" (obstacles, problems) or "iré" (blessings). This year, the letra del año from Palmira comes with osorbo. That's not to say the year will be terrible for everyone. The diviners offer remedies and advice for how to avoid problems, and if you make ebó and follow the advice, you may well be spared. Just because arguments and unrest are predicted for the general community, you don't have to be a part of that. If you maintain a cool head and act in a respectful way toward people, you can help yourself, your family, and your community overcome or avoid that problem. A year that comes with osorbo generally means we'll have to work harder and try harder to accomplish our goals, maintain good health, and find prosperity. It's not impossible, but it's not going to fall out of the sky and land in our lap. Many babalawos will tell you that when an Odu comes in iré (with blessings) people are overconfident that all is well and they let down their guard, they stop trying so hard, and they don't make their best effort. Iré can disappear in the blink of an eye. But when a sign comes in osorbo, people are more conscious of the need to do their part to overcome obstacles, they build stronger character and learn resistance, which can help them in the long run to have a better life.
 
Over the course of the next few weeks, I'm going to talk about some of the proverbs and patakis associated with this sign and how they might apply to our lives in the coming year. Check back!
 

​SOCIEDAD EL CRISTO
LETTER OF THE YEAR 2016
PALMIRA, CIENFUEGOS. CUBA
 
As we leave behind 2015, a year full of problems and conflicts that up until now have had no definitive solution, and in the midst of a worldwide economic crisis that seems to never end, the Sociedad El Cristo, with the participation of its members, family and godchildren of those awos who have passed away, and with the help of Ifá, our Orishas, and the Oluos and Santeros who were present, we received the following forecast (letter of the year 2016).
 
ODUN TOYALE :OFUN SHE
FIRST WITNESS:OTURA YEKU
SECOND WITNESS:OGUNDA ROSO
OSORBO EYO LOWO ARAYE ORULA ONIRE.
ONICHE ORULA SI,ALADIMU .ICHO.ÑAME.
OTAN.
 
GOVERNING ORISHA: Shango. Obi omi tuto,itana melli.
ACCOMPANIED BY Yemaya.7 palanquetas (peanut brittle)
Asia:(flag): rectangular flag, red and blue with white borders
EBBO for SANTEROS and ALEYOS: Osadie insu de leri ,ekueya,aguardo,bobo ashe.
EBBO MISI for SANTEROS and ALEYOS: Purslane.
COBORI ELEDA for SANTEROS and ALEYOS: Acara fun with raw milk
EBBO for OLUOS: Akuko, a length the height of the body, a length the height of the door of the house, opolopo owo
EBBO MISI for OLUOS: poplar
COBORI ELEDA for OLUOS: Eran Malu
EBBO MISI for the ILE: milk and cascarilla
GENERAL REMEDY FOR HEALTH :Sarayeye with etu at the foot of Shangó.
 
ADVICE
1-Be patient and remain calm as you wait for results from the work you've done.
2-Take care of natural resources, especially those having to do with water.
3-Religious people should wear a parrot feather to ward off embarrassing situations and the loss of memory.
4- Any advice we give or actions we take should only be done with the intention to help and not out of passion born from pride and vanity.
5-Take care with our appearance and practice good personal hygiene, especially in the cases of nursing mothers so they will not give stomach ailments to their babies when they are nursing.
6-Avoid acts of social and religious disobedience in children and godchildren to avoid fatal and tragic consequences. Disobedience costs people their lives.
7-Make sure doors and entrances to the house and business place are well secured to avoid theft and loss.
8-Be tolerant and don't act out of pride, don't take simple problems so seriously because unnecessary upset can cause problems in the nervous system, heart and intestines.
9-Use a crucifix as a relic.
10-Avoid vices and people who can lead us toward corruption.
11-Pay homage to San Lázaro frequently.
12-Plan to have repeated conversations with children and godchildren about sexuality and other life issues so you can give them advice and build trust with them.
13-Cut down on machista behavior.
14-Avoid domestic violence.
15-Be careful not to take the blame for things you didn't do.
16-Recognize the virtues in the people we are close to, and soften sharp behavior toward them.
17-Respect older people.
18-Dress correctly according to the places you go and activities you do.
19-Pay attention constantly to our children and godchildren, giving them advice and supporting them all in their decisions.
20-Avoid alcoholic beverages and other toxic substances in public places because they can lead to antisocial conduct.
21-Be careful with leftover food that has been left too long.
22-Be careful with people who are not initiated in the religion but they pass themselves off as religious people and act as false prophets (frauds)
23-Be careful of blackmail and some indecent proposal
24-Have your eyesight checked periodically.
25-Avoid doing excessive works (trabajos) with religious items
26-Only comprehension and listening will create unity between godchildren and godparents.
 
PROVERBS:
*Disobedience can cost you your life.
*He who gives bread to someone else's dog loses the bread and loses the dog.
*Don't expect results from things you never did.
*Living side by side with humble people refreshes the mind.
*The devil knows more because he's old, not because he's the devil.
*The ox that doesn't have a tail, only God can remove the flies from him.
*Tricks are paid back with more tricks.
*The one who goes around with a cat scratching his body all the time is just asking to be scratched.
 
THE SOCIEDAD EL CRISTO WISHES YOU EVERY HAPPINESS IN THE YEAR 2016, HERE'S HOPING THAT PROSPERITY, ENLIGHTENMENT AND HAPPINESS WILL REIGN IN OUR HOMES. THANK YOU.

Most people come for a consulta or reading with the cowrie shells when they're facing a daunting problem.  They confront obstacles, things are going wrong in their life, they feel confused and unable to move forward.  Getting a consulta will usually shed some light on the problem, and if it comes in osorbo (misfortune), part of the divination process consists of determining how to fix it.  Usually, this involves an ebbó (sacrifice) of some kind.

Outsiders to the religion immediately assume this means animal or blood sacrifice, because popular television shows and movies tend to focus on that aspect of the religion whenever a Santero makes his way into the plot.  Newspapers and the internet publish "human interest stories" that link Santeria to abandoned animal carcasses found in a park and a deranged individual trying to do "witchcraft" to his neighbors or boss.  In fact, most forms of ebbó don't involve blood at all, and they certainly don't involve witchcraft.

One of the simplest and most effective ebbós is "omi tutu" (fresh, cool water). Water can be offered to cool down a situation, or to refresh and purify the energy surrounding the individual.  Sometimes fruits and vegetables are offered - a coconut, a squash, some oranges or bananas.  Ebbó can also take the form of a cooked food, something that is ritually associated with a particular Orisha, like merengues for Obatalá and cooked okra for Changó.  These plates of food can be placed before the Orishas (your own, if you have been initiated and have received the Orichas in the kariocha ceremony, your godparent's Orishas, or those of the person who is doing the consulta for you.) Through divination, the appropriate offering is determined, along with the number of days to leave it, and where it should be discarded. Because our religion is very respectful of nature, when an offering needs to be left at the foot of a tall tree or at the ocean shore, we're very conscious of how it will impact the environment, and we make every attempt to give the offering in a way that won't produce contamination or litter.  Generally, the food left in nature will be eaten by animals, birds or fish, and any remainder will break down and feed the soil, adding nutrients to it.  

In a modern, urban world, this can become complicated.  Obviously, food left sitting out can attract rodents or insects. Common sense dictates that things be done in a way that won't cause health hazards to people in the house or the community.  Above all, our religion is practical and can adapt itself to conditions such as crowded city life.  Many offerings of food, especially fruits and candies, can be consumed by humans after they have been given to the Orishas.  The food takes on the aché of the Orishas and brings blessings to those who consume it. Another destination for many ebbós is simply the garbage can.  After the offering is made, it can remain in front of the Orishas for a specified time and then be thrown away.  Divination determines what's needed, and how to deal with it.

Other forms of ebbó involve a ritual cleansing of some kind. This can be a "head rogation," a ceremony that cools down the head and brings peace of mind to the person.  There are also ceremonial baths with specific herbs, flowers, and sometimes perfumes or other ingredients like honey or milk that will restore balance and harmony to the person's life.  Another form of spiritual cleaning involves cleaning the house, either with a specially prepared solution containing herbs and other ingredients, or simply tidying up and sweeping dust out of the corners.  Some people think of these rituals as "magic," but there is also a psychological factor. Cleaning is therapeutic, and having a tidy house can free the mind of clutter.  Ritual bathing and head-cleansing are soothing and give the person time to cool down and reflect on his situation in a peaceful setting.

Some proverbs are more obscure and not well known outside the Lucumi faith. For example, a proverb associated with Ocana (1) says, "Con una atarraya no se puede pescar un hipopótamo (You can't capture a hippopotamus using a fishing net).  Obviously, the hippopotamus is native to Africa, not Cuba, but anyone who has seen a photo or drawing of one knows it's a very large animal weighing well over a ton. In 19th century Cuba, it would have represented an exotic, rare animal, an impossible prey for an average man with limited resources. The listener would understand that the hippopotamus is a metaphor, representing a big and difficult task, or perhaps an unrealistic goal. Although the hippopotamus lives in the river, it's not the same as a fish, and it wouldn't be effective to use a fishing net to catch one. If you don't have the right tools or preparation, you aren't going to succeed. This is a timeless message that extends well into our century, even when most of us no longer fish for our food. In Ocana, people can be very hard headed and refuse to listen to good advice. They're not realistic about their goals, and they don't know when to quit. They need to learn to assess their own abilities better, and to determine if they've got a realistic chance of succeeding before they launch into a new venture. They may need to work in a team or ask for help, which they're usually reluctant to do. The diviner will recite the proverb as a way to start the conversation, and ask the client how it applies to his life.

One of the ways we pass along knowledge of the Lucumi religion is by telling stories or recounting myths that are part of an oral heritage. These stories are called patakís. We don't recognize any particular person as the author or creator of a patakí because we don't know the exact origin of the stories, how or when they came into being. But we do know that they are old stories, having roots in west Africa and brought to Cuba via the slave trade in the 19th century. Unlike the Bible or other written religious texts, there is no single authoritative version of the patakís. Lucumí practitioners learn patakís from their elders. Over time, generations of storytellers have modified and embellished details, creating folk tales that reflect the imagination and creativity of the people who tell the stories.  Because patakis existed primarily in oral form, the act of learning and reciting them depended on the memory and skill of the person speaking. For this reason, people today may know different versions of the same patakí.  Despite small differences in the telling, however, the overall message or "moral" of the story remains the same. A patakí, in its most basic form, isn't a work of literature or fiction. It's a religious text, and it exists to teach us a lesson about our world.

Diviners use patakís, along with proverbs or refranes, to deliver a message to the person who has come for a reading.  For example, if the odu Obara appears when the shells are thrown, the diviner knows that the client has a problem related to speech, the way he uses his tongue. Either he talks too much, or people are talking about him. Or, his words are misunderstood. There is also a problem with lying. People may act one way to his face and speak badly about him behind his back.  While the diviner could deliver the message in just this way, a more traditional approach is to begin by reciting a proverb or telling a story (a patakí). The diviner has to study in order to know which proverbs and patakís belong to each odu, and how to apply them to the client's situation.  To begin the reading with a story draws the client into the conversation and requires him to do some critical thinking, not just  absorb the information passively. He listens to the patakí and then the diviner asks him to reflect on how this story might apply to his situation. If the client can understand the patakí and its importance in his life at that moment in time, the client will understand on a more profound level the nature of his problem.

Here is an example of how a patakí from Obara might sound when delivered by a diviner:

When Obatalá put Changó in charge off governing people, Changó was very young. No one respected him or took him seriously, so of course they never obeyed him. Every day somebody from the village went to Obatalá to complain about Changó as a way to make Changó look bad. Obatalá called Changó and spoke very bluntly to him, because Obatalá has never been one to beat around the bush. There were so many bits of gossip and malicious stories about Changó that one day Changó went to Obatalá and asked him: "Papá, why do people tell so many stories about me? Every day they say something different, and none of it is true!"  But Obatalá knew that Changó was very hardworking and smart, and that he took his responsibilities seriously. He told him: "My son, I want you to prepare a dinner for me and all of my children. I want you to make the most delicious food you can imagine." So, Changó prepared a feast for Obatalá and all his children, just as Obatalá had requested.  He served them beef tongue as the main dish. Obatalá asked him: "Changó, is tongue the best food in the world?" Changó answered: "Yes, papá, it is full of ashé, the best in the world." After some time went by, Obatalá asked Changó to prepare another feast for him and all his children.  But this time, he instructed him to serve the worst food in the world. Changó once again prepared beef tongue, and Obatalá asked him: "Changó, son, if the last time you prepared the same thing and you said it was the best food in the world, why are you now serving tongue and telling me is the worst thing in the world?"  Changó replied: "Naturally, papá, a good tongue can save a village and a bad tongue can destroy it." Obatalá said to him: "You're right, Changó. That's where you were born, in Obara Melli, and that's why you find everyone is always talking about you all the time. It doesn't matter what they say, good or bad, because whatever they say about you will make you great. Only on the day they stop talking about you will you cease to be Changó."
 

Once the information has been delivered in the form of a patakí, the diviner will probably ask the client to reflect on how it relates to his own life. Depending on the circumstances of the client, he may identify with Changó, Obatalá, or even with the villagers who are gossiping about Changó. The mention of the tongue is obviously meant as a metaphor, as a warning about the way human beings like to gossip. They can use their words to build someone up, or to tear someone down. How we react to the gossip is also important. If we're worried about what others say, we can become paralyzed and unsure of ourselves. But if we understand that sometimes people talk about us because they're envious of us, or they realize we're born leaders and resent that they aren't the same, then we can let their words roll off of us and not hurt us. What political leader hasn't had critics? Changó can be a hothead and react with anger to any imagined slight, but Obatalá, who is older and wiser, always advises a more intelligent approach. When he tells Changó to prepare a meal, he encourages critical thought in Changó. He wants the younger man to reflect on the dual nature of words and communication. It's important that Changó have a chance to figure out the problem for himself, in a calm and measured way.  If he's going to be a leader, he has to rise above his enemies. He can't slander them and start a war with them. In the long run, Changó's greatness depends on his ability to distance himself from the talk about him, and use his position in the public eye to achieve greatness. As long as people are talking about him, it means he's doing his job, showing his leadership skills. A leader can't hope to please everyone.

The patakí also helps people understand the nature of the orishas and their relationship to each other. Through the telling of patakís, Lucumí practitioners learn the life stories of the orishas, when they walked the earth in human form and experienced many of the same situations that humans face today. 

There are multiple patakís associated with each odu, and it's the job of the diviner to know which one is most applicable in the case of the person who's come for a reading. A godparent might also tell patakís to godchildren as a way to advise them about their behavior and conduct, or simply as a way to pass on knowledge about the religion.

Today, with the breakdown of traditional communities, there are many Lucumí practitioners who don't know patakís. To address this problem, some writers have started to collect and publish patakís on the internet and in book form. Remember, if you find these in your research, they are just one version of how the patakís might be told. In order to understand them on a deeper level and know how to apply them to situations in life, it's still very important to talk with your elders about them, and ask them to share their thoughts with you. The oral tradition creates bonds between people, and storytelling is an important part of Lucumí culture, even in the 21st century.