Our Mission
Our mission is to provide accessible, accurate information about Santería as a religion, in hopes of breaking down misconceptions and negative stereotypes. We believe in religious tolerance and respect for difference. We aim to inform and educate, not impose our system of beliefs on others. Education is a powerful tool, and you can use it to develop your own informed opinions based on factual knowledge by reading our online articles about Santería. We hope to answer questions you may have about the religion, and to make what many consider an esoteric or mysterious religion more comprehensible to all. At the same time, we hope to satisfy the spiritual needs of those who are approaching Santería in search of a connection to their higher self and the Divine.
Santería is a term that has negative meaning in the minds of many people outside the religion. For that reason, most practitioners prefer to call it Regla de Ocha, The Way of the Orichás, or the Lucumí Religion, a reference to its Afro-Cuban roots. We made a conscious choice to use the word Santería here on our website in hopes of breaking down any negative connotations attached to it. Words do more than convey meaning; they also reveal attitudes and prejudices. We hope to rescue the word Santería from misuse and reclaim it as a way to talk rationally about a religion practiced by millions of people in the world today.
DISCLAIMER:
There's no substitute for the teaching on the elders, so the information presented here, while accurate and well-informed, isn't meant to replace what your elders can teach you. If you're an Aleyo (outsider to the religion), this website can give you an overview of the teachings of Santería and answer questions you might have about the religion. The information is presented from the perspective of a scholar and an initiated priestess in the religion, so it combines both objective and subjective knowledge and can be considered reliable. If you've already found a godfather or godmother and have received some degree of initiation, always respect what they tell you over anything you read or hear elsewhere, including this website. Hopefully, even other Santeros/as can find a deeper understanding of the religion by reading the information found here. But, when in doubt, always ask your godparent for clarification. Because Santería is a religion that's passed down through oral tradition, there are natural variations from ilé (temple house) to ilé. The information here comes from the Palmira, Cuba lineage of Ocha/Ifa founded by the Sevilla family in the late 19th century. No disrespect is meant to other ilés or other lineages, whose teachings may vary slightly.
Santería is a term that has negative meaning in the minds of many people outside the religion. For that reason, most practitioners prefer to call it Regla de Ocha, The Way of the Orichás, or the Lucumí Religion, a reference to its Afro-Cuban roots. We made a conscious choice to use the word Santería here on our website in hopes of breaking down any negative connotations attached to it. Words do more than convey meaning; they also reveal attitudes and prejudices. We hope to rescue the word Santería from misuse and reclaim it as a way to talk rationally about a religion practiced by millions of people in the world today.
DISCLAIMER:
There's no substitute for the teaching on the elders, so the information presented here, while accurate and well-informed, isn't meant to replace what your elders can teach you. If you're an Aleyo (outsider to the religion), this website can give you an overview of the teachings of Santería and answer questions you might have about the religion. The information is presented from the perspective of a scholar and an initiated priestess in the religion, so it combines both objective and subjective knowledge and can be considered reliable. If you've already found a godfather or godmother and have received some degree of initiation, always respect what they tell you over anything you read or hear elsewhere, including this website. Hopefully, even other Santeros/as can find a deeper understanding of the religion by reading the information found here. But, when in doubt, always ask your godparent for clarification. Because Santería is a religion that's passed down through oral tradition, there are natural variations from ilé (temple house) to ilé. The information here comes from the Palmira, Cuba lineage of Ocha/Ifa founded by the Sevilla family in the late 19th century. No disrespect is meant to other ilés or other lineages, whose teachings may vary slightly.
