Specific colored beads are associated with specific deities as well as traditional ceremonies and rituals. Green and yellow beads are associated with Orula, who is believed to be the chief advisor who was present at the time of creation. Adult men and women can participate in a three-day ceremony devoted to Orula.
The Orula Santeria Babalawo bracelet brings a bit of Luck and Good Karma into your jewelry collection. It’s a personal amulet that offers the wearer protection, communion, and control over the spiritual realm.
“Mano de Orula is a three-day ceremony that I went through. That is what the bracelet means. It is a process in which you find out your own individual destiny. You find out what your individual life is about, what it means, and then how you should live to fulfill that specific destiny.
Black mala beads
Black is the color that’s commonly associated with protection, as well as success. Black crystals are often said to protect against negative energy, and can help in working with the shadow self.
Ogún is the god of iron, war and labor. He is the owner of all technology and because this technology shares in his nature, it is almost always used first for war. As Elegba opens the roads, it is Ogún that clears the roads with his machete. He is recognised in the numbers 7 and the colors green and black.
Functions in society. The Babalawos are believed to ascertain the future of their clients through communication with Ifá. This is done through the interpretation of either the patterns of the divining chain known as Opele, or the sacred palm nuts called Ikin, on the traditionally wooden divination tray called Opon Ifá.
The annual celebration of one’s initiation into the religion is known as the cumpleaños de santo (“birthday in the saint”). As an initiate becomes more deeply involved in the religion, they learn about each of the different deities and make offerings to each of them in exchange for spiritual blessings and aché.
On February 2nd, I went through a ceremony called ocha/regla de ocha/kariocha/crowning. Here’s what it means: Ocha(Kariocha, making Santo): The initiation of a new priest or priestess where his/her tutelary Orisha is put on his/her head (crown) during a seven-day ceremony.
Santeria and Espiritismo are the two foremost non-Christian spiritual traditions that individuals from Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Cuba and their descendants practice in the United States.
“Orula,” a word that is a contraction of “Orunmila,” is also a name given to this god. Sometimes he is known by the name Ifa. However, in oral traditions, Orula is a heavenly god who was sent to this planet by Olodumare to carry out missions of great importance.
Obatala or “Orisa Nla” (known as Obatalá in Yorubaland and in Caribbean and South American Spanish and Oxalá in Brazil) is an orisha. He is believed, according to Yoruba cosmology, to be the Sky Father and the creator of human bodies, which were brought to life by the smooth breath of Olodumare.
In the Yoruba cosmology of southwestern Nigeria and Benin, Oshun is the goddess, or orisha, of love, sensuality, and femininity. She is a river goddess, and one of her attributes is to bring forth sweet and fertile waters.
Yellow Beads. Yellow symbolises the gift of prophecy, referred to as isithunywa in Zulu. Healers will use a combination of prophecy, prayer and water during their rituals.
A black bead signifies Protection, strength, good fortune, vigor and health. Yellow beads: It is associated with stability and energy flow.
Green stones can help promote feelings of balance, energy, fertility, happiness, self-respect and stability.
When she came down to earth, she wore a gold dress and jewellery. This is the reason why her worshippers also wear gold and yellow attires in festivals honouring her. When the gods came down, they completely disregarded Oshun while they engaged in the work of creating the earth.
Oshun is commonly called the river orisha, or goddess, in the Yoruba religion and is typically associated with water, purity, fertility, love, and sensuality. She is considered one of the most powerful of all orishas, and, like other gods, she possesses human attributes such as vanity, jealousy, and spite.
Ceremonies and Ritual Colors
Osun is the orisha of the river. Her devotees leave her offerings and perform ceremonies at bodies of fresh water such as rivers, streams and canals. She is associated with the colors white, yellow, gold, and sometimes coral.
Yemaya is the orisha of lakes and seas and the patron of women and of motherhood. She is associated with Our Lady of Regla, the protector of sailors. Fans, seashells, canoes, coral, and the moon all represent her. Her colors are white and blue.
Another common initiation is the intitiation into the Seven African Powers (Elegua, Obatala, Oggun, Chango, Yemaya, Oshun, and Orunmilla).
Traditionally Ogun’s colours are green, red, and black. And black being one of the colours of Ogun, Maleficent wears it well.
Santería is based upon the development of personal relationships through divination, sacrifice, initiation, and mediumship (see medium) between practitioners of the religion and the orisha deities, who provide their devotees with protection, wisdom, and success and who guide devotees in times of crisis.
The word “Santeria” means cult of the saints.
Yoruba God | Catholic Saint | What they do |
---|---|---|
Oggun | Saint Peter, Saint Juan | Owner of metal, and War |
Ochosi | Saint Norberto | Divine justice, horses, hunting |
Osun | Saint Juan Batista | Takes care of the mind of the believer |
Chango | Santa Barbara | God of fire, God of lightning of dancing |
An Apetibi is considered a wife of Orunmila or a Babalawo. An apetibi is not initiated into the mysteries of Ifa and has not received Itefa or itelodu levels of initiation.