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The Head or Guardian Orisha

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Ceremonies, Clarifying Misconceptions, Orishas, Religious Practices, Terminology

August 29, 2012

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Changó is one of the most common head orishas in Santería Lucumí. He is the king of our religion and his presence is found in every ceremony in Santeria.

There seems to be a growing trend of people wanting to learn who their orisha is and how they can work with that orisha. In this article we’ll address some of the misconceptions around the guardian orisha, clarify how a person’s tutelary orisha is determined, and why you should or shouldn’t know who it is.

A person’s tutelary orisha (also called a head orisha, guardian orisha or guardian angel) is the orisha that claims a person’s head. They are your patron or matron and act as a guardian and balancing force in a person’s life. A person’s head orisha is not a matter of choice or preference; the tutelary orisha is linked to a person’s destiny. The head orisha is the right divine current of spiritual energy that person needs for his or her life to be balanced so his or her ultimate destiny can be attained.

Not All Orishas Are Equal!

There are literally hundreds of orishas but only a select few of them can be guardian orishas that are actually crowned on a person’s head as part of the ordination of kariocha. The orishas that can be tutelary orishas in Santería Lucumi/Lukumi are:

Aggayu is crowned through a ceremony called “Changó oro Aggayu“. Here is our Aggayú shrine at our Church.

These are the list of tutelary orishas within Lukumí practice that are done directly to a person’s head. In addition to these there are other orishas that are crowned through a ritual adjustment called “oro”. These are also legitimate and traditional initiations with a procedural adjustment.

Orishas Crowned in Other African Religions

In other African Diasporic religions (Candomblé, Ifa, etc.) there are additional orishas crowned beyond those mentioned above. These orishas include Logun Ede, Oshumare, Orisha Oko (direct) and even Olokun. These are legitimate initiations in those religions but are not a traditional part of Santeria Lukumí. There is even a modern trend to begin initiating people to these orishas in Lukumí practice but this is highly unconventional and non-traditional.

Who Is My Head Orisha?

With the growing awareness of Santeria, people find themselves infatuated with the orishas. There is a growing phenomenon of people wanting to know who their orisha is, along with a desire to worship and work with that orisha directly. Unfortunately many people treat this information like a parlor game, trying to guess who a person’s tutelary orisha is prior to divination. There are even espiritistas (spiritualists) who will declare a person’s tutelary orisha in a spiritual mass (misa), or use tarot cards to determine who their orisha is. I recently saw an article in a well-known New Orleans Voodoo publication telling people to perform a shamanic journey to determine who their tutelary orisha is. These are not legitimate practices and are not only fraudulent but can be incredibly harmful to a person’s development.

So how does a person find out who their tutelary orisha is? Simple. You aren’t supposed to know until you are already preparing for kariocha (ordination as a priest). As far as all should be concerned you are under the tutelage and protection of Obatala. Obatala is the owner of all heads – he fashioned our bodies and minds. He is the “head” of the orishas and as such protects and guides all people with fairness and equality. If you want to know who to worship and who to work with, it’s Obatala … until it is time for you to find out who your guardian orisha really is.

The guardian orisha can change before a person is ordained in kariocha and there is no point in knowing until the arrangements are already being made for kariocha. Additionally, a person may be told they are a child of one orisha and they dedicate all of their energy and efforts to bond with that orisha only to find out at the last minute that it has changed and this imbalance in the relationship with the orishas will be reflected negatively in that person’s life reading (itá). As an Aleyo or Aborisha your job is to learn about all the orishas and learn discipline, obedience and humbleness while apprenticing at your godparent’s side. You should not be focusing on one orisha. You should be working on your own self, overcoming your weaknesses and building a relationship with your ancestors long before kariocha. Knowing a person’s guardian orisha is putting the cart before the horse.

When is the Right Time to Determine a Person’s Guardian Orisha?

Ifá-centric houses will defer to the Babalawos in their godfamily to determine a person’s orisha.

There are two times when you can find out who your guardian orisha is. For houses that are Ocha-centric and do not work with Babalawos, this would be the moment you are marked for kariocha. This would happen in a divination where it is determined that you must be crowned a priest. Once this happens, that person should begin making preparations for kariocha – primarily saving money for the ceremony. Once you are close to having all the money in place a cowrie shell divination should be performed to find out who that person’s tutelary or guardian orisha is. That way the godparents know whether they can crown that person (barring any taboos to the contrary) and they can begin to purchase the rights supplies and make the proper arrangements. For example, the initiation for Elegguá costs a lot more than that of Yemaya, so the proper arrangements have to be made according to which orisha that person will receive on their crown.

For Ifa-centric houses, the divination of a person’s crowning orisha is reserved for Babalawos. This is typically done when a person received their Hand of Orunla (Awofakán or Ikofá). At this ceremony, the initiate is given the mysteries of Orunla (Orunmila), the bracelet of Ifá (idé Ifá) and they are told who their tutelary orisha is. If the person has not received their hand of Orunla, this can be done through a divination with Ikin (palm nuts) prior to the initiation.

There have even been instances where one orisha stood up to claim a person’s head moments prior to initiation, or even in the ceremony itself. This often happens when a person’s tutelary orisha is determined way in advance – years before the ceremony – and at the last minute a different orisha possesses that person and claims their head. This is yet another reason why it is best to wait up until the last possible moment to determine the guardian orisha so that there are no dramatic changes that have to be made in the ceremony.

How The Guardian Orisha Is Determined

There are two (maybe three) ways a person’s tutelary or guardian orisha is determined. The first two are through divination. The third is through direct possession, but even this must be confirmed with divination.

Ocha-centric houses will use the diloggún of Eleggua or of the godparent’s crowning orisha to divine a person’s head orisha.

For Ocha-centric houses, the proper way to determine a person’s tutelary orisha is in a ceremony known as a bajada (bringing down) of the guardian orisha. This is usually done by an Obá Oriaté but any sufficiently skilled olorisha that has firm knowledge of odu can perform the ceremony. This is done using the cowrie shells (diloggún) of Elegguá or of the godparent’s tutelary orisha. The divination is performed on a grass mat wrapped in a white sheet that is placed on the ground. The diviner is seated on the ground and the person being consulted is seated on a small stool on the covered mat within reach of the diviner. In the divination, the client will place his head on the mat while the diviner throws the diloggun to bring his guardian orisha “down to the mat” and determine which owns his head.

For Ifá-centric houses, this must be divined using the ikin of Orunmila (palm nuts). Three babalawos must be present for this to be done properly. The babalawos will beat the palm nuts and mark out odu on the table of ifá (opón ifá) and determine which orisha rules that person’s destiny. This ceremony is also perfomed on the floor like the one done in Ocha-centric houses. It is unacceptable for this ceremony to be done with the okuelé (diviner’s chain). Typically this ceremony is done as part of a person receiving their Awofakán or Ikofá (hand of Orunla) but it can be done as just a reading if that person hasn’t received the hand of Orunla yet.

The third way a person’s tutelary orisha can be determined is directly from an orisha when they are possessing a priest or priestess. This can happen at a drum ceremony or other ceremony. Occasionally orishas will descend onto their priests to speak and interact with others. They can declare a person needs to be initiated and who they should be crowned to. While this is a powerful and moving experience, in this day of people faking possessions it is necessary to confirm what was revealed through divination just for good measure.

It is important to reiterate that using obí (four cowries, four coconut pieces or four kola nuts) to divine a person’s orisha is not acceptable and is fraudulent practice. Obí is only used for yes or no questions. Obí can be used to open the bajada reading but the sixteen cowrie shells (diloggún) are what speak and deliver the news of that person’s tutelage. There are no other accepted methods aside from those mentioned above to determine a person’s tutelary orisha within Santeria Lukumí. If you were told that you are a child of an orisha through an alternate method just consider that reading as the orisha taking you under his or her protection, but until the proper method is used, you are NOT confirmed to be a child of that orisha.

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Yemaya

Yemayá is the orisha of motherhood, and queen of the sea. She is the mother of all living things and the owner of all waters.

Yemayá (also spelled Yemoja, Iemoja, or Yemaya) is one of the most powerful orishas in Santeria. She is the mother of all living things, rules over motherhood and owns all the waters of the Earth. She gave birth to the stars, the moon, the sun and most of the orishas. Yemaya makes her residence in life-giving portion of the ocean (although some of her roads can be found in lagoons or lakes in the forest). Yemaya’s aché is nurturing, protective and fruitful. Yemaya is just as much a loving mother orisha as she is a fierce warrior that kills anyone who threatens her children.

Yemaya can be found in all the waters of the world, and because of this she has many aspects of “caminos” (roads), each reflecting the nature of different bodies of water. She, like Oshún, carries all of the experiences of womanhood within her caminos. Contrary to popular belief she is not just a loving mother. Some of Yemaya’s caminos are fierce warriors who fight with sabers or machetes and bathe in the blood of fallen enemies. Other roads are masterful diviners that have been through marriage, divorce and back again. Some roads of Yemaya have been rape survivors, while other roads betrayed her sisters out of jealousy and spite. No matter what camino of Yemaya, all are powerful female orishas and fiercely protective mothers.

Yemaya has a very special relationship with two orishas in particular: Oshún and Chango. Oshún is often depicted as Yemaya’s sister, and Yemaya allows Oshún to take residence in her rivers. Yemaya and Oshun relate to one another like typical sisters; they love each other and also have a bit of sibling rivalry. Chango and Yemaya are inseparable. Some followers of Santeria say Yemaya is Chango’s mother. The two of them eat together and Chango shares his wealth with Yemaya. Yemaya helped mold Chango into the wise leader he was meant to be from birth (although he initially lacked the skill to rule with grace).

Different roads of Yemaya have had relationships with many of the male orishas including: Orunmila, Ogun, Inle, Orisha Oko, Obatala and Aggayu. She is one of the four pillars of the Santeria religion along with Obatala, Oshun and Chango. Therefore every initiated olorisha will receive her pot with her mysteries at his kariocha initiation.

Symbols, Numbers, Colors and Attributes of Yemayá

An eleke for Yemaya Agana, distinguished by the use of royal blue, clear, green and coral beads.

Number: 7

Sacred Place in Nature: the ocean, lagoons and lakes

Colors: blue and clear

Tools: oars, boat steering wheel, anchor, life preserver, machete (for Ibú Ogunte), a scimitar (for Ibú Okoto)

Temperament: Nurturing, loving, direct, frank

Syncretized Catholic Saint: The Virgin of Regla

Yemaya’s Caminos (Avatars or “Roads”)

Yemaya has many caminos or “roads”. Each road has a slightly different temperament and is found in a different place in nature. All roads of Yemaya are called “Ibú” and each takes a slightly different shade of blue in her eleke. Here is but a sampling of her caminos.

Ibú Asesú – this road of Yemaya is born in the odu Odí Meji (7-7). She lives in the sea foam where the waves crash on the shore. She is said to be forgetful and slow to answer her children’s prayers. Her color is sky blue.
Ibú Achabá – this road of Yemaya was the wife of Orunmila. She is a mighty diviner that learned how to read the composite odu by watching her husband when he divined. Her color is turquoise or medium blue.
Ibú Ogunte (Okuti) – this road of Yemaya was married to Ogún. She lives in the lakes and springs in the forest. She is a mighty warrior that fights with a machete, and enjoys rum and cigars. Her color is cobalt blue.
Ibú Agana – this road of Yemaya is Olokun’s favorite but deformed daughter. She betrayed her sisters and is forced to carry a mask and serpent, and act as Olokun’s slave and messenger as her punishment. She was also married to Orisha Oko. She brings rain. Her color is royal blue.
Ibú Mayelewo – this road of Yemaya lives in the middle of the sea and controls the currents of the seven seas. She wears seven different colors and owns the colors of the world which she keeps in a calabash around her waist. She lives in a basket surrounded by plates and her color is aqua.
Ibú Okoto – this road of Yemaya is a powerful warrior, almost like a pirate. She wears pants and kills her enemies with a scimitar or daggers. She lives in the red tide that is dyed with the blood of her enemies she has murdered. Her color is navy blue.
Yembo – this road of Yemaya is an orisha funfún (white orisha) that many consider in the court of Odudua. She gave birth to all of the orishas and in many ways is the cosmic mother of all things. She is the calm sea at the seashore. Her color is pale blue and white.

Offerings for Yemaya

Yemaya enjoys rich and delicious foods, many of which she shares with Changó. Yemaya enjoys rooster, ram, and guinea hen.

Sweet Mashed Ñame With Coconut for Yemaya

A delicious cooked addimú you can make for Yemaya is Candied Ñame with Coconut for Yemayá. You’ll need a large ñame, sweetened coconut flakes, a can of coconut cream, and sugar cane syrup. Ñame is a root vegetable from the tropics related to the yam that’s white on the inside, rough and brownish gray on the outside. Remove the peel from the ñame and cut it into 1 inch cubes. Boil the ñame until it is fork tender. Toast half a cup of sweetened coconut flakes in a pan to get them slightly golden and set aside to cool. Remove the ñame from the water and roughly mash it up with a fork. Stir in a can of coconut cream and mix well. Serve the mashed ñame in a bowl and drizzle cane syrup over it (you can substitute molasses if you can’t find cane syrup). Garnish by placing the toasted coconut on top of the molasses drizzle. To serve, place a grass mat (estera) on the ground and place Yemaya’s pot on the mat. Place the bowl of the Sweet Mashed Ñame with Coconut beside Yemayá and light a seven day blue candle before her. Remove the addimú after the proper amount of time and dispose of the offering in nature as marked through divination.

Watermelon for Yemayá

A great addimú for Yemaya is a whole watermelon. Buy a large watermelon with seeds, and wash it clean. Place a grass mat (estera) on the floor, place Yemaya’s pot on the grass mat, and place the watermelon on a white plate beside her. Leave the watermelon there for the appropriate amount of time as determined through divination. Once the time has come remove the watermelon and take it to the ocean or a large lake if the ocean is not near your home. Present the watermelon to Yemaya in the waters before you. Then out of respect for the environment, dispose of the melon in a trash can near by (to prevent litter) and leave seven pennies with it.

Chango

Changó is the king of Santería – the orisha of passion, virility, drumming, dancing, fire and lightning.

Changó (also spelled Shangó, Ṣango, or Xango) is one of the most popular orishas in Santeria and is the king of our religion on earth. Chango is the orisha of drumming, dancing, thunder, fire, male virility, and leadership. He was once a living king on earth as the fourth Alafin of Oyó in Yoruba land. Chango was not a particularly effective king when he was alive, but he worked miracles after his death and elevation to the status of orisha. (It is considered offensive to discuss the nature of Chango’s death.) He is known for enjoying in revelry, drinking, eating, having many female lovers and being a skillful dancer and drummer. Chango was the first to divine with diloggun, and was the original owner of the Opón Ifá (table of Ifá) before trading it to Orunmila for the batá drums. Chango is a powerful sorcerer who crafts indomitable spells in his Odó (mortar) including the magic that allows him to spit fire. Chango makes his residence at the top of the royal palm tree. His is the power of fire, lightning and thunder. He wields the double headed axe as his favorite weapon. Chango teaches us to live a full life, enjoying all it has to offer, while at the same time cultivating diplomacy and royal grace.
Chango is the essence of masculinity. His patakis (stories) tell us about his love of women, drinking, dancing and partying. His legitimate wife was Obba, but he quickly cast her aside when he grew bored of her and had passionate love affairs with both Oyá and Oshún. He even took it upon himself to defile poor Yegguá, the virginal daughter of Oduduwa, because he saw her chastity as the greatest temptation to conquer. Chango fathered the Ibeji – the first twins. (Their mother is Oshún.) He also fathered Boromú and Borosia, Yegguá’s twins born of her rape. There are many patakis that talk about Changó causing problems for people, and of the orishas complaining about his unruly manner when he was young and impetuous. Through trial and error, and a healthy dose of reality checks from Obatalá, Changó eventually matured and learned the fine arts of diplomacy, royal grace and charm. Changó teaches us that there is still a chance to change and redeem oneself after a lifetime of mistakes. Changó is a loving and fiercely protective father orisha to his children. He is the chief orisha in the Santeria Church of the Orishas, the tutelary orisha of Rev. Dr. E. (our founder), and he works miracles in our lives every day.
Changó does not have caminos or “paths” like some of the other orishas, because he is singular in nature. He was one man that was elevated to being an orisha through the miracles he performed to save his people after death. Chango is one of the “four pillars” of Santeria, along with Obatala, Oshun, and Yemaya. As such, every olorisha that is initiated in Santeria will receive his shrine in their initiation whether  they are his child or not. He is central to every initiation performed in Santería, and all of our kariocha initiations are based off of the style of initiation performed on the Alafin (kings) of Oyo – just as Chango was initiated when he was a king. The obá oriate acts as a representative of Changó, running every ceremony in Santería (Lucumí/Lukumi). He is one of the most celebrated and loved orishas in Santeria because of his generosity and the protection he confers upon his followers.

Symbols, Numbers, Colors and Attributes of Changó

Chango’s eleke is made with alternating red and white beads. This eleke for Chango uses elaborate alternating patterns and cowrie shells for decoration.

Number: 6 and 12

Sacred Place in Nature: the royal palm tree

Colors: red and white

Tools: double headed axe, sword, single headed axe, thunder stones

Temperament: bombastic, outspoken, assertive, charming

Syncretized Catholic Saint: Saint Barbara

Changó’s Caminos (Avatars or “Roads”)

Chango is singular in nature and has no roads or avatars. Before being elevated to the status of orisha he was the Fourth Alafin of Oyó – the chief of his people – and as such he is singular in temperament.

Offerings for Changó

Changó has quite an appetite and enjoys all kinds of hearty food fit for a king. He loves dry white wine, cornmeal porridge with okra, bananas, mangos, ram, rooster, quail, and guinea hen. On rare occasions he enjoys eating tortoise meat. All offerings for Changó should be marked through diloggún divination for best results.

Amalá Ilá for Chango (Cornmeal porridge with okra)

Amalá ilá is a wonderful offering for Changó and is one of his favorite things to eat. It is prepared using yellow cornmeal and 6 pieces of fresh okra. Start by bringing three cups of water to a boil. Season the water with a healthy pinch of salt. Measure out one cup of cornmeal. Cut up the okra into pieces and set them aside. While continually whisking the boiling water, slowly add in the cornmeal with your hand. It is important to whisk the mixture constantly so that it doesn’t clump while it incorporates into the water. Once all of the cornmeal has been added, toss in all of the okra except for 6 pieces and reduce the temperature and cook it on low. Stir it regularly or it may burn on the bottom. Cook the cornmeal for about ten minutes. You may need to switch to a wooden spoon as the mixture will thicken quickly. Serve in a bowl and decorate the top of it with the six remaining pieces of okra. Place Changó’s batea (pot) on a grass mat (estera) and place the bowl of amalá ilá next to him. Leave the offering there for the time indicated by your divination before hand, and once the time has come, remove the amalá ilá and dispose of it at the foot of a palm tree with 6 pennies.

Sweet Amalá (a variation)

You can make a variation of amalá that is sweet as a treat for Changó especially if your divination comes in a particularly hot and dangerous osogbo. Make the recipe as above but omit the salt and okra. Once the cornmeal is cooked, sweeten it with honey to taste and serve in a bowl in the standard way.

Baked Apples for Changó

Here’s another delicious treat you can offer Changó. You’ll need 6 red delicious apples, 1 tablespoon of cinnamon, 1/2 cup of brown sugar, 6 tablespoons of butter and a 1/2 cup of rum. Core the 6 red apples but leave them whole. Place them in a baking dish with the holes facing upward. Put some of the brown sugar and a healthy dash of the cinnamon in each apple, top them with 1 tablespoon (1 pat) of butter on each apple. Drizzle the rum over the apples. Bake the apples uncovered at 350°F for about half an hour. Baste the apples with pan juices from time to time. When done, remove the apples from the oven and allow them to cool a bit. Serve them on a platter. Place Changó on a grass mat (estera) and place the platter of apples beside him as an offering. Leave the addimú in place for the required time then dispose of it in nature with 6 pennies as determined through diloggún divination.

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