Santeria, more properly called Lucumi or La Regla de Ocha, began in Cuba among enslaved Yoruba people from what is now Nigeria, who kept their orishas alive behind the faces of Catholic saints. It survived colonial law, crossed to the United States with Cuban immigrants in the twentieth century, and is today a living religion with millions of adherents, a priesthood, and a body of knowledge passed from godparent to godchild. It is an initiatory tradition, and its rites are learned inside a religious house rather than from a page. Books have a different and valuable job. They explain the history, introduce the orishas, and show outsiders and newcomers what the religion actually is, in place of what films have made of it. At Plentiful Earth we carry some of the most widely read English-language books on the subject.
What You'll Find Here
Migene Gonzalez-Wippler. A Puerto Rican anthropologist and initiate, and the author who introduced much of the English-speaking world to the religion. Santeria: African Magic in Latin America is her classic overview of history, belief, and the orishas. Rituals and Spells of Santeria covers practice and folk workings.
Carlos Montenegro. Practical botanica-style handbooks. Magical Herbal Baths of Santeria gathers the plant baths used for cleansing and blessing. The Santeria Formulary and Spellbook covers candles, oils, and incense.
How Should I Approach These Books?
Read them as an introduction and a mark of respect, not as a do-it-yourself initiation. The orishas are served within a community, and ceremonies such as receiving the elekes or making ocha are performed only by initiated priests. The deeper practice is best learned from practitioners within the tradition, and a good book will tell you so itself. What any reader can take from these pages is an accurate picture of a rich Afro-Caribbean religion, an appreciation of its herbal knowledge, and a sense of whether the path is calling them to seek out a house and a godparent.
Explore Related Collections
For related reading see hoodoo and rootwork books, herbalism and plant magic books, and the full book shop. The botanica shelf that accompanies this tradition includes spiritual washes, colognes such as Florida Water, spiritual soaps, the Ohli~Way line, and orisha incense from Sree Vani.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Santeria?
An Afro-Cuban religion, also called Lucumi or La Regla de Ocha, that developed from Yoruba religion in Cuba. Its followers honor a supreme creator and the orishas, divine beings who govern aspects of nature and human life.
Can I practice Santeria from a book?
No. It is an initiatory religion practiced within a community under the guidance of godparents. Books can teach history, theology, and respect; the practice itself is best learned from practitioners within the tradition.
Who are the orishas?
The divine powers of the Yoruba and Lucumi traditions, among them Eleggua, who opens the roads; Obatala, father of peace and clarity; Yemaya, mother of the sea; Oshun, of rivers, love, and sweetness; Shango, of thunder and justice; and Ogun, of iron and work.
Which book should I read first?
Santeria: African Magic in Latin America by Migene Gonzalez-Wippler is the usual starting point for a general reader.
Is Santeria the same as Voodoo or hoodoo?
No. Haitian Vodou is a separate religion with Fon and Kongo roots. Hoodoo is African American folk magic, not a religion. They share African ancestry and some practices but are distinct traditions.
