Guerreros Initiations While the power of the Orishas is legendary, one doesn't become initiated for po wer or for

money. Instead initiations in Santeria help the person to move forwar d in their lives, often in specific ways and impart the ach or spiritual power of the Orishas into your life. There are a number of levels of initiation, and the knowledge you gain deepens as well as the commitment expected of you by the Ori shas and your Godparents. First a person will generally receive their Guerreros or warriors and/or their ilekes or their Necklaces. Later, they may receive La M ano de Orula or Hand of Orula. When the person is ready, they may be go through the kariocha or Full Initiation as a Santera or Santero if that is their path in life. Finally, if the person's sign in their Mano de Orula calls for it they ma y be fully initiated as a Babalawo (Father of the Secrets) and serve as a High P riest in the religion. Initiations are recommended according to the needs of the person as determined b y the Orishas themselves through divination. Guerreros (Warriors) In the initiation of the Guerreros or Warriors, you actually receive several Ori shas: Echu Eleggu, Ogn, Ochossi and Osun.They live by your front door and will nee d to be taken care of every Monday as well as whenever they ask for something vi a divination. As your knowledge deepens in the religion, the more you will be ab le to work with these Orishas. Over time, you will be taught how to give ob or co conut to your Guerreros to ask them simple yes or no questions. Echu Eleggu who is the Messenger of all the Orishas and is the Owner of all the d oors and roads. Eshu Eleggu has literally over a hundred paths with different 'sp ecialties' for each path. He is received so that he can open your roads in life and close the doors to all the forces that might harm you. Eleggu can be received from Santeros or Babalawos. When you receive Echu from a Babalawo, divination i s done to determine which of all these paths of Echu accompanies you, and the se crets with which he is prepared differs for each path. When you receive your Gue rreros from a Santero, the path is not determined until you are initiated as a S antera or Santero if that is your path in life. Ogn is the Orisha of War and is the blacksmith of the Orishas. As Eleggu opens you r path, Ogn clears your way of obstructions and gives you the tools with each to build a better life. He is also a might defender ready and willing to take on al l comers. Ochossi is the Hunter of the Orishas and represents the Enforcement of Justice i n this world. He helps you to hunt for the good things in life. He helps you to avoid falling into traps and to ensure you are never lost in the wilderness of l ife. He also comes to your aid and ensures Justice is served when you are wronge d or to defend you when falsely accused. Osun represents your head and your well being, warning you if you are in danger by falling over. Only the Babalawos know the secrets of how to prepare Osun prop erly. The Ilekes or Necklaces (Collares in Spanish) Receiving your Ilekes or Necklaces puts you under the protection and blessings o f your Godparents' Orishas and makes you a part of their Il or Orisha House. The Ilekes are sacred and are the banners of the Orishas and act as a sign of the Or ishas presence and protection. The preparations usually take several days to a w eek as several complex ceremonies are involved. The ceremony of receiving your i lekes itself takes several hours as it is made up of several rites, and the new

initiate should be prepared to 'make a day of it' as they will be expected to go home and rest for the remainder of the evening. In many ways this ceremony is a n equivalent to the ceremony of Baptism practiced by some religions. It is the c eremonial entrance into our religion and into a new life as a follower of the Or ishas. Only Santeras and Santeros can perform this ceremony and this ceremony ca nnot be performed by Babalawos. Mano de Orula (Hand of Orula) Properly called Ikof (for women) or Awofakan (for males) the Mano de Orula is an initiation into the world of If. This initiation puts the person under the protec tion and care of Orula (Orunmila) and is a very serious ceremony that lasts thre e days. Women who have received Ikof are considered Apetebs or Wives of Orula and are regarded as the elders of those men who have Awofakan since they have gone t hrough more ceremonies and are more fully initiated than the men. The reason for this is that some men may later go on to be fully initiated as babalawos. Durin g this ceremony, the deepest form of divination is performed using the Table of If and the Odu or Sign that comes up will accompanies that person for their entir e lifetime. This Odu, one of a possible 256, reveals the initiates path in life and gives advice by which they can fulfill themselves and prevent hardship. You might say it is a kind of Individual Users Manual for your Life and points out p atterns and events which will surely play themselves out during your existence h ere on earth. Kariocha (Making Ocha) This is the initiation as a full-fledged Santera or Santero (Priest) in the reli gion. During the ceremony their Orishas are given birth to and their tutelary Or isha is 'crowned' on their heads, a term describing the ritual wherein the Orish a is actually ceremonially fused with the initiates inner head. They can consult for clients, perform cleansings and other remedies, as well as perform initiati ons. They are also regarded as royalty in the religion, as they are considered r epresentatives of the Orishas and are vested with the power to work with the for ces of those Orishas in full. This initiation also requires a great lifelong com mitment on the part of the initiate. For instance, the newly initiated Santera o r Santero must pass through a year long Iyaworaje or apprenticeship,where the Iy aw or Bride of the Orisha and must follow a strict regimen of wearing all white, avoiding the touch of non-initiates and following a host of other rules during t hat time. The ceremonies are extremely involved, requiring a large number of Pri ests. Making If This is the initiation ceremony wherein a person is fully initiated as a Babalaw o or Father of the Secrets who specialize in the deepest forms of divination and the remedies that accompany them. It is extremely restrictive and involves a hu ge commitment in time, learning and responsibility. The Babalawos are considered the highest form of Priesthood in our religion.