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In all MYSTERY religions, there is a sacred space that is called the TEMPLE. In ancient Egypt, Greece, Rome, and the rest of the world, grand temples were erected for the gods and goddesses, for the purpose of having a sacred space to perform correctly their rites. These rites included rites of worship and also rites of INITIATION. Likewise our african MYSTERIES have their own sacred space where worship is performed, sacrifices are offered, and initiations are conducted. However, our temples are not go grand, and are for the most part private and not public. Each priest and priestess has a special room where the Orishas are kept and ceremonies are performed. In africa, it might be nothing more than a straw hut with a dirt floor. This is called by many Bordun. You are all now approaching this sacred space and the Orishas are calling you to come inside and regain your heritage.
To work these MYSTERIES, you must be INITIATED. Only then can you receive the POWERS of the Orishas and have ACHE. To become a priest or priestess of the Orishas, OCHA must be "crowned" on your head. this is a way of describing the initiation ceremony without giving details, which is forbidden to non-initiates.
There are various initiations in the religious system that we practice called Santeria, which have evolved from our Yoruba ancestors of west africa. We would list some of them here and discuss them in depth in the following pages.
ELEKES: This is the ceremony where the sacred beaded necklaces of the Orishas are given to an individual.
WARRIOR: This is the ceremony where Eleggua and the Warriors are prepared and given to the individual.
COFA & AWOFACA: This is the ceremony where men and women receive ORUNLA.
OLOKUN: This is the ceremony where one receives an Orisha named Olokun, a "camino" of Yemaya, that represents the profundities of the sea.
KARI OCHA or 'Making the Saint": This is the series of ceremonies where an individual is made a priest or priestess of the Orishas.
A ZOWANO: These are the ceremonies where an individual receives the Mysteries of BABALYAYE.
IFA: These are ceremonies where an individual becomes a high priest in the religion, and becomes a priest of Orunla. These ceremonies are done only to those that Orunla elects for this purpose.
PALO MAYOMBE: These are ceremonies in the Congo traditions, where one becomes a palero or palera. Initiation is determined by the Mpungos of these rites.
Using the sacred oracle of IFA, Orunla determines the path of each individual in these Mysteries. Some are called to receive all of these Initiations. Some only have to receive a few of them.
In the next few pages, we will discuss each initiation in depth, so that you have an understanding of what awaits you on the other side of the doors of the Bordun, or Temple.
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