Santeria: the Religion: Faith, Rites, Magic

When the Yoruba of West Africa were brought to Cuba as slaves, they preserved their religious heritage by disguising their gods as Catholic saints and worshiping them in secret. The resulting religion is Santería, a blend of primitive magic and Catholicism now practiced by an estimated five million Hispanic Americans.

Blending informed study with her personal experience, González-Wippler describes Santería¿s pantheon of gods (orishas ); the priests (santeros ); the divining shells used to cons…