I am fascinated by Syncretism, as in ‘the amalgamation or attempted amalgamation of different religions, cultures, or schools of thought’. Syncretism is central in the encompassing of Cuban culture. Some of my most vivid experiences of syncretism have been those regarding religious syncretism , Cuban Santería. Santería a pantheistic Afro-Cuban folk religion developed by mixing the beliefs and customs of the Yoruba people and with the elements of the Catholic religion. According to Santería each Orisha (Yoruba Gods) is associated with a Catholic Saint ; and each practitioner has their parent Santos/ Orishas that are supposed to influence our personality and ultimately guide us through life.
Growing up in Spain attending a catholic school I would constantly go from making an offering to Changó to going to church on Sundays. I never really questioned it until I reached my teenage years. Making altars is a tradition that has been passed down through the women in my family. My mom has a beautiful altar back home, however at some point in my teens I started becoming very weary of it when inviting friends from school over. I already felt a bit self-conscious about my house, because most of the kids in my school lived in very fancy locations, and having a Santería altar at the entrance of our home would only make things worse in my mind. There was also the fact that Santería practices are not very well received from a Spanish perspective, and many times is seen as witchcraft.
When I moved to London I started making my own altar. It made feel closer to home, to my mom and my grandma, but it was also a source of empowerment in my lowest times. It somehow made me feel less lonely as I ventured into my first experiences living by myself in a foreign country.
A thing that my mom would always do is to put in the altar any objects she found important or was thankful for. For instance, if I had an exam next day, she would put my notes in front of the altar the night before for things to go well. Or if her doctor’s appointment was successful, she would put her formal diagnosis there a sign of gratitude. And of course, lots of lottery tickets too. Inspired by this, I decided to make an Altar al Amor (Altar of Love) using objects from my personal altar as well as adding things that have been important throughout my MA journey this year.
In this altar you will find…
- Sagrado Corazón de Jesús (Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ)
- Obbatalá / Virgen de las Mercedes : The Orisha that created the Earth and all living things. He is associated with the head, the thoughts and the dreams. Obbatalá stands for peace and harmony. Its catholic syncretism is Las Mercedes (Virgin of Mercy) . Its representative colour is white.
- Virgen de Guadalupe : Patron of Mexico . ‘La Virgen de Guadalupe was syncretized with Coatlaxopeuh, a combination of the two Mesoamerican goddesses of fertility . It means “she who has dominion over snakes”. She is the symbol of el mestizo, she represents mix raced people, and people who had to cross cultures.’ (From Gloria Anzaldúas writings)
- Ochún / Virgen de la Caridad del Cobre : She is the Orisha of rivers, associated with femininity, flirting and sexuality. Its catholic syncretism is Virgen de la Caridad del Cobre (Our Lady of Charity of el Cobre) , patron of Cuba. Its representative colour is yellow, and is often offered honey, pumpkins, sunflowers or peacock feathers.
- Yemayá / Virgen de Regla : Ochún’s older sister, she is the Orisha of the sea. She is considered the mother of all Orishas. Its catholic syncretism is Virgen de Regla (Our Lady of Regla). Its representative colour is blue, and is often offered seashells, keys, moons or stars.
- Babalú Ayé / San Lázaro : The Orisha of illnesses, specially those having to do with skin or bones. It means “father of the world”. Its catholic syncretism its Saint Lazarus. Its representative colour is purple, and is often offered a cigar and rum.
- Changó / Santa Bárbara : My family’s Orisha, and the Orisha of fire , thunder , war, music , dance and passion. Its catholic syncretism is Santa Barbara ( Saint Barbara) . Its representative colour is red, and is often offered red wine, red apples , swords or drums.
- Elegguá / Niño de Atocha : The Orisha that holds the keys of destiny, and opens / closes doors and pathways in life. Its catholic syncretism is Niño de Atocha (Holy Infant of Atocha). Its colours are black and red, and is often offered children’s games and candy.
You may also ecounter books, vinyls and artefacts that have been important throughout my MA journey . Feel free to explore.