Santería: The Religion—Faith, Rites, Magic

by Migene González-Wippler

Brought to Cuba as slaves, the Yoruba people of West Africa preserved their religion's heritage by disguising their gods as Catholic saints and worshipping them in secret. The resulting religion is known as Santeria, a blend of primitive magic and Catholicism now practiced by an estimated five million Americans. The Religion is an informative and insightful examination of an African religion's survival in the New World. No one could write this book better than Migene Gonzalez-Wippler. Combining her informed study as an anthropologist and personal experience as a Santerian initiate results in a thrilling book that reveals some of Santeria's most spellbinding The Religion covers every aspect of this religion, including its rites and ceremonies. Some of these ceremonies may be considered bizarre or controversial―but, if you want to know the truth, get this book. The Religion contains over 65 remarkable photographs that will take you right into Santeria traditions. Interviews with practitioners reveal aspects of the religion rarely disclosed to non-believers. The time has come to reveal the growing spiritual practice that continues to gain ground worldwide, and to remove the fear and distrust from people who do not understand. Here is the truth about the religion.

Genres: Religion, Nonfiction, History, Spirituality, Anthropology, Cultural Studies, Occult

384 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1989

About the author

Migene González-Wippler es una autora puertorriqueña de temas como la Wicca y una líder experta en la religión afro-caribeña de la santería. González-Wippler nació en Puerto Rico y tiene grados de psicología y antropología de la Universidad de Puerto Rico y de la Universidad de Columbia.

Reviews

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I spent 4 months in Mexico City last year and visited the Santeria market. I didn’t really know what the market was and I purchased this large cane I thought was very visually striking. I received many bad looks as well as some that were nervous or scared. I quickly put the cane in a bag. This book helped me learn about the cane and that Santeria is all around.

I’ll never forget the first time I showed a picture of the cane to my friend Yahaira without any context and she looked at me in broken English and just said “Do you believe in Caspers?” 😏

[M · Rating 4 out of 5]

As someone who has hovered on the outskirts of the Religion for so long, I loved this book. I found it almost by accident, and I was so happy that it was available in my library system. It is smart, well-written, and informative in so many ways.

My major complaint is that some of the orishas are not given the attention that they deserve. I know why this is, the book explains why so much information isn't actually available in the first place -- it's kept hidden, away from prying eyes, discussed among other initiates. But I want to know more!

I love this book, and I'm not always a fan of Llewellyn as a publisher.

[cookielover · Rating 3 out of 5]

No está mal como introducción al tema. Tiene mucha información sobre sus prácticas y orígenes, aunque no siempre es correcta. Lo peor del libro es lo terrible que se hace leerlo en español por los constantes errores de traducción y faltas de ortografía, se nota que no pasó por revisión. El español usado suena muy artificial y es difícil meterse completamente en el libro cuando en cada página te encuentras un puñado de incorrecciones.

[Samantha Young]

"The Religion—Faith, Rites, Magic" is a profound exploration of spirituality, highlighting its rituals, beliefs, and connection to the divine. Through its pages, readers discover how faith and magic intertwine, offering a path to self-discovery and harmony with higher energies. The figure of the Seer plays a crucial role in this context, acting as a bridge between the earthly and the spiritual world, interpreting signs and guiding those seeking clarity in their lives. This book is essential for those who wish to delve into the mysteries of faith and magic.

[Ash reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think for someone who wants to understand the basis of this complex religion this book does a good job of describing it. Santeria is far more complex than any outsider could tell, but I think anyone who has close relations to Santeria (is from a culture of where the religion is prominent) or anyone who wants to be educated on religions like Santeria, should read this book.

[Hector Cruz]

“Santería: The Religion” de González-Wippler es como un encantamiento escrito. Cada página no solo informa, sino que invoca la esencia mística de la Santería. Más que un libro, se siente como un portal a un mundo espiritual lleno de poder y tradición.

[Marie Collazo · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5/5 ! so informational!!! def interesting to read with lots of information on santeria i haven’t been able to find elsewhere. sometimes it felt a little unnecessarily flowery but i didn’t rlly mind!

[TheBookinist · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book grabbed my attention right from the start,faster than my morning coffee ☕📚 The engaging story and well-crafted characters kept me hooked throughout. By the way, do you have a beta reader for your book, or has it been beta read?

[Alexandra Zapata · Rating 4 out of 5]

Muy Informativo, pero la edición en español que leí tiene demasiados errores ortográficos, imperdonables.

[Tertsea Asor · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.76

[Sasha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very informative, it was a basically reading a textbook. I'm more happy that I was able to learn about a religion that has been so secretive and distant.

[Martine Picard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clear writing with useful information.

[Ariadna SL · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amé con todo el corazón leer este libro, sin duda que buscaré la forma de encontrarlo en físico ya que lo leí en formato kindle.
Me llena de orgullo y cariño pertenecer a fan hermosa religión.

[Patrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great intro into the religion.

[Juno · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very informative and interesting peek into the wide and diverse religion of Santeria

[Saul Bautista · Rating 4 out of 5]

La guía completa de esta religión. Recomendado

[Julie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I learned but what did I learn? Anthropologically, I'm not sure this is a clear view into learning about the religion, one already clouded in mystery, but also I'm judgy.

[Heka · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first encounter with Santeria and I really enjoyed this book. I feel like the author does an excellent job of explaining the cultural mindset and reasoning around many of Santeria's concepts and practices. If nothing else, she does a good job of delving into and explaining some uncomfortable topics and stereotypes. In the months after finishing this book, I often found myself thinking back to and mulling it over. There is certainly a lot to learn here and I've discovered that I'm quite fascinated by Santeria!

[Delphina · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is filled with fundamentals about the religion and includes personal anecdotes. It was a slow read for me as the material is informative but not gripping. However, I'm glad I stuck with it because it gave me a solid beginners' grasp of knowledge about this religion. Before I read this book, I only had a rough notion of animal sacrifice and possible connections with Catholicism. I'm confident that I can have an informed conversation about this subject now.

[Lisa James · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love comparative religions, & this was a totally fascinating look into Santeria, which combines aspects of African magic & Catholic beliefs. To make it even more interesting, there are black & white photos to illustrate these teachings.

HIGHLY recommended to those who will appreciate the anthropology aspects, as well as the religious & spiritual & magickal aspects.

[Victoria · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the way Migene put this book together. Santeria can be hard to follow with all it's elements but her format was easy to follow and very informative. Her references were concise and honest. Good reference book if dealing with anything in this area.

[Carolina · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a decent, though dense, overview if you are interested in the topic.

[Elizabeth]

i'm currently reading it son

[Sandra Bassett · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is my "bible" to understanding Santeria. I know who "my" god is and why havock is reeked on me sometimes!

[Danny · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you want to learn about Santeria...

[S. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was alright..

[Josh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good introductory to the religion.

[Vanessa · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was too hard to read.

[Suesie]

This book is a real eye-opener! It's a combination of almost a Bible, a how-to-book & everything that you ever wanted to know about Santeria. Extremely detailed. More than I needed, but that allowed me to "pick & choose" what I wanted additional information about. I had no idea that over 100 million people in the world follow Santeria!