SANTERIA? Do you know what it is?

I know it's a religion, but I'm curious what other people know or think they know about it.

It is the religion my family and I practice and
I am curious to know what other people think about it?
Everyone has their own opinion and it's good to have it.

When you choose to "dabble" in this religion it does not work.
You can not have a single doubt in your mind that it will work for you.
In reality there is no wrong or proper religion because it works differently for
everyone. Some people sing, dance, pray, etc. We just happen to be a religion
that is misunderstood on a lot of different levels.

I also want to correct the comment about being possessed.
A lot of people are very selfish and fake being mounted (proper wording of being in our "possessed" state) for monetary gains.

As one who has experience in this sort of state it is not a game or a joke
but completely legit when the person comes with pure intentions.

We do not speak in tongues, it is actually Spanish with heavy accents (when we speak it is no longer us but the whomever has used our body to pass a message)

I'm only 17 and I know how it feels to be called fake or a witch, being "possessed" and it saddens me that Th

Do you eat the chickens or just bleed them and throw them out?

I don't practice Santeria. I ain't got no crystal ball. I had a million dollars but I spent it all.

I know a bit about it. The Orisha overlap with the Catholic Saints.

You also may not want to offer the Orisha blood because once you do, that's what they'll get a taste for from you. Candles and specific foods seem to work just fine: Rum for Elegua. Cigars for Chango, etc.

Each Orisha has its own day and a number and color of candles associated with it.

I know there's a lot more to it than that. I'm just keeping what I say to a minimum so the depth of my ignorance can only be suspected!

I dabbled in it some years ago. Basically you ask the dead and certain West African spirits for help in something, and then kill animals for them. Usually goats and chickens.

After some time I ruled it to be phony. Because most of the time you never get what you asked for and getting possessed is no different than getting into the heat of the moment at lets say a church revival where a guy start bouncing around speaking in "tongues"

Plus all that blood and feathers and blood all over you, no wonder a lot of them get blood diseases.

I can see SAnteria is a strange blend of African superstitions and "witchdoctor" stuff, all whirled in a blender with Roman Catholic things.

It is just a bunch of superstitious "magic" claptrap. A bit deeper- I do believe some people call up demons with it. Not God at all.

OKAY you DID ask for what I thought, and I have told you honestly.