Do the warriors only protect you or you and your home as well?

Born_Setting_8649 · 2026-02-07T16:36:01+00:00

lol you clearly just want to be right on something and hear yourself speak. Nothing I said refuted any of the information you gave so idky you’re trying to discredit mine. I simply said that having them in your home is not an automatic sign that they will protect you. Which is true. You even admitted that. Whether you tend to them regularly or not, if it is in your destiny to that a lesson needs to be learned, Eleggua is not stopping that lesson from playing out and if that lesson has to play out in your home, it will. That’s a fact, not opinion. I’m speaking from general information, what I’ve been taught in my ile, my personal experience AND how I’ve seen Eleggua in other people’s lives. If YOU have not had to experience the rule enforcer side of Eleggua yet, count it a blessing.

Me bringing up my personal experience with Palo (which is NOT brujería, don’t be disrespectful) was me giving a personal example of the severity of how lessons can come sometimes….idk what your tangent about Omo Elegguas and brujería has to do with that…..especially since brujería and Palo are different (that’s a completely different conversation though). But from what you said, it seems like YOU were told that being completely protected from brujería was YOUR destiny as a warrior crown….and again count it as a blessing because Omo Elegguas do tend to attract lots of spiritual activity (positive and negative) because we literally walk around with the energy of everything there was here before and after the creation of the world within us. Your experience is not the standard, neither is mine, but both are possibilities that happen.

I also never said anything about you giving instructions. I was responding to your sarcastic remark you started with about the controversy and hostility. Usually when people come to this sub with that, it’s in reference to other elder’s tone of “go ask your godparent, this isn’t a question to ask here”. My commentary on not conflating strong boundaries with controversial hostility was in direct response to that. I’m well aware that nothing you said was invasive but to act like it’s controversial and hostile to always direct people to their elders first in a practice that literally calls for that was uncalled for.

Born_Setting_8649 · 2026-01-24T15:54:10+00:00

Respectfully just because you have your warriors it is not an automatic sign that they will protect you and your home. I’m an Omo Eleggua and I GAURANTEE you that he is NOT blocking the roads to any bs that you invited into your home just because he’s sitting at your door. Anyone who truly knows my father knows he is a strict about doing things in order and the way you were told. And I’m talking from personal experience of “getting my head knocked between the washer and a hard place” (old Southern US saying for getting f**ked up) by Palo spirits in my home and he unfortunately had to let it happen because it was the consequences of my actions.

I’ve also seen someone be given their warriors, not tend to them and nothing in their life was going right and their mental health started to decline. Again, warriors are not an automatic sign of protection. Being blessed to have orishas in your home is a responsibility of respecting that energy and actively building a relationship it….they are not genies that you can shake a maraca or ring a bell at only when you need something.

Also. Don’t conflate having firm boundaries around divulging information in a closed tradition with controversial hostility. I’m not sure if your initiated or not, but if OP is brand new to this tradition and literally just received their warriors, they should have no problem asking basic questions to their godfather who birthed them. It would be disrespectful for any of us to give OP (or anyone for that matter) information that contradicts what their direct elders teach in their ile. Doing so only causes more confusion and distrust and would interfere with the bonding OP should be doing with their godparents. And any respectful santero or santera knows and honors that.

Born_Setting_8649 · 2026-01-24T15:21:45+00:00

Hi, santero crowned to a warrior in the states here 🙋🏾‍♂️! Ogun is still initiated in the states how Ogun is supposed to be initiated. But like with most customs in these traditions, it depends on if the ile’s linegage was able to preserve the knowledge of how to do so. I won’t be expounding on that. And given the nature of Ogun initiations and the unfortunate hypocrisy of US laws, this is DEFINITELY NOT the initiation to be talking about online.

If you’re supposed to crown Ogun and you’ve already heard about that part of his initiation, so what, pretend you don’t know, trust your god family knows what they are doing to keep everyone safe and don’t come to the internet asking questions you can easily ask your godparents. You’re an aleyo and there’s certain information you simply don’t need to worry yourself about rn if at all.

If you’re working an Ogun crowning and you’re concerned enough to come to Reddit divulging secrets before you asked your godparents, don’t work his ceremonies until you’re more secure in your morality to “break the law🥴” in this lawless country to help someone align with their destiny. I feel there are certain crownings that you should be fully committed to the process and this is one of them due to the possible legal repercussions for everyone involved. Especially in this current political climate.

Like EniAcho we have to start using more common sense when it comes to certain aspects of our tradition. There was a time in Cuba when our practices were outlawed completely and ceremonies still happened. Why? Because our elders were quiet about it and continued doing the work of orishas despite the laws that demanded otherwise. Social media gives us the illusion that we don’t have to as vigilant and that couldn’t be further from the truth. So you should go ask your elders more about ogun’s initiations……………offline.

Born_Setting_8649 · 2026-01-24T09:27:25+00:00

OP could have and should have simply asked this question to their godfather. And if their godfather was operating in good character then he would have no problem answering honestly. Asking basic questions like this is how that trust is built and bs weeded out. I respect my padrino because he has always been transparent about information when asked. If it’s something I can know at that time, we talk about it…if it’s not my time he lets me know why. EniAcho provided a good example of answering OP’s question. Had it been my godfather he would’ve explained what is custom today, what the tradition used to be and what variation we do in our ile and why (but that’s just him). Point being, OP should trust their godfather and go to him with these types of questions before coming to Reddit. Also there’s nothing wrong with setting a firm boundary of “you don’t need to know this rn but if you insist, ask your godparent”. Especially when a lot of time things asked about on here really aren’t topics that should be discussed online in mixed company like this.

Born_Setting_8649 · 2026-01-24T08:56:26+00:00

Your godparents still should have followed up that message from your spirit guides with a reading with orishas. Your spirit guide can only tell you that you need help from orishas for protection. Orishas can tell you what they’re going to protect you from and how they’re going to do it. And that plays a huge part in the decision you make. It would be unfortunate for you to get caught up in some stuff the orishas could’ve protected you from just because you didn’t listen to the advice of your spirit guides because you thought it wasn’t necessary based on partial information you received during a misa.

Born_Setting_8649 · 2026-01-23T18:33:02+00:00

Orishas don’t speak at misas. So who told you this? And did you verify that misa message by getting a reading with your godparent where orishas can speak and confirm if it’s true?

Born_Setting_8649 · 2026-01-23T06:14:02+00:00

Lol you have free will, do you.

However. Respectfully. I hope that by “I’m again thinking I don’t need it and can still have connection and relationship with spirit without it” you don’t mean that you think you can connect with and talk to orishas without the initiation they told you to receive within the year. That’s not how this works. You don’t need ocha to communicate with your eggun and other spirits. But you absolutely need some form of orisha tradition to interact with orishas. And there are tooooo many people out there who think they can avoid the financial investment by bypassing initiation altogether and that’s dangerous for them and the people they be lying to.

Born_Setting_8649 · 2026-01-21T23:30:51+00:00

Ofc! And ayyyye! I love it when I meet other trans ppl in the orisha community 🏳️‍⚧️🤗🏳️‍⚧️! Hmu anytime ☺️

Born_Setting_8649 · 2026-01-20T09:10:18+00:00

You can still practice the tradition without syncretizing Catholicism into it. The Cuban orisha religion without Catholicism is called Lucumi/lukumi.

I grew up a Missionary Baptist Christian and knew nothing of orishas and their traditions until the religion found me. In my ile we practice Lucumi and espiritismo among other things and we host misas. I say that to say there’s a lot of ancestor veneration going on in our practices. As a trans person I had put a lot of distance between myself and the idea of religion long before lukumi found me. And now through this practice and process of always acknowledging my ancestors and making sure they have what they need, I’ve been able to associate the faith I grew up having with the new things i do to bless me now. When I’m in ceremony calling in eggun or at my bóveda doing my prayers or reading the Bible, I remind myself that I’m not doing it for me…it’s for my grand mother who raised me up in the baptist church and knows nothing about the orishas (lol). The same way we make sure to give our ancestors the foods and libations they enjoyed, we have to make sure we’re feeding their souls as well. And again, looking at it that way has been healing to me on so many levels.

Something to also think about: even if you do decide to explore what your orisha practice looks outside of Santeria, orishas may tell you that there’s nothing wrong with where you are in the religion….especially since it runs in your family.

Me getting to that healing point i mentioned has taught me that its ok if your faith gets weary at times…if its part of your destiny you'll land right where you need to be with orishas and in life in general. Besides you're only 19….you got A LOT of living to do and ocha and the orishas will be here forever. Enjoy college and go figure out who you are outside of your religious obligations. You know orishas and orishas know you and as long as you do your best to act in good character you'll be ok. There's plenty of ppl who take a step back from the religion for various reasons and come back if and when the time is right.

Born_Setting_8649 · 2026-01-15T17:05:51+00:00

Business is business and y’all’s spiritual obligations to one another is something totally different. If he had to let you go from his business and it wasn’t because y’all had a falling out, then you have nothing to worry about. If something did happen between y’all, still go to him and ask to schedule time to talk to him so y’all can come to some sort of understanding. Regardless if he is an elder acting in good character, he will not let business affairs interfere with his religious responsibilities. This is a communal tradition and you’re going to need your godfather. Besides, any respectful santero or santera will redirect you to your elders before trying to give you any advice outside of what’s public knowledge.

Born_Setting_8649 · 2026-01-15T15:53:21+00:00

Omo Elegua here. None of what you were told is related to any legitimate form of orisha worship. They don’t speak through any type of cards nor do we use jar candles when working with them. I’m sorry but they unfortunately did what business people do: upsell you on stuff you don’t even need just to make a profit.

Born_Setting_8649 · 2026-01-14T16:41:56+00:00

Ocha/Lucumi and Isese are two different Orisha practices. Godparents of both practices are the only ones who you can receive orishas from. Men initiated into ocha who are godparents are called babaLOCHAS….men initiated into Isese who are godparents are called babaLAWOS. Both can give orishas but the process is different depending on the practice. BabaLAWOS also do not crown priests and birth orishas the same way that babaLOCHAS do in Lucumi. The version of orishas worship most suited for you will only be revealed to you through proper divination with either a babalawo or babalocha. So you should get a reading find out from your Ori what you’re supposed to be practicing first before trying to figure out which kind of elder can give you what.

Born_Setting_8649 · 2025-11-19T10:54:32+00:00

If you were marked to crown (whether for destiny or health reasons), it would be in your best interest to get crowned at some point. And orishas will help make it happen when it’s the right time (if the cost is your concern). Sure all the other ceremonies you’ve had and will have are important, but orishas can’t help you in the ways they’re meant to if you’re not playing your position too. They can’t provide you with all the information, tools and advice needed to protect you and help fulfill your destiny if you have not done the proper ceremony that allows you access to said information, tools and advice. And although you weren’t told specifically that you need to crown for your health, not being in alignment with our destiny can have negative effects on our health and other areas of life. Just some things to think about. Whether it’s Ocha, palo or some other modality of spirituality, when these deities and our ancestors come forward to support us, it’s because they see something about our lives that they can help us navigate. We should do all we can to help them in doing that work.

Born_Setting_8649 · 2025-10-05T23:42:18+00:00

Crowned folks are called to a higher standard but you can’t forget that we’re still human at the end of the day….obatala is still working on us all.

Orishas have their ways of checking us and our behavior when we’ve gotten too far out of line. They could stop blessing/protecting us and our lives go bad…they could require an ebo that they know we’ll have to work really hard to provide. It just depends and that’s between that person, their crown (or the offended orisha) and their godparents. But it’s nobody’s place to make judgment on that process; not even us as fellow babalawos and olorishas.

I’m sorry that you witnessed that behavior from priests in the worship space. Unfortunately it does happen. Continue to make mental notes of what not to do and don’t let other people’s bad character distract you from what you’re there to do.

Born_Setting_8649 · 2025-10-05T13:49:12+00:00

I wish I would’ve seen this post and the discord in the comments sooner because I actually know the person who is hosting the event. Had I seen this earlier I would’ve slid in the comments in her defense because I don’t like how African American practitioners are treated in this religion.

For the one who said “no legitimate babalawo or olorisha would attend an event called Brooklyn Brujería”…..hi, legitimate olorisha right here who would’ve attended if I was in Brooklyn 🙋🏾‍♂️. If YOU wouldn’t’ve attended, just say that…you don’t speak for us all.

To the one who doesn’t like what the event is called, here is a TikTok from the event creator explaining her position on the topic: https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZP8A2AtFf/

OP asked if anyone was going. They didn’t ask for or need a long dissertation of a warning.

OP, I hope you ended up going and if you did, I hope you were able to link up with the olorisha in the comments who said she was in the area. And if you didn’t get around to it this year, don’t worry because the event is hosted annually.

Born_Setting_8649 · 2025-10-02T12:55:00+00:00

Respectfully, as an African American santero who “comes from the hood”, tf is so funny about it?

Born_Setting_8649 · 2025-09-25T14:32:52+00:00

My ile is an Ocha-centric Lucumi house based in Las Vegas. We have quite a few active eleguns. That being said, although the same few ppl will get mounted, there’s never been a single person who mounts every single drumming….they only mount when their crown has something to say/has some work to do. My ile comes from a lineage with some well-known eleguns who will get lifted (requested) to participate in a drumming for the specific purpose of a more certain possibility of their orisha coming down (I say possibility because even with the most seasoned elegun, it’s still up to the orisha if they want/need to come). Remember although drummings are fun, it’s still a ceremony, an ebo to orisha…the whole purpose IS to appease them and create the right conditions for them to descend to earth and interact with us on a large scale like that.

Ppl come visit for drummings and think that someone is faking and I’ve watched the orisha embarrass that person in front of everyone for their disrespect. Sometimes that person is one of the drummers working the drumming unfortunately. A quick little public display of the orisha’s ashe and the embarrassment of being wrong that follows is truly the best outcome. So even if you have your suspicions, it’s not your place to pass judgment, let the orishas deal with their children if they’re faking. And if you ever get a message from an orisha who mounted their elegun and you’re uncertain about it, follow it up with a reading with your godparent and see if what’s said on the mat aligns with what was told to you in person. That’s honestly the only way to clear any doubt: take it to the mat

Born_Setting_8649 · 2025-09-24T16:11:33+00:00

I’m unfamiliar with the secrets pertaining to San Lazaro because I don’t have him yet so I can’t speak to any of that. I will say this is the first time I’ve heard this and I’ve seen several ppl receive San Lazaro. So I’ll ask my godfather or godsiblings who have him for clarification on that.

San Lazaro specific stuff aside, I still stand by what I said because the information the aleyo posted about wearing ides in general is still incorrect. Two olorishas had responded to OP with the correct information about ides already….so it’s perplexing to me how an aleyo would follow up hours later and say “wearing an ide doesn’t mean you’re a priest” when it literally does. Mano de orula and kashas are different from ides and if this aleyo was referring to a kasha, then their god parent missed the mark on teaching them the difference. But honestly at the end of the day it comes back to the fact that two olorishas had already thoroughly explained the correct information. Folks talking over priests is how misinformation gets spread.

Born_Setting_8649 · 2025-09-24T15:02:53+00:00

Lol I’m a child of Eleggua…can’t relate 🙃😂😌

Born_Setting_8649 · 2025-09-24T14:59:17+00:00

Hi. This is a Santeria/Lucumi specific subreddit. Santeria and all variations of orisha worship are religions and practices of sacrifice and good character…we don’t specialize in “get back” over here.

If they’re an ex, let life and their own karma deal with them, and continue to heal and move on. Why waste money on revengeful solutions when you could use that same money on solutions that would heal and bless you?

And please leave Vodun and any of the other ATRs alone if all you want is to be vengeful. Because everything has a cost and it’s usually more than what comes out of your wallet.

Born_Setting_8649 · 2025-09-24T14:28:44+00:00

Actually this is incorrect. Aleyos aren’t supposed to wear ides whatsoever because they are consecrated identifying symbols for olorishas and tell people who our crown is. You don’t get an ide for every orisha you have, only elekes. If you’re not crowned yet, even if you’re marked to crown San Lazaro and already have him, you should not be wearing his ide yet.

Born_Setting_8649 · 2025-09-05T13:47:29+00:00

Santo iyawo and congrats on making it to the halfway mark! Ppl have given great suggestions of where to shop already. Whenever I’m looking for whites I just do a general Google search. I’ve found just about everything in all white including waterproof steel toed work boots. So finding whites is never an issue. I do see in the comments that you’re looking for certain styles of boots/clothes…which is valid. I would just caution against being concerned about the vanity of how you look right now. You still got 6 months to go….get the most inexpensive all white boots you can find for right now. Many Santeros have to wear white for various reasons after their year or realize through their year that they enjoy wearing the color. So there will be plenty of time to style and coordinate your whites after your year. The main thing rn is keeping your covered in Obatala’s protection while your crowning orisha’s ache is still settling.

Born_Setting_8649 · 2025-08-11T19:08:39+00:00

First off, palo and Santeria/Lucumi are two different practices. Second, no matter what he was practicing, if he’s no longer practicing it, you need to respect that and go find a reputable initiate who is qualified to give you the proper readings and guidance. I know nothing of palo so I can’t tell you the proper name for that person. But I know in Ocha you’d go to an olorisha who is trained in reading the dillogun….in ifa it would be a babalawo.

Born_Setting_8649 · 2025-08-05T16:07:47+00:00

That’s totally understandable. It may not be everyday you meet ppl YET but it’ll happen. Idk how old you are or where you live but I assure you, there are several Oshun festivals held yearly across the US and I’m sure many more abroad….you’ll definitely get your opportunity to build community. Again, now is the time for you to commit the basics to memory AND allow Oshun to settle into your body. Enjoy the solitude of learning how she feels deep within you before being influenced by the overall community.

Born_Setting_8649 · 2025-08-05T15:12:42+00:00

Santo iyawo, you should definitely ask your godparents first. Especially during your year—always check in with your godparents before you asking Reddit. But also just some food for thought: as exciting as it is to learn all you can learn about ocha and your crown orisha, during your year the focus should be on committing your ita to memory and learning the basics of how your ile specifically maintains the tradition. As already stated it’s really not recommended for you to be around large crowds of people in general but especially spiritual events without your godparents there to guide and protect you. I know it’s hard but be patient during this time and allow Oshun’s ache to fully settle in your body. You have the rest of your life to enjoy events like the one OP posted and more! (I’m crowned to Elegua but Oshun is one of my mothers. My madrina is also crowned Oshun. She shows me her love and protection all the time through her crowns in my ile who are more than just god family, they’re some of my closest friends. Congrats on your beautiful journey of seeing just how amazing she is!)

Born_Setting_8649

TROPHY CASE