Raul Canizares

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Cuban Santeria

INITIATED INTO THE Santeria priesthood at the age of seven, Raul Canizares unveils in this book the secret and seductive world of this rapidly growing, yet largely misunderstood, Afro-Cuban Religion. With the knowledge of an insider ant the insight of a scholar, Canizares examines the practice of Santeria, revealing many of its previously hidden dimensions while at the same time providing a fascinating account of its textured mix of African, Cuban and Catholic tradition.

The Cuban-born Canizares describes the practices and rituals of the followers of Santeria - from magical herbal prescription and healing to spiritism and animal sacrifice - and explains how for many years the religion has been maintained under the guise of Catholicism to avoid religious persecution. Most initiates are sworn to a code of silence, but Canizares believes that the resilience, out of the darkness and into the light so that a more accurate picture of this rich tradition can emerge. Eleven color plates and black-anc-white illustrations enhance the text and further evoke the potent spirit of Santeria.

Initiated into the Santeria priesthood at the age of seven, Raul Canizares unveils in Cuban Santeriathe secret and seductive world of this rapidly growing, yet largely misunderstood, Afro-Cuban religion. With the knowledge of an insider and the insight of a scholar, Canizares astutely examines the practice of Santeria, revealing many of its hidden dimensions while simultaneously providing a fascinating account of its unique textured mix of African, Cuban, and Catholic traditions. The Cuban-born author describes the practices and rituals of the followers of Santeria--from magical herbal prescription and healing to spiritism and animal sacrifice--and explains how for many years the religion has been maintained under the guise of Catholicism to avoid religious persecution. Most initiates are sworn to a code of silence, but Canizares believes that the time has come to move Santeria, a religion of beauty and resilience, out of the darkness and into the light so that a more accurate picture of this rich tradition can emerge.