I've been sitting on how to write about this divinity. Of all the cultural deities I've written about, the Orishas of Vodun and Santeria, tend to give me the most pause. I'm a child of the 80's, Angel Heart is alive in my subconscious I think. I spend a lot of time searching for something that I could, should write about Ogun. Today I stumbled upon a website that took me to my source. I give you my ode.
PaganSquare
PaganSquare is a community blog space where Pagans can discuss topics relevant to the life and spiritual practice of all Pagans.
On September 22, 1862, Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. This is an excellent opportunity to celebrate freedom from oppression for the hardy and deeply spiritual Africans who kept their own religions alive despite the incredible odds against them. African slaves brought their native religion with them wherever they went. African spirituality is based on nature—water, rivers, plants, seashells, and all the elements of the world around them. When the Africans came to the Catholic lands in Central and South America, their African deities were blended with Catholic saints to make an interesting new religion called Santeria. It was their way of keeping their African religion alive, and it has worked well. These orishas are spirit guardians, similar to those honored in Candomble. All of life is believed to come from one great creative force, Oloddumare. Practitioners of Santeria believe that everyone has one orisha as a guardian throughout his or her life.
• Aganyu corresponds to Saint Christopher. This volcano god is the father of Chango and whose mother is Yemmu. He can protect you from harm but only if you make your appeal through Chango.
...In Cuba, Santeria practitioners look with hope to the new year. Progressive Christians take a look at some of the problematic narratives surrounding Mary. And finally both Jews and Muslims come together to fight prejudice. It's Faithful Friday, our news segment about faiths and religious communities from around the world. All this and more for the Pagan News Beagle!
Cubans celebrate their dual faiths of Catholicism and Santería. The dwindling Parsi (Zoroastrian) community of Pakistan struggles to survive. And online atheists grapple with sexism in their movement. It's Faithful Friday, our weekly discussion of religion and religious communities from around the globe. All this and more for the Pagan News Beagle!
It's Watery Wednesday at the Pagan News Beagle: the day we share stories of our many communities.
The Wild Hunt offers a report from this year's PaganSpiritGathering (Circle Sanctuary.) http://wildhunt.org/2014/07/guest-post-the-heart-and-harmony-of-pagan-spirit-gathering.html
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Thanks for boosting the signal about the New Alexandrian Library project. Blessings, Ivo