Interested in African Religious Traditions? Find an Elder and Read These Books
I Can Reject the Abrahamic World View and Still Be Religious
In the post Lemonade universe, I’ve received an unusual number of requests for books that provide reliable information on African Religious Traditions [ATRs] in general, and my spiritual practice (Lucumi, known to many as Santeria) specifically. I was initiated in Lukumi to Dada (my mother is Oshun) in 2012 in Miami, Fl under the tutelage of my god-mother, Iya Asabi Agonogolou and my ojubona and oriate, Miguel Willie Ramos, Ilari Oba.
African Religious Traditions Also Have Rules and Structure
You should note that before providing you with any information about the religion I provided you [the reader], with four key pieces of information: (1) that I am an initiated priest in the (2) Lukumi system, (3) when/where I was initiated and (4) who initiated me [my elders].
Be clear, before you engage with/hire any spiritualist, priest, medium, or reader, online, offline, over the phone, or via introduction, you must ask for these four pieces of information. If the person you would like to work with fails to readily; tell you about their spiritual training, name their elders, and clearly articulate the name[s] of the spiritual tradition[s] they work within, you need to run, not walk, away from the individual[s] in question as soon as possible.
Who You Choose as Your Elder Is One of the Defining Characteristics of Your Religious Journey
It is important to know the religious lineage of any spiritual worker that you consider working with or learning from. While there are now plenty of books’ and materials about a variety of different ATR’s, ultimately these are oral traditions. As such, everything you know and are, as a priest, is a holistic composite of the elders who trained you. Besides choosing which religion you will practice and ultimately be initiated in. The elders and the religious lineage you choose is the most significant decision you will make during your ATR journey.
There is a Lot to Read Out There, But Choose Your Books Carefully
With that said, if you are in the early stages of your trek and you are interested in learning more about ATR’s, there is plenty of good work out there for you to read. Below I have compiled a list of reputable and legitimate books about a variety of traditions and practices. Of course, as with anything, take everything you read with a grain of salt. At the end of the day, nothing can ever replace the wisdom and the guidance of an elder.
An Intro List of Legit Books That Cover Topics Across the African Religious Tradition[s]
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On the Orishas’ Roads and Pathways: Oshun Deity of Femininity by Miguel W. Ramos
- On the Orishas’ Roads and Pathways: Obatalá, Odúa, Oduduwa by Miguel W. Ramos
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The Altar of my Soul: The Living Traditions of Santeria by Marta Morena Vega
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Finding Soul on the Path of Orisa: A West African Spiritual Tradition by Tobe Melora Correal
- Ritual: Power, Healing and Community by Malidome Some
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Tell My Horse: Voodoo and Life in Haiti and Jamaica by Zora Neale Hurston
- Religion in the Kitchen: Cooking, Talking, and the Making of Black Atlantic Traditions by Elizabeth Perez
- SEA EL SANTISIMO – A Manual for Misa Espiritual & Mediumship Development by Mario dos Ventos
Listen to Your Elders first, Read Second…
Good luck as you move forward with your journey and your research. As you develop in the religion remember that nothing is ever as important as sitting at the feet of your elder[s].
Moferefun Dada,
Omolowori.
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Alex Moffett-Bateau / Prof MB (she/they) holds a PhD in political science from the University of Chicago and BA in political science + African American Studies from the University of Michigan. She is an assistant professor of political science at the City University of New York. Their research and writing focus on extra-systemic and subversive politics. Her manuscript in progress argues, in order to accurately understand the political engagement of Black women living in poverty, a fundamental expansion and redefinition of what is considered, “political” is needed. Prof MB is a public speaker, consultant, and podcaster. She is a political knowledge worker whose focus is on Black feminist + disability justice political education. Prof MB is originally from Detroit and now makes her home in New York City.
This advice can’t be repeated enough. I see even the best intentioned aleyos or new aborisha mess this up, badly; even those who already have trusted elders at their fingertips. Is it mostly here in the U.S.? Do the values of individual expression and freedom interfere with cultural assimilation to ATR practice? I find a tendency in today’s generation to “do research” and later approach elders or simply “do research” and assume they know. Few also seem to be able to hold back their burning desire to know things before their time, not realizing that they neither have the foundation to support that level of information nor the experience to be able to use it. They feel slighted by being told to wait or that they haven’t reached the proper level of initiation to acquire that knowledge. All in all, online accessibility seems to breed several things: 1) the false impression of “knowing it all” that comes through access to decontextualized knowledge; 2) confusion and conflicted feelings about Ocha when folks run across variations according to ile; and 3) devaluation of the mentorship offered in the godparent-child relationship. In any case, it leads to willful and unnecessary challenges to authority and accumulated wisdom and weakens the fabric of long-established social structures.