Honoring the Orishas: An Exploration of Afro-Caribbean Mythologies and How They Still Influence Spiritual Practices

Afro-Caribbean spiritual traditions are rich in lore and include a cast of deities with complicated backstories and personalities – as well as rituals to honor and curry their favor – that rival the Greco-Roman pantheon of gods and demigods we’re most familiar with in the United States. In Miami, where the migration patterns of many Caribbean peoples have intersected and settled throughout history, these spiritual traditions are known by various names: Santeria or Regla de Osha (Cuba); Voudoun (Haiti); Obeah (Jamaica); and Candomble (Brazil). These traditions, though they vary from country to country, are all descended from Yoruba (Western Africa/Nigeria), Kongo (South-Central Africa), Fon (West Africa), and Ashanti (West Africa) spiritual practices, brought to the region by enslaved people and sustained in the “New World,” often by cloaking them with Catholic iconography and worldviews. From generation to generation, these ritual observances have flourished and adapted in ways unique to shifting geographies, cultures, and the passage of time. Now, there is a return to recognizably West-Central African roots as modern practitioners no longer feel the need to hide these observances. In this engaging conversation, experts in various traditions will share the stories of the Orishas and the lwa deities – who they are and what they do – to introduce, or deepen, our understanding of rituals practiced widely throughout the Caribbean and diaspora. Moderated by Florida International University’s Jeff Gonzalez, assistant teaching professor of religious studies and associate dean, Steven J. Green School of International and Public Affairs.

Presented as part of the 2024 NEA Big Read Miami.