SANTERISMO
As I have stated in Cuba because of the greater African population, the rites, ceremonies, traditions, songs, names and legends of the African way survived as a strong religious movement that became known as La Regla de Ocha, or Lukumi, "known around the world as Santeria". In 1959 because of the Cuban Revolution, many Cubans migrated to Florida and New York and many took up residence in New Yorks Puerto Rican barrios such as Spanish Harlem and Hells Kitchen. Soon Cuban Santeros and Puerto Rican Espiritistas where intermingling religious and spiritual ideas. Similar to what had happened with Haitians and Dominicans migrating into Puerto Rico, and creating Sance, Espiritismo Criollo became infused into Cuban Santeria, and the term Santerismo and Santerista was born. Although many Puerto Ricans became initiated into Cuban Lukumi, many kept hold of their Espiritismo values and ideas. "One major Espiritismo Criolla value that has been held in both Santerismo and Sance, is the lack of blood animal sacrifices". This continued on until the 1970s, but in those days it was impossible to visit a Puerto Rican Centro Espirista without seeing statues of the African Gods, mainly Yemaya and Chango Macho amongst the Catholic Saints. It was not until the early 1980s when Espiritismo and Santerismo had succumbed to Lukumi, as many Puerto Ricans flocked to Cuban Santeros and Babalawos. Many Puerto Ricans who where once Espiritistas also became crowned into Ocha.
But Espiritismo Criollo did not completely succumb, as many Peruvians and Puerto Ricans continued to practice the ways of their Ancestors. Some did not agree completely with the high costs of initiation into Cuban Santeria and its restrictions, and Santerismo continued to be worked alongside Espiritismo.
In Santerismo there is no Kariocha ceremony, and a baptismal ceremony is often done to its participants. Although many who practice Santerismo do include the African Orishas, with honoring the Catholic Saints and the Ancestors. Most of those who practiced Santerismo did not do it in the Centros and Templos as was used in Espiritismo. The ceremonies and fiestas de Santos where conducted in homes or apartment buildings where Puerto Ricans resided and its practices where always tight knit, often practiced by family members.
Santerismo shares many similarities to Puerto Rican Sance in its practices, with the exception that a follower of Santerismo uses the term Santero or Santerista as was once used by the Puerto Rican Santeros of old, while a practitioner of Sance uses Sancista or Sancerista. Many Sancistas and Santeristas hold true to their Espiritismo practices. The mediums of both Sance and Santerismo have the abilities to communicate with the Dead but also can mount Orisha, Cemi, Loases, Spirits of the Comisiones, en Corrientes and Emisarios de los Santos.
The leader who is the Presidente de Mesa is called the Padrino or Madrina, and the mediums are known as Ahijados. Both Sance, Santerismo and Espiritismo Criollo require spiritual development, which takes years, and one must demonstrate great spiritual faculties and entendimiento before sitting at the head center of a Mesa Espiritual. While both Espiritismo Criollo and Santerismo require a ritual bautismo "such as Bautismo de Agua and Bautismo de Fuego" in order to become either an Espiritista or Santerista, Sance requires lengthily ceremonies and presentations which often take a week, but this does not mean one is to sit at the head of la mesa, again this requires years of spiritual development and growth. Usually at these times these individuals are ahijados or apprentices.
In all Misas or Veladas in both Santerismo and Sance, the Santerista or Sancista often prays before the Santuario of the dead then the Tableau de los Santos, "the first also known as La Mesa or Boveda", and then prays on a seperate altar to a certain division of Saints, which consists of African and Indigenous Spirits. This altar is known as el Santuario or Tableau Espiritual. Then the leader who is know as the Presidente de Mesa takes his place on the Mesa Blanca which is surrounded by other Mediums, usually the Mediamnidad de Mano Derecha and other Mediums of different Spiritual development sitting around him, from highly developed sitting closer to apprentices sitting at the far ends of the mesa blanca. Misas and Sesiones are often begun with ritual cleanings using a sahumerio which consists of a burning charcoal with coffee grounds and garlic skin, herbs and resins to extract evil entities and a lavada or Agua Florida, Agua Bendita and Kolonia 1800 to sprinkle on the location and of all those who are participating to ensure no negative, earth bound spirits or evil entities come through. Then prayers and songs are often sung, and the Oricha and Loases are called on. In Sance it is begun with San Antonio de Padua who is viewed as Papa Legba while in Santerismo it is San Hilarion who is synchronized with Leggua or Leccua. Many poorer Puerto Ricans use tapes or recordings of Afro Cuban or Dominican religious music, others clap and sing Christian hymmes, while others also higher drummers who play Afro Puerto Rican Bomba and Plena.
Unlike Haitian and Santeria Fete and Fiestas that are done at night and last until the next day. Most Santerismo and Sance fiestas can be done at any time of the day and often end by 2:00 in the morning the latest.
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