The Supreme Court ruled that the City of Hialeah ordinances against the ritual
animal sacrifice in the Santeria church was unconstitutional and that practitioners
of this religion were entitled to conduct their ceremonies as prescribed by their
African traditions and customs. Blood sacrifice, the [worshiping] of
the sacred stones and the ritual use of herbs and plants characterize Santeria as
a true African-American syncretism that grew out of West African Yoruba traditions.
Do you do Animal Sacrifice?
The sacrifice of animals to the Orishas or Spirits is inherent to the practices of Santeria, IFA, and Palo Mayombe.
The blood sacrifices are offerings we give to the Orichas and the Spirits to strengthen the powers of their vessels and to call their attention to specific situations, the animals are sacrificed by skilled initiated priests, with knowledge and training to do this work, the meat is eaten after the ceremonies, unless it is a cleansing ritual or the Orisha or Spirits request to be used differently.
In gifts of animals and plants, we honor the Orishas and Spirits, life for life, Ashé for Ashé, it creates the exchange of energy and brings the Ashé of the Orishas and Spirits to us.
Not all the rituals and services include or require animal sacrifices, only when the Orishas or Spirits request it and they are specific ceremonies for them. Ceremonies are always done to balance and release any energy from the sacrifice itself.
There is nothing evil in this centuries old practice and the only negativity that can come from it is when people who do not have any knowledge or insights tend to judge as diabolic or evil what they do not know.
Animal Sacrifice in the News
4/16/2016
When a newspaper or television channel reports on an activity linked to Santería, it very often focuses on animal sacrifice, either as a denunciation of our "cruelty to animals" or to present us as a menace to the public because we leave decomposing animal carcasses in public places. This puts the idea of animal sacrifice in the forefront of everyone's mind when they think about our religion, usually in the most negative way possible. We need to launch an educational campaign to clarify what our practices really are, and to put the idea of sacrifice in the proper context.
In the Lucumí Religion, animal sacrifice does exist as a practice. And, we can't deny that it's an aspect of the religion that causes contention because it's so open to misunderstanding. A growing number of practitioners of the religion disregard protocol or lack proper training in this matter. And, there are other people who, for one reason or another, appropriate our belief system for their own ends and kill animals in ceremonies that have nothing to do with our religion. An untrained or self-proclaimed "Santero" may throw a plastic bag full of decapitated chickens into the river, where other people, out on a walk, find it washed ashore. Or, he may mistreat or mishandle the animals to be sacrificed, drawing the attention of concerned neighbors. This kind of behavior naturally creates a public spectacle, and it results in bad press for us all. Thankfully, it's not the norm. Animal sacrifice is not done in the way that the media usually shows it, and it's not done as frequently as most people think.
A Priest who has been properly trained in Lucumi practices knows that sacrifices must be done in a particular way and the Ebo (Offering) dealt with appropriately. We respect the environment and don't pollute or contaminate the natural world. We don't leave animal carcasses in places where they will shock and upset people, or cause health problems for the community. When stories appear in the papers about "Santería remains" that have been discarded in an improper way, or animals that have been tortured by so-called Santeros, those of us who practice the religion in a responsible way are the first to feel outrage. Such incidents disguise and distort who we are and what we believe.
Sacrifice takes many forms
There are many, many forms of making a sacrifice, and giving the life of an animal is only one of them, usually reserved for very important and serious occasions, or as the last alternative when all other avenues of resolving a problem have been tried. One of the simplest, most effective and most common "Ebos" or Offerings is cool water (Omi Tutu) and a coconut (Obi) placed on the altar before our Orishas. These small gifts show gratitude and love, and sometimes are all that's needed. Prayers, songs, and spending quiet time in reflection with the Orishas are also effective Ebos. So is behavior modification. Many times, the problems we have in life are caused by our own hot heads or rash actions. We can learn to bite our tongue, control our tempers, think before we speak or act. This is another form of sacrifice, because it takes work on our part to improve our relationship to the world around us.
Fresh fruit is another common offering to the Orishas, along with root vegetables like squash and sweet potatoes. We can cook food for the Orishas (Adimus) and share our meals with them. Each Orisha has his or her favorite dishes, and the time and love we put into preparing them shows a form of devotion. When we offer them food, it represents a sacrifice of time, energy and expense, and creates a bond between us and the Divine. We can put flowers on the altar or light candles. We can decorate their soperas (receptacles where the Orishas live) with beautiful embroidered clothes. We can give the Orishas small presents that they like, such as a fan for Oshun, or a small toy for Eleggua. Our life as religious people consists in large part of making Ebo, but most of the time, it doesn't involve animal sacrifice.
When an Orisha worshipper goes for a Consulta (Divination, or Reading with Shells-Diloggun), if the reading comes in Osogbo (with obstacles or problems), an Ebo needs to be identified that will help solve the problem. A responsible diviner begins with the simple and easy solutions, and only mentions the possible sacrifice of an animal if every other option is rejected first. If an animal is called for to save someone's life or resolve some other serious problem, it should be done by a fully initiated Priest or Priestess who knows how to kill the animal swiftly and with the minimum of suffering. There is a strict protocol to follow. The kind of animal is determined according to the Orisha receiving the offering we give a "feathered animal" (hens, roosters, guinea hens, doves) or on more rare occasions a four-legged animal, usually a goat. We don't sacrifice domestic pets like cats and dogs or other animals like horses. And, we certainly don't do human sacrifice. It seems ludicrous in this day and age that the media would make these accusations against us, yet sometimes they do.
When an animal is offered, it's blessed by those present at the ceremony. We sing and thank the animal for giving its life. The person who offers the animal is very conscious of the fact that the animal is dying on his behalf, and should express the proper humility and gratitude. The ceremony is carried out in a private space, with great seriousness. Afterward, unless the animal has been used to clean the person of some terrible illness or serious witchcraft, the people who participated in the ceremony prepare and eat it in a communal meal. In the event the animal cannot be eaten, the diviner determines how to dispose of it properly. Wherever it goes, it must not contaminate the earth or the waters, and it should not cause other people fear or expose them to potential health problems. In the countryside in Cuba, the animal carcass can be thrown on the roof of the house, where vultures will devour it within the hour. In urban areas in the developed world, the carcass usually ends up in the garbage can. If divination requires that it be left in some other place, like on the railroad tracks or at a crossroad, the diviner must think carefully about how to do that in the least intrusive and offensive way possible. If an isolated area can be found, fine. Otherwise, the Ebo might be placed there only for a few moments while prayers are said, and then removed and placed in the garbage once the symbolic act has been performed. Our religion adapts itself to modern life, and we need to make modifications in the way we dispose of Ebos to do the minimum amount of harm to the world we live in.
Traditions must be respected.
The Lucumi Religion teaches us that nothing in life is free. We must give up something in order to get something. We propitiate and appease the Divine by making sacrifices in different forms. Obviously, most people find the offering of fruit and flowers to be more pleasant than the shedding of an animal's blood. But blood is a powerful life force. Blood contains divine energy. The animal gives its life so we can live. One day we, too, will die and our bodies will feed the earth. Until then, we give offerings in many different forms so that we can have health, prosperity, spiritual evolution, and peace. Everything in the universe involves the exchange of energy. We can shift the energy from bad to good by making Ebo. Our oral histories tell many stories about people who made Ebo and saved themselves, their families, their towns. Making Ebo shows devotion and trust in the power of the Divine. Blood is not the only way to make Ebo, but it is sometimes necessary. We can't overlook it as an option, but we shouldn't turn to it as the first choice. We give animal sacrifice all the respect it deserves, and we don't undertake it lightly.
Today, many people are opposed to the killing of any kind of animal, and yet, not all of these people are vegans or vegetarians. They've created a massive disconnect in their minds between the living animal and the package of chicken breasts they buy at the store. They eat meat at home and in restaurants, without thinking about the animals that died to provide them with that food.
Then there is Duck hunting in many states, Dove Hunting in Georgia and other States, Turkey Hunting, Deer Hunting, Fishing, white-tailed deer, mule deer, moose, elk, caribou, bear, bighorn sheep, pronghorn, boar, javelin, bison.
Small game: rabbit, hare, squirrel, opossum, raccoon, porcupine, skunk, ring-tailed cat, armadillo, ruffed grouse.
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Turkey. ...
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Grizzly Bear. ...
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Gray Wolf. ...
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Canada Moose. ...
Furbearers: beaver, red fox, mink, pine marten, musk rat, otter, bobcat. These animals are hunted and killed in a very cruel way, to be taken to a taxidermist to then be placed on a wall or desk??? SMH!!!
Our religion teaches us to honor our ancestors and respect traditions. Our ancestors were, by and large, poor people who didn't have meat in their diet every day. But, when it was necessary to sacrifice a hen or a goat to make Ebo, they did it. They offered the animal first to the Orishas, and then nourished their bodies with food they had made sacred by praying over it. Today, when we sacrifice an animal, it's with the same desire to connect our bodies, minds and spirits to our actions, to take ownership and responsibility for what we do, to do it with respect and gratitude, to control excesses and not go to extremes, not create public spectacles or hazards, and to above all, follow religious protocol in these matters, so our actions are not taken out of context and judged in a bad light.
We have protection under the constitution of the United States to practice our religion in peace, and this includes the right to do animal sacrifice in a religious ceremony when necessary. But, although it is our legal right, we're often challenged by people who think the constitution doesn't stretch to include us. We've experienced discrimination, prejudice and hate crimes for our beliefs. When the media misrepresents us and portrays us all in a negative light, it fuels the fear and suspicion some people have of those who are different from them. Our religion comes from Africa via Latin America. Although today it's practiced by people of all races, ethnicities and backgrounds, it still has an aura of the foreign about it. It's easy for other people to point fingers at us and find fault with what we do, and yet, when we start to deny people their constitutional rights on the basis of religious discrimination, we're opening the doors to other problems. If you deny us our constitutional rights today, who will protect your rights tomorrow when someone wants to take them away?
Are there present day religions that still practice animal sacrfices?
Yes, quite a few of them. It’s done by some sects in Santeria and Vodoun, and a number of temples to the goddess Kali conduct mass animal sacrifice on a daily basis, as worshippers bring their animals to be sacrified. (The animals are then butchered, cooked, and eaten, as is the case with the majority of animal sacrifices). There are others as well.
USA does it to turkeys at Thanksgiving, a semi-religious holiday.
VooDoo, chickens. Yes, animal sacrifice is common.
Although many will disagree with me, I believe that sacrifice is essential to engaged spirituality.
To be clear, I can sacrifice in many different ways. I can prepare a meal for The Holy Powers and the time and the energy I put into my hot stove is a sacrifice. I can go out on a Nature walk and I can collect nuts, berries and flowers and give it as an offering and the energy I put into my hike is a sacrifice. What most people are opposed it is, of course, animal sacrifice.
If you're going to be an animistic spirit worker, then you can't, IMO, prioritize life forms by what's more like you. That carrot and those celery sticks you're giving have souls, just like the animals do. To prioritize life like this is very hypocritical.
On the other hand, I do agree that it's not very practical in most situations in contemporary western culture. Living in an apartment and sacrificing a chicken without any experience will get you in trouble, and I believe that the Gods (or in this case, the Orishas) are understanding and not hard headed and stubborn.
Think of it as inviting a guest into your home. You open up your fridge and say "what do you want to eat?" and he or she sees an abundance of frozen pizzas and says "I'll take a pizza thanks". Show hospitality and GIVE them a pizza! You don't say "hmm well I don't feel like giving you a pizza, have a carrot" No! That's just not good manners.
A guest, especially a divine one, IMO isn't going to look and ask for steak when all you have is broccoli, eggs and frozen dinners.
Basically it's not about being macho and killing an animal. It's not about anthropocentrism. It's about hospitality and just plane good manners. You have someone coming into your home, giving you gifts from wisdom, insight, advice, comfort or may be even saving your life! I wouldn't be alive if it weren't for my ancestors intervening. So how can you not give a good quality gift if you have it?
Animal protection authorities, meanwhile, said killing animals such as chicken and goats isn’t illegal. Both are routinely slaughtered for human consumption, not only in commercial facilities but also in residential settings, urban and rural.
Santeria does, and is still legal in the United States of America thanks to a Supreme Court ruling on the matter:
Church of the Lukumi Babalu Aye v. City of Hialeah
Note: The following text is a transcription of the First Ten Amendments to the Constitution in their original form. These Amendments were ratified December 15, 1791, and form what is known as the "Bill of Rights."
Amendment I
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of Religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Amendment II
A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.
Amendment III
No Soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house, without the consent of the Owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law.
Amendment IV
The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.
Amendment V
No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.
Amendment VI
In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defence.
Amendment VII
In Suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury, shall be otherwise re-examined in any Court of the United States, than according to the rules of the common law.
Amendment VIII
Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.
Amendment IX
The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.
Amendment X
The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.
Ritual context
The traditions which include sacrifice vary widely, crossing racial, ethnic, and religious lines. While there are sacrificial practices in all of the three major branches of Abrahamic religion, discussing them could distract from understanding the Pagan context. That includes sacrifice as it is understood in polytheist and African traditional religions, both of which categories have some participants who identify as Pagan. Confining the discussion in this way still results in a huge diversity of sacred practices, but clear similarities emerge.
Consent seems to be universal among these religions, and it must be obtained from the participants, the deities, and the animals involved. No one should participate in animal sacrifice if it makes them uncomfortable or violates taboos. This act is also not performed simply to do it; divination is generally used to confirm that a particular deity wants such an offering in the first place. Divination is also one of the ways that the consent of the animal is established. Although, an experienced Priest may also observe the animal’s body language and ascertain the emotional state of the creature.
Lilith Dorsey
While sacrificed animals are often offered in part (or, in some cases, entirely) to the God or Gods in question, that is not the only reason these rites are performed. This is a detail touched on by Lilith Dorsey, author of the blog Voodoo Universe, when she spoke to us for this story:
I understand that this is a very difficult topic for many, and is obviously one that I could speak about for volumes. Let me start by saying I am an anthropologist, filmmaker and author in addition to being an initiated practitioner of Haitian Vodou and La Regla Lucumi (more mistakenly known as Santeria), both of which include animal sacrifice as part of their rites.
Sacrifice is performed for annual feasts and also to heal individual issues. The way I explain it to people is that if you went to a medical doctor and was told that in order to save the life of a loved one you needed to give them medicine that came from a chicken gizzard, would you do it? If you would offer up the human life refusing on moral grounds, then my hat is off to you. There are several African Traditional Religious houses you can join that do not practice sacrifice of animals. Most people would choose their daughter, their father, or their true love over a chicken, and then the issue really comes to light, which is one of faith.This is a spiritual prescription, you can choose to take it or not. People put much more faith in modern medicine than they do in “scary” (meaning unknown and stereotyped) magicks that may, in reality, be much more effective. This is just one reason we perform these sacrifices, to heal. Another reason is for feasts where the ritual animals are very often eaten, which seems to quell a lot of peoples’ fears. For practitioners, myself included, the animals for ceremony are just what the Orisha or Loa (divine forces) eat. The same way lions are fed steak, the energies call for this type of offering. This is substantiated by time, tradition, divination, and success rate. People who perform these sacrifices are also highly trained, both in the spiritual art and practical design of carrying out these sacred rites. The implementation in most cases is much more humane than your friendly neighborhood slaughterhouse.
Unless you get all of your meat from local-sourced, free-range, organic farms who practice ethical slaughter you’ve got no room to object. Animals are tortured, raised in filth and never permitted to move about, pumped full of dangerous chemicals and antibiotics, shipped ridiculously long distances so that their meat can end up at your neighborhood supermarket or fast food chain. How is that preferable to what we’re doing? And if you’re a vegetarian or vegan, you do realize that you’re still responsible for the taking of life, right? Life that science is increasingly coming to recognize as sentient and capable of suffering. All you’re doing is prioritizing one form of life over another — a form of life, by the way, that unlike all other forms of life derives its nutrients from sun, soil and water, and therefore causes no harm to other living creatures. If you’re strictly approaching this from an ethical position, plants are the most innocent things on this planet and so should be spared from predation.
Animals are cooked and eaten following all Santeria rituals (except healing and death rites, where the sickness is believed to pass into the dead animal). Eating the sacrificed animal is considered a sharing with the Orisha, who only consumes the animal's blood, while the worshippers eat the meat. Sep 15, 2009
Ebo (Cleansing)
Ebó is a ritual offering or sacrifice as dictated by divination. Ebó is one of the cornerstones of the Santeria Religion, and it is the tool that we have been given by the Orishas to change our fate and return our lives to a balanced and healthy state.
Ebo takes many forms. It can be an offering of fresh fruits, ritual baths, offerings of cooked foods, undergoing Initiation, receiving an Orisha, or animal sacrifice to name a few. In every case, Ebó is marked through divination (either through Obí divination, Diloggun divination or Ifá divination) as the required remedy to bring a person out of an unbalanced place and put them back into a state of balance. A properly recommended Ebo can create miraculous change in a person’s life, and it can literally turn their life course in a new direction.
Addimu (Cooked Offerings)
Addimús are cooked foods that are token offerings of love and thanks to the Orishas or to the Ancestors. These are typically foods that the Lucumi (Lukumi) people ate in their diet. There are a slew of Addimús that a diviner can mark for a person to offer, but each Orisha typically likes a certain set of foods. While Chango might like amaláilá (cooked cornmeal and okra), Oyá might like a nice chocolate pudding. Traditional Addimús include black eyed pea fritters, corn tamales, balls of toasted wheat flour and condensed milk, boiled ñame root, or ochinchín (an egg scramble made with shrimp and greens). Addimús must be marked in divination and then placed beside the Orisha with a prayer of offering and thanks. We prepare Addimús for clients and place them on our Orisha shrines. This is a simple service that is done in conjunction with Diloggun divination.
Isoguí (Fruit Offerings)
Another form of Ebó is to offer the Orishas their favorite fresh fruits. Typically these are best if all picked from the same tree – or (the modern day equivalent) purchased in the same store. Each Orisha has fruits that are their favorite. Isoguí should be marked through divination as with all other Ebos, but they can be given as a token of the heart as well. Fruits are always a safe bet when making offerings to the Orishas. If you visit our Church and want to bring an offering for the Orishas, fruits are probably the best choice but ask before deciding what to offer.
Eyebale (Blood Sacrifice)
Animals deserve to be treated ethically prior to sacrifice.
Occasionally a major Ebó will require blood sacrifice. This is one of the more controversial parts of the Santeria faith, but we want to demystify the practice for those who may not understand its function. Within Santeria blood sacrifice is only done with the kinds of animals you’d find on a farm: chickens, roosters, goats, sheep, pigeons, etc. It is a required part of any initiation (Elekes, Warriors, Orisha Addimú, Kariocha) and without blood sacrifice you do not have the presence of the Orishas in that ritual, and you do not have a legitimate consecration. This is an ancient and traditional practice upheld by the culture bearers of our religion and is not something that can be excluded in said rituals.
Animal sacrifice is something that should be done with great respect to the animal, making sure they are given plenty of food and water as well as room to move about while in holding prior to the ritual. The sacrifice method commonly used in Santeria involves the severing of the carotid arteries with a knife to cause the animal to pass out before it dies. This is one of the most humane ways of killing an animal and is nearly identical to the way animals are handled with Kosher and Halal religious slaughter techniques. Most often the animals for major initiations are then butchered and the meat is cooked and shared with the community. The Orishas or Ancestors eat the blood, and the people eat the meat. It is an act of communion with the spirits.
This serious Ebó is done when it is absolutely necessary. We try to find simpler solutions like Addimú before resorting to Eyebale. Eyebale (Animal Sacrifice) is a legally protected form of religious practice according to the decision by the Supreme Court of the United States in the 1993 case of The Church of Lukumi Babalu Aye vs. the City of Hialeah. SAFE – Santeros Against Fraud and Exploitation, takes a strong stance on the ethical treatment of animals prior to sacrifice and adherence to proper ritual slaughter of animals.
https://constitution.findlaw.com/amendment1.html
https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/508/520/#tab-opinion-1959281
https://www.oyez.org/cases/1992/91-948
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_the_Lukumi_Babalu_Aye_v._City_of_Hialeah
https://www.law.cornell.edu/supremecourt/text/508/520
