THE ORISHAS Seven Powers of the Yoruba Religion

nThe goal of this book is to help you find your Orisha path. Each person has a camino (path) they are meant to walk, and an Orisha meant to guide them. Fostering connections with your path and your guardian Orisha links your presence in the physical world more strongly with the spirit world.

Orisha is found throughout the Americas, and in West Africa. It maintains one of the strongest oral traditions in practiced religion, and some estimates date it back to the 8th century A.D. Though there are countless Orisha, this book covers the eight main Orisha: Elegua, Yemaya, Oshun, Chango, Obatala, Oya, Orunmila and Ogun. These Orisha are often called the Seven African Powers (Oya and Orunmila replace one another within the Seven African Powers, depending on region), and each exerts control over the ebbs and flows of our lives.

As you read of the Seven African Powers, my hope is that you gravitate toward one of them. While there are initiations and divinations which can more concretely set one in their Orisha path, the first step in finding one's path is to learn of the Orisha.

A journey with the Orisha is spiritually enriching, and can bring clarity to situations which remain obscure. Each Orisha has preferred numbers, colors, and offerings. These will be covered, as will their stories, and the proper rituals through which you may reach them. Ultimately, your journey with the Orisha is your own, but hopefully this book can act as a guiding hand, so that you may find your path with one of them.