The Bajada

Looking at my notes, it's been just over a year since I had the registro with Eleggua. Last night, I had the bajada. Also called el angel de la guardia (guardian angel), it is the reading where you discover which Orisha rules your crown.

I went to my padrino's (my godfather in the religion) for the reading. The Oba Oriate (the high priest of Santeria), a priest of Eleggua, showed up shortly after. I'd heard of this man, but he didn't look at all the way I expected him to. I really liked him though. There was something very familiar about him and he was very patient and friendly. I just got a good vibe from him.

The setup was basically the same as with the registro. A square of clean, white cloth was laid on the floor. The Oba sat on a pillow. There were a couple of white plates, the obi (the divining coconut), and the diloggun (the divining cowrie shells). I sat on a little stool in front of the Oba. Padrino sat behind me and his brother/godchild, my friend P, sat nearby taking notes. After some prayers, we began with the coconut divination which is conducted with four rinds tossed and read depending on how they fall. I got itagua twice (three white sides up, one brown side down), which indicates a positive response. Then the Oba put those aside and picked up the diloggun.

The cowrie shells are the mouths of the Orishas. I wish I could better explain how this works, but it's a complicated numerical system that I don't really understand. One of the first things that is determined is whether the cowrie shells come with ire (good luck, positive, etc.) or osobo. Mine came with ire, but Oshun did have a few things to say.

Because Padrino is a son of Oshun, his cowrie shells are used and she speaks. She was gentle and kind, which was a relief. She advised me to take it easy at work, be patient, and control my attitude as I'm the one who stands to lose. She also warned me about my father's health, about his heart, that he needs to take better care of himself. She said I could take better care of myself as well.

Then it was time to ask the Orishas about my crown. The Oba threw the cowrie shells and some number came out (I think it was three, but I'm not sure). A limited number of Orishas speak through that number so he asked those first. Obatala? No. Chango? No. Yemaya? No. Oshun? No. There was some surprise and confusion at this point. The Oba said it was time to start at the beginning. In the hierarchy, that's with the Warriors. Eleggua? No. Ogun? Yes! In a house full of children of Oshun and Yemaya, Padrino said it was a refreshing change.

That was pretty much the conclusion of the reading. There was something about Olokun, an offering I need to make. I'll be receiving the notes from the reading and an explanation at a later time. I was relieved that there were no bad news nor pressure to initiate. For now, I have a lot of learning to do. Even though I received my Warriors in July 2008, I know next to nothing about Ogun.

Some quick reading in a few books I have reveal Ogun is the divine iron worker who rules over work and human effort. He's a tireless worker, rules all metals, and is associated with civilization, technology, and the heart. He's also a violent, destructive figure. P compared him to Ares and Hephaestus rolled into one. He added that whereas Chango is the pretty boy warrior, Ogun is the blood-covered warrior. You don't get more masculine than those two, he said. P also said Ogun loves his daughters and that his initiation ceremony is beautiful and very complicated. His colors are black and green, the machete is one of his tools, and he often wears a grass skirt to show his association with the forest. He is received in a cauldron rather than a sopera (soup tureen) and his daughters wear the male initiatory costume, a regal suit instead of a dress and with a hat rather than a crown.

I'm really happy with the results. I have a lot to learn about Ogun, but it's cool to have an unusual head and I'm loving what I've started reading about him. A quick search in Google yielded some cool images: