by Lionel
In Greek theology, Mnemosyne and Zeus had nine daughters, who became the Muses, each of whom inspired a different form of art. Terpsichore was the muse of dancing and choral music. Aristotle was enthusiastic about both dancing and poetry, and could clearly see their rhythmic similarities. He noted the skill with which the best Greek dancers combined rhythm and gesture to express emotion. The Greek sculptors also knew this, and used the dancers as models for their best statues.
The ancient dance forms and styles from Africa are what choreographers would term polycentric. For exponents of genuine African dancing, the body is not regarded as an inflexible unit: it has numerous centres of movement. The feet, hands, legs, arms, shoulders, thorax, and pelvis — even the head — can move independently. It is as if the body were a formation team of independent dancers working in harmony — but not in unison. A talented and perceptive dancer also seems able to envisage a spheroid parameter inside which the different elements of the body are moving. It’s as if the body became a miniature solar system inside which planets and satellites moved in different ways.
Dancing within the labyrinth pattern.
Like the ancient Greeks, gifted African dancers are able to express feelings — but with Santerian dancers there seems to be a two-way traffic of messages and emotions that use the dance movements as a medium. Gifted dancers at an Obeah ceremony seem able to transmit and receive during the performance. The unanswered questions remain: Are they really communicating with saints/Orishas, who are objective, external, psychic entities? Are the powerful sensations of giving and receiving paranormal messages an expression of the dancers’ communications with their own inner selves, their subconscious or superconscious minds? In the altered state of consciousness induced by rhythmic drumming, piquant melodies, and exquisite dance movements, are the dancers actually communicating with one another telepathically? Could it be that the priest or priestess conducting the ceremony is able to communicate mentally with the entire congregation simultaneously during the music, drumming, and dancing?
In addition to the harmonized dance movements of the various parts of an individual’s body, there is also a collective unity in the dancers as a group. Biologists think in terms of muscle tissue, bone tissue, lung tissue, and the other specific tissues that make up an organ such as the heart or liver. They also talk of a group of organs such as the mouth, gullet, stomach, and other parts of the alimentary canal as systems in which several different organs co-operate to perform a specific biological function. Is there a parallel here with what goes on at an intellectual and spiritual level during Santerian group dances? Are the different sets and gestalts created by the dancers the psychic equivalent of organ systems in a biological organism?
In examining Santerian melody, harmony, drumming, and dancing, the same problems are posed that confronted the researchers in Chapter Seven. All three elements play an important role in Santerian religious experience, but is what takes place at the ceremony the opening of a portal through which internal powers are liberated? Or do the altered and enhanced mental states of the worshippers produce the remarkable psychic phenomena?
Once the trance takes effect, the magic of the music and the powerful rhythmic drumming and dancing all impinge upon the worshippers. Inexplicably strange things apparently happen during the ceremonies. The real origins of those uncanny Santerian phenomena are at the centre of the mystery that surrounds all of the bewildering syncretistic religions.
These strange Santerian ceremonies and sacrifices involving traditional Christian saints and ageless African Orishas are mixtures of hypnotic liturgies and rituals, which seem to reinforce and expand the minds of the worshippers, largely because of the neuropsychological effects of the music, drumming, and dancing.
Analyzing the probable causes of Santerian power, however, does not reveal the extent of the power. Knowing that a simple dynamo generates electrical energy does not reveal that the electricity so produced can save cardiac patients whose hearts have stopped, operate computers, generate surgical laser beams, produce images and sounds on television screens, and cook food or freeze it. Chapter Nine looks in depth at what can apparently be done with this enigmatic Santerian power during some strange ceremonies and sacrifices.
Chapter 9
STRANGE CEREMONIES AND SACRIFICES
So far, we have examined the underlying principles of Santeria and similar religions, together with the hypnotic elements of their liturgies and rituals. We have also looked at some of the effects of their music, drumming, and dancing. It is now possible to scrutinize their ceremonies and sacrifices per se and to look at the results that are claimed for them.
Historians and logicians are aware of the old post hoc ergo propter hoc fallacy that was always part of medieval university courses in logic. The Latin translates to “after this, therefore because of this.” Common sense observations and everyday experience make it plain that an earlier event is not necessarily the cause of a later one simply because the two phenomena occurred one after the other.
The shaman or medicine man who puts on a cloak of blue and green feathers and then dances energetically in the centre of the village is unlikely to have caused the rain that falls as his dance ends. He may simply be a natural meteorologist who can discern the signs of approaching rain earlier than most of his peers. Then he dons his cloak and starts his dance conveniently just before the first drops fall.
It is not totally beyond the bounds of reason to suggest that there might be some strange, magical connection between his coloured cloak, the elaborate steps that he dances, and the precipitation that follows. It is highly improbable — but not impossible. The more we learn of science and of some of the least expected links between cause and effect, the more miraculous and mysterious our enigmatic universe becomes. Because there are no certainties, we have to calculate mathematical probabilities in a way that would have delighted the Pythagoreans.
Nevertheless, our post hoc ergo propter hoc fallacy is an essential guide and companion, an intellectual safety officer for those who study what happens at Santerian ceremonies.
Human sacrifice in ancient times.
Because health and healing are of primary importance to everyone, it is natural to find that they are central to Santerian worship. The interaction between mind and body is indisputable. As in the Latin motto mens sana in corpore sano, physical and mental health are mutually reinforcing. Schwartz and Russek (1999) performed some very interesting research in this field, which produced strong evidence that there are transmissions of energy between people who are communicating with one another — in the way that psychic healers communicate with their patients.
Eric Kandel’s earlier neural research work was referred to in an article in the Scientific American in 1979, reported by Lawrence (2001). Kandel concluded that when two people are in conversation with each other, “the neuronal machinery in one person’s brain is capable of having a direct and long-lasting effect on the modifiable synaptic connections in the brain of the other.” If Kandel’s general findings in this area are focused specifically on healing techniques, it is possible to understand how healing can take place at Santerian meetings where many minds, raised to powerful emotional levels, can produce a definite benign and therapeutic effect on patients seeking healing.
This is reflected clearly in special Santerian healing ceremonies and at other more general types of Santerian services in which spiritual healing is not the primary focus — but nevertheless plays a significant supporting role.
Flowers, plants, and healing herbs are integral parts of Santerian healing. Peppermint (menthae piperitae), for example, is sometimes found among the worshippers, and may also be placed on the altar for the priest or priestess to use during the ceremony. The active ingredients of peppermint are generally reckoned to be the volatile vegetable oils, such as menthol.
The healing properties of volatile oils such as those found in peppermint are employed extensively in Santerian and similar religions’ therap
eutic ceremonies. This general use during Santerian healing is in accord with the alternative medical practice known in Canada, Europe, and the U.S.A. as aromatherapy. The term essential oil in this area of alternative medicine is simply a way of saying that the oil is an essence of the herb that gives it its name. It does not indicate that the oil is essential to good health, although many essential oils used in aromatherapy are beneficial and therapeutic. Essential oils have played their part in traditional folk medicines in Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and the New World for many centuries. Hippocrates, the ancient Greek medical expert who gave his name to the famous Hippocratic Oath, used a form of aromatherapy. The Ayurvedic medical techniques that have helped patients in India for more than three millennia also make use of aromatherapy.
Towards the close of the nineteenth century, three leading French medical researchers — Meunier, Chamberland, and Cadeac — worked on the properties of essential oils to destroy bacteria, and a few years later Rene Gattefosse made an important discovery by accident. Having burned his hand while working in the laboratory, Gattefosse instinctively reached for the nearest liquid he could find to cool his hand and ease the pain. It happened to be oil of lavender. To his surprise and delight, the burn healed quickly and with very little scarring. He then carried out valuable research on the medicinal uses of other essential oils. Jean Valnet, a French surgeon working through the traumatic years of the Second World War, took up Gattefosse’s ideas and found that the antiseptic powers of essential oils were of great benefit to his patients. He also found that the aromas that came from the oils had a positive effect on his patients psychologically.
Modern pharmaceutical involvement with essential oils recognizes their time-honoured antiseptic qualities. The Good Samaritan in the New Testament parable, for example, applied oil and wine to the wounded man’s injuries. It has also been suggested that just as music and rhythm can assist the mind to reach its optimum therapeutic function, so the aromas of certain fragrant oils can be equally beneficial — as Jean Valnet discovered. During some Santerian therapeutic ceremonies, therefore, the fragrance of the herbs and flowers associated with the benign Orishas who induce healing is very much in evidence.
The dog rose (rosa canina) produces rosehips that are rich in vitamin C and also contain significant amounts of vitamins A, D, and E. Rosehips also provide a worthwhile supply of antioxidant flavonoids. Rhodomel, an alcoholic beverage made from rosehips and honey, may sometimes be one of the drinks shared at Santerian healing ceremonies. Both its main ingredients are generally recognized as having healing properties. There is evidence that patients with rheumatoid arthritis may benefit considerably from taking rosehip preparations in various forms. Herbal healers prescribe rosehip medicines for patients with such widely differing problems as urinary tract infections, dizziness, and headaches.
It is particularly significant that rosehips were widely used therapeutically by the indigenous Americans, and when the enslaved African peoples came into contact with them it seems very likely that this indigenous American healing wisdom would have been incorporated into Santerian healing.
Safflower can also be seen among worshippers at Santerian healing ceremonies. Its use goes back to the most ancient African medicinal knowledge. Ancient Egyptian cloth has been found to contain dyes based on safflower, and wreaths of safflower were found in the tomb of Tutankhamen. There are also references to it in the ancient Linear B script.
Safflower provides excellent vegetable oil, which is extracted from the seeds. One type, oleic acid, is rich in monounsaturated fatty acid; another variety, linoleic acid, is an excellent source of polyunsaturated fatty acid. In 2007, it was reported that experiments with genetically engineered safflower enabled the researchers to produce insulin. These safflower oils have the same beneficial properties as olive oil. Ancient African herbal healing wisdom again seems to be justified by twenty-first-century Santerian healing practices.
Another plant that may be found during Santerian healing ceremonies is vervain. The contemporary English name came originally from two old Celtic words: fer, meaning to drive away, and faen, meaning stone. In olden times, the herb was used medicinally for patients with bladder stones. It was also thought of in olden times as a powerful aphrodisiac, when it was referred to as herba veneris. Some ancient Roman priests learned their secrets in Egypt and Africa and were familiar with vervain. To them it became herba sacra. Druids used it as an ingredient in their mysterious lustral water. This was usually kept in an aspersorium in which worshippers would dip their fingers, or from which the priest would draw water to sprinkle them. The oral spraying of the powerful alcoholic fluid at Santerian ceremonies is reminiscent of the use of lustral water in Egypt and Etruria and was also part of Druidic practices. Sorcerers and magicians of various types frequently used vervain in their spells and potions. Vervain was also worn as a protection against evil and as a good luck charm.
From the point of view of a syncretistic religion such as Santeria, vervain was particularly relevant because in Christian legend it was found growing on the hill of Calvary and was used to staunch the wounds of Christ. Those who know this legend bless the plant and make the sign of the cross over it as they pick it. It is used medicinally to make poultices for wounds and to cure ulcers. Before the discovery of antibiotics, vervain was regarded as a better-than-nothing treatment and partial cure of syphilis.
Verbena Jamaicensis, a variety usually referred to as Jamaican vervain, is also found in Barbados and other Caribbean islands. Carefully diluted concoctions made from it are regarded as particularly good for the eyes.
Once a Santerian ceremony was in full swing, a number of potent healing techniques came together. The rhythmical music, drumming, and dancing, augmented by hypnosis and herbal remedies, were all working together to assist the patient. His or her own mind would then respond to the components of the ceremony that were uniting and harmonizing its neural mechanisms. This enabled the patient’s subconscious, conscious, and superconscious minds to work together to strengthen his or her immune system. What power the group mind of a room full of Santerian worshippers might have to aid the patient is still largely conjectural — but it could well make a significant contribution.
An amulet that could contain vervain.
There is also the possibility that Orishas with healing powers do really exist as independent and very powerful psychic entities. Their presence at a Santerian healing ceremony would make a tremendous input into the healing process. There is one in particular, Osain, who is regarded as an Orishan doctor. He is also associated with Saint John and Saint Ambrose. In Santerian thought, Osain has all the medicinal plants and herbs under his aegis.
Colour is another extremely important factor in Santerian healing ceremonies. Colour therapists argue that colour can have a profound effect on human beings physically, spiritually, mentally, and emotionally. Colour affects and informs us in our everyday lives: red, green, and amber traffic lights; the ripeness or otherwise of fruits and vegetables; blues and greens that make us feel calm and relaxed; oranges and reds that are stimulating.
Scientifically, colour can be thought of as light operating at different frequencies and different wavelengths, and light itself is one of many forms of energy such as heat, sound, movement, and electricity. The universe contains a great many electromagnetic energy waves — light is only a small fraction of the total — and the different colours can be thought of as subdivisions of light. One of the strangest mysteries involving light and colour as human beings perceive them is that there are only three colours within our range. Scientists refer to these three as the primary additives. They are red, blue, and green. Mixtures of them create every other colour of which we can be aware. The rainbow reveals all the colours of the spectrum, from red to violet, and red has a high wavelength allied with a low frequency. Violet, at the other end, has a lower wavelength but a higher frequency than red. Because of these real, scientific differences that separate the colours, it m
ight be reasonable to argue — as colour therapists suggest — that particular colours, or combinations of colours, can have therapeutic effects on different patients suffering from dissimilar ailments.
Red can create feelings of courage and leadership. It is the colour that inspires pioneers. Red strengthens the will and enhances the patient’s confidence; it is associated with energy, determination, and spontaneity. Colour therapists would use red to help patients who are feeling tired or exhausted. The Orisha Oya — associated with various Christian saints, including Catherine, Teresa, and Barbara — is linked with the colour red. She is a fierce warrior who fights against injustice on behalf of her people. They wear red beads and red clothing in her honour.
Orange, which comes next to red in the spectrum, is regarded by colour therapists as very beneficial to the lungs and the whole breathing process. It is used to help patients with asthma. Colour therapists also recommend it for improving circulation and benefiting metabolism in general. Psychologically, it is regarded as the colour of joy and happiness, so colour therapists use it psychologically to combat depression. In Santerian thought, the colour orange is associated with the benign and generous Orisha named Oshun, their goddess of beauty, sensuality, love, and art.
In colour therapy, yellow is regarded as symbolizing the sun: it is the brightest of the colours that colour therapists use. They believe that it can benefit patients with glandular or lymphatic problems, and it is also thought to strengthen the nervous system. In Santeria, Orunmila, the Orisha of fortune-telling, prophecy, and divination, favours the colours yellow and green. This is interesting because they are adjacent on the spectrum.
