•A Santeria priest discloses information never before revealed to outsiders.

•Removes the veil of occultism from Santeria to show it as a highly spiritual, thriving religion.

Initiated into the Santeria priesthood at the age of seven, Raul Canizares unveils in Cuban Santeriathe secret and seductive world of this rapidly growing, yet largely misunderstood, Afro-Cuban religion. With the knowledge of an insider and the insight of a scholar, Canizares astutely examines the practice of Santeria, revealing many of its hidden dimensions while simultaneously providing a fascinating account of its unique textured mix of African, Cuban, and Catholic traditions.

The Cuban-born author describes the practices and rituals of the followers of Santeria--from magical herbal prescription and healing to spiritism and animal sacrifice--and explains how for many years the religion has been maintained under the guise of Catholicism to avoid religious persecution. Most initiates are sworn to a code of silence, but Canizares believes that the time has come to move Santeria, a religion of beauty and resilience, out of the darkness and into the light so that a more accurate picture of this rich tradition can emerge.

Walking with the Night

Preface

Acknowledgments

Foreword by William J. Heim

Introduction

Chapter 1    Mantilla

Chapter 2    Legacy

Chapter 3    Evolution and Survival of Santeria

Chapter 4    Hierarchy

Chapter 5    Syncretism or Dissimulation

Chapter 6    Santeria's Orishas

Chapter 7    Oro: Divine Music

Chapter 8    Santeria and Espiritismo

Chapter 9    Ebbo: Sacrifice

Chapter 10   The Secret of the Werewolf

Chapter 11   Ewe Orisha: The Use of Herbs and Plants in Santeria

Chapter 12   Charada China

Chapter 13   The Dark Side of Santeria

Chapter 14   Santeria: World Religion?

Appendix I   Blacks in Cuba: An Overview

Appendix II  Ifa

Glossary

Bibliography

Index