The Spiritual Eleguá and the Yoruba controversy. Does it really exist?

Both the Eleggua traveler in the form of an amulet like the Spiritual ElegguáThese are current concepts that have caused some controversy among Yoruba devotees, due to problems associated with the consecration of the representations of this deity associated with luck and with the opening of the paths in life.

El Coconut Spiritual ElegguáAccording to some believers, it alludes to the historical patakíes of the Yoruba that according to the legend that deity obtained its initial consecration by means of a coconut.

And for this reason, some devotees show their spiritual faith towards the figure of Elegguá represented by a coconut, which has been made with snails and some other materials that are easy to get anywhere on the Island.

Then:

What is a spiritual Eleguá?

It is a decorated coconut that represents Eleguá, it can have both a nose and a mouth and are some of the best sellers to many of its believers.

The image of Coconut spiritual Elegguá , is delivered with the same purpose of having the protection of the Orisha for the home of its owner.

In addition, it is attended in the same way as the usual representations of the saint who is the first to be called in every religious act or festival and the last to say goodbye, thus indicating the beginning and the end of all roads.

Coconut spiritual Elegguá, a controversy of faith

Many consider the Coconut spiritual Elegguá It is a deception of some usurers, who, protected by Santeria, seek profit by making these types of representations that are not related to the true Yoruba rituals.

The oldest devotees of the Yoruba religion have made it clear in several online forums that there is no such supposed consecration in any patakí of Osha or Ifá.

It is said that what the legend related to Elegguá relates is that initially there was a figure of the deity enshrined in a coconut, but they emphasize that the last paragraph of the story should be noted:

"This turned out to be useless because over time it rots, it was replaced by stone, which is why they use them in all their secrets."

Spiritual Eleguá and Eleguá de Otá (or stone)

Many indicate that the true Elegguá spirituality It is in the deity of otá or stone that the duly consecrated santeros deliver and that goes, in addition, through all the necessary ceremonies to really protect the home of whoever owns it.

It is also clarified that to obtain Elegguá, it is necessary to go through a face-to-face ceremony in which the believer receives from the hands of a santero or a babalawo the patron saint, venerated for being the absolute owner of the roads and destiny and the decision maker of the happiness or unhappiness of human beings. 

It is true that since ancient times many people have had a coconut Eleguá and putting all their faith in it they never abandoned it or changed it, assuring that that Orisha gave them everything they asked for.

So, is it a matter of faith or of following good religious practices? We believe that above all, the most important thing is also respect for the beliefs of each religious.

• We share a video about one of the religious positions on this topic:

We share more about the Orisha Eleguá, his rituals and attentions:

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