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The mirror: ritual object in Santeria

Santeria mirror

It is common to observe in the daily walk through the corners of Havana small mirrors embedded in the doors of the houses, according to the Osha This is a ritual that must exist in all the religious houses of Cuba and the world.

The objective of this ceremony is to scare through their own reflection the osogbos that roam the streets stalking the houses and their inhabitants in order to disturb them and create discord among the families.

The secrets of mirrors in the Rule of Osha

So it is valid to consider mirrors as ritual objects within Santeria, since they are related to numerous religious works and keep many secrets in themselves.

Fortunately, this object is accessible to all religious as it has a minimal cost, it should be noted that the presence of this instrument is common in homes.

The images reflected in the mirrors not only illustrate who is looking for detail, they also act to promote a rebound effect of the negative, thus removing harmful influences that could be disturbing the religious. 

The santeros and respect for this element

Furthermore, the mirror is an object of power, so in Santeria it must be respected by the lesser santeros and Iyawoses.

The latter are strictly forbidden to look at themselves in these for a period of one year and seven days, at which time the ceremony of presentation to the young santero in front of the mirror is performed, this being the first time that after the Iyaworaje the religious returns to contemplate Your reflect.

What to do with a broken mirror?

When a mirror is broken in a religious house it must be discarded because keeping it in that state brings backwardness for the santero.

It should be blown cascarilla in the place where the mirror was positioned in order to ward off the sorceries that could have led to the end of its existence as a single piece.

This belief is related to the popular saying:

Whoever breaks a mirror has seven years of bad luck.

In the Osha the religious is instructed to do ebbó after this event so that he does not burden his astral field with the drag that this incident gives off.

The mirror has also been used as a means of communication with the afterlife, in fact, it is considered that it is closely related to the soul.

This object has been the protagonist of pacts with supernatural beings and visits to the spiritual world by mediums, who assure that through reflection it is possible to speak with the spirits and these in turn can send us their messages.

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