ochosi He is a Major Orisha of the Yoruba Pantheon, a warrior Orisha, protector of the persecuted, sorcerer and hunter. He is the advisor for good decisions and the one we turn to when we find ourselves at a crossroads.
Who is Oshosi in Santeria?
Oshosi in Santeria is an Osha from the Orisha Oddé group, known as The Warriors and one of the first Orishas that any individual receives and is always linked to the protection and hunting of evil.
Hunter by nature, related to jail, justice and defender of the persecuted.
It is the thought that is capable of moving like its sacred arrow, to any time and place to capture something and fight against injustices.
Ochosí is considered a sorcerer, magician and sorcerer, his name comes from the Yoruba Osóssí "He who works with witchcraft". He is the owner of the forest and an excellent hunter who makes the bow and arrow his favorite tools.
Has a close relationship with Oggun, the pattern of the irons. They live together inside a metal cauldron and their union is so powerful and firm that it establishes the unbreakable strength before life.
It is represented united to the arms from the bow and the arrow and it is related especially to Oggún, for the hunting and the mount. Next to him already Eleggua, He is the owner of the bush, the thicket of nature and hunting, even its otá or stone, is collected there. Greets saying Oshosi Odde Mata!
Ochosi, as a good hunter, carries spears, arrows, bows, traps, a rifle, two metal dogs, an animal skin sack, a fur hat, gunpowder, fishing attributes, hunting trophies, deer jars, a trident. in the shape of a large arrow, three acofá, sword, machete and knife, attributes that represent his dexterity and intelligence in the Osha.
Oshosi Syncretism
And because of the persecution to which the African slave cults were subjected when they arrived in America, Ochosi was syncretized with Catholic saints who, like him, possess great gifts related to nature, protection and justice:
- Saint Albert the Great
- St. Norbert
Saint Albert the Great, teacher of Catholicism
This saint was a philosopher, naturalist and theologian and fought against the interpretation of Aristotelianism and against the progressive schools of scholasticism.
He made various treatises on natural sciences, including direct observations of nature at a time when only the teachings of Christianity were taken into account.
According to the biography of St. Albert, he was the teacher of St. Thomas Aquinas, the most important of the theologians of all time and from him, Aquino learned to respect interpretive thinking and observation of nature and its phenomena.
Albert the Great was provincial superior of Germany, and when in 1248 the Dominicans decided to open a new University ("studia generalia") in Cologne, they appointed Saint Albert as rector.
He studied logic, metaphysics, mathematics, ethics, and the natural sciences and contributed to the development of physics, geography, astronomy, mineralogy, and biology.
And it is said that despite the fact that St. Albert became famous for rewriting the works of the philosopher to make them acceptable in the eyes of Christian critics, he did not stop praying:
"Lord Jesus, we ask for your help not to be seduced by vain tempting words about the nobility of the family, about the prestige of the Order, about what is attractive about science."
In 1260, the Pope ordained him bishop of the See of Regensburg and when he resigned, he returned to Cologne, where he could devote himself to writing and teaching.
San Alberto, despite his love for research, said that, as a young man, his studies were difficult and that is why one night he decided to flee from the school where he was studying, but when he tried to go down a ladder hanging on a wall, he found the Virgin Mary who told him:
«Alberto, why, instead of running away from school, don't you pray to me who am the 'Cause of Wisdom'? If you have faith and trust in me, I will give you a prodigious memory. And so that you know that it was I who granted it to you, when you are going to die, you will forget everything you knew.
He died peacefully at the age of 74, without any illness and was beatified in 1622. In 1931, Pius XI proclaimed Albert the Great Doctor of the Church what amounted to canonization.
Today, St. Albert is the patron saint of natural science students and is prayed for for knowledge and success in study.
Prayer to Saint Albert the Great
Lord Jesus Christ, you called me
early in the morning to your vineyard,
Well, you have led me since my youth
to work on religion
for the prize of eternal life;
when it's all done
and already in the final judgment reward the actions,
What will you give me that I was idle all day,
no longer in the plaza of the world
but in the very vineyard of religion?
Oh Lord, don't you measure our actions
with the public weight but with the scale of the sanctuary,
make me at least realize
and I become the eleventh hour
and may he not be found envious
because you are good.
Amen.
Saint Norbert, life of wisdom
St. Norbert he is known as the founder of the Norbertine or Premonstratensian order of canons regular. Intellectual of clear and sharp intelligence, he was assigned to the court of Henry V, where he was the imperial commissioner to distribute the works of charity.
After a serious accident, Norberto left the court and took refuge in Xanten, where he led a life of penance under the direction of Cono, Abbot of Siegburg, humble and lover of good words.
In 1115, Norbert founded the Abbey of Fürstenberg and shortly after he was ordained a priest. He also founded the Abbey of Prémontré years later.
They say that Norberto was a sower of the Gospel for the communities, with miracles, charisms and gift of languages. People flocked to hear him: pastors, lawyers, clergymen, and all were engrossed in his speech and praised his charity.
On June 6, 1134, Norbert, whom Saint Bernard called "Master", a most faithful apostle of the Holy Spirit, died, plagued by fever.
This June day the Saint and the Orisha Oshosi are also celebrated, a celebration full of syncretism and faith.
His legacy lives on in Christian believers, who invoke him to defeat enemies, envy, and injustice.
Prayer to Saint Norberto and Ochosi:
- We offer a powerful prayer to pray to Saint Norbert and the Orisha Oshosi in the face of injustices, enemies and obstacles in life.
Oh brave champion of strength and enthusiastic defender of faith and charity.
At your feet a fervent devotee and admirer of your greatness.
I recommend seven arrows: one for my enemies, one for the slanderers, one for the envious, one for the traitors, one for the unbelievers, one for those who do not believe in the wrath of God and the other for those who stray from the true path of Providence.
You, my adored Saint Norbert, who with your courage domesticated the beasts and defeated the devil many times, will be able to grant me the actions that I ask of you in this prayer, for the holy cross, which was your motto.
I ask you, the great victor, to confuse my enemies and make them come to me so that I can forgive them and lead them to the path of holy piety.
The deer and the wild beasts were led by you to obedience and you were the most outstanding and champion of Christian preaching.
At your feet, I ask you to make my life look out of danger and can enjoy on earth with the fervor of God, to be worthy of your blessing in the hour of my death.
Amen
Chronicle 5: The “Trust, the arrows of Ochosi guide you” competition
Oshosi Consecration: Yoruba Sacred Elements and Ceremonies
