Last night, sitting around my religious family, we had a long and loud discussion about the time that a person is supposed to die. Some people argued that a 90 year old person, who has lived their life, has no reason to undergo the rigmorale of undergoing the Kariosha process, in which the Orisha, the Gods of Santeria, are introduced to a person and they become a priest of one. These persons stated that at that age, your better off just dying with dignity.
Others stated they could still live, and it was our duty, as priests and priestesses, to fight against the odds and try to heal the person, regardless of age. A little background may make this argument a little more understandable.
In the religious corpus of Ifa and Santeria, before incarnating on Earth in our bodies, we go before Oloddumare (The God Head), with Eleggua and on our left, and Orunmila on our right. There we decide our destiny. Eleggua, in his role of Eshu Ni Pakuo, joins us as our shadow to live that destiny with us, and Orunmila scribes the information down, so that when we return to heaven we can see what we accomplished and did not.
For us, as Santeros, one of the biggest Osogbo's that can befall us is a premature death. Ire's are blessings, and Osogbo's are curses. Osogbo's seek, much as living entitities, to keep us from living out our appointed paths.
So again - the argument. When do you know when it is the appointed time for a person to die? I believe that if a child comes, and they are sick, and obi is thrown to the Orisha, the orisha has the final say as to whether or not that person can be saved.
This will lead to further discourse as I think it out.
May the Gods be with you.
I am a little torn on this, because although I have not been presented with this situation yet I hope to find the wisdom to carry out the propper protocol. I am twisted because I feel now (presently) that I wont waste mine or ochuns time in bringing someone before her who I think is not worthy. At the same time some can argue that this is not my choice and I should bring them before Ochun to decide... I believe descretion is called into question as well as ones intention. Maybe as we grow in age and experience with our Orisha we learn more about them and ourselves and our answers now may be different later.
ReplyDeleteChange and evolution is a part of us all - those that fight against it are the first ones to succumb in a negative way to it.
ReplyDeleteThose questions my dear friend are exactly that - questions that we have to all bring up with ourselves and determine how we are going to act.
Every priest and priestess is a different person, as they say, "every mind is its own world". As long as one has thought out their options, and believes they are doing the right thing, Orisha will guide and protect us.