Decolonizing Christianity: Evil Herbs?

Christians have to stop demonizing the things that we do not understand. I’m thinking specifically of the anti-sage or even more general anti-herbal healing campaigns all around us. I wonder where such strong feelings against herbal healing originate? When we speak against the natural healing power of herbs not only are we denying the greatness,

Sign Now: Protecting Religious Freedom in Brazil

Last summer we reported on several attacks on terreiros and Umbanda temples in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. This week, on August 9th, Afro-Brazilian religions face an even larger attack – a federal Supreme Court ruling on the right to perform animal sacrifice.   Please take a moment to follow the link below to sign and

The Role of Women in Candomblé

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Oshumare – The Sacred Serpent

by Mãe Melissa Olosun While many folks are celebrating St. Patrick’s Day on March 17th, I thought it would be a fine time to share about serpents within a Candomblé and Yoruba religious context. The following is an original translation from Pierre Fatumbi Verger’s Orixás – Deuses Iorubás na África e no Novo Mundo. “Oshumare in

Orisha Divination is Not Fortune Telling

by Iyalorisa Melissa Olosun People often come to Orisha religions and think the first step they should take is to get a reading. While divination is absolutely important in all of the Orisha religions, it is usually not the very first step one would take. North Americans are quite familiar with Ouija boards, tarot cards, crystal balls,

Film Screening: Yemoja in Brazil

Tickets are available at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/yemoja-in-brazil-a-documentary-tickets-42927217463

Candomblé Cultural Center of NY

I’m so excited to announce that the Candomblé Cultural Center of NY is opening this month in Jamaica, Queens! We’ll be hosting prayer services, lectures, workshops, fellowship and merindinlogun divination (jogo de buzios) all slated to begin in two weeks at the Candomblé Cultural Center of New York in Jamaica, Queens! Our center is small

Documentary: Orixa Ninu Ile Part 2

Orixa Ninu Ile is a documentary about Candomblé that takes viewers through Ile Axe Opo Afonja in Bahia to take a look at specific Orisha and their worship. This documentary truly is a gem, and I’ve been working on translating and adding subtitles. The full documentary is about 30 minutes long. In order to translate the

Isokuso – How Yoruba Language Influences Candomblé

by Iya Melissa Isokuso means slang in Yoruba. While it’s undeniable that African languages did not survive as living languages in Brazil, there are several words – used by folks who are not even members of Afro-Brazilian religions – that have become part of the colloquial vocabulary. Isokuso, a documentary by Dionysios Kostakis, takes us to

Documentary: Orixa Ninu Ile

Orixa Ninu Ile is a documentary about Candomblé that takes viewers through Ile Axe Opo Afonja in Bahia to take a look at specific Orisha and their worship. This documentary truly is a gem, and I’ve been working on translating and adding subtitles. The full documentary is about 30 minutes long. In order to translate the

Understanding Tradition – a reflection

Those who study and practice the African derived religions of the diaspora often develop questions that we can’t easily find the answers to. Sometimes, the impulse is to look outside of the traditions of the diaspora to explain the norms that have developed in the diaspora over time. While the many traditions that developed in

Women Combat Religious Intolerance

by Iya Melissa In 2014, Marcos Rezende premiered his documentary, “Mulheres de Axé,” (Women of Axé) during New York City’s Brazil Week.  I had the pleasure of attending the presentation of his work on this project – the documentary and a photo book capturing important images of women in Candomblé.  The documentary is subtitled in

Creole Languages & Candomblé History

by Melissa One of the strongest markers of resilience in the African diaspora is language.  As an undergraduate I studied linguistics. Although West African languages were not the focus of any classes that I took, it was impossible not to make connections between West African languages and the ways that African Americans, Afro-Cubans, Afro-Brazilians, Jamaicans,