The Altar of My Soul: The Living Traditions of Santeria (Paperback)

by Marta Moreno Vega (Author) "The orisha Olodumare, the Supreme God, originally lived in the lower part of heaven, overlooking endless stretches of water..." (more)
Key Phrases: warrior orishas, orisha tradition, divining chain, Doña Rosa, New York, Puerto Rican (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist
The religion of African slaves sustained itself in the Caribbean by hiding in plain sight, by melding with dominant Christianity to form Santeria, "the religion of the saints." Like vodun, from neighboring Haiti, this new world religion has been demonized and sensationalized, but today, some 75 million are thought to be practicing Santeria's reverent rituals to the ancient Yoruba divinities or orishas . Through their stories and rites, Vega, a priestess and scholar of Santeria, reveals those gods, from the creator god Oludumare to the passionate Yemaya and the creative Shango to each person's own Ori. She also unfolds her own journey from a childhood during which Santeria rituals were never discussed to her early search for teachings, to her current embracing of the tradition of her people and of her own soul. Engaging, scholarly, and accessible, this is an excellent book for nonspecialist collections and a must-have for libraries whose patrons demand material about alternative religions. Patricia Monaghan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review
"A graceful tribute to a timeless religion, a testament to the transformative power of discovering your own spiritual side."
--New York Daily Challenge (Brooklyn)

"Highly recommended . . . Vega elegantly describes the rituals, meaning, and continuing relevance of Santeria, weaving her story into 12 chapters, each devoted to a different deity. Vega's account is rich with patokis ("mythic stories") and the lessons they teach for daily living."
--Library Journal

"Engaging, scholarly, and accessible, this is an excellent book."
--Booklist

"Vega makes an excellent, informed spokesperson on Santeria, and her accessible book will help explain Santeria beliefs and practices to a wide audience."
--Publishers Weekly

"More than a compelling study of one of the world's most fascinating religions, this inspiring account maps one woman's profound journey from emptiness to overwhelming peace and joy."
--Carib News (New York)

Selected by the Quality Paperback Book Club and the One Spirit Book Club -- Review

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Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: One World/Ballantine (August 28, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345421558
• ISBN-13: 978-0345421555
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #120,374 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Not what I expected, March 7, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: The Altar of My Soul: The Living Traditions of Santeria (Hardcover)

Just wanted to make known that this book didn't give me the information I was looking for and expected when I purchased it. While it is a fine memoir and description of the author's personal experience, what I was looking for was a more straightforward presentation of the basics of the the religion. While the book does contain this information woven through the narrative, I tired of wading through pages and pages of minute details of the author's personal life (including such minutia as the exact addresses of former residences) to reach the kernals of wisdom I was seeking. I finally gave up and went searching for another book. On the other hand, if what you are looking for is a story of one woman personal discovery of the Santeria religion, this is a good book to read.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent memoir, November 25, 2000

By	Nina Foxx (Texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Altar of My Soul: The Living Traditions of Santeria (Hardcover)

Dr Vega gives an excellent and spellbinding account of her journey to Santeria. She dispels the myth that African based religions are withcraft or "paganist", forcing the reader to re-examine ideas of blindly accepting western religious practices without asking some serious questions.A must read for any student of religion and/or religious history.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A glance into the world of the Santero, May 28, 2002

By	JB (New York United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Altar of My Soul: The Living Traditions of Santeria (Hardcover)

This is a fine book. My only criticism is that I could use more detailed discussion of the rites and practices of Santeria, and less on personal family interaction, history and issues.

Santeria is clearly a very beautiful religion, and in my opinion quite scientific. Dr. Vega's work is yet another step in helping to dispel the vilification and demonization of a religion that has its roots in Ifa, one of the oldest religions known to Africans.

Unfortunately, much detail is left out of this book - probably too much, making the author somewhat conspiratorial in maintaining the secrecy that surrounds the religion, hence the perpetration of negative stereotypes by outsiders who just do not understand or know sufficient about the religion. While providing a glimpse into the world of the Santero, the book stops short of providing the would-be new practitioner of more detailed information necessary in making the decision to follow the path.

One of the more important points extolled by this book is that there are many paths toward spiritual enlightenment and Santeria is just one of them. There is no criticism of the other paths, but for those who choose Santeria, it's a wonderful connection to the Divine. An old and loved Cuban Santero, Ma Mina, is quoted in the book as making the following reference to her Chinese husband. "The divinities of the Chinese community are very similar to the orishas. People like to argue about the differences between the orishas, the catholic saints, and the Chinese divinities. For me they are different roads to the same destination." WELL SAID MA MINA.