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Date: 21 Aug 2000 00:00:00 GMT
Subject: Re: African Astrology
Message-ID: <20000820202811.04904.00000529@ng-fn1.aol.com>
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Subject: Re: African Astrology
>From: eballard@sas.upenn.edu (E. C. Ballard)
>Date: 8/20/00 7:25 PM EST
>Message-id:
>
>Ogun is a warrior, true. However, the Yoruban pantheon does not have just
>one warrior and Ogun is not even the most important Oricha in terms of
>war, although as the blacksmith and as the maker of weapons he often is
>given that identification. However, Chango and even Oya as Orichas are
>also closely associated with war. for that reason, I think the stressing
>of Ogun as the war god and as naturally associated with Mars might make
>more sense to someone outside that tradition than for someone within for
>whom other attributes might be more signficant. It would explain the
>difference.
I have been blessed to have been taught by one who was Yoruba from birth, one
who knows not only the religion, but also the culture and history of the Yoruba
people, one who is not only distinguished in the religion, but distinguished
within academia as well. It is on his authority that I rely when I say that in
times of war, it is to Ogun that the Yoruba turn for blessing and protection.
But I do not rely solely on his authority. It does not fail to occur to me that
Mars and Ogun share energetic correspondence with the metal iron, which I take
as corroboration.
Those who come up in the Santeria, or other purely diasporic, tradition, are at
some disadvantage here, I agree. It is not helped that one of the first
initiation rites of a Santero is to be given his "warriors", thereby possibly
causing some confusion as to who, then, is *the* god of war.
The issue at bottom is one of language. Oshun is a "warrior" in the very real
sense of providing protection to those she favors. If someone is using
witchcraft against you, Oshun can fix it in a hurry. But that does not make her
the god of war. She is still very much better syncretized with Venus, the
goddess of love.
In similar fashion, Oya is better syncretized with the sign of Scorpio rather
than with that of Mars, even though Scorpions can deliver such deadly stings
that one might be forgiven for suggesting that Oya might be called the god of
war.
And ditto for Shango. He is a powerful orisha, and a powerful protector to have
with one. It does not make him the god of war, notwithstanding his twin-axe
totem, and the thunderbolts and lightning strikes with which he is associated.
As king, Shango may lead the people into war, but it is Ogun that is called
upon to fight it when the war starts. For an American analogy, think of Shango
as the President, and Ogun as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
>
>Eoghan
>
Peace,
Grisso
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