ecy in both Cuba and Puerto Rico has dissipated.
As a religion, Santeria's roots are in nature and the forces of nature (murphy, 1981, p. 57). Each Santerian deity is identified with both a force of nature and either a human interest or a human endeavor. Santeria is based on the concept of divine power, which is referred to by the Yoruban word ashe. Thus, the objective of all of the invocations, spells, and rituals of Santeria is the acquisition of ashe through the intervention of the orishas (deities; saints). In the practice of Santeria, an orisha is persuaded to provide ashe in response to ebbo, or sacrifice.
As perceived by the Santerian religion, the universe is divided between the forces of good led by the orishas, and the forces of evil known collectively as the ajogun (Brandon, 1991, pp. 55-76). The forces of evil in the Santeria religion include death, disease, loss, paralysis, curse, and prison. For the follower of Santeria, bo
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