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Abstract: This paper examines Lucumi healing practices in relation to anthropological understandings of how symbolic healing works. This essay focuses upon divination because so much that is fundamental to the process of symbolic healing in Lucumi religion occurs during divination. After tracing the evolution of Lucumi Orisha worship, I describe Lucumi etiological theory, its basic categories of misfortune and how interaction between cowrie shell diviners and their clients sets people on the road to healing. After this I compare Lucumi divination practices with those of two other healer types who also use cowries in divination.
Keywords: Popular religion, ethnomedicine, Afro-Caribbean, divination, symbolic healing, Santeria
Résumé : Cet article examine les pratiques de gúérison Lucumi à la lumière des interprétations anthropologiques contemporaines relatives au fonctionnement de la guérison symbolique. Les guérisseurs Lucumi utilisent une pharmacopée de plantes, des techniques de guérison spirituelle et diverses autres formes de rituels, mais cet article s'intéresse avant tout à la divination, parce que c'est un canal fondamental de guérison symbolique dans la religion Lucumi. Après avoir retracé l'évolution du culte des Orishas Lucumi à partir de ses sources culturelles africaines et européennes, je décris la théorie étiologique Lucumi, ses catégories fondamentales de malchance et comment l'interaction entre les devins utilisant les cauris et leurs clients ouvre la porte à la guérison. Après quoi, je compare les pratiques de divination du Lucumi avec celles de deux autres types de guérisseurs qui utilisent aussi les cauris dans la divination.
Mots-clés : Religion populaire, ethnomédecine, afro-caraïbe, divination, guérison symbolique, Santería
Introduction
This article examines Lucumi divination practices in relation to current anthropological understandings of how symbolic healing works. It is based on observations of the several variants of Lucumi and Yoruba Orisha worship that are found mainly in the major urban centers of the Eastern seaboard of the United States. These have been carried out both formally and informally among Cuban, Puerto Rican, African American, Nigerian and Euroamerican practitioners over the past thirty years (Brandon 1983, 1991, 2002, 2005). This essay focuses on the practices of priests, priestesses and devotees affiliated with Lucumi Orisha worship which originated as a distinct form in Cuba.
Lucumi healers use botanical medicine, spiritual healing techniques and a variety of other forms of ritual in their healing...