Elegua Santeria
The Orisha-Lord of Paths

Elegua Santeria

ELEGUA Santeria

ELEGUA PRAYER

To Elegua, (also spelled Eleggua) the Lord of All Paths, illustrious warrior, immortal prince, I offer this humble prayer. Keep away from my abode all matters of evil and guard my home and those who reside in it when I'm awake or asleep, present or not. I ask Olofi God to bless you, Elegua, beloved Lord of all roads. Ashe (From Helping Yourself With Selected Prayers Volume 2)

PRAYER TO ELEGUA

Elegua, energy of opportunity, with all my respect, I honor and praise you. With humble respect, I ask for your blessings and ask you to allow all good opportunities to reach me and help me take advantage of all the great possibilities that life presents to me today and every day. With your help, let me choose the road to success and open the doors of opportunities. Allow all positive things to reach me and block all possible things that may cause me harm. Help me live a winning and positive life. Elegua, you are my guide and my leader. With your blessing, all is possible for me. With you, I start my day, and with you, I finish (From Awo Orumila Ogundache- Prayer to Elegua).

ELEGUA PRAYER

With the permission of God, the Father, I call upon Elegua.

If you are near and I am worthy of your time, please hear my plead. I am at a crossroad in my life. I don't know where to go or what to do. I have tried everything along my path to move forward and have failed. All the doors of my life have been shut tight. I continue to move on only to face the same obstacles and rejections. Perhaps, this has to do with my karma or life lessons I must face. If it is, let it be God's will. However, if it is not karma or a life lesson, help me open the doors in front of me that are keeping me away from my true destiny. God has blessed you to be the keeper of the keys to all life doors. Please open the door(s) and allow me to move forward. Please guide me to find my true path. In you, I place my trust, for you are one of God's beloved messenger.

Amen

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ELEGUA

ORISHA OF ALL ROADS

Elegua is one of the most respected and loved orishas in the Santeria, Candomble, and Umbanda religions. Besides, he is an extremely important orisha. He is a messenger of God and is known as the Lord of all roads. He is responsible for opening and closing the paths in our lives. Also, he is the symbol of the beginning and ending of life. During religious ceremonies, he is the first orisha that is called upon. This practice is necessary because without his permission, practitioners cannot communicate with the other orishas. He opens the door that connects the person with the orishas. He is the gatekeeper between this world and the spirit realm.

Offerings to Elegua Orisha are done on Mondays. People pay tribute to him by offering his favorite treats. Such treats consist of cigars, alcohol, coconuts, toasted corn, and more. His colors are red and black, and his number is 3.

Below are brief stories of his greatness.

Mr. R had lost his job and was facing financial problems. Things were going from bad to worst. His financial woes kept pulling him down into a dark, endless abyss.

He decided to visit a Santeria practitioner for spiritual assistance. The solution to his problem, according to the practitioner, was Elegua. He was told that Elegua had the power to open doors and remove obstacles.

He received Elegua Orisha in the form of a stone. Cowrie shells were used to form eyes and a mouth. The stone was charged with a special energy. He was introduced to Elegua and given instructions on the do's and dont's. From that point, Elegua had adopted him into his family- guiding and protecting him along the way.

Life began to change gradually for good in his life. He was no longer drowning in dark waters. He had gotten a better job, making more money. And he was able to pay all his bills, boosting his financial situation.

He continues to give offerings to Eleggua and is eternally grateful.

Elegua Stone and Collar (necklace)

I was a teenager when I first heard the name Elegua. It was during a spiritual consultation with a Babalawo- a high priest in the Santeria religion. The name of Elegua was mentioned briefly. At the time, I had no clue who or what was an Elegua. It was later in life that the true essence of Elegua began to reveal itself to me.

Although the consultation was focused on receiving collares or necklaces- a sacred representation of the various Orishas and a symbol of their presence and protection- I believe Elegua was preparing me for a new spiritual adventure. He was at the crossroad of my life, waiting to direct me into unknown territory.

It took a while before the final decision was made to receive the necklaces. Certain decisions require full attention. Undoubtedly, this was one of them.

When the decision was made, the preparations commenced immediately. It took several days to prepare the necklaces. When the process was completed, I was called and informed of the upcoming activity. The ceremony would take place as soon as possible.

The ceremony was an all-day event that consisted of various rituals. The experience was unforgettable. Later, I received Ellegua, The Warriors, and Osun. My Elegua was in the form of a large seashell.

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Elegua Offering

Elegua Conch Shell

Guerreros

The cost of all the items I received was relatively inexpensive. Nowadays, I am told that some individuals are charging hundreds of dollars for the same items. This is outrageous.

While visiting a friend of a friend, I heard the most intriguing story. It was a story about a woman and her experience with Santeria.

Some time ago, the woman was going through a difficult time in all aspects of her life. In a desperate attempt to get her life back on track, she went to see a santero- santeria practitioner-for a spiritual consultation. He immediately told her what she needed to do. It included the Orishas' necklaces, Elegua and Osun. The cost would be in the hundreds. She agreed and received seven necklaces, Elegua and Osun. The Guerreros or Warriors were not part of the deal. As she waited patiently to see some improvement, she saw none. She felt her life going deeper and deeper in a downward spiral. Frustrated and angry, she took all the items and placed them in her closet, where they were hidden and forgotten for an incalculable amount of time.

When I asked her if I could see them, she agreed. After digging in her closet, she came up with the items. What I saw was shocking. The items she was given were not prepared. The Osun, which is carefully prepared and sealed, was empty as if just purchased from a religious shop- botanica. Her Ellegua was a morbid-looking coconut with some cracks on the surface. It looked more like a discarded coconut. No cowrie shells were used.

As for her necklaces, no ceremony was performed. She was just told to go pick them up. For that, she paid several hundreds of dollars.

It is my opinion that a con artist pretending to be a santeria practitioner swindled her.

If you are searching for a santeria practitioner, it is extremely important to take proper precautions. Get as much information as possible about the person. Remember, a dedicated santeria practitioner is not out to exploit people. Their goal is to educate and assist people to live a better life.

Although I am not a santera-priestess, and never will be, I respect all the good aspects of santeria. I cherish my Elegua Orisha, and believe that he placed me in the path of santeria to show me its beauty and power.

Although I have traveled on many different spiritual paths in this lifetime, I have not forgotten and will always remember Ellegua Orisha–The Lord of Paths.