Elegua Santeria
The Orisha-Lord of Paths

Elegua Santeria

Elegua Prayers

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 door 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.

Please hear my plead and accept my prayer if you are near and I am worthy of your time.  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 existing world 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 learning lessons I must face. If it is, let it be God's will. However, if it is not karma or a learning lesson, help me to overcome all obstacles 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 paths and doors. Please open my path and allow me to move forward. Please guide me to find my true path. 

I place my trust in you, for you are one of God's beloved messengers.

Amen 

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Who is Elegua ?
Orisha Of All Roads

The orisha Elegua is a highly respected and revered figure in various religions, including Santeria, Candomble, and Umbanda. He is considered a divine messenger and holds great importance as the Lord of all roads. Elegua is often associated with crossroads, roads, and trickery, and is known to have a playful nature. Although he is typically depicted as a child, he can also be portrayed as a young adult man or an old man. Elegua is responsible for opening and closing paths in our lives and symbolizes both the beginning and end of existence. 

It is of utmost importance, during all religious practices- ceremonies and rituals- that Elegua is the first to be called upon to allow our prayers to reach all the other orishas. Without Elegua's approval, all ceremonies, prayers, or rituals involving other orishas will be rejected. Elegua serves as the gatekeeper between the physical and spiritual realms and possesses the key to open the gateway of connection. His devotees wear a beaded necklace consisting of red and black beads for protection and guidance. 

In Haitian Vodou, Elegua is often identified with Papa Legba due to their similar characteristics. Both are considered the Lords of spiritual crossroads and have the ability to grant permission to communicate with the souls residing in the spirit world.

It is important to note that communication between the physical and spiritual realms is only possible with Elegua's permission. However, it is also essential to understand that Elegua is one of God's spirit messengers and plays a unique role in the orisha faiths.

It is worth noting that the God (Oludumare) worshipped in the orisha faiths is the same God worshipped in other religions, as there is only one God. The name is different, but the Divine Creator is the same.

People often ask who Elegua is in the Catholic religion. Specifically, they want to know which Catholic saint Elegua is syncretized with. The answer is that Elegua is syncretized with the Holy Child Jesus of Atocha and Saint Anthony.

How To Build An Altar For Elegua

To properly honor Elegua, it is essential that his altar consists of the right offerings. The location is also important. Placing his altar and offerings near the doorway/front door is recommended. The best day to give offerings to Elegua is on Mondays.

Since Elegua is associated with child's play due to his childlike energy, it is wise to offer hard candies and toys such as toy soldiers. balls, whistles, etc. Many devotees also offer stones and crystals, as Elegua is fond of them. Other offerings such as rum, cigars, smoked fish, beans, rice, toasted corn, chilean red pepper, chicken, corn tamales, and palm oil are also acceptable. When serving food-meat, it is recommended to use a red plate or cloth of the same color.

If you are seeking Elegua's help in achieving your goals, you can offer him a bottle of brandy, a straw hat, silver coins or keys.

Remember to use a black and red cloth for Elegua's altar and place it near the doorway.
According to originalbotanica.com , "The colors black and red are also associated with Elegua. Black is the color of the unknown, and it represents the mysteries of the world. Red is the color of power and energy, and it represents life and vitality. When worn together, black and red symbolize balance and harmony"

Elegua Santeria Blessings

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 orisha Elegua. He was told that Elegua had the power to open the doorway to opportunities 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 unique energy. He was introduced to Elegua and given instructions on the do's and dont's. From that point, Elegua adopted him - guiding and protecting him along the way. 

Gradual positive changes started to occur in his world. He was no longer struggling in difficult circumstances as he had secured a better job, resulting in a higher income. Consequently, he was able to comfortably pay all his bills, leading to an overall improvement in his financial situation.

He continues to give Elegua offerings and is eternally grateful. 

My Introduction To Elegua

I was a teenager when I first heard the name Orisha 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 on 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 world, 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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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.

False Santeria Practitioners

Beware of false practitioner. 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 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 placed all the items 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 quality of the work was extremely different from that of a true Santeria practitioner. In fact, the items she was given were not prepared at all. 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.

Conclusion

When searching for a santeria practitioner, it is extremely important to take proper precautions. Get as much information as possible about the person. There are many individuals claiming to be something they are not.  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, 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 Elegua.

May the spirit of Elegua help you reach your destiny.

May Elegua protect and guide you so you can navigate life's many challenges.

Amen

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