Osanyin: Santeria and the Lord of Plants

by Raul Canizares

Osanyin is the personification of the power of healing locked up in herbs, leaves, barks and roots. He knows all of the secrets of the earth's greenery. On that day in some ideal future when humankind achieves complete union woth Osanyin, disease and ailments will no longer be. There can be some form of Orisha worship that doesn't practice animal sacrifice, there can even be some form of Orisha worship that doesn't practice veneration of physical forms, but there cannot be Orisha worship wothout usinf herbs and other plants for spiritual and physical healing purposes.