Why can't Santeria Necklaces (Elekes) be touched?

• Posted on 23 February 2023
• By Angel R
• 0

The use of necklaces (Elekes) in our Yoruba religion (the Osha-Ifá Rule), has a great symbolism and religious relevance since our ancestors respect for them was essential and indicative of veneration to the deities.

Why can't Santeria Necklaces be touched?

Osha Ifa Rule

The use of necklaces (Elekes) in our Yoruba religion (the Osha-Ifá Rule), has a great symbolism and religious relevance since our ancestors respect for them was essential and indicative of veneration to the deities.

These are given through a very important Yoruba religious ceremony and are received because the Orishas or Ifa order it for the welfare and balance of the religious. This ceremony is carried out by the Santeros (Olorishas), and for the necklaces to be effective they must be properly delivered, it is not to buy them and put them on, this would be incorrect.

We must also know that the necklaces or Elekes in the Osha, are sacred and through them we are protected by the Orisha, hence the importance of respecting and caring for them.

The necklaces are respected and treated with love and faith, each one of them by its color represents an Orisha and often people call them "the 5 necklaces of Santeria", referring to the 5 necklaces that are received at the beginning of the religious path, which represent the Orisha: Elegguá, Yemayá, Oshún, Shangó and Obbatalá.

Benefits of the necklaces in Osha How do they help us?

Although I use the word "benefits", we must remember that the Elekes of Santeria are primarily received by the faith we have in the Osha and the Orishas, beyond receiving something in return, each religious when wearing the necklaces should feel love, respect and gratitude for wearing them and thus receive the infinite protection of the Yoruba deities.

Some of the benefits that the necklaces give us are:

• Physical and spiritual protection
• They protect us from illnesses, accidents and all kinds of conflicts.
• They protect the religious from negative vibes such as envy, enemies, jealousy and even the evil eye.
• They attract the ashé and the positive energies of the Orishas to our environment.
• They bring open roads, health, love and many good things to our lives.
• Almost always (because it is not always) people who receive the necklaces eventually become consecrated in our Yoruba religion.

As we have seen, the religious necklaces give us a lot of good things, giving us balance, well-being, spiritual and corporal health and religious growth, but we must also know that it is important to take care of them and respect them, that is why many people worry when someone touches their necklaces out of curiosity or carelessness, or also when we touch someone's necklaces, but... Is this action wrong?

What happens if someone touches someone else's religious necklaces?

In Osha (Santeria) being these necklaces consecrated for the person in particular can not be touched, the necklaces are the representation of the Orishas and are closely linked to the person who receives them.

If we touch them by mistake nothing happens, but it is one thing to touch them out of ignorance or carelessness and another to touch them, play with them or put them on disrespecting the religion. We must know that with only that action of manipulation to the necklaces, we are transmitting energies that at that moment can be negative.

At an energetic level, if an outsider touches them, we will be blocking the way for that person who owns the necklace, it can even break when receiving a negative charge from another person, what does this mean?

What does it mean when a Santeria necklace breaks?

If the necklace breaks without any cause, that is, no external action has provoked it, we can consider that it has broken to prevent the religious person from receiving some kind of bad energy (osogbo).

Then, why do Santeria necklaces break? We can interpret in its meaning that to give protection to the religious against a specific evil.

Remember that when a necklace breaks you should go to your godfather or whoever represents you so that the orishas tell us how to proceed and if there is any warning or advice.

The most important thing in these cases is to respect each other, whether we are religious or not, and not to touch any other religious object. Remember "curiosity killed the cat", never play with amulets, or anything sacred of your spouse, friend, friend, children, parents, acquaintances, or anyone, because we can do harm without having that intention.

How should we take care of the collars?

They should not be rolled up.

When removing them I recommend placing them in a cloth bag or in a clean place (if you do not have Osha crowned), in case you have Osha you should place them near their corresponding Orisha.

Do not bathe with them or have sexual relations while using them.

Do not handle them with dirty hands.

You can exhibit them for faith and devotion, but never for fashion or whim, remember that the Orishas punish for offenses.

It is recommended to wash them every year with omiero (ceremonial water prepared with herbs).

It is essential that we respect the necklaces as sacred religious elements, and wear them with faith and if, on the contrary, a family member, friend or acquaintance wears them, we should also learn to respect them and know that these necklaces represent good, faith and love to the Orishas.