January 20, 2025
~pam (Eguin Colarde) alexander
The Moon Service Altar dressed to honor the Orisha Obatala.
Four Quarters first Moon Service for 2005 kicked off this past weekend with a surprisingly large number of folks braving the cold and snow to attend. When we sat down for the Misa on Friday evening, I was astonished to count sixteen of us gathered to sing and pray together for our Beloved Departed.
Four Quarters was already fairly white with snow on Friday during the day, but, as we slept, another two inches of beautiful white snow fell, blanketing the Land in silence and rare and strange beauty. And all that white seemed appropriate as we launched the Moon Service weekend which was themed “Santeria Show and Tell.” (Everybody knows how much the Santos LOVE white!)
We began the day’s activities with an “Elements of Ritual” class dedicated to Ellegua, his place at the crossroads, and his role as the keeper of liminal spaces. That was shortly followed by a fine Church Supper featuring a menu of Cuban dishes, many of them particular favorites of Ellegua, the Orisha we would be honoring that night.
The Moon Service itself began with the couple in service introducing themselves, along with their names and initiatory status within Cuban Santeria. This was followed by a Show and Tell session which taught some basic things about the most commonly seen regalia of Santeria, a close-up view of a Santo altar, and some brief facts about each of the seven major Orishas that form the core practice of the Lucumi faith.
But, the real fun of the evening didn’t really begin until all of that was well out of the way, and it was time to honor the line of Elleguas sitting conspicuously at the front of the room.
Soon, we were all involved in piling the Elleguas high with gifts of candy, cigars, rum, money, toys, and other treats! It’s always humbling and very touching to see how the Four Quarters community will answer the call when the opportunity arises to make an offering at an altar. And Saturday night was no exception. Person after person came forward to make an offering and pay their respects to the beloved Orisha of doorways and opportunities.
The evening ended with a brief song to Ellegua, and that was, of course, followed by the usual milling about and socializing.
The feeling in the air here at the Farm has been very optimistic as we peer into the beginnings of 2025, and having a great turnout of folks, even in the cold and snow, was an inspiring start to what promises to be a great season!
Maferefun Orisha!
