Author: Gonzalez-Wippler, Migene

The Santeria Experience is an autobiographical account of childhood initiation into a clandestinely practiced religion.

Ms. Gonzalez-Wippler pointedly ignores the dense and often entangling obscurantism invariably employed by most writers of Santeria. Instead she rewards her readers with the raw, emotional impact of her personal experiences with a religion which is perhaps one of the most significant influences on the Hispanic peoples of the Caribbean.

Santeria, like other ancient religions, is passed on through oral tradition from one generation to the next. It contains not only the history of a people determined to survive against overwhelming odds, but also their ritual behavior, forcibly inscribed in their consciousness through constant suffering and persecution.

The Santeria Experience provides a particularly valuable personal insight into Santeria's "ability" to make the best of any situation. Also of great value are Ms. Gonzalez-Wippler's personal interpretations of the powers of the orishas and their important role in the development of the human mind.