Aganjú; Santeria and the Orisha of the Volcano and Wilderness

Orisha Aganjú is the personified spirit of the volcano and of the open spaces of wilderness in the Lukumi/Santería tradition which took shape in Cuba but originated among the Yoruba people of Southwestern Nigeria, in Africa. One cannot understand Santería unless one looks at Santería’s antecedents.

Aganjú’s role as a mediator is further developed in his capacity as the ferryman who takes souls from the material to the spiritual plane after they experience death. A ferryman has to know the river he travels very well; he must chart the safest course and keep his passengers out of harm’s way. In this fashion, Aganjú personifies the wise guide who takes people to new places, the teacher who tells his students that sometimes the greatest blessings come out of overcoming great obstacles.