ML: What first attracted you to it?

EKL: I originally was working on a screenplay with a Cuban-Jewish writer. Although Cuban by birth, she knew nothing about Santeria. I decided to research the religion and found it fascinating. That led me to begin interviewing practitioners of the religion. I had a discussion with an editor and he suggested I write a story about gays in Santeria. At the time I wasn't aware that Santeria had a long history of gay tolerance. What immediately impressed me was that I was warmly received by almost everyone I interviewed. The theology of the religion made sense to me. The surface beauty of the religion, the beauty of the altars, and the sensuality and beauty of the music excited me. I began to go with some friends to New York to different kinds of "Santeria hangouts" - dance parties called "Rumbas," drum parties, etc. Once I was on the corner of St. Marks and Second Avenue in the East Village talking to one of the [street] booksellers, a man known to be knowledgeable about Yoruba religion, and I asked him if he had any books on Santeria. After a long conversation, he asked if I wanted to speak to a respected santero and writer. I indicated that I would and gave him my business card. At the time I had begun to incorporate aspects of the faith into my own life - I had bought myself a statue of Regla and a little San Lazaro. I had begun lighting candles for some of the different orishas in an attempt to better understand the religion on a subjective level. The priest had called me and I remember being a little sheepish because I was talking to a famous and important priest in the religion. I timidly broached the subject of homosexuality in the religion and the article I was writing on it. I was apprehensive of how he would respond to my query. As soon as I mentioned the article, he said "I think that's a great idea- there's a long history of gays in the religion and not enough written about it, I'll be happy to help you." I went ahead and wrote the article and continued a friendship with him for a number of months. In terms of choosing that man as my padrino (godfather), we had a friendship before any talk of initiation into the religion came up and truthfully that made a big difference to me. Trust is an important thing to factor in when choosing the person who will be your spiritual guide. In terms of an emotional level I came into this as an atheist. What impressed me most about the religion is the overt evidence of God as manifested in the orisha. Once you begin to experience them-the orishas-they're irrefutable. I mean they can be very abstract when you look at the complex beliefs built around them. But they make themselves very explicit and absolutely crystal clear to you. In many African-based religions nobody asks whether you believe, the phrasing they use is "do you serve?" They take belief as a given and I think in Santeria you find the same thing. I think if the orisha want you to work with them they make it explicitly clear to you. In terms of me entering the priesthood, it was something I was meant to do. Not everyone is meant to practice Yoruba- based religions. We believe you have to be called to it. I certainly believe that the orishas are savvy enough that if they want someone to work with them they will do the recruiting themselves. Entering the priesthood needs to be confirmed through divination because not everyone is meant to be a priest.

ML: How have your religious beliefs impacted your artwork and writing?

EKL: Suddenly I have ample subject matter. I realized in looking at my writing from a couple of years ago there was a lot of metaphysical confusion which manifested itself as a kind of orgiastic fury there. Absence at its core. The orishas have helped to glue things together. Suddenly my work is about something because I have a core belief that enables me to express how I feel about the world.

ML: You are a priest of Obatala, could describe your relationship with him and who he is?

EKL: Obatala is everything in a sense because Obatala is the seat of consciousness. Whenever you manifest a thought you are engaging Obatala. On a very simple level Obatala is everything to me because without thought there is no reality and without Obatala there is no thought. The point of practicing Yoruba religion or Orisha worship is to achieve a balance within yourself. What we aspire to is to develop good character and a cool head. We do this through a sort of synthesis with our orishas that allows us to find a balance between our inner selves and the outside world around us. We do this through recognizing those elements of our character that correspond to our tutelary orishas and enable them to better integrate themselves into our world circumstances.

ML: In Baltimore there seems to be less visibility of Santeria worship as opposed to New York City or Miami, how would you advise someone who is looking to enter into the religion in Baltimore?

EKL: If you look at the populations of Cuba or Brazil; a huge number of those populations are from African or Yoruba descent, the native Indian populations having been virtually eliminated. So where you don't see large numbers of Cubans or Brazilians, you don't necessarily see large numbers of Yoruba religious practitioners. There is a growing number of Yoruba worshippers in Baltimore within the African-American community. If someone wants to get involved in the Yoruba religion the first thing they should do is read a reliable book such as Santeria: African Spirits In America by Joseph Murphy. That book provides clear-eyed visions of what the religion is like when studying under a babalawo, an Ifa priest. Unfortunately, there are not as many books that deal with the religion from the perspective of an orisha priest. One book that comes to mind is Judith Gleason’s Santeria Bronx. One good thing about that book is that the shaman is a woman, as many Santeria priests are. I found that the way the religion was depicted in that book to be closer to the way I see practiced first hand. One thing people need to be keenly aware of is they need to not necessarily have to accept the very first elder they meet in this religion. Feel free to ask someone who presents himself as an elder who they were initiated by and where. Who is their eleda (guiding spirit)? This is simple information but information someone should readily and willingly divulge. Again, information is your best ally. Being armed with information about the religion gives you a basis to question people and evaluate whether a particular worship community is appropriate for you.

Osun, Save Me from Witches by Eric K. Lerner