The African diaspora religion was stripped from its roots during the slave trade. Communities were forced out of their homeland and shipped all over the Americas. This forceful movement of these people stripped individuals of their origins and identity. Practitioners of the African diaspora religion tend to look past the wrongfulness of their movement and look for a much more positive mindset; their religion and culture has managed to spread all over.

Oṣogbo is the largest city in Africa and is the heart of the African diaspora religion. It is known as Yoruba land and brings thousands of pilgrims every year to the Oṣun-Oṣogbo festival which celebrates Oṣun. This festival is held every August and welcomes everyone. Practitioners and nontraditionalists pack the streets of Oṣogbo learning and joining in on traditions of the African diaspora.

The festival begins with the welcoming of local Orisha. This is done with personal offerings to your personal Orisha. One may have a shrine with various items and offerings to your Orisha. As a community, the lighting of an ancient lamp represents the welcoming of Oṣun in the Yoruba kingdom. A significant part of the lighting ceremony is when the King and other political leaders come together to dance around the fire to welcome Oṣun. The presence of the King and political leaders represents the union between political powers and spiritual powers.

Privately, priests come together in a sacred ceremony to bless new priests. These newly blessed individuals are asked to give their hair to their Orisha as a way to symbolize all the negative powers leaving and the new growth to be positive and blessed. The Ifá, which is the scripture of the Yoruba people, contains the history, practices, beliefs, and traditions written. Priests foretell the future using the Ifá allowing individuals like the new priests to rewrite their story and pray for the things that they want.

Throughout the festival, an important site of worship is Oṣun’s sacred grove. Many shrines are placed here and it contains the sacred river where many sacrifices are made to Oṣun. A tradition of the African Diaspora is to worship history. At Oṣun’s sacred grove in Oṣogbo, Nigeria, it is the origin of Oṣun’s power. This is why during the Oṣun-Oṣogbo festival this grove is the spotlight of worship. Another part of history they worship is their past kings. The ceremony of the crowns involves the crowns of the past 18 kings that have ruled Oṣogbo. Each is blessed by the community and by Oṣun.

An important component of the African diaspora religion is clothing fabrics. It is believed that the patterns and colors of one’s clothes are associated with your Orisha. Those who take part in making the clothing, like those who make indigo clothing, are seen as Oṣun’s disciples.

All these traditions bring the African diaspora give the community a sense of being active and engaged with their beliefs. Simple objects like prayer bells bring traditions to life and allow the worshipers to connect with their Orisha. Humans and Orisha’s are meant to be connected and the Orisha’s goal is to help reinforce humanity’s role that humans and animals thrive and survive.