Some of the aspects of the Oṣun-Oṣogbo festival as seen in “Sacred Journeys” may seem familiar to the American viewer who has little experience with Afro-Atlantic religion, and for good reason. Religious mixture includes traditions of different types of religions and cultures all mixed together. Due to the influence of the slave trade, a lot of these mixtures have aspects and traditions that someone who is unfamiliar with many religions will still be able to recognize. Nigeria was a central country in relation to the slave trade, and many slaves from Nigeria were sent to South, Central, and North America. Practices from all around these areas mixed with practices brought over from Nigeria, and modified versions of religions spread around the world. “Sacred Journeys” may be about viewing and understanding Yoruba culture, but there are still plenty of aspects that are recognizable to someone who doesn’t know much about Afro-Atlantic religion.

One example of religious mixture is when the two young women being inducted into a Yoruba-centric culture shaved their heads and washed with holy water as a way to symbolize their induction into a new life and religion. This is similar to the idea of Christian baptism, in which someone, often a child, has holy water sprinkled on their head to represent entering a new life. These rituals are incredibly similar, and are an example of one of several very familiar aspects of the festival that a viewer is likely to recognize, even if they haven’t studied Afro-Atlantic religions.

Another example would be the animal sacrifice. During the induction of the two young women, several people that are practiced in performing traditional rituals sacrifice a goat. This is somewhat similar to a religion such as Satanism, in which one of the most recognizable aspects to a modern viewer would be the sacrifice of an animal, often a goat. Although this isn’t the most glamorous of comparisons, it is worth noting that animal sacrifice, no matter the reason why, is a very real aspect of both of these religious practices, and could be evidence of more mixing of cultures.

It’s important to recognize the effects of the slave trade on Yoruba culture, and how it ties into some of the examples of Yoruba religion sharing characteristics with other religions. Johnson’s thoughts that “even cultural losses, and the responses to loss, continued to inform the experience of a new territory and generate new practices both among the colonized and the colonizers” (“Syncretism and Hybridization”, 759) shares an idea that is relevant to the effects of the slave trade. Even through losing followers, the Yoruba culture has gained a lot, in that it now has traditions and practices that encapsulate some of the culture and practices of other religions and religious mixtures. Without the loss of followers, Yoruba religion wouldn’t have developed to share aspects of more cultures and religions and to grow into a new, more diverse religion.

While Yoruba religion exists on its own, it can be easy to recognize the influences of other religions on the traditions of Yoruba religion. The strong influence of the slave trade brought diversity from many different places into practice in Yoruba culture. The mixing of different cultures, religions, and rituals all ended up merging into a beautiful and diverse festival, and having a meaningful impact on not only Yoruba, but other religions as well.