"Santeria was brought to the United States from Cuba in two principle waves, one in the early 1960s after the Cuban Revolution and later by the Marielitos who escaped from the island in the 1980s. Since then it has spread to the larger Hispanic community, to the African American community, and to other segments of society as well. Today practitioners can be found in every state, and interest in Orisha and related traditions has gained popularity. As the number of practitioners has grown, so has public awareness. In this introduction, Clark answers such questions as where did this religion come from? What do practitioners believe? Is it a cult? What takes place at a ritual event? How does it view death and the afterlife? Is there ritual sacrifice? Clark, a practitioner as well as a scholar of the faith, dispels the myths that surround this religious practice and brings readers to a better understanding of this growing faith."--Jacket.