Dreaming of a deceased loved one in Santería: meaning
Dreaming of someone who has died is among the most meaningful dreams in Santería: it is read as contact with the egun.
Within this tradition
The egun, the ancestors and the dead, are continually present in Santería. Many houses keep a bóveda where they are remembered with water, light and attention.
A dream in which a deceased person appears is therefore rarely read as coincidence. Attention goes to what happened, what was said, and the atmosphere. A calm appearance is read favourably; an unsettled or urgent one as something asking for attention.
A recurring dream about the same person is taken seriously within the tradition, and is among the most common reasons to seek divination.
The tradition also recognises that grief produces such dreams by itself. That is no contradiction: both can be true, and precisely for that reason the conclusion is not drawn from the dream alone.
A well-known saying in Santería is Ikú lobi ocha: the dead gave birth to the orishas. That is why the egun are honoured before one turns to the orishas. Many houses also hold a misa espiritual, a spiritual gathering from Cuban espiritismo, in which a medium seeks contact with the spirits of the dead and passes on messages. A dream about a deceased person is sometimes discussed there.
Common variations
A calm appearance
Generally read favourably: the bond is in order.
A restless or urgent appearance
Read as something asking for attention, and a reason to seek divination.
The same deceased person, again and again
Taken seriously within the tradition, often connected with the bóveda and attention to the egun.
A deceased person at the bóveda
An invitation to remember, with water, light and attention.
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Write your dream in the appFrequently asked questions
Is this really contact with the deceased?
The tradition reads it as contact with the egun, while recognising that grief produces such dreams. The conclusion belongs to divination, not to the dream alone.
What can I do?
Within the tradition the usual step is to give attention to the egun, for example through the bóveda, and to discuss it with your padrino or madrina.
What do I do after such a dream?
Within the tradition the usual step is to discuss the dream with your padrino or madrina, who can look at it through divination. Dreamkin prescribes no rituals.