The Babalawo Revisited
PRETEND
10/31/23
•46m
About
Comments
Featured In
In today's episode titled "The Babalawo," we delve deep into the world of Santería - the religion, not the song. While many might recognize the song, few are familiar with this mysterious Afro-Cuban faith, also known as Regla de Ochá, La Regla de Ifá, or Lucumí, which translates to the worship of saints.
You might wonder, "Where's the twist in this tale?" I've always felt an unsettling vibe around this religion. My fellow Cubans often consult Santería priests as if seeking divination. But is this genuine spiritual guidance, or am I unfairly biased against it? Spoiler: I might be letting my biases cloud my judgment.
To truly understand, I need to immerse myself in the heart of Santería, right in my hometown of Miami. But first, what exactly is a Babalawo?
A Babalawo is a revered figure in Santería, a priest who communicates prophecies from the Orishas, spirits representing aspects of the divine God Olodumare. In this episode, we'll uncover the history and roots of Santería, engaging in enlightening conversations with both a Santería priest and priestess, shedding light on their clandestine ceremonies.
—–MUSIC—–
Our theme music is crafted by the talented Joe Basile from The Chicken Music and Sound Design. Discover more about Joe and The Chicken at www.thechicken.net.
We also feature tunes by Podington Bear.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Previous Episode
Listen Now: New Podcast “Ghost Story”
October 27, 2023
•10m
Tristan Redman is a journalist who doesn’t believe in ghosts. But weird things happened in his teenage bedroom – weirder than normal. When, years later, he discovers subsequent occupants of his family home say they have been visited by the ghost of a faceless woman, he’s curious. It just so happens that the house Tristan grew up in is right next door to the house where his wife’s great grandmother, Naomi Dancy, was murdered – killed by two gunshots to the face. Could there be a connection? Tristan decides to investigate and soon finds himself where no son-in-law should ever be: delving deep into his wife’s family history asking questions no-one wants answered. Wondery and Pineapple Street Studios present Ghost Story — a seven-part podcast series about family secrets, overwhelming coincidence, and the things that come back to haunt us.
Follow Ghost Story on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. You can binge all episodes of Ghost Story ad-free right now by joining Wondery Plus. Listen now: Wondery.fm/GS_Pretend
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Next Episode
The Lie Detector Revisited
November 7, 2023
•97m
Learn how to cheat a polygraph test. Ex-cop, Doug Williams, says it’s a lot easier than you think.
Doug Williams is looking over his shoulder because, since 1979, he’s been on a crusade to defeat the polygraph machine. In 1996, he started a website called polygraph.com, offering a handbook and one-on-one training teaching people how to pass the test.
“There is no Pinocchio response. Your nose does not grow when you lie.” Doug Williams, polygraph critic
According to Doug Williams, a lie detector test is about as accurate as a coin toss. He claims the machine doesn’t work, and as a result, innocent people are paying the price. Many innocent people have pleaded guilty and skipped trial because they failed a polygraph during an interrogation. And employers routinely administered polygraph tests as part of their hiring process. If you fail a lie detector test in the US federal government, you’re potentially placed on a blacklist and never allowed to apply for that government agency job again.
Doug Willams says that the polygraph is just a stage prop used to scare people. How does he know this? Because he spent most of his law enforcement career using it as what he calls a psychological billy club. To him, it was just a tool to beat a confession out of a bad guy. But over the years, he realized that a polygraph test is just that... a test. It can be cheated. And he would devote the rest of his life to destroying it.
Doug Williams made a career giving people polygraph exams. Now, he’s going to prison for teaching people how to cheat the test.
FOLLOW PRETEND ON YOUTUBE:
https://www.youtube.com/@PretendPod
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
If you like this episode you’ll love
Promoted