SANSE RELIGION What does the word Sanse mean?

What does the word Sanse mean?

There are various theories to the Root of the word SANSE, within Puerto Rican Sanse tradition, and you will often get various difrent answers to this question, depending on the Sociedad, or family tradition. First of all the word is pronounced SHAN SEH. The three most widely used theories on the word are as follows.

1. Sanse is a religion that venerates Ancestral Spirits. It is a Branch of Haitian Vodou. the Haitian Creole word for Ancestors is Zanzet. The Ancestors as a group are called Zanzet Yo. The word Sanse or Sance is a Spanish translation of the Haitian Creole word for Ancestors. The Spanish word for Ancestors is Antepasados or Ascendendiente. A person who venerates an Ancestor is known as a Ascendiendista or Sancista or Sencista. While Haitian Vodou venerates the Mysteries known s Loa, a smaller group of these Spiritual Forces known as Los Misterios are known in Puerto Rico, and they are also called Santos. But mainly Sanse deals with the veneration and daily working of ones Centinella, ones Ancestors, and ones Seres and the Spirits of ones Cuadro Espiritual or Tableau Espiritual known as Las Commisiones. The reason we work with these Spirits is to aid them in obtaining Spiritual Enlightenment to become Ascended Masters, Misterios or Loases.


2. The word Sanse or its variations Zancie, Zance, Sanses or Sances , has its roots and originates from the Spanish word Sesion, which translates in English to Seance. A practitioner of Sanse, male and female is known as a Sancista or a Sancero "male" Sancera "female", He/she that follows the Spiritism Mesa Blanca tradition of Puerto Rico, and works the white Seance table. The spanish word for Spiritist is Espiritista and they follow Espiritismo. Although the two words in Puerto Rico and for Puerto Ricans in the mainland of the States, use the words Sanse and Espiritista interchangeably. It must be noted that while practitioners of Sanse practice Espiritismo, that by no means "means" that all who practice Espiritismo, practice Sanse. Unlike Spiritists from around the world, that work only with communicating with Spirits. In Puerto Rico as well as in the mainland where Puerto Ricans call home. Sanse Espiritismo is similar to Brazilian 'Umbanda" and Venezuelan "Tres 3 Potencias Espiritismo'. The Sancista / Espiritista work with communicating with Spirits, folk saints, healing, folk magic, brujeria, herbalism, divination, and fortune telling. Many will say Sanse is an "A.T.R." African Traditional Religion, but I can not completely agree with this theory. Although some of the Spirits respected and traditions are of African origin, many are European, and Indigenous.

3. One popular theory of the root of the word Sanse, comes from the Centinela Principle Spirit Guide who is associated with San Sebastian in Puerto Rico. On the island, San Sebastian is often called, San SE, for short.