Free Republic

SNIP The priests who are known as Babalawos agreed to warn of an increase in violence and the dangers of war. Cuban Babalawos announced that the ruling deity for 2026 will be Oggún, lord of metals—or weapons—roads, and conflicts. He is also the patron saint of blacksmiths. The religious leaders explained that Oggún's accompanying deity is Oya, the goddess of winds and storms. The combination of these signs and their deities could bring illness, and among the social events of interest are the proliferation of fires and accidents, an increase in violent and criminal acts, and even "significant changes within...

Indian policeman stand gaurd outside of the Durgiana Temple in Amritsar. Indian police shot dead an Islamic militant suspected of links to a triple bombing that killed 23 people in Hinduism's holy city of Varanasi and sparked a nationwide alert.(AFP/Marinder Nanu)

Some came seeking help with specific problems they are encountering with city bureaucracy, others for general information about the status of New Orleans' post-Katrina recovery. But just as many seemed in search of comfort and reassurance or a place to vent their anger at perceived injustices in the way the city is struggling back from a catastrophic hurricane. "I lost my dignity," one man said in denouncing what he called insultingly low wages being offered local workers by some contractors. "How do I get it back?" Whether in search of information or group therapy, hundreds of people crowded into a...