When one thinks of Santeria, images of black magic, sorcery, and barbarism come to mind. Media portrayal, such as the newspaper headline "Blood Cults Spread through U.S.", have served only to enforce these negative misconceptions often linked to Santeria. As a result of it, people outside of the culture view it as "barbaric", arguing that it is just a cover up for the sensationalized killing and sacrificing of animals. Since people who are outside of the religion have a difficult time accepting Santeria for what it is, the followers of it have chosen to keep it hidden from the public eye in order to keep themselves an