Terrifying Vision Reveals the Darkness of Santeria Religion
Iliana shares, “One of the darkest moments in Santeria was accepting the identity that the demons gave me that I was one of them and me being a witch.”
All her life, Iliana Soltani was searching for acceptance. She says she found it through the occult.
Iliana says, “To me it was the beauty of the rituals and the connection with the community. You felt that you were in power.”
Iliana’s parent’s divorced right before she was born. Her father’s absence left her with feelings of rejection she would carry for years to come.
Iliana says, “That I was not loved, that I was not good enough for him and due to that I grew up with low self-esteem.”
Iliana’s journey into the occult started at age 12. While playing her Ouija board with friends, she discovered she had a gift to foretell the future. Some started calling her a witch, a title she would embrace for several years.
Iliana shares, “I was finding my identity as the gifts manifesting that maybe that's who I was, that I was a witch. And I felt empowered that I was able to make them feel good.”
By the time she was in college, Iliana was reading tarot cards for people. She pushed aside the things she learned going to church with her grandmother as a child in search of what she called higher enlightenment.
Iliana says, “When I'd read cards I didn't think I was doing darkness. I would still think I was in the light.”
Iliana put away the tarot cards. However, it didn’t stop her from venturing into another occult religion, Santeria, which originated in Cuba.
Practitioners of Santeria claim to follow God, while practicing dark rituals, magic, and animal sacrifices. Iliana, now accountant, was drawn deeper into Santeria.
By the end of three years, she had earned the title, ‘Bruja,’ or ‘Little Witch.’ The change had been so subtle, she didn’t realize who she’d become until one day she saw something disturbing in the mirror in her sleep.
Iliana shares, “My eyes were on fire in the mirror, like red on fire. And I knew there was a power. And I didn’t want to go into practicing dark magic. Now you’re talking about voodoo. Now you’re talking about raising also the dead.”
Iliana threw away the idols and tools and left Santeria. Within the week, she was in the hospital, violently ill with internal bleeding. Unable to find a cause, doctors suspected she had an unknown virus and feared she might die. While they had no answers, Iliana had a visit from some people who did.
Iliana remembers, “The Santos, the saints were very upset at me. They told me to come back and just do several rituals, and several sacrifices, and then everything should be fine. I told them ‘No.’ That I was not going back.”
Iliana would stay in the hospital for two-weeks before the symptoms and bleeding stopped. Then after, getting out, she lost her job. The battled continued, and she blamed God.
Iliana recalls, “I end up losing everything which at that time I said to God, ‘Why are you allowing this?’ And I started having intense dreams where demons will show up in my house and they will try to choke me. Now, I just want a normal life. All I want to do is just leave everything that has to do with the spirit realm, alone and don't see demons and just move with my life.”
Over the next five years Iliana dedicated her life to her career. While working at a bank she met a Christian co-worker who told her God had a message for her.
Iliana shares, “And she said, ‘God wants me to give you this verse.’ And she gave me Jeremiah 29:11, ‘For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans not to harm you.’ And at that moment I was so mad at God that I didn't want to hear that.”
While at her job a month later, Iliana says she heard God’s voice.
Iliana says, “And He said to me, ‘Wake up, the time is near.’ And right there I felt like all my spiritual senses were awakening again.”
When Iliana went home, she prayed.
Iliana recalls, “I said, ‘Jesus, forgive me for everything that I have done. And I really want to follow you, I want to serve you.’ So that night, as I go to sleep, I didn't see anything in a dream, but I heard audibly, ‘We're rejoicing because you are back.’ And I said to Him, ‘Who am I for you to do this?’ And He said, ‘You're my beloved.’”
For one year, she spent time with God and learned how to hear His voice.
Iliana says, “He removed all false identities that I had. I was not a witch; I was his beloved daughter. I was not an orphan. No more demonic manifestations, no more anxiety, no more fear. I just walk in this life of peace trusting Him completely.”
Today, Iliana is married, has a son and is a realtor. She’s written a book about her journey of freedom from the occult. She also has a Facebook show where she gives encouragement to those in need.
Iliana says, “No matter what you're going through, God always will turn things around for you if you decide to say 'yes' to Him. God loves you and God wants to have a relationship with you. Seek the true God, the only true God, through His Son Jesus Christ.”
If you would like to contact Iliana Soltani, you can email her at: iliacervantes76@gmail.com
