Today is the feast day of the guardian angels. In common Catholic religious belief, each person is assigned an angel of his or her own, who protects the person's body and spirit. Although the Church never made the belief part of their official dogma, in 1608 the Pope named October 2 as the day the angels would be honored. The concept of an individual angelic protector is common to Judaism and Islam as well. It can be traced back to the beliefs of the ancient Greeks, Egyptians, and Persians. In Santeria, the guardian angel is associated with the orisha (god) Osun. Osun is the protector of the home. His symbol is a small silver cup with a rooster on top and bells suspended from the rim. The cup is placed in the home for protection, usually at the top of a closet
or some place where it cannot be disturbed. If the cup falls over, it is considered a very bad omen.