Customer Reviews

African Oracles in 10 Minutes

5 star:		(0)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

The author is not an initiate of any of the religions that use cowerie shell divination. The significances and meanings he gives each of the Odu/patterns in his book were made up by him. They have no resemblence at all to the traditional meanings used by Santeros or Yoruba. If you are a serious student of Santeria or African religion, skip this book and look up any of the books by William Bascom, instead. In short, this book is disrespectful to the Afro-Cuban religion and cowerie tradition it alledges to describe. If you were to use the interpretations given in this book in front of a real Santero you would be scolded at worst, and laughed at, at best. Look, you are connected to Amazon.com, after reading this, do a search for Bascom's 16 Coweries. THAT is a much better book that this one.

This book is worthless. The descriptions of the Odu/Divination patterns it gives have nothing to do with either Cuban or Nigerian traditional interpretations. The book is disrespectful of the tradition from which it misappropriates.

This book is clueless and exploitative, and has absolutely no basis in the reality and tradition of cowrie shell divination. Clearly nothing more than a bid for bucks, by an author who is counting on the ignorance of his audience.

I generally agree with other reviewers about this book.....

This system of divination takes much longer than the book's title suggests and can only truly be learned with a Baba or Iyalorisha in person...

An entertaining read, but not very factual. Buy it at face value....you definately get what you pay for.

Sadly to say, I know a few people, who have little knowedge of Orisha, or Orisha worship that have come to me with this book. I always respond, that the book is misleading and disrespectful. The title alone, 10 Minutes, goes against everything believed in Orisha divination and religious structure. "Bit by Bit, we eat the........" for those who know of this ancient Yoruba Proverb. Everything takes time, respect and dedication. This book flushes that theory down the drain. But falsely as the information is not correct and inacurate.