The Diloggun: The Orishas, Proverbs, Sacrifices, and Prohibitions of Cuban Santeria [Hardcover]

cha'ni Lele (Author), Ocha'ni Lele (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 30, 2003

The first book on Santería’s holiest divination system to thoroughly explore each family of odu and how their actions and reactions affect the spiritual development of the client.

• Includes the major considerations for sacrifice, providing the diviner with ways to placate and supplicate the Afro-Cuban deities known as orishas.

• Demonstrates how to properly end a reading so that negative vibrations are fully removed from the diviner's home.

• Provides a thoroughly detailed description of each of the 12 families of odu that exist in the diloggun--from Okana through Ejila Shebora.

The diloggun is more than a tool of divination. It is a powerful transformational process, and the forces that are set in motion when it is cast determine the future evolution of the adherent. The Diloggun is the first book to explore this Afro-Cuban oracle from the perspective of diaspora orisha worship. It is also the first book to explore the lore surrounding this mysterious oracle, which is the living Bible of one of the world's fastest growing faiths.

The twelve families of odu that are available to the diviner include 192 omo odu, the children of the odu, and each of these patterns or letters has its own proverbs, meanings, prohibitions, and sacrifices. Ócha'ni Lele provides the secret but essential information that the adept diviner needs to know to ensure that every element affecting a client's spiritual development is taken into consideration during a reading. His book is also the first to detail how to properly end a session so that negative vibrations are absorbed by the orishas and fully removed from the diviner's home. For those seeking the wisdom of ancient Africa, The Diloggun is an indispensable guide to the mysteries of the orishas.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Stuart Meyers is to be congratulated and commended for producing this strikingly beautiful volume."
(Edward Batchelor, Jr., Yale University, November 2003 )

"Every nook, cranny and crack of Santeria is covered, explained, demonstrated and laid out in clear, simple terms." (Vision Magazine, April 2004 )

"The Diloggun is an indispensable guide to the mysteries of the orshas." (SirReadaLot.org, March 2004 )

“In this new book Ócha’ni Lele has brought together information never before published for the education of serious students of divination, and for use by initiated practitioners of African traditional religions, especially those who follow La Regla de Ocha. In doing so, he has more than justified his own claim that ‘one cannot overstate the academic and scholastic value’ of this work.”
(Edward Batchelor, Jr., Fellow in Religion,Yale University )

"The sheer amount of information contained within the covers of this book is astounding. I have never seen a book which explains this type of divination in anything like this amount of detail."
(Mike Gleason, Witchgrove.org, April 2007 )

"The first important work to document the art of Diloggun reading thouroughly in English."
(Eric Lerner, Oya N'Soro: Oya Speaks!, October 2003, Vol. 1 Edition 2 )

“The effort that went into writing this book is only exceeded by the expertise required to write it. Ócha'ni Lele has produced a highly significant addition to the body of lore on Lucumé/Santería that is valuable for its comprehensive insights and its value to prosperity in the religious tradition. Kudos to the editors and publisher of this book for accepting such a massive undertaking. Well done!”
(Elizabeth Hazel, FacingNort.net, September 2011 )

From the Inside Flap

DIVINATION / INDIGENOUS CULTURES

“In this new book Ócha’ni Lele has brought together information never before published for the education of serious students of divination, and for use by initiated practitioners of African traditional religions, especially those who follow La Regla de Ocha. In doing so, he has more than justified his own claim that ‘one cannot overstate the academic and scholastic value’ of this work.”
--Edward Batchelor, Jr., Fellow in Religion,Yale University

The diloggún, the cowrie-shell oracle of Cuban Santería, is more than a tool of divination. It is the doorway to a powerful transformational process, and the forces that are set in motion when it is cast determine the future evolution of the adherent. The Diloggún explores this mysterious Afro-Cuban oracle from the perspective of diaspora orisha worship and includes a thorough exploration of the body of lore surrounding the oracle, which is the living Bible of one of the world’s fastest growing faiths.

Ócha’ni Lele provides a detailed description of each of the twelve families of odu that exist in the diloggún--from Okana through Ejila Shebora. Within these twelve families are 192 omo odu, the children of the odu, and each of these patterns or letters has its own lore, proverbs, meanings, prohibitions, and sacrifices, which Lele details as well. He is the first to provide the hitherto secret, but essential, information that the adept diviner needs to have in order to ensure that every element affecting a client’s spiritual development is taken into account during a reading. He includes all the major indications for sacrifice, ebó, providing the diviner with numerous ways to placate and supplicate the Afro-Cuban deities known as orishas. His book is also the first to detail how to properly end a session so that negative vibrations are absorbed by the orishas and fully removed from the diviner’s home. For those seeking the wisdom of ancient Africa, The Diloggún is an indispensable guide to the mysteries of the orishas.

ÓCHA’NI LELE has been immersed in the underground culture of orisha worship since 1989. He made Ocha in 2000 and was crowned a priest of Oyá. His other books include The Secrets of Afro-Cuban Divination and Obí: Oracle of Cuban Santería. He lives in Florida.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 576 pages
• Publisher: Destiny Books (August 30, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 089281912X
• ISBN-13: 978-0892819126
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 8.8 x 1.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (29 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #127,820 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #37 in Books > Religion & Spirituality > Other Practices > Tribal & Ethnic

More About the Author

Ócháni Lele (1966 - ) was born in Richmond, Virginia, to an unwed, 16 year old teenage mother and an absent father. He spent the first five years of his life living in an extended household with his maternal grandparents, mother, and aunt. In 1972, his mother married; his biological father gave up parental rights, and within a year he was adopted by his step-father. The first year of their marriage was spent living in Colonial Beach, Virginia, after which his family moved back to rural King George, the entrance to Virginia's Northern Neck, where he spent the next 12 years of his childhood. Growing up rurally was anything but idyllic; it was a period filled with alcoholism and abuse. At age 17, after graduating from high school in 1984, he ran away with a local summer stock theater, The Fredericksburg Theater Company; and there he pursued his first love of acting and drama.

When the season was over, he spent four semesters studying at Mary Washington College in historic Fredericksburg, Virginia, planning to pursue dual degrees in English Literature and Psychology; however, his desire to experience the exotic world of magic and alternative spirituality sent him on a journey that ended with his initiation in the Afro-Cuban world of Santería, a religion known to adherents as the Lucumí faith. Over the years he has written a number of books about that faith: "The Secrets of Afro-Cuban Divination" (Destiny Books, 2000); "Obi, Oracle of Cuban Santería" (Destiny Books, 2001); "The Diloggún" (Destiny Books, 2003); "Teachings of the Santería Gods" (Destiny Books, 2010). Most recently he published, "Diloggún Tales," a collection of Afro-Cuban folklore from the orally maintained, holy book known as the odu.

Currently he is studying at Seminole State College of Florida, pursuing dual degrees in Nursing and English Literature. In 2012 he plans to transfer to the University of Central Florida to finish his bachelor degrees in both fields of study. Future educational plans include his MFA in Creative Writing with the University of Iowa's Writers' Workshop. In addition to his academic work, Ócháni Lele is working on another book titled, tentatively, "The Sacrificial Ceremonies of Cuban Santería." It is a collection of folklore, history, short stories, and sacrificial ceremonies. It promises to be the most complete study published of ancient sacrificial rites.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Simply the Best!, September 30, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: The Diloggun: The Orishas, Proverbs, Sacrifices, and Prohibitions of Cuban Santeria (Hardcover)

As a priest of this religion, I could not ask for a better print reference than this book. It is excellent! Detailed, full of outstanding explanations of the oddus and their composites, there is no better text on Santeria divination than this! The author must be commended for such a work of brillance! It is truely inspired by the orishas themselves! Maferefun Chango! Maferefun Oya! Maferefun Obatala! Alafia my abure!

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is not an easy read, November 2, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: The Diloggun: The Orishas, Proverbs, Sacrifices, and Prohibitions of Cuban Santeria (Hardcover)

Ochani Lele's first book, "The Secrets of Afro-Cuban Divination," was a basic primer on divination. It gave a good, essential overview of the system, although one that was a bit simplistic. His second book, "Obi: Oracle of Cuban Santeria," was a light, delightful read. Both his knowledge and his skill as a story-teller combined to create a light, joyful, yet accurate read.

This book, however, is no easy read. As a writer he shines; his material is accurate and well-written. This tome is advanced; it is packed with information. It is more of a textbook than a simple book -- one that will keep readers reading and studying for months, perhaps years, to come.

Of special note: In Lele's first book, he promised future volumes not only addressing each composite odu in more depth, but also works exploring the mythology upon which this divination system is based. His first promise has been kept, although not to the extent that one would wish. Although perhaps the most advanced tome written, one can only hope that Ochani continues to develop his work about the odu of the diloggun. His second promise has been, as far as I'm concerned, breached. For while this book begins to catalog some of the patakis (Yoruba/Lucumi myths) that belong in each composite odu, he has yet to tell their full story or bring out the cultural richness found in the holy corpus.

Let us hope that Lele continues to develop his work and grow as an author. For each volume is a true gift to the world, another milestone guaranteeing his immortality in the generations to come.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The most studied work in this religion, August 23, 2005

By 

Stephen Garcia (Tampa, Florida) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Diloggun: The Orishas, Proverbs, Sacrifices, and Prohibitions of Cuban Santeria (Hardcover)

There are quite a few books available about this religion in both Spanish and English, however, I have never seen a book more referenced, more studied, or more jealously guarded than this.

It is a huge tome, very comprehensive in its material, yet the author humbly states that it is still little more than a beginner's treatise on the subject, and has promised future volumes to continue his work (a promise I might note has not yet been fulfilled, to my dismay).

Many elders in this religion try to discredit this author: his use of a pen name (for privacy reasons -- and privacy is something no one in this religion wants to give him), and his actual publication of what has been, to date, an oral teaching has created much stir among the elders.

Yet this book is much needed. Armed with the material in this tome, the beginner to this faith has a yardstick, a standard, by which to measure the diviners to who he goes for spiritual help. The novice santero has a tool that will teach him much more than just the art of divination with diloggun: He has a tool that will teach him the basics of history, and the art of prayer (mojuba) that is integral to all levels of this religion.

And even the seasoned diviner has a tool to facilitate his own studies.

I myself have been a welcome visitor to many houses of santo. I have visited oriates in their homes in Miami, New York, and Las Angeles. I have even been in the houses of several babalawos. I must say, to the author's credit, each oriate or babalawo that I visit has this book on his bookshelf. And when I ask if I can see the book, each time the priest tells me, "No, it is too full of secrets. It is not for your eyes."

Ashe to Ochani Lele! He has written a book that will survive the ages. He has also given us all a much needed tool to learn more about our faith and our spiritual practices.

Please note: I do not feel this book is appropriate for aleyos. It is too in depth, and gives too much secret knowledge. But knowing that will probably make them all the more excited to purchase the book and have the knowledge therein for theirselves.