African Oracles in 10 Minutes (Paperback)

by Richard T. Kaser (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review
For more than 1,000 years the Yoruba tribe of Nigeria have planned their lives and love through a unique fortune-telling system: this title could've been featured in our spirituality section but is reviewed here because any with an interest in African culture should consider this of interest. -- Midwest Book Review

Product Description

For more than 1000 years, the Yoruba of Nigeria have planned their lives, found true love, and learned their destiny through a vibrant and poetic fortune-telling system. African Oracles in 10 Minutes puts the power of these ancient methods in your hands.

Sensing the strong link between sexual and spiritual energy, the Yoruba havetraditionally explored both male and female paths to wisdom. You can choose to follow either the "White Cotton Road," which women have relied on for centuries, or the "Melon Seed Road," favored by men. Each path offers more than 250 readings that are both relevant to modern life and faithful to the spirit of the original systems. All you need are 16 objects -- coins, shells, beads or dried beans -- to get instant answers to yes or no questions as well as in-depth readings on more profound considerations.

African Oracles in 10 Minutes provides both a fascinating glimpse of Yoruban spiritualism and a time-honored method for unlocking the secrets of the past and revealing the destiny that awaits you.

Product Details

• Paperback: 436 pages
• Publisher: Harper Perennial (January 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0380781328
• ISBN-13: 978-0380781324
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 1.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,647,453 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Trash-- has nothing to do with Real Merindilogun Divination, November 13, 1997

By A Customer

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.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Worth Nothing....Disrespectful of the tradition, February 7, 2000

By	[e-mail] (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) - See all my reviews

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.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Caveat Emptor!, January 14, 2000

By A Customer

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.