The Secrets of Afro-Cuban Divination: How to Cast the Diloggún, the Oracle of the Orishas (Paperback)

~ Ócha'ni Lele (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Since the 1993 Supreme Court decision that vindicated their right to practice animal sacrifice, practitioners of Santer!aDor Lucum!, an Afro-Cuban religion based on ancient Yoruban practicesDhave come out into the open. Lele's book is the most thorough print version to date of the orally transmitted oracles as they are currently practiced by American babalawos (priests) and santeros (practitioners). Joseph Murphy's Santer!a: An African Religion in America (1988) and Luis Manuel N#$ez's Santer!a: A Practical Guide to Afro-Caribbean Magic (Spring Publns., 1995) provide the necessary introduction to the traditions covered here. Lele gives traditional readings for each casting of the cowrie shells used for divination. He lists the associated proverbs, the spirits that speak, and the message, prohibitions, and subreadings for each configuration of the shells. Missing are the traditional stories associated with the various oracle readings: these are promised in a future volume. A glossary and appendixes giving examples of readings enhance the book's usefulness for practitioners, scholars, and the curious alike. Recommended for academic and public libraries.DSteve Young, Montclair State Univ., NJ
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

. . . a complete resource and guide for anyone wishing to learn how to cast the Diloggun. -- The Chicago Firefly, February 2002

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Product Details

• Paperback: 424 pages
• Publisher: Destiny Books (September 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0892818107
• ISBN-13: 978-0892818105
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (29 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #353,774 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars this is a book that makes you think a little . . . really, February 23, 2001

By	"osun" (new york) - See all my reviews

for my health i got oshun on my head five years ago, and since my santo was for my health I never really learned anything about this religion. the ita confirmed that this was for my health, and i was to work mostly as an espiritista although I was told during my life I might have one or two godchildren in my life. Anyway, recently I was in a private newsgroup where people were discussing this book. They like it, but were upset that such a thing had been published. They said books on odu were not meant to be published because the material was so secret. This confused me because those same people that say the book should not be published also studied written material on odu, bad broken spanish texts that were published privately in cuba, or openly here in the states but are photocopied because they are no longer in print.

anyway, i read this book myself. since there was a discussion going here about the book i thought that I would put my comments here too. This book is fantastic. I think what disturbs people about it is that it is the first published in english, and it is so good that it makes those other spanish things out there that are out of print look really awful. Plus those photocopies are controlled. You cannot buy them unless you can prove to the botanicas that you have ocha, or unless your godparent photocopies it for you. anyone who has ocha can buy this book or anyone who does not have ocha can still buy this book. that is why some people do not like it i think.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars MO'DUPE Ocha'ni Lele, November 17, 2000

By	ADE OLORUM (MIAMI, FL United States) - See all my reviews

One of the reasons that Santeria attracts so many people, initiated or outsider, is divination. Suffice it to say, the "soul" of the Orishas continue to draw us to them. Unfortunately, the religion lacks competent Consultants. After twenty years I can safely assume that less than 20% of Santeros can consult with the Diloggun. This gives us less future Italeros and even less future Oriates. The reason for this is not ignorance, but lack of teachers and reading materials, especially in English, available to the community. The religion greatly needed a "step by step" Diloggun book in English to help those whom want or need to learn Diloggun Diviation. With this book "The Secrets of Afro-Cuban Divination," our prayers have been answered. So read, enjoy, learn and become more educated in what is the the essence of Santeria.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars At first I was concerned . . . but now I'm convinced . . ., December 3, 2000

By	Lydia (Miami) - See all my reviews

I think that I have read every book available about Santeria, otherwise known as the Lucumi faith. And I must say that every book that I have read has been a total disappointment. First, there are the books that everyone has read, those by Migene Wippler, and we all know that those are trash. That author has no regard for the religion, and wrote expose books that bordered on sensationalism and slander. Let's not even talk about HER book on the shells -- what trash, and how useless. Then there are books that tease us with information, hinting at secrets and arcane knowledge, but provide absolutely no useful information.

Then I stumbled across this book. Honestly, I bought it for a good laugh; I figured absolutely no useful information about the diloggun could be found in a book. How wrong I was. The first chapter alone on casting the diloggun could have been a book to itself; it could have stood alone, and the wonderful, insightful information therein would have made the entire tome worthwhile. Indeed, the 19.95 price of THIS book was well worth the information presented in the first chapter.

And the remaining chapters on Okana through Ejila Shebora were fabulous. I learned so much that I didn't know; each page was insightful, revealing . . .

This book is obviously written by a man whose hands are guided by the orishas themselves. It is informative, beautiful, thought provoking . . . I can think of nothing bad to say about this work or the author.

If nothing else, this is the FIRST book that shows we are truly a religion, a spiritual faith, with a book as holy and pure as any other major religion. It shows the beauty of our prayers, our rituals, our beliefs . . .

It is awe inspiring. This author has done for our faith what no author before him could do. Thank you so much, Ochani Lele, for your beautiful work.