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Summary: this is a book that makes you think a little . . . really
Review: 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 This confused me because those same people that say the book should not be published also studied written material on odu, bad broken spanish texts that were published privately in cuba, or openly here in the states but are photocopied because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.
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Summary: The Secrets of Afro-Cuban Divination.
Review: I am going to say Ashe for the author for taking his/her time for sharing the knowledge. This is not a book after reading it, that you will be able to cast the shells automatically. But, it give's a solid definition on the odu's. What it is lacking are the pataki's on the combination of the odu's. For each combination there is a pataki that go along with it. I am not against the production of this book for many reasons. For one, I have seen too many people get ocha and the God parent or parent's does not teach a darn thing. I have met iyalocha and babalocha who have six years ocha who can not even throw obi, never mind shells. I was fortunate enough to come from a teaching ocha house. But, alot of Ocha houses are not, and I repeat are not teaching houses. And will not take the time to show you what the odu's mean never mind, throwing them. So, for those who are in that position it is a very good start to know what the odu's mean. May I add this comment further to say the exploitation of the religion does not start with books like this. But, with the elder's who do not take the time to nurture their godchildren, and leave them like shrimps in the ocean. So please people stop blaming the authors, and let's look at the people who have the ocha houses...Thank You Sincerely Child of Oshun from New York City
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Summary: good book
Review: I am in the relgion. I read the book. I like the book. What more can I say?
Rating: 
Summary: Go back to the source of Ifa The Odus
Review: I begin my study of the diloggun with my Godmother soon and I purchased this book in hope of getting a head start. This work is "exactly" what the doctor prescribed. I have other books but they are extremely difficult to read and understand because they were written piece meal by folks who are obviously not initiated. The only decent materials are mostly written in Spanish. But now, with your help, I am able to jump right in and begin my learning process. For those of us who speak English...Modupe Baba, Modupe. May the Orisha continue this much-needed work through you. Blessings.
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Summary: At first I was concerned . . . but now I'm convinced . . .
Review: 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.
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Summary: The Secrets of Afro-Cuban Divination.
Review: Okay I have to give my props to Ocha'ni Lele, he has written an excellent book, and all though not as good as Awo William Bascom's masterpiece "16 Cowries", it still is a good read. But it is very Good Book, but a bit misleading to all those who think that just buy reading this book, and playing with cowrie shells that they will instantly become an Italero or an Oriate. To fully write a book on the mysteries of reading los caracoles, volumes upon volumes would be required. And trust me, all that is reading the Dilloggun has not been written in this book, or any book for that matter. Dilloggun is not the tarot, we do not have the "Lets learn The Dilloggun for Begginners" As due all these dime a dozen Wiccan books, that make it look cheesy and cheap. In order to learn these ancient mysteries one must dedicate their life to the Orishas, ones godparents and ones Ile. Our Knowledge comes passed down as a parent passes down moral lessons to ones children. So although this is a neat little into book to understanding the Basic Concepts of interpreting the Dilloggun, understand that there is so much information that can not be learned buy just reading, every good book needs a good professor behind it. Although I give my respects for Ocha'ni Lele's efforts, he is a good writer. Understand that these books can only give you limited information. It is books like these that can be dangerous to an ancient beautiful Spirituality. soon we will have the uniitiated Santero, or the solitary Wiccan initiated Santero running a 1-900 dilloggun Psychic Hotline.
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Summary: A 'must' for any student of Afro-Cuban spirituality.
Review: Secrets Of Afro-Cuban Divination focuses on how to cast the Diloggun, the oracle of the Orishas which is more than an African oracle, but a spiritual process blending ritual with insight. Secrets Of Afro-Cuban Divination is the first to provide complete details on how to cast and read the Diloggun, from opening and closing the oracle to an analysis of the prayers associated with the process. A 'must' for any student of Afro-Cuban spirituality.
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Summary: This book does, indeed, raise serious issues.
Review: The growth of the Lucumi faith can be described in one word: explosive. The orishas are embracing men and women of all cultures. With this growth we find ourselves in a dangerous time. Traditions that were easily passed on orally are becoming strained to the point of loss. The number of new initiates, iyawos, grows geometrically, not arthmatically, and this creates a strain in how religious traditions are passed on. A godparent in the old days would have only a handful of new priests to instruct; now, a godparent might have dozens of godchildren making ocha, and one person only has so many hours in a day to teach, to instruct. While a book is an impersonal device, and in my opinion, not the BEST way to allow an initiatic religion to survive, we are at a point where such tools are needed. Like it or not, this book is here - it is not going away. But if we as godparents take control of this book, of its information, and use it as a tool to instruct our godchildren, much good can come of it. I think it is well written. I am a student of divination myself, and while not the best or most educated diviner, I can find nothing in the work that is incorrect or improperly presented. The material on the odu is a bit glossed over -- they are summations and not in depth discussions. However, if for no other reason, the first chapter establishes the entire value of this work. It presents the system of diloggun divination accurately, and most importantly, logically. I have seen many diviners, myself included, flounder during a reading when odu will not close out. Without a logical method of exploration for these letters, one can easily get lost and miss a lot. The methods of casting presented by Ochani . . . from what I can discern by my own practice sessions with the material . . . make the entire process of divination so logical that there can be no mistake. There can be nothing missed. I do have one piece of advice for this author. From the work of his that I have seen floating around the web, along with discussion that I have both read and heard, it seems that he is planning more detailed works on the individul odu. There are some things that should not be published for public consumption. Perhaps he will consider privately publishing his future works. Selling them only to those that have ocha on his head. If he does this, his material will continue to help preserve our traditions putting it all in the hands of only those who are actually priests and priestesses. Congratulations of a job well done ochani.
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Summary: This book is an interesting evolution for the religion
Review: When I began my journey into ocha fourteen years ago things were rough. I am a "newyorican" who spoke very little spanish and read no spanish. I was readily accepted into the religion, obviously, since I am hispanic, but was unable to read anything about the religion published. Those books in English prior to this were awful, and the few available in spanish were of no good to me. I couldn't read the material. The plus side to all of this was that I brushed up on my spanish until I was able to read what was out there. And that, unfortunately, was almost as disappointing as that found in english. I think that this book represents a new evolution for the religion. It is very well written, and gives good, solid information. Some argue that none of this is meant to be published, but odu itself was never meant to be a secret thing. If it was, how could any diviner actually divine for anyone outside the religion? I like this book. I hope the author keeps writing.
Rating:
Summary: A must-have for one's personal library
Review: When the "Secrets of Afro-Cuban Divination" first came out, I requested it through my local library, and it took four months for them to get this book. I've read everything available on this religion in print (so I think), and I didn't really think that this would be a book worth buying. Anyway, I read the book, and thought it was fantastic. That's why, before the book was even due back at my library, I bought it for my own personal library. This is one of those books sure to be described in years as "monumental." It is ground breaking, being the first to delve as deeply into this religion's mysteries as Ochani has. I hope that this author keeps writing.
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