For my god-sister, Carrie Mikel, and formy godfather, John Pilato . Both deservemore than just a book dedicated in theirnames.

Acknowledgments

WHEN A WORK OF THIS SCOPE is beingwritten, no one author can claim credit forall its contents. The words are mine; thework is mine; the interpretations are mine.This book represents countless hours ofwriting, rewriting, worry, and sweat. YetSantería is an oral faith, and its truesecrets are not to be found in the myriadvolumes already on the market; itsmysteries are found in the hearts and soulsof those who practice this religion.

For this book, I am in great debt to

my godfather, Eshu’leri Bolafun ( JohnPilato), for his patience and thoroughinstruction. He teaches not with the mouthbut with his heart, and his love for thisreligion is reflected in all that he does. ToNaomi Alejandro, Christine Jaffe,Michael Cabrera, Akin Babatunde,Ogúndei (Evaristo Peréz), and manyothers, I am in debt for my own vastknowledge of ebó. My publisher, Inner Traditions,cannot go without acknowledgment; I mustthank Jon Graham and Laura Schlivek fortheir countless hours of hard work as theyturned this manuscript (and my previouswork) from a dream into reality. Myformer copy editor, Susannah Noel, was atireless tyrant (said in love, of course)when it came to polishing my previous

b o o k , The Secrets of Afro-CubanDivination. I learned so much by workingwith her; how can I thank her for pushingme, and my writing skills, to the limit? Doris Troy, the copy editor for thisbook, was just as thorough, and gave Obí:Oracle of Cuban Santería the final bit ofpolish it needed to become themasterpiece it is. Thank you Doris!Finally, I would not be in this religion atall except for Oyá, who claims and guidesmy head in life; if I owe anything toanyone, I owe all to her. She has given mea life where I thought I had none, and thereis no greater gift than that. Aché to you all.

Contents

Title Page

Dedication

Acknowledgments

Introduction: Beyond the MiddlePassage

Chapter One—Understanding theOrisha Obí

The Myth of Obí, the Sacred CoconutThe Story of the Coconut Tree

The Story of the Coconut TreeThe Orisha Associated with Ob

Chapter Two—The Principles ofCasting Obí

Biague: the Birth of Divination with theCoconut

Preparing to Use Obí

Chapter Three—Interpreting theOracle

Additional Considerations on the FiveBasic Patterns

Chapter Four—Interpreting theOracle: Apere Ti, Obí

Apere Ti, ObíApere in ElegguáApere in OgúnApere in OchosiApere in Babaluaiye

Apere in AganyúApere in ShangóApere in ObataláApere in OyáApere in OshúnApere in Yemayá

Chapter Five—Closing the Sessionwith Obí

Marking Ebó with ObEboses for the Orishas

Mail-Order Sources for ReligiousSupplies

Footnotes

Glossary

Suggested Reading

About the Author

About Inner Traditions • Bear &Company

Copyright & Permissions

Introduction Beyond the Middle

Passage

When my head is on my shoulders,my feet in salty waters, and my

thoughts extend beyond thehorizon, there is no doubt in my

mind that I stand facing the ocean. —A proverb from the diloggún, babá

Eji Ogbe

STANDING ON THE ATLANTIC SHORE andgazing at the ocean’s endless surf, I knowpeace and fear. There are no other wordsto describe the feelings that Olokun, thebitter sea, evokes. I stand at the crest ofland and sea, where waves rollrelentlessly against the coastline, hungrilysucking sand to sea before churning itonce more against the shore. I am still asshe laps at my feet. The tide is recedingslowly, yet the waves are ceaseless andthe sand moves constantly. My footingdissolves; I shift my weight back and tothe side to keep my balance. Blocking themorning sun with cupped palms, my eyesfollow the path of bubbling sunlight overthe water and into the horizon; it ends inthe blue ocean and the bluer sky, into agentle, sloping curve that slips from view.

I am lost in this moment, lost with the sandamid foaming waves. Eternity lives here,in the ocean, and it is to this place that Icome, again and again, to rest, to meditate,to cleanse, to recharge. I yearn to minglewith the natural forces as they, too, mergeand mingle with each other.

Today I have not come alone; mygodmother, Jackye, and her friendJosephine have brought me. Both aresanteras, priestesses of an Afro-Cubanfaith known as Santería, a religion thatsurvived more than four hundred years ofslavery and persecution by white andHispanic slave lords. It is a spiritualitythat nourished the souls of thoseoppressed for no reason other than thesilky blackness of their skins. Torn fromtheir homelands, sold and bought like

chattel, raped, abused, beaten, and packedinto the filthy cargo bays of slave-tradingships, the followers of the orishas(spirits) came to the New World with nomore than the aché, the power, of theorishas within their heads. Those who hadtime swallowed the sacred shells of theirgods, taking their physical forms on earthinto their bodies; thus were they able tohide their spirits from their captors.Inevitably, these relics passed throughtheir bodies; once again they swallowedthem and held them secretly in theirbellies. For months priests and priestessessuffered in darkness, bound in iron chainsas seamen guided the marine prisons overthe ocean. Some mortally mangledthemselves to escape these bonds, findingrelease and peace only as they flung

themselves over the ship’s bow,consigning their lives into the ocean’s icygrip, Olokun’s womb. The rest sufferedagonizing pain and torment, praying to herfor strength, for release, for safe passage. Of the hundreds of blacks crammedinto cramped quarters, only a fewsurvived each crossing: the determined,the strong, the devoted. Those who diedwere tossed overboard by the ship’s crewwithout care or concern, left to sink to thecold, salty depths. Yet the same qualitiesthat enabled those few to endure alsoenabled the orishas to survive. Priests ofthe white Christ tried in vain to convertthe African souls. Although they hadneither the morals nor the strength todestroy the sin of slavery, they assuagedtheir own festering guilt by baptizing

blacks “in the name of Jesus.” But whilethe slave masters could coerce the bodiesof their servants, they could not conquertheir Yoruba spirit. The holy saints, saysome, looked down in pity and despair atwhat their own people were doing; andthe orishas, in their infinite wisdom,carried the followers through thehardships of slavery. In secret, in hiding,disguising their gods behind the willingmasks of the saints, priestesses and priestsof the orishas continued to nourish thespirits, and the orishas, in return,sustained their followers through thecenturies, helping them to evolve, to growin a prison that was not of their making, ina world that they did not want. History is a fragile cloth, its threadseasily broken, its patterns dulled by the

past that created it. Nature is cruel,destroying what she has wrought with herown hands. Time, even time devours hisown children. The cries of our ancestors,however, still echo in the angry, crashingwaves. We can hear them, and remember,if we listen. We must listen. It has been more than four centuries sincethe first slaves were brought to the NewWorld, and although slavery has beenabolished, their descendants are stilloppressed by a society that disapproves ofnot only their skin color, but also theirnative spirituality. I stand with my eldersat the ocean’s edge, the end of the MiddlePassage. My godmother, Jackye, is apriestess of Obatalá, mother and father tothe earth, the great ruler of the heights sent

forth by Olódumare to create upon thewatery void. Josephine, an elder, a PuertoRican santera, is a priestess of Yemayá,the orisha brought forth from Olokun’sdepths as Obatalá chained her from land.Unable to resist the supreme deity’ssanctions, yet too vast to be restrained byObatalá’s chains, Yemayá was born fromOlokun’s prison; she became the owner ofthe ocean’s waves and of all the freshwater upon the earth. We had come tohonor this mighty goddess, the world’squeen. Josephine and Jackye had broughtan array of offerings: watermelons, porkrinds, and dark molasses—delicacies ofthe orisha. Unknown to them, I had brought myhopes and my fears. I am white andentering an African religion; and although

my godmother herself is white, I could nothelp but wonder if I really belonged insuch a faith. Before the sea I suddenlybecame frightened. I could imagine thesouls of the ancestors out there, embracedin Olokun’s icy grip. I could imagine theirpain, their terror, as they were flungcarelessly into a watery abyss. I was inawe of them, of the ocean’s vast depths, ofits strengths and powers. Shaking, Istepped back from the water. “Bonito,” Josephine questioned,using her pet name for me, “what iswrong? Why do you shake?” Quietly, so Jackye could not hear, Itold the elder my thoughts, my fears. Shelaughed. “I am not black either, Bonito; Iam Spanish. Let me tell you a story about

how the orishas came to this place andhow they came to be worshiped by allpeoples,” she said as we both sat down onthe hot sand.

Many centuries ago, so my owngodmother told me, the orishas livedonly in Africa, the cradle of civilizationand the mother of all our races. Yet camethe Spanish, the whites, to the holycontinent, and with them they broughtthe evils of a modern world. Many of ourpriests and priestesses in old Oyóbecame corrupt when they saw thewealth that these men brought, and theywere told that they could exchange thesymbols of their orishas, the diloggún,for the wealth of gold. “We can wash ourspirits anew,” they rationalized, “and

have the wealth that these strange menbring, for surely this is the will of ourgods.” In ignorance, they went to theships and lay down their sacredimplements for the precious metals thatthe traders carried; yet instead ofreceiving gold coins as they had beenpromised, they were given iron shacklesand taken prisoner over the sea. No oneheard from them again. Then the slavelords returned once more, and this timethey offered the village chiefs gold inexchange for the strongest and healthiestof their people. These, too, were forcedinto submission and taken away over thebitter seas. Finally, having weakened thetribes through their own greed and sin,the traders returned once more anduprooted what they could of the empires,

using their weapons of war to force intosubmission those who were unable torun. Thus did the evil of slavery beginwith greed and lies, and thus did itcontinue over the centuries. Many of the orishas came with theirpriests, secreted either in their hair or intheir bellies. Some who could sailedthrough their elements: Obatalá in thesky, Shangó in the storm, Aganyú in thevolcano. Others were already there, inCuba: Orúnmila and Elegguá, who areeverywhere and know everything, andOgún, who rests deep in the earthwherever there is iron. Yet one orishacould not leave. Oshún, who lived in thesweet river waters of Africa, tried in vainto follow her people over the ocean. Yetshe could not, for when the river meets

the seas, the fresh waters become salty,and therein she could not travel. So shewent to her sister Yemayá and called her,begging, “Sister, where do my peoplego? Why can I not follow?” And tearsslowly slid down her face, tears ofsadness and anger. “Sister,” said Yemayá, “our peopleare being stolen away to a place calledCuba, and those of us who are able aregoing with them in spirit to watch overthem, to protect them as best we can.Some of us are already there, for ourrealms extend to theirs. Others arecarried in the bodies of the priests andpriestesses, for their faith in us is great.Yet you, Sister, cannot go. Your followershave traded their diloggún for iron outof greed for gold, and your river ends at

the sea. I am sorry.” Yet Oshún knew that her sisterYemayá was very powerful, being themother of all the orishas. And she knewthat if she truly asked, her sister wouldfind a way to carry her across the seas.“Sister, I am sad; I am angry. Yet Iforgive those who have brought this evil.I forgive those who have acted in greed.I want to be with them, to protect them,to make their lives sweet. How can I goto Cuba?” Yemayá thought for a moment, thensmiled. “You are fresh water nourishedby my rain. You will travel with me toCuba through the sky, in the rain withyour lover, Shangó, and with theblessings of our elder Obatalá.”

Again Oshún shed tears, this time ofjoy, and she asked, “Sister, what do thepeople in Cuba look like? Are they likeus with dark skin and curly hair?” “No, Sister, they are lighter. Someare brown and others are white. They donot look like us.” “I have another wish, my sister. Iwant to look not only like our people butalso like theirs. I want to show all thosethe beauty of the orishas and the evilthat they have wrought on our people. Iwant to show them all that life can besweet, that there can be harmony, thatthere can be love. I want to show all whowill adore us the gifts of Oshún.” Yemayá smiled as she straightenedOshún’s hair and lightened her skin; she

became the most beautiful of mulattoes,yet retained her African features. Shewas voluptuous, stunning. “This is onlyillusion, my sister. Those who look uponyour beauty will see those things thatthey find most beautiful—through youthey will learn that no matter thehardships, the bitterness in life, it can besweet if they honor you and what yourepresent: love for all peoples and lovefor the orishas.” With those words,Yemayá took Oshún into herself, into therain, and together they traveled to Cubato watch over the Yoruba race. Yemayáwas their mother and helped them toadapt, to survive, to grow, while Oshúntaught that despite the bitterness in theirlives, there could be sweetness. Thus didall the orishas finally come here to the

New World—and thus have they beenworshiped by all.*1

Josephine gently nudged me. “The

orishas are black; we worship the blackgods of black peoples, and still they loveus as we love and honor them. Yet theirlove does not come without a price. Thereare those who would call our practicesbarbaric, pagan, primitive. Much of ourreligion is outlawed, and even now thereare those fighting the wars of persecutionand spiritual enslavement in courts of‘justice.’ Have you not heard of theiyawós [initiates] going to jail, arrested onthe throne during what is the greatestmoment of their lives? To honor the godsthat we love, we must sneak, at times, in

shadows or risk imprisonment for ourbeliefs. We must suffer still at the hands ofCatholics and Christians who taunt us withtheir holy books, saying ours are the waysof Satan. We watch as our brothers,sisters, and elders come from Cuba andare stripped of their holy orishas bycustoms officials who hope to rid our‘evil’ from the earth. Although it is notslavery, although the hardship does notmatch that of our ancestors, we still suffer.Yet we all work hard for the day when wemay once again come out into the open,when blacks may reclaim in pride andwithout prejudice the orishas of theirancestors, and we may work with themside by side, healing the wounds of thepast. We suffer for their love, yet Oshúnmakes our suffering sweet. She is truly the

most beautiful of the orishas. But I ramble,and it is time to make our offerings toYemayá, our mother.” Josephine motioned for Jackye bringthe basket with the ocean’s offerings.Standing between us, Josephine began tochant, to pray in the ancient tongue knownas Lucumí. Jackye and I held her hands,for she was becoming unsteady, dizzy, asshe communed with the natural forces ofher mother orisha. The litany becameinterspersed with Spanish. I could pickout bits of prayers for my godmother, forme, wishes for both our physical and ourspiritual health. She called on the strengthof the ancestors and said blessings fortheir elevation and for our protection. Itwas time to make an offering. We threwwhole melons into the ocean; I swung

Josephine’s hard and watched as it landedonly a few feet away, rolling and bobbingin foamy waves. Josephine threw handfulsof pork rinds to her mother, while Jackyelet molasses pour freely into the churningfoam. Children came running along theshoreline, puzzled, as grown-ups werethrowing food into the water. “LittleElegguás,” Josephine said, tilting her headtoward them in acknowledgment. Helping Josephine back to our chairson the beach, I strained to listen over thecrashing waves. They rumbled andthundered, stirred up by the invocationsand prayers Josephine had intoned, as myown godmother began her string ofprayers with fresh water to Elegguá,opener of roads and messenger to theorishas, to the sea, to Yemayá. In her

hands were rounded slices of coconutmeat, and as she prayed she threw sliversinto the waters. Clapping her hands, shelet the pieces fall, chanting to herself oncemore as she poured the last of hermolasses into the cresting waves; again,she picked up the pieces of coconut andthrew them to the ground with a swift flickof her wrists. “Ejife,” she yelled over theroaring waves. “The world is in balance.”Yemayá was pleased with her offerings.Slowly, Jackye knelt down to the sand toretrieve the coconut for one last question;an errant wave crashed onto the beach,spraying her with its mist. By instinct, sheturned her head as cold water ran over herback. Turning again to retrieve the fourpieces, Jackye’s hand touched only sand. Yemayá had accepted her offerings;

Yemayá would say no more!

ONE Understanding the

Orisha Obí

AMONG THE YORUBA, there is a basicsystem of divination known as Obí. It is anoracle cut anew for each use from theseeds of the kola tree (Cola acuminata), atropical species prolific on the continentof Africa. The Yoruba believe that eachseed is sacred, symbolic of the earth,cosmos, and Olódumare. A perfect ripe

seed yields four lobes when split. Two ofthe lobes are called obí, and it is fromthese portions that the oracle is named.These lobes are feminine in shape, beingrounded and bulbous at one end; the othertwo lobes are phallic, oblong. These areconsidered the masculine portions and areknown as akó. Unbroken, one seed is acreative synthesis, a fusion of themasculine and feminine halves of nature, aperfect union holding the potential for newcreation. As the orisha devotee rips openthe flesh, his own world is symbolicallytorn asunder, and only under the directionof his patron orisha will this world berebuilt. After a solemn prayer and aheartfelt invocation to the spirits, arandom toss of these four pieces isdirected by unseen hands. Thus is the

orisha’s will revealed. Mathematically, four separate piecesof anything yields only five patterns, yetseparating the four lobes into twodivisions, masculine and feminine,increases the number of “letters” that canopen into a total of ten. And with thenumerous ways in which the lobes can fallupon each other, a limitless number ofsigns is created. By these the initiated candetermine the orisha’s desires. The basicpatterns that fall in the Kola-nut oraclehave names: odí, alafia, obita, akita,yeye, ailashara, ejire, ayé, oyekun, andiyala. Respectively, each pattern bringsimpediments, coolness, blessings,unhappiness, victory, debility, friendship,money, hardship, and health. Beyond thesebasic patterns, and the patterns within the

patterns, the African initiate has the aché(power, grace, life, initiation) in his headto divine the full meaning of the mandalathat unfolds. The orisha displays his or herletters in Obí before the shrine, but thediviner is allowed to interpret accordingto his own knowledge and experience. Anobjective sign (the letter of the oracle) ismatched by the subjective knowledge ofthe priest, and from these two are thespirit’s prognostications determined. When the Catholic and Christianheresies of slavery brought orisha initiatesto the New World in hordes, the religionwas forced to undergo evolutionarychanges. In the areas that later becameknown as the United States, slavery wasso harsh, so brutal, that the orishatraditions could not survive beyond the

first generation. Heartlessly, whitesdivided the family and social units.Mothers and fathers were ripped fromeach other and from their children, wholefamilies destroyed as the cruel masterssought to push their slaves intosubmission. Blacks were regarded asanimals and tortured to obey, to work, toproduce for a race too lazy to produce onits own. Here, among colonies that werefirst established for “religious freedom,”the native religions of Africans died.There was no evolution for the spirits ortheir followers; there was only cruelty anddeath. It seems a paradox, but slaveryamong the Hispanic, Portuguese, andpredominantly Catholic countries waskinder. Although they still were treated as

beasts of burden, the Africans’ socialunits were kept intact. Some were evengiven free, private time to themselves, andit is among these people that the religionsurvived. Due to a milder climate, manyof the herbs used in the orishas’ ritualswere no longer available; throughdivination, however, suitable substitutionswere found. Those who toiled in theSpaniards’ fields still had the initiationand the aché to divine using obí; however,the oracle’s kola nut was no longer inplentiful supply. Through divination,another substitute was sought. Some saythat it was Obatalá who sanctioned thechange; others say nothing less than adecree from Olófin himself could changethe methodology of the religion. No matterto which orisha the new system is

credited, the divination system wasadapted. Instead of a four-lobed nut, thecoconut (which also exists in Africa)became the oracle. The new tool wasnamed Obí divination as well, yet it hadfor its patron a different obscure orisha ofthe Yoruba pantheon, Obí, from whom thecoconut was created. It is this system ofdivination and myth that continues toflourish throughout Cuba and the rest ofthe New World.*2

The Myth of Obí, theSacred Coconut

(This myth originates in Obara Osá,pattern 6–9, in the diloggún.) Of allObatalá’s mortal creations, Obí was

perfect, pure. Born with all heaven’sblessings, his life was one of charity andservitude. Surrounded by poverty, hewould surrender his wealth to support theneedy—beggars and vagrants were hisfriends. In the midst of despair, his wasthe voice that could soothe. Obí’s wordswere kind, and never uttered in vain. Suchwas the beauty within the man that itformed his body in its image. The mortal’sskin was polished, smooth like onyx; hiseyes, dark like pools of ink, reflected allaround him. No woman’s skin was softer,yet no man’s form more masculine. Obí’sbody was solid, chiseled, and toned, yetwhen he walked its suppleness wassensual and rhythmic, like music. Sodevoid of vanity and evil was Obí thatOlófin favored him, granting him eternal

life. The beauty that was within Obí shonegreater than that without, and by his achéOlófin made it gather. Obí glistened withwhiteness and purity. All of the orishasagreed that there was none more radiant,more handsome than he. Others who were born after thecreation of humans knew Obí as thecoconut, a fruit that once was a brilliant,glistening white. His skin was smooth likemarble, yet iridescent like virgin snow;always, his robes were immaculatelyclean and pressed, reflecting the dazzlinglight of both sun and moon. Only the robesof Obatalá were kept cleaner. For Obí towalk during the day was to blind the sightof those about him, and all the orishasmarveled at his magnificence.

Although elevated for his humilityand reverence, Obí’s ego grew slowlyover the centuries until he believed therewas no one more blessed, more importantthan he. “If beauty is a gift fromOlódumare,” Obí mused, “then I am themost gifted. Surely it is because of thegood works I did on earth. There is nonemore deserving than I of beauty andeloquence.” Elegguá, who knows all things, knewthe darkness that was growing like acancer in Obí’s heart. Many times hewarned Obatalá, yet when Obatalá lookedat the elevated mortal, he saw only theperfection in his creation. Elegguá went toOlófin, but Olófin was still blinded by themagic he had woven when elevating Obíto the status of an orisha. His aché brought

the inner light of the man without; hisbeauty was enhanced by the whiteness ofcreation, and even god on earth could notsee beyond that. Like many, Olófinmistook physical beauty for spiritualpurity. And that purity had been tainted. Eventually it came to pass that Olófinthrew a festival for all the orishas in hisown opulent palace. Obí spent manyweeks preparing for the party, orderingnew robes to be made in the finest whitecloths with sparkling white laces andsatins. Only the purest fabrics were used,and they were stitched by those with thecleanest hands. When finished, the whiteclothing contrasted deeply with his darkskin. The power of his aura magnified thewhiteness, and together they glistened andscintillated so it seemed Obí himself was

the source of all light, that all else was buta reflection of him. He was pleased. Theday of the party arrived, and Obí went,assured that there was no orisha betterdressed or more magnificent than he. Arriving early, Obí watched from adistance as the other orishas came:Yemayá in her dress of foam and shells,dripping with pearls and gemstones fromthe sea; Oshún in her most gorgeousyellow satins; and Shangó in his flamingred trousers and pressed white shirt.Although all had prepared many days forthe festival, the clothing of none couldcompare to what Obí wore. It seemed thathe had gathered all that was cool andwhite in the world, weaving it into atapestry that shimmered and glistened inthe moon’s own pale glow. Passing the

front gates of Olófin’s palace, casting abrilliance almost unmatched by Olófin’ssplendid walls, Obí saw that a group ofragged, dirty mendicants had gathered bythe palace entrance to beg alms from themighty ones. Their clothing was filthy,caked with mud and dried leaves; the ragsthey wore were unfit even for an animal,and Obí cringed as he drew closer tothem. Gone were his mortal days when heworked selflessly for others; now he wasan orisha, and deserving of respect! Thevagrants begged for money, and Obípretended he was deaf. One reached out totouch him, leaving a tiny stain on hiswhites, and Obí was enraged. “Leave mealone,” he said, seething, through clenchedteeth. “You do not belong at Olófin’spalace; you belong in the forest with

animals!” Such was his rage that themagical clothing he wore flared about hisfigure wildly, whipping in the air as heshook his fists in fury. Stunned, thevagrants could do nothing but shrink fromthe orisha’s outburst, and in fear they ran. So loudly had Obí roared thesewords that Olófin himself crept cautiouslyto the front door to investigate thecommotion. He watched sadly as the oncehumble orisha sent away the poor who hadgathered outside the palace. When the lastvagrant had disappeared from sight,Olófin looked at his son with pity. Heremembered the warnings of Elegguá, thathis elevated mortal had become shallowand severe, and his only words were,“Come inside. Join the party.” Turningaway with sadness in his eyes, Olófin said

not another word to Obí that night. Heonly watched as the orisha mingled amongthe guests, laughing, eating, and drinkingas if he had not a care in the world. Obí spent the next day analyzing theevents. He decided to plan a festival moreextravagant than Olófin’s, one that wouldshow himself to be the most gracious ofall Olófin’s children. He hand-picked theguest list, inviting only the most importantspirits, including Olófin, father of themall. Word was also sent out—beggars andvagrants were forbidden at his door.Weeks of preparation followed as Obídrove his servants to make his mansion thecleanest, whitest, and most elegant of alldwellings. He forced his tailors andseamstresses to weave the most stunningfabrics from the whitest wools and

cottons, adding his own aché into theclothing created. On the night of the party,despite his preparations, only a few ofthose whom Obí had invited appeared.Attending from curiosity rather thansincerity, the guests exchanged furtiveglances and whispered conversation. Obíwas furious, for beyond Olófin himselfthere was no one more grand than he. Howdare the others not show up! How darethose in attendance display theiringratitude by whispering, by snickering,by questioning his motives. The hourscrawled by. Anger turned to rage, and Obíbecame the most ungracious of hosts.Later that night, as the orishas werebeginning to leave, there was a quietknock at the door. Obí was still hoping forlate arrivals and he ran to answer it.

Rage then turned to fury, for it wasjust a ragged beggar. His hair was mattedand his clothing torn and filthy, and as Obístared in horror, he held out his hands tobeg for alms. The orisha could onlytremble as he saw the bleached whitewalkway to his palace tracked with dirtand mud from the vagrant’s feet. Furyexploded. “How dare you, you dirty, filthyman,” Obí thundered. “How dare youcome to my house tracking filth, dressed inrags and stinking like a dirty beast! Getaway from me and leave this house. Inever wish to see you again.” Slammingthe door in the beggar’s face, Obí turnedto see all the orishas gathered behind him,their expressions blank in disbelief. A fewof them trembled in either fear or rage—Obí could not tell, nor did he care. “Have

you gone mad?” asked Elegguá, the first torecover. “How can you call our father afilthy, dirty animal?” Before Obí could calm himself andquestion Elegguá, there came yet anotherknock at the door. Tearing it open, Obíwas again enraged as the old man stoodbefore him. As he opened his mouth toscream, the figure began to change andmelt until the beggar was no more, andObí could see what the other orishas saw—Olófin himself. Obí had turned away thetrue lord of the universe. The mighty one let show all hisbrilliance and goodness. The room wasbasked in white light that blanketed theivory walls of Obí’s mansion; all wereblinded in its splendor. The orishas lay

down in foribale (prostrate salute) beforethis mighty display of aché, while Obícould only shake and tremble as he sank tohis knees to beg forgiveness. Yet nowords came, for his tongue loosened andfell from his mouth. Obí was permanentlysilenced. Rage melted into fear, and fearbecame desperation as Obí saw his tonguelying useless on the floor. He washumbled by a power greater than his own,and groveled before his father’s feet.Olófin, seeing the same humility that Obípossessed while still human, felt sorry forthe orisha. He said, “My son, once youwere pure of heart, yet through time yourways toward others became evil.Somewhere, somehow, you lost thevirtues of humility and charity for mychildren on earth. Yet I still find it in my

heart to forgive you. For your crimes, yourown aché has removed the power ofspeech, and with the mouth you will neverutter another word; yet I shall give youback your speech in a different manner. Ifyou ever want to communicate withanother, you must first throw yourself tothe floor as in foribale to me, and thenshall your will be known to others. “And since you have become allbright and beautiful on the outside, yetwithin have become dark and hard, ahypocrite, your appearance for an eternityshall be changed, and this is mypunishment to you. A thick crust will maskyour physical beauty like the one thatexists within you now, yet hidden withinwill be the glow. This skin will be shedand the brightness seen only when you are

called to serve another, for in service willyou find your salvation. As you havebecome two-faced, good to the orisha andbad to the poor, so shall you have twofaces. One will show your beauty in aglow, which was a gift from me that I cannever entirely remove, and one will showyour hypocrisy through darkness, an evilbrought on yourself. From this day forth,no matter how dirty or vile those whoquestion you, you are bound, Obí, alwaysto speak the truth at their feet inhumbleness. You will always be availableto serve the other orishas, for they neverfailed to give alms to my children onearth, the poor and deformed.” Thus did his own hands and hisfather’s give Obí’s punishment, and Obíwas bound to a life of servitude and truth

forevermore. Obí had once been human, a pure,modest man whose inner beauty soimpressed Olófin that he was made anorisha, immortal. Inward beauty wasbrought without by Olódumare’sblessings; he was stunning, radiant. Yetpride and vanity grew in those firstcenturies until, by his own actions, Obífell from grace. No longer would he livein an opulent palace, nestled beyond themortal realm. His new home was thecoconut palm, a tree of modest height,well rooted in this earth. No longer washe dressed in scintillating white cloth. Hisform was dark and hard; he found himselfthickly encrusted with a hairy shell. Hisbeauty, a gift endowed to match his purity,was hidden by this shell, and masked

again by a thick, rough skin born of hisevil. Obí’s musical voice was silencedthrough the ages: none would hear himspeak, or sing, or even sigh. Tocommunicate, the coconut was cursed tothrow himself in foribale upon the earthand from this would letters open to makeknown his will. After his fall from grace, Obí’s newform came under Obatalá’s ownership, fornot only is he the guardian of thingsdeformed, but he also is the owner of allwhiteness. Because Olófin had decreedthat Obí would work and speak on behalfof all the orishas as the world evolved,Obatalá was faced with the distribution ofthis gift to all of them. The spirits werecalled beneath one of Obí’s trees, and

there the king of the white cloth*3 laid outa nut broken into five pieces and said,“With this, the oracle of Obí, each of youwill speak to our children on earth.Although the aché of this tree is mine, it isalso mine to share with all of you. Knowthat Obí can never lie—either to you or foryou—nor can he lie to those paying himhomage by using the oracle. Obí will onlyspeak the truth as he knows it.” There,beneath the coconut tree, Obatalá taughtthe five secret signs by which Obícommunicated between orishas andmortals. This was the beginning of hisredemption, and the beginning of ouroracle in Cuba. In time, however, even the tree thatbore Obí to earth was affected by vanity

and pride, until Babaluaiye and Elegguátaught her again to be humble. This tale istitled “The Story of the Coconut Tree” andis told in Owani Ofún (11-10) of thediloggún (cowrie shell divination).

The Story of the CoconutTree

A proud coconut palm once grew in theland of the orishas. Her leaves were thick,strong, and greener than the fronds of othertrees. In the morning dew she was radiant;at night, by the moon’s pale glow, she wasluminescent. Other plants and trees lookedat her with envy, for beauty was her aché.Time passed, and she filled with hundredsof coconuts. Their weight was a burden

but their fruitfulness was a blessing.Arrogantly she stood contemplatingherself, refusing to make ebó (an offering)in thankfulness for her wealth. “You mustgive some of your prosperity back to theearth,” whispered the other trees, “lest shestrike out and claim what is hers.” Yet thecoconut palm would hear none of this. “Iam grand, the mother of all goodness inthe forest,” she said in self-deception.“My children, the coconuts, enjoy goodhealth. Why make ebó when I am alreadyblessed with beauty and fruitfulness? Youall must make ebó to become more likeme!” she taunted. Time passed, and asmore of her children ripened, gentle prideturned to vanity. It came to pass that when the coconuttree was most content with herself, the air

moved violently. A strong wind gustedthrough the forest, and one of her manychildren fell to the earth. The trees stoodstill, amazed that such a thing happened,and for a moment even the coconut palmwas frightened. Her self-delusion,however, had grown, and she called out tothe forest, “Do not worry—it is not a badomen. My friends, my child is ripe; he is aperfect seed born from my perfection. Intime, my son will grow tall and handsome,and will stand proudly next to his mother.The blessings bestowed on the forest willbe doubled.” Lost again to herself and hercoconuts, she gathered together her frondsto protect her fallen seed from theelements, to nurture him while he grew.While she was fawning over herself andher seed, the powerful orisha Babaluaiye

came walking through the forest withElegguá at his side. In kindness, the fatherof the earth saluted the tree, for herchildren, the coconuts, gave him the milkthat he so loved. With his eyes closed,Babaluaiye payed foribale to her and theorisha that she bore; he did not notice thathe was not saluted back. His kindnesswent unacknowledged. “Father,” whispered Eshu (Elegguá)in disbelief. “You are an orisha, yet youacknowledge a tree?” “That tree is mother to our fallenObí, and he, Elegguá, provides thecoconut milk that I love. She is deservingof our respect, being the mother to one ofour spirits.” “She deserves respect as you do,

Father,” Eshu said, interrupting. “Yet thetree did not salute you in return. She isignoring your kind gestures and blessings.Did you not know that she has be-comeproud and vain, so vile within that shedoes not make ebó to any of us in gratitudefor her blessings? She is a selfish, self-absorbed creature, Father.” Babaluaiye saw the truth inElegguá’s words, and watched as the tree,lost in reverie, considered only herself.He had not been saluted; the palm had noteven realized that she was saluted. Angry,Babaluaiye lifted his hand, pointed hisfinger at the tree, and said, “The wormwithin the coconut is known only to thecoconut.” Silently, he continued walking. Elegguá remained behind in

disbelief. He watched the tree for amoment. Unexpectedly, a single coconutfell to the ground. The palm was pleaseduntil she realized, “He is not ripe!”Elegguá heard her frightened gasp andlaughed; he then blew on the tree. Anotherunripe coconut fell, followed by another,until coconuts rained down upon the earth.The mighty tree shook in anger and fright,which only loosened more of her childrenfrom her grasp. Anger turned to horror asshe watched the earth beneath her seem toboil; it was alive, writhing among herroots. Worms came crawling from theboiling earth, sensing a new source offood above their dens; and horror turnedto pain as the worms not only ate herchildren, but also bore deep into her ownbark. So quickly did they come that the

proud, once beautiful tree wasoverwhelmed with sickness and fell downto the earth, dead. Because of the palm’svanity, all became victims ofBabaluaiye’s scourge, a terrible cancerthat arose from the ground andoverwhelmed the family of coconuts. Elegguá was pleased. It is through these three patakís thatthe story of Obí’s evolution and eventualdevolution is told: Purity granted himimmortality; vanity caused his fall. Evenhis new mother, the coconut palm, wasdestined in time to fall because of pride.Alone, the immortal Obí has no aché, noapparent purpose in the scheme ofcreation. Perhaps this is why the centurieschanged his nature from what he once

was: selfless, pure, and noble. Yet afterhis fall he was given a purpose, a methodof redemption and salvation. Once againhe became the humble servant, the voiceof the spirits on earth so that theirfollowers could petition and question theforces that molded the world.

The Orisha Associatedwith Ob

Obí provides us with a link to the mightyones; he gives us a channel through whichto ask, to listen, and to carry out their willin the world. Ritually, we partake in hissalvation whenever the oracle is opened.He may connect us with any orisha, but theones with whom he most commonly works

follow.

Elegguá Elegguá is at once a young child and anold man; no matter his appearance,however, he is among the wisest of theorishas, knowing all things that lie inheaven and on earth. His worship andpropitiation are essential to the practice ofSantería, for without his goodwill there isnothing that can be done by any otherspirit in the pantheon. Those who practiceObí divination normally direct mostquestions to this orisha before any other isapproached, and even when directingdivination at another spirit, Elegguá isstill given his due worship and reverence.Where there are large gatherings of

children, there Elegguá may be found; heis also present at all crossroads and roamsthe forest freely. He controls fate,decisions, and all aspects of life in whichcapriciousness or pure chance is adeciding factor. His sacred colors are red,black, and white; his numbers are said tobe three, seven, and twenty-one (somehouses include the number eleven). Wheninvoked for Obí divination, most divinerswill call him with a rattle.

Ogún Ogún, blood brother to Elegguá, is anotherorisha whose worship is essential to thepractice of Santería. He is known as thespirit of iron, the one who controls thevast stores of this mineral beneath the

earth and who guides the hands of thosewho use it in their lives. He is a skilledblacksmith and craftsman, an excellenthunter, and a healer (the patron of doctorsand surgeons, as their healing toolscontain iron). There are few rituals thatcan be conducted in the religion withouthis aid. All sacrifices made to the orishasare directed first to Elegguá, yet it is onlywith Ogún’s blessing that the sacrificemay be made at all. He is the knife thattakes the life of the animal, or the handthat guides it, and when Elegguá or anyother orisha is to eat, Ogún must be givenhis first taste. Although this orisha is saidto roam the wilds and the forest, he is alsofound in areas where there are large storesof iron ore or where large amounts of ironare used (such as railroad tracks). He also

is present in every city, for it is he whocreated the basis for all civilization. Manyalso credit this spirit with humanity’sevolution from the hunting/gathering phaseto the husbandry/agricultural age, as Ogúnis the one who creates all farming toolsand implements. The shift from anagrarian society to one of industrializationwas also directed by Ogún’s hands, asiron formed the basis for that as well.Ogún’s sacred colors are said to be green,black, and white; his numbers are three,seven, and twenty-one. Most will use arattle to call him during Obí divination.

Ochosi Ochosi is the master of all ewe (herbs), ofthe forest, and of all animals that live

within. Beyond Ogún, there is no orishawho can rival his skills at the hunt. Beingadept at witchcraft (using herbs), many ofthis faith who practice their skills atbrujería (Spanish for “witchcraft”)depend on Ochosi to empower their work.Although this powerful spirit resides inthe forest, his true mansion is the jail, theplace where felons are incarcerated fortheir crimes against humanity. Ochosi isjustice; his arrows plunge deeply into thehearts of criminals, and when offended bymortals’ actions, he punishes them byincarcerating them. Many of his eboses(offerings) are left at the doors to the jail.When he is not there, this orisha prefers tospend all his time in the forest, practicinghis skills at the hunt with his crossbowand arrow, a gift created for him by

Obatalá, whom Ochosi adores. Thisorisha’s sacred colors are said to be blueand gold; his numbers are twenty-one,seven, and three. When invoked for Obídivination, most will call him with therattle.

In the Lucumí pantheon, these threeorishas are perhaps the most important. Itis said that Elegguá, Ogún, and Ochosiform the foundation of the faith. So strongis their link and so important is their achéto the worshiper that the reception of thesethree spirits is mandated for aleyos(noninitiates) in an initiation known as thereception of the warriors. During thislengthy ritual, the orishas Elegguá, Ogún,and Ochosi are prepared in a ceremonyknown as the lavatorio. Using special

herbs, an elixir called omiero is created.The three spirits and their tools arewashed in this, and by secret rituals aregiven life by an aleyo’s godparents. Withthem is washed another orisha, namedÓsun. This spirit has no voice of his ownand does not speak through Obí or anyother religious oracle; his sole purpose isto watch over the recipient night and day,falling to his side or ringing his bellswhen danger is near. The birthingceremonies are lengthy, but the actualreception is short. The aleyo is presentedto his orishas, and three days after theirbirth is allowed to take them home.Twenty-one days after their initialwashing, the warriors are given a ritual ofentrada (entrance) into the devotee’shome. This consists of a meal for the

orishas: Two roosters and two pigeonsare fed to them. One week after this, abasket of cool fruits is given. Once allthese things have been done, the warriorsare seated in the client’s life, and he canbegin his lifelong relationship with them.Note: Once an aleyo has received thewarriors, technically he is no longer analeyo; he is an aborisha, one whoworships the orishas, although he is notyet crowned a priest. Elegguá, being destiny, fate, and themessenger of all spirits, is the mostimportant of the three. His worship andpropitiation are essential if the aborishahopes to evolve in the religion and in life.Ogún stands behind Elegguá, a powerfulwarrior who is ready to strike down theenemies of the devoted; wielding his

machete, Ogún fights tirelessly,ceaselessly to cut down the things thatstand in the way of one’s evolution. YetOgún is random and wanton; it takes thewisdom of Ochosi, the hunter and tracker,to show Ogún where his force will servethe most good. Under Ochosi’s direction,Ogún’s force is used for the higher good,never for evil. With these three spiritsworking for the aborisha, there is almostnothing in life that cannot be obtainedthrough hard work and perseverance.Many times, under the watchful eyes of hisor her godparents, an aleyo will need touse Obí to divine with his spirits.Although this is a right that all who havereceived orishas have, it is not usedlightly, and is always done under theguidance of elders. The reception of the

warriors, however, does give one the rightto divine with those spirits using Obí. The next three orishas I will discuss(Ibeyi, Olokun, and Babaluaiye) are alsospirits that may be received outside theinitiation known as asiento. Just as thewarriors of Ogún, Ochosi, Elegguá, andÓsun form the foundation for the faith,these three orishas add to the aché of theaborisha, and are often given to offerstability, strength, and evolution in life.Each fulfills a specific function inOlódumare’s designs; they each have theirown aché, and each may be questionedusing Obi.

The Ibeyi The Ibeyi are a sum of seven sacred

Spirits, the children of miraculous birth,as orisha adherents know them. The termitself, however, is normally applied to thefirst two Spirits born, the twins Taewóand Kaindé. In the patakís, one learns thatthey are the illegitimate children ofShangó born from Oshún’s womb;however, they were raised by Yemayá andblessed with great gifts by the mightyObatalá. At one time, the birth of twinswas considered a serious offense inYoruba culture, but when the fourth kingof Oyó, Shangó, had twins by one of hisconcubine wives, they gained prominenceas harbingers of blessings and the cult ofthe Ibeyi came to prominence. With all thepowers of Obatalá, Yemayá, Oshún, andShangó combined, their aché is so strongthey are capable of miracles where only

desperation may be found. Their sacredcolors are those of their parents: white,blue, yellow, and red. They prefer dishesmade in doubles, or twins, and allofferings given to them must be doubledand exactly alike. They are the patrons ofchildren, of twins, and of the mothers oftwins. When invoked for Obí divination,they are called with twin rattles. InSantería, it is not uncommon for these twoorishas to be received by aborishas. Oncereceived, even an aborisha without ocha(spirits) on his head has the right to divinewith them using Obí.

Olokun Olokun is an orisha who is feared, yetrevered. She (some say he, for Olokun is

androgynous) lives in the depths of theocean, chained there from land by themighty Obatalá. Before the earth wasdivided into land and sea, there was onlywater, a vast abyss that covered all things.Olokun ruled everything that lay beneathher waters. Olódumare sent Obatalá downfrom heaven onto a single peak of land,Orisha Oke,*4 the one point that Olokuncould not cover. On this tiny pinnacleObatalá had room to set one hen, and thishen scratched so furiously that earth wassent out over the void. In a rage, Olokunset out to destroy the land the hen created,but Obatalá offered her a gift from God: alarge golden chain. Momentarilyappeased, Olokun put this on; it wrappedabout her tightly, weighing her down andsending her straight to the depths of her

own kingdom. Gravity was born, land wasborn, and the waters were forced torecede upon themselves. Too vast to berestrained but unable to resist the supremedeity’s sanctions, Olokun still ruled vastportions of the earth. Water reigns supreme, even today,and land occupies only a small portion ofthe planet’s surface. From her chaining,the parts of her aché that were too strongto be contained broke away, and Yemayáarose from the waves, the owner of allfresh water that rains down upon the earth.This orisha may be received by aborishaswho have not yet been initiated as priestsor priestesses; worship and propitiation ofthis powerful spirit bring foundation andstability to one’s life. Her color is thesame as that of Yemayá, blue. Her metal is

lead, for that is the only metal that cannotbe corroded by the ocean. When called forObí divination (she is consulted only onthe most dire of needs), she is invokedwith the circular shaking of a maraca.

Babaluaiye Also known as Asohano, this orisha is oneof the most feared and loved in the Lucumípantheon. Those who adore him know thisspirit as the father of infectious disease,the owner of smallpox and all afflictionsof the skin. The arrival of HIV isattributed to this orisha as well. Althoughfeared in Africa, he is beloved in Cubaand the United States, for just as he canafflict, so can he heal. As a force innature, Asohano brings disease and death,

the natural processes that destroy the weakand elderly so new life can flourish.Disease is not inevitable or incurable,however; this orisha also brings sanitationand hygiene and empowers modernmedicine. The use of vaccinations toovercome disease is one of this spirit’smiracles. A weakened form of a disease isinoculated into the body, and because it issomething that cannot kill, it only makesthe recipient stronger. By his work, theentire race is strengthened as it evolves. Unlike the other orishas whoserituals may be done during the day,Babaluaiye’s worship takes place only atnight, in near darkness. He abhors waterand substitutes coconut milk for it. Amonghis sacred attributes are the colors brown,black, purple, and yellow and the number

seventeen. He is invoked with the cowbellduring Obí divination. Just as the Ibeyiand Olokun are sometimes given to aleyosin this faith, so can Babaluaiye bereceived by those who are not priests andpriestesses. His aché helps us attain andkeep good health. Those who have thisorisha are sometimes called Lazareros (aname derived from San Lazaro, theCatholic persona for Asohano), and thesehave the right to divine with the orishausing Obí. The next orishas may be taken onlyby those who have ocha done. The firstfive—Obatalá, Yemayá, Oshún, Oyá, andShangó—are given in the ritual known asasiento. This is the initiation that confersaché upon an aborisha, transforming thatperson from a noninitiate to a iyawó, a

bride of the spirits. The orisha who rulesthis person is crowned on the head, andthe iyawó is then said to be a priest orpriestess of that spirit. The asiento itself islengthy and complicated, a series ofrituals that begins with the shaving ofone’s head and the coronation or crowningof the initiate and ends seven days laterwhen the iyawó emerges from theinitiation room to begin his lifelongrelationship with the orishas. For a yearthis iyawó loses his name among his peersand is referred to by his title exclusively,Iyawó. During this time he lives under thestrictest taboos: Clothing, food,recreation, and travel are all limited andmonitored severely. He or she is regardedas a child, a mere baby in the religion, andis treated accordingly until the year of

taboo is complete. Although the iyawódoes have the orishas in his home, hecannot divine with them; he cannot workwith them at all except under the strictsupervision of his godparents. It is duringthis time that most of the prayers, customs,and rituals of the religion are learned.

Obatalá Beyond Olófin, Olorún, and Olódumare,there is no orisha greater than Obatalá.His name translates into “the King of theWhite Cloth.” It was he (some know himas she) who first came to earth and stoodupon the only visible peak, Orisha Oké(the mountain), chaining Olokun to thedepths and creating land. It was he whofashioned humans from clay. It was he

who, with Yembo/Yemayá, gave birth toall the orishas that could not descend ontheir own from heaven to earth. Owner ofconsciousness and human heads, and allare born to be his children, yet only hischosen can be initiated into his mysteries.Infants born with deformities are said tobe Obatalá’s by right of birth, as are thosethat come in the uterine sack. As he isresponsible for the human condition, thosewho become impaired, injured, or elderlyare under his special care. For his sacredcolors, Obatalá claims white (although heshares it freely with the other orishas)along with red, purple, and green. Eightand sixteen are his numbers, and someattribute four to him as well. For hismusical instrument, he is called with theagogó, a silver bell topped with a silver

pigeon feather. He is consulted with Obíonly on matters of great importance unlessthe supplicant is his child; he thenresponds amiably to all questions.

Yemayá Those who know her know Yemayá as theowner of all fresh water upon the earth.She was born from the chaining of Olokun.The vastness of the oceans could not beheld in one place, yet the golden chains ofOlódumare could not be broken. Part ofthat orisha split away, and Yemayá arosefrom the foaming waves as one of thefirstborn orishas. She is mother to all, andnever denies the heartfelt pleas of thosewho come to her for comfort or support.She is not a doting mother, however. She

is vengeful and wrathful when moved toanger. Yemayá may be found in the seas,the lakes, and the rain. It is she who fillsthe home of her sister, Oshún’s rivers,with fresh, life-giving water. Her color isblue and among her attributes are thenumber seven, the metals silver and lead,and sweet molasses.When called for Obídivination, she is invoked with a circularshaking of a maraca.

Oshún After all things were created in heavenand on earth, Olódumare looked down onwhat he had done. Worried that therecould be more, or that there should bemore to life than what he offered the firstmortals, he created Oshún to embody all

the sweetness, beauty, and love that hemight have left out. It soon came to passthat there was none more awesome thanshe. This orisha incorporates love, beauty,eroticism, fertility, abundance, sweetness,and all those things that make life worthliving. She is a mistress of dance, ofmagic, and of laughter, and bestows herblessings freely to those who worship her.Among her many attributes are thenumbers five and twenty-five, and thecolor yellow belongs to her exclusively.Her metals are gold and brass. Honey,perfume, and mirrors are all given to heras devotions. When called down fordivination with Obí, a brass bell is usedas her musical instrument.

Oyá

Oyá is a woman of many talents. She is awarrior (and in this guise many know heras the bearded lady). She is the ruler ofthe marketplace, a symbol that means notonly the market from which goods arepurchased but also the world in which welive. She is the lady of the tornado (sharedwith her sister Ayaó, who is the tornado)and the harbinger of death. She keeps thegate of the cemetery opened or closed atwill (the dead go through her gates into thehands of Oba, and then to Yewá, who isthe grave. And there, the body is fed uponfirst by her, and then by Orisha Oko). Sheis concubine to Shangó, yet lover to none.Oyá rules whirlwinds, storms, and thelightning that flashes across the darkenedsky. Among her sacred attributes are all

colors (brought together for a total ofnine), the number nine, copper, and theseedpod of the flame tree, which is usedto call her for Obí divination.Boomerangs, pinwheels, and masks arealso hers, and many of these may be foundat her shrines.

Shangó Shangó is an interesting spirit among theorishas. It is said that in either theeleventh or twelfth century, he was amortal who ruled as the fourth king of thecity-state Oyó. While bringing peace andunity to the Yoruba nation, Shangó himselfbecame corrupt, pitting his two brothersagainst each other until one was killed. Inshame, the man took himself to the forest

to end his own life. The manner ofexecution among the Yoruba wasprimarily hanging, and Shangó planned totake his own life this way. However, theforce of his prior good deeds and his ownefforts to right his wrongs inspired pityfrom the orishas, and it is said that theking did not hang—he ascended to becomeorisha. Other legends hold that this orishawas born from Yemayá when she broughtthe immortals to earth through her ownwomb. Most agree that Shangó is Irunmolehimself, one of the firstborn orishas, yetincarnated among mortals to experiencelife. His sacred colors are red and white;his numbers are four, six, and twelve.When invoked for Obí divination, mostpriests and priestesses will use the rattleas his sacred instrument.

Yewá

Of all the orishas, this is the only one whonever married, never loved (physically),and never gave birth to another spirit onearth. This child of Obatalá was stunning;such were her charms that Shangó fell inlove with her, even though he knewObatalá hoped she would stay virgin andchaste forever. Out of love, he gave her abeautiful fire opal, and her father Obataláfound her with this. Knowing that such agift could come only from Shangó, heforever parted the two orishas. Yewá wassent to live in the cemetery among thespirits of the dead, cursed to remain therefor eternity. Shangó, who is afraid of thedead, would never again see her. It is rare

that a priestess receives this orisha, forher reception all but guarantees that awoman will never love again. So bitter isYewá over her losses that she keepschaste and pure those she loves andguards. Women wait until long after theyare in secure marriages, and long aftermenopause, before receiving hermysteries. Men almost never have her, forshe regards all men with suspicion.Although she may go to the head of aninitiate (she does have her own smallpriesthood), she is made only to women,and only a daughter of Oshún or Yewáherself can perform these rituals. Manygive her Obí at a graveyard (beside agrave’s bed) when making ebó to her,determining if the offering has beenaccepted. Unless one actually has this

orisha living in the home, it is taboo toapproach her for any other reason.

Oba Once Shangó and Yewá were parted,Obatalá decreed Oba the legitimate wifeof Shangó. They married, then livedtogether for many years. During this timeShangó became enamored with bothOshún and Oyá, and carried on affairswith these two orishas. Oshún, jealous ofOba, once told her that if she wanted tokeep her husband, she had to cut off herown ear and serve it to him in a soup sothat he would be bound to her forever.Oba did this, and so angry was herhusband that he cursed her to live amongthe dead. There, Oba grew spiritually and

physically, and became one of thestrongest female orishas in the pantheon.After many centuries passed, she aroserefreshed and became the woman whopunishes those who harm women. Shebecame the patroness of the home, ofeducation, of learning, and of writing.When women are desperate for help,when writers are desperate forinspiration, when someone seeksforbidden or arcane knowledge, thesepeople turn to Oba, who learned allwisdom from the dead. She has her ownsmall priesthood, and although many arguethe point in the religion, only women canbe made as her priestesses; she will notgo to the head of a man without severelychanging his masculine energies (somepriests made to her become transgendered

and transsexuals).

Orisha Oko Orisha Oko is a dark, mysterious spirit; hedoes have a priesthood, but it is small.The secrets for crowning him on the headare lost to most lines of the faith beyondCuba. He is alive and well in the religion,however, and is normally received as anadimú orisha, one who is not crowned butis received by priests and priestesses afterthe initiation of asiento. Spiritually, it issaid that Oko is a child of the earth itself,born when the oceans receded. He is thehusband of Olokun in some patakís; otherspair him with Olosa (the lagoon) orYemayá. Said to be incredibly handsomeduring the day, his form is equally

horrible during the night; he embodies thefecundity and decay of the earth, and hismysteries encapsulate all her cycles.Physically, Oko is said to have incarnatedamong mortals in the ancient city of Irawo.He was the king, and ruled over hissubjects before the discoveries ofagriculture. During his reign on earth, Okobecame afflicted with leprosy and wasbanished by his subjects. The monarch’swife was loyal to him and left with herhusband to wander the countryside. In time, through dreams, Okodiscovered the secrets of planting, raising,and harvesting crops, and as he masteredthese skills, his leprosy was healed.Returning to Irawo with his new secrets,he was reinstated as ruler. In return, hetaught his subjects the secrets of

agriculture, and the city became firmlyestablished and wealthy under his rule.After his death many decades later, Okobecame known as Orisha Oko, the patronof farmers, throughout Irawo and the restof the Yoruba nation. This spirit hasbecome associated with the colors pinkand blue, and is received in the form of afarmer plowing with an ox. The otá(sacred stone) for him is white, and isfound in a freshly plowed field. His stoneis exposed, not sealed in a sopera (bowl),but his diloggún is kept inside a tinytureen beside his shrine. No numbers aredirectly associated with him. He is calledwith a delicately beaded maraca for Obídivination.

TWO The Principles of

Casting Obí

OBÍ’S LIFE, like the lives of all the otherorishas, is recorded in the diloggún, anoral, sacred literature comprising 256 odu(patterns). His story begins in Obara Osá(6–9). It is here that one learns of a mortalObí, elevated and granted immortality byOlófin. Although selfless and pure as amortal, centuries of eternal life changed

the orisha. His ego and vanity grew untilhis heart was hard. Harsh words spoken tothe father of creation caused him to losehis tongue; it fell from his mouth as hegroveled for forgiveness. The hardness ofObí’s heart encased him like a shell. Hisoutward beauty was bound within, andOlófin cursed him to an eternity ofservitude. The shining Obí wastransformed into the coconut and a newdivination system was born. To regain hisspeech, Obí was forced to speak in fivemysterious signs; to find his salvation, hewas bound to serve all on earth. Obataláwas given the task of distributing theoracle among all the spirits in heaven.Beneath a coconut palm, he showed theorishas the five basic patterns by whichthe fallen spirit could communicate their

desires to mortals. One task stillremained: the dissemination of thisknowledge to the human race. That taskalso fell to Obatalá; and the story of thefirst coconut diviners is told in the oduOché Metanla (5–13) in the diloggún.

Biague: the Birth ofDivination with the

Coconut Obí had fallen, the once shining immortalnow swathed in a dark, unyielding shell.Cursed for his arrogance and sins againstOlófin and humanity, he was forced toserve or forever remain silent. ByOlófin’s wisdom was a system devised, aseries of five basic patterns that could be

used by those who knew the oracle’ssecrets. First, Obatalá taught the orishasthe letters of Obí. Once they had thatknowledge, he was faced with a greaterchallenge: to teach humans how to divinewith the oracle, a task he knew not how tocomplete. The earth was teeming with life,and the ranks of those who adored theorishas grew daily. There were many whocould benefit from the knowledge, butObatalá was just one orisha, and therewere just too many for him to teach. While the spirit pondered thesethings, in a town called Ilé Ilú, a youngman named Biague was crowned a priestof Obatalá. He was a simple man whodelighted in modest pleasures, and hisasiento was the most profound moment ofhis life. Those at itá told the iyawó that

the mysteries of odu were not his; hewould never have the aché to divine withthe shells. Barred from divination, theiyawó lamented that his initiation wouldnever benefit anyone but himself. Hewould have no way to divine, to placateor mark ebó to the orishas; he could helpnone achieve his destiny. Nightly thispriest would pray to his spirits, “If only Icould divine. If only I could help others.Nothing else matters.” Obatalá wastouched by the iyawó’s cries, and whenthe year of cleansing was over, the orishacame to Biague and taught him the secretsof Obí. Patiently were the five signsrevealed, and then the more subtle patternswithin those signs. Obatalá taught Biaguehow to pray, how to praise, and how toplacate. This was a new oracle, and

because no other mortal on earth had itssecrets, the young priest soon found fameand fortune with his skills. Having wealth, Biague decided tomarry and raise a family. He chose hiswife and soon the two had a son theynamed Adiatoto. Once he was weaned, thecouple sought to have another child, butBiague’s wife died in labor and the babywith her. The priest’s love for her was sodeep that he never remarried, yet hisdesire for a large family was so strongthat he began to adopt orphans. Each ofthese loved the diviner dearly, for he hadsaved them from lives of poverty anddespair. Time on the streets had madetheir hearts hard, however, and while fondof Biague, they loathed Adiatoto, hisnatural son. When no one was around to

hear them, they were cruel to the youngchild and taunted him, saying, “You arealmost as us, without a mother. We are allthe same!” To these things the old divinerwas blind; his heart never healed from thedeath of his wife, and his work kept himbusy. In time, Obí told Biague that his lifewas coming to an end. Not wanting theoracle’s secrets to die with him, Biaguechose to give his only true son, Adiatoto,the knowledge of his oracle. This was hismost prized possession, and the one secretthat had made him rich. For many weeks Biague sat patientlywith his boy, remembering as he did thetime when Obí and Obatalá had firsttaught him the secret patterns of the oracle.

Slowly, laboriously, the father revealedthese patterns in turn, showing Adiatotohow the humbled spirit Obí would alwaystalk and speak in truth at the feet of allwho questioned him. This conversationbetween human and orisha relies on fivespecial patterns, and within these lettersare more subtle patterns that the boystruggled to master before he could learnto cast the oracle on his own. There wereprayers to learn, patakís to master, andpraise names to call. This and moreBiague’s son learned, for he was giftedwith brilliance. As the lessons drew to aclose, Biague realized that Obí had takenwell to his child. The boy had acquiredthe aché to divine all things in heaven andon earth. “You are blessed by Olófin and all

the orishas; Obí has found favor withyou,” said the father with pride. “Keep thegift dear to your heart, and always respectthe orisha Obí. It is a gift that I give to youand only you, my son.” Not long after this,Biague died of sudden illness, andAdiatoto’s adopted brothers, jealous ofthe divine gift their father had given theboy, stole all his earthly goods because hewas in possession of the divine. “We baryou from this house,” they said. “The oldman loved you more, and all your life youwere spoiled. Now you are as we, withoutmother and father. Go out and learn to takecare of yourself, as we did for so manyyears. If you ever come back or try to stealwhat is ours, we will kill you!” Theadopted brothers then continued to live ontheir father’s land while Adiatoto was

forced to wander. Frightened, he left hishometown of Ilé Ilú altogether, and soontook up a nomadic existence in aneighboring village. Adiatoto spent many years inpoverty, scraping together a living withhis skills at divination. Obí provided thebasic necessities of life and the young manwas grateful for that. Using the oracleinnumerable times, he grew strong in itspractice, and the amount of information hewas able to glean with just four pieces ofraw coconut left his clients astounded. Ashe wandered it came to pass that thevillage king wanted to buy new land in IléIlú for a larger, more opulent palace andhe coveted the acres once owned byAdiatoto’s father. The king sent forth hisguards to find the owners of the land, and

the greedy brothers, who still lived on theestate, came forward to sell the property. On their quest the guards haddiscovered that the land was once ownedby the famous diviner Biague, and thatalthough the adopted sons lived there, noone knew for sure if they owned it. Therewere rumors of a missing boy, Biague’strue son, Adiatoto, who had disappearedinto the country upon his father’s death.Some said he had met with treachery,others believed he left because of abroken heart. Hearing these things, theking demanded proof of the brothers’claim to the diviner’s estate, but theyadmitted that they had none. From aneighboring village, Adiatoto had heardabout the king’s desires from one of hisown clients, and decided to go to the

palace to plead his case for his father’sland. The guards, recognizing the name,escorted him before the king. The monarchwas still demanding proof of ownershipfrom Adiatoto’s adopted brothers. Humbly, the young diviner camebefore him: “Your majesty,” he said, “Ihave no proof, but I am the legal heir ofmy father; my adopted brothers stoleeverything from me and left me in povertyto wander the countryside. Although Ihave no legal papers, there is a way thatwe can determine the true owner ofBiague’s estate.” “And what might that be?” the kingasked. The brothers became nervous,muttering among themselves as Adiatotoexplained his father’s profession and the

secrets he had left him. “No one but myfather knew how to divine with thisoracle,” said the young man, “and of allwho worship and adore the orishas, hetaught its secrets only to me.” The proofAdiatoto offered was in the testing of theoracle. He would allow the king to askany one question of Obí, a question towhich only he would know the answer. Ifthe oracle passed this test, they would thenuse it to determine the true owner ofBiague’s belongings. If the oracle failedand proved fraudulent, Adiatoto wouldgive up his claim to the land and the kingcould negotiate with his brothers. In testing the oracle, the king askednot just one but several questions; andeach time the oracle answered not onlyyes or no but in the seasoned hands of

Adiatoto also revealed many secrets theking did not know. After a lengthy line ofquestioning, the mighty monarch wassatisfied of its truth. “It speaks well. Let itdecide who is the true owner of Biague’sland so that I may buy it,” he said. One byone, Adiatoto threw the oracle at the feetof his adopted brothers, and Obí ruled outeach of them. Then Adiatoto threw it forhimself, and Obí answered that he was thetrue owner. Thus did the brothers losetheir rights to the entire estate for theirtreachery, and Adiatoto negotiated a salethat made him a very wealthy man.Impressed by his skills as a diviner, theking employed Adiatoto as his personalconsultant. Prosperity and abundancewere his all the days of his life, as theentire town sought him out for help in all

their problems.

Preparing to Use Obí Having learned the patakís in odu thatsupport this divination system, we nowfollow the path of Adiatoto as he learnedthis oracle from his father, Biague. Themechanics, prayers, and praise namesmust be committed to memory before thefirst throw of the coconut, for to toss anorisha to the floor haphazardly isdisrespectful, and although minor, Obí isstill an orisha. As with any other religious practice,there are special rules to follow when oneprepares this oracle for use. Realize thatalthough an aleyo who has received an

orisha may question that spirit with thecoconuts, the godparents should first beapproached with the question. Dependingon the nature of the consultation, and alsoon the orisha being consulted, differentpatterns will carry different shades ofmeaning, and these subtleties should beconsidered. If the diviner is inexperiencedwith the oracle and is questioning amysterious orisha such as Olokun, OrishaOko, or Naná Burukú, a godparent maywish to be present during the consultationto offer advice. Second, one must be pure and cleanbefore approaching the orishas. Neveropen an oracle after sexual relations; thisis an offense to these spirits, for theyembody pure forces. Sexual energies,while earthly reflections of spiritual

mechanics, quickly degenerate aftercopulation is complete. Menstruatingwomen should not open Obí, for blood islife, spiritually hot, and divinationrequires coolness lest the forces one seeksto pacify are provoked. The coconut itselfis a cool seed, and seeks to maintain thatcoolness. It will be overwhelmed by thosein these spiritual states. Anyone whoseessence is volatile should bathethoroughly from head to toe, and then theoracle may be opened. Once these important prohibitionshave been observed, take a coconut andshake it to see that it is fresh. If the fruit isripe, you will hear milk sloshing within.Having found a fresh one, hold the nut inthe left hand and a strong, blunt strikinginstrument (such as a hammer) in the right.

Obí, being both an orisha and a voice forthe orishas, must now be given properrespect. Ask his permission to open theshell. Do not place him on the floor, norshould you strike him on a hard surface—these are major offenses to the coconutspirit. Say the words “Agó, Obí” beforeyou strike, then try to crack the shell inone swift blow. Agó is the Lucumí wordfor “with your permission.” By asking thisfirst, we show reverence to the coconut. The milk will flow freely, and sometry to collect as much of it as possible tobathe the orí (head), bringing coolnessand freshness to it. The milk must be usedquickly or not at all, for it soon becomessour and loses its aché. Setting the juicesaside for later use, examine the interior ofthe coconut. Freshness is evident in the

firm, smooth, wet whiteness of the meat.Pry out the largest pieces possible,keeping intact the black skin that restsagainst the shell. Cut these pieces into fivelarge, rounded parts. Four of these will beused in the actual process of divination;set aside the fifth in case one breaks. Keepin mind that on rare occasions Obí canbecome heated. When this happens, allfive pieces will have to be oiled and takento the street to banish the bad letters fromthe house. Because his tongue wasdestroyed by his harsh words to Olófin,the orisha Obí is limited in speech. If,during a session, the diviner has not theaché to determine what the spirit is saying,his frustration turns into negative signs thatwill need to be removed from the house.A few extra coconuts should always be

kept in reserve for this purpose. Theorisha must be cooled, silenced for a time,and the oracle renewed in freshness.Having cut the oracle, place the five partsin a round white plate. A white bowl ofcool, fresh water should be set in thecenter of this. The oracle is now preparedfor use. There is an important point that mustbe kept in mind about the oracle: Obí isnot a spiritual tool to be used at thediviner’s whim. Obí is an orisha, a god,and must be treated with the utmostrespect during the divination process.Because one has opened this god toquestion and petition even more powerfulgods, frivolity is to be avoided. As adiviner, you should have the central pointof this session, the question to which an

answer is desired, framed firmly in yourmind. Next, examine the question that isgoing to be asked. What is the hoped-forresponse? The question must be asked insuch a way that the most positive responsecan be given, “Yes, the world is inbalance,” for the strongest letter of thisoracle, Ejife, means just that: The worldis in balance. If the question cannot beanswered in this manner, it must berephrased. For example, if I wereconsidering to move out of state for a newjob, the question “Will I be making amistake if I move for this job?” would notbe properly phrased. In this case, if theoracle answers with a basic “Yes, all iswell,” there will be confusion. Is Obísaying, “Yes, it is a mistake,” or is Obísaying, “Yes, the world is in balance.”

Likewise, a basic no would be just asconfusing, for it could mean “Do notmove” or “No, it would not be good tostay.” The question should be phrased, “Iwant to move for a new job that has beenoffered [here, the purpose of thedivination has been clearly stated]; willall be well with this?” Now the questionhas been asked so that the most positiveresponse will be yes. Or, more simply, Icould ask, “Should I make the move forthe new job that has been offered?”Phrasing the question so the most positiveanswer is yes avoids confusion from Obí. The final point for the novice toconsider is this: The orishas havepersonalities and free will. Like humans,they do display displeasure and expressanger, although never when undeserved. If

you are about to divine and believe theorisha petitioned has issues pending, donot divine at that time. The orisha mightuse the oracle to bring punishment and,hence, balance. For example: If I oncepromised Elegguá a basket of fruit if hebrought a specific blessing and did notdeliver the fruit when the blessing wasreceived, he would be displeased.Anything gleaned from the divinationmight be his way of exacting punishment,removing the blessing, or getting thevotive offering he deserved. Some whodivine will infrequently place a specialoffering with the orisha a few hoursbefore the divination session to cool,placate, and sweeten the spirits. Theanswers of Obí are more thananswers—they are openings for spiritual

forces to enter our lives, and these doors,once opened, cannot be closed. That iswhy a skilled diviner will never ask animproperly phrased question or ask thesame question twice: To do so is toconfuse and mock the powers with whichwe work. Having prepared the oracle andobserved these rules, stand before theorisha to be questioned. Pick up fourrounded coconut pieces with the left handand with the right hand sprinkle threedashes of water on the floor. While givingthis libation to cool and refresh theorishas, say:

Omi tutu; ona tutu, aché tutu. Tutuilé.Tutu Laroye. Tutu arikú babawa.

Fresh water; freshen the road,freshen my power. Freshen myhome. Freshen Elegguá [EshuLaroye]. Freshness that has no end,freshness so that we do not see anearly death.

Before we pray to any orisha, this simplelibation is offered to bring coolness andfreshness: to our roads, to our aché, to ourhomes, and to Eshu Laroye. The world isa place of hot and cold, stagnation andrefreshment, growth and decline. Whenworking with the orishas, however, weput ourselves in a place where onlyevolution can be found. Those things thattend to overheat and destroy are removed.A very special path of Elegguá, EshuLaroye, is both honored and refreshed by

this ritual gesture. He is the companion ofOshún, the orisha who makes life worthliving, and is one of Elegguá’s mostmischievous paths. If we desire ourprayers to reach the orishas, we must firsthonor and cool him so that he will help,and not hinder, our communication. Ittakes only a moment to do this, yet it isone of the most crucial points in ourinvocation. Having refreshed ourselves,our homes, and Eshu Laroye, the ritual ofmojubando begins. As the mojuba(prayer) is chanted, use the thumbnail ofthe right hand to break off small slivers ofthe coconuts being held in the left hand.These slivers are saved and used later asa cool offering to the orisha beingquestioned. Although some houses dictatethat the number of slivers removed be

equal to the sacred numbers of the orishaquestioned, this is not a necessity. All thatis required is to remove at least threeslivers from each rounded slice ofcoconut, for three is the number ofElegguá, who opens the roads to thedivine. While the mojuba is chanted,another person may sound the orisha’ssacred instrument to help in the process ofinvocation.

Mojuba Olófin. Mojuba Olorún.Mojuba Olódumare. MojubaOlójoni. Oní odún mocuedun.Olorún alabosúdaye. Olorúnalabosúnife. Olorún alayé. Olorúnelemí. Olódumare oba atererekaje. Olódumare, mojuba gbogboikú imbelese. Olódumare, ibaé

bayé tonú. Mojuba atijó ojo.Mojuba atiwó orún. Mojuba ayáiodún, oní odún, odún olá. Mojubaorún. Mojuba oshúkua. Mojuba ileogere a foko jerí.

Homage is paid to the part of Godclosest to the earth. I pay homage tothe God in the heavens, God who iseternal and everywhere. I payhomage to the one who owns thisday. Today I greet you! Olorún, whois the keeper and protector of theearth. Olorún, the one who protectsthe first, holy city of Ifé. Olorún,living one and owner of the earth.Olorún, you who owns all spirits.Olódumare, the one whoencompasses the entire cosmos.

Olódumare, I give homage to all theancestors that sit at your feet now. Ipraise the creative forces and thosethat have sacrificed their own livesfor the continuity of life. I payhomage to the awakening sun, thesunrise. I pay homage to the dyingsun, the sunset. I pay homage to alleternity: yesterday, today, andtomorrow. I pay homage to the sun.I pay homage to the moon. I payhomage to Mother Earth.

To invoke a specific spiritual force, firstrender praise to the greater power fromwhich all is descended. The mojubabegins by addressing these three entities:Olófin, Olorún, and Olódumare. Olófin isa Lucumí contraction meaning “owner of

the palace.” It is the name given to theoldest Obatalá, whom some consider to beGod on earth. Earth is the palace to whichthe phrase refers; it is the dwelling of thedeities, the omnipresent forces thatcreated all things, and also the home of theorishas who are born from God and theearth. Olorún is the second power givenpraise. This is also a contraction, denoting“the owner of heaven.” Olorún is seen inthe daytime sky. He is the sun, andalthough one does not worship the sun,praise is given to it as the symbol of Godon earth. Finally praise is givenOlódumare, whose name means “owner ofthe womb” or “owner of odu.” AlthoughOlódumare is referred to as androgynous,many have come to know this force as amothering principle. Its essence is

nurturing and its action is to give birth.Having honored those forces that begancreation, the mojuba continues toacknowledge the first sacred things todescend from this womb and the beginningof wisdom and the Yoruba empire. Theprayer now continues to acknowledge theinfluence of those who perpetuated thespiritual traditions of our faith, thereligious elders who lived and died inservice to Olódumare and the orishas.

Mojuba gbogbowan olodo araorún:Oluwo, Iyalocha, Babalosha, omo-kolaba egun imbelese Olódumare.Mojuba gbogbowan olodo araorún:Oluwo, Iyalocha, Babalosha, omo-kolaba egun Elelegba*5 lagba lagbaimbelese, timbelese Olódumare.

I pay homage to those who havegone to the river and who are nowcitizens of heaven, the dead priestsand priestesses who rest withOlódumare. I pay homage to all theOluwos, Iyalochas, Babaloshas, andBabalawos who have Olófin, thedead who are at the feet of God. Ipay homage to those who have goneto the river who are now citizens ofheaven: Oluwo, Iyalocha,Babalosha, Babalawos who haveOlófin, and also to the dead ofElegguá who are now at the feet ofGod.

Having given homage to the powers ofcreation, the dead elders, and the deadpriests and priestesses of the orisha being

questioned, it is now important to mojubato the ancestors of the religious and bloodfamily. We say that we stand on theshoulders of those who have come before;and even though it is an orisha whom wequestion, we would not be consulting withthis orisha had not our ancestors givenbirth to us physically or spiritually. Thenext part of the chant calls on theirstrength, their knowledge, and their achébefore invoking the macrocosmic forceswe know as orisha.

Ibaé bayen tonú gbogbo egun aráorún orí emi nani [your name inocha or your given name if ochahas not been made].

I give homage to all the ancestral

forces that join me on my journey, Iwho am known as _________.

Ibaé bayen tonú gbogbo egun aráorún orí iyá [or babá] tobi mi[name of your godparent].

Ibaé bayen tonú gbogbo egun aráorún orí yubonna mi [name of youryubonna].

Ibaé bayen tonú gbogbo egun aráorún orí igboro kale ile.

I pay my homage and give myrespect to all the ancestors thataccompany the priests andpriestesses visiting my house.

Ibaé bayen tonú gbogbo egun,

gbogbowan olodó, lagba lagbaotokú Ará orún timbelaye,imbelese Olorún, Olódumare.

I give my respect and pay homage toall the dead, to all those who havegone to the river and are now myspiritual ancestors; I pay homage toall those in heaven who bow at thefeet of Olódumare.

Araorún, ibaé bayen tonú [name ofdeceased priest or priestess] ibaé.

Those who now live in heaven, myrespects are paid to those who havegone to the other land in the sky[name of deceased priest/ess],homage is paid.

[Name of deceased priest/ess] ibaé.

[Name of deceased priest/ess] ibaé.

(Continue until all the ancestors inthe religion have been named.)

Ibaé gbogbo egun iyá mi, ________.

My respects are paid to the deadancestors of my mother, _________[in this blank, say your mother’sfull name].

Ibaé gbogbo egun babá mi,________.

My respects are paid to all the deadancestors of my father, ________[in this blank, say your father’s fullname].

[Name of deceased family member,

starting with the most recent] ibaé.

Continue naming deceased familymembers until all the known bloodancestors have been named in full.

Having honored creation and egun, themojuba becomes a prayer for theprotection and health of all priests andpriestesses in the house at the time ofconsultation. Whenever a ritual of ocha isdone, its energies unfold to incorporate allthose who might be present, not just thediviner and client. It is hoped that theinformation discovered will better not justthese, but also the entire ilé ocha, orfamily of orisha, of which they are a part.And even if they are not present, thediviner asks permission of his godparents

and elders to proceed with the ritual, foralthough they are physically removed fromthe sacred space, the heads that gave birthto the priest are always spiritually presentwith him. As names are called for theblessings, those who are present for thedivination will answer “Aché” to givestrength to the prayer that was said forthem, and to thank the diviner for theirblessings.

Kinkanmaché iya/babá tobí mi[your godmother/ father].

Kinkanmaché ojigbona mi [yourojigbona].

Kinkanmaché ______________[Oluwo, godfather in Ifá].

(Kinkanmaché is a phrase that asks forprotection, blessings, and the good thingsin life. Note that in these prayers, theAfrican name given in ocha should beused.)

Kinkanmaché [from here until theend, you continue with all the livinggodparents, grandparents in ocha,and so on of your own godparents;once that is done, you name thosepriests and priestesses who mightbe present].

Kinkanmaché orí, eleda emi nani_____________ [your own name inocha, if ocha has been made].

Kinkanmaché gbogbo kaleno,igboro, abure, ashire, Oluwo,iyalocha, Babalosha kale ile.

So that nothing bad can happen tothose who are present in my home:my brothers, sisters, sons,daughters, visiting priests andpriestesses, priests of Ifá, themothers, the fathers, and thekeepers of the spirits who havecome to my house.

Once the mojuba is complete, it is time tocall the orisha by his or her praise namesand prayers. Most houses have long listsof these that they use in their ceremoniesand rituals, and if an orisha has beenreceived, the godparent will share these

as they are needed. To illustrate orishainvocations, I have included some belowthat are nontraditional in addition to themore standard prayers. While praying, itis important that the diviner, if diviningalone, begin to play the sacred instrumentto focus the orisha’s attention on theceremony taking place.

For Elegguá

Eshu Elegba olo gbogbo na mirinita algbana babá mi unlo na burukunitosi le shonsho. Kuelu kuikuo odi.Kosí ofo; kosí ejo; kosí aro, nioruko mi gbogbo omo nile fukuikuo. Adupe, babá mi Elegba.

Owner of all four corners, elder of

roads, my father, take all evil away,so that we can walk with plentifulhealth. Let there be no illness, letthere be no loss, let there be norevolution, let there be no death. Inthe name of all the sons of thishouse, I thank you very much, myfather Elegba.

For Ogún

Ogún agbaniye babá alagbedekuelu re le se na kife. Lai lai toniwiki nitosi gbogbo ni laye. Nitosi leonje. Olódumare ni na agbara ati,ni gbogbo na kishe bawo shisheodara ati buruku, babá Ogún molabalomi.

Great blood warrior, fatherwarrior, with his power he does ashe wishes forever. In order to killwe must say: “Warrior be able toeat.” Omnipotent deity of powerand of everything that is done forgood or evil, Father Warrior, deityof death, take care of me.

For Obatalá

Obatalá okunrin ati obínrin ni layeeleda ni gbogbo na dara dara atiburuku oba ati ayaba, afin oga nina bala ati gbogbo na shishe babáalaye alabo mi ati mi gbogbo naejun, dara dara babá wa afin alano.Jekua babá mi, adupe.

Great male and female deity, worldcreator of all good, health, and evil,king and queen, albino owner ofpurity and of all justice, father whoshields, grand protector of all theworld, my protector and of all goodand healthy things, our mercifulalbino father, hail, my father; thankyou.

For Shangó

Shangó, babá mi, kawo ilemu fumialeya. Tilanshani nitosi ki kogbamu mi re oro niglati wa ibinu kikigbo ni na orin ati gbogbo omonijin gbodo wi kuelu kuikuo berunitosi dilowo kawo kawo ile mi iwo

bagbe babá mi ki awa na kue niokan nitosi kunle ni iwaye ne reelese ati wi Shangó alamu oba layoni na ile ogbe o mi.

My father, god of thunder, controlmy home. Give me the radiantsalvation so that your word does notcatch me when you are angry, youwho scream in the sky. All your sonshere below say with respect, and tohonor you, control our homes.Remember, my father, that we callon you from our hearts, we kneelbefore you and ask, god of thunder,merciful king, happiness on earth,shelter us.

For Oyá

Oyá Yegbe, iya misa oyo orun,afefe iku, lelebi oke, ayagbagbogbo loya, obínrin oga mi aro,oga mi gbogbo egun, orisha niabaya oyu ewa, Oyansan oyerijekua, iya mi obínrin ni kuikuo lefun olugba ni Olofin nitosi waayagba nikua, adupe.

Oyá Yegbe, mother of day in the sky,wind of death, whirlwind fromabove, queen of all markets, womanowner of all spirits, owner of allillness, goddess of the marks in herpretty face, the market of the wind,who understands life, my mother,woman of great power, commandedby God to be the Queen of Death,

thank you.

For Oshún

Oshún yeye mi oga, mi gbogbo ibulaye nibo, obgo mo orisha lo uwenitosi gba ma abukon ni omi didunnitosi oni alafia ati ayo. Obínrinkuelu re aché, wiwo ati re maruasho gele nitosi yo ayaba ewakuela re reri ati aye sugbon be tonisho nitosi ko mo nigbati wa ibinu.Obínrin iku, iko Olofin, adupe.

My mother, owner of all the riversof the world, where all the childrenof the orishas go to bathe and toreceive the blessing of the sweet

water and to have happiness andjoy. Woman with her skirt and fivescarves to dance, beautiful queenwith her laughter and joy, but wehave to be careful because we don’tknow when she is angry. Womanwho deals with the dead, messengerof Olófin, thank you.

For Yemayá

Yemayá orisha obínrin dudu kueleremaye, abaya mi re oyu ayaba,ano rigba oki. Mi iya mayele, ogani gbogbo okun, yeye, omo eyalojun. Oyina ni re ta gbogbo okunnibe iwo ni re olowo nitosi re omoteriba adupe iya mi.

Black female goddess with herseven face marks, queen diviner,receive my salvation. We greet you,mother, owner of all the seas,mother, daughter of the fish. There,afar, is your throne below the sea,where you keep your riches for yourobedient son. Thank you, mymother.

Having invoked the orisha, it is time toexplain the reason for the divination. Statefor whom the question is being asked, whythe question is being asked, and what thequestion is. Be specific, for Obí is a spiritwith a limited vocabulary, and although atalented diviner can determine many thingswith only four pieces of coconut, if thereis any vagueness in the operation, the

answers received will not be specific.Once you are done with the explanation,make an offering of coconut to cool theorisha a bit, sprinkling one sliver over theorisha’s vessel or image as you say eachof the following three lines:

Obí n’ibi ikú.

Obí does not announce death.

Obí n’ibi arún.

Obí does not announce illness.

Obí n’ibi ofo.

Obí does not announce loss. Each sliver sprinkled on the orisha isgiven as an offering to avoid death,

illness, and loss. We pray to the orishathat Obí does not announce that bad thingsare going to happen; rather, that he willshow us a way to avoid them. A finalphrase is said as the remaining slivers ofcoconut are poured over the orisha’svessel:

Obí n’ibi araye.

Obí does not announce tragediesbrought about by the world.

Again, the world is not always a safeplace, and we offer a handful of coconutslivers so Obí and the orisha will have thestrength to help us find a way to avoid anytragedy the world might present. Althougheach small slice of coconut might seem

insignificant to us, the elders have saidthat when Elegguá takes the offering toheaven for the orishas, each small sliveragain becomes whole. Having made ourofferings, we finish this part of theinvocation with the following words:

Kosí ikú. Kosí ofo. Kosí ano. Kosíinya. Kosí fitibo. Kosí akopa. Kosítiya tiya. Kosí araye. Kosígbogbowan osogbo unlo. Fun iréowo. Iré omo. Iré arikú babáwa.

May death be no more. May loss beno more. May sickness be no more.May war be no more. May nothingbe overwhelming. May nothing bedisrespectful. May there be noarguments. May arguments and

gossip be no more. May allmisfortunes be no more. So that wemay have the blessings of money. Sothat we may have the blessings ofchildren. So that we may haveblessings and not see death.

Having said and done these things, touchthe floor with your right hand and bring itup to the coconut held in the left hand. Dothis three times, saying for each motion:

Ile mokuo.

The earth is abundant. Those who are present will respond, eachtime:

Akweye.

I invite you to worship. Change the coconut now to your otherhand. Make the same gesture, this timeextending your hand to the orisha you areconsulting and bringing it back to thecoconut. Do this three times, saying eachtime:

[The orisha] mokuo.

[The orisha] is abundant. Those who are present will respond, eachtime:

Akweye.

I invite you to worship.

Using the same hand, indicate the floorand then the coconut three times, saying:

Akweye Owo.

I invite you to worship to havemoney, symbolic of wellness andevolution.

Akweye omo.

I invite you to worship to havechildren.

Akweye arikú babáwa.

I invite you to worship so that anearly death is never seen, not toencounter our immortal parentsbefore our time.

If the coconut divination is for the self,cross and indicate the four cardinal pointsof the body, beginning with the head. If thecoconut is for another person, touch eachpoint of the body beginning with the headand say:

Orí inu

(the head)

Eshu ni pacuó

(the back of the neck)

Esika meji

(the shoulders)

Okokan

(the heart)

Inu

(the stomach)

Akwa meji

(the arms)

Onukun meji

(the knees)

Elese meji

(the feet)

Owo osi owo otun ono wale

(the hands)

Once these steps are complete, the divinerseparates the four pieces of coconut,holding two in each hand. The white sidesare pointing upward to the skies, showingthe diviner’s hopes and prayers forblessings and coolness in all things. Thehands, palms up, are held side by side toshow Olódumare that we wish to have ourworld in balance with no strife, noturmoil, only evolution. The two hands arecircled around each other once andbrought together, to show how all thingsmust come together as one beforesomething new and better can be created.Once all of these symbolic motions aredone, the diviner lets Obí fall from waistheight, giving the pieces a chance to movefreely and answer well. As they areallowed to drop, the words Obíre Obí

(“Coconut, for goodness, to Obí”) areuttered, and all those present willrespond, “Akwanya,” which means “Ichoose to split Obí.” There is only oneother special rule to be followed whenObí falls for the first time duringdivination: If egun (an ancestral spirit) isbeing questioned, all women who havepassed puberty yet have not passedmenopause must not watch as Obí openshis first letter. The first pronouncement ofthe dead is not a process to be seen bywomen who may still bear children—theelders say that it will make a womanbarren, or even cause miscarriage. Once the coconut pieces fall on thefloor, the diviner must check to see whatpattern has taken shape. This firstpronouncement from Obí will tell us not

only if the orisha is actually present toanswer our questions, but also if theorisha is pleased with us and welldisposed to answering our questions.Remember that in the coconut oracle thereare only five basic patterns, or letters:alafia, which shows four white sides;etawa, which shows three white sides andone dark; ejife, showing two white sidesand two black; okana, which falls withthree black faces and one white; andoyekun, showing all black rinds. If eitheralafia or ejife falls, the orisha is indeedpresent and ready to answer questions.Alafia is a throw that not only tells us theorisha is with us, but also gives his or herblessings for the divination. Ejifeforebodes that this session will bring theclient back into balance with his destiny.

Etawa is a tricky letter if it arrives on thefirst fall, for it tells us the orisha is therebut may not be too disposed to answeringquestions. Often we say, “You should notask that which you already know.” Okanais Obí’s way of telling us that the orisha isnot present. If this letter falls, the divinermust again begin to sound the sacredinstrument of the orisha, calling him or herby all the praise names known, andperhaps by singing. If Obí answers okanaagain, we say that the orisha is off onimportant work, doing something for thediviner. At least a day should pass beforethe divination is done again, and perhapsan offering should be made beforehand tohelp draw the orisha back home. The last letter, oyekun, can be trickyand sometimes dangerous. If it falls on the

first throw, wet all four pieces with waterfrom the jícara (a gourd used forlibations) to cool the sign, turning eachpiece so that all the white rinds show. Ifthere is a child in the house, have thatchild lift the pieces from the floor.Children are innocent by nature, andinnocence is the quality needed to placatethe heat of oyekun. When children are notpresent, the youngest person in the houseshould lift the letter from the floor. Now isthe point where many ilé ocha diverge onhow to handle oyekun when it comes onthe first casting of Obí. Our preference isto remove oyekun from the house, castingthe pieces far out into the street. Becauseour first pattern determines if the orisha ispresent and ready to speak, oyekunannounces that the orisha is not willing to

speak. If the client is insistent and pushesfor a reading, he must be taken to thediloggún for a thorough assessment. Otherhouses treat Obí in oyekun as apronouncement from the dead; for detailson how to handle this, see the section onoyekun at the end of chapter 3. Having determined that the orisha isnot only present but also well disposed toanswering questions, the diviner may nowretrieve the oracle from the floor andbegin the session. As was done during themojuba, the diviner must address the spiritdirectly before his or her shrine, statingthe full text of the question in a form thatinvites no confusion or ambiguousanswers. Remember to phrase it so thatthe most positive response will be“Ejife,” the world is in balance and all is

well. Once that is done, the coconuts mustbe divided so that two are in each hand;the whites are to face upward (the actionhere is to invite all the blessings andgoodness of heaven and Olódumare uponthe ritual). The hands are brought apartand back together again in a wide, circularmotion while the diviner says the words“Obíre the orisha’s name.” Everyone thenanswers “Akwanya” as the oracle fallsthrough the air and settles into its finalpattern. The letter that is displayed marksthe orisha’s answer to what has beenasked. The diviner records the letter, andhe begins the series of rituals and prayersthat will finish the interpretation of theoracle.

THREE Interpreting the Oracle

OBÍ IS AN ORACLE containing many layersof interpretation. There are those whoknow it only as a simple system forobtaining yes or no answers from theorishas. Yet it comprises five basicsymbols, or letters, cast when the oraclesettles in a mandala formed of black andwhite rinds. Although these representvarious degrees of yes or no answers,each of these basic patterns may also

contain a variety of scientific,philosophical, religious, and metaphysicalconcerns, much as does the more involvedoracle known as the diloggún. There arealso two other overlooked principles.First, the five basic odu drawn in a singlecasting of Obí can demand, under theauspices of specific orishas andcircumstances, a second throw that createsa meji, or double, odu. From these fivesigns can be drawn a total of fifteendouble odu, extending the original signs ofalafia, etawa, ejife, okana, and oyekuninto a total of twenty letters. Each of theseletters will carry its own meanings thatappend and extend the five parents of thisoracle. Finally, the manner in which thecoconut pieces fall can also mark avariety of iré (blessings) and osogbo

(evil), depending on how the pieces settlein relation to each other. If the diviner hasthe aché, an amazing amount of materialcan be derived from the casting of fourcoconut slivers. Our basic system of interpretationcomes from the five signs that may appearwhen the four pieces of coconut areallowed to fall freely from the diviner’shands before the orisha petitioned. Obíwill turn and twist himself as he fallshumbly at both the devotee’s and theorisha’s feet, revealing the orisha’sanswer as it is known and as it relates tothe basic question asked by the consultant.Remember that as Obí settles into hispattern, he will have to give an answer inone of five signs: alafia, etawa, ejife,okana, or oyekun. It is from these five

basic patterns that the diviner is to begininterpreting the answers of the orishas.The full meaning of each cast will dependnot only on the text of the letter that hasopened, but also on the orisha beingquestioned and how the coconut piecesfall in relation to each other. The basicmeanings of the five patterns and theirmeji throws (if such are indicated) follow. alafia (four white rinds showing): Settlingin a pattern that shows four white faces,Obí has brought alafia, blessings.Although in the hands of an aleyo orsantero (priest) this oracle cannotreference odu,*6 the pattern itself alludest o babá Eji Ogbe, the first letter createdby Olódumare’s unfolding. It has no otherpossible equivalent. To show respect, the

diviner must crouch low on his feet andpray, “Alafia omo. Alafia owo. AlafiaImale. Alafia ariku babáwa.” In Lucumí,he has asked that alafia comes with“peace and abundance, peace manifestingwith children, with prosperity, the kind ofpeace not seen with an early death.”Although it is a powerful mandala in theoracle, it is by no means the most positive.There are times when alafia will standalone, answering in the affirmative; thereare times when alafia will become meji,answering either yes or no. It can waver,and the diviner must be careful with hisinterpretation.

If Obí is being offered to Obatalá,Shangó, Yemayá, or Oshún, alafia’spattern is firm and the reading ends here;

the answer to the question is yes. Althoughstable, however, the iré of this letter canbe lost if the client does not heed thesign’s advice. Here, Obatalá stands up toencourage clarity. Take no action untilgoals are visualized and plans firmlyestablished. Shangó offers this patternwhen he wants to warn the querent thatforce and strength are necessary now;however, battles must be foughtdefensively. Never attack. Nobility is aquality to be encouraged. Yemayá and hersister Oshún advise proper action inaccordance with natural tendencies.Yemayá moves ceaselessly; her waves arerelentless as they lap at the shoreline.Storms come over her, yes, but instead ofbeing destroyed by them, they fuel her intogreater action. The rivers of Oshún

always flow in one direction, as shouldthis client. They, too, are fed by life’sstorms; bad weather strengthens her andmakes her strong. Whenever obstaclescome—and they will—she rises over oraround them, eventually wearing themdown into her waters. For the client toknow how to act in any given situation, heshould look to the orishas in nature andthen determine his actions. Having opened for an orisha notconsidered royalty, this sign is a warning,not a firm response. Under the influence ofthese orishas the letter will demand that adouble odu be cast to bring the oracle’sclosure. Elegguá, Yewá, Ogún, the Ibeyi,Ochosi, Asohano, Osain—these areexamples of spirits who waver in thispattern. Under their direction, alafia

comes as both a warning and arecommendation. It warns us that trialsand tribulations will come, things that willthrow the client off track. He may losesight of his goals. It recommends that thisperson use caution, planning all actionsbefore moving in any direction. Anythought or emotion that can “heat” the headmust be stilled, for only by coolness andfreshness can harm be avoided. Encouragepatience. Through these orishas, alafiawill never be a “yes” answer; the divinermust not assume this. It gives only thespirit’s initial advice and permission tocontinue with the reading. Note that thissign heralds a brief period of iré, althoughthe double letter opened may shorten itsspan. When alafia demands a second

casting with the orisha questioned, thefollowing five possible combinations willmark the final pronouncements of theconsultation. alafia-meji (four white rinds followed byfour white): Alafia-meji is the first set ofpatterns that can fall when a double odu isneeded. Four solid white faces arefollowed by another set of four solidwhite faces. Remember that the oracle iscast a second time only when onequestions a whimsical or variable spirit(any not considered royalty). The letterhas repeated itself, and this force isemphasizing the nature of alafia. Byfollowing the advice given, a peacefuloutcome is guaranteed. There is noassurance, however, that the path to

attainment will be without peril. Nor doesthis sign promise the client exactly what isdesired. Somewhere along the way, plansmight change, and the orishas will providesomething more essential to evolution. Inalafia, the orishas promise to work forone’s need, not greed. Alafia-meji is apositive omen, yet all it promises isblessings at the feet of this orisha if his orher advice is followed. Note that this isthe spirit’s full answer, and alafia-mejibrings full closure to the oracle.

alafia-etawa (four white rinds followedby three white): Alafiaetawa is the secondpattern that may be cast when a doubleodu is necessary. Four solid white facesare followed by a set of three light rinds

and one dark. The client has come to theorishas with the unknown and is answeredonly by mystery. The nature of the spiritquestioned is whimsical, and alafia warnsus to proceed ethically, cautiously;however, the second sign given by thisspirit is noncommital. Almost alafia itself,etawa shows us darkness amid the goodthat could be brought. Forces will seek toovercome, yet might be kept at bay by thethree white rinds lying on the floor. As itis vague in its answer, the diviner needs toconsider many things carefully. First, thisletter could be stating that the spiritquestioned cares not about the answer, nordoes this orisha want to be involved. Inthis case, the diviner will need to petitionanother spirit.*7 Obí also could bepointing out the client’s own lack of

commitment. To attain his goals, he mustbe centered on what is important. Until theclient commits to action within himself,these efforts will be wasteful. Throughthis sign, the orishas could be trying to saythat the client is lazy. Only strong effortswill bring results. Even then, if the goal isattained, it might not be what is desired.Although not the most positive sign in thisoracle, alafia-etawa ends this session withObí; once cast, the oracle is closed.

alafia-ejife (four white rinds followed bytwo whites): Alafia-ejife is the thirdpattern one may cast when a double odu isnecessary. The initial sign, alafia, isfollowed by a balanced mandala of twoblack faces and two white faces. Of all the

letters in this family, only this gives astable yes; the orisha is promisingattainment. This promise is unwavering,but it is conditional on the client’s actions.The advice of alafia must be followed ifthis person’s world is to be brought intobalance. Although the desired results maynot come easily, they will come, and thisperson will have what is sought. Endingwith a positive letter, the orisha speakinghas brought closure to the oracle.

alafia-okana (four white rinds followedby one white): Alafiaokana is the fourthpattern that may land when a meji odu isnecessary. The initial sign, alafia, isfollowed by a mandala of one white rindand three black rinds. The diviner must

advise the client as follows. First, severedifficulties will come; this person is aboutto enter a very volatile period in whichanything negative can occur. Only with acool, clear head can this person hope toemerge unscathed from any trial ortribulation. Second, the client must be toldthat the answer to his question is anunconditional no. The orisha will notchange or waver in this, and no ebó willalter this person’s path. Failure will bethe result should these things be pursued.Only abandonment and behaviormodification can prevent danger now. Thediviner should note that with such anegative sign, closure cannot be assumedfrom the oracle. Having opened in alafia-okana, the directions in the last chapter ofthis book, “Closing the Session with Obí,”

must be followed to end this readingproperly.

alafia-oyekun*8 (four white rindsfollowed by four black): Alafiaoyekun isthe fifth sign that may be opened when ameji casting is necessary. Each part of thismandala is in opposition: Four white rindsare followed by four black rinds. Theanswer to the question is always no; thereis no way to placate or change this sign.Although the client might feel that strongeffort and courageous exploration canchange what the orishas have foreseen,realize that the end will bring onlydisappointment and failure. Following thepreconceived path may even bringdestruction, ruin, or death to the client.

Note that when this letter falls, the divinercannot assume closure by the oracle. Hemust wet the black rinds with water fromthe jícara, turning them over so that all thewhites show. He then lifts oyekun from thefloor. Now he must ask permission toclose the oracle with the question“Eboda?” which translates to “Is all well[with the reading]?” The appearance ofalafia, etawa, or ejife shows that theorisha has said all that needs to be said,and the oracle is closed.

If, however, okana is the answer tothe diviner’s question, the oracle is notclosed. The orisha petitioned not onlytells us that the answer is no, but also tellsus that ebó is needed to keep this personfrom harm; the osogbo of oyekun is close.

For directions on how to proceed in thiscircumstance, turn to chapter 5, “Closingthe Session with Obí.” The final sign thatcan come in answer to the question“Eboda?” is oyekun. Answering thus, Obíannounces that there are issues to besettled with egun. Before one may addressthese issues, a specific set of actions mustbe completed to remove oyekun from thehouse. All four dark rinds must be oiledwith red palm oil; the coconuts are thendashed liberally with water from thejícara. They are turned so that the whitesof all four pieces are showing and are thenput into the gourd. Finally, the youngestperson in the diviner’s home must take thisletter outside, casting it into the street.There, the used pieces of coconut will rot,the water will evaporate, and the earth

will slowly cleanse the volatile essenceof oyekun. She is more than big enough tohandle that task. Having done all these things toremove oyekun from the house, Obí isopened anew using a fresh coconut. Oncethe oracle is prepared, the diviner, client,and others present gather before egun’sshrine. The entire divination process iscompleted again, beginning with theprayers (mojubando) and ending with thefirst casting of the coconut to Obí himself.Remember, this first pattern castdetermines not only if egun are present,but also if they are disposed to answeringquestions. Now the diviner mustdetermine what, if anything, these spiritsrequire, and he must phrase his questionso the most positive response can be ejife,

yes, the world is in balance. Because theact of mojubando is an ebó and act ofworship itself (fulfilling egun’s noteddesire to be noticed and worshiped fromthe pattern of alafia-oyekun), the divinermight ask, “Are the [client’s name] egunsatisfied at this time?” Upon casting Obíto the floor, if alafia, etawa, or ejifecomes, the spirits are satisfied. The oracleis closed; nothing more is required. It isimportant that the client never ignore thesespirits again; to do so will hinder hisevolution. If either okana or oyekun comes, egunare not satisfied. Okana itself is a moregentle no; the client’s ancestors want thedarkness to dissipate before the light. Yetbecause they have been ignored for solong, unsatisfied by their descendant’s

propitiation, they have neither the strengthnor the aché to help him evolve. Merelytheir unsatisfied presence increases thisspiritual darkness. Oyekun, however, is amore dangerous no. With this mandala, weknow that some of the most ancient andforgotten ancestors have come; theydemand the worship and reverence that istheir due. Although not working againsttheir descendant, their presence is filledwith need, with hunger, and this builds uparound him as a tight, impenetrabledarkness. For both okana and oyekun, thediviner must follow the material given inchapter 5’s “Closing the Session withObí.” If this propitiation turns out to befruitless (the oracle will not mark ebó orwill not close off ebó), the negative lettersmust be oiled, watered, and taken to the

street. Only an immediate session with thediloggún will settle this client’s spiritualaffairs. etawa (three white rinds showing): Etawais the second pattern that may fall whenObí is cast to an orisha. It is a mandaladisplaying three white sides of the coconutand one dark. The name itself is acontraction, a Lucumí phrase that means“three have come before us,” the numberthree referring to the whites. Althoughlight is the main power sitting before us,one dark rind is there to symbolize theimpending darkness. It comes ominously,a warning to the one for whom divinationhas been made. There is osogbo in theletter, and this will soon be faced by theclient. Forces are quickly rising to

overcome, yet these are still placated bythe three whites that lie on the floor. Thesignature itself represents a revolutioncoming, a subtle uprising against the iréthat Obatalá and the orishas funfún (thecool orishas) could bring to this person’slife. Know that while darkness tries tooverwhelm the light, the light is still there.Blessings still exist, for now. Therefore,in this letter there is no impliedstability—there is only strife and struggle.To help keep the darkness at bay and makethis a stable omen, the diviner standstowering about the letter and prays thesacred prayer, “Etawa owo. Etawa omo.Etawa arikú babáwa. Obí kenyo!” InEnglish, one is praying, “Etawa brings usthe blessings of children, of money, of along life [this is prayed against the

uprising of darkness and with thewhiteness inherent in the sign]. Obí, speakwell for us!”

In almost all circumstances, the signetawa will demand that the diviner oncemore give coconut to the orisha beingpetitioned. Those orishas who areconsidered warriors will take a secondcasting: Shangó, Aganyú, Ochosi, Oyá,Yewá, Ayáguna (a warrior path ofObatalá), Babaluaiye (sickness anddisease are his weapons), and Elegguáwill use this letter to point out animpending war. Although the war maynow be silent, it will soon be fought andthe client will have to struggle for thethings he considers dear. Those orishaswho are given to coolness and freshness

will use this letter to point out the client’scurrent state of mind. Obatalá will say thatthis person is not prepared to achievemuch of anything. First, promote calm;second, realize that there is an innerdarkness, almost a depression, rising toengulf this person. Yemayá might useetawa to show that the relentless tides ofthe sea are seeking to erode the stabilityinherent in life. Finally, Oshún shows howthere will be obstructions in this person’spath, and it may take awhile for her sacredwaters either to wash away or to riseabove these obstacles. For all these, thediviner will have to pray and retrieve thecoconuts from the floor to find a morestable sign and the orisha’s finalpronouncements. There are conditions under which

etawa is stable, a representation of theorisha’s will in relation to the client’squestions. There are some orishas who donot speak through the diloggún, yet theywill offer advice through Obí (they use nottheir own voice but instead the patterns ofthe orisha Obí). The Ibeyi, Ideu, Ayao,Inle, Olokun, Ainá, and Abata will giveetawa as a final pronouncement. Whenthese orishas open in this letter, they havesaid all they have to say and do not wantto be bothered again. Ogún, who is givenmore to actions than to words, willcomplete his answer in etawa. The natureof these spirits tends toward silence, andtheir answers are always terse. Beadvised that although to them etawa is astable yes, it is also a conditional yes—thecondition being that the client proceed

with caution in all things. Finally, if one ofthe orishas is being questioned at his orher place in nature and etawa falls, it isthen accepted as a somewhat (yetconditional) stable yes and the oracle isnot thrown again. Under any othercircumstances, the diviner must lift Obífrom the floor and make another casting todetermine the orisha’s will in relation tothe client’s problems. Only with a doubleletter will stability through etawa befound.

The double letters of etawa follow. etawa-alafia (three white rinds followedby four white): This is the first pattern thatmay emerge when Obí is cast twice for theorisha. Etawa is the first sign given, a

mandala of one black rind and threewhites, followed by alafia, a pattern of allwhite rinds. Although a positive sign inthe oracle, this letter does not guaranteesuccess for the client. It marks a period ofstrife, struggle, and hints of unseenenemies (both within and without,psychological and physical) that willbring turmoil. The darkness will be heldat bay, however, and in the end the clientwill receive blessings from the orishas.He may not get what he wants, but he willget something that he needs. Evolution isensured on this path. Because this is apositive letter, Obí is closed; the orishahas said all that needs to be said.

etawa-meji (three white rinds followed

by three white): This is the second patternthat may fall when Obí is cast twice for anorisha. The first sign, etawa, has repeateditself; one black rind and three white rindshas doubled. When this letter falls, it isoften said that “one should not ask what isalready known.” The orisha petitioned ispointing out that the client already knowsthe answer to what has been asked, andthat the spirit is not pleased about beingbothered. The answer, however, is anunstable yes. Things can change as theclient grows in his commitment to hisevolution or loses sight of the goal.Although this is not the strongest of Obí’ssigns, etawa-meji does close the session.Also, the diviner should keep in mind thatthe sign itself also marks indifferencestemming from this spirit; it is not pleased

with one or more of those gathered in theroom for divination.

etawa-ejife (three white rinds followedby two white): This is the third odu thatcan fall in this family when a meji castingis necessary. Etawa, a pattern of one darkand three white rinds, has been followedby a mandala that is balanced, two whitesand two blacks. Although etawa itselfwavers, ejife is the strongest pattern of allthe letters; it is the most stable omen inthis family. The answer to the client’squestion is always yes; the world willeventually be brought back into balance.The darkness uprising now in thisperson’s life will be balanced by the light;there will be the proper mixture of the

bitter and sweet; and the client willprosper in his goals. Evolution willcome—however, it may not come withouta struggle. Advise this person topersevere, for the outcome will be what isdesired.

etawa-okana (three white rinds followedby one white): This is the fourth patternthat can open when Obí must be cast asecond time. Three white rinds arefollowed by three black rinds; the patternis reversed, and it points to a reversal inthe client’s life. Although it alwaysanswers no to the initial question, this nois conditional. If the diviner is skilled athis work, it is possible to change theorisha’s answer and find a way for the

client to achieve at least part of his goals.Something important has been overlooked.Perhaps the diviner has phrased thequestion incorrectly. The openingstatement to the orisha must be examinedfor flaws; it must be rephrased so that themost positive response can be made,“Yes, the world is in balance.” Perhapsthe client has not thought through hisquestion clearly; he might not know whathe really wants to ask. Remember thatfrivolity in this oracle, or unclearstatements, will confuse Obí, as he hasonly five limited, basic signs by which toanswer. With careful consideration of thisletter, the divination process, and theclient’s issues, this letter might bechanged. If an incorrect process has beenused, the oracle must be put into the jícara

of water and thrown into the street. A newcoconut must be opened and the entiresession begun again. Because this letter does notautomatically close the oracle, the divinercan, using his own aché, begin to ask aseries of questions to determine what islacking in the procedure. If the oraclegives many negative answers undercontinual castings, the diviner should askpermission to close the session andponder the answers with the client. Then itshould be opened with a fresh coconut tosee if all will go well. A ritual, an ebó, or even a behavioralchange might be needed to bring success.These options should be checked with Obíbefore the oracle is asked for closure.

etawa-oyekun (three white rindsfollowed by four black): This is the finalletter that can open in etawa’s family. Theinitial casting of one black and three whiterinds is followed by a casting of all blackpieces. This is the strongest “no” of alletawa’s composites, and itspronouncements are firm. Because oyekunis volatile, the diviner must complete abrief series of rituals to cool the sign.First, he crouches low to the floor andwets the dark rinds with water from thejícara. They are then turned so that all thewhites are showing. Our prayer here is forpeace and blessings, a prayer shown to thespirits not by words but by actions andsymbols. Before speaking to the client, thediviner must rise; holding two pieces of

coconut in each hand, he asks the spirit,“Eboda?” before casting Obí to the flooragain. If the four rinds settle in alafia,etawa, or ejife, the oracle is closed andthe diviner must deliver the followingmessage. “The answer to your question is no,and there is nothing that can be done tochange it. Right now you walk in light, butthe darkness is there and it is trying toovertake you. Continue on your presentpath, and it will. You will come into aperiod of struggle, of strife; the result willbe ruin, and death (physical, emotional,mental, or spiritual) will come.” Thispattern does take an ebó: a rogación(cleansing of the head) before Obatalá.Once this is given, it is up to the client toremove himself from all who are involved

with the question asked. This ebó andbehavior modification are both needed toavoid osogbo now. If okana comes as the answer to“Eboda?” the orisha petitioned isdemanding ebó. Although the answer ofetawa-oyekun remains unchanged, theoffering prescribed here will help keepthe client from danger. The diviner needsto follow the material given in chapter 5,“Closing the Session with Obí.” If oyekuncomes in response to “Eboda?” Obí’sanswers are being clouded by the dead;they are standing up for offerings andspiritual assistance. Before determiningwhat it is they desire, oyekun must beremoved from the house. Each dark sliveris oiled with epó (red palm oil) andrefreshed with water. They are then turned

so that all the white sides face upward.Having done these things, the four slicesof coconut are put into the jícara of water,and the youngest person in the house castsboth water and Obí into the street. Oncethis oyekun is removed from the house, anew coconut is opened and egun arequestioned at their shrine to see what it isthey want. ejife (two white rinds showing): Whenthe coconut’s mandala is balanced,showing a series of two white rinds andtwo black, we know that ejife has come tothe house. The orisha’s answer to theclient’s question is simple: Yes, the worldis in balance. No one piece of Obíappears out of place; no one division risesagainst the blessings presaged. The advice

of this letter is simple: Everything theclient needs for attainment and evolutionis either present or coming, and cautiousprocession will guarantee success. Thestability of this sign is lost only when theclient acts foolishly or unwisely. Becausethis is the most positive letter in theoracle, it is closed; the orisha has said allthat needs to be said. Note: A meji castingwill never be needed for ejife.

okana (one white rind showing): Okana isthe fourth pattern that may fall when Obí iscast to an orisha. The word itself, okana,is a Lucumí contraction that means, “wesee only one” (okán means one). Beforeus lies a mandala of one white rind andthree black. The darkness outweighs the

light, overwhelming the blessings thatObatalá and the cool orishas would bringto the client’s life. It is ominous, awarning that darkness and devolution areupon the client now; it cannot be ignored;it cannot be denied. Light and dark arealways at war, always trying to balanceand unbalance each other. Blessings stillexist, minutely, yet the client is in neither atime nor a place in which they can beclaimed. In this odu, we know thatspiritual forces are not in properalignment. The client has brought himselfto a place in which good fortune cannotfind him. Even if it did, he could notaccept it. Yet just as light illuminates theend of a tunnel, the whiteness of that onelight rind can lead this person through thedarkness around him, and the client must

be advised to look carefully for that oneglimmer, that one bright star, that will takehim away from all osogbo. This is a lettercalling for rapid change and strong action;any force given to these things will speakin this sign. Oyá, Olokun, Ogún, Shangó,Elegguá, and Aganyú can speak here, ascan the dead. To lessen the negative effects of thispattern on both the diviner and his home,once this letter falls a short ritual must bedone to cool its heated energies. The onecasting Obí must first wet his fingertipswith cool water. Crouching before theoracle, he then wets the dark faces of Obíand prays, “Leti okana, bata okana. Ileokana. Kosí ikú. Kosí arún. Kosí eyo.Kosí araye.” This means “Listen to okana,for okana is at our feet. Okana is in our

house; listen that it does not bring death,sickness, problems, or tragedies.” Havingoffered this humble prayer, the divinerthen turns over the three dark rinds so thatthe mandala alafia is lying before him.This series of actions shows Obí, and theorisha petitioned, that one is performingdivination so that blessings can beobtained. When all these things are done,the four slices are lifted from the floor.The manner in which the divinationcontinues depends on the reason for whichit is being. When Obí is given to an orishabefore ebó is made, okana cannot alwaysbe interpreted as a refusal of, ordissatisfaction with, the sacrifice.*9

Remember, there are six orishas who

speak strongly in this sign, as well asegun. Of these six, two always answer inthe affirmative for okana: Oyá andOlokun. In this pattern, Oyá stands firmwith her machete; she fights fearlessly forthe client. Olokun speaks here of thedarkness she loves, the peace and solitudefound in the depths of the ocean.Whenever these two orishas open inokana, we consider it an affirmativeanswer because it assures us they arefighting the darkness on the client’s behalf.For these two orishas, okana tells us thatthey have accepted the sacrifice as it is.The opening of okana also tells us that theaché of the offering will be used todestroy all those things standing in theway of the client’s evolution. For anyother type of question posed to these two

spirits, it would be positive as wellbecause okana puts the client under theirspiritual protection. The other spirits who can be said tospeak through okana will have similarissues in this sign. Ogún, Shangó, Elegguá,Aganyú, and egun are all comfortable withthis mandala. Unlike Olokun and Oyá,however, the diviner must ask anotherquestion to determine what these orishasare saying. Once the prayer for okana hasbeen recited and the coconuts are lifted,the one casting should ask, “Is this okanato clear [name of client’]s roads?” If thespirit then answers in alafia, etawa, orejife, it is a good sign; the orisha has comein okana to absorb the negativity,*10 andthe ebó being made will help the orisha

with this. Etawa, however, will stillsignal a long, hard struggle before theclient. If okana repeats itself, or if oyekuncomes, something is not right with the ebó.It will absorb negativity, but somethingmore is needed to bring it to completion.The diviner must use his own aché tofigure out what might be lacking,questioning the orisha with Obí for eachchoice until something suitable is found. Ifthis pattern or oyekun continues to repeatitself during this line of questioning, Obíhas become heated. Okana should beremoved from the house, and the entireritual of divination must begin again usinga fresh coconut. For any orisha beyond the onesalready discussed, if okana comes beforemaking ebó, something is amiss. The

diviner must contemplate what is beingoffered, thinking about what can be addedto or taken away from the ceremony. Usinghis own aché and knowledge about theorisha to whom the offering is being made,he must come up with elements that willcomplete the ebó. Each consideration mustbe checked by casting Obí to the orisha.Once an element is accepted, the divinershould again ask, “Eboda?” to ensure thatall is well. Only when the orisha answersalafia, etawa, or ejife to this question maythe ebó be considered complete. If Obí was not cast prior to an ebóbut, rather, for a question presented by aclient, the diviner may continue in one oftwo fashions. Note that this depends on thehouse of ocha from which the divinercomes. Either okana is accepted at face

value—it means no, and the answer to theclient’s question is no—or a meji patternmay be obtained to determine why theorisha is answering thus, and what may bedone to alleviate the osogbo of the letter.

The double letters of okana follow. okana-alafia (one white rind followed byfour white): This is the first pattern ofokana that may emerge when Obí is casttwice for the orisha. Okana was the firstsign given, a mandala of one white rindand three black rinds, followed by alafia,a pattern of all white rinds (and alreadystudied in this text). When this letter falls,the diviner should tell his client thatalthough the goal now seems all butimpossible to achieve, some attainment is

possible. Now is a time of harsh energiesand struggles; the tools for evolutioneither are not present or are hidden, andthis person must work hard to acquirethem. Obatalá is here, represented inokana by the one white rind that initiallyopened on the floor. If the client looks forthe good inherent in all things and tries tolet that orisha’s light guide his path, in theend he will come away with blessings thatare equal to or greater than that which hesought. Understand that here total successis not guaranteed—life’s osogbo is tooharsh to give this person exactly what hewants. What this letter determines is thatblessings will be found once the client haswalked his path; all things will come outfor the better. Note that this letter ends ona positive note, and the oracle is

considered closed. The orisha has said allthat is needed.

okana-etawa (one white rind and threeblack followed by three white and oneblack): This is the second pattern that maydevelop when Obí is cast twice for anorisha. The first sign, okana, is followedby one consisting of three white rinds andone dark; the entire mandala has given areversal or mirror image of itself. Theclient’s life will soon reflect this reversalof energies. The desired results of thequestion asked, are doubtful, however.Full attainment will not be had; the endresults will be only partial, or evendisappointing, to the client. Unless one hasapproached the orishas with a “life-

altering” question, it would be wise toabandon all things connected to this. Theodu predicts heartbreak, tears, and tormentover the final results, and although theorishas are not forbidding a path, neitherare they condoning it. When this letterfalls we often say, “The ends never justifythe means.” Sometimes this letter warnsthat external negative energies can becomeinternalized—the client could absorb whatis without, turning it all into an “inner”darkness. If the client is determined tocontinue on this path, once his luck beginsto change and the goals are partiallyobtained it would be wise for him toreturn to the orishas for a new assessmentof where he is to go from that point on.Because etawa is a positive letter, theoracle is closed; the orisha has said all

that it wants to say.

okana-ejife (one white rind followed bytwo white): This is the third sign that canopen in the family of okana; the originalodu of one white rind and three blackrinds has been followed by a pattern thatis perfectly divided and balanced. Warnthe client that there are struggles and warsaround him now; these are marked by theparent letter, okana. Tell him, however,that his world is being brought intobalance through these things. The answerto the question asked is yes; life will oncemore become balanced as goals areachieved. Note that the final ejife in thispattern in no way placates the heat of theparent sign. Until the blessings are found,

there will be incessant struggle. Somethings, though, are worth the fight to attainthem. This is the most positive sign inokana’s family, and closes the readingwith Obí.

okana-meji (one white rind and threeblack followed by one white and threeblack): This is the fourth pattern that maysettle in this family of odu. It is a volatilesign, one that marks mounting struggleswith no end or resolution. The letter is adefinite no to the question asked; sosevere are its energies that the divinermight wish to tell the client that the orishaconsulted is forbidding any actions inconnection with his question. To followthis preconceived path is to bring

argument, gossip, war, treason, anddestruction into the client’s life. Becausethese energies unfold around this personnow, and because the letter itself is sonegative, the oracle is not closed. The onewho has cast the coconut must follow theguidelines given in chapter 5, “Closing theSession with Obí.” It is not uncommon forthis sign to remain open until the divinerhas marked one or more eboses to theorisha; the energy of okana is now open,and is slowly leading the supplicant toeven more tragic osogbo.

okana-oyekun (one white rind and threeblack followed by four black rinds): Thisis the final letter that can open in thefamily of okana when a meji sign is

needed; it is also the strongest negativeanswer one may receive in this series ofodu. Not only is the answer to the question“no,” but also the entire line ofquestioning must be dropped and the clientmust abandon those plans associated withit. The war, although it might now besilent, is being fought. Enemies aregathering (spiritual/physical,real/imagined, inward/outward) and willsoon bring assault. The one glimmer ofhope and enlightenment promised byokana will be lost quickly; the client willnever have the chance to realize any of theblessings for which he prays. This entireletter is volatile and explosive; it mustimmediately be cleared from the room.The diviner must crouch low on his kneesand wet the dark rinds with water from the

jícara, turning over each piece until thepattern alafia shows. Only then may thissign be lifted from the floor. Because thisodu is exact yet negative, the diviner mustthen ask the orisha if the reading can beclosed. The question “Eboda?” is put tothe orisha, and Obí is allowed to give anew pattern. If alafia, etawa, or ejife comes inresponse to this question, the oracle isclosed; the spirits have no more to say. Ifokana comes, the diviner must follow theguidelines given in chapter 5, “Closing theSession with Obí.” If Obí gives oyekun inresponse to this question, there are issuesstemming from the client’s egun and theymust be placated if the client hopes toavoid the osogbo of the letter. The signthat has fallen must be oiled: Each dark

piece of rind before us is smeared withepó and then cooled with fresh water fromthe jícara. The rinds are turned so that allthe whites show (representing our hopesfor alafia, blessings) and put into thegourd of water. Finally, the youngestperson in the diviner’s home should takeall this to the street, flinging everything asfar away as possible so that the earth canconsume and cleanse those energies.Having done all these things, Obí isopened anew with a fresh coconut beforethe diviner’s egun shrine. The completedivination ritual must be done again,starting with mojubando. Once the oracleis open, the question “Are [name ofclient]’s egun satisfied at this time?” is putto egun. We ask the question in thismanner because the most desirable

response would be, “Yes, the world is inbalance.” If the oracle answers yes(alafia, etawa, or ejife), the prayers andattention that egun are receiving right noware enough to satisfy them. The client mustbe directed to pay more attention to themin the future, however, so that they neveragain impede his evolution. If the answerto this question is no (okana or oyekun),eboses must be marked to them until theyare satisfied and the oracle can be closed.For this, follow the material in chapter 5,“Closing the Session with Obí.” Even ifObí has answered in oyekun, that section’sdirections must be followed for markingebó. If this propitiation is fruitless (theoracle will not mark ebó, or will markebó but will not close), the negative

letters are again removed from the house.Only a session with the diloggún willbring the client back into alignment, andthis session must be had immediately. oyekun (four black rinds showing): Whenall four pieces fall with only the blackrinds exposed, we say that oyekun is in thehouse. In silence, the diviner crouchesabove the letter and wets the slices withcool water from the jícara. If there is achild in the house, he or she must becalled to lift oyekun from the floor;children are innocent, and only innocencemay placate this sign.*11 All four pieces ofObí are turned so the whites show, andthen they are lifted from the floor. Havingopened in a mandala of darkness, weknow not only that the answer to the

client’s question is no, but also thatsomething is amiss spiritually. Beforecontinuing, the diviner must determinewhy oyekun has come. If oyekun comesrepeatedly during this investigation, thepieces are not only wet with water fromthe jícara, but they also must be put intothe gourd. Oyekun is taken out into thestreet and flung as far the house aspossible. New pieces must be cut from afresh coconut, and the session beginsanew. Oyekun’s implications can be harsh;the amount of ritual attention it receiveshelps to reduce its severity. Through it,we find those spirits who preside over themost mysterious regions of land and sea,orishas who partake of both life and death.Yewá, Oba, Oyá, Babaluaiye, Odua,

orisha Oko, Aganyú, and Olokun are allfound here. If one of these is beingconsulted when oyekun falls, theimplications of the pattern are dire indeed.Generally, this letter presages immediatedeath, unforeseen problems, tragedy,revolution, and bad news. There will bebattles and uncontrollable anger amongthose for whom it has fallen. If the divineris skillful, however, Obí can show us howto avoid what oyekun brings. Once Obí isretrieved from the floor, the divinershould begin his questioning bydetermining if oyekun represents theorisha’s full answer to the client. He mustask, “Eboda?” Followed by alafia, etawa,or ejife, oyekun has come only as a sternpronouncement from the orishaquestioned. The oracle is closed, and the

diviner may begin to advise his clientbased on this. If the answer to “Eboda?” is eitherokana or oyekun, the pattern remains openand must be marked and placated. Knowthat oyekun can arrive for another beyondthe client: The diviner, or even someoneelse in the room at the time of oyekun’sfalling, can be marked for its influence.First we must determine for whom thisletter speaks. The first question thediviner should ask is, “[orisha’s name],does this oyekun fall for [client’s name]?”If Obí answers no, the diviner must ask ifoyekun is for himself. Obí againanswering no, the diviner must ask thisquestion for each person present. If allpossibilities are exhausted and oyekunstill remains unmarked, the diviner may

ask, “Are egun demanding ebó?” If theanswer to this is yes, the spirits supportingthe entire house are in need of offerings.Before egun’s shrine, using freshcoconuts, the diviner must mark ebó. If,however, the diviner has come this far inhis questioning and all answers have beennegative, Obí is heated. Oyekun or okanamust be oiled, watered, and taken from thehouse. A new coconut is opened for thissession, and if the new patterns that fallare calmer, oyekun is indeed gone fromthe house and all is well. If the diviner can mark oyekun on aspecific person, the next question to askis, “Are [person’s name] egun standing upfor ebó?” One tries to mark this sign onthe needs of the dead, for the primarymeaning of oyekun is death. Consisting of

darkness, one’s dead come through thatdarkness, known and forgotten, to claimtheir respect and offerings. If Obí answersyes to this question, the diviner must nowdetermine their needs by careful, diligentquestioning. Ebó must be markedfollowing the guidelines in the “MarkingEbó with Obí” section of chapter 5. Foregun, it is important that the diviner beginwith cool, simple things, slowly workinghis way up to the more involved eboses.Once something has been marked, thediviner must ask, “Ke ebofin ke eboda?”which means “Has the sacrifice that hasbeen offered been accepted?” If so, thecoconuts are disposed of to remove theirheat from the house and new coconuts areopened so that the client’s originalconcerns may be addressed.*12

Finally, if oyekun falls on a personand the diviner determines that the deadare not speaking, or if after the dead speakoyekun returns frequently, there areserious spiritual forces at work that mustbe cleared from this client. The letter mustbe oiled, watered, and removed from thehouse. The diviner should advise theclient, “Oyekun marks death, traps,treason, and cataclysmic change. Its letteris hot, and this heat is entering your life. Itmust be fought.” As soon as possible, thisclient must have a session with thediloggún to find the reasons for oyekun’svisit. Only in this way can the sign becleared. A special note on this letter: Once thepattern has been closed and cleared from

the house, if it has fallen repeatedly, or ifthere have been many negative answers inthe session, everyone in the room shouldcall home immediately or call a neighborto check his home. Oyekun sometimes, forreasons unknown, marks unexpected fires,accidents, and tragedies in the home, evenif the letter fell for someone or somethingelse. Those who have left young childrenor the elderly at home should beespecially worried—but why wouldanyone leave a young child or elderlyperson at home alone?

Additional Considerationson the Five Basic Patterns

The manner in which the five basic

patterns fall contains a wealth ofinformation on the question asked, and thediviner should keep these omens in mind:

Occasionally one or more of the whitepieces will fall touching each other, andthere are also times when they will bepartially, or entirely, piled one on topof the other. When this happens, Obípredicts good fortune (iré) for theclient, and although most divinersconsider this iré to be financial, there isno limit to the type of iré marked byObí. If only two pieces fall this way,this shows general blessings; three orfour, however, indicate that a surprisewill soon manifest. The connectedpieces should be reverently lifted fromthe floor and the client should be

directed to kiss each one. They are thenput into his cupped hands and thediviner instructs the client to put bothhands into his pockets to seal the iré,making it firm.

If a black side falls on top of a whiteside, something is blocking theindividual’s good fortune, perhapsunconscious sorcery or evil magic.When the reverse occurs—one whiteside falls on top of one blackrind—there will be misfortune hiddenbehind the blessing that is prophesied inthe pattern.

If two or more black rinds mount oneanother, it seals death, treason, traps,and witchcraft. These, even if they are

only two in ejife, should be wet withwater from the jícara and thenseparated on the floor before they arelifted. This simple ritual helps todestroy the obstacles the client willface.

When a piece of coconut falls on itsedge and does not show a single side,the diviner reads the letter according towhich part of the coconut faces him:white or black. However, it is said thatthe dead are claiming something fromthis reading or offering, or perhapsinterrupting the ceremony. The divinermust next investigate what the dead aretrying to do. If the coconuts fall on theiredges throughout the reading, it ispossible that either his or the client’s

egun are trying to alert the diviner tofraudulent claims or danger from theclient. The reading must be handledwith caution and quickly brought to aclose.

During divination, especially when Obíis responding well, if a piece ofcoconut breaks off, this is given to theclient to place in the purse or pocket fortwenty-four hours as a charm. It is anomen of good luck, and the client takesthis energy with him once the reading isover. If part of a black rind breaks offand lands up white, the same is done,for it shows the client will take awaysomething good from the struggle. If apiece of a black rind breaks off and stillshows its black rind, it is an omen of ill

luck. The black piece should be wetwith water from the jícara, turned toshow the white side, and then thrown tothe street to remove the impendingosogbo.

FOUR Interpreting the Oracle:

Apere Ti, Obí

THE INTERPRETATION OF FIVE LETTERS andtheir composites is the first step inunraveling the answers of Obí. For mostquestions brought to the orishas throughthis oracle, those patterns alone willsuffice. Many will offer Obí before anadimú or ebó is placed before a shrine;others will question their spirits before

making minor decisions that could affecttheir lives in subtle ways. The twentyletters based on alafia, etawa, ejife,okana, and oyekun are sufficient for thesethings. There are times, however, whenone petitions an orisha for more seriousconcerns, and there are those who consulttheir orishas through this medium becausethey have neither the knowledge nor theskill to carry out the more meticulousmanipulations of the oracle known as thediloggún.

Apere Ti, Obí When the questions presented throughcoconut divination become more complex,however, or when the basic patterns seem

too cryptic, there is another form ofinterpretation known as apere ti, Obí .*13

The word apere means “symbol,” andalludes to the geometric designs that maybe found in a single casting of coconuts.Note that while all the orishas may begiven Obí, the aperes are used only whenpetitioning Elegguá. In Santeriá, just as hisdiloggún is most frequently consulted bydiviners, so does the art of apere belongexclusively to him. When marking an apere beforeElegguá, the diviner looks closely at thefirst casting given for the client’s question.Once the four coconut pieces have settled,one of ten possible patterns has fallen.Note that apere will not open for allreadings. While Elegguá must answer the

question asked with one of five signs(alafia, etawa, ejife, okana, or oyekun), anapere comes only if another orisha wishesto advise the client on his or her issues. Ifan apere is found in Obí’s pattern, thediviner must mark it by calling out itsname. For example, if Okana has fallenbefore Elegguá, but the coconuts land inOgún’s apere, the diviner shouldannounce, “Okana apere Ogún,” to seal inthe sign. Note, too, that if a meji casting ofObí is needed to complete a session,apere may not be marked on the secondcasting of coconuts. A true apere can openonly for the first pattern thrown. Keepingthese rules in mind, the ten aperes andtheir meanings with each letter of Obífollow.

Apere in Elegguá

Figure 1. Apere Elegguá Elegguá’s apere appearswhen all four coconut slivers form a horizontal line

between the orisha and the diviner.

alafia: When the first casting of Obícomes in alafia and rests in Elegguá’sapere, the orisha is offering peace andreassurance to the client. No matter theconcerns that brought this person beforethe orishas, the path on which he travels isone of evolution. Although fortune haswavered drastically, all that this client hasexperienced has brought him to this one

moment, and it is a moment that willchange the course of his life for the better.Presently, the orí is clear; it is neither tooheated nor too cool. Any obstacles nowcan be surmounted by clear thought andcalm action; counsel this person to makesure that his goals are clearly delineatedand well planned. The advice of alafia isthe key to continual evolution, andbecause Elegguá normally demands asecond casting, the advice of this letter isthe key to locking in iré. If the patterncompleting this meji is a negative sign, inElegguá’s apere it points out that thisperson is on the verge of losing hisiré—his head will get too hot and he willnot act calmly or rationally. Take thecompleting patterns of okana or oyekun asa warning and prescribe a rogación as a

way of keeping the orí cool and refreshed. The client should also be told thatalafia apere Elegguá promises manyvisitors to the home. Most of these willcome uninvited, but the one for whom Obíwas cast will feel the need to inviteothers. When entertaining, this personshould listen more than he speaks.Someone will bring important news, andothers will identify sources of treason anddespair in his life. There is an ebó that comes with thisapere. Every Friday evening, a tall, clearglass should be filled with equal amountsof water and rum. An inverted saucer isplaced over this and, holding the twotogether firmly, they are turned upsidedown. This should be placed behind the

front door. On top of the inverted glass, awhite candle should be melted to thesurface. While blowing clouds of cigarsmoke over this ebó, the client shouldpray to Elegguá that he protect the homeand all who live in it. Saturday morning,after the candle has burnt out, the remnantsof the cigar and the liquid into the glassshould be thrown into the street. Anythingsent to the client (gossip, treason, negativeenergies) will be absorbed into this glass,and the earth will recycle it into somethinggood. etawa: This apere will never be completewithout a second casting. When it falls,Elegguá is reprimanding the client, butmildly. Darkness is threatening, andalthough it is still overwhelmed by the

light, the light itself may soon abandon thisperson (the meji sign will determine thefull implications). Revolutions anduprisings might come, and one’s stabilitycould be lost. Apere Elegguá in etawatells us this is because the client’s plansare not complete, nor are his goals wellvisualized. This person needs seclusion torest, to think. He must develop his goalsfirmly and then plan how to attain them.This letter also marks a spirituallyimpoverished person whose povertymanifests as sloth and untidiness in thehouse. The ebó to correct these things iscomplex. First, the house must bethoroughly cleaned. Even dust should beremoved from the corners of the dwelling.A pure, clean home uplifts the soul. Once

this person’s house is clean, it must neverbe allowed to fall into disarray again. Todo so is to invite the orisha’s anger;remember, in this religion the home is ourtemple. Finally, a rogación should begiven at the feet of the godparent’s orishaafter the house is clean. This willstrengthen the client’s defenses while hefinds his path to evolution. ejife: In Obí, we say that ejife isElegguá’s true home. Before us lies abalance of white and black rinds: light anddark, mystery and revelation, life anddeath, ancestors and descendants. Theworld stands in balance before the orishawho creates that balance. Apere Elegguáin ejife demands specific considerations,however. The orisha is answering yes to

the client’s initial questioning, but goesbeyond that to flag particular concerns.Although all is well now, the orisha’sintervention through apere warns thatintrigue, strife, and danger could manifestfrom beyond the client’s environment. Hewarns, “Be cautious in all new things.”For the next month or so, this person mustnot venture into any unfamiliar placesunless the unfamiliar deals with the issuebrought to Elegguá. Do not stray outdoorstoo early in the morning or too late atnight. Do not drive down unknown roadsor venture into unknown neighborhoods.Stay away from places that have not beenvisited before; now is not the time for avacation or a business trip. Strangersshould be avoided, and nothing newbeyond present issues should be begun.

Only in this way will the iré of the signstay with the client. There are eboses that must be done inthis pattern. Before the client takes leaveof Eshu, the diviner must make threebrown packets, each containing toastedcorn, jutía (a bush rat), and smoked fish.The client is then directed to cleansehimself from head to toe with each, puttingthem in Elegguá’s clay dish. Thiscleansing is quite simple: the client rubsthe brown packets briskly over his entirebody, making sure that no appendage goesuntouched. The diviner then presses thecoconut pieces to the client’s heart whileoffering a prayer to Eshu. The coconutpieces are placed back on the floor beforethe orisha, again displaying the sign ofejife. The next day, an adimú consisting of

fresh ñame (yam) must be put to him,along with five green bananas or plantainsthat have been smeared with honey. Aderecho (ritual fee) of $3.21 should beleft with the diviner, as it is his Elegguá towhom ebó is made. Once this adimú hasbeen placed, the brown packets and thefour pieces of coconut are lifted from thefloor and taken to a crossroads. The clientwill then have Elegguá’s protection fromthe osogbos marked in this letter. Note thatthe bananas should remain with Elegguáuntil they begin to turn brown; the ñamestays with him indefinitely. A vine mightbegin to grow from this; it is a sign ofgrowing iré. If the root rots, however, itshould be removed and another must begiven to the orisha. Elegguá is using theebó to absorb negativity.

okana: When okana comes in Elegguá’sapere, it can be an omen of good or illfortune, depending on the letter thatcompletes it. Remember that althoughokana itself is negative, its aché is toabsorb negativity. The diviner must cast ameji sign; only in this way can okana’sfull influence be assessed. Looking at justthis apere, however, one may makeseveral inferences about its meanings. Theclient has entered a period of swift changeat Eshu’s feet. Now he is surrounded bydarkness, yet there is that one powerfulspark of light. Should the client focus onthat light, that one glimmer of hope, hisfortune will be reversed. Elegguá is, afterall, a spirit of reversal. The dead are hereas well; the client’s own egun whisper

from the darkness. They warn him awayfrom it and toward the light, but they knowof their descendant’s curiosity. He will betempted to wander into darkness, to seekthe faces behind the voices. This willcause his downfall. The diviner must tellhis client to propitiate egun at their shrineonce every day, but no more than that. Aprohibition must be prescribed as well: Ifhe hears his name called out from behind,he must walk away from that voice and notturn to see who it is. Thus will he walkaway from danger. If the composite cast from okana endsin alafia, etawa, or ejife, the client’s lifewill improve. The light will dominate,and he will enjoy some degree of successin his affairs. This depends on the exactcomposite opened; the diviner must study

the letter so that nothing is missed. Ifeither okana or oyekun completes thiscasting, success is not guaranteed. Thediviner must follow the meanings andrituals of these signs carefully. No matterwhat opens beyond this apere, there areseveral things that must be kept in mind tohelp this person avoid osogbo. Thediviner must tell the client that he issurrounded by those who wear two faces.One face is of the friend whom he knows,but the other is of a total stranger,someone evil and vile who wishes theclient’s downfall. Jealousy abounds, andElegguá says to trust no one until he hasproved himself. He assures the client thathe has the aché to tell truth fromfalsehood, and he must use it. Okana apereElegguá also marks witchcraft or bad luck

at one’s front door; this should be kept inmind. This pattern also takes ebó: A youngrooster must be fed to Elegguá. One weekafter the sacrifice, an adimú of cool fruitsshould be given to refresh the orisha. If theclient does not have Elegguá, he is nowmarked for the reception of the warriors,and this ebó should be done immediatelyto the diviner’s orishas. oyekun: Oyekun apere Elegguá is avolatile sign; it is hot and must be handledwith care. There are issues between theclient and his godparents in ocha: Achasm, some great divide, has arisenbetween them and Elegguá says it must behealed. There are issues between thisperson and his egun; they clamor for

attention and must be given a series ofthree misas (masses, seances) so theirneeds and desires may be explored. Thereare issues with Elegguá as well; if theclient does not have him, he must receivehim, and if he is already in the client’slife, he must be fed a rooster. This is whyoyekun has fallen in this apere, and untilthe eboses prescribed are complete,Elegguá will not comment on the client’sconcerns. Even the crowing orisha hasgrown weary of this child, but to explorethis the client must have a session with thediloggún as soon as possible. The divinershould note that with all this person’sprotections unsettled, the client is incontinual danger. These issues must becleared up as soon as possible.

Apere in Ogún

Figure 2. Apere OgúnOgún’s apere appears when three pieces of coconutform an isosceles triangle in which one angle is 90degrees and the other two are 45 degrees each and

one piece of coconut lies outside the perimeter of thattriangle.

alafia: This pattern is a paradox. When itfalls before Elegguá in Ogún’s apere, thediviner knows that the client’s life up to

this moment has been filled with strife andturmoil. He may be exhausted; he does notsleep well and worries over things that hecannot control. At times this person can beexceedingly lazy, yet it is laziness born ofthe desire to rest, maybe even to give up.Then there are times when the client fightsand works hard, but a previous lack ofinitiative has made many of his obstaclesinsurmountable. The orishas know howhard this person has worked. They knowhis dreams and desires. Ogún, the proud,fierce warrior who never rests, standsbefore this person’s side. He offers hishelp, his strength, and his advice. Inalafia, that advice is simple. The divinershould tell the client, “You haveElegguá’s blessings. You have Ogún’sblessings. But now you must focus on

what it is you want. You must continue towork hard, but pace yourself. Rememberthat there is no recovery from totalexhaustion.” This pattern, however, is not acomplete answer. With Ogún’s help it canpresage eventual success. Ogún is here towarn the client that he must be cautious inhis dealings. But cowardice and fear mustnever be mistaken for caution. Ogún saysnot to be afraid, for he will stand by thisperson’s side and will fight all his battles.To him an ebó of seven cigars and sevensmall, single-serving-size bottles of rummust be placed. Daily for seven daysOgún must be sprayed with one bottle ofrum; he is then given a single cigar. Thiswill lock in the iré of this sign. Because acomposite must be opened here, either

Okana or Oyekun may come. If Okana isthe final sign in this reading, Elegguá istelling the client that the answer to thequestion asked is no, but Ogún (if ebó ismade) will open alternative opportunitiesand keep this person from harm. If Oyekuncompletes the composite, the answer isstill no. Egun must be given adimú, andthe client’s plans must be changed.Together, Ogún and egun will work tobring new opportunities, replacing whathas been denied. etawa: Opening with this apere in etawa,Ogún says that light is being threatened bydarkness. Although the white rinds dooutnumber the black, that darkness isthick, almost impenetrable, and almostupon the client. Blessings are trying to

come, yet they are held back. Ogún saysthe client’s thoughts are not good; he isoverlooking something important and thiswill be his downfall. Ogún says the clientis trying too hard, using too much force,and this should have been his first cluethat something was amiss. Ogún says toopen the eyes: Intrigue and treason standbefore the client. A silent war is beingfought among friends. Many with whomthe person associates do not have his bestinterests in mind. To come out of thispattern unscathed, ebó must be made to thewarriors. Together Ogún and Elegguámust be fed a rooster, and then the clientshould have a rogación. This will helpclear the osogbo of this sign. The orisha’sfinal responses to the question asked willbe made clear when the composite is

thrown. ejife: This letter always answers, “Yes,all is well,” but when it opens in Ogún’sapere, he comes to offer advice and tomark an ebó that will seal in this iré forgood. First, Ogún says that the answer tothis client’s question should have beenapparent from the start. If this person wereto put all his faith in the orishas, thinkingmore about them and not about secularactivities, his entire life would come intobalance. He warns of women andgossip—do not gossip with them, and donot trust any woman with secrets. In time,a woman will tell all that the client hassaid. As ebó to seal in the iré of this letter,put a large basket of cool fruits (nothingred) to the warriors for seven days. After

this, leave the ebó to Elegguá and Ogún inthe woods (it would be best to pick alonely spot of railroad tracks in the woodsto dispose of this ebó). If travel beyondthe client’s city becomes a necessityduring the next twenty-one days, he shouldmake this ebó to the warriors again so thetrip will go well. Ogún also gives a sternwarning: Be cautious when going to thefour corners or crossing the street. Therecould be danger. okana: When Elegguá gives okana inOgún’s apere, it is a bad omen. Darknessis overwhelming, yet the one white rindgives a meager glimmer of hope, a chanceto overcome adversity if the client actswisely. Ogún is fierce in this letter, almostangry, and the supplicant’s egun stand

behind this orisha to support his actions.Ogún comes with his apere to tell theclient others are wishing him ill on a dailybasis, and although deliberate witchcraftis not being sent, the force of thesecombined thoughts equals the power of aspell. This person’s mouth, pride, andvanity have caused these things. Soon hishead must be cleansed with a rooster, andthis animal is then fed to the warriors.*14

Once done, a rogación should be givenbefore their shrine. Only in this way willhis head have the strength to fight. Thefollowing day all these items should beleft at a railroad with a derecho of twenty-one cents. Note: It is imperative to followthe traditional line of questioning forokana when this apere opens; more ebosesmay be needed to keep the client from

harm. oyekun: When oyekun falls beforeElegguá in Ogún’s apere, it falls on theclient. The diviner does not need to markthe reason for its appearance. Tell thesupplicant the following things. Ogún isstanding up to defend him, but in the end,only Olófin will keep him from death.Death is near in this sign; the client is invery real danger. Do not fight. Do notargue. Do not carry weapons or travelwith those who do. Be cautious of openflames and electrical devices. Do not goout at night, and do not be on the streets atthree, seven, or nine in the afternoon andevening. Immediately, cleanse the headwith a white pigeon, feeding this to Ogún;follow this ebó with a rogación. Finally,

as soon as possible this person should sitwith the diloggún for a more thoroughassessment. Note that none of theseconcerns stems from the client’s initialquestion. They come because this energyis around him and needs to be resolved.Once these warnings are given, the signshould be removed from the house; a newcoconut must be opened to address theclient’s original concerns. Ogún hasinterrupted the original casting to warnthis person of things he did not know.

Apere in Ochosi

Figure 3. Apere OchosiOchosi’s apere is formed when three pieces ofcoconut form an equilateral triangle, with one

coconut piece forming a straight line with one of theangles. This cuts one leg of the triangle in half, and

the resulting figure mimics the form of an arrow.

alafia: Having opened before Eshu inalafia apere Ochosi, the reading has takenan interesting turn. Elegguá gives hisblessings; he offers guidance and hope forthe client’s concerns. Normally anunstable pattern, when manifesting in

Ochosi’s apere this letter stands firm; notonly is the client well focused on hisgoals, but he knows how to attain them aswell. One must wonder why advice isbeing sought when success is imminent.Even though alafia is firm here, the rulesof Obí demand a second casting. If theclient truly believes in himself and in hiswork, this pattern will be followed byeither alafia or ejife. Doubting himself,etawa will open. If either okana or oyekuncomes after alafia apere Ochosi, the clientis at war within himself, and any ebosesmarked by Obí will help settle this war.For these two patterns, it is imperativethat the diviner assure his client, “Elegguágives you his blessings; he opens theroads to success. And you have Ochosiguiding you toward your true destiny.

How can things go wrong? You mustbelieve in yourself and put your trust inthe orishas. There is no other way!” It is good that the client has Ochosias his guide, for false paths are open in theworld. At this time, however, the clientwalks properly. He must stay this way.Alafia apere Ochosi does warn that as heprogresses, there will be distractions; andhe could be led astray when he begins todoubt himself. Ochosi wants this person tofocus on three things now: the orisha, thegoal, and himself. Others will try to giveadvice; do not listen. Ochosi says that, fornow, there are enemies. The things theclient seeks will harm false friends as theyare attained. They know this. The clientknew this even before the oracle wasopened. He should never forget it.

This sign does take an ebó. A singleseven-day candle should be given to eachof the warriors in his favorite color. ToOchosi, an extra adimú must be given: abottle of anisette. etawa: Before Elegguá lies a pattern ofthree white rinds and one dark; etawa hascome to the house. Normally a signannouncing struggle and revolution, inOchosi’s apere it is an omen of danger.Light is all around the client, but it is tohis back as he walks into darkness.Blessings do exist, but this person is inneither a time nor a place in whichgoodness may be claimed, for while hebegan his journey with a clear, delineatedgoal, somewhere along the way he lostsight of it all and has walked into danger.

This apere tells the diviner that Ochosi isnear; the supplicant has his strength andprotection at his disposal. Depending onthe meji sign cast from etawa, he may wellneed it. If alafia or etawa comes after this,success is not guaranteed, even withOchosi’s help. One has his blessings tocontinue, and something good will come atthe end of the struggle; however, the endwill not be what was sought. Okana andoyekun bring disaster and despair, andbefore this session ends the client mayhave many eboses to make. Only ejife canbring evolution, and that is contingent onthe client’s understanding of all theorishas have said he can or cannot do; hemust heed the advice of this reading inorder to evolve. This sign does have its ebó. All the

warriors must be given adimú, and specialconsideration should be given to Ochosi.Once every four months, the client mustalso have a rogación to keep his headclear from osogbo. ejife: Ejife apere Ochosi is a favorableomen for most; it is a symbol of balancenot unlike the scales of justice for whichOchosi is known. For those who are nobleand law abiding, this is a pattern offulfillment. One reaps what one has sown.Yet not all who open in this apere will benoble and just people, and when Ochosispeaks to these in ejife, it is an omen ofbad tidings. Before giving any advice forthis apere, the diviner must ask, “Are youliving outside the law? Are you doinganything now that could bring you into the

court system?” If the client answers yes,know that Ochosi may soon bringpunishment; however, it will not be unfairconsidering what this person has done. Ifthe client can answer honestly that he liveswithin the law, Ochosi has brought ablessing. To seal in the iré of this sign, theclient must make ebó: adimú at the feet ofOchosi. After he has been appeased, allthe warriors must be given somethingtogether. If the client does not have hiswarriors, this is done to the diviner’sorishas, and the client must receive hiswarriors soon. okana: When Elegguá gives okana inOchosi’s apere, it is a bad omen. Thethree dark rinds that sit on the floor beforeus mark desperation, enemies, and ill

fortune. The light is still there, one singlewhite rind standing alone against thesethings. It is not enough, however, toovercome the darkness that overwhelms.The dead stand behind this as well, theclient’s ancestors who have been all butforgotten, and they come almost in anger.Their lack of prayers and offerings is partof their anger, but it arises more from thisperson’s not living up to his potential. Hedoes not use the gifts bestowed on him aspart of his spiritual and genetic heritage. Ifthe client faces court hearings or arrestdue to illegal activities, this sign becomeseven more harsh, for Ochosi is not happy;he is not yet angry, but he stands over thisperson like a disappointed parentconsidering what punishment to give. Toopen roads that have been closed in this

apere, the client must return to thediviner’s home as soon as possible with arooster for Elegguá; he must be cleansedwith this, and then it is sacrificed to thatorisha. After this sacrifice, Ochosi mustbe fed as well. Make sure that one weekafter the sacrifice is offered, both orishasare given baskets of cool fruits asrefreshment, and Ochosi must be given anadimú of something sweet to change hisfeelings toward this client. All thesethings will be in vain, however, unless theclient practices behavior modification andalters those things that wrought Ochosi’sanger. Ochosi is justice, and can beappeased only so much before he willrender judgment. oyekun: Sitting before Elegguá in

Ochosi’s apere, this pattern speaks ofdeath, the dead, and darkness. Ochosi saysthat most of this person’s problems arebrought by the dead, and he comes toshow the client how to move through andbeyond this darkness. First, egun musthave what they want: ebó. To them thisclient should offer a rooster; if he has notthe opá ikú (staff of the dead), he shouldgo out in the woods with his godparent tofind one. Immediately, it should be fed. Aseries of misas are then offered to thisperson’s ancestors; three should be givenon three consecutive nights after the opáhas been fed to egun. Immediately after thefinal misa, the client’s head should be feda single white pigeon before Ochosi’sshrine, giving the orí the strength it needsto travel the path laid out by this orisha.

After it is fed, the client should have arogación before that orisha’s shrine. Withegun satisfied and strengthened, and withthe head fed and calm, the client will beable to look at his life with refreshedvigor; he will be able to overcome thosethings that hold him back from evolution.

Apere in Babaluaiye

Figure 4. Apere Babaluaiye Babaluaiye’s apere appears when three pieces of

coconut form a relatively straight line, with one piece

above and outside the upper left side or upper rightside of the line.

alafia: When Babaluaiye’s apere appearsbefore Elegguá, alafia is its most desiredodu. Here we say that Asohano loves thisclient, and such is his love that hismessengers—mosquitoes and dogs—willfeel the orisha all around him. During theday, dogs will come to him with muchlove and affection; they are Babaluaiye’sconstant, dependable companions and willwant to be closer to that spirit by beingcloser to the client. These vibrations arealso felt by the orisha’s nighttimecompanions, mosquitoes, and the clientshould not venture out too much after darklest he be swarmed by these as well. This letter warns against putting faith

in plaster and paper; if this person hasaccumulated religious icons in thesemediums, they should be destroyed. Donot throw them away or give them toanother, because the osogbo of havingthem will extend to the new owner.Remember: Even though we thank thesaints for helping us preserve our religion,our devotion goes to the orishas and not tothe icons of our captors. Alafia apere Babaluaiye marks thisperson for the orisha’s reception. Untilthis can be done, the client should makeebó to the orisha and receive his eleke. Inthis sign, he takes an ear of roasted cornsmeared with epó; it is to be given with asmall loaf of bread. If this apere comesfor one who has Babaluaiye, the orishafeels that he is too close to a door. He

wants to be hidden from view in a quietcorner of the house. etawa: When Babaluaiye’s apere appearsbefore Elegguá in etawa, it is a warning.The client takes too many medicines forboth real and imagined symptoms. Thismust stop unless he is under a physician’scare. Many illnesses are minor, and theyare avenues for the body to cleanse itselfwith Asohano’s help. To take things thatreduce symptoms while illness runs itscourse (which is what almost all over-the-counter remedies do) is to reduce thebody’s chance to cleanse itself and healnaturally. Remember that those things thatdo not kill us only serve to make usstronger. Also, consider that when onereduces an illness’s symptom without

proper medical intervention, the diagnosisof more serious diseases can be missed. Ifthe client is not currently taking over-the-counter remedies, this apere in Asohanowarns him that when he becomes ill again,he is to go straight to a physician and takenothing that is not prescribed by a doctor. This pattern has its ebó to help theclient overcome any osogbo: He mustwear sackcloth underwear under hisclothing every day for seventeen days, andat the end of this period he should giveAsohano an adimú (anything that his heartdictates will be acceptable). ejife: While Elegguá gives this as a yesanswer to the client’s concerns, showingthat his world is in balance, Asohanointervenes with his apere to deliver a very

important message. This client is born tobe a priest or priestess, and if thecrowning orisha has not been determined,it may well be he. Even if this is not thecase, Babaluaiye loves this client dearlyand wants to be more involved in his life.As soon as possible, the client shouldcommit to receiving this orisha. He willwork miracle after miracle in his life.Also, consider that this person may haveancestors who were initiated to theorishas or involved deeply in orishaworship. The ancestral background of thisclient should be investigated; agenealogical chart should be drawn up,and those egun should be loved, adored,and propitiated on a continual basis. okana: When okana opens before Elegguá

in Babaluaiye’s apere, it is a sternwarning, yet one given out of love. Thisorisha smiles down on the client; hewatches over him constantly. Okana isdeep, dark, and mysterious, and thoseorishas who know the dark depths ofhuman existence can be found in this sign.With Babaluaiye, this odu not only warnsbut also absorbs: The orisha can removeall the blockages from this person’s path ifhe heeds the advice this spirit is giving.First, Asohano demands, not begs, that theclient speak more gently of himself andothers. Profanity must never escape hislips, not even as a whisper, and thisperson should blaspheme no more. Thisgoes not only for the religion of theorishas, the Lucumí faith, but also for thereligions of other people. Tell the client

this: “There is truth to all paths that preachgoodness; even if the followersthemselves cannot find that truth andgoodness, it is still there. Do not curse thelight lest you find yourself alone indarkness.” The client is prideful, vain, and slothfulat times, and these are qualities that feedthe darkness. Yet within there is still thedesire to be good, to do good, and to havegood things through hard work; this iswhat brings the one white rind and the tinyspark of light that can grow if it isnurtured. As ebó, this person must wear theelekes (beaded necklaces) of the coolorishas daily. If they are not had, they mustbe received: Obatalá, Yemayá, Oshún,

and Shangó must accompany him at alltimes. This person should also have arogación before this orisha’s shrine, andhe should contemplate the spirit’s lessonsof humility before he is allowed to leavethe diviner’s home.

oyekun: Oyekun is a dangerous sign initself, but when it opens before Elegguá inBabaluaiye’s apere, it is even moresevere. This client is in danger of death;disease is coming, creeping up on himslowly, and could even be brewing insidehis chest right now. The letter oyekun mustbe placated as described in chapter 3; thereason for its falling must be investigated.As soon as this oracle is closed, thosethings marked by egun and Obí must be

fulfilled immediately. The fact that this odu has fallen alsomarks several eboses that should be doneby the client to honor Babaluaiye. First,this person must wear sackcloth and“beggar’s clothing” from time to time; heshould go out into the street to beg alms,and must give all money that he receivesto a true person in need. Once this is done,a bowl of cool fruits should be given toall the warriors and Babaluaiye should beoffered a rooster. With this rooster theclient must be cleansed head to toe, andthen it is to be offered to the orisha.Because sickness is so close to thisperson, he should begin saving money tomake ocha. In time, that initiation willbecome his salvation.

Apere in Aganyú

Figure 5. Apere AganyúAganyú’s apere appears when an equilateral triangle

is formed by three slices, with one slice forming astraight line with one of the angles of the triangle.

This line formed by the errant piece of coconut andan angle does not intersect any line of the triangle; it

remains outside the figure.

alafia: When this apere opens beforeElegguá in alafia, Aganyú has stood up inthe reading to caution and advise theclient. First, the one who brought issues tothe orishas is timid and shy; if he is loudand boisterous on the outside, it is only amask he wears. Yet he does not wear itwell, for when overwhelmed by others hequickly retreats back into himself. To thisperson, Aganyú says, “Do not be timid!Be proud!” This information should berelayed to the client. The orisha is strong,powerful, and masculine, and his energyfollows this person through his currentjourneys. As long as the client paysattention to him, all things will come outwell. Because much spiritual heat followsAganyú wherever he treads, the clientmust guard his head, making sure that it

does not become overwhelmed oroverheated. He should also be cautionedagainst overworking himself to the pointof exhaustion, for the spiritual currentsthat propel him forward are fierce indeed.As ebó, it is important that this clientcleanse his head frequently with twococonuts; once that is done, they should beput to Aganyú so he takes the heat and notthis person. If it is obvious that the clientis overwhelmed, a rogación should begiven before Aganyú’s shrine. This way,the spirit does not overwhelm the client ashe seeks to help him on his journey. etawa: Here, Aganyú comes to say thatthe client is having difficulties because hedoes not walk a straight path to his goals.He begins to work toward one thing, and

as he walks his path this person easilybecomes distracted by things on eitherside of it. Wandering, he gets lost beforehe once again starts working toward hisgoal. This is what the darkness of etawatells us. The solution to this is simple:Concentrate on one thing at a time. Thecomposite letter that opens will tell thediviner how well the client will do this; italso tells us if there are other thingsimpeding progress, and if this goal shouldbe abandoned altogether for somethingnew. Etawa apere Aganyú alsorecommends that this client seek out theadvice of his elders on all his life’s goals;many of the things that he seeks, they havesought, and their advice will help himachieve without misfortune. As ebó, this letter marks that a

rooster be given first to the warriors, andthen adimú should be left to Aganyú’sshrine to thank him for his help andadvice. ejife: Although ejife is the most positivesign of Obí, answering yes to the client’sconcerns, when it opens in Aganyú’sapere it flags issues that must beaddressed. The diviner should assess theclient’s relationship with Ogún. He shouldask, “How do you relate to your Ogún?Do you pray to him frequently?” Thisapere tells us that the client petitions Ogúnmore than he should; this is a powerfulorisha who works hard, but prefers towork alone. The diviner should impresson his client not to bother Ogún foranything, that this orisha knows his needs

and will take care of them. Instead, thisperson must focus on Elegguá first andAganyú second; they are the ones whowill take care of the things that Ogúncannot or will not. This sign does not prescribe aspecific ebó; however, to ensureAganyú’s goodwill, an adimú should begiven “from the heart.” As the client givesto the orisha out of love, so shall Aganyúgive to the client out of love. okana: Having opened in Aganyú’s apere,the diviner knows the reason for thedarkness around the client. BeforeElegguá, okana apere Aganyú marks thewar of the sexes. Here, women causeproblems for men and men go out of theirway to cause problems for women; the

opposite sex cannot be trusted to haveone’s best interests in mind. If the clienthas superiors of the opposite sex, thismakes his life all the more difficult. Toovercome these things, the client’s lifeneeds to go through some drastic changes.The answer to his question is no; hecannot succeed. Yet if he changes hisgoals just a bit, he might still come outahead. This, of course, depends on himkeeping his own counsel. Dreams anddesires must not be discussed with others. Note that while Aganyú speaks inthis apere, it is Elegguá who needs to begiven ebó. The sacrifice of a rooster toEshu will do much to clear the client’spaths from osogbo. oyekun: In this pattern of apere Aganyú, it

is he who delivers the warning, but egunand Obatalá are the ones who take ebó.The orisha stands before Elegguá todeliver a stern admonition: Make fun of noone, especially the infirm and the elderly.Obatalá once came to this client indisguise, riding on one of his legitimatebut uninitiated children, and in that guisethe client offended the orisha. This is whyhis things are not going well; this is whyhe cannot evolve. Aganyú stands here todeliver this warning because Obataláhimself is too offended to give it himself,and will not speak to the client or workfor his benefit until ebó is made andforgiveness sought. First, ebó must go to egun. They havenot been properly propitiated, and theydemand adimú before they will let the

client go before the orishas again. Oncethis is done, the client must be cleansedwith a white pigeon, which is then fed toObatalá. A second white pigeon is fed tothe orisha to placate him, and a rogaciónmust be had before his shrine. After beingcleansed, the client should pay foribale tothe orisha and beg his forgiveness,promising never to taunt anyone who isold, infirm, or deformed. To do so aftercompleting these eboses will cut off hisroads to evolution permanently.

Apere in Shangó

Figure 6. Apere ShangóApere Shangó appears when three coconut slicesform a tight isosceles triangle, with one coconut

forming a straight line with the apex of the sharpestangle. The resuling figure mimics a sword, which

Shangó uses in his battles.

alafia: Although alafia is always a goodomen, when it opens before Elegguá inShangó’s apere it is a strongannouncement of the thunder god’spleasure. The mighty Shangó has watchedthis client closely, guarding him fromharm and leading him gently on his path to

evolution. Always helpful but neverinterfering, Shangó has studied how thisperson conducts himself. He knows theclient’s innermost thoughts. Shangó isimpressed with what he has seen. Thediviner should say, “You have broughtyour concerns before Elegguá, but it isShangó who has answered you. Thisorisha has been close, watching over youand guarding you, but he has neverinterfered in your actions. He is verypleased with your goals, your ideals, andyour methods of attainment. Shangó iswith you. He gives you his blessings. Aslong as you continue to live for what isright, Shangó will help you evolve.” Thediviner should also tell the client thathisothers more than he will ever know; heshould always consider this in all that he

does or says. The important life choiceshe makes will reverberate far beyond hisimmediate environment. Alafia apere Shangó takes an ebó. Assoon as possible, the client should returnwith a large basket of cool, fresh fruits.He is to cleanse himself with these,putting half to Shangó and half to Obatalá.Once done, both orishas will continue tobless all that this person does in life. etawa: When this apere falls beforeElegguá in etawa, Shangó comes to saythat the client’s foundations are not asstrong as they should be. The orisha wantsto help, however, but first the client willneed to make at least three eboses to clearhis paths. First, the client must bringShangó a bunch of green plantains. Each

of these must be greased liberally with redpalm oil and then placed on a white platewith a red border. Over these a largeamount of honey should be freely poured.The diviner places this offering overShangó’s batea (tureen) while the clientpays foribale to the orisha, praying for thestrength and evolution required. At the endof this, a red candle and a white candleare lit to Shangó. Having made his ebó,the diviner should now seat the client for arogación; once done, using Obí, thediviner should ask the orisha where theremains of both the rogación and the ebóare to be taken. The following morning,the matter used to cleanse the head istaken to that location, and when theplantains start to turn brown, the clientmust take those to the same place as well.

Coming to remove this offering, a newwhite ceramic horse tied in red ribbonshould be brought to the diviner’s orisha;this is left in place of the plantains. Whenthese things have been done, Shangó willfight to clear the aborisha’s paths. ejife: When ejife apere Shangó opensbefore Elegguá, there can be no greaterassurance that all is as it should be in thesupplicant’s life. Shangó has come withEshu to reassure that all is well; the worldis coming into balance, and the client hasall the tools for evolution. This does notmean that all will be sweetness and love,however. Rather, ejife promises a perfectbalance of light and dark, sweetness andbitterness, evolution and destruction. Thisbalance of opposite forces is what creates

evolution; it is what drives us to becomesomething better. Ejife apere Shangó does take ebó:The client must give the orisha a beaded,wooden sword. This is presented to himwith a small adimú of plantains. OnceShangó has his sword, he will make surethat no enemy can harm this person in hispursuit of happiness. okana: Although normally a poor omen,when okana apere Shangó opens beforeElegguá, the letter shines with hope andfreedom if the client carefully heeds theorisha’s words. The diviner must tell theclient, “While you may see light and hopeall around you, in truth there is onlydarkness; but Shangó comes offering help.Unknown to you, doors are closing and

paths are overgrown; your evolution isblocked. Shangó can save you. Only hecan light the way.” Each dark rind lyingbefore the diviner represents a singlefriend and the treason this friend wouldbring. Note that these are not enemies, nordo they mean to be. The influence of thosearound the client brings unintentionalharm; they are innocent of their actions,yet are to blame for the turmoil coming theclient’s way. The diviner should impresson this person, “Your goals, your plans,your dreams—these do not go wellbecause others always interfere. Yourdreams will take you away from thosewho love you, and they want to keep youclose. This is the real reason they interferewithout meaning to hold you down. Focus,for now, on Shangó.”

It is he who will lead the client tovictory, he who will remove the osogbo offalse friends so that this person may attainhis goals. And once he has achieved them,those who are truly his friends will stillbe there, waiting. They will understand,and will forgive him for havingtemporarily removed himself from theircircle. The advice of this letter is simple:Make plans and keep them secret. Tellyour friends that you are very busy, andthen distance yourself from them whileyou work to evolve. Tell no one about thisreading; just let Shangó lead the way. This sign takes a few eboses to clearthe client’s paths, and these must be donesoon. First, the diviner must cleanse theclient with a small rooster, feeding it to

both Elegguá and Ogún. This is followedwith a cleansing by pigeon, and it is fed toOgún only. After these things are done, anadimú should be given to shangóconsisting of two coconuts, twelvecandles, honey, coconut oil, cascarilla (anaromatic shrub), a wooden sword, and$6.25. Once all these things are complete,the mighty Shangó will hold the darknessat bay while the client works hard for hisevolution. Note that the composite letter cast forthis sign tells whether the client willcontinue to evolve. If a negative patternfollows this, it shows that the client willfail because of his own disbelief. oyekun: Oyekun in Shangó’s apere is adire warning: the client’s environment is

volatile, spiritually heated, and soon thisheat could manifest as fire. There aremany things that must be done when thispattern has fallen on the mat, and all mustbe treated as ebó. First, broken appliancesmust not be used; anything that does notwork properly must be thrown outimmediately. Things with frayed cordsmust not be used until those cords arereplaced, and if they cannot be replaced,these must be discarded as well. It ispossible that much of this heat comes tothe client in the form of too muchelectricity in the home, so have no morethan one appliance plugged into an outletat any time. Extension cords are taboo:They bring Shangó’s fire too far into thehome. Once these issues have beenaddressed, the client must clean his home

thoroughly, removing all trash andunwanted papers. Finally, once the homeis clean and broken appliances areremoved, this person should return toShangó with an adimú of cool fruits. Having told the client all thesethings, the diviner must now follow thenormal pattern of questioning for oyekunas detailed in chapter 3.

Apere in Obatalá

Figure 7. Apere ObataláObatalá’s apere appears when the four pieces of

coconut fall into a figure suggestive of aparallelogram.

alafia: When Obatalá’s apere opensbefore Elegguá in alafia, it comes toprescribe a series of taboos and ebosesthat will ensure that the blessings of alafiaare not missed by the client. The divinershould tell this person several things.First, the head is large and must be madeto ocha: The orishas are waiting for thisclient to be crowned, and until thishappens, true happiness will not be found.Dirt and filth are to be avoided in thisclient’s life; he should clean himself, hishome, and his car, making sure that theystay clean. The home must be a quiet

refuge from life, and fights or argumentsshould not be permitted there. He shouldlimit his visitors to his closest friends, andmust not entertain too frequently. Food thatis cooked with firewood must not beconsumed, even if inside a rotisserierestaurant. White beans, pigeons, andwhite foods must not be consumed. Thesebelong only to Obatalá, and he is takingthese away from the client for now. Catsand dogs are also taboo, and if there arenone living in this person’s house, he mustnot take in any. Bad luck will come withthem. In this apere, the orisha wants theclient to know that he hears all hisprayers; Obatalá always listens andwatches. Yet he needs several eboses ifthis person wants the orisha to continue

working for him. First, because the head isso big, it must be cleansed and kept thatway. The diviner should make a rogacíonto this person’s head monthly until ocha ismade. After the rogación is done, theclient should be cleaned head to toe withtwo white coconuts, and these are put tothe orisha with two white candles.Frequent cleansings are important to thisclient, and he must be taught how to doseveral before leaving the diviner’shouse. White is beautiful; it should beworn more often, and the client shouldwear Obatalá’s eleke frequently. Thediviner also directs this person to adorethe warriors daily, and if he does not havethem, he must receive them. Finally,because gossip and evil tongues followthis person, he should make ebó with a

cow’s tongue to Shangó. He shows theebó first to Obatalá, and then leaves itwith Shangó. Shangó will fight all thisclient’s battles and keep evil tongues fromhurting him. etawa: Having opened before Elegguá inObatalá’s apere, this pattern warns theclient of impending disaster, turmoil thatwill be held at bay by Obatalá if only theclient listens. Right now, this person’s lifeseems good and stable, but darkness iscoming, an osogbo seeking to overturn theiré that Obatalá would give. This periodof devolution threatens because the clienthas not thought through all his actions: Hesees his goals, he works for them, yet hedoes not pay attention to the path that hewalks. It is as if he has on blinders.

Although Obatalá has stood up to tell theclient these things, it is to the warriors thatthe supplicant must turn now for help.Elegguá, Ogún, Ochosi, and Ósun are theones who will keeps his path clear whilethe mighty Obatalá fights to bringblessings to his life. First, if the client does not have thewarriors, he must receive them. Second, ifthe client does not have the warriors, thediviner’s orishas must be fed two pigeonsand two roosters so that they have thestrength to fight this person’s battles. Oneweek after the sacrifice is made, a smallbasket of fruits must be given to thewarriors to refresh them. Note that if the client has thewarriors, this ebó is done to his orishas:

Elegguá, Ogún, Ochosi, and Ósun are fedtogether. If the client does not have thewarriors, before receiving these spiritsthe sacrifice must be made to the diviner’sorishas. His Ósun, however, is not fed.The pigeon that would go to Ósun goes tothe aborisha’s head instead, and then hemust have a rogación before Obatalá’sshrine. Only if all these things are donewill the client have the strength tocontinue on his path. ejife: Obatalá is balance, ejife is balance.When this apere opens before Elegguá,Obatalá has come to say that he is pleasedwith the client. All roads and paths toevolution are clear; the head is clean andthe soul is pure. The orisha stands proudlyover this person, blessing his life’s goals

so that, in time, all things can be attained.Such is this orisha’s love that wheneverthere is a special request, it should bemade with an adimú and Obatalá willmove heaven and earth to make is so. This pattern also offers an ebó thatthe client may use whenever he isconfused or overwhelmed. With two freshcoconuts, the client must cleanse his head.He then puts these to the orisha with twowhite candles. Obatalá will lift theturmoil and confusion so that the aborishamay see things as they truly are. okana: With Obatalá’s apere sittingbefore Elegguá in okana, the cool orishahas brought a warning: Life is entering avolatile pattern, a period in which allhope and love can be lost from this

person’s life. He stands strong here,however, and works fiercely like awarrior to bring back light into thisperson’s life. The client must stand strongand work hard to overcome adversity.Because he is surrounded by so muchhypocrisy, this client must trust no one, noteven his best friend. Reserve is called for,and the client must not speak of his plans,goals, dreams, and desires to others. Thecause of okana in this person’s life issimple: His own indiscretion has broughthis osogbo. His own overly trusting naturehas paved the roads to destruction. ToObatalá should be put a ñame with theclient’s name inside on brown paper; thismust be covered heavily with efun (achalk made of powdered eggshell). It isgiven to the orisha on a white plate, and

the vine allowed to grow freely until theroot starts to rot. Thus will Obatalá helpthis person grow and overcome the evilthat exists around him. oyekun: Although oyekun is never a goodomen, when Obatalá speaks through thispattern it is dire indeed. He has come totell the client that he walks in a valley ofdarkness, of death; all around is evil, andeven the dead have come to confuse him.The client may feel he is a victim ofcircumstance, but the truth is that he hasbrought these things on himself. Toimpress on him the severity of this sign,the diviner must say, “Oyekun has openedin Obatalá’s apere; neither he, Elegguá,nor the dead are pleased. Through yourown carelessness and lack of insight, you

have walked a path that has brought youinto total darkness. Now the light is so faraway that you cannot see it. Just as youhave brought yourself to this place, somust you work to bring yourself out of it.The spirits have not abandoned you,although it feels that they have. Rather,you have abandoned them, and you mustwork hard to bring them back into yourlife. First, the client’s head needs strengthto overcome the darkness, to see clearlywhere vision is all but impossible. BeforeObatalá’s shrine, this client must sit,dressed in white, and there he should havea rogación. When this ebó is done, thediviner must not be surprised if Obí’sletters do not come out well. After therogación, the client should give an adimú

to the orisha (anything his heart desires),and he must return nightly for a rogaciónuntil both Obatalá and Eshu ni pacuó bothagree that the head is good again. Only thesigns of alafia or ejife may be accepted astheir approval. When these signs areobtained, two white doves or whitepigeons should be offered to Obatalá inthanks. This client’s egun must also be givensacrifice at their shrine, and nightly theclient should hold some sort of mass forthem. At the end of each mass, Obí shouldbe offered to egun. Until they show theirpleasure or acceptance through eitheralafia or ejife, the mass must be repeatedagain the next evening. Once Obatalá and egun are satisfied,

the warriors must be fed two roosters andtwo pigeons. Elegguá, Ogún, Ochosi, andÓsun will need the strength of a sacrificeto make clear agaion the client’s roads. Ifthe aborisha does not have the warriors,this is done to the diviner’s spirits;however, the diviner’s Ósun is not fed.Instead, the pigeon is used to feed theclient’s head and another rogación isgiven before Obatalá’s shrine.

Apere in Oyá

Figure 8. Apere OyáOyá’s apere is formed when three pieces of coconut

form a straight line, and the fourth forms anintersecting line with the central piece.

alafia: When alafia apere Oyá opensbefore Elegguá, the blessings are greatindeed, for Elegguá is fate and destiny; itis with his assay that all things in heavenand on earth are possible. Just as hewields great power, so too does Oyá. Sheis the lady of the market. It is there that themerchant can become rich and the

consumer sated. The world, in our faith, isthe marketplace, and it is Oyá who rulessupreme. With blessings from her andwith blessings from Eshu, there is nothingin this life that cannot be accomplished.Elegguá bends fate to the client’s desires,while Oyá teaches this person how to beboth merchant and consumer. With such apowerful combination, nothing can bedenied. Yet although the lady of the marketstands up for this person, so do the armiesof the dead, which are hers to command.Vast spiritual forces have gathered tobring this client to the light. Blessings come in this sign, but Oyástill has much advice to give. To keep theluck that she would bring, this person mustnot make promises. Life will soon bechaotic: There are many changes coming,

and what the client thought he could do forothers will be impossible. Promises are tobe made infrequently, and never promiseto do anything big. At work, errors will bemade. This person tends to hide hismistakes, and Oyá says this is wrong.Instead of hiding them, he must point themout, apologize, and work harder to correctthem. Those in power will be pleased. Alafia apere Oyá does take an ebó.To refresh himself, the client must draw acool bath. Into this he should sprinkle thepetals of nine flowers, all of differentcolors. After bathing, he must dress inwhite and cover his head with a hat. Justbefore sunrise or just before sunset, stilldressed in white, the client should go tothe poorest, oldest, most forgottencemetery he can find. Asking Oyá’s

permission at the gate, he should wanderuntil he feels drawn to a grave; there he isto leave a bouquet of nine different-colored flowers. Back at the gate, thisperson should pour his heart out to Oyábefore leaving. She will hear and blesshis requests. etawa: Having come in apere Oyá, etawais a pattern marking darkness and despair.The light is in power; blessings are tryingto come. Goodness does exist around thisperson, but he can focus only on thedarkness. The diviner should lookcarefully at the client: This person wearsa mask. His face might appear pleasant,hopeful, even happy—but beneath that aretears and turmoil. This person isdepressed, and he hides it from the world.

It is said that the eyes are the mirror to thesoul, and if the diviner would only lookinto this person’s eyes, he would see howtired he is. Insomnia plagues this person atnight, and when sleep does come it isfitful and filled with surreal images andnightmares. Oyá says that these thingscome because the client works too hard,pushing himself to exhaustion; he worriestoo much, and about things over which hehas no control. All this the client must letgo. Both Oyá and Elegguá want to help,but the supplicant is in neither a time nor aplace in which blessings might beclaimed. As ebó in this apere, the client musthave a rogación every week for nineweeks. It is to be done before Oyá’sshrine, and the diviner must mark nine

items to be used in it. This will help himrest better, and the client will be able tofocus on what is most important. Note thatif he does not heed the advice of thereading, he will fail miserably in spite ofthis ebó. ejife: Ejife apere Oyá before Elegguá is apattern whose advice is split. BeforeElegguá, this answers yes to the client’soriginal concern. He has brought himselfto a time and a place in which balanceexists and all things are possible. Yet Oyáintercepts all this; she is disappointed inthe client. When the advice is heeded,however, this person’s fortune willchange for the good. In short, Oyá is not happy. All thatthis person possesses comes from her; she

has been the foundation in his life. Egunsupport the client as well, yet they do notget the recognition they deserve. Theclient is afraid of Oyá and the dead soulsthat accompany her; she is not pleased.Bringing love and support, she is met infear, and this person has little to fear fromthe mighty queen. One of Oyá’s gifts is tobring swift, rapid change. The divinershould tell the client, “Think about themany changes that you have gone throughin your life: They were swift, severe, andtumultuous, yet the end result of eachbrought you greater iré. The old was torndown to build the new. This is the work ofOyá! Never again are you to meet thosechanges with fear. Thank Oyá for theblessings that she brings.” Also, note thatthe client has much aché with dreams.

Regarding this, the diviner should say,“While you sleep, you have manyimportant dreams that you do notremember later. Some of these frightenyou when they are remembered. They arefrom Oyá and the dead. She warns you ofdeath so you do not end up as one of thedead before your time. Heed thosedreams.” This pattern has its ebó. The clientmust sew a pañuelo (handkerchief) forOyá using nine colors; the base color mustbe burgundy, and it should be highlightedwith eight other colors. Adorn the clothwith many cowries. When it is complete,it should be brought to the diviner’s Oyáwith a bouquet of multicolored flowers.The client’s head is cleansed with thepañuelo; once it covers Oyá, she will

remove the last remaining vestiges ofosogbo. The flowers are given to her as avotive adimú. okana: In itself, okana is never a goodomen; it is a pattern in which darknessoverwhelms the light, and although thelight is still there, it is weak. It isominous, a warning that darkness anddevolution are on the client now. Yetokana can bring evolution, but the clientwill have to work hard. He will have toheed what the orishas have to say. Here itis Oyá who speaks, and she knows thedanger that okana can bring. This osogbocomes from neither the client nor hisactions; it comes from the bad intentionsof others. If the evil presaged by okana isto be avoided, for the next three months

this person must live in all but seclusion.He must keep to himself, seeking his owncompany and counsel. During this time,several special invitations to socialgatherings may arrive. Oyá forbids theirattendance. Do not go with a group torestaurants, theaters, malls, or parties.They will be filled with gossip, treason,and bad intentions. Because okana isheavily dependent on a meji casting whenit opens before Elegguá, the final patternwill determine how well the clientadheres to this. It will also give Elegguá’sfinal answer to the question asked. Okana apere Oyá takes ebó. Beforeleaving the diviner’s house, the supplicantmust be cleansed with a coconut. It is thenput in a basket and left under runningwater until the client is gone. This person

must take nine baths at home; they are tobe done on nine consecutive nights withnine herbs of Oyá, and to the bathwateritself must be added petals from ninedifferent-colored flowers. At the end ofeach bath, he should cleanse himself witha fresh coconut, putting this to his Elegguá. oyekun: Oyekun apere Oyá is veryspecific as to the reason that oyekun hascome: This client is plagued by an evilspirit, an egun that is not his, and it mustbe removed. This spirit has either beensent to the client or has attached itself tohim because the client went somewherethat he should not have been; no matterwhy he has it, it must be removed. Assoon as Obí has given closure, the clientmust have a rogación with nine things

before Oyá’s shrine. His head must havethe strength to stay clean in spite of thissending. His own egun must bestrengthened with a series of nine misas,and any prescription given by theespiritistas (mediums) must be followedexactly. After the ninth misa, the clientmust have another rogación before Oyá,and is then cleansed head to toe with awhite pigeon. Allowed to fly free from thediviner’s front door, this pigeon will carryaway the evil spirit to heaven, where itwill be dealt with for good. The day afterthis, white flowers should be placed inevery room of the client’s house to keep itclean.

Apere in Oshún

Figure 9. Apere OshúnApere Oshún appears when the four pieces ofcoconut fall into a pattern suggesting a curve.

alafia: Alafia is a sign that bringsblessings, and when it opens beforeElegguá in Oshún’s apere it is, perhaps,the most beautiful of all patterns. Thosewho know Oshún know her as theyoungest of all Olódumare’s creations.She is also the sweetest and among themost powerful of the spirits. Love, truth,beauty, prosperity, and sweetness are allhers to give, and when blessed by Oshún,an aborisha has within his grasp

everything that makes life worth living.The diviner should tell the client, “BeforeElegguá, you have blessings, and he saysthat these come from Oshún. Maferefún[Praise be to] Oshún, for she is the onespirit who can make life worth living. Inthis pattern she loves you, and soon yourlife will reflect that love. Honor her,worship her, and she will shower youwith many blessings.” Life now may berough and things might be bitter, but Oshúnguarantees that if the client flows steadfastlike the river, he will continue to evolve,rising above all obstacles. To honor this queen, the aborishashould make the ebó of this sign. With themost expensive yellow silks or satins hecan afford, the client should sew apañuelo for Oshún with his own hands. As

he adorns this with white lace andcowries, each stitch should be a prayer inpraise of the orisha. Once the cloth iscomplete, the aborisha should return to thediviner’s Oshún, presenting it to her withtwo coconuts and two white candles.Before her shrine, the diviner mustcleanse the client with the pañuelo; once itcovers her sopera, Oshún will remove thelast vestiges of osogbo from this person’slife. Lighting the two white candles to her,the client should pray for his evolution.He will then know her love, as allhindrances in his life will be removed andreplaced with sweetness. etawa: When Oshún’s apere appearsbefore Elegguá in etawa, it has all thesame meanings and considerations as

alafia; however, something or someone inthe client’s life is not right, and darknessthreatens to overwhelm this person. Oshúndoes not want this to happen, but the clientmust make several eboses if she is to helphim. First, the ebó of alafia apere Oshúnmust be done, but with the pañuelo theclient should bring a small gourd, smokedfish, jutía, honey, toasted corn, twococonuts, and two white candles. Thecoconuts and candles should be presentedon a white plate with a derecho for thediviner. All these extra items except thecoconuts and candles are mixed togetherin the gourd, and are then presented toOshún. The diviner cleans the client’shead with the pañuelo, then gives him arogación before Oshún. The followingmorning the items remaining on the

client’s head are removed and put into thegourd, and all are taken to Oshún at theriver. On the banks, the client should thenpray to this queen for all the good thingslife has to offer. With hard work andperseverance, they will come. There are two other eboses that mustbe done by the client when etawa apereOshún comes. First, a wooden ladder withfifteen rungs should be purchased inOshún’s name. This is kept just inside theclient’s front door, leaning against thewall. With this ebó, Oshún will help thesupplicant climb the ladder to success.Next, a white pillow with a yellow swanshould be sewn for each bed, sofa, andchair in the house. This will bring luck tothe client, and all who visit him will beamiable during their stay.

ejife: When ejife apere Oshún opensbefore Elegguá, this beautiful queen hascome to announce her pleasure with theclient. He has brought himself to a timeand a place where there is balance. Life isbecoming the perfect mixture of sweetnessand bitterness, happiness and sadness,euphoria and melancholy. Although thisperson may not realize it, he has all thethings that make life worth living, and heshould thank Oshún for her manyblessings. Having answered in this apere,Oshún should be offered the followingeboses. A bolt of yellow cloth should bepresented to Oshún. This is left with herfor five days. If the client is a woman, atthe end of this time enough material is

taken from that bolt to make five yellowslips or five pairs of underwear. Oncesewn, these should be worn daily for luck.Also, an adimú of five honey cakes andfive cool fruits must be given to Oshún assoon as possible. This will seal in the iréof the pattern. okana: Having opened in okana apereOshún, the orisha is coming to reprimandthe client. She wants this person toevolve; she wants him to have and enjoyall the sweetness that life has to offer. Theclient does not live well, however, and nomatter how hard Oshún works to bringhim light, he surrounds himself withdarkness. The diviner must be stern withthe client, telling him, “Oshún wants tobless you, but your life is such that you

cannot receive blessings. She says youspend too much time worrying. You comeup with bad ideas, and you try to act onthese. You contemplate vile, evil things,and you sink yourself in self-doubt andworry. Oshún tells you to focus on thegood, not the bad. You need to spend lesstime questioning and more time doing.Only in this way can you hope toovercome adversity.” There is one ebó in this apere thatmust be done to lift its osogbo. BeforeOshún’s shrine, the client’s head must becleansed with a white pigeon. This is thenfed to Oshún. After the cleansing, thediviner must give the client a rogación. oyekun: Having fallen in Oshún’s apere,in oyekun this orisha is displaying mild

anger with the client. The diviner shouldtell this person, “For many years, Oshúnhas been with you. She has brought youmuch of what you desire although she gotlittle in return. Now she demandspayment; she demands ebó.” The pañuelofrom alafia apere Oshún must be made,and the aborisha must prepare a crown forhis orisha. If this is an aleyo who has notmade ocha, he must still do these thingsfor the diviner’s Oshún. If the diviner’sOshún already has a pañuelo and crown,the new pañuelo and crown must be finerthat what she already has. Note that herethe dead can be standing up as well, andthe diviner must mark what it is theyrequire before the reading will closesuccessfully.

Apere in Yemayá

Figure 10. Apere YemayáApere Yemayá has opened when the four pieces ofcoconut fall into a pattern suggestive of an ocean

wave.

alafia: Opening before Elegguá inYemayá’s apere, this pattern is both ablessing and a warning. It is a blessingbecause both orishas come now to givetheir love, their advice, and their help.Alafia requires a double casting beforeElegguá. Although the meji signdetermines Obí’s final answer, no matter

the pronouncements the iré given by thesespirits cannot be taken away; it is theirgift. Yet Yemayá has much to tell thisperson, and the diviner must say, “Once,your aspirations were pure, your heartwas good, and your intentions noble. Thisis why Yemayá loves you so. Yet youhave begun to change, and she wants youas you were. She says to stand back. Lookat the big picture and how you affect allaround you. Yemayá warns you not tobecome hard and selfish. No matter whathappens to you, remain kind and loving.Be aware of how your life affects thelives around you. Do this, and she willalways love you, and she will moveheaven and earth to help you evolve.” As ebó in this pattern, the client musttake seven baths on seven consecutive

nights using seven of Yemayá’s herbs. Heshould present a basket of fresh fruits toher at the diviner’s shrine, and give abasket of fruit to the ocean. Thus will hecontinue to evolve in life. etawa: When this apere opens in etawabefore Elegguá, Yemayá has interceptedthe reading to tell the client not only that isdarkness coming, but also whence thatdarkness comes. The single black rindfacing the diviner represents not an energyor even an issue but, rather, a person,perhaps a close friend, who will bringtreason and disaster to this person’s frontdoor. In etawa, even one’s friends canbecome enemies. Before ending thissession, it is imperative that both thediviner and the client determine who this

enemy is. If it becomes apparent that theclient has no enemies, it must bediscovered who will unwittingly betrayhim. This person must not be allowed intothe client’s house for twenty-one days, andif possible, this person must be avoidedon the streets at all costs if the supplicanthopes to hold the osogbo of this sign atbay. In this apere, there are also unpaiddebts to Yemayá, and these must be madegood on as soon as possible. If the clientcannot remember owing anything to thisorisha, an ebó must be marked with Obíbefore the session can be ended. In addition to what Obí marks as ebó,this apere brings three considerations thatmust be fulfilled by the client as soon aspossible. Blue gingham should be worndaily to honor Yemayá. It is up to the

client how he wants to wear this, but itmust be worn even if only as anundergarment. An adimú must be given tothis orisha immediately: seven balls ofgofio (cornmeal) made with sweetmolasses. It is to stay with Yemayá forseven days, and if possible taken to theocean once it is removed from her shrine.Also, the client should hide a lodestonesomewhere in his home; it will bring luck. ejife: When Yemayá’s pattern opensbefore Elegguá in ejife, it brings greatblessings. If the client’s life does not yetreflect balance, it soon will. He hasworked hard, and hard work rarely goesunrewarded. In thanks for his blessings, anadimú should be brought to Yemayá’sfeet. Thus will iré continue to grow.

okana: When okana lies before Elegguáin Yemayá’s apere, it is a dire warning:Osogbo and darkness lurk on this path.There are so close that they are all butunavoidable. Lies, treason, gossip,separation—all these could be coming.Yemayá warns the client to hold tightly tothose he considers dear. Family, friends,and lovers could quarrel. Ebó must bemade quickly. The warriors are to begiven a rooster, and Yemayá must be fedas well. After this, her eleke is to be worndaily for seven days, and the client shouldcleanse himself in the ocean. oyekun: When oyekun settles beforeElegguá in Yemayá’s apere, it signalsseveral things. First, this is a person who

has many questions, and the one presentedto Elegguá touches only the surface ofwhat boils beneath. The diviner shouldremind the client that Obí is a limitedoracle, and to answer all the questions thesupplicant should be taken to the diloggúnfor a session so that the orishas may speakmore clearly about his life. The deadpresent themselves here as well, butinstead of hindering or warning the client,they come to offer help. That aid does notcome without a price, however. A seriesof seven spiritual misas, one per week,should be offered in the client’s home sothat they can monitor and advise. After thelast misa is given, the client should returnto the diviner’s home. There he iscleansed before the warriors. Usecoconut, smoked fish, jutía, and toasted

corn. He should be cleansed with a whitepigeon as well. Everything except thepigeon goes to the warriors. The pigeonshould be set free out the diviner’s frontdoor.

FIVE Closing the Session

with Obí

OBÍ’S SYSTEM IS UNIQUE among oracles: Itis designed so that a session will end witha positive letter, some sort of blessingensuring that help has been received.Having cast the coconuts, if the answer tothe client’s concerns ends with alafia,etawa, or ejife, the session has closed. Nofurther questioning is needed, as Obí has

brought blessings. If the orisha ended hisfinal pattern with either okana or oyekun,one may not assume that the session hasclosed. Of themselves, these patterns donot bring iré, yet careful work with themcan ensure that the client receive spiritualhelp. Something bad can give birth tosomething good if only the client willlisten to what has been said. The divinermust retrieve the four pieces of coconutfrom the floor, turning them so that thewhites face upward. With two in eachhand, he must ask the orisha “Eboda?”which means, “Is all well [with thereading]?” The pieces are cast to the floorand allowed to settle in a new pattern. Ifalafia, etawa, or ejife comes, the divinersays, “Modupue [orisha’s name]!” whichmeans “Thank you.” He crosses his arms

over his chest, then uncrosses them so hemay kiss his fingertips. Touching the floornow with the fingers of both handscompletes the ritual considerations for thissession. If either okana or oyekun comes inanswer to “Eboda?” one knows there aremore issues that must be settled. The signfalling gives clues as to what might beamiss. Oyekun is the pattern dealing withdeath and the dead; remember that itspeaks of darkness and one’s forgottenancestors. Also keep in mind that someorishas—Yewá, Oyá, Oba, Babaluaiye,Odua, Aganyú, Orisha Oko, andOlokun—feel at ease in this letter’sdarkness. Any of these spirits, even egun,could stand up now to claim ebó beforethe sign closes. Okana, however, has

issues different from those of oyekun.Being a mandala of one white rind amidthree black, this symbol whispers thatthere is a blessing still to be claimed.First, something must be done toovercome the osogbo of the three darkrinds. Keep in mind, though, that certainspirits call this pattern home, and thus arecomfortable in its energies: Oyá, Olokun,Ogún, Shangó, Elegguá, and Aganyú mayall dwell in its mandala. Even the deadcan speak here; any of these might claimebó once okana has fallen. To determine what is needed, thediviner should use the following list ofquestions as a guide to completing thesession with Obí. Although some divinersmight feel otherwise, for these questions itis not necessary to cast a composite odu.

The patterns of alafia, etawa, and ejifewill always mean yes (bear in mind thenuances of “yes”); the patterns of oyekunand okana will always mean no. 1. The first question that should be asked

is “Abeku si?” (Is something lacking?)It is possible that something was missedin the reading, and the diviner mustconsider this. If the answer to “Abekusi?” is yes, the diviner must consider,carefully and thoroughly, the client’squestion and the orisha’s response. Hemay not have advised this person aswell as he should have. If he is satisfiedthat he has missed nothing, it is ebó thatis missing and the diviner mustprescribe something that will help closethe pattern.

2. The second question that the divinershould ask is, “Ebó elese [orisha’sname]?” Although okana and oyekunmay bring up issues with egun, the firstconsideration is always the orisha towhom Obí was cast. This spirit has thefirst option to claim something from theclient. If the answer to this is yes,appropriate ebó or eboses must bemarked. Note that if the diviner hasused the system of aperes in conjunctionwith Elegguá, both Elegguá and theorisha who spoke through apere must beoffered ebó. This may be broken into aseries of questions to ensure that thereis no mistake in the process ofdivination:

“Ebó elese Elegguá?” If yes, the orisha

is satisfied, and ebó must be marked. Ifthe answer to this is no, the nextquestion must be asked.

“Ebó elese [name of orisha who spokein apere]?” If the answer to thisquestion is yes, the orisha is satisfiedand ebó must be marked. If the answeris no, the next question must be asked.

“Ebó elese Elegguá y [name of orishawho spoke in the apere]?” If the answerto this question is yes, the orishasshould be offered ebó together;something must now be marked. If theanswer to all these questions is no, thediviner must continue asking questionsfrom this list.

3. The next question that the diviner

should ask is “Ebó elese egun?”Although oyekun is the signature thatenforces the needs of the dead, egunmay also come through okana to claimofferings and worship; when trying toclose a session with Obi, the divinershould consider this. Egun must alwaysbe given the opportunity to speak. If theanswer to this question is no, thediviner continues with items from thislist.

4. If neither the orisha to whom Obí wasgiven nor egun will take ebó, thediviner must now ask, “Larishe si?” tosee if there is any remedy to theosogbos brought by this reading. If theanswer to “Larishe si?” is yes, he mustcontinue this line of questioning bymarking ebó. Before pursuing the type

of ebó to be made, however, he marksto which orisha the larishe (remedy) isdirected. He does this by asking aseries of questions:

First, the diviner asks, “EleseElegguá?” for he is the orisha whocomes before all others. He canprescribe larishe for all situations.

Second, the diviner should ask, “EleseEgun?” for egun may always speakthrough both okana and oyekun. Just asElegguá can prescribe a larishe for allsituations, so can one’s own egun do thesame.

Third, if an apere was read beforeElegguá, the orisha who spoke in thatapere must be questioned. The diviner

asks, “Elese [orisha’s name]?” If this isthe spirit offering a larishe to the sign,part of this larishe must go to Elegguá,as the two spirits spoke together. Theywill also work together to benefit thesupplicant.

Finally, the diviner must ask thisquestion for the orishas who speak inthe final sign that appeared for thisreading, either okana or oyekun. Foreach spirit, he asks, “Elese [orisha’sname]?” If none of these takes larishe,we say that the larishe lies with theclient’s own head. It must be given arogación; if that does not close theoracle, eborí (feeding of the head)should be prescribed as well. All thismust be done at either the feet of this

person’s crowning orisha or at the feetof Obatalá if that orisha is not known.

If these things are not enough to closethe oracle, the diviner must continue tosearch for something that will. Note: If “Larishe si?” answers yes,this changes the implications of Obí’sfinal pattern. Obviously, because one isasking this series of questions, the oracledid not close out on a positive note; theorisha questioned did not promise fullattainment. By marking a larishe, theorisha is telling the diviner that moremight be gained from the client’s pursuit.This is a remedy for the osogbo predicted,and this must be kept in mind. It does notpromise full success; it promises onlygreater blessings and a more satisfying

outcome. 5. If that was fruitless, and if there are

other priests and priestesses in theroom, the diviner should ask, “Igborolarishe?” This question asks if aninitiate in the room has the remedy tothe client’s situation. If yes, those inattendance are asked to speak, and aftertheir pronouncements and prescriptionsare made, Obí must again be asked forclosure. This should be continued untileither Obí closes or all have had thechance to speak. If all the priests andpriestesses in the room have offeredtheir advice and the oracle still will notclose, the diviner must start again at thebeginning of this list.

6. Having come this far into the session

without closure, the diviner must nowconsider the patterns that came inrelation to the client’s question. Thosespirits who speak in either okana oroyekun must be given a chance to closethe session. One by one, the divinershould ask, “[orisha’s name] onire?”which means “Will [orisha’s name]give a blessing to close this sign?”When one is found who will give ablessing to the client, the oracle isclosed; the diviner, however, shouldmark several eboses to this spirit usinghis own aché so that the blessing staysand is not lost.

7. If the diviner has come this far and allof Obí’s letters are still negative, he isheated and must be removed from thehouse. The black rinds that are showing

are oiled, watered, and cast into thestreet. Immediately a new coconut mustbe opened, and the diviner must prayagain before the orisha to whom Obíwas cast. He relates what happenedduring the session and asks the spirit ifall is well. If yes, the session is closed;Obí took the heat of the reading and theclient is clear. He should be givenseveral cleansing eboses, however, toensure that nothing remains with him. Ifthe letter has not been cleared (youknow this when Obí gives anothernegative response), the diviner must tryagain to mark something that will closethe session and bring a blessing. Furtherrefusals to close mark serious spiritualissues that must be addressed by thediloggún.

Marking Ebó with Ob Having determined that another ebó isneeded before the session can be closed,the following questions must be asked, intheir proper sequence. Along with thesequestions I indicate what the diviner mustdo if the answer is yes. (See specificeboses.) Adimú? An adimú is an offering, oftensomething edible although this is not arequirement. If the orisha marks adimú asthe condition lacking, the diviner shouldthen prescribe something based on hisknowledge of what the orisha likes, takinginto consideration the severity of the

client’s spiritual condition. Once he hasmade his prescription, the oracle shouldagain be asked for closure. Eboshure? A yes response means thespirit is requesting an ebó made ofanything that can be eaten. The divinershould tell the client what foods the orishalikes and have him provide something forthat spirit. The food left in eboshureremains with the orisha until it begins tospoil. Once the diviner has made hisprescription, the oracle should again beasked for closure. Ebó keun edun keun? A yes means adaily cleansing must be done before theorisha’s shrine. Each day somethingdifferent is used. The diviner must use his

own aché to determine what fruits, grains,or other items are to be used in thecleansings. Once these prescriptions havebeen given, the oracle should be asked forclosure. Ebó misi? A yes marks a spiritual baththat must be taken by the client. Using hisown aché, the diviner marks the items tobe used and the number of times the bathis to be taken. The oracle must be askedfor closure. Egun onire? A yes marks that egun willremove the volatile heat of this letter. Thediviner must determine if they wantanything in return for their help (thequestion to be asked now is “Ebó eleseegun?”). If no ebó is required, we say that

these spirits love the client for free, but atoken adimú should still be given. It isthrough their propitiation that the oraclewill find closure. Before assumingclosure, however, the diviner must stillask, “Eboda?” Igboro Larishe? A yes means the remedywill come from the priests or priestessespresent at the mat. They should beallowed to give the client eboses andadvice. Any ebó prescribed by any priestor priestess in the room should be done asif the orishas prescribed it themselves.These will be the works that clear theosogbo in the sign that fell. The divinermay then ask the oracle for closure. Ebó kere? Ebó kere is a beautiful, yet

complicated set of offerings. It consists ofseveral spiritual cleansings for the client.A yees means that using his own aché, thediviner must prescribe the followingthings: the series of offerings to be usedfor the cleansings, the length of time thatthis is to be done, and what is to be donewith each offering when it is replacedwith the next. For example, consider thatYemayá has stood up for ebó, and Obídeclares that she wants ebó kere. Becauseher number is seven, he decides that eachoffering should remain with her for sevendays, and he marks the following items fora period of four weeks (one month): awatermelon, molasses, flowers, and abasket of fruit. After describing theofferings, he decides where each offeringshould be taken after one is removed and

the next given. In this example, the divinerdecides that each should be taken to a lakefor disposal, so as the offerings areremoved and replenished, the client takesthe old ones to a lake. This completes theebó of ebó kere, and Obí may be asked forclosure. Sarayeye? A yes marks that a cleansing isneeded. Using the diviner’s own aché, theitem with which the client should becleansed is marked. Sometimes, this canbe an animal. In sarayeye, however, it iscustomary for the animal to be set freeafter the cleansing, as no sacrifice wasdictated by the oracle (if a blood sacrificeis needed for a cleansing, the odu willdictate that eyebale, “sacrifice,” isneeded). Finally, the method of disposal

should be marked as well (if the cleansingis done with an animal, the oracle shoulddictate where the animal is to be set free).After these things have been explained tothe client, the oracle may be asked forclosure. Koborí eledá? A yes prescribes an ebómade to one’s orí. Usually, this is arogación (a cleansing of the head), but thediviner should mark the things that need tobe used in the rogación. Depending on theproblems faced by the client and thepattern that has fallen, the rogación mightneed to be done at the feet of a specificorisha. The oracle will dictate when thisis the case. This type of offering will notdictate the “feeding” of the orí withsacrifice; such an ebó would be marked

by eyebale (animal sacrifice). Havingdetermined these things, the oracle may beasked for closure. Kaure? A yes asks for prayers made toeither egun or an orisha. The prayersshould be dictated to the client. In kaure,it is customary for the client to makeadimú with a candle before the prayer andwith fruit once the prayers are completed.When all this information has beendescribed, the oracle may be asked forclosure. If the oracle will take none of these,we say the larishe is eyebale, or thesacrifice of an animal. Blood offerings arevery hot and volatile; it is important tonote that this is always a last resort forebó. Life on all levels is a precious gift,

and it is taken, reverently, only when thereare no other options. Having determinedthat eyebale is the ebó needed by theorisha, the diviner must ask Obí forclosure with the question, “Eboda?” If itwill not close, this entire process is begunagain.

Eboses for the Orishas When prescribing ebó based the oracleObí, the diviner is limited only by hisimagination and those things that he knowsthe orishas like. This list, therefore, is notexhaustive; it consists of examples of thetypes of offerings that can be made to eachspirit. Ebó Elese Elegguá (Ebó at the Feet

of Elegguá)

To obtain blessings from Elegguá, thefollowing ebó should be prepared.Three fresh fish should be baked, oiledliberally with epó while cooking. Adish of yellow rice should be prepared,and it should be placed on a whiteserving platter. The three baked fish areput on the bed of rice and all is servedto Elegguá overnight. The followingmorning, the ebó is wrapped in brownpaper and taken to a crossroads with aderecho of twenty-one pennies.

If Obí has marked a cleansing beforeElegguá, this ebó will help removenegative energies from the client. Threefresh eggs must be purchased from the

market, and these are brought toElegguá with a container of epó, abottle of rum, and a cigar. BeforeElegguá’s shrine, the client must prayfor release from osogbo, greasing theeggs with the red palm oil while heprays. Once he is done, he sprays eachegg with a mouthful of rum and amouthful of cigar smoke and puts eachinto a single brown paper bag. Standingtall before Eshu, the supplicant rubs thebag over his entire body, making surethat the paper touches every part. Heshould repeat this several times, andwith each pass he must pray that Eshutakes the osogbo predicted by Obí. Thisbag is left with Elegguá overnight, andthe following morning it is taken to thecrossroad with a derecho of twenty-one

cents. If the osogbo given by Obí was severe, theclient will need to visit three crossroadsthe next morning, dropping twenty-onepennies and breaking one egg from the bagat each junction. Once the last egg isbroken, the client cleanses himself withthe empty bag one last time and that is leftat the crossroads as well. He must returnhome by a separate route.

If the osogbo predicted by Obí issevere, this ebó will lift some of thosenegative energies. Into three smallbrown paper bags the followingingredients should be placed: threepennies, smoked fish, jutía, and toastedcorn. Epó should be poured lightly overthese, and the bags are sealed. Using

one bag at a time, the client mustcleanse himself with these beforeElegguá. They are left with himovernight; the following morning, theyare taken to a crossroads.

If economic concerns have brought thisperson before the orishas, the followingebó to Elegguá will help settle hisfinances. The client should return to thediviner’s house with the followingitems: uncooked cornmeal, smoked fish,jutía, epó, honey, a white plate, andfour pennies. In front of Elegguá, theclient should pray for the prosperity thathe needs, and while he prays he shouldmix together the cornmeal, smoked fish,and jutía in a large bowl. A generousamount of epó should be poured into

this, followed by an equally generousamount of honey. With his hands, thesethings should be formed into a thickpaste, from which four balls must beformed. Placing the cornmeal balls onthe white plate, he should insert onepenny into each ball, again praying forthe abundance needed. These are leftwith Eshu overnight, and the followingmorning one ball must be placedoutside at each corner of the house orapartment in which the client lives.Returning to Elegguá, the supplicantmust explain that adimú has beenplaced all around the house so that allwithin can enjoy Elegguá’s blessings ofprosperity.

Ebó Elese Ogún (Ebó at the Feet of

Ogún)

If Ogún has brought osogbo to the clientthrough Obí, the client needs to becleansed. The following ebó can bedone to remove the negativity. A poundof ground beef is put into a large mixingbowl, and to this is added a liberalamount of epó and rum. These thingsare mixed thoroughly and then dividedinto seven equal parts. Each part mustbe put into a brown paper bag. Withone bag, the client rubs himself fromhead to toe before Ogún, praying that heprotect him from all harm.

The ebó should then be taken to therailroad tracks, and there the bag that wasused to clean the body is thrown onto the

middle of the tracks. Once done, each ofthe remaining six bags is used to rub thefollowing parts of the car that took theclient to the railroad: each tire, the frontfender, and the back fender. As a bag isused, it is thrown to Ogún at the railroadtracks. The client should pray the entiretime that the orisha save him and hisriders from accidents. If ebó needs to be made beforeElegguá and Ogún, this may be adaptedfor the two of them. Divide the groundmeat into eight parts—one is used tocleanse the client before Eshu first, andthen another is used to cleanse him toOgún. When the ebó is done in thismanner, the client must first visit acrossroads where the bag used forElegguá is left; include a derecho of

twenty-one pennies. The remainder of theebó is still done at the railroad tracks, andthe car is to be cleansed there.

If Obí has marked danger to the client’shome through a session with Ogún, thisebó will save him from disaster.Behind the front door, Ogún is fed ayoung rooster. Some of this blood mustbe smeared on the door’s frame, alongwith some of the honey from thesacrifice. When Ogún is cleansed, thedoor is cleansed as well. Seven dayslater, when Ogún is given a basket ofcool fruits, the door’s frame is smearedwith cocoa butter. Osogbo will not visitthis person’s house if these things aredone.

If Ogún requires an adimú through Obí,

the following items should be put in alarge gourd: toasted corn, sevenpennies, smoked fish, jutía, honey,grated coconut, and epó. The gourd ispresented to Ogún with two greenseven-day candles. Once the flameshave consumed the candles, the gourdand its contents are left beside railroadtracks in the woods.

When the client is trying to claimblessings at Okun’s feet, the followingebó will help. A large ñame ispurchased in Ogún’s name, and this isbrought before the orisha’s cauldron.The client’s name is written on brownpaper, and a slit is cut into the top of theñame; the opening is made just largeenough to hold the piece of brown

paper. The entire root is slathered withepó, and it is used to cleanse the clientfrom head to toe. Set on Ogún’scauldron, this ebó is left with himindefinitely until it rots; when thishappens, it is taken to a lonely sectionof railroad tracks in the woods. If avine grows from this ebó while it sitswith Ogún, this signifies good fortune.

Ebó elese Ochosi (Ebó at the Feet

of Ochosi) There are times when Ochosi stands up ina reading to warn a client that an enemywill soon do him harm. If the name of thisenemy can be determined, or if the name isalready known, this ebó will render his orher efforts harmless. On a brown piece of

paper, the client must write the enemy’sname using a lead pencil, not ink. Theback and front of the paper are thensmeared with epó, and the paper is foldedthree times before being impaled onOchosi’s arrow. Blowing rum and cigarsmoke over the orishas, the client shouldpray to him that the named enemy isrendered harmless by the forces of justice.To finish this ebó, two white candles arelit to Ochosi in the name of justice. Hewill protect the client from this enemy. If Ochosi has stood up through Obífor an adimú, the following dish willappease him. For this ebó, the client willneed two pounds of hard corn (the typeused for chicken feed), a fresh coconut,three tablespoons of epó, one large whiteonion. Soak the corn overnight so that it

becomes soft. The next morning, crackopen a fresh coconut and remove the blackskin from the meat; grate this finely over aterra-cotta plate until a bed of coconut isformed. Set this aside. In a large iron skillet, melt the epóover medium heat. Grate the onion finelyinto this. Sauté until the onion begins toturn translucent. Once the onion isthoroughly sautéed, add the corn on top ofthis. Stir the onion and corn continually sothat they do not burn; continue to sauté theingredients until they are thoroughlycooked. Remove them from the heat,spooning the corn and onion over the bedof coconut. This is served to Ochosi andleft with him overnight.

Ebó elese Babaluaiye (Ebó at the

Feet of Babaluaiye)

If Obi marked that a cleansing needs tobe done before Asohano’s shrine, thefollowing bath will remove the osogbothat stands in the way of the client’sevolution.

Purchase the herbs romerillo,cundiamor, and bledo blanco (availablefrom a botánica). To complete this ritualyou will also need seven ears of roastedcorn, sackcloth, honey, epó, dry whitewine, a paper bag, a cigar, and seventeenpennies. Shred the herbs into a large vat andsoak overnight in fresh water. The nextday, wring out the herbs well, until theliquid turns a dark green. Strain this

herbal water and discard the plantmaterial. Pour the herbal water into sevenjars. Nightly for seven nights, the clientmust bathe with the liquid from one jar.While bathing, he should scrub himselfwith one of the ears of corn. Once the bathis done, this corn is placed on thesackcloth before Babaluaiye. After theseventh bath, all seven ears of corn shouldbe smeared with the honey and epó. Spraythe wine over them and place all in thepaper bag, then seal with smoke from thecigar. The next morning, leave everythingby the gate of a cemetery with seventeencents as Babaluaiye’s derecho.

When financial concerns have broughtthe client to the oracle, if Babaluaiye

stands up for ebó, the following adimúmight help solve these problems. Twowhite seven-day candles, seven freshbread rolls, seven ears of corn roastedin epó, a white plate, and sackclothshould be brought to the orisha. Beforepresenting the ebó, the candles are litand the client must pray, silently, for theabundance that is needed.

When he has finished his prayers, thefood is set on the white plate, and this isset on top of the sackcloth. As long as thecandles burn, the adimú is left withBabaluaiye. When the candles burn out,the food is wrapped in the sackcloth witha derecho of seventeen cents. All must beleft under a bush in the woods so that theearth can consume the offering.

If there have been one or more peoplein the client’s house suffering fromdisease, or if a family member ischronically ill, an osogbo markedthrough Babaluaiye could indicate theneed to cleanse the house of illness. Tobegin this ebó, it is important that theclient scrub his dwelling thoroughly,leaving no trace of dirt anywhere in thehouse. As fresh air and sunshine areimportant to the physical and spiritualdisinfecting process, open wide all thedoors and windows.

Once this is done, fill a large basinwith fresh water and soak cundiamor (anherb sacred to this orisha) in that water.Place this under the sickbed first. Everyday, this bowl should be moved to another

room until it sits by the front door. There,seventeen pennies are added to the water,and it is thrown out the next day in thewoods. Pray to Asohano that he removethe sickness with the water. Note: If Obí marks ebó to be done toboth Babaluaiye and Elegguá, the ebómust be given to Afrá, which is the Eshureceived when Babaluaiye is washed foran initiate. It may not go to the Elegguáthat stood at the priest’s feet for ocha, normay it be given to the client’s Elegguá ifhe has received the initiation of thewarriors. Only Afrá may work withAsohano. Ebó elese Aganyú (Ebó at the Feet

of Aganyú)

If the client is recovering fromextensive illness and Aganyú has stoodup through Obí, a cleansing might serveto satisfy osogbo and close the session.For this bath, the client must bring thefollowing things to the diviner’s home:a large white basin, twelve pieces ofokra that have been diced very fine, abar of pure Castile soap (cocoa buttersoap may also be used), a completechange of white clothes, two whiteseven-day candles, and a large whiteplate. The diviner pours very warmwater into the white basin, and the okrais soaked in this, then whipped brisklyuntil it thickens. During this, the priestmust pray to Aganyú that he remove theosogbo from the person for whom thebath is prepared.

Once this is done, the client draws awarm bath and washes himself with thesoap that was brought for the ebó; he dipsthis soap into the thickened okra mixtureand then scrubs himself thoroughly. Nopart of the body must remain unwashed.Once he is clean, the rest of the bath ispoured from the shoulders down, and hesoaks in this until the diviner comes to dryhim and dress him in a change of whiteclothes. The supplicant is then led beforeAganyú’s shrine, where he lights the twowhite candles, setting them on the whiteplate. He then prays for the return of hishealth and the removal of sickness. If the osogbo faced is severe, or ifObí will not give closure from this ebó,other elements might be added. The

diviner should question Aganyú about arogación before his shrine, and the bathmight need to be repeated for nine nights.These options must be investigated beforeconsidering the ebó complete.

Special petitions may be made ofAganyú by forming a tower for him. Tocomplete this ebó, the client will needthe following items: a pound ofcornmeal, okra (with the seedsremoved), honey, jutía, smoked fish,epó, a red cloth, and a red candle. Thecornmeal and okra are cooked togetherover low heat in a small amount ofwater. Stir constantly so it does notburn, until it forms a thick paste. Morewater may be added while theingredients cook if needed. Once a thick

paste is formed, the cornmeal and okraare removed from the heat. Stir in thehoney, jutía, fish, and epó. Form a talltower when the mixture cools, andcover with the red cloth. The clientpresents this adimú to Aganyú, lightinga red candle and praying for hisrequest. When the candle is consumed,the tower is taken to the woods and leftbeside a tall tree.

Aganyú is an orisha that likes largeofferings of fruits. To obtain his favor,on a mat of red cloth the client shouldbring him plantains smeared with honeyand epó, bananas, pineapples, apples,and plates of unsalted crackers smearedwith epó. All should be left with himuntil the fruits begin to turn; they are

then removed and taken to the foot of alarge tree.

Note: Because Aganyú and Shangóare father and son, any ebó that can begiven to one may also be given to the other—they both adore the same things. Ebó elese Shangó (Ebó at the Feet

of Shangó)

Shangó is an orisha who likes to eat,and when Obí has marked that an adimúis wanted by him, the diviner shouldconsider prescribing some of hisfavorite cooked dishes. One of hisfavorites is amalá. To prepare thisdish, the supplicant must bring thefollowing ingredients to the diviner’s

home: two pounds of yellow cornmeal,salt, and 3/4 cup of epó. The onepreparing ebó should salute Shangó,telling him that he is preparing hisfavorite dish. He should mention hisspiritual needs at this time, as well.Immediately, he should begin hispreparations, for Shangó will behungry!

Put the cornmeal and a dash of saltinto a large pan with eight cups of water.Stir continually over medium-high heatuntil it boils. The moment it begins to boil,turn the heat to low and continue stirringuntil the mixture is very thick. Removefrom the stove, stir the epó inimmediately, put into a large serving dish,and give to Shangó. Note that if one is

trying to sweeten Shangó to one’s desires,brown sugar and honey may be mixed intothe amalá before it is served; as issweetened, so is Shangó sweetened to theclient.

Shangó is fond of bananas, almost asmuch as he likes amalá. The two foodscan be combined into a sweet delicacyfor the orisha, and with this dish Shangócan be persuaded to help lift almost anyosogbo that he has marked. In additionto the ingredients needed for the sweetamalá given above, the client will needsix bananas, a liberal amount of toastedcornmeal, a roll of wax paper,additional epó, and a rolling pin. Thesweet amalá is prepared and allowed tocool completely. The bananas are

peeled, and the toasted cornmeal issprinkled on a flat dish. Once the sweetamalá has cooled, six flat portions of itare rolled between pieces of waxpaper. Set the bananas on these sheetsof amalá and roll into them tightbundles. Melted epó is brushed overthese rolled bananas, and they are thencoated with the toasted cornmeal. Servethis to Shangó while lighting two redcandles and praying for the evolutiondesired.

Finally, there is a cold dish that can bemade and served to Shangó. It requiresa minimum of cooking but is stillfavored by the orisha. To make thisdish, known as obeguede, a pound ofokra must be finely diced and put into a

mixing bowl with two pounds ofcornmeal. Add just a bit of water andstir. Continue to add water a little bit ata time, stirring well until a thick pasteis formed. Six balls should be madefrom this, and they are served to Shangóon a red platter. If the client wants tosweeten the orisha to his desires, hemay drizzle honey over the obeguedewhile praying to Shangó.

Again, note that any ebó made toShangó may also be made to Aganyú.Because they are father and son, they bothadore the same offerings. Ebó Elese Obatalá (Ebó at the Feet

of Obatalá)

If Obí has marked a spiritual bath at thefeet of Obatalá as the solution to theclient’s osogbo, herbal waters will curethis person’s afflictions. The client mustreturn to the priest’s house with thefollowing herbs (available from abotánica) for this bath: albahaca,altamisa, colonia, maravilla, malva,chicoria, altea, and white lilies. Inaddition, he should bring Florida water,holy water, coconut milk, an egg, andeight jars. The diviner will boil theherbs in a large basin of water until theessences are extracted. The infusion isallowed to cool, and the herbs are thenstrained and wrung out of the bath. Theherbal wastes should be returned to theearth. To the cooled infusion, addliberal amounts of the Florida water,

holy water, and coconut milk. Only thewhite of the egg is added to this; the eggyolk is discarded. Once everything ismixed well, it is poured into the eightjars and the client may take home thebath.

Once a night for eight nights, theclient must take one bath with the herbalinfusion. The water is poured from theshoulders down (never touching the headas it is poured). He then washes himselfthoroughly, praying to Obatalá that hisbody be cooled as the osogbo is removed.Each night after the bath, he is to sleepdressed in white, and he must spend hisday dressed in white as well.

To appease Obatalá before asking himto intercede with difficulties, do the

following. Nine small fish should befried in sunflower oil. Do not seasonthem with salt—cook them plain. Whilethe fish are frying, prepare a pan ofwhite rice without salt. On a smallplate, one of these fish should be put ona bed of white rice—that portion goesto Elegguá. The rest of the rice goesonto a large white serving platter withthe fish on top. This large portion goeson top of Obatalá’s sopera with twounlit white candles. The ebó must sitwith the orishas for four days. At theend of this time, the two portions arewrapped separately in brown paper.Elegguá’s should be taken to thecrossroads with a derecho of threecents, and Obatalá’s goes to either asmall hill or a ceiba tree with a derecho

of eight cents. Once these adimús havebeen removed, the two white candlesare lit to Obatalá and the client maypray for his special request.

Another ebó that may be done toappease the orisha consists of boiledñame, white rice, cocoa butter, coconutmilk, cascarilla, and eight pennies.First, the ñame must be peeled andboiled until it is soft. In a large mixingbowl, mash it thoroughly. The whiterice, cocoa butter, coconut milk, andcascarilla are added to this, andeverything is mashed together until apaste forms.

A large white serving platter shouldbe covered with white cotton andsprinkled liberally with cascarilla. Once

this is done, divide the ñame mixture intoeight equal portions and form into eightseparate balls. Roll each ball in cascarillabefore putting it on top of the cotton. Insertone penny into each ball. Sprinkle theentire ebó once more with cascarilla andcover it with more white cotton. The ballsare then put on top of Obatalá’s soperawith two unlit, white, seven-day candles. For four days this ebó is left withhim; at the end of this time, use Obí todetermine where the ñame balls are to bediscarded. They must be taken to thatplace immediately, wrapped in brownpaper. Returning home, the client maylight the white candles and pray about hisneeds. As long as the candles burn, theclient should spend some time each daypraying to Obatalá.

Finally, if the client aspires only topersonal evolution (whether it isspiritual, financial, emotional, orphysical), he should make a tall whitetower from cooked, unsalted white riceand cocoa butter. It is served to Obataláby placing it on a white plate, coveringthe entire ebó with a fine sprinkling ofcascarilla. A white seven-day candleshould be lit; once burned out, theorisha must be asked with Obí where hewants his ebó deposited. To ensure thathe always evolves, the client shouldthen place a fresh ñame (the whole root,uncooked and unpeeled) coated withcascarilla on that white plate. A vinewill grow from the root; when it beginsto grow, the client’s personal evolution

will unfold. This root may eventuallyspoil, having absorbed the negativityholding back this person from his goals.With Obí, Obatalá should be askedwhere the ñame is to be discarded, andthen a new one should be given to him.

Ebó Elese Oyá (Ebó at the Feet of

Oyá)

Like her lover, Shangó, Oyá is anorisha who adores food and loves toeat. When Obí marks that an ebó isneeded for Oyá, the following food willsatisfy her tastes. It is known as aguidí(this is also favored by Aganyú, andmay be made for him as well). Theclient should return to the diviner’shouse with the following ingredients:

two pounds of yellow cornmeal, threecups of water, three tablespoons ofvinegar, one sour orange, one cup ofmilk, one and a half cups of brownsugar, two cups of raisins, threeteaspoons of vanilla extract, a cinnamonstick and the juice of one lemon. Put thecornmeal into a large mixing bowl; intothis add the water, the vinegar, and thejuice of one sour orange. Stir well, thenlet this sit uncovered for two days sothat the mixture can ferment.

At the end of the second day, theliquid is strained out and three fresh cupsof water are added. Set the pan on thestove over low heat. Stir constantly untilall the liquid evaporates. Add the finalingredients to this: the milk, the brown

sugar, the raisins, the vanilla extract, acinnamon stick, and the juice of onelemon. Continue to cook over low heatuntil all the liquids evaporate and only athick paste remains. Cool, form into nineballs, and serve to Oyá on a platter.

Another cooked dish that may beserved to Oyá is called olelé. Toprepare this meal for her, the clientmust return to the diviner’s home withthe following ingredients: a pound ofblack-eyed peas, two eggs, saffron, amedium onion, a red bell pepper, andsix cloves of garlic, epó, ½ cup tomatosauce, black pepper, and a roll ofaluminum foil. Soak the black-eyedpeas overnight, and the next morningrub them to remove all the peels. In a

large bowl, mash these until they form athick paste; water may be added duringthis process if needed. Into the mashedpeas add the eggs and a small pinch ofsaffron. Set this mixture aside.

Next, dice the onion, bell pepper,and garlic. In a saucepan over mediumheat, melt three tablespoons of epó andadd the onion mixture. When the onion hasbecome translucent, add the tomato sauceand ½ teaspoon of black pepper. Stir thisfor four minutes, until the sauce becomes ashiny red. Once that color is brought out,add the bean mixture and mix well.Remove from the heat. From the aluminum foil, cut ninelarge squares and divide the thickenedmixture evenly among them. Wrap them

tightly like a tamale and boil in a largepan for half an hour. Drain and cool.Unwrap them once they are cooled, andserve to Oyá on a large white servingplatter.

If Obí has marked a cleansing to Oyá asebó, the following will remove theenergies bringing osogbo to the client.For this offering, these items should bebrought to the diviner’s house: aneggplant, a white plate, nine hardcandies, nine slices of fresh coconut,nine white votive candles, a brownpaper bag. The eggplant is cut into nineequal pieces; they are then set on thewhite plate. The hard candies, thepieces of coconut, and the votivecandles are put on the plate as well.

The supplicant should pay foribale toOyá once the ebó is prepared, praying fora release from osogbo. One by one, eachitem on the plate is rubbed over the bodythoroughly. The candles are lit on the plateafter the client cleans himself with them.Each item except the candles is placed inthe paper bag. The bag must be sealed,and all these things remain with Oyáovernight. The next morning, they aretaken to the gates of a cemetery with aderecho of nine pennies. Ebó Elese Oshún (Ebó at the Feet

of Oshún)

When Obí marks an adimú to Oshún,she should be spoiled with her favorite

foods. Among these is a dish callednatilla. To prepare this cooked food,the client should bring the followingingredients to the diviner’s house: a canof evaporated milk, some white sugar, acinnamon stick, salt, cornstarch, an egg,and some vanilla extract. In a largemicrowavable bowl, stir together ¾cup of evaporated milk and ¼ cup ofwater. Remove ¼ cup of the mixtureand set aside in a small bowl. In thelarge bowl of water and milk, combinethe following ingredients: 1½tablespoons of sugar, the cinnamonstick, and a pinch of salt. Microwavethis on high for one minute and twenty-five seconds.

While this is heating, in the smaller

bowl of milk and water combine: 1½tablespoons of cornstarch and the yolk ofone egg. Whip well. Once the mixture inthe microwave is done, stir the cornstarchmixture into the heated liquid, stirringcontinually until the ingredients thicken.Reset the microwave to medium-high heatand cook for an additional two minutes (itmay take a bit longer), until the mixture isthick. Remove. Add ¼ teaspoon of vanillaextract and stir, then serve to Oshún in anattractive bowl.

Baked oranges are another delicacyfavored by Oshún. For this ebó, theclient should return to the diviner’shouse with the following ingredients:two pounds of yams, five large sweetoranges, butter, sugar, orange juice,

four eggs, and salt. Begin by preheatingthe oven to 375 degrees. Wash and peelthe yams, cut them into small pieces,and bring them to a boil. Let boil untilthey are soft.

While the yams are cooking, cut outthe tops of the oranges, making sure thatthe hole is large enough to remove thepulp without destroying the shell (if theshell is destroyed, Oshún will not take theebó). The pulp is discarded. Once theyams are soft, drained off the water andmash with butter, sugar, orange juice, eggyolks (do not use the whites but save themfor meringue below), and salt. Mash untilall the ingredients are mixed well. Dividethe mixture into five equal parts and fillthe empty orange shells with this. The

stuffed shells are then put on a bakingsheet and cooked for fifteen minutes.When they are done, remove, cool, andserve to Oshún on a pretty yellow platter. If the supplicant wishes to sweetenOshún to his desires, add honey and ameringue to the top of the oranges oncethey are cooked and cooled. To preparethis meringue add yellow food coloring tothe saved egg whites. With a mixer at highspeed, beat them until they begin to foam.Once this foam forms, add one tablespoonof sugar at a time for a total of four,continuing to beat until the whites are stiff,white, and shiny. Let the oranges cool,glaze them with honey, and spoon themeringue over the top of the open shell.

If Obí has determined that the client

must take a bath in honor of Oshún toremove osogbo, the following mighthelp. The client should return to theclient’s house with the herbs myrtle,vervain, lettuce, lavender, andwatercress. He must also bring claret,honey, cinnamon, five egg yolks, twoyellow candles, and a complete changeof white clothes. The diviner must boilthe herbs in a large pot until the wateris dark; the herbal wastes are thenstrained and wrung out of the liquid. Tothe liquid add the wine, honey,cinnamon, and egg yolks. The client iswashed from the shoulders down, andis then allowed to bathe freely. After aquick shower to remove the residue, heis dried, dressed, in white, and taken toOshún. He salutes her, then lights the

two yellow candles and prays that hiscleansing is made complete. If theosogbo of this sign is severe, this bathshould be repeated nightly for fivenights.

Ebó Elese Yemayá (Ebó at the Feet

of Yemayá)

When an osogbo comes from Yemayá,a cleansing to her will help lift thisnegativity. For this ebó, the client mustfind his oldest clothes; he is to dress inthese for the ebó. He must also have ajar of molasses, seven pennies, and acomplete change of new white clothes.Dressing in the old clothing, he goes tothe beach and stands before Yemayá;the molasses is in one hand, the seven

pennies in the other. Entering the sea bywalking sideways, he goes out in theocean until he is waist-deep (no farther)and pours a tight circle of sweetmolasses around himself.

Once this circle is there, he standsfacing the horizon and prays to Yemayá torelease him from those things that holdhim back in life. He must then wait untilYemayá covers him in a wave; once thewave washes over his head, he releasesthe pennies into the water and strips offhis clothes. Naked and cleansed, he goesback to the shore and dresses in whitefrom head to toe. Note: It is important forthe client not to lose the empty molassesjar in the ocean. To do so would be anoffense to the orisha.

When the client has seven prayers thatmust be answered, the following ebówill help him attain his desires. For thisoffering, he will need a large sheet ofbrown paper, a watermelon, sevenpennies, molasses, blue cloth, a blueplatter, and two blue seven-daycandles. The brown paper is cut intoseven pieces, and on each piece theclient must write a separate wish.Seven holes are cut into the watermelon(keept the rinds), and one wish isstuffed into each hole. Over each paperis placed one penny, and molasses ispoured into each hole. The rinds arethen put back into the watermelon toseal it and the whole ebó is wrapped inblue cloth. All this goes on the blue

platter before Yemayá, and on eitherside a blue seven-day candle is lit toher while the supplicant prays for hisdesires. When the candles areconsumed, the melon is thrown into theocean.

If Yemayá has demanded adimú throughObí, the following dish should satisfyher tastes. It is called ekru-aro, andalthough it has only two ingredients, itis a bit complicated to prepare. Forthis, the client will need to procure apound of black-eyed peas, two eggs, aroll of aluminum foil, and some cottontwine. The beans should be washed andsoaked overnight; the next day, they arerubbed well until all the peels areremoved. With just a few dashes of

water, mash them until a thick pasteforms. Be very stingy when addingwater; more can always be added later,but if too much is added, the paste isruined. Once a thick paste is created,add the eggs and continue to mash andmix well. Seven squares of aluminumfoil should be cut, and the mixture isevenly divided among these. Thesesquares are folded tightly like tamales,and are then tied with the twine so theywill not open. In a large pan of boilingwater, cook these for thirty minutes.Then remove, allow to cool, andunwrap. The ekru-aro should be placedbefore to Yemayá on a blue servingdish.

Note: One may also prepare a bed of

white or yellow rice while the ekru-aro isboiling; do not add salt to the rice. Thisgoes on the serving platter first and theekru rests on top of this. It may also begarnished with fresh herbs to make thesacrifice more visually appealing. Ebó Elese Egun (Ebó at the Feet of

Egun)

When making ebó to egun, it seems theyprefer food over any other type ofoffering; this makes sense, as one’segun were once alive and loved to eat.My favorite ebó to them is nottraditional. It is a recipe that was sentout through a newsgroup in which Iparticipate, and using Obí itself I foundthat it was something they adore. This

recipe uses okra, an ingredient that hasan interesting story behind it.

Okra, so the legend goes, is notnative to American shores; it was broughtover by slaves as they were forced toendure the Middle Passage. The seedswere smuggled on the ships by a smallgroup of African women—they werehidden in their hair, and if the traders sawthem, they thought it was only “dirt”embedded in their curls. Once thesewomen were in the New World, theyplanted the seeds of the okra to remindthem of their native lands, and okra soonbecame an important element in manyeboses to the orishas, especially Shangó,Aganyú, and egun. It also became a staplefood in the Americas; whenever ones eats

okra or uses it in a recipe, it is availableonly because of these ancestors. The recipe that I received is calledFried Okra and Potatoes; it is one that Ihave adapted, as it used salt, which isanathema to egun, and olive oil, which isnot traditional to African-based religion.To the original recipe I have also addedyellow rice; the original dish was oily,and rice absorbs this oil. Epó (the oil thatI use in place of olive oil) is a powerfulingredient in ebó for egun, and if it issaved in the dish and not drained away, itgives more aché to the offering. Rice isalso a grain loved by egun, and it adds tothe ebó’s appeal. My version of the recipeappears here. To prepare this dish, you will need

yellow rice, one pound of fresh okra, twolarge baking potatoes, one medium whiteonion, ½ cup of cornmeal, ¼ teaspoon ofground black pepper, and ½ cup of epó.Cook the yellow rice according to thepackage’s directions; however, do not usesalt in its preparation. While the rice iscooking, cut the stems from the okra. Washit and cut into half-inch pieces. Becausethere is a legend behind the okra seeds,these should be removed and put into asmall dish, left on the bóveda (egun’sshrine) in the kitchen to commemorate theancestors who brought this religion, andthe plant, from Africa. The potatoesshould be washed, peeled, and diced intohalf-inch squares. The onion is alsowashed, peeled, and then finely grated.Once all these preparations are finished,

put the potatoes, okra, and onion into amixing bowl. Sprinkle the cornmeal andpepper over this and toss well. In a large cast-iron skillet, melt theepó over medium-high heat. It must not beallowed to smoke; if it does, reduce theheat just a bit. The mixture of potatoes,okra, and onion is spooned carefully intothe oil so that it does not splatter. Fry,stirring frequently, until everything isbrowned (this will take ten to fifteenminutes depending on how hot the epó is).When the potato and onion mixture iscooked, remove this pan from the heat.Spoon the yellow rice into a large servingdish, and over this spoon the contents ofthe skillet. This should be served to egunand left overnight.

Oguidí is a homemade candy adored bythe spirits known as egun; it is alsofavored by Elegguá. Therefore,whenever I make this candy as an ebóto egun, I also prepare it for Elegguá:the two work together closely, and it isalways wise to have Eshu’s goodwillwhen propitiating the dead.

Soak an entire box of cornmeal in alarge bowl of fresh, cool water for threedays; this ensures that the cornmeal willbegin to ferment. After three days, add asingle cinnamon stick, a cup of brownsugar, and a dash of vanilla. Put themixture in a medium saucepan over a lowflame and allow it to cook, stirringconstantly so that the mixture does notburn. The water must be all but

evaporated from of this mixture. Oncedone, two equal-size tamales should bemade of this mixture with aluminum foil(see directions for ekru-aro on page 146),and they are boiled in a large pan of waterfor fifteen minutes. Two platters should be prepared.Give one platter with an opened tamalefirst to Elegguá and put the second beforeEgun. Cover the candy with honey andmolasses at their respective shrines whilepraying for sweetness to come back intoyour life. These offerings sit with thespirits for three days, then each iswrapped with brown paper and taken to acemetery.

Another cooked adimú that is adoredby both egun and Elegguá is plantanos

borrachos, or “drunken plantains.” Youwill need red palm oil, nine ripebananas, one stick of cinnamon, ½ cupstar anise seeds, one cup of honey, ½cup of sugarcane syrup, and one cup ofdry red wine. (Note: Salt is never usedwhen cooking for the spirits.)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.Lightly grease a baking dish with the redpalm oil. Remove the plantains from theirskins and place them, side by side, in thedish. In a separate bowl, crush thecinnamon stick and star anise seeds andmix in the honey, then pour the mixtureevenly over the plantains. In a mixing bowl, blend thesugarcane syrup and the wine, then pourevenly over the plantains. Cover the

baking dish with the aluminum foil andbake for forty-five minutes. Now uncoverthe dish and bake another five to tenminutes, or until the juices have thickened.(Watch carefully: you do not want theplantains to burn.) Remove from the ovenand allow the plantains to cool. Elegguá should sit with egun forthree days while the dish is served to bothtogether. At the end of three days, wrapthe food in brown paper and take it to acemetery. Note: This ebó can be prepared forShangó and Aganyú as well; the two loveany dish prepared with plantains.

Another adimú that can be prepared forone’s egun is called arroz con leche, or“rice with milk.” To prepare this, the

client must purchase the followingingredients: milk, uncooked rice,cinnamon sticks, one lemon, whitesugar, and white vanilla extract. In alarge pot, two cups of water, onecinnamon stick, and a bit of finelygrated lemon peel should be brought toa rolling boil. Add to this ½ cup ofuncooked rice. Reduce heat to low oncethe rice has been added, and stir welluntil the boiling ceases. Cover the potand allow the rice to simmer until it istender.

In a small bowl, mix together ½teaspoon of white vanilla extract, seventablespoons of sugar, and 1½ cups ofmilk. Mix this well. When the rice istender, add the milk mixture to the rice;

turn the heat back up to high and stirvigorously until it begins to boil. Reducethe heat to low once more, continuing tostir the rice, uncovered, until it thickens.Do not allow the milk to scald or the riceto burn. It will take another fifteen minutesof stirring and cooking before the ricethickens; when it does, the dish is done. Itshould be served in a bowl to egun whilestill steaming hot.

Mail-Order Sourcesfor Religious Supplies

UNLESS ONE LIVES IN A MAJOR CITY , such asNew York, Houston, Miami, Orlando,Chicago, Detroit, or Los Angeles, findingsupplies for the Lucumí faith can bedifficult. This appendix was created tohelp alleviate this. All of the botánicaslisted are legitimate, headed by realpriests and priestesses of various Afro-Cuban and Afrocentric religions. By nomeans is this list exhaustive; it onlyprovides a starting point for one’s

journey. Those included here have onemajor thing in common: They all havecatalogs, and they all provide mail-orderservices. Botánicas can be foundthroughout the country; all it takes is alittle detective work. The easiest way is tocheck the business white pages for yourlocal area. No matter the name of thebusiness, they almost always listthemselves under BOTÁNICA, followedby a Spanish or an African name. Do notlook in the Yellow Pages; except in majorHispanic areas, such as Miami and NewYork, they do not advertise in such anexpensive manner. Most are small “mom-and-pop”-type businesses and advertisetheir services and wares mostly by wordof mouth. If no botánica can be found inyour locality, the following list of

businesses can be of help. Remember:Before turning to these large warehouses,try to support your own local businesses.The orishas will thank you for it! Botánica los Guerreros2817 Carrollton AvenueNew Orleans, LAPhone: (504) 885-8370This botánica is owned by a very close,dear friend of mine, a marvelous priest ofOlokun (crowned Yemayá, of course). Itcarries a large array of books, candles,oils, floor washes, and religious itemsused in the Lucumí faith. Yearly, theowner produces a mail order catalogavailable by request. Call or write thestore for more information.

Botánica Hijos de Africa125 Passaic StreetPassaic, NJ 07055Phone: (973) 472-3895Fax: (973) 472-0721This botánica boasts that it has beenserving the Passaic area for more than sixyears. It specializes in religious items,natural medicines, candles, herbs, andspiritual readings. Although I have not hadany personal dealing with this business, Ihave several friends and acquaintanceswho have. Unanimously, they love theshop. More information can be foundabout this business on-line. Botánica Eleguá6043 BissonnetHouston, TX 77081

Phone: (713) 660-6767Web site: www.botelegua.comBotánica Eleguá sells everything on-line,from herbs to candles to books and cards.Its colorful catalog may be viewed on-line. At the time of this writing, one wasnot prepared specifically for mail order;let us hope that will soon change. It does,however, take telephone orders, givingprice quotes as items are named. Rick’s Spiritual Botánica2903 North Fifth StreetPhiladelphia, PA 19133Phone: (215) 634-7866; (215) 545-8160;(215) 546-0367Web site:www.members.aol.com/rickspirit/index.htmlRick’s Spiritual Botánica was one of the

first to have a Web presence. The ownerprovides a wholesale catalog for bulkbuyers only. A mail-order catalog (forindividual buyers) indexing all hissupplies and products may be ordered byphone or mail. With your first order, hedoes provide a free catalog; otherwise, asof this writing the cost for a catalog is twodollars. Botánica y Rayos6304 Hudson AvenueWest New York, NJ 07093-3016Phone: (201) 453-0343This botánica provides a wide range ofsupplies: statues, crosses, crucifixes, andAfrican gift items. Call for a catalog andprice quotes.

Botánica San Lazaro3231 North Federal HighwayPompano Beach, FL 33064Phone: (954) 784-5900Fax: The fax number is the same as themain phone number; please call beforesending a fax.Web site: www.botanicasanlaz.qpg.comThis botánica boasts more than thirty-fiveyears of service to the community,providing a variety of spiritual supplies.Visit its Web site for more information, orcall for a catalog and price quotes. Botánica Lucumí4748A University Way NESeattle, WA 98105Phone: (206) 729-1000Web site:

www.seanet.com/~efunmoyiwa/bl.htmlThis is my favorite Web site and on-linebotánica. It provides Ifá and diloggúnreadings, all religious supplies (Lucumíand Palo), orisha art, and too many otherthings to list here. Its Web site is a “must-visit,” and its customer service skills areoutstanding. I highly recommend thisresource for both information andsupplies. Botánica Shangó240 Grand AvenueNew Haven, CT 06513Phone: (203) 776-5501Botánica Shangó offers mail-ordersupplies to individual customers and alsosells wholesale supplies in bulk. Itsinventory is so large that when a Miami or

New York botánica cannot obtain neededsupplies, it turns to this wholesaler. Acatalog is available free of charge; call orwrite to order. Unlike other botánicaswhose owners are chronically too busy todeal with their customer base, the ownerof this business, Angel, is almost alwaysavailable during normal business hours.Those I know who have done businesswith this store have nothing but praise forit.

Glossary

A NOTE ON THE TERMS in thisglossary: Lucumí, and the original Yorubawhence it evolved, is a tonal language likeChinese. Because the Afro-Cubans hadneither the time nor the chance for formaleducation during slavery, many of thesewords have no consistent spelling. While Ihave tried to keep my own spellingconsistent throughout my work, myspellings will differ from the spellings ofother authors; however, the pronunciationof the words will be similar. For any

Lucumí or Spanish term that does not havean accent mark, the proper emphasis goeson the second-to-last syllable in the word.To facilitate proper pronunciation, I haveincluded the appropriate accent for allwords that vary from this pattern. Vowelsounds for all non-English words willapproximate those of the Spanishlanguage. Also note that in each glossaryentry, there may be one or more wordsitalicized; this indicates that these wordscan be found in the glossary as well. Keep in mind the following points whenpronouncing words. The ch sound in Spanish is used in

Lucumí and Spanish words; thelanguages have no sh sound.

The ñ character (enye sound) is usedonly in Spanish words, not Lucumíwords, because it is pronounced morelike the English y sound. So the letter yis used here where it applies.

T he y sound in Spanish has a slightedge to it so that the sounding of theletter will be similar to the English andYo r ub a j sound. J is used herewhenever possible.

aborisha: A Lucumí word that denotesone who worships the orishas. Anaborisha is one who has at least theelekes (the necklaces of Obatalá, Yemayá,Oshún, and Shangó), although somepriests and priestesses save this term for

those who have gone on to receive at leastthe warriors (Elegguá, Ogún, Ochosi, andÓsun). aché: This is a very dynamic, universalforce. It has many meanings, among whichare grace, life, fate, power, talent, andwisdom, depending on its usage. Mostsanteros will agree that life is aché andaché is life. Adiatoto: A mythological/historicalfigure who lived in Africa many centuriesago; he was Biague’s first son. adimú: Any type of offering that does noti nc l ude eyebale, the sacrifice of ananimal. Adimú is usually prescribedduring a session with the diloggún.

adimú orisha: An orisha given whocannot be crowned on the head; a Spiritthat can have no priests or priestesses inthe New World. Olokun and the Ibeyi areexamples of adimú orishas. The term canalso refer to any orisha given outsideone’s asiento. Aganyú: The owner of volcanoes, bornfr o m Oroina, the molten center of theearth. He is also the father of Shangó. agó: To ask permission; permission. ailashara: A Lucumí word meaning“friendship”; it is also a letter in theAfrican system of Obí. Ainá: One of the seven Ibeyi, or children

of miraculous birth. She is the daughter ofShangó and his constant companion,because she is the orisha of all flame. Ajé Shaluga: This orisha controls allaspects of luxury and wealth. Her normalguise is that of a beautiful woman, butwhen this spirit wants to appear as a man,she does so. Often, she will accompanyOshún on her travels. akita: A Lucumí word meaning “victory”;it is also a letter in the African system ofObí. akó: A Lucumí term that denotes the twophallic lobes of the seed from Colaacuminata, the type of kola tree fromwhich the oracle of African Obí derives.

alafia: A Lucumí word meaning “peace”or “blessings,” it also denotes a letter inthe African system of Obí that signifies“coolness” when the response is positive.In the New World version of Obí, alafiabrings blessings, peace, and coolnessfrom the mighty orisha Obatalá. It isformed when the four pieces of coconutland with all their white rinds showing. alafia-ejife: One of the signs of Obí. It isthe most positive response of the mejicastings in the family of alafia, andalways answers yes to the client’squestion. It is formed when the pattern ofalafia is followed by one in which showtwo white rinds and two black.

alafia-etawa: One of the signs of Obí. Itis a positive response to the client’sconcerns. It is formed when the pattern ofalafia is followed by one in which showthree white rinds and one black. alafia-meji: One of the signs of Obí. It isa positive response to the client’sconcerns. It is formed when the pattern ofalafia repeats itself. alafia-okana: One of the signs of Obí inthe family of alafia. It is a negativeresponse to the client’s concerns. It isformed when the pattern of alafia isfollowed by one in which show threeblack rinds and one white. alafia-oyekun: One of the signs of Obí in

the family of alafia. It is a negativeresponse to the client’s question, and oftenthis pattern will attempt to addressconcerns with one’s egun. It is formedwhen the pattern of alafia is followed byone in which show all four black rinds. aleyo: One who is in Santería, yet notinitiated as a priest or priestess. amalá: A staple food of the orishaShangó; it is made of okra and cornmeal. ancestors/ancestral spirits: Also knowncollectively as egun, these may includethe practitioner’s familial and spiritualancestors. Spirit guides, Congolesespirits, Native American spirits, and soon, are used in Santería; however, these

are not egun, nor are they ancestral spirits(unless one is descended from thosepeoples). ano: A Lucumí word meaning “illness” or“disease.” apere ti, Obí: A phrase that means, “yoursymbol, Obí.” arikú: A Lucumí word that denotesvitality, health, and immortality of thesoul. It is one of the many types of iré thatmay be predicted in the diloggún. Asheda: On earth, this was the firstdisciple of Orúnmila—his first priest andBabalawo. asiento: The major initiation ceremony of

Santería in which an aleyo becomes aiyawó. Asohano: Another name for the orishaBabaluaiye. avatar: Many orishas, such as Obatalá,Yemayá, Oshún, and Elegguá, havedifferent avatars, or paths. These arerelated to their many incarnations on earth;many orishas have spent mortal livesamong humans. One of the mysteries of theasiento is that when an aleyo is crowned(the guardian orisha is put on the head),that person becomes a iyawó (bride) andin some ways an avatar of the guardianorisha embodied. Only those avatars ofsignificant religious, historical, orpolitical importance are remembered

specifically and become paths of thatorisha. Note: Although many houses ofocha agree with the origins of specificavatars, the subject itself is one ofconsiderable debate among moreknowledgeable ilé ocha. Ayáguna: An avatar, or path, of Obatalá.Unlike the other avatars of Obatalá, thisone is young, 33 years of age. Histemperament and attributes are similar tothose of Shangó. Ayaó: One sees this orisha in naturewhenever a cyclone touches the earth. Sheis the sister of Oyá, very young andbeautiful, who spends her free time in thewoods with Osain.

ayé: A Lucumí term meaning “hardship.”It is also a letter in the African system ofObí. When referring to the eight ibó usedin the diloggún, it signifies any type ofelongated saltwater seashell. Babalawo: An initiate of Orúnmila. ABabalawo is always male because onlymen may enter Orúnmila’s mysteries. babalosha/babalorisha: A “father of theSpirits,” a santero who has initiated otherpriests and priestesses. Babaluaiye: This orisha originates not inNigeria but in the land of Arara, an area ofAfrica. He is the father of smallpox and ofdisease and afflictions of the skin.

batea: The wooden tureen in whichShangó’s secrets are housed. batie sode: A Lucumí phrase meaning“removes the negativity.” Bayanmi: Another name for the brother ofShangó, Dada. Biague: The first diviner to use theAfrican system of Obí. The second divinerwas Adiatoto, Biague’s son. Some say thatthese characters are only mythological, butothers believe they lived in Africa manycenturies ago. botánica: This is the Spanish term for thereligious supply stores in Latin Americancommunities that carry the items needed in

the practice of Santería. bóveda: An altar set up to honor andpropitiate the dead, egun. Although itproperly belongs to the practice known asEspiritísmo, it has been integrated into thepractice of Santería because of the loss ofthe egungun cults in the New World. Abóveda can be set up to honor any spirit,even if that egun is not one of the family orancestral spirits of the client. Certain oduwill dictate this as ebó. brujería: The Spanish term for“witchcraft” not to be confused with thetype of witchcraft practiced in the NewWorld by Wiccans or the practitioners ofPalo Mayombe. It refers to any folksycharm intended to influence another for

good or ill, depending on the intentions ofthe caster. derecho: The ritual fee paid to an orishapriest or priestess for spiritual services. Diaspora (African): The areas in theNew World where the blacks uprootedfrom Africa were forced into slavery.Brazil, Cuba, the Caribbean, and theUnited States are all areas of the AfricanDiaspora. diloggún: The system of cowriedivination by which an orisha priest orpriestess learns the will of the orishas. Italso refers to the eighteen shells thatcontain the spirit, or orisha, of aninitiate’s shrine. The diloggún is of utmost

importance to the santero, or practitionerof Santería. divination: The act of uncovering the willof the orishas, the desires of egun, and thetrends of the future. In Santería there arethree main systems of divination: Obí,diloggún, and Ifá. ebó: One of any number of offerings thatmay be made to an orisha. eboda: A Lucumí word meaning “it isdone” or “it is well.” This question isoften asked to close the diloggún. ebó kere: A complicated series ofspiritual cleansings done for a clientbefore an orisha. It involves several types

of offerings, each used to cleanse thesupplicant of evil. It is done over a periodof hours, days, weeks, or even months.The specifics of ebó kere are obtainedfrom the odu of the diloggún. ebó keun edun keun: One of many typesof ebó that can be marked through Obí. Itis a daily cleansing done before anorisha’s shrine. ebó misi: One of the many types of ebóthat can be marked through Obí, a dailycleansing done before an orisha’s shrine. eborí: A Lucumí contraction of twowords: ebó (offering) and orí (head). It isused to denote a blood offering to one’sphysical and spiritual head.

eboses: The plural of ebó used throughoutthis text. Although the Yoruba use ebó asboth the plural and the singular, in CubanSantería this has become accepted usage. eboshure: Generally considered to be asmall offering to an orisha. efun: A loosely packed, powdered chalkmade from crushed egg shells. egun: One of many ancestral spiritsrelated to the client by blood or ocha. Theword is both singular and plural. egungun: Denotes one who is possessedb y egun, the ancestral spirit; in Cuba,however, it often referred to the now deadcult of egun—priests and priestesses who

dealt only with the ancestral spirits andnot the orishas. egun onire: A Lucumí question whichmeans, “Will egun give a blessing?” ejife: The strongest response that one mayreceive in the oracle known as Obí. Itconsists of two white rinds and two blackrinds. In a divination session, it alwayssignifies a positive response: “Yes, theworld is in balance.” Eji Ogbe: One of the sisteen odu in thediloggún; it consists of eight open mouthson the mat. ejire: A Lucumí term meaning “money”or “wealth.” It is also a letter used in the

system of African Obí. Elegguá: Also known by the names Eshuand Elegbara. He is often portrayed asfate, a young child, and an old man.Elegguá is the messenger of all theorishas, and the first and last to behonored in every ceremony performed.Without his goodwill, nothing in thereligion Santería may be done. In Ifá it issaid that there are 256 paths of Elegguá,one for each odu. Each of these paths inknown as Eshu and has its own specificname, such as Eshu Aye, Eshu Bi, or EshuLaroye. In ocha, there are 101 paths ofElegguá (each also known as Eshu). Inmany ilé ocha, when an initiate receivesthe warriors he is told the name of Eshuthat his Elegguá enshrines.

elekes: The beaded necklaces given toboth aleyos and santeros. The bead colorsdenote not only the orisha to whom theyare consecrated, but also the path of thatorisha. In the initiation of the elekes, analeyo will generally receive four elekes—Obatalá, Yemayá, Oshún, andShangó—unless the diloggún specifiesotherwise. Sometimes the eleke ofElegguá is also given. entrada: Twenty-one days after an aleyobrings home the warriors, the ritual ofentrada must be done. Behind the frontdoor of the home, two roosters and twopigeons are fed to Elegguá, Ogún,Ochosi, and Ósun. One week after that,they are given a basket of cool fruits. This

is a welcoming, a housewarming party forthese four orishas. It seats them firmly inthe aleyo’s life and home. epó: A thick, viscous red palm oil usedfor cooking in Africa, and also as anadimú offering for certain orishas:Elegguá, Ogún, and Ochosi often take redpalm oil on their sacred stones. Eshu, Esu: Alternate names for the orishacommonly known as Elegguá. While Ifálists one Eshu for each of the 256 odu,ocha has only 101 paths of Eshu. Someexamples of Eshu that are shared by bothIfá and ocha are Eshu Aye, Eshu Laroye,and Eshu Bi. Eshu Ayé: This avatar of Elegguá is said

to walk on the shoreline where waves lapat the sand. This Eshu works closely withthe orisha Olokun. Eshu Bi: This avatar of Elegguá is both ayoung child and an old man. He is forcefuland stern. It is said that this Eshu walkswith the first two Ibeyi, the twins, whowere born of Shangó and Oshún. He isthe protector of twins, and also of smallchildren. Eshu Eshun Irirke: This avatar ofElegguá works closely with Osain andlives in the forest with that orisha. ThisEshu is very rare, and is referred to inonly one odu of the diloggún, Ogbe Ejila(8–12).

Eshu Laroye: This avatar of Elegguáworks closely with Oshún and is herconstant companion. He is often referredto as the “little talkative one.” He is oneof Elegguá’s most important and popularpaths, being the one addressed andrefreshed before any invocation or prayerto the orishas. Espiritísmo: A Spanish term describingthe collective mediumistic practices, orSpiritualism, begun by Allan Kardec. InSantería, these practices are among themany used to make up for the loss of theegungun cults in the New World. espiritista: A Spanish term denoting thepractitioner of Espiritísmo, a medium. Itis used for both male and female

practitioners. etawa: A Lucumí contraction that means“three have come”; it refers to the openingof the letter in Obí in which three whitesides and one black are showing. etawa-alafia: One of the patterns thatexist in Obí’s family of etawa. It isformed when the pattern known as etawais followed by one of all white rinds. It ispositive, answering yes to the client’sconcerns. etawa-ejife: One of the patterns that existi n Obí’s family of etawa. It is formedwhen the pattern known as etawa isfollowed by one of two white rinds andtwo black. It is the most positive answer,

and always answers yes to the client’sconcerns. etawa-meji: One of the patterns that existi n Obí’s family of etawa. It is formedwhen the pattern known as etawa isfollowed by itself. It is not the mostpositive response, but can be taken as ayes to the client’s question. etawa-okana: One of the patterns thatexist in Obí’s family of etawa. It isformed when the pattern known as etawais followed by one of three dark rinds andone white rind. It is a negative response,and answers no to the client’s originalquestion. etawa-oyekun: One of the patterns that

exist in Obí’s family of etawa. It isformed when the pattern known as etawais followed by one of all black rinds. It isthe most negative response. It may alsobring up issues with egun that must beresolved before the session can be closed. ewe: A Lucumí word for “herb”; itdenotes any of those plants, roots, or treesthat are used in the making of herbal baths,mixtures, medicines, or omiero. eyebale: An offering that includes thesacrifice of an animal. foribale: One of the two methods ofsalutation to an elder or an orisha; theform of salutation depends on whether theguardian orisha is male or female.

funfún: White, cool. godparents: In Santería, the godparentsare one’s sponsors in the religion, thepriests or priestesses who will give theinitiations of the elekes, warriors, andasiento. They are the aspirant’s spiritualguides in both life and religion, and areconsulted on all matters of spiritualimportance. gofio: Roasted flour or cornmeal. guardian orisha: The orisha who claimsan aleyo, guiding him or her to the ritualof asiento. Once ocha is made (initiationgiven), the aleyo becomes a iyawó (bride)of the guardian orisha, and after a year

becomes a santero (priest) or santera(priestess) in Santería. Ibeyi: The divine children of Shangó andOshún. There are seven Ibeyi, also knownas children of miraculous birth. The firsttwo Ibeyi are twins whom Oshún gave toher sister Yemayá to raise. It has becomecommon usage in Santería forpractitioners to refer to these first twochildren as “the Ibeyi.” They are thepatrons of twins and of the mothers oftwins. Ideu: The third Ibeyi, a child of Oshún. Itis a male, and yet it is alwaysaccompanied by a doll dressed as a smallgirl.

Ifá: The original oracle of the Yoruba onwhich both the African and Afro-Cubanforms of diloggún (cowrie shell)divination are based. It is a system thatincludes 256 odu, revealed by Orúnmilato his disciples Asheda and Akoda (thefi r s t Babalawos). Only the priests ofOrúnmila, the Babalawos, may read Ifá. igboro larishe: A Lucumí question thatmeans, “will an initiate have the remedy?” Ikú: The Lucumí personification of death. Ilé Ifé: In Yoruba mythology, the holy citythat was built first in the empire. It wasfounded by Obatalá himself, and it is thecradle from which our religion Santeríaeventually evolved.

ile ocha: This is a Lucumí term that refersto the spiritual house of ocha headed by aspecific priest or priestess. Ilé Ilú: In Lucumí mythology, the city inwhich Biague lived in Africa (in the areanow known as Nigeria). It is the town inwhich Obí divination was first used. Ilé Olófin: For those santeros who retaintheir Catholic identity, this is the CatholicChurch; for those whose beliefs are pureLucumí, this term refers to all of nature,the true home of God. Inle: He is envisioned as a beautifulandrogynous youth, the patron ofhomosexuals and fishermen. At one time

he was a mortal, but Yemayá was so takenby his beauty that she made him immortaland stole away Inle to the bottom of thesea. There she tired of him, yet he learnedall of his lover’s secrets. Yemayáremoved his speech by cutting out histongue, and then she set him free to walkamong the rest of the orishas. To this day,Inle will speak only through her. He isalso seen as the great physician, the onewho can cure any illness with hisextensive knowledge of the medicinal usesof all ewe in the forest. Irawo: A Lucumí word that means star; itis also the name of a town in which OrishaOko ruled while living on earth as amortal.

iré: Any type of good fortune that canbefall the client as he sits for a sessionwith the diloggún. Irunmole: The first orisha born in heavenfrom Olódumare and odu. Itá: A major divination ceremony giveneither to a iyawó after the asiento or to apriest or priestess who has fed an orisha afour-legged animal as ebó. Theinformation, eboses, and prohibitionsprescribed during an itá are followed byan initiate for life. iyala: A Yoruba word meaning “health”;it is also one of the letters found in theAfrican system of Obí.

iyalocha: A santera, or priestess ofSantería, who has initiated at least oneother person into the mysteries. iyawó: A Lucumí term for the initiate ofa n orisha. It literally means “bride,” nomatter the initiate’s sex. For at least a yearafter the asiento, the rest of the initiates inthe house will refer to this person by thisterm. Jakuta: Once a powerful orisha in theYoruba pantheon, the “stone thrower” andwielder of the lightning bolt. With the riseof the followers of Shangó, however, thecult of Jakuta died and was replaced byShangó’s. jícara: A dried gourd that is cut open to

resemble a bowl. It is used to giveofferings and to pour libations to theorishas. jutía: An African bush rat, a large rodent.It is a staple offering for many of thewarrior orishas such as Elegguá, Ogún,and Ochosi. Kaindé: The second Ibeyi born of Oshúnand Shangó; this Ibeyi is female, and hername means “the final to be born.” kaure: One of the many types of ebó thatcan be marked through Obí; it is a seriesof prayers offered to the orishas on adaily basis. kawo kabiosile: A praise given to

Shangó. It refers to the fact that the king(Shangó) did not hang (kill himself bysuicide). He ascended before death tobecome an orisha. kinkanmaché: This Lucumí word is acontraction that asks for protection,blessings, and the good things in life. koborí eledá: An ebó, usually arogación, done to one’s orí. It can involveany type of offering or cleansing that doesnot include animal sacrifice. kola nut (Cola acuminata): A tropicalspecies of tree prolific in Africa butscarce in the New World. It is the tree thatprovides the seed from which the Yorubaderive their own system of Obí divination.

larishe: One of the hundreds of remediesthat any one odu can prescribe toovercome osogbo and bring iré to theclient sitting for a session with thediloggún. lavado: Spanish for “washed.” Allorishas must be washed and born inomiero. When one’s orisha is receivedoutside the ritual of asiento, it is known assanto lavado. lavatorio: The birthing of an orisha inwhich the otanes (shells) and implementsof an initiate’s new orisha are washed inomiero and are born from a godparent’sorisha. See also Osain.

Lazareros: Aborishas or initiates whohave received the initiation of the orishaBabaluaiye. Lucumí: A contraction of various Yorubawords, meaning “my friend.” The Lucumíare the physical, and now spiritual,descendants of the black Yoruba slaves inCuba. This word also refers to thecorruption of the native Yoruba tongue,which is now used in Santería. Maferefún: Praise be to; all power be to. mandala: A magical image or symbol. Inthe system of Obí, it refers to the patternsthat can fall when the coconuts are castbefore an orisha.

Meji: Twin, double. misa : Sometimes called a seance, this isa ritual of Espiritísmo done to honor thedead. It involves prayers, offerings, andmedium possessions. modupue: A Lucumí term meaning “Ithank you.” mojuba: A prayer recited to give homageto an orisha or egun. mojubando: The act of reciting a prayergiving homage to an orisha. mojubar: The act of giving praise orhomage to an orisha or egun. mulatto: A Spanish word denoting a

person who has one parent of Caucasianheritage and one of African-Americanheritage. Naná Burukú: In some mythologies, thisorisha was born from Yembo when sheascended by her own aché to the palace ofOlódumare; historically, she comes fromthe land of Arara in Africa and is notYoruba. She was later syncretized into theSantería pantheon during the time of thecabildos (secret clubs) in Cuba. She is themother of Nanumé and Babaluaiye. Nanumé: A very old and female avatar ofBabaluaiye. So dissociated from him isshe that many consider her to be not onlyan aspect of this orisha, but his sister anda separate entity as well (similar to the

relationship between Yemayá and Yembo).She is the daughter of Naná Burukú, andis said by elder santeros to be the moon inthe night sky. ñame: A type of yam, a root usedfrequently in Latin American cuisine. Oba: An orisha considered to beShangó’s only official wife; she is but oneamong three of his lovers. The other twowere Oshún and Oyá. Obara Osá: One of the 256 patterns oft h e diloggún, a more extensive oracleused by the Lucumí faith. Obara Osácontains the story of Obí’s fall from grace. Obatalá: An orisha considered to be the

king of all the orishas and the creator ofhumans. Obí: The man who became orisha andthen fell from grace because of his ownpride, becoming the coconut used indivination. Despite this, Obí is still anorisha and is treated with respect inSantería. ocha: A shortened form of the wordorisha; it is also used at times to denoteSantería. Ochanlá: One of Obatalá’s eldestavatars on earth. Ochosi: An orisha; one of the warriorsand said to be the patron of the hunt.

Ochúmaré: An androgynous orisha bornfrom Naná Burukú. S/he is the rainbow,the crown of Yemayá. Some say this is thepatron spirit of gays, lesbians, andbisexuals. Half the year this orisha livesdeep in the river and never touches dryearth; during the other half, she lives onearth and never touches water. Odi: One of the sixteen letters of thediloggún; also, one of the ten signs ofAfrican Obí. Odua: An elder avatar of Obatalá. Manybelieve this path to be a female avatar ofthe orisha. Oduduwa: The founder of the Yoruba

empire. He is also a warrior orisha. Ogún: One of the many orishas in theLucumí pantheon. He is the spirit of ironand controls its vast stores beneath theearth. Ojigbona: The assistant to one’sgodparent; also spelled yubonna. okana: One of many patterns that mayappear before an orisha when Obí is cast.It consists of three black rinds and onewhite. It is usually negative, but can give apositive response in some circumstances. okana-alafia: One of the more positiveresponses in the family of okana. It isformed when okana is followed by a

pattern of all white rinds. okana-ejife: The most positive responsein the family of okana. It is formed whenokana is followed by a pattern of twowhite and two black rinds. okana-etawa: One of the more positiveresponses in the family of okana. It isformed when okana is followed by apattern of three white rinds and one black. okana-meji: One of the more negativeresponses in the family of okana. It isformed when okana is followed by apattern of three black rinds and one white.It has doubled itself, and thus is called ameji, a twin.

okana-oyekun: The most negativeresponse in the family of okana, willalways mean no to the client’s concern; itcan also flag issues with one’s egun. It isformed when okana is followed by apattern of all black rinds. Oké: Referred to as Orisha Oké, he is thespirit of the mountain, the first point ofland that rose from Olokun’s waterydomain. Orisha Oké is where Obatalácame to earth; it is his foundation andstrength, and Oké acts as his messengerbetween heaven and earth. Olocha: A Lucumí contraction signifyingone who has ocha done; an initiate ofSantería.

Olódumare: A Yoruba contractionmeaning “owner of the womb”; this is thesupreme deity of the Yoruba and theLucumí. Olófin: It is said among the Lucumí thatOlófin is “god on earth.” He is the eldestavatar of Obatalá, and can be receivedonly by the priesthood of Orúnmila, theBabalawos. Olokun: The androgynous orisha whorules and owns the deepest parts of thesea. Olorún: A Lucumí contraction of twowords—olo, “owner”, and orún, “thesun”—it means “owner of the sun.” It is aname for God, his symbol being the sun in

the daytime sky. Olosa: One of the minor orishas, the spiritof the lagoon. Oluwo: Lord of awós, a Babalawo whomade ocha before making Ifá. omiero: Any of a number of herbal watersmade by initiates of Santería; it is used inbathing the Iyawó and giving birth to theorishas. omo: Child. onire: A Lucumí contraction meaning “[togive a blessing] to clear a sign.” Opá ikú: Staff of the dead.

Opele: A Babalawo’s divining chain. orí: A Yoruba word meaning“head/consciousness”; it is used to referto the spiritual head of the client. orisha: A Yoruba contraction meaning“select head”; it denotes any of the myriadspirits in the pantheon of Santería that arean extension of Olódumare’s aché. orisha Oko: The orisha who controls thefecundity of the earth. He has two forms:During the day he is envisioned as ahandsome black male; at night he becomesa terrifying presence in the darkness.Traditionally, this orisha lives in thesantero’s home for the six months that thefields lie fallow, then he goes outdoors

with the beginning of the planting season(our house does this on the spring equinoxand takes him back inside on the autumnequinox). Oroina: Lives at the center of the earth;she is its molten core. She gave birth tothe orisha Aganyú. orún: The Lucumí word for the sun. Orúnla: The orisha of the diviners, theBabalawos. Only men are called to hispriesthood. He is also known asOrúnmila. Orúnmila: Another name for Orúnla. Osain: One of the most mysteriousorishas, Osain was created after creation.

He sprang forth from the earth at themoment the first green thing began togrow. He is the lord of aché on earth,knowing all the secrets of the ewe.Without Osain, none of the orishas canwork their magic, nor can their childrenbe initiated, nor can the orishas be born onearth. He will live until the last greenthing on this planet perishes. Anyone bornwith either six fingers or six toes is said tobe an Osainista from birth. osainista: A priest or priestess of theor i s ha Osain. An osainista is eitherclaimed by him in the diloggún or claimedby birth (his mark being six fingers ortoes). Oshún: The orisha bringing love,

sweetness, money, prosperity, fertility,conception, and all the things that makelife worth living. She is the sister ofYemayá and one of Shangó’s three wives. osogbo: Any of the evils that may bepredicted for a client through the oracleknown as diloggún. Ósun: Some in the New World considerÓsun a minor orisha; however, there aremany types of Ósuns that can be given indifferent initiations—that of the warriors,Babaluaiye, Naná Burukú, and Inle. Ósunis an orisha in one sense, the Spirit thatguards the orí of the client from danger.Yet more properly, Ósun is the herbalstaff of Osain that is packed with herbsand secrets specific to the orisha given to

an adherent. otá/otanes: The sacred stones that housethe spirit of an orisha to whom they areconsecrated. Their number and color willdepend on the orisha embodied. Otín: An orisha whose sole purpose is toserve Yemayá. Owani Ofún: One of the 256 patternsfound in the more extensive oracle knownas the diloggún; it is the sign that speaksof Biague and Adiatoto, the first divinerswith Obí. Oyá: This female orisha is the patron ofthe “fire in the sky,” or lightning that doesnot touch the earth. She is the gatekeeper

to the cemetery, Shangó’s partner inbattle, and the lady of the marketplace.Some also see her in the action of thetornado. This is Shangó’s third wife, andhis favorite even over Oshún. oyekun: One of the patterns found in Obíthat may fall when the coconuts are castbefore the orishas. It always answers noto the client’s question. This pattern mayalso flag issues with one’s egun. It isformed when all black rinds are displayedbefore the orisha questioned. Oyó: A city in Nigeria from which manyorisha priest/esses were forced intoslavery. There are two types of Oyóreferenced in Santería. The first is “OldOyó,” the city from which the slaves were

forcefully taken. Old Oyó is spreadthroughout the African Diaspora, and isthe Oyó from which many of our traditionsgrew. Old Oyó is no longer a place onemay visit; it is found in the faces and soulsof those who practice Santería. New Oyóis the city that remained in the motherlandand evolved new sets of customs that arenot observed in the New World’s versionof orisha worship. In the Cuban rites ofSantería, it is the customs of Old Oyó thatare observed in ritual. pañuelo: A decorative cloth cover drapedover the tureen of an orisha. patakís: The many sacred stories andlegends found in the diloggún; some ofthese are about the orishas, while others

are about the actions ofhistorical/mythological humans who livedand died in both African and Cuba. rogación: A cleansing of the head, theclient’s orí. It involves grated coconut asthe main ingredient and a series of prayersto strengthen and support the head. Thespecifics of each rogación are given ineach odu of the diloggún. Santería: The name of orisha worship asit developed in Cuba; the Englishtranslation from the Spanish means“worship of the saints.” It was given thisname because of the syncretizing of theCatholic saints and the orishas of theYoruba.

santero/santera: A priest/priestess ofSantería. sarayeye: One of the many types of ebóthat can be marked with Obí. It is acleansing, and sometimes might involvethe use of an animal. If sarayeye is markedwith an animal, however, that animal isset free after the cleansing is complete. Ifa sacrifice is called for, the oracle willmark eyebale as the ebó needed to helpthe client evolve. Shangó: An orisha who once lived onearth as a mortal; he was the fourth king ofOyó, and tried to punish himself for hisown crimes by hanging. The prior force ofhis good deeds, however, would not letthe hanging be completed; before his death

he ascended to become an orisha. sopera: A Spanish word for “tureen”; itdenotes the bowls where the otanes andimplements of the orishas are kept. spiritism: The practice of working withthe spirits of the dead. It was begun inFrance by Allan Kardec. Spiritism takesthe place of the egungun cults that werelost in Cuba during the slave trade. Taewó: The first Ibeyi born of Oshún andShangó. This child is male, and his namemeans “first to taste life.” tambor: The sacred festival of an orishain which drums are played and the mountsare possessed by their orishas.

thunderstone: The dark black, smooth,glassy stones in which Shangó is said toreside. They are virtually indestructible,believed to have been formed whereverlightning has touched the earth. warriors: The three orishas who arereceived together in one initiation:Elegguá, Ogún, and Ósun. A simulacrumo f Ochosi is received with Ogún in theform of an iron crossbow. Yemayá: Born when Olokun was chainedto the bottom of the ocean by Obatalá,Yemayá arose to become mother to theworld and to the orishas. She is the patronof motherhood and of the fresh waters ofthe world.

Yembo: There is confusion over exactlywho this female orisha is. Some say she isan elder path of Obatalá. Because shewas once the wife of Obatalá, however,our house believes her to be an ancestralYemayá. She is mother of the orishas andgave birth to all the waters of the world.Naná Burukú was born after Yembo wasraped by Ogún. Yembo ascended toOlódumare’s palace by her own grief andaché, creating the moon and Naná Burukúto watch over women and punish thosewho commit crimes against them. Yewá/Yeguá: A very young, gorgeousorisha, yet she is the most chaste of themall, a virgin. She demands no less of herpriestesses (men never may be initiated to

her mysteries). Many know her as thedevourer of the dead; she decomposes thebodies that lie in the earth’s grasp. yeyé: Mother. Yoruba: The native Africans whooriginally settled in the southwestern partsof the area known today as Nigeria. Theirdeities, the orishas, form the basis for thereligion Santería. The word Yoruba alsodenotes the language shared by thesepeoples, the native tongue that mixed withCuban Spanish to become Lucumí. yubonna: A Lucumí title for the priest orpriestess who assists one’s godparent inthe rituals of the elekes, warriors, andasiento. See also, ojigbona.

Footnotes

*1. This patakís (legend) is not native toAfrica; no one in Nigeria who practicesnative Yoruba religion is familiar withit. It is a story designed to illustrate theuniversal principles of the orishas, andhow the religion of the Lucumí came tobe practiced by those peoples beyondthe original Yoruba tribes.

*2. Unlike the native Yoruba form of obídivination, the New World form isnamed after an actual orisha, Obí. It isbelieved that the orisha himself is

embodied in each single coconut;therefore, when referring to Obídivination in the diaspora the name iscapitalized, as the orisha and thecoconut are one and the same.

*3. “King of the white cloth” is a praisename for Obatalá. It is said that hecreated all things by spinning them from“white cloth.”

*4. Orisha Oke is the spirit of thismountain and gives his name to thismountain itself.

*5. This is a Lucumí contraction meaning“the dead priest/esses of Elegguá.” Forthe other orishas, put “Ol” or “Olo”directly before a name and say it as oneword. Examples: Olobatala, Oloshun,Oloya, Ologun, Olochosi. In the case of

orishas who are not crowned on thehead, but are given oro in Santo, ahyphenated word in used. Omo, whichmeans “child,” is hyphenated onto thename of the orisha. Examples: Omo-Ibeyi, Omo-Aina, Omo-Babaluaiye,Omo-Inle. For the dead of Yemayá andShangó, the proper contraction to use is“Oniyemayá” and “Onishangó.”

*6. To reference odu with Obí, one mustvisualize the coconut as an opele (aBabalawo’s divining chain). Onlypriests of Ifá have this right. Theirinitiation, plus the prayers they usewhen casting the coconut, makes itpossible for the Ifá priest to read the256 odu in their session. An aleyo orsantero has not the aché for this task,and even though Obí falls in a pattern

mimicking odu, for him it is but anempty shell, a chance occurrence thathas no meaning beyond itself. Oducannot be invoked by those withoutproper initiation; it will not be presentfor those outside Orúnmila’spriesthood. There are those who arguethis point, however. As with anythingelse in Santería, this is an issue thatmust be discussed with one’sgodparents.

*7. This letter frequently falls for thosewho do not follow proper protocolwhen using Obí. It is important to usethe steps given in chapter 2 for openingthe oracle. In this way does the divinerdetermine the willingness of the orishato answer the client’s questions beforethey are asked.

*8. There are two schools of thought onhow to handle a meji casting of Obí thatends in oyekun. The first method ofdealing with this pattern is to treatoyekun as if it has fallen on its own; theblack rinds are wet with water, turnedso that all whites are showing, thenritually lifted from the floor. Thediviner treats the letter as if it has fallenfor the dead. For more information onthis, see oyeken. The second schooltreats each meji pattern as if it were aletter to itself. Because the patternbegins with alafia and ends withoyekun, the sign itself is alafia-oyekunand belongs to the family of alafia. It isnot treated as if it were oyekun but,rather, as a pattern of alafia. If,however, the letter will not close out,

the implications of the second sign mustbe investigated, as the dead could, quiteconceivably, be standing up in thispattern for ebó. As with any informationin this or any other book, consult withyour religious elders before making adecision on how to handle thesepatterns within Obí.

*9. Remembering that all questions shouldbe phrased so that the most positiveresponse can be made, “Yes, the worldis in balance,” it is assumed that thediviner has asked, “Is this eboacceptable?” “Is everything as you wishwith the ebo?” or something to thateffect.

*10. The nature of okana is to absorbnegativity, a point that always should be

kept in mind during divination. *11. If there is no child in the house, the

diviner must perform all these actionshimself.

*12. Two things must be noted here. Evenif oyekun fell from the dead, manyhouses still take that sign as a “No”answer to the client’s original concerns.I do not. If the sign fell for the dead, orfor another in the room, how can it alsoanswer the client’s question? Also, ifthe dead interrupt the second session aswell, something is spiritually amiss; theclient must sit immediately with thediloggún.

*13. A good translation of this phrasewould be, “your symbol, Obí.”

*14. To cleanse the head with a rooster or

with any other item, the cleansingobject is touched to the head and gentlycircled around it many times. It isbelieved that doing so transmits anynegative energy to the item used for thecleansing.

Suggested Reading

FOR THOSE WHO DESIRE more generalinformation about Santería and its basicbeliefs, the following books are highlyrecommended. Canizares, Raul. Walking with the Night.Rochester, Vt.: Destiny Books, 1993. This book is a wonderful testament to thepower of Santería from a man who notonly was raised in the religion, but wasalso initiated at a very young age. It isfilled with anecdotes and personal stories

that illustrate the intervention of theorishas in his life. Inspirational, it is amust-read for those involved in all levelsof the religion. Flores, Ysamur. Santería Garments andAltars. Jackson, Miss.: University Pressof Mississippi, 1994. This book was written in conjunction withPeña and Roberto J. Evenchuk. It is anexceptional overview of the faith’sreligious elements. Unlike other bookswritten today that promise to teach thereligion by a series of “how-tos” that readlike an esoteric cookbook, this volumeinstructs the reader about the faith and itsorishas by depicting various coronationgowns and suits, along with a variety of

celebration and anniversary altars for theorishas. It gives a splendid feel for thereligion and its celebrations. It is ahardcover book filled with color platesand photographs, and although it is costlyand a bit hard to find, it is well worth thereader’s investment in time and money. González-Wippler, Migene. Introductionto Seashell Divination. Plainview, N.Y.:Original Publications, 1992. ______Legends of Santería. St. Paul,Minn.: Lewellyn Publications, 1994. ______Powers of the Orishas. Plainview,N.Y.: Original Publications, 1992. ______Rituals and Spells of Santería.New York: Original Publications, 1984.

______Santería: African Magic in LatinAmerica. New York: OriginalPublications,1973. ______The Santería Experience. St. Paul,Minn.: Lewellyn Publications, 1994. ______Santería, the Religion. St. Paul,Minn.: Lewellyn Publications, 1994. Although many have criticized her forpopularizing the magical side of Santeríawhile downplaying the religious elements,González-Wippler has corrected much ofthis in the later editions of her work,especially those published by LlewellynPublications. Were it not for her writings,many of those now in the religion neverwould have found Santería.

Neimark, Philip John. The Sacred IfáOracle. New York: HarperCollins, 1995. ______The Way of the Orisa. New York:HarperCollins,: 1993. The descriptions of the orishas (Neimarkspells them Orisa) and the attributes areamong the best I have read; however, Icannot help but disagree with hisconception of Yemayá/Olokun as beingone and the same orisha. Although I am aninitiate of Santería, I have met a fewAfrican priests in my lifetime and none ofthem agrees with his conception of “howthings are done in Africa.” Yet this book,as a whole, is a wonderful introduction tothe orishas as seen from the eyes of anewly initiated Babalawo.

For those who wish to readadditional material dealing with theAfrican faith as it is practiced in Nigeriaor the African forms of divination, thefollowing books are recommended. Bascom, William R. Ifá Divination.Bloomington, Ind.: Indiana UniversityPress, 1969. ______Shangó in the New World. Austin,Tex.: University of Texas at Austin,1972. ______Sixteen Cowries. Bloomington,Ind.: Indiana University Press, 1970. William Bascom is the American authorityon African spirituality. Although none ofhis books provides the instructionalmaterial needed to work any of the

oracles, his writings are filled withscholarly information about the Africantraditions. His two books on the oracles,Sixteen Cowries and Ifá Divination, arefilled with a wealth of patakís for eachodu, and our diviners are continuallyturning to these volumes as a source ofinformation and clarification. Fatunmbi, Awó Fa’Lokun. Awó: Ifá andthe Theology of Orisha Divination. NewYork: Original Publications, 1992.Although this book is often criticized byorisha priests and priestesses for itsinnovations of the casting of four cowriesin place of four coconut rinds to read theoracle Obí, it is also praised for itsdetailed metaphysics. A book that bringscontroversy also brings much thought—I

recommend it for its provocative content. Idowu, E. Bolaji. Olódumare: God inYoruba Belief . New York: OriginalPublications, 1995. This is the best bookavailable about the supreme deity ofYoruba belief; it also sheds light on theoriginal practices that spawned thereligion we now practice. It is essentialreading for those either in the faith orabout to enter it.

About the Author

Author of The Secrets of Afro-CubanDivination, Ócha'ni Lele has beenimmersed in the underground culture ofOrisha worship since 1989. By 1995 hehad received several initiations in bothSanteria and the Congo faith PaloMayombe and in 2000 he made Ocha andwas crowned a Santeria priest. He livesin Florida.

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Destiny BooksOne Park StreetRochester, Vermont 05767www.InnerTraditions.com Destiny Books is a division of InnerTraditions International Copyright © 2001 by B. Stuart Myers All rights reserved. No part of this bookmay be reproduced or utilized in any formor by any means, electronic ormechanical, including photocopying,recording, or by any information storageand retrieval system, without permissionin writing from the publisher. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Lele, Ócha’ni Obí—oracle of Cuban Santería /Ócha’ni Lele p.cm. Includes bibliographical references eISBN-13: 978-1-59477-793-6 1. Orishas—Cuba. 2. Santería—Cuba. 3. Divination—Cuba. I. Title: Ócha’ni Lele. II. Title. BL2530.C9 M94 2001 299'.64—dc21

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