The Secrets of Afro-Cuban Divination

August 9, 2000
Since the 1993 Supreme Court decision that vindicated their right to practice animal sacrifice, practitioners of Santer a--or Lucum, an Afro-Cuban religion based on ancient Yoruban practices--have come out into the open. Lele's book is the most thorough print version to date of the orally transmitted oracles as they are currently practiced by American babalawos (priests) and santeros (practitioners). Joseph Murphy's Santer a: An African Religion in America (1988) and Luis Manuel N ez's Santer a: A Practical Guide to Afro-Caribbean Magic (Spring Publns., 1995) provide the necessary introduction to the traditions covered here. Lele gives traditional readings for each casting of the cowrie shells used for divination. He lists the associated proverbs, the spirits that speak, and the message, prohibitions, and subreadings for each configuration of the shells. Missing are the traditional stories associated with the various oracle readings: these are promised in a future volume. A glossary and appendixes giving examples of readings enhance the book's usefulness for practitioners, scholars, and the curious alike. Recommended for academic and public libraries.--Steve Young, Montclair State Univ., NJ

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