Obi

DIVINATION / INDIGENOUS CULTURES The Santeria, or Lucumi, faith is not a static religion but a living conduit for connecting the spirit world to our own. One of the paths to the spirits within Santeria is through a divination technique known as Obi, the coconut oracle, which gives the petitioner access to the orisha of the same name. The orisha Obi began as a mortal human who ascended to become an orisha as a reward for good deeds done on Earth, then fell from grace because of excessive pride. When he descended back to Earth, his spirit was embodied in the coconut palm. Though he no longer has a tongue, he can answer questions posed to him through the random patterns made by four pieces of coconut shell cast as a divination tool. Obi Oracle of Cuban Santeria is the first book to fully explore the patakis of Obi, the sacred body of lore surrounding him, as well as his particular rituals and customs. Hands-on divination instructions include opening considerations, specifics on casting and interpreting the basic oracle, and employing advanced methods of divination. Also explained are the previously unpublished secrets of closing the oracle properly so that any negative vibrations will be absorbed by the coconuts and permanently removed from the diviner's home. Author of The Secrets of Afro-Cuban Divination, oCHA'NI LELE has been immersed in the underground culture of Orisha worship since 1989. By 1995 he had received several initiations in both Santeria and the Congo faith Palo Mayombe and in 2000 he made Ocha and was crowned a Santeria priest. He lives in Florida.