About the author
Ócha'ni Lele is the author of a substantial body of work on Santería and the Lucumí tradition, published over more than a decade by Destiny Books, including The Diloggún: The Orishas, Proverbs, Sacrifices, and Prohibitions of Cuban Santería, Teachings of the Santería Gods: The Spirit of the Odu, and Osogbo: Speaking to the Spirits of Misfortune. Across these books, Lele works to set down oral material, myths, proverbs, and ritual instruction from the Lucumí tradition, an Afro-Cuban religious system rooted in Yoruba practice, in systematic written form. Titles range from collections of myths and stories, as in Diloggún Tales of the Natural World, to detailed manuals on ritual practice, such as Sacrificial Ceremonies of Santería and Obí: Oracle of Cuban Santería, which covers a specific coconut-based divination method. The books are aimed at initiates and serious students of the tradition rather than casual readers, given their level of ritual and doctrinal detail.
📖 Where to start with Ócha'ni Lele
💬 What our editors say about Ócha'ni Lele's books
“This is a rigorous, scholarly examination of Santería’s holiest system, meticulously detailing the families of Odu and their impact on destiny. It excels in providing practical instructions for sacrifice and purification, making…”
Esoterica Books editorial team, Occult literature desk · on The Diloggún: The Orishas, Proverbs, Sacrifices, and Prohibitions of Cuban Santería
“Ócha'ni Lele delivers a meticulous collection of over a hundred myths and histories, reassembled from oral traditions. While it illuminates the lives of celestial beings and the Odu with profound clarity, it is not a light read…”
Esoterica Books editorial team, Occult literature desk · on Teachings of the Santería Gods: The Spirit of the Odu
“Lele provides a meticulous, step-by-step guide that demystifies Santería’s sacred rites with scholarly precision. The text is particularly strong in its historical documentation of the legal struggles for religious freedom,…”
Esoterica Books editorial team, Occult literature desk · on Sacrificial Ceremonies of Santería: A Complete Guide to the Rituals and Practices
📋 Editions by Ócha'ni Lele in the catalog
| Edition | Year | Publisher | Pages | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Diloggún: The Orishas, Proverbs, Sacrifices, and Prohibition | 2003 | Destiny Books | 624 | 9780892819126 |
| Teachings of the Santería Gods: The Spirit of the Odu | 2010 | Destiny Books | 288 | 9781594773327 |
| Sacrificial Ceremonies of Santería: A Complete Guide to the Ritu | 2012 | Destiny Books | 256 | 9781594774553 |
| Diloggún Tales of the Natural World: How the Moon Fooled the Sun | 2011 | Destiny Books | 240 | 9781594774195 |
| Obí: Oracle of Cuban Santería (Original) | 2001 | Destiny Books | 192 | 9780892818648 |
| The Secrets of Afro-Cuban Divination: How to Cast the Diloggún, | 2000 | Destiny Books | 424 | 9780892818105 |
| Osogbo: Speaking to the Spirits of Misfortune | 2014 | Destiny Books | 240 | 9781620550984 |
