Osogbo: Speaking to the Spirits of Misfortune - Softcover

"I loved Osogbo. I don't say that often, or lightly; to earn such praise a book has to open up a whole new world for me, to change my point of view, to teach me something I can use daily. This is such a book. When misfortune visits your house and you wonder why, you may find enlightenment and comfort in the pages of his book. You will, if nothing else, find a great teacher." * Susan Starr, Spiral Nature, September 2014 * "Once again, Ocha'ni Lele has demonstrated his masterful grasp of an often confusing subject with clarity, compassion and wisdom; a must-read volume sure to be eagerly studied by newcomers and elders alike for generations to come. As Lydia Cabrera is to Palo Mayombe, Ocha'ni Lele is to Lucumi." * Candelo Kimbisa, host of Candelos Corner, Blog Talk Radio * "Finally we have an author willing to serve up the spiritual beauty of ancient Africa at the table of the modern world. Clearly, there is a legacy beginning to unfold." * Iyanla Vanzant, founder of Inner Visions Spiritual Institute, host of the TV show Iyanla, Fix My Lif *

Misfortune works in this world as living vibrant spirits--known in the Santeria and Lucumi faith as Osogbo--that plague humanity but are also a catalyst for self-development and conscious evolution. Beginning with the story of his goddaughter's miraculous recovery from stage IV cancer, Ocha'ni Lele explains how Osogbo tries to bring us down and how if we follow the prescriptions of the Orishas we can overcome misfortune and bring ourselves back to health and balance. Exploring the Lucumi beliefs regarding Osogbo, he shows that the Lucumi faith is neither fatalistic nor defeatist but healing and life affirming. He shares more than 40 patakis--stories stemming from the ancient Yoruba of West Africa--about the different spirits of Osogbo, who like the Orishas once walked the earth in human bodies. He explains the place of these spirits within the 256 odu of the diloggun, the divination system used in Santeria to receive guidance from the Orishas. Lele shows that the spirits of Osogbo are not only concepts but also real deities and that we can, if we understand their nature, fight them through ebo, sacrifice, and hard work. He reveals how Osogbo sees itself as one who stands against life and all that is good in the world, but in truth it is misfortune that strengthens us, misfortune that motivates us, and misfortune that brings great evolution to the world. As the author shows, "Without bitterness, one could not know sweetness." Likewise, without misfortune in our lives, we would never know blessings or what it means to be blessed.