Collects almost five hundred entries that cover the African response to spirituality, taboos, ethics, sacred space, and objects.

"Embracing Iwa Pele" delves deeply into the concept of Iwa Pele, which in Yoruba means "good character" or "gentle character." This book explores Iwa Pele's significance in Yoruba spirituality and its practical application in everyday life. Drawing on ancient wisdom and modern ideas, "Embracing Iwa Pele" provides readers with a thorough approach to developing excellent character and living a spiritually meaningful life. It examines several facets of Iwa Pele, such as respect, integrity, humility, and compassion, and shows how these values can benefit personal growth and relationships. The book encourages readers to reflect on their character development journeys through entertaining narratives, practical exercises, and thought-provoking reflections. It offers advice on how to overcome hurdles and problems along the way. It emphasizes the significance of self-awareness, self-discipline, and self-reflection in developing Iwa Pele and harmonizing with the universe's divine principles. "Embracing Iwa Pele" also covers common misconceptions and problems in character development, providing insights into how people might overcome ethical quandaries and retain moral integrity in a complex world. It emphasizes the interdependence of all beings and the importance of cultivating harmony within oneself, with others, and with divine energies. Overall, "Embracing Iwa Pele" is an excellent resource for anyone looking to expand their awareness of Yoruba spirituality, cultivate inner peace, and live a life governed by the ideals of goodness, honesty, and spiritual harmony. It is a compelling invitation to accept Iwa Pele's transformational power and embark on personal and spiritual growth.

Tracing the magical roots of "hoodoo" back to West Africa, the author provides a history of this nature-based healing tradition and offers practical advice on how to apply hoodoo magic to everyday life.

"Grasping the Root of Divine Power" clarifies the fundamental concepts used in any occult system. The work pulls mainly from West African tradition but, is brought up to date using modern examples and guides for immediate application. The rarely taught nine position OBI divination system is shared and author HRU Assaan-ANU provides an approach of implementing this ancient oracle that will intrigue the novice and advanced student of divination. "Grasping the Root of Divine Power" covers the major Orisha in the West African tradition but, also shows their modern day and cross-geographical/cultural counterparts. After reading this work you'll be able to look at avant-garde figures of notoriety, as well, as your intimate ones and immediately decipher what Orisha or cosmic archetype they spawn from. This only scratches the surface of what is imparted in this potent work.

An introduction to the spiritual source of the beliefs and practices that have so profoundly shaped African American religious traditions. Most of the Africans who were enslaved and brought to the Americas were from the Yoruba nation of West Africa, an ancient and vast civilization. In the diaspora caused by the slave trade, the guiding concepts of the Yoruba spiritual tradition took root in Haiti, Puerto Rico, Cuba, Brazil, and the United States. In this accessible introduction, Baba Ifa Karade provides an overview of the Yoruba tradition and its influence in the West. He describes the sixteen Orisha, or spirit gods, and shows us how to work with divination, use the energy centers of the body to internalize the teachings of Yoruba, and create a sacred place of worship. The book also includes prayers, dances, songs, offerings, and sacrifices to honor the Orisha.

As American-Cuban relations begin to warm, tourists are rushing to discover the throwback tropical paradise just eighty miles off of the American coast. But even as diplomatic relations are changing and the country opens up to the Western world, Cuba remains a rare and fascinating place. Cuba: A Cultural History tells the story of Cuba’s history through an exploration of its rich and vibrant culture. Rather than offer a timeline of Cuban history or a traditional genre-by-genre history of Cuban culture, Alan West-Durán invites readers to enter Cuban history from the perspective of the island’s uniquely creative cultural forms. He traces the restless island as it ebbs and flows with the power, beauty, and longings of its culture and history. In a world where revolutionary socialism is an almost quaint reminder of the decades-old Cold War, the island nation remains one of the few on the planet guided by a Communist party, still committed to fighting imperialism, opposed to the injustices of globalization, and wedded to the dream of one day building a classless society, albeit in a distant future. But as this book shows, Cuba is more than a struggling socialist country—it is a nation with a complex and turbulent history and a rich and varied culture.