At the core of the Diloggon - the sacred divination system of Santeria - are the sacred stories known as the Pataks, narratives whose themes are as powerful and relevant today as they were in the minds of the ancient Yoruba who safeguarded them.

Each Patak is connected to one or more of the 16 Odu, the principal creative forces of Santeria. Some recount the lives of orishas on earth, others the lives of individuals in heaven, and some tell of the Odu themselves, for even they once walked the earth as mortals.

The first book to explore these ancient African stories in English, Teachings of the Santeria Gods recounts more than 100 of these sacred parables, including many stories reassembled from the oral tradition of the African diaspora.

Ranging from creation myths to what happens when a love potion works far too well, these stories share the wisdom and spirituality of the Yoruba people of ancient Africa and form the living, oral bible of one of the world's fastest-growing faiths.