Lukumi in Cuba--On the Problems of Divination and Interpretation for the 2020 Letra del Año (Letter fo the Year)

I have been writing about the Letter of the Year (Letra del Año)--an annual prediction produced by the unified branches of Lukumi priests of Cuba since the 19th century. The annual divination-guidance has latrely been the joint work of the Babalawos of the different branches of the faith under the aegis of the Asociación Cultural Yoruba de Cuba.

For the last two years the process and content of the Letra del Año has proven difficult for these institutions.  In 2019, there were two predictions  that circulated early, though one was dropped within hours of its circulation (see The Orishas Speak: The 2019 Letter of the Yoruba Association of Cuba (Letra del Año para el 2019 de la Asociación Yoruba de Cuba) (Refran: "Las raíces de IFA son amargas y el fruto es dulce").

This year saw a different kind of challenge for those whose business it is to produce the annual divination-guidance for the faithful for "Cuba and the World" (to whom these Letras del Año are traditionally addressed). First, the 2020 Letra del Año was produced with a substantially minimized interpretation respecting a potentially troublesome divination-guidance (The Orishas Speak: The 2020 Letter of the Yoruba Association of Cuba (Letra del Año para el 2020 de la Asociación Yoruba de Cuba) and a Preliminbary Interpretation). Almost immediately after the production of the Letra del Año a controversy erupted in Cuba respecting a terse interpretation predicting a coup d'etat and a military government, one that the members of the Asociación were quick to contextualize in a press conference widely reported in official government media (and discussed here: "Destitución de un gobierno provocado por golpe de estado e intervención de un ejército" ["Removal of a government caused by coup d'etat and intervention of an army"]: Formal Interpretaiotn of Divination and the Political Sensitivities of States: The Ifa Letter of the Year and Political Scandal in Cuba). 

Now, via its Facebook page, the Asociación Cultural Yoruba de Cuba has distributed a more elaborate interpretation of its Letra del Año. The interpretation, a copy of which is posted below, is worth considering. Its great contribution is in the choice (among all of the oddus) of the two core oddus around the 2020 divination, one each for the dominant orishas of the year: Oschun and Obtalá.  These are meant to be the font through which an interpretation may be made and insight offered. The first of the two stories is that of "The Three Thieves and Oshun's riches." The second is the story of Obatalá and the Corrupt City." The stories are powerfully relevant.  In that respect I also found it useful as well to consider it alongside the interpretation provided  in this blog on 1 January (here). The interpretation of the Asociacón requires no comment, only the suggestion that it ought to be read.