Blog

May 9, 2008

  • Vodou Initiation Ceremony

    Vodou Initiation
    Formally Joining the Religion through Vodou Initiation Ceremony

    A houngan or mambo will take the believer who is ready to become a full Voudouissant through initiation ceremony, where he or she will symbolically die and be reborn.  This initiation cleanses and prepares the believer to live within the new framework of the Vodou religion.  Many secrets, symbols, and crucial aspects of Vodou are imparted during initiation, and it is not to be taken lightly. (…)

April 22, 2008

  • Voodoo Derived From Civilizations Oldest Religions

    Voodoo Religion - Derivative of the World's Oldest Religions
    Voodoo is a derivative of the world's oldest known religions which have been around in Africa since the beginning of human civilization. (…)

April 18, 2008

  • Voodoo Magic - Spells, Offerings, Rituals of Vodou

    Practicing Vodou - Cleansing Baths, Candle Spells, and the Gris-gris
    The essence of Voodoo magic and spell casting is to raise spiritual powers over time through offerings, rituals, and initiations.  This may be done individually or in a group setting, which is what happens in Vodou and Santeria.  But, because of the power and intensity of the work, it is not recommended for beginners.  And most magic is reserved for Vodou initiates.  There are only a few types of rituals and spells that will be suitable for the non-initiate, and most that practice Vodou would strongly urge anyone with a genuine interest to seek further instruction with a houngan (vodou priest) or mambo (vodou preistess).  However, you can begin an interest in Vodou by taking part in cleansing baths and utilizing candle spells.  You do not have to be an initiate to use these sacred Vodou practices. (…)

April 13, 2008

  • Voodoo Altars & Shrines - How to Make a Vodou Altar

    Making a Traditional Vodou Altar
    Altars and shrines are an integral part of the Vodou tradition.  They can be private or public altars.  Public altars will be used in ceremony and ritual.  Private altars are sacred spaces through which an individual practicing Vodou can pray, or find a gateway to the invisible worlds that exist within. 
    The difference between a Vodou altar and a Vodou shrine can be defined as this: a shrine is a permanent tribute to a Loa, while an altar is temporary and created for a specific spell or magical result. 
    In Haiti, Vodou altars can take the form of the kay myste, which is from a French term meaning "house of mysteries."  The kay myste are separate buildings, like small, special houses, which are created as a place to house the spirits sacred to the altar's builder.  Like most typical Haitian art, the kay myste are created with an eye to aesthetics and are generally quite beautiful. 
    Vodou altars, both public and private, are decorated with many kinds of objects.  Most often these are images of the loa and Orisha and offerings to them.  The overall effect of the various elements on the altars create what has been called "dense opulence."  Fabrics such as lace or velvet, flowers, food, bottles or pots decorated with sequins and paint, streamers, flags and ribbons are only some of the items which may be used to create an altar.  This rich mixture of objects and Vodou symbolism, so representative of the Vodou religion itself, becomes a place where the deities interact with Vodouisants, a point of contact between the spirit and human worlds. (…)

April 9, 2008

  • Vodou Documentary - Rituals of Vodou Religious Ceremony

    Here's a wonderfully presented video snapshot of a Vodou ceremony that took place in Brooklyn, New York about a year ago.  Watch and learn about the practice of Vodou - And I think you'll enjoy the artful visual beauty of this short Vodou documentary by the photojournalist,  Stephanie Keith. (…)

April 5, 2008

  • Voodoo Spirits - The Ancestors

    The Ancestors - Spirit Worship in Haitian Voudou Tradition
    In the Haitian Vodou tradition, ancestor worship is especially important.  Adherents of Vodou consult their ancestors for protection and guidance.  Ancestors are those who have passed from this world into the world of the spirits.  Ancestors represent the intermediary step between this world and the next, and they can serve as gateways.  There are two classes of ancestors, - family members who have passed into the invisible worlds, and an ancient class of ancestors of such great importance that they have become loa. 
    This special group of spirit is called Les Gede (sometimes Les Ghedes) and Les Barons.  Like the loa, these energies of the dead manifest in ritual, called forth by the houngan and mambo,  and their behavior is often outrageous.  They may beg for money, dress in tattered clothing, or any other kind of wild behavior you can imagine.  The Gede have a unique nasal twang that is instantly recognizable in ceremony.  
    Those that practice Vodou believe that we all have the energy of the Gede embedded in our souls as ancestral knowledge.  (And science backs this up, with gene theory.)  These energies often invade ceremonies and refuse to leave until some kind of price is paid - financial or perhaps sexual.  While rousting about the ceremonies, the Gede make their presence overtly known through grabbing genitals, picking pockets (or noses!), spitting, or cursing. (…)

April 4, 2008

  • The Loa - Getting To Know the Voudou Spirits

    The Loa - Spirits of the Vodou Religion
    In the Vodou religion, there is one God who rules over all the worlds, visible and invisible.  He is known by different names in different parts of the world. 
    In Haiti he is called Bondye, which is also sometimes spelled in the French manner, as Bondieu.  This means "good God."  Bondye is a benevolent God, but the problem with him is that he so powerful and so omniscient that ordinary believers cannot access him with their prayers or problems. (…)

March 31, 2008

  • Vodou - Dispelling Misconceptions About Vodou

    Dispelling Misconceptions About Vodou
    There are many popular misconceptions about the sacred religion of Vodou.  Hollywood and the media have picked up obscure or trivial aspects of the religion and used these for their own purposes.  This is fine, but unfortunately, it is theses images that stick in people's minds.  Probably the most misunderstood aspects of Vodou are Voodoo dolls and zombies. (…)

March 17, 2008

February 4, 2008

  • Vodou - Learning Basics of Vodou

    Learn the Basics of Vodou
    Vodou is a practical religion which helps its adherents with day to day living.  To practitioners of Vodou, their gods are beings with fully developed personalities, likes and dislikes, and certain preferences in style.  The gods are called the loa, and there is a huge contingent of them—some raucous, some bawdy, some sneaky, some demure.  Vodou priests are called houngan and priestesses are called mambo.  It is through them that direct contact with the loa is made. (…)

February 3, 2008

  • The Meaning of Vodou

    Voodoo versus Vodou
    Let's learn about about the various aspects of Vodou today - the practices and beliefs of the religion, who practices and where, and Vodou’s long and fascinating history. I'm going to dissect some common myths and misconceptions of Vodou, and you’ll learn the truth about Zombies and Vodou dolls. (…)

  • Voodoo - Introduction To the Religion of Vodou

    Voodoo - The Religion of Vodou
    Mention the word Vodou, and for most people what comes to mind are Vodou dolls and Zombies. Some people even think that Vodou is associated with Satanism. (…)

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