It is our mission to offer our services to those in need of help. List of books and articles about voodoo online research library. To practice voodoo is to enter the ancient world of magik, where secret arts developed from rituals held by ancient pagans, native american tribes, haitians, and wiccans. Voodoo is an animist religion that consecrates a cult to loas gods and to the ancestorsthe cult of ancestors constitutes a system of religious beliefs and rites which are used principally to reinforce the social system as well as the dependence of the familyand at the same time, voodoo spirits, guardians, deities, or forces of nature. Random vacay goes to benin, west africa, and the home of the voodoo religion. Blackmagic voodoo spells and its various rituals are not childs play. There was heartell of scandalous orgies and rituals, which took place among the new orleans voodouists, and came about with the rise of voodoo queens, such as marie laveau, in the 19 th century. Alvarado makes this clear from the very start saying hollywood and the media are the voodoo doll spellbook was written by denise alvarado, with foreword by dorothy morrison a dear friend who also ironically wrote the foreword for my book. Nov 18, 2011 as pope benedict xvi visits benin, widely seen as the home of voodoo, the bbcs virgile ahissou explains the reality behind what is often a misunderstood religion. People were buying live chickens and goats to sacrifice. Voodoo festival in west africa photo 1 pictures cbs news. Oct 01, 2002 to practice voodoo is to enter the ancient world of magik, where secret arts developed from rituals held by ancient pagans, native american tribes, haitians, and wiccans. While it is of enormous value to rehabilitate the tarnished reputation of haitian 232 studies in religion sciences religieuses 412 downloaded from sir. Benin is the place where the voodoo, or vodu, was born and today is the official religion of the country.
Vodouisants come all together to call upon the lwa. Voodoo and vodun books, spells, dolls and supplies. Vodou rituals and ceremonies the haitian vodou religions are full of different types of rituals and ceremonies that are conducted. Application of an integrative theological method by shrum, justin and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Studies in religionsciences religieuses harvard university. Public domain although the exact origins of voodoo are unknown, it is generally agreed that this religion has its roots in west africa. As pope benedict xvi visits benin, widely seen as the home of voodoo, the bbcs virgile ahissou explains the reality behind what is often a misunderstood religion. Apart from the stunning images of this little book, i was quite appalled by its content and implications. Kamerlingbrown, more than a misunderstood religion.
Pythons, preserved skulls and voodoo ceremonies drew us from ghana to benin, the birthplace of voodoo. Voodoo rituals, world, burial, body, life, beliefs, time. While others are conducted, by houngans and mambos, for private clientel. The natural womans book of personal charms and practical rituals. Ceremonies and rituals play a large part in the practice of voodoo. Fiction and nonfiction books set completely or at least partially in benin. Then, voodoo is known to be one of the two most powerful magic with black magic, but unlike the latter, voodoo spells are totally harmless except for very few occasions for which i dont offer my services. Spiritual services houngan pa bondye magick is for me spiritual illnesses. Others had dead animals or animal parts, often on sticks, to be used in voodoo rituals.
The book is richly illustrated with the artwork of the author. In this book, you will find a plethora of authentic voodoo and hoodoo rituals for. Voodoo from haiti to new orleans environmental studies. Along with the belief in multiple gods and spiritual possession, these include. Incredible video of voodoo culture in benin youtube. As we passed through villages, the air of excitement was palpable. They are extremely strong and may be dangerous and harmful if used to harm the innocent or for any mischievously induced ambitions. Learn how to make three kinds of voodoo dolls, find over 40 spells and rituals to find love, attract wealth, offer protection, and promote healing and happiness. Oct 01, 2010 voodoo dolls, are the stuff of hollywood legend. The most well known public ceremony is the fete for lwa. Voodoo believers are most numerous in haiti, where voodoo was granted official religious status in 2003, and in benin, where the religion has had official recognition since 1996. In new orleans, the practice became mainly focused on grisgris, paraphernalia or novelties, and voodoo queens. Hers is the first book to explain what happens during voodoo rituals from both the visible and invisible perspectives.
The word voodoo comes from the fon language, spoken in benin, meaning a kind of power which is mysterious and, at the same time, fearsome. Caulder speaks candidly about karma, evolution, tantric sexual systems, sacrifice, and spirit possessions. Rediscovering vodou as a tool of survival and a vehicle for independence in colonial haiti. Both have had massive foreign assistance and investments, yet both remain impoverished. Temujin is a voodoo high priest and master spell caster with more than 27 years of experience in the practice of ancient traditonal voodoo and black magic spells and rituals. Charms and rituals to empower your life gordon, leah on. This revealing account contains graphic anthropological details of rituals and sacrifices, and includes 16 pages of color photos of the people in the book, their rituals, and practices. I have always been involved in voodoo and never had to face a backfire. In cotonou, benin s largest city, the tourist office told me to return in january, because id only see voodoo at an annual festival in ouidah offering choreographed ceremonies for benin s trickle of largely french tourists. Mark of voodoo is the story of her amazing experiences with subsaharan african voodoo the root of all voodoo including her initiation into the spiritual hierarchy as a fullfledged chief, and her romance with the supreme chief. While voodoo certainly isnt fiction here, witnessing it in action seems unlikely at first. These are only symptoms of the true problem, howeverthey are the consequences of wrong beliefs. These fetish origins of worship predate many religions by 10,000 years and keep a link of ancestry alive in west africa. First up, a spirit appears for the first time in seven years and.
Ouidah, considered the major cultural city in the west african nation of benin. Haitian voodoo religion has lots of different types of rituals and ceremonies, some are public and other ceremonies are conducted by houngans and mambos priests for private clientel. At the heart of voodoo are rituals and sacrifice, as i soon find out. Nearly half of benins population practices voodoo officially, and. Understand voodoos underlying ideas and learn to make use of its powers with illustrated instructions and exercises. Voodoo dolls in magick and ritual by denise alvarado. Learning about voodoo in benin happy days travel blog. Voodoo practitioners are mostly herbalists and wise men who use combination of herbs, barks of trees, etc. Score a books total score is based on multiple factors, including the number of people who have voted for it and how highly those voters ranked the book. List of books and articles about voodoo online research. Using voodoo to cast away hivaids in benin usually seen as a harmful atheist practice, voodoo can help prevent hivaids.
Voodoo is invested in all parts of haitian life and has a considerable. Can haiti be freed from the mental stronghold of voodoo and reach her godgiven potential. While exploring the cape coast area of ghana, we met apollo, a man with a family history in benin. Voodoo believers are most numerous in haiti, where voodoo was granted official religious status in 2003, and in benin, where the religion has had official. This book documents caulders pilgrimage to uncover vodous roots in the. We were driving down through benin on voodoo day this year. Since voodoo is primarily an oral tradition, the names of gods, as well as the specifics of different rituals, can change in different regions or from generation to generation. Traditionelles voodoo ritual in benin ouidah youtube.
He hails from a long line of ancient voodoo practitioners from 5th generation. However, african voodoo has several consistent qualities no matter where people practice it. Part ihaitian vodou caribbean history, haiitan vodou, haitian culture, lwa, voodoo i have decided to share a bit about the history and development of voodoo both in haiti and in louisiana in this first installment of a series of articles of voodoo culture and history. Voodoo began in western part of africa originally as an instrument of revenge.
Maybe you need to solve a relationship or love problem. There was the sound of drumming everywhere we went. Corruption, disease and poverty still dominate this island nation. If they are attempting to invoke a rada loa, they will conduct the ceremony in a special building hounfort which is consecrated and dedicated to benevolent purposes. Charms and rituals to empower your life leah gordon london. Vodun is an ancient religion practiced by some 30 million people in the west african nations of benin, togo and ghana. So did i until my recent trip to west africa, the birthplace of voodoo. Voodoo is more than a synthesis of different african beliefs because it incorporates significant influences from christianity. This post discusses voodoo in benin, the birthplace of the religion. On the west african coast, exploring the rituals of vodun, benins ancient. Mention the word voodoo and most people conjure images of dolls riddled with nails, and spooky witches casting spells on the innocent. Haitian vodou religion has many branches and styles of practice, much like in the way you have various types of christians, baptist, methodist, catholic, etc, yet they are all still christians. Rushs book will become a standard reference on vodunvodouvoodoo.
Jan, 2017 in voodoo, food is one of the many offerings ceremoniously given to the lwa spirits and is usually shared afterward as a communal meal. Vodun cosmology centers around the vodun spirits and other elements of divine essence that govern the earth, a hierarchy that range in power from major deities governing the forces of nature and human society to the spirits of individual streams, trees, and rocks, as well as dozens of ethnic vodun, defenders of a certain clan, tribe, or nation. Caulder details her initiation rites and many voodoo rituals as she explains a religion. Modern day benin is regarded as the birth place of this religion, and the name voodoo itself means spirit in the local fon language. Photographs of west africas vanishing voodoo rituals. Denise alvarado was born and raised in the voodoo and hoodoo rich culture of new orleans. The obeah is one of the greatest secrets of the voodoo tradition. Unblessed heads of monkeys, dogs, elephants, antelopes, goats, and gorillas, you name it, sat on display and emitted the stench of rotting flesh. In voodoo, food is one of the many offerings ceremoniously given to the lwa spirits and is usually shared afterward as a communal meal.
Here you will find information on some of the more common. Some ceremonies or rituals are offered and open to the public vodou community. Centered on the former slaving port of ouidah, benin, dana rushs research. We stopped in lome, togo, and visited the fetish market, marche des feticheurs, which offers supplies for voodoo ceremonies.
Voodoo worshipers make sacrifice at the beach during the annual voodoo festival in ouidah, benin, on jan. The rituals and ceremonies of the voodoo religion in benin. The experience is being conducted currently in benin, west africa, under the multi country hivaids project map voodoo and hivaids a v o o d o o p ri e stess in a k a s s a t. Prayer prayer is an elemental part of a voodoo ritual.
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