#haitan vodou

[the-cat-and-the-birdie]

Hii ik saw me many times but i love your blog so much about hobie and Miguel i have questions have any hc hobie being west African hc of that been there since watched movie i cannot get it out

I AM GOING TO SCREAMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM AT THIS BECAUSE YES YES I CAN

(also sorry if this is kinda Yoruba centric!! cause that's the area I know the best - for reference I myself am Bajan/Quechua (West Indies - Barbados / Indigenous Peruvian))

West African!Hobie Headcanons:

And because I'll never get a chance to talk about this again I'm gonna start off with the one I love most and the one people know most about (and that is demonized - literally - the most)

Hobie and Vodou (aka VooDoo):

Yeah, I said it. Hobie can work. He got juju. He rootworks. He conjures. Whatever iteration, whatever title - if Hobie followed any religion it would either be Buddhism, which some argue that some sects can double as a moral philosophy,

-If he'd respect any religion. It'd be a Traditional African one and I'm putting money on Vodou.

[And heads up, I am not an initiate of Vodou, but I do actively practice African Traditional Spirituality (HooDoo/Rootworking) and Ancestral Worship. So take from that what you will.]

First of all - how punk would that be??? A West African religion demonized by the western world for centuries from Africa to Haiti to Louisiana - that praised ancestral worship and community first???

YES PLEASE. Some people might not really understand all of this but:

First things first, yes, he speaks Yoruba and if you call it 'Speaking African' he's going to flay you alive.

Like????? Hobie sweet talking in Yoruba??? I'll throw my self on the floor right now!!

Hobie practicing ancestor worship - and thanking all the oppressed people who gave their lives and suffered daily so he can live his life?

He'd have an altar in his house, a small one he keeps out of sight, even to Gwen.

Leaves offerings and bits of his meal on the altar. Cause he was once food insecure, but now that things are a little better, he can do that

Like even if he practiced a form of HooDoo or another sect that derives from Traditional African Spirituality (that doesn't involve initiation)

He'd want to give back to his ancestors, learn how to use natural herbs and work them, learning how to make powders, doing floor washes, sweeping a certain way

And having all of these routines related to his African spirituality that are so subtle but he thinks about always

Prays to his ancestors to give him strength when he's struggling with being Spiderpunk

BUT IMAGINE IF HE WAS INTITATED THO ????

Hobie in all white during ceremony???????

HOBIE BEING A CHILD OF SHANGO??????????

NAH THEY AINT READY FOR IT

But even so -whatever Orisha got that boy head be putting in WORK.

And you know he keeps his beads on forever and always even under the suit!!!!

And the style!!! Hobie AfroPunk?!!!

I don't know if they have this elsewhere, but in NYC there's a music festival called AfroPunk - and it's full of black artists, and black people come out in these amazing outfits - and the goal is to incorporate as much African influence as possible

HOBIE WOULD EAT THIS UP.

The inside of his vest being lined with African textile!!

He takes it off in front of you and you see that little pop of that of classic orange-gold color

You just know he's wit it!!!

And the BEADS

(He should wear beads he's royalty compared to the raggedys at HQ)

[Cough] red and white shango beads [Cough]

Imagine Hobie giving his girlfriend a coral bead bracelet too AWWW

And telling them the significance??!!

He loves a woman in a headwrap. GELE ESPECIALLY but any type

And if you wear waistbeads UMMMMMMMM

As soon as he sees it peeking from under your shirt - IT'S GAME OVER

He's gonna wanna test if they working how they supposed to IF YOU KNOW YOU KNOW.

AND The FOOD!

First of all - Hobie hates that British manners shit.

Was raised eating with his hands and loves it

He hates old white people who wanna stare cause he eats with his hands

He loves goat. Not me projecting he LOVES goat.

He really appreciates rice based dishes because they can fill you up - and you can't just buy them anywhere

Prefers Waakye to Jollof Rice but still loves Jollof

With FUCK UP some Fufu if he can get it

I say he eats standing up so he's just there at his kitchen counter eating Fufu and the most random shit in his fridge???

Like he'll be eating left over KFC with fufu - like what are you doing??? Thats - not a meal bro

He loves Okra (ew nasty ass) and he'll eat it all the time.

Especially fried okra but okra soup is cool too he's fine with that

His fried plantains go INSANE. They go SO HARD. They're to die for

He always picks the sweetest ones and it cooks them till they're all caramelized and shit YUMMMMM

(can you tell I like my plaintains sweet and soft cause I DO)

Extra Headcanons

He was not playing that when Gwen first came over - as soon as she stepped on the houseboat with shoes he was like "Girl-"

The first time Peter B. heard him speaking Yoruba he went "Wow, Hobie, Your Nigerian is great!"

Hobie, who already hates Peter B, looked at him like he was the dumbest mfer on earth like

'Right, and you speak American, right? Fucking bellend. I hate you. 'Nigerian'. It's Yoruba.'

(He's only saying that cause he hates Peter personally and wants him to have a bad day)

Meanwhile Gwen was nice enough to just ask "What language is that?" (The correct way to do it, do not assume language names like Peter)

First time he went over to Peter B.'s place (on Gwen's insistence), Mary-Jane accidentally swept over his feet before setting her purse on the floor

and in the moment he knew he had to leave.

He's a streetkid, but since he's in the neighborhood so much he has like 45 different women he calls auntie - and they make sure he has good food to eat because 'you are so skinny! you need to eat more.'

He does that auntie shit where you're walking with him and you see someone you know and now they're in a long ass conversation

Or when he says 'goodbye' then stands by the door having a conversation and you're standing there in your coat like....'fam are we out or not cause i can sit back down'.

He always goes to meet the elders of whatever house he's in to introduce himself, very respectful of black elders and enjoys helping old the older black folk in his neighborhood.

He enjoys giving them respect and hearing their stories, helping around the house. Plus he gets great food out of it

ANNDD That's all of them I think!! Sorry if any of these were off the mark - a lot of these are from personal things I know about West Africa and things learned through Spirituality. I hope I got everything okay!

Thanks for this by the way I LOVE Hobie and culture you know he'd be SO proud!!

[If you've read this far - maybe take some time out to learn a bit about African religions - they're beautiful practices (open to black people - we're worshipping black ancestors) - but you can still learn about them and understand how modern culture often demonizes these types of religions. If anything, I hope you learned a little from this! Hoodoo, Vodun (VooDoo), and Santeria (Latino witchcraft) are not scary, dark practices!] And because I spoke about spirituality, imma put this here cause DO not be playing yknowwhatimean

🧿

[rockofeye]

have you seen the post going around of a white girl that supposedly died after trying to summon papa legba? there was also a version with a correction, saying it was baron instead. the story goes she posted on facebook about summoning, and was announced dead afterwards. Any thoughts?

Hi,

I saw that today and my take on things like that is that it all should be taken with a grain of salt. Like, a lot of grains. A whole mountain. It's already an internet meme and it seems like people are hassling this girl's family and saying they spoke to Legba and Legba said a thing....it's messy.

It's entirely possible to get yourself in trouble trying to put your hands into things you are not empowered to deal with. There are real consequences when you bring or try to bring the lwa into something, and the folks who have the power to do that work and mediate difficult situations are the ones who have been through the djevo and made the requisite sacrifices.

It is also equally possible to go to a spiritual worker and get bad advice or to have them speak on things they don't have the right to speak on, and get yourself in trouble that way.

Do I think one of the lwa decided that she needed to die for pounding on their door real loud or for taking the advice of someone who didn't know what they were talking about?

Very unlikely. The lwa tend to be way more patient than their servants are and are much more likely to ignore someone then expend the energy to off them.

If indeed she messed with something spiritual that got her in trouble, it was most likely something that was happy to be called by the name of a spirit, and she never would have known the difference. One of the reasons legitimate priests hit so hard on 'you learn from teachers' is because a book can't teach you how to discern whether a spirit is lying and the internet cannot give you the ritual license to demand a spirit (of any sort) behave equitably or leave.

People are very eager to assign the lwa vengeance and outright bloodthirst, and that's human projection and human desire. Any priest who has been around for a minute can name ten different situations where the lwa literally or metaphorically held a knife to someone's throat and that person did not die. Sometimes death is just death, or sometimes it's something more...but that's not going to be discerned on the internet.

So...take that as you will.

[rockofeye]

Koki lanmè m!

.

[3nd0fr3gss]

✌🏻Closed V.S. Open Practices✌🏻

@3nd0fr3gss

Closed practices are something to be very careful with in spirituality. Not only is something being closed a reason not to practice it if you aren’t a part of its group, but is also a reason to help keep that closed practice sacred to its group.

Here are some examples of CLOSED practices:

-Native American

-Native African

-Saami

-Sikhism

-Hoodoo

-Voodoo (but this is dependant on the group)

-Haitan Vodou

-Polynesian Religions (including Hawaiian)

-Rastafarianism

-Armenian Polytheism

-Indigenous Religions

Here are some examples of commonly known CLOSED practices:

-White Sage

-Smudging

-Spirit Animals

-Dreamcatchers

Closed practices are closed for a reason. It is NOT discrimination for someone who is a part of the group of a closed practice telling you that what you are doing is a closed practice of a group that you are not a part of. Please respect this, and don’t try to turn yourself into the victim. For ages, these cultures have become the center of what I will call here impersonation of culture. For example, remember when dreamcatchers were all over the place at farmer’s markets? The reason they’re a bit harder to find now from non native run stores is because dreamcatchers are a closed practice.

Remember, respect costs you nothing.

[americangodstalk]

Cultural backgrounds: Anansi

Anansi is a popular folktale character and cultural hero. He is from Ghana, originating from the tales of the Akan people. He quickly got a good place in the Ashanti mythology and his legends spread across all of West Africa, and then into the Caribbean folklore.

Sometimes called Kwaku Anansi, Kompa Nanzi or Nancy, Anansi is described as both a spider (Anansi meaning “spider” in the Akan language) and a humanoid being – his depictions ranging from fully human-looking or completely spider-like to hybrids such as a spider with human face and clothes or a man with eight limbs. He is often described as having a family: he has a wife, that bears different names according to the sources, and several sons (Ntikuma, his first-born son, Tikelenkelen, his big-headed son, Nankonhwea, his son with spindly necks and legs, and Afudohwedohwe, his big bellied son). Some story also tells of Anansewa, the beautiful daughter of Anansi that he tries to wed to the most profitable parties.

Anansi is a famous trickster, renowned for his ruses, his cunning, his talent at making speeches and his skills as an orator. The Akan consider him an Abosom (equivalent to the Yoruba orishas and Vodun loas). The Abosoms are in the Akan spirituality powerful spirits, akin to lesser gods, that helped shape the world and are a link between the mortal, earthly beings and the supreme entity that is Nyame, the Sky Father. Anansi is said to be either the son of Nyame and Asase Ya, the Earth Mother, or merely their servant and messengers. However, Anansi never received any intense worship and his divine nature was never put forward by the Akan, who felt that his role as a cultural figure and folklore hero was much more useful than his religious aspect.

Among the many legends about Anansi, two stick out the most because they each explain one of Anansi’s role in the world.

The first story explains that in the beginning the world was story-less, for all of them were kept in a box by Nyame, the Sky Father. Anansi thought the world was boring and thus went up at the top of the universe to meet with Nyame and ask from him the box of stories. Nyame, impressed that Anansi managed to reach him with his silk strings, agreed to give him the stories in exchange for the capture of extremely dangerous creatures, such as the Python, the Leopard and the Hornets. Anansi managed to capture all these deadly beings through ruses and tricks, and Nyame gave him the box. That is why today Anansi is considered the master of all stories in the world and the patron of storytellers.

The second story says that a long time ago, the clever Anansi craved for more intelligence,and set out on a quest to collect all of the knowledge in the world. Then he put all of this wisdom into a jar (or a calabash) and decided to keep it all for himself. Searching a safe place to hide his treasure, he chose to put it on top of a high tree. He tried several times to climb the tree while holding the jar, or tying it to his belly, to no use. Anansi hadn’t noticed that his son, Ntikuma, had secretly followed him, curious about what his father may be doing. When Ntikuma suddenly shouted at Anansi that to carry the pot all up to the tree, he had to carry it on his back, Anansi got a shock due to the surprise.

Here the story splits in two popular versions. In the first one, Anansi, surprised, let the jar out of his hand, and it crashed on the ground. Immediately, a storm came and its rain washed all of the world’s wisdom away in the river. Anansi, angry at his son, chased him under the rain until he realized that having all the world’s wisdom was not useful if you still needed the help of a child to do things right, and forgave Ntikuma. The other version rather has Anansi following his son’s advice, and climbing on the top of the tree with the jar, only to conclude the same thing as in the other version. He then threw the jar himself onto the ground, so that the wisdom would be free to spread in the world. This story explains why Anansi isn’t merely considered as a clever and cunning trickster, but also as a “wise” figure and the one who offered knowledge and wisdom to the world. (Some like to claim that the box of stories of Nyame and the jar of wisdom of Anansi are one and the same [1]).

But these are just two of Anansi’s many stories. Another one tells of how he created the first inanimate human body, another speaks of him as the one who brings rain in the mortal world and causes the floods. He is also considered the one who taught human how to plow and sow. A legend says he created the sun, the moon and the stars and thus was responsible for days and nights[2], and another explains that he helped Owia the Sun, youngest son of Nyame, to gain his father’s role as the chief of the world, against his two older brothers Esum the Night and Osrane the Moon, and that for his services Anansi became Nyame’s personal messenger. A last tale explains that when all of the animals in the world fought over who was the oldest, Anansi won the argument because he explained that, when his father died, he had to bury him in his own head, for the earth didn’t exist back then.

Fittingly for Anansi, master of storytelling, his survival and the spread of his popularity across the globe was due to him being part of an oral culture – unwritten traditions and stories that spread from mouth to ear in all of the western African continent before going over to the Caribbean Islands, and then the New World. Indeed, when slaves were brought over from the Caribbean and the African continent to the Americas, they told each other the stories of Anansi – the “anansesem” or “spider tales” in the Ashanti language, a specific genre of tales for children centered around the Spider adventures. Since most of these stories told of a little, weak spider turning the table on powerful oppressors through his cunning and his tricks, Anansi quickly became a symbol of resistance and survival during the slavery era – and telling his tales was a way for the slaves to keep their original identity and culture alive.

However, this transition from the Old World to the New World modified Anansi’s characterization. While in America he became a classical hero to admire, imitate and follow, originally Anansi wasn’t a paragon of moral virtues. He was a flawed character and while his stories often showed him as, indeed, the winner or the survivor of a world turned against him, sometimes Anansi brought unfortunate events upon himself or the world due to his own vices – the “anansesem” were entertaining and instructive, yes, but also a warning against how avarice and selfishness could be our own undoing.  

For example, a story explains how Anansi, supposed to find Nyame a wife among a village of beautiful maidens, decided to take all of them as his own wives without any of them for Nyame, and when the Sky Father “stole back” all of Anansi’s wives for his personal harem, the Spider unleashed all of the sicknesses existing upon the world as a way to get his revenge. Another explains that Anansi one day received meat from Death itself to feed his family. However, upon seeing that Death had endless supplies of meat (for everything living in this world belongs to Death), Anansi became greedy and stole from Death. Death, angry, followed Anansi back to punish him and while the Spider evaded it, he still brought mortality into the world of the living. A last story explains how Anansi announced to all the animals that Gun, the personification of firearms, their deadly archenemy, was dead and invited them to his funeral. What the animals didn’t know was that in fact, Gun wasn’t dead, and Anansi had borrowed him from the Hunter – thus, once all the animals were reunited, Anansi killed them all and then took their bodies to his home so that he may feast on them.

Anansi was included into the Haitan Vodou as a Gede Lwa. The Lwa or Loa, falsely called “gods” of vodou, are powerful spirits forming an in-between stage between the mortal creatures and the supreme being, while the Gede were a specific family of Loa associated with death, the afterlife and funerals. As a Loa Gede, Anansi was supposed to establish or facilitate the link between the living and their deceased ancestors. [3]

[msamba]

How 'voodoo' became a metaphor for evil

How ‘voodoo’ became a metaphor for evil

‘Voodoo’ has come to represent something evil when it appears in popular culture. ‘Black magic’, witchcraft – it’s always portrayed as something to be feared. But in reality, Vodou, as it’s correctly written, is an official religion practised by millions of people. Why has it been vilified for so long? Josh Toussaint-Strauss looks back over the history of Haitan Vodou and Louisiana Voodoo, which…

[rockofeye]

Hey, so I bet this is cool for witchcraft and pagan stuff, but it's absolutely not cool for Haitian Vodou. The lwa very much care about what you give them: the wrong color, the wrong lead/herb, the wrong food, or the wrong word can create a lot of mess and a LOT of offense. Like, there are lwa who are so particular about what food they get or how they get it that, if you give them the wrong thing, an average reaction would be to leave and not come back. If you get it wrong, they don't come or, even worse, they choose not to listen. Your intent won't save you, nor will it make them happy.

And that brings me to my favorite song and dance combo: the lwa and their religion, Haitian Vodou, are not open for the taking. You can't just light a candle and say you're invoking a lwa because it doesn't work like that. The religion is passed person to person, not website to website. It is a complete religion and does not mix elements from other religions or spiritual practices, and it has regleman, which are rules and guidelines as to how it's practiced. It's not done by feel or our desire, it's done how the lwa and our teachers give it to us.

take your craft seriously, but don’t lose your mind over not having the exact ingredients, not knowing the exact words, et cetera. take it from me, a root worker who has been practicing for years - who learned from my mother, who learned from her mother, et cetera on down the line. 

the spirits, the dead, the lwa, the universe, the deities and the faeries; they’re not checking to make sure you bought the right colour candle, that you have the exact herb, that you used this speech from 1642 verbatim. it’s about your intent that you’re sending out. it’s about your meaning, your thoughts, your energy and vibes. if you mean the casting with all your heart, and you’re sending it as best as you can, that’s what matters.

now, should you do what you can? absolutely. definitely get the right herbs, candles, crystals, cloths, what have you, when you can and when it’s feasible. but the craft is about you, not your belongings. it helps to have the best tools for the job, it can make your casting easier and make your casting more effective, but it’s all about you.

you don’t have to be rich to be a witch.

[vudutarot]

STOP ASKING PALEROS FOR NGANGAS!!!!.

Let's give you a reality check. Everybody can't and shouldn't be scratched. Everyone can't and shouldn't have an nganga. It has to do a lot with ancestry, path and energy.

1) ANCESTRY - palo is a bantu way of working with spirits meaning people of bantu origin worked that way. NOT BLACK PEOPLE, NOT ALL MELANENATED PEOPLE, BANTU. There are a lot of different bantu tribes and they each did different things in terms of preparation of fetishes, how they handled their dead and even divination techniques. Even in bantu tribes, not everybody was an Nganga/Mganga. It was a title given based on initiation and training.

BUT WHY ARE SO MANY LATINOS IN IT? Believe it or not, latin americans got more bantu slaves than USA, they were christianized by portuguese first and they have a longer history with the portugese and spanish than the dutch, french and english. SO, there are more cubans and brazilians walking around with bantu ancestors than the typical african american. Again, not every descendant is initiated.

BUT WHY ARE WHITE PEOPLE IN IT? There are always exceptions, who the hell knows who white americans had sex with back in the day. A lot will have some brown people, if you shake that family tree. Plus money talks especially in cuba, mexico and USA.

PALO IS ONLY ONE WAY OF WORKING BANTU SPIRITUALITY SPLIT OVER DIFFERENT BRANCHES CALLED RAMAS

Hoodoo and umbanda are bantu derivative practices that work with just the techniques or spirit guides of bantu (and other groups) origin. There are also bantu spirits in haitan vodou and techniques in Makaya secret societies. However, when you look at priests in ghana, senegal, togo and benin, these "techniques" look similar more now than originally.

2) PATH- every potential palero has to be checked by a qualified palero through a reading to see if this is even something in your spiritual path, then you are given a registro to see if you can initiate in that rama or house. Again, money should not be a factor, but guess what even the spirits want to get fed sometimes. Just because someone will initiate you doesn't mean, they will train you, doesn't mean they won't use you as an atm or a power source.

NKISI ARE NOT OMNISCIENT ALL BENEVOLENT SPIRITS, SOME RAMAS DON'T EVEN WORK WITH MPUNGO (THE BANTU FORCES OF NATURE) JUST THE NFUMBE (THE SPIRIT OF THE DEAD PERSON IN THE NGANGA/VESSEL)

SO A RANDOM DEAD PERSON CAN SAY ANYTHING.

REALITY CHECK: STOP THINKING JUST BECAUSE A PALERO TOLD YOU COULD POSSIBLE BE A PALERO THAT YOU ARE CHOSEN.

3) ENERGY - Everyone has a different capacity for working with different types of energies based on their soul, ancestors, spirit guides, gifts,etc. SOME PEOPLE WILL NEVER DISPLAY PSYCHIC OR SPIRITUAL GIFTS IN THIS LIFETIME. SOME PEOPLE WILL NEVER BE MEDIUMS. SOME PEOPLE WILL NEVER BE PRIESTS. This is determined at birth. THERE ARE LEVELS IN PALO. PAYING DOESN"T DETERMINE YOUR LEVEL. IN FACT, IF YOU GET INITIATED PAST THE LEVEL YOU ARE DESTINED, IT CAN CAUSE YOU PROBLEMS, AND MAYBE EVEN FUCK YOU UP. PALO IS NOT FORGIVING, YOU CANT TRICK THESE SPIRITS. YOUR OWN PALO SPIRITS ARE ALLOWED TO KILL YOU IF YOU BREAK YOUR PACTS. THIS IS CORE CONCEPT OF AN NKISI, A CONTRACT WITH A SPIRIT. THE REAL NGANGA IS THE PRIEST, THE TATA or YAYA/I.

STOP ASKING PALEROS TO MAKE YOU AN NGANGA, I SAY PALEROS BECAUSE IN MOST RAMAS WOMEN CANNOT MAKE/BUILD THEM, SOME DON'T EVEN LET THEM RECEIVE ONE AND IF THEY DO IT'S LIMITED TO FEMALE NKISI. THERE ARE OUTLIERS BUT SOME DON"T RECEIVE THEM UNTIL MENSTRUATION STOPS.

EVERY RAYAMIENTO NEEDS A YAYA THERE. IF SOMEONE IS TRYING TO SCRATCH YOU WITH ONLY ONE GENDER PRESENT, IT IS NOT AN INITIATION, THEY PLAN TO DO A SHOW AND FUCK YOU UP.

AND A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE GETTING FUCKED UP EVEN WITH TATAS WHO KNOW WHAT THEY ARE DOING, CUTTING CORNERS TO REDUCE COSTS.

NOT EVERYONE GETS TO BE A TATA!! THERE ARE LEVELS OF TATA!! NOT EVERY TATA WILL HAVE A PRENDA!! NOT EVERY TATA WILL HAVE A PRENDA TO SCRATCH YOU ON!! NOT EVERY TATA CAN BUILD AN NGANGA! NOT EVERY PALERO IS ALLOWED TO SCRATCH YOU!

SO NO, A NON-INITITATE IS NOT GETTING A PRENDA/NGANGA

[rockofeye]

Today, in the midst of all this craziness, I give thanks. A handful of years ago, this was the day I sat down at my table for a small service for my beloved Ogou. I was preparing for kanzo and was just a few months away, and I was nowhere near ready. I didn't have what I needed and I had no idea how to get it, and I knew I was in trouble. I had made a promise and breaking promises to the lwa is Bad News, especially so close to the intended event.

So, I sat down with Ogou on his feast day and told him that I knew I was in trouble, that I wanted to fulfill my promise, and that I would do whatever he told me to make it happen.

When we pray and ask from our hearts, they listen and act accordingly.

Two weeks later, I packed what I could of my apartment into my car and abandoned the rest to live in the tiniest rented room close to my job. I quit my job a month and a half later because the lwa said that was the only way kanzo could happen since I needed to cash out my vacation time. Two days before I left the country for a month, I found out I had to leave my tiny rented room, and so I moved what belongings I could into a friend's basement and then sold my car.

My flight to Haiti was to be at 9AM on a Saturday. At 6AM, I still had wet laundry so that got left behind too. I went to Haiti with my suitcases and no home and no job, with no idea what was waiting for me.

It is the biggest leap of faith I have ever made at the hardest point in my life, without knowing what was waiting for me on the other side. I prayed my way through it like a fumbling child and did as I was told, and it is the best decision I have ever made.

Today, I give thanks at the feet of Ogou who made all those sacrifices possible and who fought beside me while I fought for my life. I lit the match and he was the fire who burned everything to ash so something new could grow.

Le m rete m sonje Ogou Feray, map konsole map pran kouraj o!

[afrocentric-divination]

So i was talking to a white witch about Haitan Vodou and they were promoting that white people should be able to practice it, after a long dicussion their conclusion to my points were "i hate white people" and that it's basically okay to summon the ancestors of oppressed people by the oppressors because "not all white people have oppressive ancestors"

If those white people have ancestors that weren't oppressive (which is possible but very unlikely), then there is a chance they came from across the sea on their own and not with Columbus and them, meaning their people came from europe, and there are plenty of religions there. And even if they’re ancestors lived through slavery times and never bought a slave, that still doesn’t give them the right to practice. White people always try to twist things so that it can be ok in their eyes to do whatever they want.

In conclusion, remember white witches, 🗣Just because you contact your ancestors does not mean it is vodou 🗣and 🗣Don’t contact our ancestors, they are not your ancestors, they are ours🗣

(White witches also forget that our ancestors are petty, they will listen to you and say hi and all that, and then fuck your shit up. Don’t try it)

[rockofeye]

While something popularly written about and, in very few cases enshrined as an almost pop culture reference in some pieces of the Haitian Vodoy community, the theory/rumor the Gran Brigit/Manman Brigit is related to or derived from or really is St Brigid falls from one source that is widely known as deeply problematic and outright fraudulent, and likely made it up as both a religious Mary Sue and a way to draw in folks curious about Vodou who were coming from neopaganism.

There is no history of Irish indentured servants on the island of Hispaniola, at all. The island was colonized by the French and Spanish, back and forth, with some sideline American action in there. The British monarchy was the colonial power dealing in Irish indentured servants, and they had no foothold on Hispaniola. The historical trope of Irish indentured servants gets brought up a lot, likely as a mechanism of trying to create an equality of suffering that historically did not exist. The colonial powers on the island had no need of indentured servants that would have had to be granted land, be paid, and treated reasonably well. They had plenty of enslaved Africans to do all that work for nothing.

Similarly, Gran Brigit is not presented as white. The lwa who embody death, such as Brigit and her husband Bawon Samdi, can often appear pale because they are dead, but they are not white. Some spirits do portray themselves as white or white-passing for many reasons, with many of them being some of the most well-known spirits in the religion; Damballah Wedo, Agwe Tawoyo, Ezili Freda, Ogou Sen Jak, and others. Lwa who often appear with very light or white skin are often lwa who are considered to be or descend from royalty, are largely 'cool', who are concerned with cleanliness and purity. Brigit does not really fit that mold.

Brigit also does not dance or do much of anything in possession. As she is the embodiment of death when she arrives in her chwal, she is laid out as death is; she lays still on the ground wrapped in a shroud with her jaw tied closed, cotton placed in her nostrils, and occasionally her face powdered to give the pallor of death. The family of Gede are the elevated dead who dance; the banda is theirs, as is piman (peppered rum...we joke that it is Haitian tear gas, but it is called piman) and they are who engage in lascivious behavior. Brigit (who prefers sweet drinks) and the family of spirits called Bawon are dead serious (literally). They are the implacability of death, the dug grave, the finality that we all face.

'Tis the season to check your sources on death and the dead in Haitian Vodou!

Maman Brigitte is the only white spirit of the Vodou Lwa. From a folklore perspective she became a part of Vodou through indentured Irish women sharing their stories of St. Brigid who is a very obvious christianization of the Celtic goddess Brigid.

From a metaphysical perspective the goddess Brigid continued to be worshiped as St. Brigid. She then immigrated with the Irish to Haiti & the US. She married Baron Samedi, the chief Lwa of death.

For me as a person of predominantly Celtic decent steeped in the black community I’m very drawn to Maman. Learning more about Maman is helping to learn more about myself, my heritage, & where my place is in the scheme of things.

[haitilegends]

CAROLE '' MAWOULE '' DÉMESMIN Carole Demesmin défend les valeurs de la culture traditionnelle du pays qui l’a vue naître : Haïti. A travers l’art, la musique et la peinture en tête, elle se bat ardemment pour transmettre la culture traditionnelle d’Haïti à la nouvelle génération. Elle travaille d’ailleurs énormément avec les jeunes afin que se valorise davantage la culture locale fortement ancrée dans les traditions africaines teintées par endroits de couleur caribéenne. Née à Léogâne, Carole passe pourtant une bonne partie de son enfance à Port-au-Prince. Adolescente, elle embarque pour les Etats-Unis pour poursuivre ses études secondaires à Boston. C’est durant cette même période qu’elle entame sa carrière de chanteuse, au sein du groupe « Haïti Culturelle ». Elle entame ainsi une longue carrière artistique qui se poursuit jusqu’aujourd’hui. Quelques années plus tard, elle commence à enseigner la culture haïtienne, la danse, les chansons du répertoire folklorique haïtiens aux jeunes enfants de Boston. En 1976, épaulée par le grand pianiste haïtien Gerdes Fleurant, Carole intègre une des écoles de musique les plus renommées de Boston : le « Berkeley College Of Music ». Elle y a d’ailleurs acquis d’autres aptitudes artistiques durant ses études. Infatigable, Carole entreprend également des études en peinture -sa première passion- au réputé « Massachusetts College of Art ». Dans la foulée, elle collabore avec le poète compositeur Jean-Claude Martineau et sort son premier album intitulé Carole Mawoule. Les textes et musiques de ce album écrit par Martineau l’a définitivement mise en orbite. L’hommage rendu, en 1978, à la grande vocaliste des années 1930, Lumanne Casimir, a popularisé Carole auprès d’un public de tous âges, tant en Haïti que dans les communautés Haïtiennes d’outre-mer. Des contemporains de Lumane Casimir y avaient vu un hommage doublement mérité vu, selon eux, le rapprochement étonnant du timbre de voix des deux chanteuses pourtant séparées de trois générations. Toujours encadrée par la plume de Jean-Claude Martineau, Carole sort son deuxième album, Minrara, en 1983. Encensé par la critique, le projet est récompensé et remporte d’ailleurs le prix de l’album de l’année dans la communauté haïtienne aux Etats-Unis et en Haïti. Cet album lui permet de partir en tournée -notamment aux États-Unis et en Europe- et de rappeler à son public l’importance de l’influence des principes hérités des rites africains en Haïti. En chantant particulièrement en créole, Carole Demesmin entend développer le sentiment de conscience nationale par rapport à la langue, tout en célébrant la culture traditionnelle haïtienne et son histoire. Parallèlement à la musique, elle entame un long voyage spirituel. Durant treize ans, guidée par le Ati Daagbo Max Beauvoir, elle suit une formation qui l’amène à comprendre et maîtriser les traditions spirituelles héritées d’Afrique. A la fin de cette initiation Vodou, elle accédé au rang de Manbo (prêtresse) -en 1984. Plus tard, elle suivra également une formation de sage-femme. En 1987 sort son troisième opus, Lawouze, enregistré pendant la période de son initiation Vodou. Supportée par ses amis musiciens et poètes dont, René Philoctète, Paula Clermont Pean, Tiga, Ronald Derenoncourt,Henry Celestin. Andre Azemar, Jean Michel Clermont, Ralph Boncy, Claude Marcelin, Raoul Denis Jr, Mushi et Joel Widmaer, Robert Denis, cet album marque un virage vers des sonorités et des paroles ancrées dans la culture traditionnelle haïtienne. Une nouvelle fois, une énorme tournée s’en était suivi sur des scènes d’Amérique du Nord et d’Europe. A côté de ses concerts de chants, elle organise des évènements, tels que le « Festival Anacaona a Leogane » ou encore le « Tom Tom Fest a Jeremie ». En collaboration avec feu Jean-Claude Garoute, dit Tiga, Dr Symphar Bontemps, elle a été l’instigatrice du Mouvement Drapeau Culturel National dont l’objectif est de promouvoir l’enseignement de l’histoire d’Haïti et ses authentiques valeurs culturelles aux jeunes de tous les départements géographiques du pays. Elle s’investit également aux Etats-Unis, où des ateliers de réflexions ont été mis en place en vue d’encourager les enfants d’origines haïtiennes à se rapprocher de leur culture -notamment dans les universités de Floride et du Vermont. Elle met également sur pied des cours destinés aux haïtiens désirant se reconnecter avec leur culture et le Vodou de leurs pères. Le 20 avril 1990, elle est présente à` New York sur le Pont de Brooklyn pour manifester avec plus de 100.000 compatriotes haïtiens et sur la scène du Brooklyn Collège avec le génial chanteur et compositeur Ansy et Yole Derose dans leur grand spectacle « FDA ou anraje », une manifestation culturelle contre le gouvernement américain, et plus particulièrement contre la FDA – Food and Drink Administration- qui avait interdit à tous les haïtiens de donner leur sang. Motif ? Les haïtiens sont, plus que tout autre peuple, porteurs de la maladie du Sida. Et à ce titre, les laisser donner leur sang représente un énorme risque sanitaire. Ce rassemblement est le plus important recensé depuis l’enterrement de Martin Luther King en 1968. Il réunit les haïtiens vivant aux Etats-Unis, mais aussi beaucoup d’afro-américains –notamment le révérend Jesse Jackson- et d’autres sympathisants venus marquer leur soutien au peuple haïtien. Après d’autres manifestations à travers le pays, Washington reviendra sur sa décision d’interdire aux haïtiens de donner leur sang à la fin de l’année 1990. En 1999, Carole préside une série de conférences sur la culture haïtienne destinées aux haïtiens vivants aux États-Unis et aux afro-américains. Cette même année, elle revient à la musique et sort son quatrième album, "Carole Bel Congo", qu’elle produit avec le grand compositeur et arrangeur Pierre Rigeau Chery. Mais son combat ne s’arrête pas à la chanson. En effet, poussée par son désir de prouver son amour pour sa communauté, elle décide de mettre ses talents spirituels et médicinaux au service de jeunes handicapés en Floride. L’année 2001 a marqué un tournant important dans la vie de Carole. Pour marquer ses vingt-deux ans de carrière, elle a réuni sur la scène du grand Hôtel Fontaine Bleu de Miami Beach, tous les artistes qui l’ont soutenue depuis le début sa carrière. C’était l’occasion pour elle de présenter le troisième drapeau culturel haïtien en Floride. Les années qui suivent ramènent Carole à son combat de toujours : la sauvegarde de la culture traditionnelle haïtienne. Elle met en place des séminaires destinés aux haïtiens-américains désireux de découvrir ou redécouvrir leurs racines culturelles. Mais l’évènement marquant, c’est surtout la création de l’organisation sans but lucratif supporté par un groupe d'artistes basés à New York : Michael Brudent, Gina Samson, Maryse Edouard, Dominique Volcy, Mario Baptiste, Ulrick Jean-Pierre, Michael Grahm, Ricles Garcia, Patricia Brintel, Paula Pean, Jean Claude Martineau, Jean Marie Eliscard, Joseph Moise, Darly Raphael, Pierre Richard Lespes, Roland Magloire, Dorcely III, Josselyn Joseph, Jerry Georges, Jean Guillot, Annel Stephan Nogaisse, Yvon Nicolas. La United Haitan Artists (UHA) propose l’éducation et le partage des racines de la culture folklorique haïtienne à travers le monde. Elle organise également des conférences et des séminaires, ainsi que des concerts permettant à des artistes haïtiens de démontrer toute l’étendue de leur talent en dehors de leurs frontières. Fort logiquement, elle crée son label, The Rainbow Of Yawe, dont le but est encore et toujours d’offrir une meilleure exposition médiatique aux artistes issus de son pays natal. Carole, jamais fatiguée, continue, par l’art, de promouvoir à tout prix ses racines culturelles. Elle expose des toiles de l’époque précolombienne au Musée Martin Luther King à New York. Pour la première fois, elle s’essaye en tant que comédienne dans le film Life outside of Pearl faisant la promotion du « lifestyle » haïtien aux Etats-Unis. Avec son association U.H.A, elle crée les Zepi Mayi Award, qui récompensent les pionniers et tous ceux qui combattent pour la mise en valeur de la culture et de la musique haïtienne. En 2009, elle redouble d’efforts ! A Chicago tout d’abord, où elle crée un comité avec différentes organisations pour soutenir le projet humanitaire de rouvrir l’hôpital de Sainte-Croix dans sa ville natale Leogane. Ensuite, elle demande au gouvernement de reconnaître deux dates très importantes pour le peuple haïtien : le 14 août, jour où ses ancêtres ont fait le serment de « Vivre libres ou de mourir » ; le 5 décembre, jour traditionnellement dédié à Christophe Colomb et qui devrait en fait l’être pour les Tainos, Arrawaks et les Caraïbes qui furent massacrés par les espagnols. Toujours en Haïti, elle encourage la création de constructions sociales qui doivent changer l’image traditionnelle du ghetto, tout en veillant à une meilleure qualité de vie, en termes de style de vie, d’éducation et de soins de santé. Cette même année, presque anecdotique, Carole fête déjà ses trente ans de carrière musicale lors d’un événement où elle en profite encore pour rendre hommage à son peuple. Le 22 novembre 2009, la « Haitian Artists Assembly of Massachusetts », en collaboration avec des officiels de la ville de Boston, lui rend le plus grand hommage pour ses 30 ans de lutte et d'engagement sur la scène culturelle défendant le nom d’Haïti. Une trentaine de trophées lui ont été décernés ainsi qu’un certificat signé du maire consacrant la date du 22 Novembre comme le « jour de Carole Demesmin ». Le 12 janvier 2010, la vie de Carole bascule. En effet, son île est terriblement frappée par un séisme ayant dévasté les vies et les biens de plusieurs centaines de milliers de ses compatriotes. L’immense médiatisation de cette tragédie ainsi que les mouvements d’aide arrivant de tous les secteurs venus de l’extérieur n’ont pas empêché Carole de s’investir corps et âme pour un autre combat. Elle convainc des grands groupes financiers d’investir en Haïti afin de reconstruire le pays et d’en faire un pays attractif pour les touristes. Lors d’une tournée européenne l’année suivante, elle contacte différents organismes ainsi que des gens issus de la diaspora haïtienne pour les convaincre d’investir en Haïti. Jusqu’à aujourd’hui, Carole Démesmin aura consacré sa vie à la défense de la culture de son pays et aura travaillé ardemment à la sauvegarde des valeurs traditionnelles haïtiennes. Elle est d’ailleurs impliquée dans diverses associations. Par exemple « Ti Moun Lakay », qui s’implique dans la création de centres pour jeunes en vue de reconstruire un espoir culturel dans chaque grande ville en utilisant l’art moderne comme outil d’éducation et en utilisant des chansons africaines, la danse haïtienne et les proverbes Vodou comme thème principal pour reconnecter les jeunes à la culture haïtienne. Le Mouvement Écologique National (MEN). Supportée par un groupe d'agronomes dont l’ingénieur agronome Joseph Felix, ce mouvement était dédié à la défense de l’environnement via les étudiants universitaires et les fermiers dans une collaboration nationale avec les agents du ministère de l’agriculture haïtien. Des suggestions de festivités devaient être organisées chaque mois de mai par le ministère de la Culture avec les étudiants qui pour l’occasion réunissaient des arbres à fruits pour leurs écoles afin de les utiliser pour faire refleurir leur région. Enfin, Carole est évidemment toujours active dans l’éducation permanente à travers le « Kole Zepol Pou N Sove Kilti Lakay », qui fut créé pour promouvoir la nouvelle vague de musique traditionnelle « RACIN » en encourageant les jeunes musiciens à s’inspirer du répertoire Vodou pour créer un style de musique unique, influencé par la riche variété des sonorités africaines laissées par leurs ancêtres et la promouvoir au sein de la diaspora haïtienne à travers le monde. SOURCE:http://africultures.com/ #HUGO #CAROLEDÉMESMIN

[rockofeye]

Let's talk a little Gede.

Gede (or Ghede/Guede) is the family/nation of spirits of the elevated dead in Haitian Vodou. Often referred to as 'he', there are female Gede, trans Gede, Gede who are children...really, Gede of all types since all people die.

Gede is known for his lascivious behavior. He cracks a lot of dirty jokes, says utterly filthy things, and dances provocatively. Death has freed him from social conventions and he says and does what he pleases with whom he pleases, when it pleases him. He reminds us of the pleasures and goodness of life; laughter, drinking, dancing, and sex (makes the world go 'round...).

And yet...Gede is the seriousness of death. He is a truth-teller, even if getting the truth out of him is difficult dance. He says the hard things and can cut right to the heart of the issue because Gede sees all. It's often taken as a dick joke, but Gede will say, when asked why he wears broken sunglasses, he has one eye on his food and one eye to see the world or one eye for pleasure. Nothing misses his gaze.

Being that he is the most recently human of all the lwa, he has a deep understanding of humanity. He understands our sufferings and has deep compassion for us in that way, though his compassion should never be understood as tacit approval of us not seeking to do our best in our lives.

As he has no rules, he embodies no real prejudice about who people are and what they do. He picks up those who would be cast out or cast aside and calls them his children, because Gede knows all too well what it means to be forgotten or sent away. I have experienced him as especially overseeing LGBTQ+ folks and struggles we especially face; one time, a Gede told me that she saw a lot of people 'like you' (trans and gendevariant folks) anba dlo who had died before it was their time, and that it did not have to be like that.

Additionally, there are not too many things that Gede cannot embrace. People who have committed crimes or been incarcerated, people who use drugs, people who are homeless, sex workers, folks who are undocumented...all of these groups who get ignored or shunned are Gede's children. He takes what is unwanted and holds it close.

Gede is the end of the line of sorts, though. If Gede has turned against you--if you have failed him, which takes some SERIOUS effort--no one can make that right. He can dig your grave or fill it in, but no one and no other spirit can overrule him. I was reminded recently by a quote from my mother in a book...even when he is digging your grave, there is another Gede trying to fill it in, as the balance of life is found in forgiveness and compassion, if we seek out the right things for us. There was a time when Gede was mildly unhappy with me and my lack of attention to him, and, in the head of a priest, he looked me in the eye and said that if I did not get right with him, I would have no other spirits or anything else in my life. We fixed that problem, but it is a warning I have never forgotten.

As he stands at the crossroads of life and death, Gede is the special guardian of children and babies. He is deeply concerned about the next generation and the promise of continued life, and so people often bring sick babies and children to him. Folks with difficult pregnancies seek him out as well, and those difficult pregnancies often result in a child whom Gede claims as his own. Gede is often the last hope for those with severe illness who have not found help anywhere else; Gede can reverse death and restore some semblance of health. In situations where there is no option, he is the comfort of the dying.

All people have access to Gede because all people will die and all people have been touched by death. He is a gate that some folks come to when they are on their way to the lwa, and can be approached by all who seek his guidance or aid, if they are willing to pay his prices.

Gede enjoys the colors purple, black, and white, and often dresses in black suits (like a funeral suit). He is the Imelda Marcos of hats...he LOVES hats. If he can put it on his head, he wants to wear it. Bowler cap, fedora, cowboy hat, witch's hat, party hat...whatever. If it's a hat, a Gede will wear it. I have four hats for Gede on his chair, and he has been VERY CLEAR that this is not enough.

Gede will often wear sunglasses with one lens popped out, and will take a baton/Haitian-style cane and smoke cigarettes. He likes imagery of penises and vulvas, so he often gets penis/vulva candles, lifelike dildos, porn mags, condoms, and other associated novelties.

There are many special drinks for Gede, but many Gede enjoy piman, a kleren or white rum based drink with scotch bonnet peppers in it, and coffee--two cups, please; one with sugar and one without. While drinking or smoking, he'll dance, and banda and maskawon are two of the more well-known bawdy Gede dances, complete with hip rolls and thrusts.

Remember your inevitable death and remember that the grave will embrace us all. Gede welcomes your prayers and coffee (and penises..), and he sees all of you in all your humanity without judgment. Scratch the Dead Man's...back, and he'll, uh, scratch yours.

Kwa senbo!

[rockofeye]

Hello houngan Alex! In the realm of sevis lwa, is it possible to thank the Lwa "too much" for what they do for you? Time to time I get a desire to thank the Lwa for things they've done for me in the past. I've paid what I've owed and often said or done something in thanks but I especially feel a need to say or do something extra as a continued gratitude. Is this appropriate?

Hello!

Gratitude is never out of place. For me, it is a huge part of my day-to-day with my lwa. I remember where I was before they found me, and I remember all thing that they did for me when I was unable to do them for myself and all the things they continue to do for me. That comes up first in my prayers and when I speak with them in person. For me, 'thank you' should always come before asking for anything or, really, anything else at all.

The idea of 'too much' really comes in when we are thinking about actual stuff. There is absolutely a 'too much' when it comes to feeding the lwa or building a zillion altars for separate spirits or giving them too many gifts. Too much stuff creates unpleasant precedents and spirits who might be kinda lazy. If I am constantly feeding them or telling them that they'll get fed, they are going to be unwilling to do anything for me without me pulling out a chicken/goat/bull. If I am constantly giving, what motivation do they have to stand up? They're going to get things anyway, so why bother?

This is where a core tenet of Vodou comes in: everything in balance. Unless someone is wildly working their spirits until they are starved 24/7, there's no reason to constantly feed them or give then gifts because that is out of balance. Instead, there is give and take and prescribed ways of doing things. There are loose schedules of how and when to feed lwa and there are ways to negotiate that with spirits...these are things that our parent teaches us and that are specific to our lineage.

These relationships with our parent in the religion is key to understanding balance. Spirits will ask for everything. They might say they need to be fed once a month or once a week or that they need a gift every time you sit with them. Spirits love attention. Part of developing relationships with them is learning how to keep them in balance by saying no and by negotiating with them. We learn that from our parent. Early on, I had situations with spirits that I brought to my mother and she would outright tell me 'tell them no. You just did xyz, they need to respect that'. So...that's what I did and that created our relationship style in that my lwa ad I work in partnership, versus them being a kind of gumball machine where I stick a chicken in and get something in return.

So...gratitude is always in fashion. The idea of 'too much' really applies to physical stuff because the lwa can get too complacent. I wouldn't go tripping over myself naming every single thing the lwa have done for you because that gets tiring but always saying thank you and remembering how they have cared for you is always good.

Hope this helps! Let me know if you have more questions.

[rockofeye]

It's been a minute! What's been happening?

I've been quiet while some stuff works out in my life: blessings have been had and the lwa floor me at every turn with their care of me.

I turned a big corner in my career and got headhunted for a consultant gig with the city I live in for a brand new pilot program that is basically cutting edge for my field. It's good stuff and it changes the landscape of what I could want for my future in that it opens a lot of doors. I'm content.

I've been planning and plotting for that future and listening for the voice of the lwa. I often surprise myself with how I hear them and how I am always learning how they show me the way forward in both subtle and direct ways. It's good stuff and it's a reminder that when I consciously welcome their direction, they respond.

I'm planning for my summer trip to Haiti and I'm excited for everything that's coming up with that. There's some new projects on the horizon that I'm excited to share about soon, and new developments that are reaching final planning stages.

I have a lot of asks to get to and I'm going to work on answering them today and this week as well. Thank you for your patience, folks who have sent in questions!

[rockofeye]

Bon fet Twa Wa! Bon fet tout asogweman!

Today is a big day in Haitian Vodou. Traditionally, January 6 is the celebration of Three Kings Day, which is the culmination of a very hot season, and many temples hold a special ceremony on/around the 6th for all the Petwo spirits. This is the time when we make our baths for luck and blessings (or the lwa make them for us...you have not lived until you have seen a traditional Twa Wa ceremony) and pray for open ways and enough of all the things we need to survive and thrive in the coming year.

It is also a day for all asogweman; all the houngan and manbo asogwe throughout the religion. Some folks call asogwe priests the kings of the religion, and I can see why...all work is brought to a logical conclusions under asogweman and all ceremonies need at least one (but in reality many) asogwe to be able to be done completely and correctly.

It is a special day for houngan and manbo asogwe to remember their elders; their initiatory parent and all who carried the asson before them and made their emergence from the djevo possible. We especially remember Papa Loko, the first houngan and the lwa who is the father of all asogweman; he is who allows the houngan/manbo asogwe to do their work and continue the legacy they have been allowed to take up. In reality, in the frame of the houngan/manbo asogwe, he is the king and he is who makes all of us possible.

I give thanks for tout lwa yo nan nasyon Petwo a, who give bring explosive heat and fiery transformation and who reweave the fabric of my life to best meet my needs.

I kiss the ground in front of Papa Loko because he saved my life and gave me life, and because he has always kept his promises to me. Without his blessing, I would be nothing.

Jou a la, jou a la e....