#haitian voodoo

[newrealityworld]

The full Inktober!

[paranormal-playground-podcast]

Exploring Voodoo: Facts Behind the Spirits and Spells

Exploring Voodoo uncovers a rich and complex religion often misunderstood. This belief system involves spirits, spells, and rituals that have fascinated people for centuries. In this article, we delve into the facts behind Voodoo spirits and spells. Origins of Voodoo Voodoo originated in West Africa. Enslaved Africans brought it to the Americas. Over time, it blended with other cultures,…

[asanee44]

WHAT IS VOODOO?

While African spirituality is growing in popularity, many African-derived spiritual systems are still seen as taboo. In fact, all African spiritual systems have been ostracized at some level throughout the course of history. This has primarily been due to spiritual or religious superiority that has been perpetuated through slavery and colonization. 

Resultantly, many people view African-derived spiritual practices in a negative light. They often associate them with devil worship or other sinister practices. Voodoo and hoodoo, in particular, have taken the brunt of the bruises that such perceptions have inflicted. For many, the term voodoo is synonymous with devil worship. When in actuality, the term simply means “spirit.”

While I would like the perception of African spirituality to change overnight, reshaping people’s understanding of such systems is a process. It is very much the same as the process that people throughout the African diaspora have endured in regard to achieving civil liberties and freedom. 

MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT VOODOO

Though many of us are no longer in physical bondage, our spiritual development has very much been arrested. This is not only related to the influence of outsiders, but it is also because of our own perceptions about our ancestral heritage. Sadly, just as many African diasporans shun African spiritual practices as other people groups.

Primarily, this is because of our collective ignorance about traditional African spirituality. Some groups have been able to maintain this ancient knowledge and wisdom. These individuals still practice within these systems today.

Conversely, many have been indoctrinated in westernized and Middle Eastern religions. This is one of the main reasons why finding information about African spirituality is often difficult. Another reason is that knowledge of voodoo secrets and wisdom is usually passed down through family lines. It is also transmitted by the spirits directly to spiritualists who have been granted access to certain secrets and knowledge.   

WHAT IS VOODOO?

Voodoo (vodun, Vodou, or Vudu) is a form of spirituality that is currently practiced in many areas of the world, including Benin (West Africa), Haiti, and Louisiana. There are also other forms of voodoo within the African diaspora that are called by different names such as Ifa, Santeria, Lucumi, 21 Divisions, Obeah, etc. Also, there are many ways to spell voodoo in addition to the ones that I have already mentioned.

While there are many similarities in these practices, they are not the exact same. Fundamentally they all serve the same purpose, which is appealing to and appeasing benevolent spirits and primordial energies. True voodoo service entails communicating with universal and regional energies that have a great influence over our lives. 

RESOLUTIONS TO PROBLEMS

Authentic voodoo is about solving problems and helping people to improve their overall condition. It is not about destroying people or manipulating their will, as many people suspect. While people certainly use magic to engage in such practices, this is not authentic voodoo. True voodoo does not incorporate malevolent or malicious practices designed to harm or otherwise control others.

SERVING THE SPIRITS

Appealing to and appeasing spirits is done through various rituals and ceremonies in which a qualified spiritualist divines in order to communicate with a spirit in some form or fashion. Possession is a common way in which spiritualists engage with the spiritual realm. 

DIVINATION

When most people think of voodoo, images of a spiritual leader going into a trance often come to mind. While this certainly happens, there are other forms of divination used in different forms of voodoo. Every form of voodoo has its own system that adds depths and dimensions that make each of them distinctly unique.

Possession imagery is mostly popular because of western media influences. Such imagery is generally used to frighten people into believing that voodoo practitioners are worshiping the devil or harming people. 

The irony of this is that many indigenous American and Eastern religions (Hindu, Buddhist, etc.) engage in many of the same practices. However, these forms of spiritualism are usually promoted as peaceful, tranquil practices.

BENIN VODUN

Benin is considered to be the place where its commonly associated modern-day voodoo derivatives found in Haiti and Louisiana originated. Although, practitioners of these forms of voodoo also came from other parts of Africa. Benin Vodun is considered to be the most authentic form of voodoo as it has not been synchronized with westernized religious systems. 

As with all other forms of voodoo, Benin vodun integrates offerings, animal sacrifices, spiritual baths, talismans, icons, and other tools and devices in its rituals and ceremonies. Annual festivals and initiation ceremonies for spirits are also performed as part of Benin vodun. 

ANIMAL SACRIFICES

Animal sacrifices often get the most attention as some onlookers consider this to be a cruel or evil practice. The irony of this is that many meat-eaters don’t consider that an animal has been sacrificed for their physical nourishment.

Similarly, voodoo integrates animal sacrifices for a person’s spiritual nourishment and well-being. And in many cases, the sacrificed animal is prepared and eaten by ritual and ceremonial participants. In fact, sacrifices are only performed in voodoo when absolutely necessary. Sacrificed animals are usually raised and slaughtered in a way that preserves the integrity of their life and their purpose.

This is in opposition to the inhuman breeding and mass slaughter of animals for commercial distribution. Hundreds of thousands of these animals are actually discarded each year due to rot and waste. Yet, sacrifice in voodoo has been deemed as sinister and barbaric.

Another contradiction to this practice can be found in Christianity. Many Christians consider animal sacrifice to be evil as they think that it is part of devil worship. However, they do not consider that the god of the Bible actually ordained animal sacrifice. In fact, the ultimate sacrifice in Christianity was a human sacrifice according to adherents of Biblical scriptures. 

In actuality, much of the Biblical record is derived from ancient African spiritual systems. Many of the sacrificial elements that are in the old testament were recorded by African spiritualists (aka Israelites). 

THE BIBLICAL CONNECTION

In fact, modern-day Haitians are considered to be the lost tribe of Levi by some Biblical scholars. This is one reason why Haitian Vodou is thought by some to be more potent than other forms of Vodou.

In the Bible, the Levites served as the priesthood and carried high-level spiritual knowledge and power. They even used divination tools, the urim and thummim, to obtain oracle messages from god. The most prominent Levite in the Bible, Moses, divined and used incantations on many occasions. Notably, he used “magic” against the Egyptians as he was trying to free his people.     

HAITIAN VODOU

Haitian Vodou is an amalgamation of African vodun practices and indigenous American (Taino) spiritual systems. However, it is most often associated with Benin vodun because of its namesake. 

Some voodoo sosyete (societies) are heavily synchronized with Catholicism as well. This occurred during the enslavement of the indigenous people and west Africans who were transported to the island of Hispaniola. 

Many of these people were forced to practice Catholicism during that period and give up their own spiritual systems. Fortunately, many of them refused to do so and instead hid their spiritual practices under the cloak of Catholicism.

This is the main reason why Catholic saints often represent Haitian Vodou loa. In fact, some Catholic saints have been adopted into the Haitian Vodou pantheon because of their close relationship with this religion. The enslaved people pretended to worship Catholic saints by using Catholic imagery while they were actually paying homage to the loa.

THE HAITIAN REVOLUTION

Haitian Vodou is probably the most infamous form of Vodou in modern-day society. This is because of its association with the Haitian Revolution that subsequently freed the people of the land. Consequently, Haiti became the first free black nation in 1804. 

To date, the Haitian Revolution is regarded as the only successful slave revolt in human history. The Haitian revolution was the primary contributing factor to enslaved African people in America gaining freedom 59 years later. It was also very significant in much of Latin America’s gaining its independence shortly after Haiti.

Sadly, the people on the island have been ostracized ever since for using Vodou to overcome slavery. Though their ancestor Moses is still lauded to this day for using a similar method to free the Israelites from bondage.

VODOU IN MODERN-DAY HAITI

This mentality was primarily perpetrated by former slave masters who didn’t want other black nations to get the same idea. Thereafter, Haitians have been systematically disenfranchised and marginalized throughout the world. Likewise, Vodou has been condemned along with the people group.

Yet, the practice still prevails in the region. Even Haitians who identify as Christians still consult Vodou for their most pressing life challenges. While it is not considered a mainstream religion in the country, it is widely practiced by Haitians and other ethnic groups worldwide. And it is likewise gaining momentum as more people return to African spirituality.

LOUISIANA VOODOO

Voodoo practiced in Louisiana also originated from the Benin people and other groups in West Africa. The heavy influence of voodoo in this state came from Africans who were transported directly from Africa. A number of French slaveholders also brought their Haitian slaves with them after the revolution of 1804 that ended the French-controlled slavery system in Haiti.

It is said that the captured families from West Africa who were brought to Louisiana were more cohesive. They were rarely separated and often spent much, if not all, of their lives with their families on the same plantation. 

The plantations in this region were also fairly large with many slaves. Plantation owners spent less time overseeing the slaves in this region, so the slaves had more freedom to practice their traditional spirituality. This dynamic created the perfect environment for perpetuating voodoo in this region for generations. 

INFLUENCE OF BENIN AND HAITIAN VOODOO

While Louisiana voodoo shares many similarities with Haitian Vodou, it is probably more similar to the vodun of Benin. Incorporating fetishes (amulets and charms) and annual festivals into Louisiana voodoo is a prominent carryover from West Africa. 

As Haitian Vodou was ostracized, voodoo practices throughout the western world came under attack. Louisiana voodoo practitioners were hit hard during this era. They had to go underground with their practice, which subsequently led to a heavy degree of synchronization of their spiritual practices with Catholicism.

MODERN-DAY VOODOO IN LOUISIANA

Centuries later, in the wake of Hurricane Katrina in 2015, Louisiana voodoo was subject to further attack and ostracization. The continued practice of voodoo by the people in this region was blamed for the suffering that they endured as the result of a broken levee that led to horrific flooding in the state. The same held true for Haitians, who endured the catastrophic destruction from a large-scale earthquake that hit the country in 2010.

But still, the legacy of voodoo lives on as a distinctly unique African American flavor of spiritualism. It is still widely practiced throughout America. And, it is consulted by Americans of various ethnicities and other nationalities who find relief in the remedies that it provides.

SUMMARY

Voodoo is a vast spiritual system with many intricate layers. Several systems are considered part of voodoo practice. This is a very ancient practice that predates the most common religions of today, including Christianity, Islam, and Judaism. Because of its origin, which is spirit, I suppose that it will continue for all eternity.

[angularempathy]

ERZULIE DANTOR- GE ROUGE

[ausetkmt]

Who is Baron Samedi Haitian Vodou ? (2023)

[punkyswrld]

La Sirène Diamant

Aïbobo!

[zilliondollarpussy]

Emily and Laika are thankfully two separate beings, two separate vessels

[3rdeyeblaque]

On September 10th we venerate Elevated Ancestor, Voodoo Queen of Louisiana, & Saint, Marie Catherine Laveau on her 222nd birthday 🎉

[for our Hoodoos of the Vodou Pantheon]

Marie Catherine Laveau was a dedicated Hoodoo, healer, herbalist, & midwife who, "traveled the streets [of New Orleans] like she owned them", as the most infamous Voodoo Queen of New Orleans.

Marie C. Laveau I was born a "Free Mulatto" in today's French Quarter in what was then, New France); to a mother & grandmother who were both born into slavery & later freed via freedom papers. It is believed that she grew up in the St. Ann Street cottage of her maternal grandmother.

She married Jacques Santiago-Paris, a "Quadroon" "Free Man of Color", who fled as a refugee from Saint-Domingue, Haiti from the Haitian Revolution in the former French colony . After his passing, she became known as "The Widow Paris". She then worked as a hairdresser catering to White families & later entered a domestic partnership with a French nobleman his death. She excelled at obtaining inside information on her wealthy patrons by instilling fear in their servants whom she either paid or cured of mysterious ailments. Although she never abandoned her Catholic roots, she became increasingly interested in her mother’s African traditional beliefs. The Widow Paris learned her craft from a ‘Voodoo doctor’ known variously as Doctor John or John Bayou.

Marie C. Laveau I is said to have intiated into Voodoo career sometime in the 1820s. She's believed to be descended from a long line of Voodoo Priestesses, all bearing her same name. She was also a lifelong devout Catholic. It didn’t take long before Marie C. Laveau I dominated New Orleans Voodoo culture & society before claiming title of Queen. She was the 3rd Voodoo Queen of NOLA - after Queen Sanité Dédé & Queen Marie Salopé. During her decades tenure, she was the premier beacon of hope and service to customers seeking private consultations - to aid in matters such as family disputes, health, finances, etc, created/sold gris gris, perforemed exorcisms. While her daughter Marie II was known for her more theatrical displays of public events, Marie C. Laveau I was less flamboyant in her persona. She conducted her work in 3 primary locations throughout the city: her home on St. Ann Street, Congo Square, & at Lake Pontchartrain. Despite one account of a challenge to her authority in 1850, Marie C. Laveau I maintained her leadership & influence.

The Queen died peacefully in her sleep in her ole cottage home on St. Ann Street. Her funeral was conducted according to the rite of the Catholic Church & in the absence of any Voodoo rites. To her Voodoo followers, she's venerated as a Folk Saint. In² addition to her Priesthood in Voodoo and title of Queen, she is also remembered for her community activism; visiting prisoners, providing lessons to women of the community, & doing ritual work for those in need.

She is generally believed to have been buried in plot 347, the Glapion family crypt in Saint Louis Cemetery No. 1, New Orleans. As of March 1st, 2015, there is no longer public access to St. Louis Cemetery No. 1. Entry with a tour guide is required due to continued vandalism & tomb raiding.

We pour libations & give her💐 today as we celebrate her for her love for & service to the people, through poverty, misfortune, bondage, & beyond.

Offering suggestions: flowers + libations at her grave, catholic hymns, holy water, gold rings/bracelets, money

‼️Note: offering suggestions are just that & strictly for veneration purposes only. Never attempt to conjure up any spirit or entity without proper divination/Mediumship counsel.‼️

[spoiledbratblog]

[newrealityworld]

Inktober day 12: Guede Nibo, loa spirit in Haitian Voodoo leader of the spirits of the dead. Adopted by Baron Samedai and Maman Brigitte.

[horygory]

The Serpent and the Rainbow (1988)

[asanee44]

Common MYTHS and TRUTHS About VOODOO

[she-wolf09231982]

Chapter 1-Black Penny

Summary: You grew up in the hustle and bustle of a city most of your life, so you packed your few belongings and headed straight to New Orleans. You hoped to live a simpler, quieter life on the Historic French Quarter. By day during the week, you helped manage Marie Laveau’s House of Voodoo Shop and by nightfall you tended bar at Black Penny on the weekends.

You were aware mutants existed, and believed them to be just as ordinary as you but only with extraordinary abilities. After living a few years in NOLA, you had a knack of picking them out in a crowd and treated them no differently than you’d treat anyone else. You had many run in’s with mutants on Bourbon Street, but none as impactful as the day you ran into Remy LeBeau.

A/N: Character Intro, She/Her Pronouns, GambitX!FemaleReader, GambitX!NonMutant, RemyLeBeauX!FemaleReader, Mutants, Post Deadpool and Wolverine, Post Void, New Orleans, Alcohol, Pining, Creole/French to English Translation

(c) - Creole

(f)- French

*I just want to disclose I am not a comic expert. Gambit/Remy LeBeau is very new to me and I’m doing my best to stay genuine to what I’ve researched online or from what I’ve seen in the D&W movie. I’m aware there was a HUGE controversy over his heavy accent/dialect and over his eye color in the movie, so I tried to incorporate both versions of each in my stories to satisfy everyone’s preferred Gambit/Remy style. (Personally, I loved Channing Tatum’s accent in the movie ☺️) I’m also cognizant that Gambit and Rogue are an item in the comics, but for sanity sake, Rogue will be a pastime only mentioned in passing if absolutely necessary so I don’t have to study in depth another character I’m unfamiliar with. (I need some brain space for real life stuff, too 😅) Anyway, I’m doing my maximum effort over here writing for Gambit/Remy, so when I do post my developing Gambit story, please, if you have comments or criticisms that don’t benefit anyone else’s appreciation of these fanfics, keep them to yourself and let the rest of us enjoy it. Thanks so much*

♠️♥️♣️♦️

It was a particularly busy night at Black Penny. As live bounce music and jazz blared from the stage, patrons dance and socialize carelessly with each other while you hotfoot from one end of the bar to the other serving up shots and beers.

You approach a man waiting patiently, his face downward hovering over a stack of playing cards.

“What can I getchya?” You ask him.

He began twirling an ace of spades between his fingers.

“(c) Kisa mwen ka jwenn pou ou?” You repeat.

The man lifted his gaze to meet yours with a mischievous grin stretching across his face. An eerie magenta glow softly radiated from his irises causing your jaw to drop. Your stunned reaction spurred him, causing his smile to widen and his eyes to glow brighter as the whites of his eyes began to blacken.

“….woah.” You say under your breath.

The man chuckled, “(c) Ou dwe padone Gambit, cheri (You must pardon Gambit). When his eyes see somethin’ so (f)dulcet (beautiful), it be hard to hide it.”

You shook your head to refocus, “No need to apologize. This is a safe space for everyone. Just caught me off guard is all.”

You flash him a smile and a wink as he returned one to you, the whites of his eyes returning to ‘human’ version of normal and his irises became a shade of icy green.

“Nobody be lookin’ at me like dat wit’out runnin’ off. You weren’t scared?”

“Of course not. Takes a lot more than a pair of flashy eyes on a handsome face to scare me away.” You state.

He laughed as he adjusted in his seat.

“Dats good, dats good.” He said as he leaned forward on the surface of the bar.

“What are you drinking, Gambit?” You ask again.

“Sazerac. (c) Mèsi, cheri. (Thank you, darling).”

You bring the gentleman a rocks glass fixed neat with the amber-red reserve bourbon. He gingerly raised the glass to his nose, inhaling the oak wood barrel scent with hints of cherry, caramel, apples, and tobacco.

He hummed with satisfaction, “(c) Manyifik (Magnificent).”

You nod, then turn to walk away.

“Remy.” You hear him call to you.

“Pardon?” You say as you turn back to him.

“The name’s Remy LaBeau.” He reiterated cooly after taking a sip from his glass.

He averted his eyes to you, awaiting your name. You grin back.

“Y/F/N.”

“(c) Kontan rankontre ou, Y/F/N (Pleased to meet you).”

You feel your face go red as you laugh nervously.

“Same.” You managed to say before scurrying to the other end of the bar to wait on other customers.

♠️♥️♣️♦️

Remy sat quietly in his spot at the bar the entire evening, only ever looking up from his deck of Mavericks to catch a glance of you as you pass him. The crowd started to thin out as last call was announced.

“One for the road, Remy?”

He beamed at you, “Oui, cheri. If you join me for one.”

You smile coyly, “I gotta close up, chief. How about this; I’ll bring you another Sazerac on the house, and I’ll take a rain check?”

You see the magenta glimmer in his eyes again.

“I like the soun’ of dat, cheri.”

You smile and nod then turn to the counter behind you to prepare his drink. You set it in front of him as he placed a $100 in front of you.

“You only had two. That’s too much.”

“(c) Pran li (Take it). For your generosity an’ da company.” Remy insisted.

You beam at him, “(c) Ou twò janti (You’re too kind).”

He stood up from his stool, and fixed his collar on his leather trench.

“Until next time, mon cher.” He said smiling while standing tall opposite you.

“Orevwa, Remy. I’ll see you around.” You reply sweetly as you feel your cheeks heat up again.

“(c) Mwen pwomèt ou pral (I promise you will).” He purred in his heavy honeyed Cajun accent.

He bowed, then turned on his heel to exit the bar. You released a deep exhale as if you hadn’t taken a breath since having met him that night.

♠️♥️♣️♦️

*I know this was a short one and I plan on a chapter 2. I’m just dipping my toe in the water here to see what feedback I get* 🥰

[punkeropercyjackson]

'We need more darkskin black girl mcs who have strong platonic relathionships with the male protagonist instead of romances and their own likable fleshed out personalities and don't get defanged!!!'You guys couldn't even handle Hazel Levesque

[haitianartlover]

STIVENSON MAGLOIRE (HAITIAN, 1963-1994)

[punkyswrld]

Baron Samedi

Croix seimbo!