#sevis lwa

[metaclektik]

DIVERSITY DOES NOT AND SHOULD NOT EXIST EVERYWHERE

The African Diaspora Understands This - Everyone else doesn't

There has been much debate within the Vodou circles, which I am a member. The question still remains as of yesterday, “Can whites and people not of the African Diaspora practice Vodou, Ifá, Santeria, Candomblé, Palo, Umbanda, or even American Voodoo?” All which are African based spiritual systems? Of course people feel entitled to indulge in anything they are mildly interested in but there are times where certain people should be shut out of certain things and traditional African religion is certainly one of those things. When Jenn and I were in New Orleans in the French Quarters, I was really taken back at the number of Voodoo shops, Voodoo museums and Voodoo tours being spearheaded by whites. Not a single Voodoo entity was owned or operated by a black face. I was equally cynical of the amount of revenue that was being generated from factory manufactured, “Voodoo Dolls,” key chains, trinkets, gimmicky magic candles, and palm readings. All of which is NOT African in origin but marketed and sold as African culture. These Voodoo tourist shops were managed by young white Goths with black painted nails, gaged earlobes and multiple piercings and they were asking, ‘ME’ if I needed help finding something! Of course what I asked for (Ṣàngó Oṣè - the double axe of Shango), they didn’t carry because THAT was too authentically African and too authentically Vodou. Perhaps we should have ventured further away from the tourists traps of the Quarters.

This is why people who are not of the African Diaspora should respectfully be locked-out of our sacred traditions. Our traditions become exploited, commercialized and monetized. Our traditions are converted into storefronts for wide-eyed, clueless looking non-Africans to wonder in, fascinated by our strange and scary, “Ooga Booga” traditions, purchasing our culture as “gag gifts” and curious and unexplained pieces of art. But in Yorubaland Nigeria, in Benin, in Ghana, in Burkino Faso, in Cameroon, in Brasil, in Cuba, in Puerto Rico, in Haiti, in Jamaica and in the Dominican Republic, this sort of disrespect of African and Afro-Cubano spiritual practices does not exist. One individual of the Voodoo circle I spoke with believed that the religion should be open to anyone who is sincere about the culture and willing to honor the spirits. He also believed that its okay for white people to practice traditional African religions as long as they come with a sincere heart. Vodou is NOT like Christianity or Buddhism where anyone can just walk in and join. It’s not about your heart, it’s about your blood. It’s not the lack of sincerity to the Gods that is the issue, it’s the legacy of that group of people that is the problem. It’s the history of waging war on African people, in the past and in the present, whether you personally took part in it or not. Everyone in the world benefitted from the exploitation of African people. Therefore, any traditional spiritual system or religion that doesn't have set protocols of security and exclusion isn't worth joining. And the more ancient it is, the more exclusive it has to be.

This is why Vodou is a CLOSED spiritual system. Even for Africans, there are certain rites, initiations and rituals to open the spirits up to even us. Many of us aren’t even granted access to these powerful energies because many of us have turned our backs on our gods for white saviors and little porcelain skinned Cherubs with curly blonde hair. And for decades of forced conversation at the threat of being flogged and castrated, we accepted our enslaver's God and never looked back. Vodou is an ancient traditional African cosmological system that finds a lot of its essence in honoring the ancestors and serving the Loas. We call this “sevi lwa.” And since the Loas (African Vodou spirits) are not the ancestors of Europeans, white colonizers and the white oppressors of African people, there is no reason to believe that the African spirits would respond favorably to the petitions of the very people who conquered Africa and slaughtered the African people. The idea itself is not only absurd but extremely arrogant of people to treat African people with so much disdain and disrespect and then turn around and have the audacity to perform Vodou rituals (poorly) and ask African spirits to grant them love and wealth.

The skeleton key is a sacred symbol of Lwa Esu Elegbara (Elegguá) and for a good reason. A key locks and unlocks doors. “Legba’s Key” unlocks the spiritual realm and opens the road for African people to communicate with the 400+1 lwas or Orishas (if he allows it). He doesn’t always grant permission (it depends on your approach). But one thing is for sure, there can be no communication with any spirit without first consulting with this very ancient energy which we call, Elegbara. and this ancient energy DOES NOT grant access to non-African people who are not of the African bloodline. True Vodouisants understand this and therefore they refuse to teach non-African people our deep secrets and initiation rites.

Vodou is strictly an African religion and African identity and it belongs to the African Diaspora! Some things we will happily share; Music, food, dance and even some aspects of culture. However, traditional and sacred African spirituality we cannot. Diversity does not exist here. Respect that and try not to guilt your way in or bully your way in. You are not entitled to everyone's culture and knowledge. It's not for you.

[port-salut]

ESKE ANBASAD MERIKEN SE PATRON BANDI KRIMINEL KAP SIMAYE DEY AK LATERE AN AYITI …

Tout sitwayen avize konnen byen zam ak minisyon k ap simaye dey ak dezolasyon nan Potoprens ak depatman Latibonit soti nan peyi etazini. Nou konnen tou se politisyen san koutya ki bezwen avantaj ak privilej pouvwa ki itilize jenn an difikilte nan katye popile yo pou jenere kidnapin, vyol, vol e masak pou ranpli poch yo.

Se pa selman politisyen nan pouvwa ak opozisyon ki itilize sevis bandi kriminel yo, men nou jwenn kek mafia nan sekte ekonomik nan ki bay zam ak minisyon pou ekzese presyon sou otorite gouvennmantal yo pou defann entere pesonel yo. Vyolans gang kriminel yo kreye yon klima ensekirite ak laperez ki anpeche anpil sitwayen sikile komsadwa nan kapital peyi dayiti.

Nou kapab remake anpil chef gang kriminel ki te konn pratike kidnapin, vol, vyol ak masak nan bidonvil yo san konte ransonen chofe transpo piblik yo vin chanje taktik nan konpotman yo nan aksyon kriminel yo. Chanjman sa opere depi Djimmy Cherisier alyas « Babecue »deside fome federasyon G-9 kote Madan Hélène Lalime, reprezantan sekrete jeneral Nasyonzini an te aprouve kowalisyon bandi sou rejim Jovenel Moïse. Apre koudeta ki swiv asasina chef Leta nan rezidans prive li nan dat 7 jiyet 2021. Fonksyonnman kowalisyon chef gang kriminel yo vin chanje nan estrateji yo kote tout gang ennmi fe solidarite pou kontribye nan destabilizasyon aktivite ekonomik epi anpeche touris ak diaspora rantre vin vizite paran ak fanmi yo.

Kouman esplike chanjman nan estrateji kowalisyon gang kriminel yo k ap fe fas kare ak lapolis? Si nou gade fenonem kidnapin nan bese aloske chofe transpo piblik yo kontinye sibi ogmantasyon raket bandi yo. Eske genyen yon lot aktivite ki rapote chef gang yo lajan pou fe pewol chak semen? Anpil obsevate deklare gang kriminel yo vin otonom paske yo enplike nan trafik ogan ak dwog. Genyen lot ki deklare se ambasad peyi oksidantal yo k ap soutni zak malonet ak kwaze brize sitou nan bidonvil yo. Pou seten obsevate kritik, gang bandi yo pran galon paske yo ap travay pou yon patron pwisan ki garanti yo sekirite ak enpinite.

Anpil moun te tande ansyen polisye Babecue ki te deklare sou Tik Tok li konn rankontre otorite nan ambasad meriken ki tabli nan peyi dayiti. Pa gen anpil sitwayen ki te bay deklarasyon sa enpotans li merite. Plizye sitwayen avize panse se ambasad meriken ki sipote lapolis, bay ekipman e yo menm deside pibliye anons rekonpans pou tout moun ki arete e mennen vini chef gang Vitelhomme, Lanmo sanjou, Izo, Krisla, Ti lapli elatrye.

Anpil sitwayen enstwi ki t ap swiv emisyon « Le point, Wendell Théodore anime sou radio télévision Métropole » kote ambasade meriken an avwe li konn kominike ak chef gang kriminel ki konn teworize popilasyon sivil la. Ambassade a konn kominike ak Vitelhomme pou pwoteksyon ambasad la. Pouki rezon se pa direkte lapolis la li mande ogmante siveyans rezidans ak anbasad meriken an? Tout moun entelijan kapab dedwi gouvennman demokrat la ap jwe yon jwet ipokrit ak pep Ayisyen.

Pouki depatman deta pa janm mete ekipman tankou : cha blende, elikopte, fomasyon ak mwayen pou ede lapolis ak fos lame dayiti konbat gwoup teworis ki kontinye ap masakre, vyole, vole e brile kay malere nan katye popile yo? Pouki rezon otorite yo pa vle kalifye bann kriminel san fwa ni lwa yo teworis? Eske se volonte politik ki pa genyen pou konbat ensekirite ak vyolans k ap detwi peyi dayiti? Tout otorite nan gouvennman yo konnen kote chef gang yo abite e anpil viktim ap mande pouki rezon lapolis ak lame pa janm reyalize okenn entevansyon oubyen operasyon nan fief chef gang yo.

Aprè nou fin tande deklarasyon anbasade peyi ki pwisan an nan yon konteks sosyoekonomik difisil, kote bandi kontinye ap masakre kretyen vivan san ke sote pou lapolis ak lajistis. Le nou gade kouman yon ekip antreprene politik yo aksepte konplote sou do pep la ak kek manm (CARICOM) sou otorite meriken pou pataje pouvwa. Yo pa memm eseye pran an konsiderayon revandikasyon ak soufrans viktim ki sibi tout fom vyolans gang kriminel yo; tout sitwayen patriyot dwe konprann peyi dayiti pran nan yon gwo konplo.

Pep ayisyen pran nan gwo konplo depi nou konstate gwoup bandi kriminel yo koumanse brile kay nan katye popile yo, femen lopital, lekol, inivesite, kwaze prizon, bloke aktivite ekonomik epi anpeche lib sikilasyon sou tout teritwa peyi a. Le n remake zefe vyolans ak dezespwa san bliye konsekans pwogram Biden ki ofri opotinite ak anpil sitwayen tout kategori vwayaje lotbodlo. Anpil sitwayen dezespere nouri lespwa amelyore kondisyon lavi fanmi yo nan peyi Etazini.

Nou rete kwe diaspora dwe mobilize pou angaje yo patisipe nan oganizasyon politik ayiti pou revandike souverennte politik, ekonomik, agrikol mas yo. Se sel fason nou kapab rekipere pouvwa pep la ki kidnape pa yon banm politisyen kowonpi. Nou dwe rasanble fos diaspora pou n konsyantize sitwayen yo yon fason pou yo kapab jwenn opotinite chwazi yon dirijan serye e responsab ki pap sevi esklav pwisans oksidantal pou defann entere boujwa kowonpi.

Nou remake dirijan ki sou pouvwa koulye a pa genyen volonte regle anyen serye; okontre yo kontinye ap anrichi tet yo nan movez kondisyon pandan pep la ap konfwonte laviche, chomaj, ensekirite, vyolans, mepri ak endiferans otorite gouvennman k ap travay nan simaye divizyon ak konfizyon pou konsolide pouvwa yo.

Jean-Marie Mondésir

Citoyen engagé de Dumont

Éditeur de magazine.port-salut.org

Magazine.port-salut.net

PDG de Dumont Inter 103.1 FM

Radio-Dumont.com

[rockofeye]

Bonswa Papa (p.s. Is it cool if we call you Papa, or do you prefer Houngan? If not, my mistake), I heard that Agawou has a petwo aspect. Is this true? And what's he like. Thank you, and god bless.

Hello!

While I appreciate your sentiment, titles like Manman and Papa are really only used with someone’s initiatory parent, and that’s not a relationship that would sort of play out on my blog. Most folks just call me Alex or Houngan Alex, either are fine with me!

Agaou is a really unique spirit. He’s often considered to be somewhat mysterious due to the fact that he is kind of a loner spirit, meaning that he does not walk with a court of spirits like many other lwa do. He sort of does his own thing and goes where he wants. He is largely served in the Rada rite which causes a lot of confusion for folks, as the assumption is that Rada spirits are all cool spirits. Instead, what most Rada spirits are is royalty and the idea that they are cooler is usually a misinterpretation of status (another whole post)...many spirits who are hot tempered as a default are or can be served in the Rada rite (Agaou, Bossou, Ti Jean, and more..).

A lot of his names relate back to what he is known for: thunder, lightening, earthquakes, and the sort of energy those phenomenon bring. Agaou Tonè, Agaou Zèklè, Agaou Loraj...all those names speak about natural occurrences Agaou is associated with. He also has interesting names that tell stories and talk about alliances as well, like Agaou Wedo, Agaou Bèt San San/Agaou Beast Without Blood or Agaou Lefan/Agaou Elephant. The mention of an elephant is REALLY interesting because Haiti does not have elephants. Some folks think it may be a tie to Africa, some folks say it is because the earth shakes when Agaou walks.

All of those things can definitely lead to a more Petwo understanding of Agaou or the choice to serve him Petwo style. A lot of internet stuff paints him as dangerous, feared, and known to kill his chwal...which I don’t find to be true. He is dangerous in the same way that all lwa are dangerous, and I see no reason to fear the lwa unless you wrong them or have purposefully been avoiding what they tell you to do. Like all spirits, they reflect how you treat them...if you approach Agaou as if he is a terrifying spirit who might harm someone, he may come through like that or he may surprise you and set you back on your heels by showing you what you don’t know about him.

I have known Agaou to be a somewhat selective spirit and even secretive in hsi day-to-day business...but that could be said of most lwa, who can choose to ignore you until they want to speak with you or have decided you’re ready to hear from them. He is often considered to be from the Jacmel area, which is where the lineage I am from is rooted, and so I know him quite well because he is very present in his hometown.

While Agaou may choose to remain distant, he sees EVERYTHING. When he came down during my maryaj to get his ring, that was one of the messages he left me with: I am in the sky, and I see everything so don’t think anything is beyond my notice. He is heavily associated with St. Michel Arcange, and there’s a lot of mystery there as to why.

I hope this helps; please let me know if you have more questions. Agaou is near and dear to my heart, and any chance to chat about him makes me happy.

[paroissedumont]

GOUVENANS PEYI A LANMEN YON BANN ENSOUSYAN E IRESPONSAB ...

Tout moun konnen peyi dayiti plase lan yon zonn ki tre frajil pou kesyon kiklonn e si genyen yon katastwof natirel koulye a se mize mas pep la kap ogmante. Leta pa genyen mwayen pou l sekouri sinistre yo. Malgré tranbleman dete 12 janvye 2010, siklonn matye lan mwa oktob 2016 e lot dezas natirel anko, leta ayisyen pako janm genyen mwayen pou l pote ed ak asistans pou sove lavi moun ki sinistre lan katastwof natirel.

Nou remake se pa lajan ki se yon problem men se fason dirijan nou yo distribye lajan kontribyab yo se sa ki lakoz nou toujou lan yon sityasyon difisil. Otorite gouvennmantal yo prefere gaspiye lajan piblik la olye yo bay sevis ak popilasyon an.

Lekol pral louvri 9 septanm anpil manman ak papa pitit pa we kouman yo pral voye pitit yo lekol. Anpil zanmi, fanmi ak lot Konpatryot koumanse ap mande ed toupatou e yo kontinye rele zanmi ak fanmi lan diaspora pou mande sipo pou lekol la. Chak ane bagay yo vin red pou paran yo e ane sa sityasyon ekonomik lan vin pired akoz yon banm manifestasyon kont rejim politik la ki pa pote okenn rezilta lan chanjman lan politik gouvennman peyi a.

Nou dwe rekonet manifestasyon ak blokaj peyi a genyen yon enpak négatif sou aktivite ekonomik peyi dayiti. Lajan peyi a pedi vale li e reset leta diminye e administrasyon piblik paralyze lan fonksyonnman li. Pandansetan palmante san fwa ni lwa chwazi fe politik pou akize prezidan wot trayizon menmsi yo konnen aksyon yo pap janm rive jwenn rezilta yo swete. Okenn lan yo pa we entere peyi e aksyon yo montre akle se yon banm iresponsab ki lan 50tyem lejislati sa.

Pa genyen gouvennman légitim depi kek jou e pa genyen bidje nasyonal e kondisyon ekonomik yo difisil pou tout moun e ensekirite ak koripsyon blayi, men yon ti gwoup palmante chwazi kontinye regle koz politik yo pandan manda yo fini pou kapab jwenn asirans reeleksyon yo sou chantaj ak machandaj politik.

Se konsa yo chwazi regle pwop koz yo ak prezidan Jovenel men yo bliye se moun ki te vote pou yo kap sibi konsekans move aksyon yo pran pou kouri chalbari deye pouvwa a. Nou rete kwe pa genyen okenn opozisyon politik kredib lan peyi a e tout swadizan politisyen se zafe poch yo yap defann lan fe demagoji pou ogmante soufrans moun ki pov yo.

Si n reflechi byen aprè chak manifestasyon ak blokaj opozisyon politik la lanse se aktivite ekonomik yo ki afekte e genyen anpil pet ki anrejistre lan kes leta pou ane sa. Aksyon yo pa bay rezilta lan kondisyon lavi popilasyon an, se pri pwodwi konsomasyon yo ki vin pi che. Nou remake moun ki pov vin plis pov e sak rich yo vin plis rich.

Tout manifestasyon lide opozisyon mesene yo fe pa janm pote bon rezilta paske pep la konprann jwet kap jwe sou do li. Yo pa genyen konfyans lan aksyon polisyen peyi dayiti e medya yo pa jwe wol yo kom sa dwa lan fe analiz pou lave je popilasyon an paske yo chwazi pa kontribye lan fomasyon ak edikasyon mas pep la.

Okontre yo kontribye lan bay kriminel ak chef gang lan Palman e lan gouvennman mikro pou entimide moun serye ki te kapab genyen opinyon kontre ak machann peyi sa yo tout moun konnen.

Pa genyen anyen serye kap regle lan peyi a e moun ki kontribye lan ogmante mize pep la genyen pou peye konsekans zak malonet yo avan lontan, paske yo pa regle anyen ki bon pou moun ki chwazi al jeté yon bilten pou yo lan eleksyon. Se simagri yo kontinye ap fe lan radio ak televizyon pou yo rantre pep la lan mize pi red.

Jean-Marie Mondésir

Sitwayen angaje Dumont

Éditeur Solidarité Paysanne

Asded.port-salut.net

[santookoorisha]

Haitian Vodou Haitian Vodou, called Sevis Gineh or “African Service”, is the primary culture and religion of the approximately 7 million people of Haiti and the Haitian diaspora. It has its primary roots among the Fon-Ewe peoples of West Africa, in the country now known as Benin, formerly the Kingdom of Dahomey. It also has strong elements from the Ibo and Kongo peoples of Central Africa and the Yoruba of Nigeria, though many different peoples or “nations” of Africa have representation in the liturgy of the Sevis Gineh, as do the Taino Indians, the original peoples of the island we now know as Hispaniola. Haitian Vodou exists in Haiti, the Dominican Republic, parts of Cuba, the United States, France, Montreal, and other places that Haitian immigrants have dispersed to over the years. Other New World traditions it is closely related to or bears resemblance to include Jeje Vodun in Brazil, La Regla Arara in Cuba, and the Black Spiritualist Christian churches of New Orleans. Haitian Vodou also bears superficial resemblances in many ways with the Nigerian Yoruba-derived traditions of Orisha service, represented by La Regla de Ocha or Lukumi, aka “Santeria”, in Cuba, the United States, and Puerto Rico as well as Candomble in Brazil. While popularly thought of as related to Haitian Vodou, what is commonly referred to as “voodoo” in New Orleans and the southern US is a variant of the word “hoodoo”, also called “rootwork” or “root doctoring”. This is a folk magical tradition from Central Africa in the Congo region in which roots, leaves, minerals, and the spirits of the dead are employed to improve the lot of the living, often including the reciting of Psalms and other Biblical prayers. Rootwork also incorporates Native American herb lore and European and Jewish magical traditions. As a folk magic tradition, New Orleans “voodoo” and southern “hoodoo” rootwork are distinct from the RELIGION of Haitian Vodou and its siblings and cousins. Haitian Voodoo History Vodou as we know it in Haiti and the Haitian diaspora today is the result of the pressures of many different cultures and ethnicities of people being uprooted from Africa and imported to Hispaniola during the transatlantic African slave trade. (1) Under slavery, African culture and religion was suppressed, lineages were fragmented, and people pooled their religious knowledge and out of this fragmentation became culturally unified. In addition to combining the spirits of many different African and Indian nations, pieces of Roman Catholic liturgy are incorporated to replace lost prayers or elements; in addition images of Catholic saints are used to represent various spirits or “misteh” [“mysteries”], and many saints themselves are honored in Haitian Vodou in their own right. This syncretism allows Haitian Vodou to encompass the African, the Indian, and the European ancestors in a whole and complete way. It is truly a “Kreyol” or Creole religion. The most historically important Vodou ceremony in Haitian history was the Bwa Kayiman (Bois Caiman) ceremony of August 1791 near the city of Cap Haitien that began the Haitian Revolution, led by the Vodou priest named Boukman. During this ceremony the spirit Ezili Dantor came and received a black pig as an offering, and all those present pledged themselves to the fight for freedom. This ceremony ultimately resulted in the liberation of the Haitian people from their French masters in 1804, and the establishment of the first and only black people’s republic in the Western Hemisphere, the first such republic in the history of the world. (2) Haitian Vodou came to the US to a significant degree beginning in the late 1960s and early 1970s with the waves of Haitian immigrants under the oppressive Duvalier regime, taking root in Miami, New York City, Chicago, and other cities mainly on the two coasts. Core Beliefs of Haitian Vodou Vodouisants believe, in accordance with widespread African tradition, that there is one God who is the creator of all, referred to as “Bondje”, from the French words “Bon Dieu” or “Good God”. Bondje is distant from his/her/its creation though, and so it is the spirits or the “mysteries”, “saints”, or “angels” that the Vodouisant turns to for help, as well as to the ancestors. The Vodouisant worships God, and serves the spirits, who are treated with honor and respect as elder members of a household might be. There are said to be twenty-one nations or “nanchons” of spirits, also sometimes called “lwa-yo”. Some of the more important nations of lwa are the Rada (from Allada in Dahomey), the Nago (from Yorubaland), and the Kongo. The spirits also come in ��families” that all share a surname, like Ogou, or Ezili, or Azaka or Gede. For instance, “Ezili” is a family, Ezili Danto and Ezili Freda are two individual spirits in that family. In Vodou, spirits are divided according to their nature in roughly two categories, whether they are hot or cool. Cool spirits fall under the Rada category, and hot spirits fall under the Petwo category. Rada spirits are familial and mostly come from Africa, Petwo spirits are mostly native to Haiti and are more demanding and require more attention to detail than the Rada, but both can be dangerous if angry or upset. Neither is “good” or “evil” in relation to the other. Everyone has spirits, and each person has a special relationship with one particular spirit who is said to “own their head”, however each person may have many lwa, and the one that owns their head, or the “met tet”, may or may not be the most active spirit in a person’s life. The lwa are all said to live in a city beneath the sea called Ile Ife or Vilokan. Except for Agwe and his escort, who live in a different city below the waters. Pantheon in Haitian Vodou All of the lwa of Haiti are initiated manbos and houngans. Many are also Masons. Some of the more important spirits are as follows. RADA Pantheon in Haitian Vodou Papa Legba Atibon – He is imaged as an old man, St. Lazarus is used to represent him in the hounfo or temple. He opens the gate to the spirits, and translates between human languages and the languages of the spirits. Marasa Dosu Dosa – They are twin children, either in twos or threes. Imaged with Sts. Cosmas and Damien, or the Three Virtues. Papa Loko Atisou and Manbo Ayizan Velekete – The prototypical priest and priestess of the tradition. They confer the office of priesthood in initiation. Danbala Wedo and Ayida Wedo – The white snake and the rainbow, together they are the oldest living beings. Danbala brings people into the Vodou. St. Patrick and Moses are used for Danbala. Ogou Feray – He is a fierce general who works hard for his children but can be moody and sullen at times as well. Ogou Badagri – He is a diplomat, and is Ogou Feray’s chief rival. Ezili Freda – She is a mature light-skinned woman who enjoys the finest things, jewelry, expensive perfume, champagne etc. She is said to own all men (or she thinks she does) and can be very jealous. She gives romance and luxury. She is so pure she must never touch the bare ground. Her main rival is her sister Ezili Dantor. Agwe Tawoyo – He rules the sea and those who have crossed the ocean, and is symbolized by his boat named “Imammou”. St. Ulrich is his saint counterpart. PETWO (Petro) Pantheon in Haitian Vodou Gran Bwa Ile – His name means “Great Wood”. He is a spirit of wilderness. He is fierce and unpredictable, and a section of the grounds of a Vodou temple is always left wild for him. St. Sebastian is used to represent Gran Bwa. Ezili Dantor – a Petwo lwa, she is a strong black single mother. She does not speak, but makes a “kay kay kay” sound in possession. She is nurturing and protective but is dangerous when aroused, even to her own children. Her image is the Mater Salvatoris of Czestokowa. She often uses a dagger or bayonet, and her colors are often red and dark blue. A little known fact is that she is actually a hermaphrodite, and takes both men and women in marriage. Ti Jan Petwo – the son and lover of Ezili Dantor. Simbi – the Simbi lwa live in fresh water rivers and are knowledgeable in the areas of magic and sorcery. The Bawons – they rule the cemetary and the grave. There are three – La Kwa, Samdi, and Simitye. The Gedeh – The Gedeh spirits are all dead spirits who rule death and humor and fertility. They drink rum steeped with 21 habanero peppers and bathe their faces and genitals with this mixture also, to prove that they are who they say they are. They are sung for last at a party for the spirits. Chief of the Gedeh is Gedeh Nibo, with his wife Maman Brijit. St. Gerard represents the Gedeh. Role of Clergy in Haitian Vodou In serving the spirits, the Vodouisant seeks to achieve harmony with their own individual nature and the world around them, manifested as personal power and resourcefulness in dealing with life. Part of this harmony is membership in and maintaining relationships within the context of family and community. A Vodou house or society is organized on the metaphor of an extended family, and initiates are the “children” of their initiators, with the sense of hierarchy and mutual obligation that implies. Most Vodouisants are not initiated, referred to as being “bosal”; it is not a requirement to be an initiate in order to serve one’s spirits. There are clergy in Vodou whose responsibility it is to preserve the rituals and songs and maintain the relationship between the spirits and the community as a whole (though some of this is the responsibility of the whole community as well). They are entrusted with leading the service of all of the spirits of their lineage. Priests are referred to as “houngans” and priestesses as “manbos”. Below the houngans and manbos are the hounsis, who are initiates who act as assistants during ceremonies and who are dedicated to their own personal mysteries. One doesn’t serve just any lwa but only the ones they “have”, which is a matter of one’s individual nature and destiny, and sometimes a matter of which spirits one has met and who take a liking to oneself. Since the spirits are individuals, they respond best to those whom they know or have been personally introduced to. Which spirits a person has may be revealed at a ceremony, in a reading, or in dreams. However anyone may and should serve their own blood ancestors. That said, there are a few spirits or groups of spirits that have a particular relationship with humankind such that, it is not unreasonable to say, anyone might approach them with some confidence if a few basic forms and preferences are known, among these being Papa Legba Atibon, the gatekeeper of the spirits, Danbala Wedo, who is said to own all heads and is the oldest ancestor of all life, and Papa Gedeh, who gives voice to the spirits of the dead, and everyone has Dead. I leave it to the reader to investigate the identities of these spirits further from other sources such as the Vodouspirit Yahoo! forum. Also the Catholic saints are all very approachable to anyone who asks for their help, such as St. Anthony or St. Michael. Standards of Conduct in Haitian Vodou The cultural values that Vodou embraces center around ideas of honor and respect – to God, to the spirits, to the family and sosyete, and to oneself. There is a plural idea of proper and improper, in the sense that what is appropriate to someone with a Danbala as their head may be different from someone with an Ogou as their head, for example — one spirit is very cool and the other one is very hot. I would say that coolness overall is valued, and so is the ability and inclination to protect oneself and one’s own if necessary. Love and support within the family of the Vodou sosyete seems to be the most important consideration. Generosity in giving to the community and to the poor is also an important value. Our blessings come to us through our community and we should be willing to give back to it in turn. Since Vodou has such a community orientation, there are no “solitaries” in Vodou, only people separated geographically from their elders and house. It is not a “do it yourself” religion – a person without a relationship of some kind with elders will not be practicing Vodou. You can’t pick the fruit if you don’t start with a root. The Haitian Vodou religion is an ecstatic rather than a fertility-based tradition, and does not discriminate against gay people or other queer people in any way. Unlike in some Wiccan traditions, sexual orientation or gender identity and expression of a practitioner is of no concern in a ritual setting, it is just the way God made a person. The spirits help each person to simply be the person that they are. Way of Worship in Haitian Vodou After a day or two of preparation setting up altars, ritually preparing and cooking fowl and other foods, etc., a Haitian Vodou service begins with a series of Catholic prayers and songs in French, then a litany in Kreyol and African “langaj” that goes through all the European and African saints and lwa honored by the house, and then a series of verses for all the main spirits of the house. This is called the “Priye Gineh” or the African Prayer. After more introductory songs then the songs for all the individual spirits are sung. As the songs are sung spirits will come to visit those present by taking possession of individuals and speaking and acting through them. Each spirit is saluted and greeted by the initiates present and will give readings, advice and cures to those who approach them for help. Many hours later in the wee hours of the morning, the last song is sung, guests leave, and all the exhausted hounsis and houngans and manbos can go to sleep. On the individual’s household level, a Vodouisant or “sevite”/”serviteur” may have one or more tables set out for their ancestors and the spirit or spirits that they serve with pictures or statues of the spirits, perfumes, foods, and other things favored by their spirits. The most basic set up is just a white candle and a clear glass of water and perhaps flowers. On a particular spirit’s day, one lights a candle and says an Our Father and Hail Mary, salutes Papa Legba and asks him to open the gate, and then one salutes and speaks to the particular spirit like an elder family member. Ancestors are approached directly, without the mediating of Papa Legba, since they are in one’s blood. If a person feels like they are being “called” or approached by the spirits of Haiti, the first thing a person should begin to do is to serve their ancestors, perhaps beginning with an ancestor novena (see the links below). Monday is the day of the ancestors in our house, but ideally one speaks to their ancestors daily. If you do not honor your ancestors first, they may get upset and stand between you and other spirits. The second thing is to seek out a competent and trustworthy manbo or houngan for a reading or consultation. It may take some time of prayer, patience and effort to find a suitable person. Travel may even be necessary. They can help determine what spirit(s) if any may be involved and what if anything might need be done. Expect to pay some sort of fee for their time – unlike many Neo-Pagan traditions, in Haitian Vodou “manbo e houngan travay pa pou youn gwan mesi” (“The manbo and the houngan don’t work for a big thank you”) (3). This is true of other African-based traditions as well. Role of Initiation into Haitian Vodou Initiation in Haitian Vodou is a serious matter, and it is advised to not run off to Haiti with the first person you encounter, on the internet or elsewhere, sight unseen or otherwise, who says they will initiate you. Take the time to get to know your prospective Maman or Papa in the Vodou, and the members of their society. Attend ceremonies in person, ask questions, learn, check references. Serve your ancestors, cultivate patience, and wait. Pay attention to dreams or other messages from the spirits. For most people initiation is totally unnecessary. It may be advised to research (as you would anyone else!) and weigh carefully, but perhaps not necessarily discount out of hand, anyone actively promoting initiation into the Haitian Vodou priesthood with marketing slogans and New Age buzzwords. Haitian Vodou does not proselytize and it is not for sale although even valid initiations do cost some money, due to the time, people, materials and travel involved. If you think of the time and care it takes to make the best choice when you invest in a car or a home, or to hire a babysitter for the kids, how much more important are one’s concerns of the Spirit? At the end of the day, reputations and rumors are less important than an honest answer to one question however: “Will I be happy and satisfied having this person/these people in my life? Is this a community where I can learn and grow in a positive way?” Only the seeker can answer that question for themselves, with God’s help. And the help of the Advanced Bonewits Cult Danger Evaluation Frame (see the links below). Also there are other options besides initiation in Haitian Vodou to become closer to the spirits. While the concept of initiation gets a lot of airplay among outsiders, far more common among the Haitian community is the “maryaj mistik”, or the mystical marriage, in which the Vodouisant literally marries one or more lwa, in a ceremony complete with bridal dresses, rings, cakes, and a priest. In return they gain special protection and favor from the spiritual spouse. This is generally in exchange for one day of sexual abstinence per week in which the human spouse receives the spirit in their dreams, and any other terms spelled out in the marriage contract. Initiation for its part creates a reciprocal bond between initiator and the new initiate with obligations every bit as serious as marriage, deeper even since it cannot be undone. Initiator and initiate become family with all the joys and burdens that may entail. It also entails certain promises, responsibilities and commitments with regard to the spirits. With persistence and patience, the spirits will lead a person to the house and elders that are right for them. Vodou is not a race, so every seeker can well afford to take their time. Personal relationships are the very foundation of Vodou and there is no substitute for the time it takes to cultivate them. I knew my houngan for three years prior to my own sevis lave tet (“washing of the head”). We were friends long before I had any interest in or notion of any connection to Haitian Vodou that I might have. Some of my god-brothers waited longer than that. This is how it should be. In Haiti these would all be people you grew up with and you would just know who is who or would know someone who knew someone. In the United States, those of us who are non-Haitian have a few more obstacles to overcome, but by the grace of God and the spirits they are not insurmountable. Regleman Gineh Initiate or not, once you belong to a house and have chosen an elder, it is important to follow the guidance they provide as to the way things are done in their house, called the “Regleman Gineh”. There is a diversity of practice in Vodou across the country of Haiti and the diaspora, for instance in the north of Haiti the sevis tet or kanzwe may be the only initiation (according to my elders from Haiti in three different houses) as it frequently is in Cuba and the Dominican Republic, whereas in Port Au Prince and the south they practice the kanzo rites with three grades of initiation — senp, si pwen, and asogwe — and the latter is the most familiar mode of practice outside of Haiti. Some lineages combine both, as Manbo Katherine Dunham reports from her personal experience in her book “Island Possessed.” Kay Aboudja, my own house, is one of these lineages. Although the general structure of ritual and practice are the same across Haiti, small details of service and the spirits served will vary from house to house, and information in books or on the internet may be contradictory. When in doubt, etiquette dictates that one consult their own Maman or Papa in the Vodou, and practice as they direct according to the regleman of their lineage, since “every manbo and houngan is the head of their own house”, as a common saying in Haiti taught to me by Houngan Aboudja states. While the overall tendency in Haitian Vodou is very conservative in accord with its African roots, there is no singular, definitive, One And Only True Right And Only Haitian Vodou ™, only what is right in a particular house or lineage. In other words, if you read something on a web page or a book, and it contradicts what your manbo or houngan says to do, go with what they say. This may seem restrictive on the surface from a solitary Neo-Pagan perspective, but since you have done your homework and taken the time to build a positive relationship of trust with your elder(s) ahead of time, this will not be the case in practice. A good parallel is the way everyone practices the same way in a Wiccan coven context. Ultimately everything comes from the spirits and the ancestors however. It is not a matter of personal preferences as it often may be in popular Witchcraft or other pagan traditions, and this reality becomes clearer with experience in the Sevis Gineh. This is the most basic overview of the Haitian Vodou religion imaginable; keeping in mind that I am by no means an expert compared to my elders after only a couple of years in the religion as an hounsi, I hope it gives some general idea and understanding of what Haitian Vodou is about, since it summarizes what I have learned from my own elders in a very condensed form. The most important thing I have learned from my elders however is this: Black, red, yellow or white, a person can find beauty and fulfillment serving the spirits in the Haitian religion – the Vodou is not a religion limited by race or ethnicity since ultimately, as science has proven, we are ALL the Children of Africa, and the waters of Gineh join us all

[thejuleking-blog]

I might be running out of space...how do you when you love your lwa tooooo much? 🤣😘❤ #LaSiren #MySingleGayLife #JustBearThings #InstaGay #GypsyQueer #ServeTheSpirit #Sevis

[humble-seeker]

Can you recommend one of Kenaz Filan's books to start with? Thanks!

Sure! I actually started with his Haitian Vodou Handbook. After that, I was so taken with his frank and knowledgeable, direct yet respectful style, I ended up reading every other book he’s published except The Power of the Poppy.

I was originally hampered by my neopagan, western-normative distaste for love and money magic. I’m thrilled to say that Filan helped me loosen my culturally centric blinders enough to see and appreciate not only the value of these types of workings in Vodou, but how they are actually 100% appropriate within Haitian culture and Vodou belief. In other words, he helped me get the fck over myself. ;p

It was interesting to see him grow as a practitioner, to see his own beliefs and opinions change as time in his writings progressed. In Haitian Vodou Handbook (2006), he is more focused on the tradition and religion, on reverence and service. By the time he gets through Vodou Love Magic (2009) and Vodou Money Magic (2010), he’s come around to more of a pragmatic point of view. This is saying something, because he’s a terribly pragmatic man to begin with!

After noting that Haitian Vodou and New Orleans Voodoo had very different origins, I decided to dive into Filan’s book on the subject, The New Orleans Voodoo Handbook (2011). His history is good here, but could have been a little more fleshed out. Filan focuses specifically on Lwa who are unique to New Orleans in personage or service.

I actually just picked up Talking With The Spirits (2013) and it prompted me to go back and snag Drawing Down the Spirits (2009); both titles are collaborations with Raven Kaldera. I’m still reading these, so I can’t really offer commentary just yet.

Sorry, I know you didn’t ask for an assessment of his entire CV. I swear I didn’t mean to write you a novel. **giggle** I hope you’ve found what you need. Thank you for asking!

[port-salut]

NOU MELE AK OTORITE RESPONSAB LAJISTIS LAN ZONN SID LA…

Nou toujou enterese sou kesyon fonksyonnman lajistis lan peyi dayiti. Se peyi sa ki kontribye lan fomasyon nou avan nou pati al espesyalize nou lotbodlo. Le nou remake genyen deriv lan fonksyonnman lajistis nou santi nou gen obligasyon pou n reyaji kom sitwayen konsene lan devlopman peyi dayiti. Nou konsyan lajistis ap fonksyone tet anba, majistra yo kowonpi epi yo enkonpetan. Si w pa genyen lajan peye bon avoka ou riske kanni lan prizon.

Avoka yo plis ap fe sansasyon voye monte sou rezo sosyal olye yo chita sou analiz san pasyon ak patizanri. Oksilye lajistis yo menm meprize tout reg ki tabli pou respekte dwa sitwayen yo.

Nou konnen peyi dayiti ap fe fas ak yon pwoblem milti dimansyonel e ensekirite ak kidnapin se sel kok chante. Tout moun konnen se dirijan politik yo ( pouvwa ak opozisyon) epi sekte mafya lan oligak kowonpi yo kap alimante gang bandi yo ak zam e minisyon. Nou pap kouri kritike selman Jenn dezabize lan katye popile yo ki pa leve jwenn 2 paran yo k ap soutni yo. Yo leve lan yon milye kote se lamize, vyolans, soufrans, grangou, chomaj ak laviche ki sevi yo imaj dezolasyon. Yo pa genyen okenn referans ni Leta pa prezan lan katye difisil pou ede fanmi ki pov yo.

Premye responsab kondisyon lavi difisil fanmi kap viv lan zonn kote bandi yo okipe yo se otorite lan gouvennman santral la. Se yo ki gen obligasyon pwoteje dwa ki garanti lan manman lwa peyi a. Si otorite gouvennman yo pa janm manifeste okenn entansyon pou solidarize ak moun ki sibi zak vyolans bandi yo e nou kwe li enpotan pou nou mobilize fos nou pou n denonse otorite sa yo.

Dr Ariel Henry sou pouvwa depi 20 jiyet 2021 apre koudeta ki swiv asasinay Prezidan Jovenel Moïse lan dat 7 jiyet 2021. Misye se jwe wol premye minis, prezidan, minis enterye e chef konsey siperye polis nasyonal. Li lan tet pouvwa depi 29 mwa san okenn oganism k ap kontwole aksyon li. Pa genyen okenn satisfaksyon lan revandikasyon mas bidonvil yo. Moun ki viktim anba zak kriminel bandi pa jwenn okenn rekonfo ni sipo rejim an plas la.

Genyen plis desespwa, chomaj, grangou, ensekirite ak vyolans sou rejim Dr Ariel Henry a. Misye plis preokipe satisfe reprezantan anbasad peyi etranje yo ak Nasyonzini. Moun ki pati kite kay yo akoz afwontman gang yo pa jwenn okenn soutyen ni solidarite ekip ki sou pouvwa a.

Lan yon konteks sosyoekonomik difisil kote minis lajistis dako pou li deklare gouvennman an pedi yon banm teritwa e plis pase 80% teritwa lan kapital la se gang bandi kriminel ki ranplase leta, nou prefere akse kritik nou sou ekip ki sou pouvwa kap jwi tout privilej Leta. Li pa nomal pou n aksepte 20.000 jenn pase yon premye trimes san frekante lekol akoz fanmi ki viktim yo okipe espas etablisman piblik yo lan kapital la.

Nou pa tande okenn dirijan ni minis lan gouvennman ki panse ak pwoblem reyel peyi a. Diaspora ki se fos ekonomik e entelektyel peyi dayiti pa kapab rete debwa kwaze pou gade silans yo pandan pep ayisyen ap travese tout peripesi sa yo. Li enpotan pou n mobilize fos nou ak sitwayen konsekan pou n denonse ekip gouvennman sa ki pap regle anyen serye pou fanmi kap sibi vyolans gang yo lan peyi dayiti.

Nou oblije reyaji apre nou konstate arestasyon papa chef gang Mariani an ki rele Boutba kote li deklare misye te lan Posali. Deklarasyon sila fe Komise Ronald Richmond paret led apre deklarasyon piblik li te fe sou rezo sosyal yo pou kondane entevansyon Komise Muscadin ki te entevni lan jiridiksyon l ap dirije san avize chef Pake a e ekip lapolis jiridiksyon an.

Redaksyon Port-Salut Magazine te pran konesans entevansyon, reyaksyon yo ak deklarasyon Ronald Richmond ki se Komise jiridiksyon Okay la. Le nou te analize deklarasyon Charles Didier Saint Juste ki se met otel lan Posali nou te remake misye gen bagay lap kache. Nou pa rive konprann pouki rezon met otel la di se li ki te tire 2 bal yo. Si papa Boutba deklare li te Posali sa vle di Didier Saint Juste pa bay tout vérité yo. Moun Posali dwe pridan ak met otel sa wi kap tolère bandi anvayi kwen pezib sa. Sityasyon sa kapab jete yon vye imaj pou moun kap viv lan komin Posali.

Nou remake Komise Richmond paret led apre li te fin fe deklarasyon tet anba sou entevansyon Komise Muscadin lan komin Posali san li pat enfome. Richmond demontre li genyen problèm ak fonksyonnman Komise miragwann lan. Lan konteks ensekirite peyi dayiti kote Komise Muscadin ap batay ak tout fos li pou eradike bandi k ap travese gransid la, deklarasyon piblik Komise Richmond genyen kek mo ki mal plase.

Nou genyen kek kritik sou arestasyon Papa, Fre ak Belme chef gang Boutba. Nou ta renmen konnen sou ki motif yo arete manm fanmi bandi a? Nou rekonet responsablite penal li pesonel ak moun ki fe zak kriminel e pa genyen anyen ki di Papa, Fre ak Belme bandi a genyen konplisite ak chef gang Boutba kap teworize moun Mariani. Nou remake genyen anpil tet cho lan arestasyon fanmi bandi a epi manke pwofesyonalis lan entewogasyon fanmi bandi a li te dwe fet separe pou li te kapab jwenn plis enfomasyon. Zafe Komise gouvennman Ki tabli lan miragwann k ap fouye sekey san gan li pa sekirite pou li.

Konklizyon nou tire deklarasyon Charles Didier Saint Juste genyen kontradiksyon e gen anpil dout sou zafe pat genyen bandi lan otel la. Komise Muscadin demontre li te genyen bonjan enfomasyon sou prezans bandi Boutba lan komin Posali.

Deklarasyon Komise Ronald Richmond korek lan yon peyi nomal paske yon Komise gouvennman genyen yon limit jiridiksyonel pou li ekzese pouvwa li. Tout entevansyon yon otorite lan yon lot jiridiksyon li te dwe enfome Komise lot jiridiksyon an avan li aji paske tout 2 Komise gouvennman yo fe pati menm ekip epi yo genyen menm misyon aplike politik penal gouvennman an. Si genyen deriv lajistis epi minis lajistis pa di way sa vle di yo pa konsyan de wol yo dwe jwe lan pouvwa kowonpi sa.

Jounen jodia tout moun remake pa genyen solidarite ant 2 Komise gouvennman yon rejim ki genyen misyon aplike politik penal gouvennman Dr Ariel Henry. Sitwayen ki genyen limye dwe pran pozisyon pou denonse tout konfizyon ak mezantant kap ranfose zak bandi kriminel sanfwa ni lwa ki ranplase leta lan peyi dayiti.

Jean-Marie Mondésir

Juriste haïtien | Specialiste droit civil

Citoyen engagé de Dumont

Éditeur de Port-Salut Magazine |

La voix de Dumont

PDG de Dumont Inter 103.1 FM

Portsalutmagazine.ca

https://lavoixdumont.wordpress.com/2023/12/15/nou-mele-ak-otorite-responsab-lajistis-lan-zonn-sid-la/

[rockofeye]

Bonswa, Houngan Alex! I wanted to thank you for all your hard work and being so open to answering questions. Your replies have helped me a lot in my spiritual life so thank you for answering my and others' questions.

Hi there!

Glad I can help; answering questions and spreading accurate, factual information is the secondary purpose of this blog. Ask away!

[rockofeye]

Boston-ish and people who want a reason to visit Boston: my mother is doing a beginner-level sevis lwa/serving the spirits workshop on June 24, covering salutes, basics of various nasyons, how to make a basic lamp, and other things. Her classes are incredible and it's been a minute since she has taught, so hop on this opportunity.

[rockofeye]

Do you have a guide of how you can possibly get started in Haitian Vodou?

Hi there!

I don’t have a guide specifically, since the answer is always simple: start with prayer and talk with a priest.

Pray with you ancestors and with your guardian angel and ask them to guide your feet to the right road for you to walk and that, if Haitian Vodou is where they want you in conjunction with the desires of the lwa, that they guide you to speak to a priest who can help bring you to the door. A white candle and a glass of fresh water are all you need, and just pour your needs and desires into the flame. Even if you don’t hear from them, they hear from you.

Additionally, a leson/traditional card reading from a legitimate houngan or manbo can determine if the religion is a good fit and what the lwa want from you, if anything. Only a houngan/manbo can do this reading for you and the religion only accepts the validity of the traditional, historic card system (not Tarot, runes, shells, or anything else). In a reading, the priest is going to the lwa for you, bringing them your questions/concerns/desires, and ‘translating’ their responses for you. This is a fairly clear and direct way to speak with them, and the first step in establishing relationships and determining a spiritual a court in the religion as well as illuminating other spiritual issues that may be present.

That’s kind of the long and short of it. Happy to expound on any of this or offer more info.

[rockofeye]

Anon who asked about serving the lwa, thank you very much for your input. I actually did do what you said about the water and candle, but I don’t know much (Anything) about guardian angels. Does a community need to be somewhere you can go geographically? I’ve tried to find some where I live but I can’t seem to discover any. Thank you for your guidance.

Hello!

The nice thing about your guardian angel is that you don’t really need to know anything about them to speak with them. They are listening when you pray. You can sort of root an ongoing relationship with them by just getting a guardian angel novena candle and lighting it for them while you pray.

These days, community can be spread far and wide. In the lineage I am a part of, the lineage head has children all over the US, Haiti, and spread far and wide across the rest of the world. Many folks travel for their Vodou because the diaspora of the religion is largely limited to where Haitians have community (in the US, that’s largely pockets in Florida, New York/New Jersey, and Boston, MA. Internationally, Montreal, Paris, Chile, and the Dominican Republic hold big Haitian communities), so there are plenty of folks who can only make it to a ceremony once a year or less, simply because of logistics or finances. 

It is important to physically be where other vodouizan are since we can’t do ceremonies alone and there is some learning that can only be in person but, again, a lot of people travel. Relationships can start to be developed at a distance, but getting in the same space as a teacher and as the spirits is really important. When I teach people, the understanding is that the goal is to get to a fete or ceremony as often as is feasible, because that is the way that the community and the spirits begin to get to know you and determine what might be the best way forward.

There is also something to be said to seeing the religion in context and in person before committing. Sometimes folks have an idea of what something will be like from reading or watching videos, and then find themselves really uncomfortable in a fet because it is not what they thought it might be like. Not saying this is you at all, but it is definitely a thing I have seen with other folks.

One way to begin to open the door with the spirits and discern which spirits are speaking is to get a leson/card reading with a priest. Those can be done over the phone and some instruction can be given to begin to set a table for one’s personal spirits and how to engage with them. This can develop into a larger relationship, if that is agreeable for everyone including this spirits, or it can simply be simple direction. I do provide leson and am happy to chat about what that looks like.

Additionally, a lot of priests do not have a public presence and I or folks I know may know someone near/near-ish where you are who could be a good resources. I am always happy to connect folks when I can.

[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]

Hi Houngan Alex, hope you're well!. Just wanted to get clarification on a few points regarding sevis, gads and overheated Lwa. When I am giving gits/offerings to the Lwa, do I offer those items to the Directions after I've saluted the Directions in the standard way with cup/alcohol candle/bugee, before or after "opening the veil'? Sometimes Ive saluted the directions with gifts after the opening of the veil, but wondering the most common practice according to reglement?

Hi there,

All of those ways work well. I usually present the gifts themselves and don't salute with other things unless I have a particular need or the spirit has given me particular instructions.

It also depends on what you are doing, as how something is done at a ceremony can be very different from what happens in front of a private table. It's not so much common regleman as it is how we are taught by our teacher/parent.

I hope this helps!

[port-salut]

Komin Posali pa janm genyen chans jwenn otorite li ki defann entere li, se chak koukouwouj klere pou zye pa yo. Depi lontan se chirepit, kritike otorite, dévalorize lot, rete tann leta vin kreye djob pou yo. Lan komin sa okenn proje kolektif pa posib se toujou etranje ki konn vale resous komin lan.

Jean-Marie Mondésir

Lan liv geografi tout elev lekol konnen komin posali se yon awondisman ki genyen 3 komin : Arniquet, Port-Salut e SenJandisid. Posali se chef lye awondisman an, se non vil la e non komin lan tou. Si posali kenbe non awondisman se paske li genyen plis pase 100 tan depi otorite gouvennman santral yo te rekonet li kom komin. Pousa ki konsenen vil posali li genyen plis pase 240 tan depi li te fondé.
Si moun posali pa louvri zye yo pou yo konprann enpotans komin lan se rete yo ap rete konsa yon jou se Arniquet ki vin awondisman posali. Rezon an senp, avan ane 80 komin posali te genyen 5 seksyon e koulye se selman 2 seksyon otorite gouvennman santral yo kite pou komin Posali. Sa nou dwe konprann yon konsey majistra akonpaye manm konsey kazek yo e asek yo konstitye yon gouvennman ki proch bezwen sitwayen yo.
Se otorite sa yo lan kolektivite lokal yo ki konn reyalite sitwayen kap viv sou teritwa komin yo. Se yon gwo derespektan pou otorite ministe enterye ak kolektivite teritoryal deside vin rakousi limit teritwa popilasyon komin lan san konsiltasyon okenn sitwayen. Kote Depite sikonskripsyon posali a te ye? Ki demach konsey kominal avan yo te fé pou konteste desizyon sa? Si yo pa menm okouran te genyen yon dekre ki soti lan jounal ofisyel peyi dayiti « le Moniteur » se ektreman grav pou komin Posali ki genyen anpil moun ak diplom men se domaj yo pa entelijan.
Eske w konnen depi 13 fevrye 2006 posali pedi 2 komin san okenn moun lan komin posali pa janm leve ti dwet yo pou di way. Komin lan te genyen 5 seksyon avan lane 80. Kou Arniquet vin komin lan ane 1980 yo mete 3e seksyon sou jiridiksyon komin Arniquet te rete 4 pou komin Port-Salut lan dat 13 fevrye 2006 Port-Salut pedi 1) seksyon Lazarre et 2) seksyon Anse-a-Drick.
Pou koulye a la Arniquet vin genyen 3 seksyon e Port-Salut genyen selman 2 ( Barbois e Dumont). Neg ak Neges Port-Salut kapab genyen kapasite pou kritike otorite, devalorize lot, rejete pwochen yo e dekouraje lot fe jefo, simaye divizyon pou anpeche solidarite fet lan entere popilasyon an. Sa vle di otorite komin Port-Salut pat janm defann entere komin sa. Lwa ki té adopte lan ane 1996 ki rele lwa sou otonomi ak desantralizasyon kolektivite teritoryal yo ki tabli otonomi gesyon administrativ byen komin lan sou lobedyans Katel majistra a.
Se menm lwa sa tou ki pataje yon pati lan pouvwa gouvennman santral ak kolektivite lokal yo lan domenn edikasyon, santé e enviwonnman. Fok nou ditou menm lwa sa ki tabli kondisyon pou gouvennman santral la sibvansyone kolektivite yo pou kantite sitwayen ki jwenn sevis lan administrasyon komin yo.
Moun kap reflechi dwe poze tet yo kesyon pouki rezon okenn otorite lan posali pat janm konsilte avan otorite gouvennman santral yo deside redwi espas teritoryal komin posali san konsiltasyon sitwayen ki abite lan seksyon kominal 1e seksyon e 2e seksyon Anse-a-Drick.
Nou kwe li enpotan pou otorite ak notab lan komin posali mennen yon konba lan opinion piblik pou defann espas teritoryal komin posali. Li pa nomal pou ministe enterye deside rakousi teritwa komin lan san konsilte popilasyon ki konsenen ni otorite komin lan.
À suivre ...
Jean-Marie Mondésir
Juriste haïtien
Sitwayen angaje Dimon
Éditeur Port-Salut Magazine
Magazine.port-Salut.org