#vodou!reader

[l0s3rd0wnt0wn]

"WHY WON'T YOU ANSWER ME!"

Vodou or Voodoo!reader x platonic Yandere batfam

You haven't gotten out of bed in days, lying there rotting away like a bone. Your amulet, once vibrant purple, is now dusty and dark. Your bedroom is cold, and your altar is neglected; the candles are out. You haven’t put food there, fixed the tablecloth, or done anything. You haven’t prayed or performed a ceremonial dance. You've never been this depressed, this sad, or this angry; you're in despair. Ever since arriving at the mansion, you've felt your life and soul being sucked out, which is strange—you were so lively before. You feel dead, yet you can hear the chatter and laughter downstairs seeping through your thick walls. Usually, you drown it out, but today you listen. You can feel their smiles, their joy, their anger—everything, yet you're not present.

“Why don’t you go down there?” a spirit says, its ghostly hand caressing your shoulder.

“They don’t want me there; you know that already,” you say, your voice cracks. Of course it did; you were crying for hours, maybe even longer, but better not count. “Don’t be like that; they’re your family.”

You scoff at what the spirit says. You want to slap its hand away, but you obviously can't touch it; you can't even feel it, just the cold air that caresses your dark skin.

“I’ll only ruin it,” you say, hovering overhead, letting your despair consume you. If you continue like this, how will you become a great Priestess? Your altar has no gifts, no offerings. You haven’t fixed your hair in days; you haven’t sent us anything, and we love your voice. “Please, my child,” the spirit pleads, “you do not want to go down there. At least do something.”

You don’t answer again. You curl up into a ball. The spirit sighs. “As you wish, young Priestess,” and they disappear into purple smoke. But all you can think about, deep in your head, is that it just isn’t fair. You’re a nice kid; you’re sweet, you’re kind, you’re honest, you’re polite—the nicest of them all. Even if there was a niceness contest, you’d come out on top, leaving everybody in your wake. But your father seems to favor the ones who are cruel, mean, and rude. Your younger brother, Damian—a little devil, held you at swordpoint, threatened to kill you, called you a bastard, and you’re supposed to forgive him with open arms? What kind of idiot does Bruce take you for?

And your older brother, who prides himself on family, barely even knows you—the sucker might have to look up your middle name, maybe even your birthday, on some celebrity website. He’s always spending time with the little devil; you have no clue why. You’re way more fun to hang out with than him. But who cares? And your second eldest brother is rude, scary, and he smells like pure death, as if he crawled out of his grave, clutching dirt from the ground beneath him. It makes sense—his eyes are naturally green, just like Damian's, but he’s alive. It just doesn’t make sense. Maybe Papa Legba, but him cross without knowing.

And the brother who is the same age as you, Timothy, makes you snore when you hear his name. He’s intellectual, so smart, and yet so stupid, so dumb, and so hypocritical. He’ll find everything and anything to correct you on, even if you’re right, just to ensure that you’re slightly off the mark. The brother you thought you would have an unbreakable bond with is so tight he cut off blood circulation; yet, this bond is flimsier than a piece of string. He’s always talking with Cass, and you're never invited. You have more in common than they think, but to them, you’re just another bastard of Bruce Wayne—Cass, Steph, and Babs are your sisters. You’re supposed to gossip, talk about boys, play hand games, and hold each other, but they are only close with each other and not you.

I mean, trios were never meant to be broken; who even wants a quartet? You pray to Bondye every night. You expel all the darkness within your amulet, and your wishes are always the same each night: “Please, Supreme Lord, let them greet me with open arms; let them see me as their kin; let them love me; let them notice me.” But each night, you are met with nothing but silence. Bondye is quiet, and so are the loa. They always talked to you, but whenever you beg for this family to see you, they can never answer; they can never give advice. At first, you thought it was a test—a series of trials you had to go through to prove that you were worthy of their love. So whenever you were met with hostility, it was like the sharp end of a blade. Mom and Dad did see you before you opened your arms to them; the trials got harder, and it started to become impossible.

Maybe I have to go in a different direction; maybe meet force with force. But then you get scolded. Maybe you just don’t fight back, but if you don’t, then you will be forgotten. So what next? How do you pass this test, these everlasting trials? You have no clue, no idea, and in fact, you feel lost, and you start to lose faith. Maybe you were just not meant to be loved; you weren’t meant for affection, you weren’t meant to be held, dear. So you let that bitterness and anger swallow you whole as you wallow in your own sorrow and self-pity. This young High Priestess is filled with hurt.

[vomitspit2]

omg OMG

imagine some kind of object in sam’s shop allows you to see what you desire most, blah blah blah, somehow you and floyd end up touching it at the same time!!!! and it shows a future of you and him together all lovey dovey!!!!

but the catch is you both look at each other mortified, unaware the other has a hold on it, blushing faces and jaws dropped!!! thinking ‘fuck fuck fuck they/he saw that and they’re/he’s gonna be so grossed out by it!!! i just ruined our friendship!!’

but hehe, it’s both your desires <3 you’re both a wreck for each other (〃ω〃)

[buggywiththefolkmagic]

Scams Within The Witchcraft Community

This is by no means a complete list, but here is a rough couple of examples and methods for figuring out what's legit and what's a scam! TW: Mentions of death, blood, and threats below. Today I’ll be going over key things to look for, things to avoid, and how to deduct if someone’s services are legitimate! Unfortunately scams are everywhere and that includes within the Witchcraft community. There’s quite a few different scams floating around out there, below I’m going to list some of them and then list different things to notice and be skeptical about. The most common scam is readings via DM/PM on instagram, tumblr, social medias like that. They’ll contact you via DM/PM and claim their ancestors, guides, intuition, etc, etc called them to contact you for a reading. The reading itself might be free...but the information they nd will not be. They’ll claim you have something attached to you, a curse, evil spirit, tar spirit, demon, Djinn, family curse, a curse from an ex, etc, etc. And that you’ll need to pay them in order for them to get rid of it for you. In short: They seduce you into conversations by promising something free, and then pressure and scare you into paying them to ‘make this bad thing’ go away. If this ever happens just block and report them and move on. ALSO: If you do want a reading from a reader you follow...make sure it’s not a copied account! Big follower base instagram accounts get copies made of them all the time, do your research before reaching out! How can you tell a reader/practioner is fake? Just one of these warning signs doesn’t mean it’s fake, use intuition. Does the reader/practioner have any sort of personal information on their page? Where are they from? Are there photos of themselves and not stock-image photos? Did you find the practitioner through a youtube comment? Did the comment seem...super copy and pasted? Like so? What sort of reviews do they have elsewhere? MASSIVE RED FLAG. These are comments leading to what we like to call the ‘African Priest’ scammer. More info on them below! When you talk to them...do they ignore your comments or questions about them? Do they seem a little...botlike? Below is an example of a scam-bait youtube comment found on a witchy influencer's video.

SPELL SCAMS: Below is a screenshot of some obvious spell scams available on Etsy right now.

How much is the spell? If it’s an ungodly amount, like above...it will likely be a scam. What does talking to the spellcaster sound like? Are they applying pressure or stating that they need more ingredients than what you already paid for? Also a scam. Have they asked you for personal information? A full name/date of birth/photograph/mother’s maiden name/etc, etc? This is an identity fraud, they will likely sell it to the highest bidder or use it to apply for things. Please remember to be safe and keep personal information...personal. If the spellcaster insists that you don’t talk about the spell, don’t go to anyone else, or that if you back out they’ll send their ‘spirits’ or ‘demons’ after you or even harm you spiritually? Cleanse and GTFO. Block them with every method available, and don’t worry or fret. It’s a classic scam tactic, and you can see it within other groups of people as well.

The African Appropriating Priest Scam:

The person will make very outrageous claims for what their magic can do. Sometimes they’ll go to the extremes of faith-healing...get you out of a wheelchair, or they’ve brought the dead to life. Most of the time they tend to say they’ll get your ex to be obsessed with you, make you into a millionaire, get you that dream job or funds with no effort, etc. Usually the African Appropriating scammer will claim to use Vodou or some ‘ancient practice’, but yet have no knowledge on the practice if actually asked about it.

They’ll then state the cost of the spell, usually a couple hundred dollars, and that they’ll need to buy specific ingredients from particular African countries, send you pictures that are easily traceable of a hut with bones in the ceiling or something vaguely aesthetic like that, and claim this is their workspace.

The usage of over-familiarity, love, dear, precious, is also common instead of using your name. Then they’ll give you specic instructions, sometimes it’s payment via gift cards, or it’s ‘avoid driving for a week’ or other off the wall commentaries that don’t make sense in the grand scheme of things. Afterwards if you back out, they’ll claim they are sending spirits, Djinn, demons, or even whole deities after you for ‘breaking a pact’. This is a lie, and just a scare tactic. Again...just block and move on. No need to fret! Selling Entities/Changes to Your Person Scam:

This one’s a bit on the odder side, but stick with me! This is actually a pretty big scam right now. I am also not saying you can't buy a VESSEL that houses a spirit such as a porcelain doll, haunted object, etc, etc. This is a bit different you'll find.

Some people in some discord servers or communities will claim to sell you entities. The same groups may also claim they can change you from masc to fem, or visa versa, or give you an ego death. Below is some examples of one of these servers/offering up for sale:

Now that you’ve seen some examples, it shouldn’t take much for you to realize how scammy this seems. Not only is there stolen artwork being used...but frankly the descriptions of what will happen are...unbelievable at best. Some of these ads can even seem like they’re just selling you some sort of original character cooked up for a fantasy novel...you would be very correct on that last part. Do yourself a favor and just...don’t buy things you can’t tangibly touch or get proof of in some way, shape, or form, okay? Let me be abundantly clear: If witchcraft could change your gender in a snap, or heal all of your mental wounds, trust me, it wouldn’t be some long kept secret somewhere. Same goes for healing or even in some cases...turning you into a werewolf, vampire, demon, etc, etc. How to tell a legitimate spellcaster/reader:

The reader or spellcaster will be willing to go outside of DMs for readings or work. They’ll be willing to send photographs, videos, instagram stories, or meet with you via skype or zoom. The spellcaster will have distinct methodologies, and will likely explain what will happen step by step instead of being vague or just saying to ‘let the magic work’. A real worker will likely show you their labor for you. The prices seem reasonable. A few dollars or a few tens of dollars for a reading or work is quite reasonable. If they’re willing to work with you on prices is also a very good sign. Has the practitioner set boundaries or asked you questions about what you’re comfortable with? If you set boundaries are they willing to work with that? What is setting up an appointment with them like? Are they giving you options but making it clear they have books already? Is the practitioner or reader willing to talk with you one on one and make a personal connection? Do they seem reasonable? Now that we’ve gone over some things to look for and look OUT for, hopefully this will help you in the future if you start searching for practitioners to interact with and support. Don’t be afraid to ask others if something seems off or weird!

Edit: Edits to this lesson have been made with thanks to @artinvain who was kind enough to point out some problematic language being used. I am always learning and appreciate anyone who points that out to me.

[la-femme-au-collier-vert]

Sources on Louisiana Voodoo

door in New Orleans by Jean-Marcel St. Jacques

For better or worse, (almost always downright wrong,) Louisiana Voodoo and Hoodoo are likely to come up in any depiction of the state of Louisiana. I’ve created a list of works on contemporary and historical Voodoo/Hoodoo for anyone who’d like to learn more about what this tradition is and is not (hint: it developed separately from Haitian Vodou which now is the most visible form of Voodoo present in NOLA) or would like to depict it in a non-stereotypical way. I’ve listed them in chronological order, and bolder those works I consider the best, many of which are primary sources. Please keep a few things in mind. Almost all sources presented unfortunately have their biases. As ethnographies Hurston’s work no longer represent best practices in Anthropology, and has been suspected of embellishment and sensationalism on this topic. Additionally, her portrayal is of the religion as it was nearly 100 years ago- all traditions change over time. Likewise, Teish is extremely valuable for providing an inside view into the practice, but certain views, as on Ancient Egypt, may be offensive now. I have chosen to include the non-academic works by Alvarado and Filan for the research on historical Voodoo they did with regards to the Federal Writer’s Project that is not readily accessible, HOWEVER, this is NOT a guide to teach you to practice this closed tradition, and again some of the opinions are suspect- DO NOT use sage, which is part of Native practice and destroys local environments. I do not support every view expressed, but think even when wrong these sources present something to be learned about the way we treat culture.

*To compare Louisiana Voodoo with other traditions see the chapter on Haitian Vodou in Creole Religions of the Caribbean by Olmos and Paravinsi-Gebert. Additionally, many songs and chants were originally in Louisiana Creole (different from the Louisiana French dialect), which is now severely endangered. You can study the language in Ti Liv Kreyol by Guillery-Chatman et. Al.

Le Petit Albert by Albertus Parvus Lucius (1706) grimoire widely circulated in France in the 18th century, brought to the colony & significantly impacted Hoodoo

Mules and Men by Zora Neale Hurston (1935)

Spirit World-Photographs & Journal: Pattern in the Expressive Folk Culture of Afro-American New Orleans by Michael P. Smith (1984)

Jambalaya: The Natural Woman's Book of Personal Charms and Practical Rituals by Luisah Teish (1985)

Eve’s Bayou (1997), film

Spiritual Merchants: Religion, Magic, and Commerce by Carolyn Morrow Long (2001)

A New Orleans Voodoo Priestess: The Legend and Reality of Marie Laveau by Carolyn Morrow Long (2006)

“Yoruba Influences on Haitian Vodou and New Orleans Voodoo” by Ina J. Fandrich (2007)

The New Orleans Voodoo Handbook by Kenaz Filan (2011)

“Why We Can’t Talk To You About Voodoo” by Brenda Marie Osbey (2011)

Mojo Workin': The Old African American Hoodoo System by Katrina Hazzard-Donald (2013)

The Tomb of Marie Laveau In St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 by Carolyn Morrow Long (2016)

Lemonade, visual album by Beyonce (2016)

How to Make Lemonade, book by Beyonce (2016)

“Work the Root: Black Feminism, Hoodoo Love Rituals, and Practices of Freedom” by Lyndsey Stewart (2017)

The Lemonade Reader edited by Kinitra D. Brooks and Kameelah L. Martin (2019)

The Magic of Marie Laveau by Denise Alvarado (2020)

In Our Mother’s Gardens (2021), documentary on Netflix, around 1 hour mark traditional offering to the ancestors by Dr. Zauditu-Selassie

“Playing the Bamboula” rhythm for honoring ancestors associated with historical Voodoo

Voodoo and Power: The Politics of Religion in New Orleans 1880-1940 by Kodi A. Roberts (2023)

The Marie Laveau Grimoire by Denise Alvarado (2024)

Voodoo: An African American Religion by Jeffrey E. Anderson (2024)

[3rdeyeblaque]

On December 1st we venerate Elevated Ancestor & Voodoo Priest Frank Staten aka Prince Ke’eyama on the 25th anniversary of his passing 🕊 [for our Hoodoos of the Vodou Pantheon by way of New Orleans & Haiti]

Prince Ke’eyama was a Healer, Rootworker, & intuitive reader - recognized as the King of New Orleans Voodoo by many for his ;the locals knew him simply as, “The Chicken Man".

Born Frank Staten of Haitian descent, his family relocated from Haiti to New Orleans when he was an infant in the late '30s. Though raised Baptist under the ministry of his grandfather, it was his grandmother who initiated him into Rootwork & introduced him to Haitian Voodoo. Through his grandmother he learned to work the roots & the Lwa in order to help others.

At the age of 9, a revelation changed the course of his life forever. It was then that his grandfather revealed to him that he was blessed with magick & was a Healer. This was amplified by his grandmother's revelation that he was born of royal descent; to a lineage of powerful kings of the past whose legacy was his mantle to carry for the rest of his life. From this moment forward he was given a new name: Prince Ke’eyama.

Under the firm guidance of his grandparents, Ke’eyama developed into a powerful worker. Once his most peel animal spirit totem was revealed to him during meditation & prayer, he began following a strict diet of including chicken in his every meal. Doing so was said to enable him to swallow glass & consume fire unharmed. He'd go on to travel across the States to other Voodoo communities & frequent his roots in Haiti. He was an unmistakable figure in his appearance; locs decorated with feathers & ribbons, his signature straw hat, a long staff, & a big smile. Thus, his reputation & strength blossomed.

It wasn't until the early 70s that Prince Ke’eyama returned to New Orleans & witnessed the tumultuous nature & chaos of rampant drug abuse that swept the city. He was determined to make this is ground zero to answer his life calling of being a Healer. To attract the people, he fell back on an old nightclub act that he'd perform during his adventures on the road. He'd amaze his audiences with his mastery of Voodoo, revealing the power of God. Thus, "The Chicken Man" was born. His shows included: tribal dancing, simple magick, & fire-eating then was climaxed by eating a live chicken raw; he'd bite the head off & drink it’s blood, fixing it's neck into a makeshift straw. Though this reviled many, just as many others perceived this act less about entertainment & more of a sacrifice on the part of Prince Ke’eyama on behalf of everyone present. Those who did began to seek him out for counseling & aid in healing. By making a spectacle of himself, Prince Ke’eyama was able to fulfill his work as a Healer. His shows, counseling, conducting readings, & selling gris-gris etc was his ministry. The streets of New Orleans - particularly the French Quarter - were his congregation. Most people encountered him on the street as The Chicken Man by him intuitively reading them at a distance. By the time he zeroed in on someone, he had already had their prescription in mind. Unlike many priests or workers, he pursued his patients.

He developed a tremendous following in the 70s-80s. Many locals saught him out for his services. And was recognized as a powerful priest by those of the local Voodoo Community practicing what they proclaimed to be “true” Voodoo – most prominently Lady Bianca. Still, many popular vodusi dismissed him as sheer entertainment. This ostricization spurred The Cult of the Chicken Man; secret group of dedicated followers. This became one of the largest secret societies in the city since the time of Voodoo Queen Madame Marie Laveau.

Upon his death in 1998, Prince Ke’eyama's ashes were donated to the Voodoo Spiritual Temple in New Orleans where they remain enshrined by Sister Miriam Chamani.

We pour libations & give 💐 today as we celebrate him for his dedicated healing work, imparting the wisdom of his & the collective of ancestral elders through his teachings, & for being a symbolic lesson of what it means to be a product of self-determination in the wake of Maafa.

Offering suggestions: raw or cooked chicken, Baptist prayers/scripture, bourbon, snake charms

‼️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.‼️

[scarlet--wiccan]

Do you think there’s a meaningful distinction between “witches” and other magic users in the marvel universe (beyond, potentially, gender)?

Witch and warlock are obviously treated more or less as gender-swapped synonyms and both have somewhat negative connotations that don’t get associated with people like Dr Strange (afaik), but I feel like there might be more to it, I’m just not sure. Calling Nico or Billy a witch feels more accurate than calling Cleo or Victor a witch, but I can’t figure out if this is grounded in anything besides my own opinion

Yes, actually! We can identify social, cultural, mythical and practical factors distinguishing "witches" from other types of magicians. However, those distinctions are not always clear. As you noted, the word "witch" is often used very broadly to describe any female spellcaster. As a reader, you'll have to rely on context to determine whether the writer is denoting a specific type of magician, or just using gendered language.

Functionally speaking, all forms of magic are basically interchangeable. Most spellcasters have the same powers and abilities, and writers don't always put in the effort to make them feel unique. That doesn't necessarily bother me, so long as they are tailoring the language and imagery to suit each character's background, but that doesn't happen as often as I'd like. Again, you'll just need to use critical thinking to figure out when a lack of distinction is really just a lack of creativity and effort.

With that out of the way, let's break down what we do know about witchcraft, and the history of witches, in the Marvel world!

Social: Witches have historically gathered in covens, settlements and societies, and have even endured literal witch-hunts. In real life, this is not quite the truth, but it Marvel comics, we can say that witches comprise distinct societies which suffer distinct forms of persecution. We also know that many witches belong to a magical lineage, and that these witch families often use a special naming convention to identify themselves with unique colors and symbols, indicating that witches have unique customs and traditions setting them apart.

Cultural: In Marvel comics, all forms of magical or spiritual folk practice are literally real, in the same way that all mythologies and polytheistic religions are literally real-- Asgard is a real place, Thor is a real person, and spells have real power. Witchcraft is typically represented as a form of European folk magic. Other traditions, such as vodou, voodoo, and multiple forms of Indigenous spirituality have also been demonstrated, and are often grouped together, along with witchcraft, under a broad category of "cultural magic." As shown in Midnight Suns, many of these traditions from around the world have a certain shared history, as the Coven at Mount Wundagore included representatives from numerous cultures.

Mythological: "Witchcraft" itself exists as an abstract entity, like Death, Nightmare, or Eternity. She is the source of witchcraft's power, but also a symbolic representation of all witches and the natural balance of magic, and she is sometimes worshipped as a goddess. Witchcraft resides at the heart of the Witches' Road, an Inner Plane uniquely accessible to witches that transcends time and is connected to many of the mythical realms. Witchcraft may also be intrinsically connected to chaos magic-- ancient witches were responsible for binding and harnessing Earth's natural chaos magic; Witchcraft, the entity, is shown consorting with an abstract Chaos entity; and we know that Wundagore and the Darkhold are connected to many cults and covens throughout history.

Practical: Unfortunately, this is the weakest area. For a brief time, Wanda's magical practice borrowed a lot of Wiccan motifs, which was problematic in its own right, but in modern comics, we just don't get to see enough of how witches, specifically, do magic. Most characters who practice some form of traditional magic have a closer connection to natural elements and the spirit world, and they may have particular powers related to their background. Doctor Voodoo is a great example, although the actual depiction of his culture is deeply flawed. Scarlet Witch (2015) introduced certain unique abilities, such as witches' sight; specific mechanics around the cost of magic; and a style of spellcasting that relied on Wanda's knowledge of real-world languages and magical symbols. Billy and Nico also use varying degrees of wordplay, so I like this approach and I would focus on building that into a cohesive magical system if I was a writer.

[rockofeye]

Hi! I want to open with a heartfelt thanks for running this blog seeing other trans & queer folk means a lot. I'm Haitian American, & for many reasons I've grown up isolated from that part of my heritage. For the past couple years I've been doing on-and-off research into Vodou & something always pulls me back. I want to reach out to a sosyete & ask to learn in ways besides reading; but I'm lost as to how. Do you have any advice for someone in my position? Thank you for your time :)

Hi,

I'm so glad this has been useful for you; that has kind of been the whole point for me. For me as a queer and gender non-conforming houngan, leaving a door visible for other folks like me is important, especially now.

Your experience is not unique; I regularly speak to Haitian folks who, for whatever reason, did not have the benefit of being connected to these particular roots. I hear more and more from queer and trans Haitians as well, who have felt their roots are unavailable to them because of their queerness or transness, and that's simply not true at all. There is a rich and vibrant history and present of very visible queer and gender non-conforming vodouizan. It is complicated in Haiti for any number of reasons, but it is always there and the temples have always been the places where queer and trans folks have been safe in Haiti.

Starting with a reading is honestly a good place to start; it can give you a very basic feel for what the sosyete may be like, regardless of whether you are sitting with the lineage head or one of their children, and a reading can tell you a lot about the reader and not just about yourself and your spirits and situation.

Many sosyetes have public ceremonies, and going to ceremonies can be a good way to get a feel for a house and it's people. Going a bit early and seeing if there are things you can help with is good, too... though maybe not on your first visit!

It can def be intimidating as a queer and/or trans person going into a new spiritual space, and I imagine it can be challenging and complicated as a Haitian person entering a new-to-you Haitian space.

I'd be happy to chat with you privately, if you'd like; for me, I have a big, big place in my heart for other queer and/or trans folks finding their spiritual way. If you're interested in a reading, I'm happy to hook you up, extend my created-just-this-minute discount for queer and trans folks on readings, and give you some options. Feel free to reach out by message here, either through the ask box (just give me a way to reach you) or the messenger, or at hounganalex@gmail.com.

All my best wishes for you; your birthright is waiting for you.

[gingergofastboatsmojito]

Zombification process

One of the most fascinating and intricate processes in Haitian Vodou is zombification, which revives the recently dead into mindless, soulless zombies. As part of the vodou religion, the bokors (Haitian vodou sorcerers) have the power to create and control zombies.

After this process takes place, the bokor revives the victim and keeps the zombie in a state of submissive confusion. In this state, the zombie cannot speak, has no memory, and no longer resembles its past human personality. As a result, the zombie is easy to control and the bokor can use the zombie as a slave.

That is what I feel certain writers or fans do with the characters they claim to love. They deprive them of their personalities, their very essence and make them fit their own personal narratives, fantasies, and hopes, just because they feel like it, just because they can. Just because they feel entitled to take someone else's creation and milk it. Granted that we on here or even on A03 get no financial benefit out of it, OK. But we get the benefit of being read and "congratulated" sometimes by our creations, by our musings. Right? We get our egos pet, in a sense. So, IMO taking a character that was not created by us and morphing it into SOMEONE ELSE COMPLETELY who happens to keep the same physical appearance and name BUT ABSOLUTELY NOTHING ELSE that was originally assigned to it by its REAL CREATOR, is nothing but a HUGE Zombification process.

There's no creation there, there's only colonization of the character's traits that make them who they are, who they were created to be in the first place, and who we fell in love with while watching, BTW. Also, there's this appropriation of this character only to turn them into someone else that fulfills the bokor's fantasies, which obviously HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE CHARACTER PER SE, those fantasies are just projections of the bokor's inner world.

All of this would be somewhat OK, as far I'm concerned, if it was handled with care, with ethics (?) maybe?. Mostly with honesty. In a SM post it's hard to do that, it's kind of a lawless zone. You can post whatever you want, no matter how zombie-like that post is in terms of characterization, so ... whatever... I get it. Hate it, but get it.

But in FF we have A/Ns. We could definitely be honest about how we intend to fully zombify the character and take it to a completely different AU where all that we intend to keep IC is the name and the looks, everything else WILL BE ERASED AND OVERWRITTEN to make it fit this AU's narrative, that we do own because it's our creation. And that would be just fine because we would be owning it and as soon as the reader sees that A/N, they can decide what the fuck to do about it.

This doesn’t mean that I don't understand the rules of fiction, I know that when you create a character and put it out there, it's all fair play, anything goes... I also know that it's fiction, so on a blank page you can do whatever you want and whoever you wanna do it with, and like I said, you are not even getting paid for it, so no one can touch you. You have impunity. Yes. Got it. Does it make it right? Probably it doesn't make it wrong, but if we take this to the trademark arena, for instance, we can clearly see that taking a completely different product we can design and then put the label on it of a known and successful brand WE DO NOT OWN, it's illegal, whether you sell that product or not, whether you profit from that travesty, it's besides the point, it's just not permitted, period.

In fiction, fortunately, we don't have to comply with that set of rules trademarks and brands must, but I guess that what I'm saying is that it would be nice that if the BOKORS took, say... IDK... CARMEN ANTHONY BERZATTO and make him eat shit from their fucking belly button because that's their fucking kink, at the very least they have the decency to call him... IDK JOHN DOE, because we all know that's not Carmy!!! We have to at the very least agree on that undeniable fact, right? Or, maybe they could have the tact of using the fucking A/Ns and disclaim the fuck outta that fic saying that they are going fully OC just because their ass felt like it and then we can all agree to disagree or not, and move on. How about that?

Too much to ask? Apparently YES.

Well so... that was me venting. Of course, don't mind me, keep zombifying characters you didn't create, it's fine. We can all read whatever we want and dismiss whatever we don't like. My point is not that anyone should stop doing it, which would be a pretty stupid and unattainable point to make, but that it should be done in all honesty, not just by appropriating stuff that we don't rightfully own, even though we can and just because we can.

There, I said it.

[whilereadingandwalking]

Moonbath by Yanick Lahens, translated by Emily Gogolak, is a well-written multigenerational story about a family living in rural Haiti. The story begins when married rich man Tertulien Mésidor falls hard for the barely-16-year-old Olmène, whose family was cruelly cheated by Mésidor’s ancestors, and decides he simply has to have her. Meanwhile, far into the future, a young girl lies on the beach, bloody, bruised, and ready to tell readers her story.

I’m a sucker for multi-generational stories, and this one feels so epic, and in just 200 pages! Lahens fits in a story of four generations from 1963 to nearly the present, all packed tightly into a web of Haitian history and the practice and beliefs of vodou. I recommend skipping the blurb so that the identity of the girl on the beach is a slow reveal rather than known going in. The characters are compelling and the language vivid. It’s a cruel, hopeful book packed tightly with narrative. I’m tempted now to read everything that Yanick Lahens has ever written.

Content warnings for sexual assault/rape (depicted), statuatory rape, domestic violence, mob violence.

Catch my full list of Haitian literature in translation recs!

[salixsociety]

Book Review: New World Witchery

New World Witchery : a Trove of North American Folk Magic - Cory Thomas Hutcheson. Llewellyn Publications, 2021. English.

★★★★ (4/5) This book has as many flaws as reasons to adore it, and so this may prove to be a very lengthy review. TL;DR: at the bottom.

Picking this up in the bookstore I was very excited. Hailing originally from Europe, now living in Alaska, and practicing primarily European folk magic, this seemed like a fantastic book to bury myself in and learn about folk magic of my new home continent. Delving into it I was immediately captivated. The structure of the book is very very creative, and the way the author writes really takes you away. I appreciate the inclusion of not just theoretical material, which may fall flat to the reader due to a number of factors, but also biographies of magical practitioners and the sections that encourage you to apply what you read in real life. That said, as an experienced practitioner holding the 'worksheets' up to my own work, it felt a tad empty. The author, though very good at relaying folkmagical tradition, doesn't impart a lot of folk magic's cosmology or quasi-scientific historical approach into the recommended rituals. This has benefits and drawbacks. I think that for an experienced practitioner that sticks to folkmagical principles and a set cosmology, the recommended magical practice is next to useless. However, a beginner practitioner, or somebody looking for direction and inspiration, may find a wealth of new ideas in these sections.

Of course there are the necessary socio-political issues to consider in a book review. I would not discount this book on this account, but I have a few notes. The author undeniably covers his bases. He explicitly warns against the drawbacks of such an extensive piece of literature, of it also including hoodoo, vodou, root working, jewish, native, etc practices. He makes a strong statement against appropriation. But I am a nitpicker, was born one, unfortunately. Some things I noticed: The author does recommend using both 'sage' and palo santo during the worksheet sections a few times. While he takes a stance against appropriatively using materials and rituals, I think it could use a bit more stressing that these plants (salvia officinalis and sandalwood) are endangered or close to it and shouldn't be used by people unable to obtain and use sustainably. The author recommends offering tobacco to ancestors, tobacco being a topic of hot debate presently as to whether or not the use of it in ritual should be reserved for Native American peoples. The author refers to his own magic as 'mojo' once and seems to use Hoodoo tradition fairly freely. Take that as you will. The author started the book off very very careful not to call Native Americans the I-word unless directly quoting something, but appeared to get more casual about that toward the end. Author refers to both mythical witch gatherings and real life festivals a 'witch's sabbat(s)', something I consider to be antisemitic. Author recommends taking a volunteering job cleaning graves to collect graveyard dirt without breaking any laws. Dubious? All that said - I can't knock the book for any of this. The information is good, and the book is well written. Ultimately we can never expect to agree on socio-political progression all the way with one another, and the author seems conscious about liberation for all and respectfully applying his knowledge of various traditions.

The bibliography is good, with only a few eyesores. For this section I ought to explicitly mention I have something that could rightly be referred to as a personal vendetta with Western Esotericism and its derivatives, which is why I react to certain types of modern magic as though I were allergic. All of the 'negatives' I'm about to outline are purely subjective and based on my irrelevant ass opinion. The author occasionally references and appears to hold in high regard such authors as Judika Illes and Scott Cunningham, who are undeniably primarily Wiccan authors, or at the least authors geared toward contemporary practitioners, not folk practitoners. The likes that spell it 'magick'. I should also mention that while the author takes a very neutral stance on Traditional Witchcraft (this in reference to Wicca and the like), he does include such things as the Rede and the Wheel of the Year, which he dubs "deeply agricultural." I just had to bite my tongue and keep reading.

Finally I would like to note that the book, though it refers to itself as about all of North America, pretty much only covers the Atlantic half of North America. In fact, I believe the West Coast only gets mentioned in passing twice, both times when offhandedly mentioning Bigfoot/Sasquatch. This makes sense, on the one hand: the richest folk-magical traditions are there. But on the other: the West Coast, though lacking in such big communities of traditional practitioners, has a rich history of spirituality and magic as well, mostly from the Native peoples here and, in Alaska, from Russian colonists. If the book didn't also discuss Native traditions of the East Coast and Midwest, I wouldn't be salty. But it does, and I would've liked to see a bit more discussion of the West and the Arctic. It would've fit in!

All of that said, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It certainly isn't the type of work you're supposed to read front to back over the course of a few days, but that is exactly what I did and I still liked it! I think the information presented is overall very good, and should be held up to light only as much as any other source should be. Cross-reference, kids! Something I noticed as I worked my way through is that this book would lend itself exceedingly well to being used as a textbook, due to its structure. I wouldn't recommend this book to an ultimate, bare-bones beginner who has no idea how to research and what to look out for yet, and I wouldn't recommend this book to an already very experienced practitioner looking to truly severely deepen their knowledge. But I would recommend this book to a team of them - an advanced mentor able to use this book as a textbook for a student, capable of helping them discern between appropriate and inappropriate conduct, and giving them direction in their early stages. TL;DR: This is a great book. Cross-reference as you would with any other resource, and be sure to contemplate your own ethics and what heritage you are and are not entitled to. I would recommend this book to: - Mentors teaching beginners; - Novice practitioners with some pre-existing knowledge, that are confident in their abilities to cross-reference; - Practitioners in need of some direction or inspiration; - Practitioners that have a hard time finding magic in their native surroundings. Maybe pass on this book if you are... ... from the West Coast and only interested in the West Coast; ... not confident in your ability to cross-reference; ... a true beginner with little to no pre-existing knowledge and cosmology; ... a well-established North American folk practitioner looking for a deep inquiry into the nitty gritty of New World folk magic; ... unaware of appropriate conduct and social issues in the magical community.

[vudutarot]

How you start is not always How you finish

My first intro to Orisa was a way of Self Discovery, i was already working on my spirituality, training with Mentors in the Psychic community and reading clients when my regular reader Kept telling me that there was an african woman behind me saying the word “O-ri-sha”. Neither of us knew What that word meant but he insisted that I Found out. This Psychic was an old white man. A Message is a message despite the appearance of the Messenger

I eventually Traveled to New Orleans many times, had various experiences, even moved and became a reader there without ever knowing that New Orleans was where my paternal great grandparents immigrated to the USA from Jamaica through New Orleans, which I discovered many years later.

After getting into contact with a well nown Santero in Miami, I flew over to get Divination done, receive my elekes, guerreros, olokun, palo muerto etc. even got scratched in Preparation for doing ocha.

I eventually left the ile and my ocha basket, my elekes and orisas there After many things occurring, things spoken during misas that made me go hmmm and just general blockages. Several times my GPS would stop working and I would find myself lost for hours trying to find my padrino’s home. With him being a santero of elegua, I thought that was significant.

Eventually I took a break, went to a Babalawo and received my hand of ifa, new warriors etc. Discovered that the previous house was planning to initiate me to the wrong orisa, it was supposed to be his orisa and felt a type of ways. The babalawo that cast my odu isefa had the same ifa odu as me and also was a little shocked and my oluwo tried to illuminate my naive mind.

I took a long break from the religion, I had noticed that I garnered way more success without it, I had made the most money in my career, when I just left santeria alone. I tried one last time to give cuban ifa a try with another babalawo who remade all my shrines, taught me, mentored me, gave me me osain and allowed me to help him with clients and basic rituals and sacrifices. Learned a lot but same as before, nothing miraculous really changed. I switched to an Isese babalawo (popoola lineage) for ebbos just for change of perspective. I effectively left santeria, ifa and orisa for good, I would just get an ifa divination once in a while.

I went back to vodou because that was my first ATR experience and the ancestral pull as well as it actually worked for me. But during kanzo in Haiti, I started to dream a lot about Africa, somewhere I had never been or wanted to go, and I blew it off.

Months later, I had this strange dream involving sango, talking about ifa, I thought it was ludicrous so I contacted my babalawo for divination, and the odu cast spoke about both sango and going into ifa. Weeks later, I got another divination from someone from an afa lineage without telling him anything and he had a similar divination result. So I took it seriously after talking to 3 different babalawos from three different lineages and countries.

I found myself in africa for the first time, I was afraid, I did afa initiation as well as other ceremonies, I was still apprehensive though. After coming back to usa, I got an outside divination and it came out in ibi, someone was trying to take me out.

I got very ill, doctors ran tests for 5 weeks even wearing a heart monitor and they could not figure out why my heart was failing. Yup, I was dying at 33 years old, 5 years later my brother died at 33. You probably guessed it, it was an inside the family thing. Anyways, I was terminated from my employer and I threatened to sue them very publicly because I had nothing to lose. They settled, I had a large sum of money but I was still dying so I had two choices have fun or do orisa initiation and hope for a miracle.

I was invited to the ebohon center in Benin city, got my nigerian visa but I was too sick to travel back to africa, didn’t have medical authorization, so I went to Brazil instead, to initiate under one of Araba agboola’s godchildren there, I stayed for 5 weeks. I did a lot of ceremonies. I went into trance with orisa for the first time, then again and again. It was around the third time that I felt a significant change in my heart beat and the palpitations had stopped. Within 3 months, I never had another problem again.

I went back to Brazil and found out I was touched by the candomble bug via my previous godfather, meaning he mixed some things Brazilian and Isese. one tradition does not wipe out the other, no baptism can undo a previous ceremony also finding out that sango never left me alone despite him not being the orisha of my ori. I went to a festa of xango at the famous terreiro do cobre, one girl was mounted with xango, hugged me and wouldn’t let go until I slipped into trance. I woke up in the back room and the iyalorisa of the lineage said I had to do some ceremonies in candomble. I went to various terreiros to get differing opinions and they all said similar things. So that’s how I ended up in candomble when I didn’t want to be.

Before the pandemic, I went back to nigeria and Benin to learn, study, do more ceremonies over a planned trip of 6 weeks which turned into 6 months. Surprisingly enough I ended up in the ile of another popoola lineage babalawo and iyanifa without realizing it.

just clarify my relationship with the popoola family is purely transactional, I bought their entire library of books, lectures, songs, etc, did divination with them for many years and used their olorisas they usually employ but they don’t consider me to be affiliated and so neither do I. I have never met chief popoola in person

Ejiogbe is the odu of many ebbos, sacrifices, orikis, loss, abundance, gossip, jealousy, betrayal, triumph over adversity, healing, longevity, being well known but alone, many taboos, honesty but many lie on you, charity without gratitude or acknowledgment.

[horrorfanaticjas]

BLOG POST #5

The concepts of horror and Afrofuturism together pose a fantastic blend of literature that intrigue me on a deeper level, and I have enjoyed analyzing the reading. As someone who’s read Greedy Choke Puppy before, reading it again helped me receive a deeper understanding of the story and how it was connected to vodou. Greedy Choke Puppy sparked my curiosity about vodou and the origins it has in Afro-Haitian communities, and I have read the story multiple times. My most recent reading of Greedy Choke Puppy has sparked a few questions about the short story, and I am curious to unpack more about vodou in the future. 

Greedy Choke Puppy entices readers and explores the myth of the soucouyant, allowing readers to receive a deeper understanding of the vodou behind the story. Personally, I would’ve been more interested in reading further and seeing the conflict unfold in a different manner, especially one that explains the mythological and vodou aspects on a deeper level. If Jacky had been able to find fulfillment in a different way, she wouldn’t have had the burning urge to succumb to her soucouyant lineage. I believe her grandmother should’ve had the conversation with her at an earlier time, so it could have prevented Jacky from going out to suck the blood from children to feel youthful again. In my opinion, I believe Jacky had a wonderful support system, as well as family and friends that loved her, which could have prevented her from becoming a soucouyant. If her Grandmother had attempted to prevent another family member from being affected by the soucouyant’s grasp, it would not have ended with the Lagahoo coming back for Jacky, and now, the Grandmother since she will also feel empty without her grandchild. I wonder how different the story would be if the vodou aspect were played out and explored more, with Jacky finding more love with her grandmother and friends, instead of focusing on finding a lover. Another aspect that confused me was that Jacky was dating or talking to Terry, and she still felt “empty”. Did this mean that there was an uncontrollable urge as a soucouyant, regardless of how her life was going? Would Jacky have been swayed by her grandmother trying to speak to her regarding the soucouyant bloodline in their family? Although Greedy Choke Puppy was a short story, it was complex and provided a historical understanding of vodou, as well as the soucouyant and how it affected the family. 

Overall, Greedy Choke Puppy was an intriguing combination of horror and Afrofuturism, and I believe it’s an excellent introduction to exploring vodou.

[sistahscifi]

Andy La Negra, so happy to see your books arrived safely in Miami!!! We hope serve as a resource for readers, schools, and libraries located in states - Florida, Texas, South Carolina, Missouri, and Utah - most heavily impacted by book bans.

We hope you looooove the Mambo Reina Series by Veronica G. Henry!! 

About Mambo Reina Series: A Vodou priestess turned amateur sleuth investigating a ritual murder is embroiled in an insidious case of corruption that reaches beyond the shadows of New Orleans.

After solving a crime blamed on Vodou in New Orleans’s French Quarter, Vodou priestess turned amateur detective Reina Dumond has returned to her benevolent work as a healer. But when her friend and enigmatic client Evangeline “Vangie” Stiles comes to her for a spell, Mambo Reina quickly realizes what Vangie really needs is a sleuth.

Image reposted from @thoughtsfromthe305 Black Sci Fi and Speculative Fiction have been an awakening for me. Moving through Afro Futurism, African Futurism, Black Speculative Fiction and Black Surrealism has been an adventure. As these genres increase in popularity I’m excited to see Caribbean authors getting their flowers. Super excited to read this series! 

With that being said, also have to give a shoutout to Black bookstores. This time around I'm specifically talking about @sistahscifi. It’s quite remarkable to have such a wonderful selection of stories in one place. One day I’ll make it out to one of the Sistah Scifi Book Vending Machines!

#305

#Miami

#SistahScifi

#MamboReinaSeries

#MamboReina

#TheQuarterStorm

#TheForeignExchange 

#VeronicaGHenry

#Afrofuturism #BlackSpeculativeFiction

@thewordslinger

@amazonpublishing

[lipstick-n-hoodoo]

[readersmagnet]

The Oakland Hills Vodou Murders is the first crime mystery thriller by Glen Carrington. Detective Lincoln investigates the gruesome, voodoo-like murder of Hillary Chatham Dillard, a student from one of the prestigious schools in California’s Oakland Hills. Published in 2005, this is one of Carrington’s most thrilling and surprising works.

[rockofeye]

We're careening into Petwo and Makaya season, and that means wrapping up 2019 and looking forward to 2020. I've got a few goodies up my sleeves for December to help the new year hit the right stride from the jump, but I thought we'd start off everything the right way with some card reading.

A leson kat yo/literally 'card lesson' or card reading in Haitian Vodou is a time set aside to consult the lwa via the skill of a manbo or houngan and seek their input and advice on life issues and/or spiritual questions. A leson can be a way to determine if the lwa are seeking your service and what that might mean, or it can simply be advisement on whatever situations you are currently facing.

Leson are a no-commitment interaction (meaning there's no implicit agreement that you are going to do things with/for the lwa) and there's no requirement to do or purchase more services or products after the reading.

I don't do price reductions on readings very often, so there's no time like the present to take advantage. Readings do not have to be scheduled within December to get the reduced price (everyone gets busy...), but would need to be purchased before the month is up. It might make a good Chrismakwanukkah or Giftmas present for the inquiring spiritualist in your life....