#voodoohistory

[neworleansvoudou]

Lala Hopkins, a hoodoo queen from New Orleans, used this very image, cut from a newspaper in the 1930s, as the image of Marie Laveau for her altar. She had a small table in the corner of a room where she had this image, and this is where she laid her workings, before working them. She always paid homage to Marie Laveau, thanking her for the gift of magic. Magic to Lala was empowerment and solutions to the challenges of every day life. I devote a chapter to her in my latest book, Witch Queens, Voodoo Spirits, and Hoodoo Saints: A Guide to Magical New Orleans. #hoodoo #conjure #rootwork #neworleansvoodoo #marielaveau #lalahopkins #witchqueens #witchcraft #conjurehistory #hoodoohistory #voodoohistory (at Saint Johns, Arizona) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cg_aCABuSHs/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[torrid-wind]

Fascinating page featuring discussions of:

Ancient Origins Of Vodoun Religion

Popular Myths On Vodoun’s Origins In America

Enslaved Africans Brought Vodoun Religion To America

Later Haitian And Other Cultural Influences

Religious Persecution And Suppression Of Vodoun In America

All throughout America, an aggressive campaign was implemented to do away with all African traditional religious practices once and for all. Heavy fines were often levied. Brutal forms of torture, severe beatings, genital castration, lynching's, and even death was imposed on anyone caught practicing any form of the religion. Stringent laws were passed to prevent the Africans from speaking any African languages, building shrines, making ritual drums, or any musical instruments. Family members and neighbors were encouraged to "report" one another if caught practicing any form of the religion.

These medieval laws were so successful, that in less than one generation, the many priests and priestesses who were not murdered, were forced to practice underground, earning Vodoun the undeserved reputation of being “dark, malevolent and mysterious.”

Intentionally mocked as "Voodoo", no clear distinctions were made between the ancestral religious traditions and its beneficent practices, and the "darker" maleficent traditions such as "sorcery, conjuration, and witchcraft." Tantamount to the spiritual-genocidal equivalency of blending Satanism with Christianity proper.

Because the African Diaspora welded no significant economic, or political clout, and most of what remained of its priesthood duly maligned and discredited, it became nearly impossible to present the true spiritual reality of what Vodoun actually is, and its profound importance to the spiritual sustenance of the African Diaspora.

Unfortunately, many "New Age" (Neo-pagans, Themas, Satanists, etc.,) believers are inexplicably drawn to the Vodoun religion based upon the mis-belief that it is a magico-cultic blend of the "dark arts," with no clear theological structure, or moral foundation. Nothing could be further from the truth. Unfortunately, to prevent further cultural vulturization from these disaffected groups, the Vodoun deities and their nature will not be written about in this article nor on this website.

Begin reading on the homepage:

http://www.mamiwata.com/lineage/lineage.html

[themadgirldiaries]

Seeing Congo Square was a huge bucket list item for me, and the fact that my sweet man sang to me in the middle of it while we danced perfected it. #congosquare #voodoohistories #jazzhistory #neworleans #louisiana #historicplaces #historylover #travelersnotebook #travelersofinstagram (at Congo Square Preservation Society)