James Duvalier

It is a common feature of the many Afro-Caribbean religions born as a result of colonization and the slave trade (Vodou, Candomblé, Santería, Obeah etc.) that each element of nature and of the human condition is represented by a spiritual force. In Santería and Candomblé these spiritual manifestations of the natural world are called Orishas or Orixas and in Vodou they are known as “lwa.” The Orisha that is the embodiment of the ocean is Yemaya, known…
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Years ago, when I worked as a classroom assistant and tutor at an elementary school in Massachusetts, I had a colleague from Haiti and one day shortly before the holiday break we were discussing our plans for Christmas and New Years’ and she mentioned a traditional soup that Haitians both in Haiti and the diaspora eat on New Year’s Day: Soupe Joumou (in Creole) or Soupe au giraumon (in French). This is a fragrant, flavorful soup with…
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As the New Year approaches, we tend to pause and reflect of various goals we wish to accomplish which often involve drawing more luck, money and love into our lives.  These are commonly called New Year’s resolutions.  I would like to share with you a few simple spells, spiritual exercises and even foods you can prepare and eat to help drawn luck into your life.  This year why not back up your resolutions with some strong spiritual…
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In various parts of Asia, most notably China, Taiwan  and Singapore, it is a common practice to burn paper money and gold and silver colored paper as offerings for family members who have crossed over to the other side in order that they may have a comfortable afterlife.  There are three main categories of spirit money the first is cash in the form of colorful bills usually issued in astronomically high denominations.   These are meant for…
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Here is the first of the foods that bring luck in the new year, it is called Soupe Joumou in Creole or Soupe au Giramoun in French and it is an annual tradition in Haiti.  The soup itself is made from a fragrant Caribbean pumpkin simmered with meat and vegetables.  The pumpkin is removed from the soup, pureed and returned to the cooking pot and enriched with milk, butter and a blend of spices.  In colonial times,…
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