Peace be with you, my friends! Today I have decided to blog a bit about an interesting and widely misunderstood element of Voodoo: The Voodoo Doll.
A widely misunderstood element of Voodoo is the Voodoo Doll.
We have all see old black and white movies where the Voodoo priestess filled with rage lifts a rag doll into the air and moving in time to the pounding drums that surround her plunges a needle into the fetish causing her victim, usually miles away, to drop to the floor in agony. This scene is a work of pure fiction. While it is possible to cause an enemy physical pain with a Voodoo doll, it requires a tremendous amount of energy and is not a traditional practice in Voodoo. In fact, I have only seen it done twice in all my years as a Voodoo doctor. Dolls do however have their use in Voodoo, which is what I would like to explore a little today.
I must say that dolls are rarely used in Haitian Vodou, only occasionally when making offerings to certain spirits an Hougan or Mambo will use a doll to represent the spirit in question. Even this is quite rare, since most people prefer to make ornately decorated spirit bottles to house the actual spirit rather than merely represent it. In New Orleans, on the other hand, dolls are widely used for a variety of purposes. Many anthropologists believe that the presence of dolls in Louisiana Voodoo and Southern Hoodoo can be traced to the influence of European magic and also the presence of Senegalese slaves in southern Louisiana during colonial times who came from regions where fetishism was heavily practiced as opposed to Dahomey and Nigeria where more emphasis was placed on communal drumming ceremonies which today are a fundamental component of Haitian Vodou yet extremely rare in Louisiana Voodoo.
Dolls in Voodoo are more frequently used in Lousiana Voodoo. Voodooists in Louisiana use dolls for two purposes. The first is to represent a spirit guide or to serve as a “home” or point of focus for a disembodied spirit. When I am working with a spirit, I will often sew a doll by hand to represent him or her and dress it according to the spirit’s instructions in colors that make it happy and will bring peace, luck and harmony. Then I will place it on my altar and make offerings of food, rum or cigar smoke to the spirit and ask for its favors and blessings. This is also a common practice in Spiritism, a spiritual practice common throughout Latin America and the Caribbean based on the writings of the 19th century French philosopher and medium Allan Kardec.
It is equally common to use dolls to represent a living person when doing spell work. For example, if I were doing a spell for marriage I would make two dolls, either out of cloth or wax, and I would consecrate or baptize them in the name of the people I am trying to influences. In this way, what is done to the dolls would be felt on a spiritual, mental and physical level. Then I would bind the dolls with string and cover then with honey and various herbs and of course perform the magical service over them. Secondly, a doll can also be used for cleansing purposes. If a person feels troubled by bad luck or is the victim of a curse or negative magic, I will often perform a cleansing with a doll to act as the “host” to take on all the negativity attached to that person and after the cleansing I will destroy the doll by burning it or burying it at a crossroads.
I hope this post has been educational and I thank you for taking the time once again to read my blog. As always, I wish you peace, happiness and the sweetest of blessings! A la prochaine!
Plans for the New Year!
Peace be with you, my friends! I hope your New Year is off to a wonderful start and that you were able to try some of the traditions and practices that I described to bring luck for this year.
I wish you health, success and prosperity is 2011!
The last few weeks have been pure craziness for me with extensive travel and spending time with family and friends and of course performing my major New Year’s service for all those whose requested an offering, but now it is back to business as usual.
Throughout January I will be making by hand a series of traditional Voodoo products such as saint beads, paquet congo, spirit bottles, spirit dolls and drapeaux or Voodoo flags which will be available starting February 1st. Throughout the month I will post details on each of these products and photos as I make and consecrate these products.
Also, this year I plan to make a series of videos about various Voodoo practices with demonstrations and post them on youtube as well as here on my blog. So please check back for many exciting posts coming soon.
Thank you for taking the time to visit my blog and I wish you health, success and prosperity is 2011!
Spirit Money!
Peace be with you my friends! Today I've decided to continue the series of posts on ways to attract luck in the New Year with an article on spirit money or joss paper.
You can find spirit money at most Asian grocery stores in packs that sell for about 1 or 2 dollars.
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 recently deceased relatives and unknown spirits who have nobody to pray for them, also known as “hungry ghosts.” The second is silver leaf paper which is meant for highly revered ancestors and finally gold leaf paper which is meant for Chinese folk gods or the Jade Emperor himself, the supreme ruler of the afterlife. If a person finds him or herself haunted by an unhappy ghost, the most effective remedy is to burn a package of spirit money to make the spirit happy so it will go away. People firmly believe that their ancestors will bless them abundantly in this life if they are well cared for in the next. In recent decades it has even become popular to offer items such as cars, cell phones and mansions made out of papier mache!
In order to understand the belief of offering spirits money to the dear departed, it is necessary to examine traditional Chinese beliefs regarding the afterlife. Chinese folk religion teaches that people in the afterlife continue living as in this world and doing many of the same activities except on a much grander scale and without any suffering, illness or poverty. People live in big mansions surrounded my loved ones and feasting on banquets all day. Everybody is a billionaire! People of Earth can help their loved ones live a more lavish life by ceremoniously burning spirit money and in turn the dead bless them with luck and prosperity on Earth. These beliefs regarding the afterlife are shockingly similar to those of traditional African religions of which Voodoo is a part. It is therefore not surprising that many southern Voodooists and Hoodoo doctors have incorporated spirit money into their practices over the past several decades. In Voodoo it is often burned as in the Chinese practice or the bills are often folded and included in charms or gris gris bags meant to bring luck.
You can find spirit money at most Asian grocery stores in packs that sell for about 1 or 2 dollars. I recommend you buy some and make an offering to your ancestors and spirit guides and you will be truly amazed at how they bless you in this life! Every year I burn huge quantities of spirit money for myself and clients at my New Year’s service to bring luck in the following years and I have consistently had amazing results. If you would like me to make an offering of spirit money on your behalf for good luck or to request a specific favor, please contact me and I will be happy to do so!
Thank you again for taking the time to read my blog. May the Ancestors and all the Saints bless you abundantly!
Foods that Bring Luck in the New Year
Peace be with you, my friends! I have long been interested in the role food plays in magic ritual service. In many religions as varied as Voodoo, Santeria, Hinduism and many Native-American traditions, it is common to make food offerings to the spirits and one's own ancestors. These are often simple bland foods such as boil beans, white rice, corn meal mush, things that most people would not find appealing to eat, but there are also foods that are intended to be eaten by people and shared among family and friends to bring good luck, fortune and blessings. Not surprisingly, many of these foods are meant to be eaten around New Year's to bring luck in the upcoming year. I would like to share the history behind two of these dishes with you.
It is no coincidence that many of the Voodoo practitioners and witches I know are also amazing cooks!
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, this soup was a favorite of the French plantation owners but was strictly forbidden to the slaves who were forced to live on skimpy rations of salted meat and lemon water. When the French masters were overthrown in the first successful revolution in the Americas, the previously enslaved people prepared massive quantities of this soup to commemorate their victory. The triumph of the Haitian revolution happened to coincide with New Year’s Day, so now it is a tradition in Haitian communities around the world to ring in the New Year with a bowl of Soup Joumou, which according to popular folklore will bring good luck throughout the New Year.
The next dish that allegedly brings luck is called Hopping John and it comes from the American south. This is a sort of bean salad made with black eyed peas, rice, onions, parley and bacon or fat back. It can be eaten hot of cold. It is unclear whether this dish has its origin in African or European culinary history, but today it is enjoyed by people of many different backgrounds all throughout the South. Tradition states that the beans bring good luck, happiness and romance in the New Year. A coin is sometimes dropped into the cooking pot and the person who receives it in his dish is said to be especially blessed with good fortune in the upcoming year. The name of this dish comes from a popular story that as it was being prepared, the young children of the house hold would jump up and down with excitement waiting to be served, hence the name “Hopping John.”
I believe that food and magic are mystically intertwined. It is no coincidence that many of the Voodoo practitioners and witches I know are also amazing cooks! There are many more magical traditions related to food associated with various holidays which I plan to share with you throughout the year. If you know of any special food related traditions I would love to hear them and if you are interested in a reading or any of my services, please do not hesitate to contact me. Thank you for taking the time to visit my blog and I wish you abundant blessings in this holiday season and throughout the New Year.
New Year’s Luck and Prosperity
Peace be with you, my friends! As this year winds down and the holiday season gets underway, I thought I would share with you some interesting Voodoo folklore regarding this time of the year and ways to bring luck in the New Year.
New Years is associated with many different practices thought to bring luck in the New Year.
In Creole and Cajun Louisiana, Christmas has traditionally been a subdued affair, unlike the glitz, glamour and pageantry of the carnival season that culminates in Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday. In decades past, Christmas was a day to go to church and gather with family and friends for a big meal and exchange a few gifts. Today, it is celebrated much the same as in the rest of America with large ornately decorated Christmas trees and parties throughout December. The holiday, while important, does not have many Voodoo traditions associated with it.
New Years, on the other hand, is associated with many different practices thought to bring luck in the New Year. As the month goes on I would like to share some traditions and mini-rituals that you may wish to try to bring you luck in the New Year.
Perhaps there is no beverage more associated with New Year’s Eve and other celebrations than champagne. We all enjoy sipping foaming glasses of this golden elixir as the clock chimes midnight to welcome in the New Year. Voodoo also makes use of champagne. It is sacred to the spirit Erzulie Freda, who is the embodiment of love, grace, beauty and class. It is also used frequently in love spells.
Years ago, I learned a special trick from my friend Norma, who is an accomplished and well known spell caster from New York City. To ensure good luck and prosperity in the New Year, you can take a bath with champagne on New Year’s Eve or anytime throughout the year when you feel you need a boost of luck or extra money. Norma explained that the bubbles are uplifting and they lift you to a higher and more successful place in life. She told me you can also use beer or even ginger ale. I also want to make clear that it should not be expensive champagne. Save that for drinking!
You simply stand under the shower and uncork the champagne, beer or ginger ale, whatever you choose, and shake it up so that when it comes out it is very foamy. Let it pour down your body from head to toe and think thoughts of money and wealth flowing into your life throughout the New Year. It is also a good idea to perform this ritual when you are undertaking a financial endeavor such as opening a business of buying a home. After you bath in the champagne, let the water wash it of, dry yourself off and head out for some New Year’s fun!
This is one of many rituals alleged to bring good luck and I will be sharing more in the weeks to come. Also, I will be hosting a large Voodoo gathering on December 30th where I will be making several offerings to ensure good luck and prosperity in the New Year. If you would like to have an offering made, please call or e-mail me and I will be happy to add you to the list.
May God, the Ancestors and the Saints bless you abundantly! A la prochaine!
