Haitian Vodou. Vodou altar during a celebration for Papa Guédé in Boston. This altar has offerings to three nations (nanchons) of loa: at top right are offerings to Rada spirits; at top left are those for the Petwo family; and those at bottom are for Guédé. Haitian Vodou[3] (/ˈvoʊduː/, French: [vodu], also written as Voodoo /ˈvuːduː/; Vodun,[4] or Vodoun[4] /ˈvoʊduːn/, etc.) is a syncretic religion practiced chiefly in Haiti and the Haitian diaspora. Practitioners are called "vodouists" (French: vodouisants [voduisɑ̃]) or "servants of the spirits" (Haitian Creole: sèvitè).
Vodouists believe in a distant and unknowable creator god, Bondye (likely derived from the French language term Bon Dieu, or Good Lord). Vodou originated in the French slave colony of Haiti in the 18th century, when African religious practice was actively suppressed, and enslaved Africans were forced to convert to Christianity. Names and etymology[edit] Beliefs[edit] Deities[edit] Loa[edit] Morality[edit] Soul[edit] Practices[edit] VODOU RITUALS & CEREMONIES | VODOU RELIGION. The Haitian Vodou Religions are full of different types of rituals and ceremonies that are conducted.
Some ceremonies or rituals are offered and open to the public Vodou Community. While others are conducted, by Houngans and Mambos, for private clientel. Here you will find information on some of the more common ceremonies performed/administered by a Houngan or Mambo. You can click on the links to read more about a particular type of ritual or service. It is important to note that Houngans or Mambos do not receive a regular salary by an agency, church or organization. Each Houngan or Mambo earns his or her own money as they work for others, helping others, working for clients, etc.
These public ceremonies are usually free of charge and it is the Houngan or Mambo giving the ceremony who pays for it, or bears all the expense. However, it is considered apporpriate and correct to bring a donation of some type. Most of these ceremonies commence with the Priye Ginen. Wanga for Protection. SCRIPTS OF AFRICA - Native Writing Systems of Africa. A script is not only a technology for writing the spoken word, It is also a cultural symbol of a people and their identity. The mere sign of Arabic script carries the power of Islam and the Arab/Muslim people.
Every time we see Amharic written we see the might of Ethiopian culture. A script is powerful political symbol used all over the world to show national identity. It is not accidental that Hebrew was reinstated, from obsoleteness, when Israel was created in 1948. Fact: It was once thought that the origin of Egyptian Hieroglyphs are religious and historical, but recent developments could point to an economical impetus for this script (just like Sumerian script) as well as push back the time depth of this writing system A script is a relatively modern technology for communication [2], it is a visible mark on a flat surface which carries information.
Europe has never produced any native script, every script is derivatives—even Ancient Greek. Ge'ez (Ethiopia | Eritrea) Ge'ez Syllabary and. Vodou Spirit. Yoruba Theology. Heritage. Vodou Spirit. Analogue Reality Autopsy: The perilous plunge into decadence and madness | An Occult Library. The Study of Death | Magistra Ardat Lile. Death magics have been around for as long as humans have grasped the concept of using magic of any form. Even the most basic division of magics must include a segment for that which is known as Necromancy. Though Necromancy currently has a functional etymology to it, this was not always the case. In the medieval ages, “Necromancy” was called “Nigromancy”, meaning “Black Magic” (interpreted as that which harms the person). Later on, as “Nigromancy” came to be altered into “Necromancy” through Greek and Italian influences, the art gained a new face.
Now, instead of simply being an art of injuring the human, it came to also be associated with graves, graveyards, spirits, and primarily of channelling dead spirits like a medium and working with The Angel of Death (cf. And heavily influenced by Catholicism and ritual myth or superstitious beliefs about bodies of the dead (cf. Like this: Raw Power and Dark Energies | Magistra Ardat Lile. The Sorcerer is characterized by an inherent need to explore the deepest, darkest parts of his or her self. Few are willing to do so, and even fewer can readily accept what they find when delving into the hidden regions of their own psyche. The Sorcerer, however, finds the pain and effort to be well worth it. The realization of one’s primal desires, obscure passions, and emotionality brings great power, and raw power is what a sorcerer strives for. As such, most Sorcerers adopt an aggressive stance in their magical works.
Though most of the Sorcerer’s lesser abilities are shared by many castes, there are some powers accessible only to those who walk the path of Sorcery. It is common knowledge that each person’s point of view is colored by his or her desires. Various myths, legends, and stories speak of sane and goodly individuals who somehow come in contact with their shadow-selves, beings with no regard for others who are obsessed with getting that which they desire most.
Like this: Haiti: List of Loa. Voodoo Part II:II | Magistra Ardat Lile. Voudoun Conceptualism or Understanding? Brief History of: Although the word Voodoo tends to conjure images of zombies, pins stuck in dolls, animal sacrifices, priests drinking blood, etc., it’s not exactly a realistic portrait of what Voodoo truly is. In fat because of the images associated with this word, most practitioners prefer the term Vodou. Vodou came form the tribal practices and beliefs of the slaves who were brought to Haiti from West Africa. In the 17th century, slaves bound for the West Indies were taken from over 100 different African ethnic groups. The beliefs and customs of all these groups combined to form Vodou. The two groups who had the greatest influence were the Fon and the Yoruba. The most important religious practice was ancestor worship. The Fon believed in hundreds of immortal spirits called vodu.
The main purpose of the ritual was to communicate with the vodu and receive their guidance in making important decisions. The Lwa: Rituals: Song for Danbala Song for Ogou. The Culmination of all Voodoo | Magistra Ardat Lile. Vodouisants believe in a supreme being called Bondye, but also worship many lesser spirits, as the loa. This belief is held in several West African religions, such as that of the Yoruba, Odinani, and Vodun. When it came in contact with Roman Catholicism, the supreme being was associated with the Judeo-Christian God, the loa becoming the saints. Bondye is the supreme god in Haitian Vodou. The word is derived from the French bon Dieu (good God). Vodouisants regard Bondye as the creator of everything. Bondye is distant from its creation, being a pandeist deity. Because Bondye is unreachable, Vodouisants aim their prayers to lesser entities, the spirits known as loa, or mistè. These loa can be divided into 21 nations, which include the Petro, Rada, Congo and Nago The Petro and the Rada contrast most with one another, because the Petro are hot or aggressive and restless, whereas the Rada are cool or calm and peaceful.
Vodou’s moral code focuses on the vices of dishonour and greed. Like this: The Culmination of the meaning and context behind Zombification | Magistra Ardat Lile. The word ‘voodoo’ (vodou, vaudou, vodoun or vodun) derives from the word ‘vodu’ in the Fon language of Dahomey meaning ‘spirit’ or ‘god’ and describes the complex religious and belief system that exist in Haïti, an island of the West Indies. The foundations of voodoo were established in the seventeenth century by slaves captured primarily from the kingdom of Dahomey, which occupied parts of today’s Togo, Benin, and Nigeria in West Africa, it combines features of African religion with the Roman Catholicism of the European settlers. Today over 60 million people practice voodoo worldwide.
Religious similar to voodoo can be found in South America where they are called Umbanda, Quimbanda or Candomble. It is widely practiced in Benin, Haiti and within many black communities of the large cities in North America. The voodoo religion involves belief in a supreme god (bon dieu) and a host of spirits called loa which are often identified with Catholic saints. “The eyes were the worst. Like this: The Vodun Phenomenon in Benin | Magistra Ardat Lile. If it can be said that homo faber preceded homo sapiens, both these stages of humanity were borne by homo religiosus, an essential feature of man since the arousal of his consciousness.
Indeed the religious phenomenon is not limited to a cult or an established link with the transcendent, but springs from the awareness of finiteness which gives rise to the need for the transcendent. Consequently, all men are religious, even if some are more religious than others, and the manifestations of human religiosity are numerous and owe much to the cultures of which they are the soul. In the specific case of the cultures of South Benin (West Africa), whose religious soul I wish briefly to present here, it appears that this is to be found in a convergent way in the phenomenon of Vodun. Most of the peoples of South Benin have very similar if not identical cultural roots, and almost the same historical origin. Vodun designates a venerated and adored divinity. Mawu, the Supreme God Types of Vodun. Marie Laveau | Magistra Ardat Lile. Life History Marie Laveau (September 10, 1782 – June 16, 1881) was a Louisiana Creole practitioner of Voodoo renown in New Orleans.
She was born free in New Orleans. Her daughter Marie Laveau II (1827 — c. 1895) also practiced Voodoo, and historical accounts often confuse the two. She and her mother had great influence over their multiracial following. Marie was believed to have been born free in the French Quarter of New Orleans, Louisiana, about 1794, the daughter of a white planter and a free Creole woman of color. Jacques Paris died in 1820 under unexplained circumstances. After Paris’s death Marie Laveau became a hairdresser who catered to wealthy white families. Very little is known with any certainty about the life of Marie Laveau. Of Laveau’s magical career there is little that can be substantiated. On June 16, 1881 the New Orleans newspapers announced that Marie Laveau had died peacefully in her home.
“Marie Laveau was a voodooienne. Her Death Like this: Like Loading... The Vodun Phenomenon in Benin | Magistra Ardat Lile. Ifá. Ifá refers to the system of divination and the verses of the literary corpus known as the Odù Ifá. Yoruba religion and tradition identifies Orunmila as the Grand Priest, as he who revealed Oracle divinity to the world. Such is his association with the Oracle divinity; in some instances, the term "Ọ̀rúnmìlà" is used interchangeably with Ifá. Ifá originated in West Africa in the form of a stringent Yoruba religious system, and is celebrated in traditional African medicine, Santería (referred to as Lukumi), Candomblé, West African & Diaspora Vodou, and similarly in Orisa'Ifa lineages all over the globe. Yorùbá canon[edit] Togo canon[edit] In Togo, Ifá is known as Afa, where the Vodou deities come through and speak.
International recognition[edit] The Ifa Divination system was added in 2005 by UNESCO to its list of the "Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity". Divination[edit] Occasions[edit] Etiquette[edit] Initiation into Ifa requires rigorous study. Process[edit] The Vodun Phenomenon in Benin | Magistra Ardat Lile. Pagan Blog Project: G is for Gris-Gris | Setjataset (Madam Magick) What is a Gris-Gris? A Gris-Gris (aka grigri) is an African centric voodoo amulet which has a specific intent and purpose of protecting the wearer from evil spirits, negative forces, brings in luck and/or is used as a method of contraception*. It usually takes the shape of a small cloth bag and contains a ritualistic amount of small objects (usually a prime number between 3-13) and prayers from the Qur’an which is specifically tailored to the person who will be wearing it.
Tina’s Make Your Own Gris-Gris Bag (© T. Georgitsis 2014) Ingredients Personal effect of wearer.Stones, crystals, herbs, roots, resins, bones, coins, charms and tokens.Seal, sigil, prayer or petition which has been drawn with magickal ink on parchment.2 inch by 3 inch hand stitched bag with one end left open and made from cotton, flannel or leather (chose a colour to suit your intent);Handmade cord, hemp string, wax thread or leather cording. Method Simple Use for Gris-Gris Pin to your undergarment for personal protection. Papa Legba. A younger depiction of the Vodou loa Papa Legba. Shown with his traditional keys, walking stick, and dogs at a crossroads.
Legba figure in the Tropenmuseum in Amsterdam. This Legba figure is missing his knife or walking-stick. He normally wears a hat and not horns. In Haitian Vodou, Papa Legba is the loa who serves as the intermediary between the loa and humanity. He stands at a spiritual crossroads and gives (or denies) permission to speak with the spirits of Guinee, and is believed to speak all human languages. Position[edit] He is always the first and last spirit invoked in any ceremony, because his permission is needed for any communication between mortals and the loa—he opens and closes the doorway.[1] In Haiti, he is the great elocution, the voice of God, as it were.
Appearance[edit] He usually appears as an old man on a crutch or with a cane, wearing a broad brimmed straw hat and smoking a pipe, or sprinkling water. Alternative views[edit] In popular culture[edit] References[edit]