Art of Voodoo

[Strong Flower]

Ironically, it was the enforced immigration of enslaved African from different ethnic groups that provided the circumstances for the development of Voodoo. Colonists thought that by desolating the ethnic groups, these could not come together as a community. However, in the misery of slavery, African slaves found in their faith a common thread. They began to invoke not only their own Gods, but to practice rites other than their own.

In this process, they comingled and modified rituals of various ethnic groups. The result of such fusion was that the different religious groups integrated their beliefs, thereby creating a new religion: Voodoo. The word "voodoo" comes from the West African word vodun, meaning spirit. This Afro-Caribbean religion mixed practices from many African ethnics groups.

Within the voodoo society, there are no accidents. Practitioners believe that nothing and no event has a life of its own. That is why "vous deux", you two, you too. The universe is all one. Each thing affects something else. Scientists know that. Nature knows it. Many spiritualists agree that we are not separate, we all serve as parts of One. So, in essence, what you do unto another, you do unto you, because you ARE the other. Voo doo. View you. We are mirrors of each others souls. God is manifest through the spirits of ancestors who can bring good or harm and must be honored in ceremonies. There is a sacred cycle between the living and the dead. Believers ask for their misery to end. Rituals include prayers, drumming, dancing, singing and animal sacrifice.

The serpent figures heavily in the Voodoo faith. The word Voodoo has been translated as "the snake under whose auspices gather all who share the faith". The high priest or priestess of the faith ( called Papa or Maman) are the vehicles for the expression of the serpent's power. The supreme deity is Bon Dieu. There are hundreds of spirits called Loa who control nature, health, wealth and happiness of mortals. The Loa form a pantheon of deities that include Damballah, Ezili, Ogu, Agwe, Legba and others.

During Voodoo ceremonies these Loa can possess the bodies of the ceremony participants. Loa appear by "possessing" the faithful, who in turn become the Loa, relaying advice, warnings and desires. Voodoo is an animist faith. That is, objects and natural phenomena are believed to possess holy significance, to possess a soul. Thus the Loa Agwe is the divine presence behind the hurricane.

Music and dance are key elements to Voodoo ceremonies. Ceremonies were often termed by others "Night Dancing" or "Voodoo Dancing". Voodoo is a practical religion, playing an important role in the family and the community. One's ancestors, for instance, are believed to be a part of the world of the spirits, of the Loas, and this is one way that Voodoo serves to root its participants in their own history and tradition. Another practical aspect of Voodoo ceremonies is that participants often come before the priest or priestess to seek advice, spiritual guidance, or help with their problems. The priest or priestess then, through divine aid, offer help such as healing through the use of herbs or medicines (using knowledge that has been passed down within the religion itself), or healing through faith itself as is common in other religions. Voodoo teaches a respect for the natural world.

Despite Voodoo's noble status as one of the worlds oldest religions, it has been typically characterized as barbaric, primitive and a sexually licentious practice based on superstition. Much of this image however, is due to a concerted effort by western society, who have a massive fear of anything traditional, to suppress and distort a legitimate and unique religion that flourished among their enslaved Africans.

Edited March 8, 2013 by Spore

[eight bits]

Good article. When I read your title, I thought you might be writing about the line-drawings, vevers, that are found in voodoo, both as ritual elements and as decorations. Some are very beautiful.

Or, in another sense of "art of voodoo," the filmmaker and dancer Maya Derren went to Haiti to make a documentary film about voodoo, and ended up being initiated as a priestess. She wrote a famous book about it, Divine Horsemen: The Living Gods of Haiti. Being a priestess allowed her access to film many things that an outsider wouldn't have been able to see, much less film. She never did finish the film, but her family completed the project after she died.

Here's a blog article about her, emphasizing the climax of her book, a first-person account of possession by the goddess Erzulie,

http://uncertaintist.wordpress.com/2012/08/02/a-classic-anthropological-adventure-in-voodoo/

At the end of the piece is a current link to her posthumously completed film. It is not for the squeamish, since animal sacrifice is depicted unflinchingly.

[Mr Right Wing]

Ironically, it was the enforced immigration of enslaved African from different ethnic groups that provided the circumstances for the development of Voodoo. Colonists thought that by desolating the ethnic groups, these could not come together as a community. However, in the misery of slavery, African slaves found in their faith a common thread. They began to invoke not only their own Gods, but to practice rites other than their own.

In this process, they comingled and modified rituals of various ethnic groups. The result of such fusion was that the different religious groups integrated their beliefs, thereby creating a new religion: Voodoo. The word "voodoo" comes from the West African word vodun, meaning spirit. This Afro-Caribbean religion mixed practices from many African ethnics groups.

Within the voodoo society, there are no accidents. Practitioners believe that nothing and no event has a life of its own. That is why "vous deux", you two, you too. The universe is all one. Each thing affects something else. Scientists know that. Nature knows it. Many spiritualists agree that we are not separate, we all serve as parts of One. So, in essence, what you do unto another, you do unto you, because you ARE the other. Voo doo. View you. We are mirrors of each others souls. God is manifest through the spirits of ancestors who can bring good or harm and must be honored in ceremonies. There is a sacred cycle between the living and the dead. Believers ask for their misery to end. Rituals include prayers, drumming, dancing, singing and animal sacrifice.

The serpent figures heavily in the Voodoo faith. The word Voodoo has been translated as "the snake under whose auspices gather all who share the faith". The high priest or priestess of the faith ( called Papa or Maman) are the vehicles for the expression of the serpent's power. The supreme deity is Bon Dieu. There are hundreds of spirits called Loa who control nature, health, wealth and happiness of mortals. The Loa form a pantheon of deities that include Damballah, Ezili, Ogu, Agwe, Legba and others.

During Voodoo ceremonies these Loa can possess the bodies of the ceremony participants. Loa appear by "possessing" the faithful, who in turn become the Loa, relaying advice, warnings and desires. Voodoo is an animist faith. That is, objects and natural phenomena are believed to possess holy significance, to possess a soul. Thus the Loa Agwe is the divine presence behind the hurricane.

Music and dance are key elements to Voodoo ceremonies. Ceremonies were often termed by others "Night Dancing" or "Voodoo Dancing". Voodoo is a practical religion, playing an important role in the family and the community. One's ancestors, for instance, are believed to be a part of the world of the spirits, of the Loas, and this is one way that Voodoo serves to root its participants in their own history and tradition. Another practical aspect of Voodoo ceremonies is that participants often come before the priest or priestess to seek advice, spiritual guidance, or help with their problems. The priest or priestess then, through divine aid, offer help such as healing through the use of herbs or medicines (using knowledge that has been passed down within the religion itself), or healing through faith itself as is common in other religions. Voodoo teaches a respect for the natural world.

Despite Voodoo's noble status as one of the worlds oldest religions, it has been typically characterized as barbaric, primitive and a sexually licentious practice based on superstition. Much of this image however, is due to a concerted effort by western society, who have a massive fear of anything traditional, to suppress and distort a legitimate and unique religion that flourished among their enslaved Africans.

Heres an interesting true statement - 'I am not not writing on my pc'

Now if we apply a little bit of redundancy we can see that the nots cancel out to leave the still true statement - 'I am writing on my pc'

Clever isnt it?

Lets try another one - 'This is the same, same day'

It could become - 'This is the same day'

Clever hey?

Identical twins have special status in Voodoo because its believed they have a supernatural link. This link is believed to be how voodoo dolls work and how dieties influence reality. Could it be that the universe applies redundancy to identical twins in situations where it can get away with treating them as one person?

Then changes that happen to the unit which remains after redundancy effects both?

[Strong Flower]

Mr Right Wing' timestamp='1362790260' post='4691996']

That is very interesting , I have not caught on just yet. I view that to be an even better topic as well.

[Himalayan Mystic]

Ironically, it was the enforced immigration of enslaved African from different ethnic groups that provided the circumstances for the development of Voodoo. Colonists thought that by desolating the ethnic groups, these could not come together as a community. However, in the misery of slavery, African slaves found in their faith a common thread. They began to invoke not only their own Gods, but to practice rites other than their own.

In this process, they comingled and modified rituals of various ethnic groups. The result of such fusion was that the different religious groups integrated their beliefs, thereby creating a new religion: Voodoo. The word "voodoo" comes from the West African word vodun, meaning spirit. This Afro-Caribbean religion mixed practices from many African ethnics groups.

Within the voodoo society, there are no accidents. Practitioners believe that nothing and no event has a life of its own. That is why "vous deux", you two, you too. The universe is all one. Each thing affects something else. Scientists know that. Nature knows it. Many spiritualists agree that we are not separate, we all serve as parts of One. So, in essence, what you do unto another, you do unto you, because you ARE the other. Voo doo. View you. We are mirrors of each others souls. God is manifest through the spirits of ancestors who can bring good or harm and must be honored in ceremonies. There is a sacred cycle between the living and the dead. Believers ask for their misery to end. Rituals include prayers, drumming, dancing, singing and animal sacrifice.

The serpent figures heavily in the Voodoo faith. The word Voodoo has been translated as "the snake under whose auspices gather all who share the faith". The high priest or priestess of the faith ( called Papa or Maman) are the vehicles for the expression of the serpent's power. The supreme deity is Bon Dieu. There are hundreds of spirits called Loa who control nature, health, wealth and happiness of mortals. The Loa form a pantheon of deities that include Damballah, Ezili, Ogu, Agwe, Legba and others.

During Voodoo ceremonies these Loa can possess the bodies of the ceremony participants. Loa appear by "possessing" the faithful, who in turn become the Loa, relaying advice, warnings and desires. Voodoo is an animist faith. That is, objects and natural phenomena are believed to possess holy significance, to possess a soul. Thus the Loa Agwe is the divine presence behind the hurricane.

Music and dance are key elements to Voodoo ceremonies. Ceremonies were often termed by others "Night Dancing" or "Voodoo Dancing". Voodoo is a practical religion, playing an important role in the family and the community. One's ancestors, for instance, are believed to be a part of the world of the spirits, of the Loas, and this is one way that Voodoo serves to root its participants in their own history and tradition. Another practical aspect of Voodoo ceremonies is that participants often come before the priest or priestess to seek advice, spiritual guidance, or help with their problems. The priest or priestess then, through divine aid, offer help such as healing through the use of herbs or medicines (using knowledge that has been passed down within the religion itself), or healing through faith itself as is common in other religions. Voodoo teaches a respect for the natural world.

Despite Voodoo's noble status as one of the worlds oldest religions, it has been typically characterized as barbaric, primitive and a sexually licentious practice based on superstition. Much of this image however, is due to a concerted effort by western society, who have a massive fear of anything traditional, to suppress and distort a legitimate and unique religion that flourished among their enslaved Africans.

The west did not understand earlier the role of the traditional belief systems in shaping and supporting tribal populations

much of the books that appeared in the beginning have biased opinions and immature understanding of profound practices,

But now their are documentaries made by western ppl i saw one on national geographic which really respected and potrayed

very well some of the essence of voodoo.

Afterall religion should be free and no one can singularly claim a monopoly on god or religious practices even ppl who

worship nature are only worshipping god,greedy priests or good priests it depends ,they cause some trouble

but the essence survives and sooner or later ancient knowledge can be revived in true form or also modified in

ways to better serve the tribe,

hey only my opinion....................

[Strong Flower]

^^Very well put.

[Himalayan Mystic]

^^Very well put.

I have always been curious about all spiritual and esoteric practices ,

these i believe are not mainstream because christianity can be practiced by masses as it brings ppl together ,gives faith ,fear

and love of god ,so many things that make it great and special also probably one of gods ways of connecting ppl to

a belief system enmasse and giving wisdom ,joy and healing.So is islam,judaism.hinduism.budhism.etc. etc

But voodoo,some other ways that are considered pagan they are unique ,followed in a particular region,

they have their own beauty,outsiders can not feel the essence easily and anyway ppl give opinions and judgements and write books without actually spending

enough time understanding ,seeing ,observing listening,

Good voodoo priests help the village,they can cure many diseases,also in cases where they dont' do much they give hope to

the tribes man that is great placebo,also it keeps a tribe together ,see same belief in africa is cause enough to live together

and unity helps to have strong tribes ............

[Strong Flower]

I have always been curious about all spiritual and esoteric practices ,

these i believe are not mainstream because christianity can be practiced by masses as it brings ppl together ,gives faith ,fear

and love of god ,so many things that make it great and special also probably one of gods ways of connecting ppl to

a belief system enmasse and giving wisdom ,joy and healing.So is islam,judaism.hinduism.budhism.etc. etc

But voodoo,some other ways that are considered pagan they are unique ,followed in a particular region,

they have their own beauty,outsiders can not feel the essence easily and anyway ppl give opinions and judgements and write books without actually spending

enough time understanding ,seeing ,observing listening,

Good voodoo priests help the village,they can cure many diseases,also in cases where they dont' do much they give hope to

the tribes man that is great placebo,also it keeps a tribe together ,see same belief in africa is cause enough to live together

and unity helps to have strong tribes ............

Exactly, I think most tribal or indigenous faiths only get that kind of negative feedback.

[Strong Flower]

Thought this would be an interesting subject once again. American Horror Story Coven provided some good detail on Vodum in New Orleans

[DiamondKG]

I live in New Orleans. I practice Vodou. I also was involved in the filming of AHS-Coven.... They got little history of true New Orleans Voodoo roots and modern practices.It is Television after all and modified to get ratings.

[ellapenella]

Within the voodoo society, there are no accidents. Practitioners believe that nothing and no event has a life of its own. That is why "vous deux", you two, you too. The universe is all one. Each thing affects something else. Scientists know that. Nature knows it. Many spiritualists agree that we are not separate, we all serve as parts of One. So, in essence, what you do unto another, you do unto you, because you ARE the other. Voo doo. View you. We are mirrors of each others souls. God is manifest through the spirits of ancestors who can bring good or harm and must be honored in ceremonies. There is a sacred cycle between the living and the dead. Believers ask for their misery to end. Rituals include prayers, drumming, dancing, singing and animal sacrifice.

The serpent figures heavily in the Voodoo faith. The word Voodoo has been translated as "the snake under whose auspices gather all who share the faith". The high priest or priestess of the faith ( called Papa or Maman) are the vehicles for the expression of the serpent's power. The supreme deity is Bon Dieu. There are hundreds of spirits called Loa who control nature, health, wealth and happiness of mortals. The Loa form a pantheon of deities that include Damballah, Ezili, Ogu, Agwe, Legba and others.

During Voodoo ceremonies these Loa can possess the bodies of the ceremony participants. Loa appear by "possessing" the faithful, who in turn become the Loa, relaying advice, warnings and desires. Voodoo is an animist faith. That is, objects and natural phenomena are believed to possess holy significance, to possess a soul. Thus the Loa Agwe is the divine presence behind the hurricane.

Music and dance are key elements to Voodoo ceremonies. Ceremonies were often termed by others "Night Dancing" or "Voodoo Dancing". Voodoo is a practical religion, playing an important role in the family and the community. One's ancestors, for instance, are believed to be a part of the world of the spirits, of the Loas, and this is one way that Voodoo serves to root its participants in their own history and tradition. Another practical aspect of Voodoo ceremonies is that participants often

I've always been attracted to Voodoo . The word itself in simpler terms means SPIRIT . I was told that it is the most ancient of all religions that it is the first of any religion that exists.

I think people confused Voodoo and Hoodoo . There's some serious conflictual realism of duality that surmises the root worker of this practice. To consciously feel freely to place ill on anyone isn't cool. And in that sense of this practice I have no desire. But there are areas of Voodoo that I am attracted to. Always have been.

[Grandpa Greenman]

One of my Pagan mentors does Yoruba religion and Hoodoo craft. Yoruba is one of the African roots of Voodoo and is much older than any of its offshoots. Maybe the oldest indigenous religion in the world. I am not sure about it, sometimes things like that get lost in the mists of time. I prefer Yoruba over Voodoo, it has less of infiltration of Christian influence. Hoodoo isn't a religion, it is a magic practice from the Appalachian mountains in the US. I do a little Hoodoo once in awhile. It is fun.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoruba_religion

[ellapenella]

Hoodoo is from Africa -it may have been first documented in America -but it's not from here .It's folk magic . The reason why I said that people get confused with Voodoo and Hoodoo is because they do -they confuse them as being one in the same thing meaning - hoodoo is a very small part of Voodoo -very small but it does come from it.

[Grandpa Greenman]

Hoodoo is from Africa -it may have been first documented in America -but it's not from here .It's folk magic . The reason why I said that people get confused with Voodoo and Hoodoo is because they do -they confuse them as being one in the same thing meaning - hoodoo is a very small part of Voodoo -very small but it does come from it.

Hoodoo, Conjure, Rootwork, and similar terms refer to the practice of African American folk magic.

Hoodoo is an American term, originating in the 19th century or earlier. One of its meanings refers to African-American folk magic. Here is how i define the word "hoodoo"

Hoodoo consists of a large body of African folkloric practices and beliefs with a considerable admixture of American Indian botanical knowledge and European folklore. Although most of its adherents are black, contrary to popular opinion, it has always been practiced by both whites and blacks in America. Other regionally popular names for hoodoo in the black community include "conjuration," "conjure," "witchcraft," "rootwork," "candle burning," and "tricking." The first three are simply English words; the fourth is a recognition of the pre-eminence that dried roots play in the making of charms and the casting of spells, and the fifth and sixth are special meanings for common English words.

http://www.luckymojo.com/hoodoohistory.html

Edited February 17, 2015 by GreenmansGod

[ellapenella]

I only desire positive energy -even if I'm not pleased with someone . My main desire is to get to a positive . I despise negative. I think that's really what the essense of true Voodoo always was about...