This book introduces readers to Vodou's rich history, powerful ancestors, and vibrant spirits, known as Lwa. With more than one hundred breathtaking illustrations, Vodou Visions reveals how to honor and invoke the Lwa with specific ceremonial offerings and litanies. Using methods drawn from more than twenty years of practice, Vodou priestess Sallie Ann Glassman shares purification and empowerment rituals for individuals, communities, homes and spiritual spaces.

Now Back in Print!Eighty-plus brilliant color photographs are accompanied by captions and essays from experts of Voodoo, or VODOU, the dazzlingly symbolic spiritual tradition. Photographer Phyllis Galembo shows us the human and divine faces and voices of real Haitian Vodou in a beautiful, personal, and intimate document of a fascinating and deeply misunderstood religion.Reissued with a new cover to coincide with the author's one-person show at the Albany Institute of History and Art in New York.A groundbreaking collection that was before its time. As alternative religions such as Wicca gain in popularity, less understood traditions such as vodou are garnering more attention. Captions and essays from experts in the field accompany brilliant photographs documenting the vodou religious practice.

Few religions are as misunderstood as Afro-Caribbean traditions like Voodoo, Yoruba, Candomble, Shango, Santeria, and Obeah. Even the most wide-ranging books about Paganism rarely include a discussion of the African earth religions.

This collection introduces readers to the history and practice of the Vodou religion, and corrects many misconceptions. The book focuses specifically on the role Vodou plays in Haiti, where it has its strongest following, examining its influence on spiritual beliefs, cultural practices, national identity, popular culture, writing and art.

A working guide to the proper methods of interacting with the full Vodou pantheon • Includes the myths, cultural heritage, and ancestral lineage of the lwa and how to honor and serve them • Provides an introduction and guide that is especially useful for the solitary practitioner • Discusses the relationship between Vodou, Haitian culture, and Catholicism In The Haitian Vodou Handbook, Kenaz Filan, an initiate of the Société la Belle Venus, presents a working guide to the proper methods of interacting with the full Vodou pantheon, explaining how to build respectful relationships with the lwa, the spirits honored in Haitian Vodou, and how to transform the fear that often surrounds the Vodou religion. Until recently, the Haitian practice of Vodou was often identified with devil worship, dark curses, and superstition. Some saw the saint images and the Catholic influences and wrote Vodou off as a “Christian aberration.” Others were appalled by the animal sacrifices and the fact that the Houngans and Mambos charge money for their services. Those who sought Vodou because they believed it could harness “evil” forces were disappointed when their efforts to gain fame, fortune, or romance failed and so abandoned their “voodoo fetishes.” Those who managed to get the attention of the lwa, often received cosmic retaliation for treating the spirits as attack dogs or genies, which only further cemented Vodou’s stereotype as “dangerous.” Filan offers extensive background information on the featured lwa, including their mythology and ancestral lineage, as well as specific instructions on how to honor and interact fruitfully with those that make themselves accessible. This advice will be especially useful for the solitary practitioner who doesn’t have the personal guidance of a societé available. Filan emphasizes the importance of having a quickened mind that can read the lwa’s desires intuitively in order to avoid establishing dogma-based relationships. This working guide to successful interaction with the full Vodou pantheon also presents the role of Vodou in Haitian culture and explores the symbiotic relationship Vodou has maintained with Catholicism.

This compelling reference work introduces the religions of Voodoo, a onetime faith of the Mississippi River Valley, and Vodou, a Haitian faith with millions of adherents today. Unlike its fictional depiction in zombie films and popular culture, Voodoo is a full-fledged religion with a pantheon of deities, a priesthood, and communities of believers. Drawing from the expertise of contemporary practitioners, this encyclopedia presents the history, culture, and religion of Haitian Vodou and Mississippi Valley Voodoo. Though based primarily in these two regions, the reference looks at Voodoo across several cultures and delves into related religions, including African Vodu, African Diasporic Religions, and magical practices like hoodoo. Through roughly 150 alphabetical entries, the work describes various aspects of Voodoo in Louisiana and Haiti, covering topics such as important places, traditions, rituals, and items used in ceremonies. Contributions from scholars in the field provide a comprehensive overview of the subject from various perspectives and address the deities and ceremonial acts. The book features an extensive collection of primary sources and a selected, general bibliography of print and electronic resources.

Against the backdrop of eighteenth- and nineteenth-century New Orleans, A New Orleans Voudou Priestess: The Legend and Reality of Marie Laveau disentangles the complex threads of the legend surrounding the famous Voudou priestess. According to mysterious, oft-told tales, Laveau was an extraordinary celebrity whose sorcery-fueled influence extended widely from slaves to upper-class whites. Some accounts claim that she led the "orgiastic" Voudou dances in Congo Square and on the shores of Lake Pontchartrain, kept a gigantic snake named Zombi, and was the proprietress of an infamous house of assignation. Though legendary for an unusual combination of spiritual power, beauty, charisma, showmanship, intimidation, and shrewd business sense, she also was known for her kindness and charity, nursing yellow fever victims and ministering to condemned prisoners, and her devotion to the Roman Catholic Church. The true story of Marie Laveau, though considerably less flamboyant than the legend, is equally compelling. In separating verifiable fact from semi-truths and complete fabrication, Long explores the unique social, political, and legal setting in which the lives of Marie Laveau's African and European ancestors became intertwined. Changes in New Orleans engendered by French and Spanish rule, the Louisiana Purchase, the Civil War, Reconstruction, and Jim Crow segregation affected seven generations of Laveau's family, from enslaved great-grandparents of pure African blood to great-grandchildren who were legally classified as white. Simultaneously, Long examines the evolution of New Orleans Voudou, which until recently has been ignored by scholars.

"A working guide on how to achieve financial success by working with the lwa, the spirits of Haitian Vodou"--Provided by publisher.

A working guide on how to find love and sexual fulfillment by working with the lwa, the spirits of Haitian Vodou • The first book on wanga (love magic) by an actual Vodou initiate • Provides spells and spirit work for many different problems associated with affairs of the heart • Spells included are detailed and easy to follow Haitian Vodou, like other folk traditions, is an eminently practical craft. Vodou practitioners see their relationship with the lwa--the spirits honored in Haitian Vodou--as mutually beneficial rather than one-sided. In return for sincere offerings, the lwa are happy to provide protection and support in dealing with life’s problems--which more often than not concern love. In Vodou Love Magic, Kenaz Filan details the myriad aspects of love and sex governed by the different lwa and explains what services each can provide in attaining fulfilling relationships--and who will likely offer the best wisdom for your needs. If you are having trouble meeting people, Legba’s Opening the Door spell can resolve this difficulty. If you wish more fire in a relationship, then you should work with the warrior spirit Papa Ogou. Filan presents easy-to-follow instructions for numerous love spells and also reveals how the lwa offer counsel for dealing with ending relationships, toxic behavior patterns like codependency, or romantic triangles. Vodou Love Magic does not provide a magic genie who will fulfill every wish, but it does offer access to a team of spirits who can help transform dreams into realities.

Dispel the Misconceptions & Discover the Truth About Afro-Caribbean Magic Diamantino Fernandes Trindade, one of the most renowned spiritualist authors in Brazil, and Sebastien de la Croix, an initiated Houngan (Vodou priest), lift the shroud of mystery surrounding Haitian Vodou and North American Voodoo. Trindade and de la Croix introduce you to these distinct spiritualities and how they are connected to Hoodoo, an African American tradition that incorporates Voodoo, Indigenous traditions, spiritism, and European folklore. Vodou, Voodoo, and Hoodoo provides a variety of simple spells that require no initiation and support many aspects of contemporary life. You'll also explore the life of Voodoo Queen Marie Laveau, a famous practitioner who was ahead of her time. Featuring deities, recipes, prayers, and more, this book gives you a genuine look at Afro-Caribbean magic.