Monique Joiner Siedlak - Voodoo of Louisiana

Voodoo

Of

Louisiana

Monique Joiner Siedlak

2019 Monique Joiner Siedlak

All rights reserved. This book or parts thereof may not be reproduced in any form, stored in any retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any meanselectronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwisewithout prior written permission of the publisher, except as provided by United States of America copyright law.

Printed in the United States of America

ISBN- 978-1-948834-91-9

Publisher

www.oshunpublications.com

Disclaimer

All the material contained in this book is provided for educational and informational purposes only. No responsibility can be taken for any results or outcomes resulting from the use of this material. While every attempt has been made to provide information that is both accurate and effective, the author does not assume any responsibility for the accuracy or use/misuse of this information.

Cover Design by Monique Joiner Siedlak

Cover Image by Depositphotos.com

Logo Design by Monique Joiner Siedlak

Logo Image by Pixabay.com

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Chapter 1

What is Voodoo?

V oodoo is something that just about everyone has heard or seen in movies or read about in books. The version of voodoo which is depicted in movies or books is usually with regards to one genre, and that is horror. There is more to voodoo then what one might think which is why it is a good idea to learn more about it.

First, we need to talk about what voodoo isnt to understand what it actually is. It isnt black magic, devil worship or a cult and people who practice it arent sorcerers, witchdoctors or occultists. Dont think that voodoo is intended for hurting or controlling others as most voodooists havent even seen what a voodoo doll looks like unless they saw it in a movie.

I t is a religion which has origins from Africa. The voodoo religion in the Americas or the Caribbean is actually a combination of different Catholic, African and Native American traditions. The belief is followed by many throughout the world, but there is no proper estimate of Voodooists.

The religion does not have any scripture or a world authority like the Catholic Church. Voodooists focus more on a community-centered experience that supports empowerment, responsibility and individual experience. Voodoo is entirely different across different parts of the globe and even varies from community to community.

Voodoo is all-embracing and takes the entire human experience into account. Its adherents are those who believe that they are imperfect or want to have a religion in line with their own purposes. Voodooists have gone through a strong history due to slavery by the Europeans.

D espite all we know about voodoo now, the exact origin of this religion and the practices are still unknown.

The word Voodoo or Vodoun or Vodou is said to have a Benin origin meaning a fearsome and mysterious kind of power. This power is said to possess the priest who acts as the mouthpiece between the world of the spirits and the living.

The voodoo religion, cult or belief spread through the word as slave trades on going through the world, voodoo was a way by which these slaves communicated and worshipped in a foreign land.

Many wonder how the Catholic faith got entwined in voodoo, the white master didnt understand the religion and incantations rites performed by the slaves, and to stop them they imposed the Catholic faith upon them. Some of the slaves desist from the voodoo rituals while others just blended the Catholic belief into what they understood and made it new.

T o understand what the Voodooists believe in, one has first to know how a Voodooist sees the world around him. Voodooists have a belief that there is an invisible and visible world and that these two worlds have been intertwined together. They all have the impression that one dies, they transition to the hidden world and due to this, and our predecessors are always with us in spirit.

Besides the belief that their ancestors are with them in spirit, Voodooists also believe in Loa which is described as an archetype of human personalities (for example Ogun the warrior). They think that each Loa is, in reality, a family member of similar types. Voodooists try to develop a relationship with Loa for help in the visible world and for advice. It is quite similar to the secular practice of learning and even honoring famous historical figures such as someone might want to find inspiration from Muhammad Ali Jinnah who fought the British for an independent state (Pakistan) or either Michael Jackson if they're going to make it big in the music industry.

The Loa are seen as accessible and helpers of human beings. Voodoo is just like any other religion with many followers around the world and is a more accepting religion than other major world religions like Islam, Christianity or Judaism.

Chapter 2

The Real History of Voodoo

T here is more to the history of voodoo than one might come to believe. Voodooists have different beliefs, but the main article of faith is that of universal energy and the soul which leaves the body during dreams and of spirit possession. Whereas, in Abrahamic belief such as Islam or even Christianity, a spiritual property is thought to be an act of Satan or a demonic entity. Something which is trying to penetrate the human vessel and in Voodoo being possessed by Loa is desired and deemed to be valuable to the person possessed as they believe that the person has a connection with the spirit world.

T he Voodoo religion originated in the Americas or the Caribbean when the Europeans had brought slaves from West Africa to the New World. These slaves combined different elements of Western African, Native American and even Roman Catholic traditions to form the Voodoo religion which is practiced today around the world. In 1685, the law banned the practice of any African religions, and all slaves were required by their masters to be Christianized within 8 days from their arrival to the Americas.

These African slaves were forcefully converted and even forced to adopt Catholic rituals which led to the creation of their religion. Many of the spirits of the slaves became associated with Christian saints, and one of these spirits is the Ogun which is the Nigerian spirit of hunting, ironsmiths, and warfare. Thus, Ogun became Ogou which inspired many political revolutions to oust oppressive regimes.