Who knows about vodooo? and other related subjects?

I'm curious about Vodoo, some say its a religion and others say its a black magic brought to the U.S by south american slaves in the 1800's if any one knows help me out. I"m really interested because I saw this T.V show and it was about different religions. they talked about Vodoo, wickens and pegen branches it was'nt very informative, just played on the scare factor about what we don't know.... so if any can enlighten me it would be greatly appeated
Just curious,
Miranda AKA Mutt

Voodoo/Hoodoo is a religios practice ,usually in "medicinal" ways like powder and so forth types of substance to put spells/vexes/curses or even to "heal" someone,as i live in Africa i get to see & meet alot of Africans running to their medicine man as soon as they have any problem or issue (financial,marriage).

The main problem is that these practices the "powder" or bones or whatever they use to say it'll help you comes from aniimals and what is most horrifying from humans (mostly children) ,people do not know how many children dissapear every month and YES witchdoctors that practice voodoo are responsible for alot of their killings.

Some people even sacrifice their own children to witchdoctors,what well is weird is that these witchdoctors use the private parts (don't know why) but as heresay it's the most "powerful" part ,in what ways i cannot tell you.

People see witchdoctors everyday .. i know some (As God Is My Witness) ,their practise ain't that different from satanism as for drinking blood (human or animal) ,& once you make a person drink the blood of a human anyone who is a Christian will know you are cursed by God.

As a Christian i know voodoo/hoodoo ain't no joke and if there is a curse (demon) that's been put on you it will harm you if you don't get Deliverance,people say "If you don't believe it cannot do nothing" ..wrong they are.

They are using a mighty helper who are using them and if you don't believe you are fighting something much stronger than you.

[edit on 23-9-2005 by ChandlerBing]

I had friends from haiti, who were into voodoo, it is some nasty stuff, its very disciplined and ritualistic, but very nasty to say the least.

I also had a friend messed with because her ex's mother was into santaria, she was attacked numerous times by a woman who had no face but would only scream in her ears and scratch claw and bite her.(Once again nasty religion) alot to do with sacrifices, conjuring evil spirits and demons, and revenge, There was a woman sent to prison for a long time for starving her 10 year old daughter, because she was posessed, it was in Brooklyn NY around 1996 or 97, I remember reading it in Newsday.

The rituals are a little less complicated than voodoo, but the spell to cast this is actually very simple as long as you believe.

Do you know why alot of people who believe in voodoo, wear wraps on their heads, its because it only takes three strands of hair to supposedly kill someone, and cause them great agony. he friend s I had would always warn me about leaving my hairbrush out in my dorm room, because that was the quickest way to have bad JUJU. Anything that has that much power, I tend to stay away from, but Voodoo is a religion, and it gains its strength from belief..

I was a precticing Wiccan, by the time I was 13, and had full knoweledge of it, I had a higher power, so I would classify it as religion, there is a basic rule to being Wiccan, "An It Harm None, DO what Thou Wilt." which basically means as long as you have meaning and intentions that are good and kind, please feel free to do it, it is a religion of purity and harmony with Mother earth, and light.EVERY Spell You cast has some form of incense or another, and some sort of spices.As well as apprpriate colored candles. You do prick your finger on occasion, but only if its for serious protection or love spells. You bind the spell with 3 drops of your blood. There is also the thricefold law, If you do something good or bad expect it back three times.

I did live in a coven with 3 other practicing witches, we were North South East And West, air water wind and fire, we also were 2 practicing Wiccans, and 2 Practicing satanists. Satanism is actually not all the sacrifices and orgies everyone always assumes, although, they too require a finger prick, and a few drops of blood to seal their conjures) they just worship a different diety, one that bellieves in riches, and power, and excess.(but then again, so do most ceo's we hear of Take Donald Trump for example)

we lived together for 2 years, and not once did I even see so much as gumby being sacrificed, although we did kill a fish, but only because it was a betta, the tank was filthy and we simply forgot about him

We had a big Pentacle, Pentagram in the middle of the living room floor(depended on which way you were looking at it,) and we respected each others space. Both are into conjuring up forces, but the power is asked from different dieties. I hope Ive helped some.

[edit on 9/24/2005 by denial28]

[edit on 9/24/2005 by denial28]

Voodoo, also known as Vodun, Vodou and Vudu, is a collection of religious and spiritual beliefs and practices that originates in the area of western Africa known as Benin. The practice of Voodoo in Africa predates the keeping of modern records and is likely derived from a form of Animism. When slaves were first brought to America from west Africa, they brought their traditional spiritual beliefs with them and these have since morphed into the modern practice of Voodoo.

The aspects of Voodoo which the general public is most familiar with are the Voodoo curse, or Voodoo doll and the notion of zombies. The practice of cursing individuals, either directly or through a doll or poppet, is very ancient indeed and is practiced in a number of religions, including indigenous European religions (Reference). Similarly, whilst the concept of zombies does seem to stem from a genuine practice, it is largely restricted to certain areas of the island of Haiti and is not a defining feature of Voodoo as a whole. Like many misunderstood religions, Voodoo has suffered from a series of stereotypical portrayals, often through television and movies which choose to focus on the less popular, though more sensationalised aspects of the beliefs and practices. For a more balanced portrayal of the reality of Voodoo, Wikipedia has an excellent, concise article which outlines the origins, beliefs and practices of Voodoo, as well as touching on the popular misconceptions surrounding it. You can read the article here. Similarly, Religious Tolerance.org has a very informative article on Voodoo which explains quite well the difference between the reality of the actual religion itself and the sensationalised image of it portrayed by Hollywood. Read it here.

Practitioners of Voodoo acknowledge the existence of a single creator God, but believe this God to be distant and not personally connected to His creations. Although this singular God is often associated with the God of Roman Catholicism, He is often referred to as Bondeye ("Good God") and the links with Catholicism stem more from the forced conversion of slaves to that religion and the subsequent need to hide aspects of their indigenous beliefs behind the facade of the more acceptable religion of their slavers.

To prevent persecution of this sort, practitioners of Voodoo were forced to identify their native spirits - the Loa, or Iwa - with appropriate Catholic Saints, Angels and religious figures. For example, the Loa known as Papa Legba, who stands between the world of the Loa and the world of Humans, is often identified with Saint Peter, since he is viewed as a gatekeeper who opens the door to allow humans to communicate with the divine. Other Loa are identified with Saint Michael and the Virgin Mary and Voodoo shrines often feature paintings or statues of Catholic saints.

The practice of magic in Voodoo is an accepted, though not essential aspect of the religion. Just as a Wiccan need not practice magic in order to be a follower of the Wicca religion, so too a practitioner of Voodoo need not necessarily practice magic to be an accepted practitioner of Voodoo. Magic in Voodoo involves contacting and invoking the Loa to ask for their intercession in a specific task. Usually, this task involves healing the sick or blessing some event, such as a birth or wedding. Priests in Voodoo can be male (houngan) or female (mambo). A typical ritual involves offering gifts to the Loa, often in the form of alcohol or the sacrifice of an animal such as a chicken or a goat (but never a human - again, this is a misconception made popular by Hollywood). Those involved will dance wildly, chant, beat drums and shake rattles, until one of them is possessed by the Loa. When this occurs, that person is said to be ridden by the Loa.

Like virtually all beliefs that have a magical constituent, Voodoo acknowledges that there is a dark and a light side to magic. Whilst houngan and mambo use their magics to aid people (healing the sick, blessing people, asking the Loa for luck or protection for individuals), practitioners of dark magic, although rare, do exist. Known as bokors (or sometimes as caplatas), these are the individuals most likely to place curses on people or cause illness or bad luck. Although an aspect of Voodoo, bokors are not typical of the practitioners of the belief, in the same way that Wiccans who use magic for dark purposes are not indicative of that faith.

There is far more depth to Voodoo than I can hope to explain here. I have met a number of practitioners myself and have studied the beliefs and practices at university. For more information, visit the links I have provided, but please do not hesitate to ask me if you have any more questions regarding Voodoo, Miranda. I hope my answers have helped you understand the reality of Voodoo a little better and appreciate that Voodoo is far richer, complex and not nearly as scary as Hollywood makes it out to be. Remember that most religions that are misunderstood are accused of terrible acts. Christianity, when it first began to take hold in the Roman Empire, saw its followers accused of deeds such as heresy, practicing magic, starting the Great Fire of Rome and other, more vile practices (Reference 1, Reference 2). From the previous posts, it is clear that some people will disagree with my statements concerning Voodoo and that's fine. I shall not debate the veracity of the statements I have made. I shall ask only that you investigate the subject more if you find it interesting, keep an open mind and choose for yourself what it is you believe. If that is that Voodoo is an evil, Satanic religion, then fair enough.

EDIT - Important

Please note that I have referred to Voodoo as a religion based on my own, personal considerations of what constitutes a religion. Many do not consider Voodoo a true religion, referring to it more as a series of practices or beliefs.

[edit on 24/9/05 by Jeremiah25]

One thing that I always found interesting is the theory of conducting a curse/person related ritual in the 3-4am time frame. The reasoning for this is that the victim is usually in their deepest REM sleep, which is said to be the time when they are most easily susceptible to outside subconscious suggestions. Almost like hypnotic telepathy remotely projected to the victim.

I watched a vodoo docmentary, not all that long ago though what I'm about tell was obviously filmed at earlier date.

It was filmed at night and the witch doctor was standing near a pit of flaming embers and a rope. He put out his arms and chanting something and after about 7-10 minutes the rope began to rise in a few seconds he started to rise as well to almost 10-15 feet off the ground. He seemed off-balance. (feet swaying from side to side).

All his people were sitting around these embers and then he began to decend, all the time looking off-balance. When he came to rest on the ground at almost the same spot he acended from, the rope fell beside beside him.

Don't care who believes or does not. I seen it with my own eyes on tape that I felt was continually running through the whole affair.

Dallas

[edit on 24-9-2005 by Dallas]

Jeremiah25

You have my vote for that very good and informative post.

Is incredible how people can rant about a subject that they have not knowledge of it, but by means of horror movies and religious bashing.

I am from the Caribbean Islands and "Santeria" "Voodoo" and "spiritism" has been over stated and dimonized for certain groups agendas.

I want a link to the "killing of babies" because in my island the death of a child was celebrated with a "Baquinee" (that is a African word) because they were angels that were going straight to haven, only adults death were mourned.

The church fought this type of celebration of children's death for years until they had to give up.

Until this day only certain direct descendants of African tribes that still are in the Island do this type of ceremonial ritual.

If you go to my Island the town of Loisa is one of the only towns in the Island that still abide by the ancient rituals and believes of our African roots.

It has become one of the most colorful and touristic town of the Islands and they do not kill babies and never had.

I wanted to stay away from this thread but Is just pathetic how many will dimonized what actually is nothing but the believes brought to the Islands by our African slaves ancestors mix with the Catholic believes of the Spanish invaders when they tried to convert the natives and African slaves to their Christian believes and actually has been widely accepted to a point to by the catholic church.

But still demonized by the protestants that had invaded our Islands in more modern times.

People need to educate themselves more on the history and traditions of the people of other cultural backgrounds.

Its already been prove that zombies was nothing more than the work of certain toxins found in plants used to lower the rates of the harts of the intended victims to make it look like death more out of revenge than anything else.

Many people were buried alive under this way, but with modern medicine this all in the past.


Pity.

[edit on 24-9-2005 by marg6043]

Please find below links and books relating to Voodoo and Santeria.

Voodo o in Haiti - Alfred Metreux

Secrets of Voodoo - Milo Regaud

Voudu Visions - Sallie Glassman

Santeria: African secrets in America - Joseph Murphy

Cuban Santeria - Raul Canezares

Fundamentals of the Yoruba Religion (this is out of print, but well worth borrowing or hunting in a used bookstore)

Tradition & Transformation - Koleoso Karade

Sacred Arts of Haitian Voodou - Donald Cosetino

I have a couple of other titles around, but they're packed in a Big Old Box (ready for moving); I'll add to the list when I get a chance.

There are myriad websites about both religions too; from the sublime to the utterly ridiculous. A few I've found helpful are:

Santeria & Lukumi

Little Havana

Voodoo

Orishanet

Just be careful - the Net, though wonderful, has a lot of inaccurate information.

Read for yourself, and decide for yourself

Awesome Links tinkleflower!

Oustanding link you have there thinkleflower, is nice to see some references to the catholic church saints to the gods of African roots.

Even when our Islands had more catholic influences we all behind the church were told about our ancestry and their importance in our culture, we learned to respect our roots.

Even the church would turn their back to all this things.

My saint is Las virgin the las Mercedes "obatala" we had ceremonies when we reach certain age that will united us with our saints I was initiated at the age of 12, without my fathers permission he is a seventh day adventist and he had nothing to do with it. he,he.

The whole cultural background of our African roots is so special and unique that we still keep it alive through all this years.

All this believes helped the oppress slaves to keep their spirits alive in their culture, many slave master were even afraid of them and their "mysterious rituals" that is why so many tales and bad stories sprouted from all this.

In the US a few places like Louisiana were able to retain those roots.

I thought I'd chime in to thank Jeremiah25 for making a good post on this subject.

Voodoo is one of those things that has been deamonized by pop-culture and christianity.

Voodoo does NOT require human scarfice, or even living scrafice at all. The most simple way to understand the basic concept of Voodoo is to think of it as a belief that everything comes back to you. A personal sacrafic (such as giving up something that you love or is important to you) carries more wieght than anything else. Livestock is a common and important possetion in Hati, thus animal scrafices DO occur. It's just a common to give up gifts of fruit, money, jewlery, or even habbits.

The dark side of Voodoo does involve some nasty things, but it's important to understand the divide. "White Voodoo" abhores "Black" just as Christians abhore Satanists.

Yes you are right animals sacrifice are part of the rituals, chicken blood is one way to read the future or to diagnose illnesses.

Occurs in this days today the chicken is eaten after been killed.

So it doesn't go to waste, many of the rituals may seem a littler bit barbaric when it comes to killing chickens but hey you still have to kill a live chicken to be able to eat it.

BTW, there's a movie called "The Serpant and the Rainbow" that involves about the best portrial of Voodoo that I've seen out of Holywood. It's one of those "based on a true story" flicks... which means it should be taken with a bunch o salt, ofcource.

Originally posted by marg6043
Yes you are right animals sacrifice are part of the rituals, chicken blood is one way to read the future or to diagnose illnesses.

Occurs in this days today the chicken is eaten after been killed.

So it doesn't go to waste, many of the rituals may seem a littler bit barbaric when it comes to killing chickens but hey you still have to kill a live chicken to be able to eat it.

I have no desire to turn this thread into a religious debate. However, I feel that it is pertinent to point out that even those religions which western cultures consider civilised or more refined have aspects of them which may be called barbaric. Is the killing and subsequent eating of a chicken any more offputting than the notion that the wine and host are transubstantiated into the literal blood and flesh of Christ? Some may argue that the Eucharist is more symbolic, whereas the Voodoo practices are all too literal. However, I was certainly raised to believe the transubstantiation to be a quite literal process of converting bread into flesh and wine into blood.

My point is, it is all too easy to adopt a superior attitude to aspects of religions which are popularly considered "savage" or "primitive" without first understanding the significance of the rituals and practices involved in those religions. Before we can adequately assess for ourselves whether or not we believe a given religion's practices to be barbaric or otherwise, we first need to educate ourselves as to their true context.