Content

• Steps
• Part 1 of 2: Understanding the Spiritual Structure of Voodoo
• Part 2 of 2: Conducting a Voodoo Worship
• Tips
• Warnings

Voodoo, comes from the West African word "vodun," which means "spirit." The voodoo religion reaches the people of Eruba in the 18th-19th centuries, who lived in the countries today called Benin (officially the Republic of Dahomey), Nigeria and Togo. However, the roots are supposed to go back 6,000 to 10,000 years ago. Voodoo is practiced in parts of Africa where it originates, as well as in Haiti and parts of Louisiana in the United States, developing in a unique way in each place. True superstitions and Voodoo spells are different from how they are presented in the films, Voodoo spells are based on a multi-level spiritual structure.

Steps

Part 1 of 2: Understanding the Spiritual Structure of Voodoo

1. 1 Believe in the supreme deity. Although considered political, Voodoo has only one supreme deity who has power over nature and supernatural powers. This deity is called Mawu among the tribes of Benin and Bonday or Bon Dieu in the Americas. However, unlike the Christian God, the supreme deity of Voodoo is considered the only, superior figure who communicates with his followers only through his intermediaries, spirits (vodun).
   • This supreme being is addressed by different names, depending on which divine aspect you are referring to. As a creator, Mawu / Bon Dieu is also known as Dada Sêgbo. As the embodiment of life, Mawu / Bon Dieu is also known as Gbêdoto. As a divine being, Mawu / Bon Dieu is also known as Sêmêdo.
   • Other sources use the name “Mavu” as the name of the moon, which, together with the sun (Lisa), are the twin children of the Creator God, who is currently called Nana Baluku.
2. 2 Learn two forms of voodoo magic. Voodoo is a religion of duality, forces representing happiness and sadness, good and evil. Thus, there are two forms of voodoo magic, ‘‘ glad ’and‘ ‘petro’.
   • ‘Rada’ is good or white magic. This form of voodoo is practiced by the ‘’ hungan ’’ (priest / king of voodoo) or ‘’ mambo ’’ (priestess / queen of voodoo). Magic is ‘glad’ ’is mainly about healing with herbs or faith, but also includes divination from dreams and divination of the future. This is the predominant form of voodoo.
   • '' Petro '' or '' Congo '' is evil or black (or rather, red) magic. This form of voodoo is practiced by '' bokor '' (sorcerer / witch). Magic '' petro '' is magic involved in orgies, death spells and zombies. '' Petro '' is much less practiced than '' glad '', but is a form of voodoo that is mostly represented in Hollywood today.
3. 3 Respect Loa. Loa (also lwa) is a perfume. Some loa are descendants of Mawu / Bon Dieu, while others are ancestral spirits of the followers. Good loa are roughly equal to archangels or saints (and can be worshiped with the help of the Christian saints they most resemble), while evil loa are roughly equal to devils and demons. Some of the important loa are named below: some are more important in African water, while others are more important in Haitian and New Orleans voodoo:
   • Sakpata is the eldest son of Mawu / Bon Dieu, ‘’ ayi vodun ’or spirit of the earth. Sakpata is a master of diseases, with his sons who embody diseases such as leprosy, boils and sores.
   • Xêvioso (Xêbioso) is the second son of Mawu / Bon Dieu, ‘’ jivodun ’’ or the spirit of heaven and justice. Xêvioso manifests itself in fire and lightning and can also be symbolized by a ram or an ax.
   • Agbe (Agwe, Hu) is the third son of Mawu / Bon Dieu, “tovodun” or spirit of the sea. Agbe is revered as the source of life and is presented as a snake. (The snake is also known as Damballah / Dumballah and Le Grand Zombi, which may or may not be other names for Agbe.)
   • Gu (Ogu, Ogou, Ogoun) is the fourth son of Mawu / Bon Dieu, a spirit of war, iron and technology. He is the scourge of evil and villains.
   • Agê is the fifth son of Mawu / Bon Dieu, the spirit of forest and agriculture, who commands the land and animals.
   • Jo is the sixth son of Mawu / Bon Dieu, an air spirit. Jo is invisible.
   • Lêgba, the seventh son of Mawu / Bon Dieu, the spirit of the unpredictable nature of life, home, travel, crossroads, and more, the guardian of the gateway between life and death, is very similar to the image of St. Peter. Its opposite is ‘’ petro ’’ is Kalfu. Lêgba is often depicted as an old man, although some versions depict him as young.
   • Gede (Ghédé) is a spirit of sex, death and healing, often depicted as a clown-like skeleton that wears a top hat and glasses.He may or may not be identical with Legba.
   • Erzulie (Ezili, Aida Wedo / Ayida Wedo) - the spirit of love, beauty, earth and rainbow. She has the ability to predict the future from dreams and is noted as being very caring and noble. She looks like the Virgin Mary.
   • Some loa names are used as surnames by group of loa. Among them are Erzulie / Ezili, Ghede, and Ogou.
4. 4 Respect your ancestors. The roots of voodoo include ancestor worship, both those who preceded life and the founders of the clan (Toxwyo) to which the living belong.
   • Voodoo practitioners believe that everyone has 2 souls. The great soul, '' gros-bon-ange '' (great angel), leaves the body just before dying to appear before Mawu / Bon Dieu) before it leaves for Ginen, “the island under the ocean”. A year and one day after the departure of the `` gros-bon-ange '', the descendants of this person can call him and place him in a `` govi '', a small clay bottle, with the help of a sacrifice of a bull or an equally valuable animal .. (In Congo '' gros-bon-ange '' is replaced by '' nbzambi '', from which the word “zombie” is derived.)
   • The lesser soul, the ‘ti-bon-ange’ ’(little angel), roughly speaking, is equal to the conscience and remains in the body for another 3 days after death. At this time, ‘’ bokor ’’ can supposedly convince ‘’ ti-bon-ange ’’ that the body is not dead and use it to revive the body in the form of a zombie.

Part 2 of 2: Conducting a Voodoo Worship

1. 1 Serve outside. Voodoo temples, also known as the ‘hounfor’ or courtyard, are built around a central pillar called ‘’ poto mitan ’’. They may have a rough roof, but are still outside.
2. 2 Dance to the rhythm. Both the ‘’ hungan ’’ or ‘’ mambo ’, who leads the ministry, and the congregation are fully involved in the voodoo ministry. Much of the worship takes place in the form of singing and dancing to the rhythm of the drums under the direction of the ‘’ houganikon ’’ with the support of women dressed in white called ‘’ hounsi. ’’
   • During the service, a ‘’ hungan ’’ or ‘’ mambo ’can shake a beaded rattle called‘ ’ason’ ’(‘ ’asson’ ’) made from a hookah or ring a hand bell called a clochette.
   • The service can last for several hours, since each loa has its own song dedicated, ranging from good loa to dark ones.
3. 3 Hand snakes. As we have noted, the snake is the symbol of the loa known as Damballah / Dumballah, Agbe, or Le Grand Zombi. The snake is associated with creation, wisdom and intelligence, and some practitioners perceive it as the protector of the young, helpless, ugly and disabled. Some even equate the loa snake with Legba or Ghede as the gatekeeper to the afterlife.
   • The ‘Hungan’ or ‘’ mambo, ’’ possessed by a loa snake, usually hisses rather than speaks.
4. 4 Become obsessed. During service, one or more novices may become possessed by the loa. Usually, these possessed practitioners are the most dedicated practitioners known as the ‘serviteur’ ’and fall to the ground. During communication with a loa, the worshiper responds to the name and is identified by the gender of that loa, not by his own.
   • After the loa leaves the body of the minister, the worshiper can undergo a shampooing ritual (‘’ lave tet ’’) if this was his / her first time obsession.
   • If someone becomes possessed by an evil loa, this can be determined by the minister's red eyes.
5. 5 Donate animals. In voodoo, animal sacrifice has two purposes:
   • The life force released during the animal sacrifice recharges the loa so they can continue their service to Mawu / Bon Dieu.
   • After the sacrifice, the sacrificial animal provides food for a communal meal that helps bind the worshipers together.
   • Not all voodoo practitioners sacrifice animals. Many American practitioners offer store-bought food to their loa, some even vegetarians.

Tips

• Voodoo's reputation dates back to before Hollywood films. Some believe that voodoo gained its dark reputation as a result of the Haitian Revolution (1791-1804), which began with a voodoo ceremony that gave slaves the power to free themselves from French colonial rule.
• Voodoo's relationship with Christianity varies by faith. They are currently on good terms with Catholicism, which originally tried to eradicate the practice of voodoo.(In addition, icons of saints were used to represent some of the loa, the male loa and the 'Hungans' are referred to as “Papa,” just as the priests are called “Father,” and the female loa and “mambo” are referred to as “Mamon,” also as nuns “mother.”) Protestants, however, view voodoo as devil worship and seek to convert practitioners at every opportunity.
• Although voodoo practitioners are perceived as possessing supernatural powers, many have significant amounts of temporary power in addition. Louisiana '' mambo '' Marie Laveau worked in a barber shop during the day, which gave her access to New Orleans dignitaries and their secrets. (She mainly used this power to help the sick, homeless, and hungry.) However, many believed that she lived an exceptionally long life, perhaps because she named her daughter, who also became a ‘mamba’ ’.
• The process of turning someone into a zombie depends as much on chemistry as it does on ritual. It all starts with paralyzing the victim with a ‘coupe poudre’, a powder containing a neurotoxin obtained from a ‘’ Fugu ’puffer fish sprinkled on the victim’s shoes. (This fish is also a delicacy in Japan, with enough toxin to numb the tongue.) Proto-zombies are buried alive, and then dug up after a couple of days and given a hallucinogen called "Zombie Cucumber" to disorient the victim and break his will to make the zombie obediently do the dirty work. This process is used in Haiti to punish criminals in the voodoo community.
• Another part of voodoo, the voodoo doll, is usually shown as a way to torture someone by sticking pins and nails into them, or to kill by hanging it up like a stuffed animal of the intended victim. It can also be used for blessings by sticking pins of different colors into it, depending on the desired blessing. It can also be used for a love spell, if it is done with hair or pieces of clothing, you need to talk to it, as with the one you would like to charm.
• The voodoo doll is often part of a talisman called '' gris-gris '', which is a small rag or leather bag marked with verses from the Koran that have an odd number of engravings associated with the person who will be wearing it. In connection with the ‘’ mojo ’’, it is used to bring good luck, ward off bad luck, and sometimes as a birth control tool. It is most commonly used in Louisiana Voodoo.

Warnings

• The practice of Voodoo is not without consequences, in particular in cases of love spells. Practitioners are warned not to use such spells on those they lust for, as the spell binds their souls to those they wish to charm. Priestesses tend to avoid worshipers as much as possible in order to avoid the temptation to abuse their powers in this manner.