vundun literature and workbooks?

Question

I do not know anybody who has been in the Vundun circles, but I have a strong interest in finding out more about it in reference to working with spirits... for ideas and applications and the like. I am fairly certain that I can summarize it up as being talisman + trance-state invocation + object containment + et cetera... but I was hoping that I could find a good piece of literature on the subject. Any occultists or 'pagan's out there please help guide my focus. There is always Amazon of course... but hey, I thought I'd try first. (Vundun = Voodoo, for those who do not know)

Answer 1

To learn Vodou you really need to learn from a Mambo or Hougan in the religion. It is a family/community religion and can not learned from books. I really don't know any books that explain Vodou from a practitioners viewpoint either. They are mostly written by anthropologists that are probably speculating as to why something is done a certain way and do not know the true meaning behind it.

I will give you a couple websites that give a basic overview of the vodou religion. http://sosyetedumarche.com/Vodou_Info/vodou_info.html
http://www.vodouspirit.com http://members.aol.com/racine125/vleson1.html

Hope these help you!

Answer 2

Be careful of the quick and easy guides.

When you are get more familiar, look at the symbols used in the old European Grimoires and the Loas' symbols.

Something fun and revealing there.

The books I would direct you to are very hard to find and not on Amazon. Best to look at book sellers who sell old books, and do some research on line on older books.

The modern "occult book of the week" syndrome has taken over the industry. A dangerous idea.

Answer 3

Secrets of Voodoo by Rigaud
Creole Religions of the Caribbean by Fernandez Olmos and Paravisini-Gebert
Written in Blood by Heinl
Flash of the Spirit by Thompson
Divine Horsemen by Deren
http://www.vodouspirit.com
http://www.erzulies.com
http://www.orisha.org
http://www.mamiwata.com

Hope this list helps to get you started,
Mambo Michele
http://www.vodouspirit.com