Is there a church of Vudu? what exactly do you practice. any Voodoo Preist out there?

Question

how many of you are involved in Voodoo or Vudu? is it a truely dangerous beleif?

Answer 1

No, there is not church of Vodou. Vodou/Voodoo as practiced in the Diaspora is derived from the ancient African spiritual traditions especially from the Dahomey, Yoruba, and Congo peoples. All of these traditions have as their basis honoring the ancestors. There is a saying that goes more or less "We would not be here except that we stand on the shoulders of the ancestors." Hence, the honoring of the ancestors is the most fundamental aspect of the traditions along with a recognition of one God (known in Haiti Bondje, in other places Olodumare) who brought forth all including the lwa or Orisha who can act as guides throughout our human lives.

Like all true spiritual traditions, the African Traditional Religions (ATRs) of Vodou/Voodoo, Santeria, Candomble, etc. all seek to help us to grow spiritually. Through self examination and the examination of the stories about the spirits we can learn about our human nature and how to get the most from our strengths while not allowing our weaknesses to overcome us. In honoring our ancestors and the lwa or orisha we help to elevate them spiritually and they, in turn, help to elevate us spiritually.

The only danger that I see in the Vodou is the same as I see in any other spiritual tradition, indeed in all of life itself. The quest for knowledge only for the purpose of gaining power over others is ultimately self-defeating. It defies the purpose of spirit and, therefore, even though one may see certain types of gains initially because the spiritual balance must be restored justice always comes back around to even the score.

The negative perception most people have of Vodou and other ATRs is largely derived from anti-African propaganda that became particularly pronounced throughout Europe upon the inception of the chattel slave trade developed by the Portuguese. Because it goes against human nature to attack another human being without provocation, chattel slavery (meaning reducing a human being to mere property as opposed to previous forms of slavery which involved various rights and responsibilities on the part of the slave and the master) required special justifications to be laid out before the so-called civilized European world in order for the practice to thrive. Hence, the images of "darkest Africa" with her "primitive, aggressive, licentious people" came into the mainstream along with the misinterpretations of the spiritual practices of the peoples.

Due to the spread of African people throughout the world it would be impossible to say how many people are actively involved in any ATR; however, I am constantly surprised by the number of African Americans who would say they have nothing to do with ATRs who also go to readers or light candles and do spiritual work. If one were to simply sue the logic that throughout Latin America and the Caribbean these traditions thrive along side Catholicism and other Christian traditions and that the US has huge numbers of these people entering the country each year, we can presume that literally millions of people have some involvement in a traditional religion in the Western Hemisphere.

Hope this helps,
Mambo Michele
http://www.vodouspirit.com

Answer 2

Voodoo is an African devout culture, NOT a faith. It is practiced by way of the ones within the West African Vodun faith, and, not like what many ignorant folks (reminiscent of the primary answerer) expect, it has close to not anything to do with dolls representing folks. It is a monotheistic faith, similar to Judeo-Christianity, and it asserts that a unmarried God known as Mawu created the Earth, folks, and lesser deities and spirits that are represented by way of nature (e.g. in streams, bushes and different nature stuff)

Answer 3

There are"churches of Vodun"(Haitian and other Afro-Franco-Caribbean ) and Santeria(Afro- Hispanic-Caribbean) and Santuario and Umbanda(in Brazil). Many of these adaptations of West African Yoruba animist religions with Christian(usually latin Catholic but sometimes Baptist[Spiritual Baptist],Pentecostal or even Anglican) externals.

Many are involved in sympathetic and contagious magic(usually "White Magic' for healings,deliverances,exorcisms or good fortune). Some groups like Quimbanda are accused of using "Black Magic' for curses and the calling on less than beneficent spirits.

I am Christian and,though I respect all the other religions i have studied or met for the most part, i find everything that I am looking for in religion and spirituality present in Christianity.

Answer 4

Although I do not practice it, I do defend against it. Voodoo practices the controlling through spirit of other beings including vengeful death wishes.....sometimes positive things. The vengeful death wishes are apparently effective when one is unguarded in their beliefs.

Answer 5

Voodoo is for people who don't know Hoodoo. Do your research. ;-)