How much do you believers really know about Voodoo?

Question

Anything besides what your bible tells you?

I don't use Voodoo dolls and pins. Sorry, your imaginations are getting out of control there. I use voodoo to being about desired results - love, luck, money - for instance. I ask the spirits for guidance in these POSITIVE areas of my life.

So not, those of us who aren't (as someone just re-sig'd themselves) jesus freaks, don't have heateful hearts and aren't soldiers of Satan. I believe in God and Jesus. I just chose to believe other things as well. That the Saints can help me - by the will of God. That I can pray on my own terms.

I also don't believe in "attacking" those who I don't share beliefs with. I don't say things like "Well, anyone who blah, blah, blah must be evil and satanic, because my way is the only way."

TOLERANCE! Where are the "believers" in religious tolerance? The "believers" in freedom to worship as you wish? The "believers" that know JUDGING others isn't so worthly of respect?

P.S. By the way, the Bible doesn't mention Voodoo, or Vodoun, or Vodun -all ways to refer to Voodoo the religion -the ANCIENT religion - just as ancient (if not more so) that Christianity. So I guess Bible study alone gets you nowhere on this one.

I practice New Orleans Voodoo.

A good reference for those interested:
http://www.voodoospiritualtemple.org/

Answer 1

I don`t know much about the sort of thing that goes under the term `voodoo` that we see in films but I do know about the paths af the ancients that go under many names. Many ancient cultures of the world have the beliefs you speak of, the ways of the Celts being one of my own interests,there may be those who through lack of understanding of the self can`t accept the ways and understanding of others. Folk often think the occult is about black masses on dark nights while reciting a well worn script from the `Hammer House of Horror ` vaults.`occult` simply means as you all know secret or hidden knowledge. I believe this is the real message of christ, as I have said before the `gnostic gospels` are more to the point and are written in the understanding of the ways of the fathers of old. The hidden message is there for all to see if they allow themselves to understand, percieve and hear.
As I stand at the cross roads I ask to be shown the ways of the ancients, that there, I may find peace and rest for my soul.
The `gnostic` gospels talk of the importance of knowing the true self, the inner self, that which belongs not to us but is of us. I often believe the Bible is indeed mis read and misinterpreted, . There are those who may think I`m off on a rant (again as I do from time to ...time) I just think the question is a good one and the points made certainly get me thinking.....

Answer 2

I don't practice voodoo, but I have studied it Iblis 696 - shut up, I'm sure people out there will say your stupid for certain beliefs. It's a two way street, when you point your finger at somebody, you have three pointing back at you. The doll is a misconception. Voodoo is more ritualistic than my religion, wiccan, but both are in the pagan genra. there is celtic voodoo, asian voodoo, and african voodoo. Different country different practices. The main point is they do rituals like such to promote good things: firtility ( for a woman or the earth) health, protection. Voodoo priestesses, are very spiritual and shamanistic in a way. It is a very interesting study, along with many other religions

Answer 3

I know a number of people locally who practice New Orleans style voodoo. However, that's a rather different thing from Vodoun as practiced in other areas of the world, and has become somewhat intertwined with certain types of syncretic folk magic. As a Roman Catholic, I find the assimilation of Catholicism into certain aspects of Vodoun and Santeria quite interesting. No, not all practitioners of Vodoun, Santeria, and Candomblé have assimilated Christian imagery into their rites, of course, but some have, and it's intriguing to see how that works out in terms of belief.

Answer 4

I can honestly say that I don't know very much about voodoo. It sounds like what you practice is kind of "Santeria-ish" -- working with the Saints. Do most modern voodooists practice a Catholic hybrid or are there still some who work with the ancient African/Island gods and goddesses?

Not judgment coming from this direction. Just pure curiosity!

Edit -- Sorry, I was typing up my questions while you added the link.

Answer 5

I'm not Christian, but i'm worried about that 'love, luck, money' thing. I mean, it seems to unbalence things. Love shouldn't be created, love is born, it is two people who honestly, in their hearts, desire to spend their lives together, to give everything to one-another. Casting a spell or any ritual to try to bring someone you care about closer to you isn't fair - it takes their free will away.

You can't create luck. There is a balence in the world, and asking for more luck than you are assigned throws things off course - there is a certain amount of good and bad in the world... for example, the Yin Yang demonstrates this in some eastern belief systems. If you ask for more luck than you were ever meant to have, then you will only end up leeching from someone elses luck. EDIT: for example, you want a new job, to win some money on a lottery ticket, and to bump into an old friend... a person who really worked for that job and was better qualified now won't get it, there might be a single mother who is struggling for cash who would have found a way to pay for shoes for her kids and to go back to college in that ticket, the friend may have to come into town for a funeral etc.

As for money, money should come from hard work, not from magic. People who work hard, who do good things in their lives, and that try to improve society and the lives of everyone in it.... THEY are the ones who deserve money. Casting a spell for cash will again throw things off balence - money doesn't just magically appear, it comes from somewhere. If you ask for £$£ without hard work, then it will come straight out of someone else's pocket - that's just cruel.

If you want love, go out and find the guy of your dreams, if you want money, put in a bit of effort and hard work, if you want luck then bring it your way by doing good deeds. These are not things for which any magic was invented.

Answer 6

I know quite a bit about Voodoo. I have studied the history of the practice and have seen and talked to people who practice it in St. Augustine, FL. I'm just interested and it was part of my cultural anthropology studies.

Movies and other media have blown it all out of proportion. It was a was a society maintained their moral standards, coped with things they did not understand and found comfort in a strange land where everything was out of their control.

Answer 7

So are you Haitian vodun, New Orleans style voodoo, or one of the voodoo-like groups like Santeria?

I don't believe in any of them any more than I do Christianity, Shinto or astrology, but at least it's something different.

Answer 8

Just be very careful where you end up with practicing this. It will seem very nice and controllable until it's to late. It will bring you down into a pit of dispair soon enough. This is how it's done. It all seems like a good thing, everything is in your control, then WHAM, you are in so far that you can't get out no matter what you do. Please stop if you can. It will be for your own good in the long run.

Answer 9

You have the freedom to worship any way you choose, but I have the freedom to not have to learn about voodoo, santeria or any belief system I choose to not learn about. Apparently, you believe that all christians are bashing you, when frankly, most of us simply do not care. I have my own problems, I really just don't have the time or energy to worry about your beliefs. So I suppose you could say I'm not judging you, unless you consider not caring one way or another to be judging.

Answer 10

I grew up in New Orleans. Voodoo is a far gentler faith than the Abrahamic faiths.

Plus, they look darn good doing it.

And I love how they reimposed loas over statues of catholic saints.

Clever!