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VOODOO, (aka Vodoun, Voudou, Voudoun)
Like Santerķa, Voodoo is a blending the worship of traditional Catholic saints, Christ and the Gods (loas) of Africa, for example, a Voodoo practitioner could beg for intercession from St. Patrick and really be calling on their serpent God, Danbhalah-Wedo.
Voodoo is found predominantly in Haiti in the West Indies and in other countries to which Haitians have immigrated. Developed by Mrican, slaves brought to Haiti by the French between the 17th and 19th Centuries, it combines features of Mrican religion with the Roman Catholicism of the European settlers. Voodoo is similar in many ways to other Afro-American cults, such as Santeria in Cuba and Macumba in Brazil. The term Voodoo is thought to be derived from the word 'vodu' meaning 'spirit' in the Fon language of Dahomey, now part of Nigeria.
The Voodoo religion involves belief in a supreme god (le grand maitre or bon dieu) and a host of spirits called loa. Most Voodoo practices involve the loa, which are often identified with Catholic saints. These spirits are closely related to Mrican gods and may represent natural phenomena - such as fire, water or wind - or dead persons, including eminent ancestors.
Voodoo worshippers believe that the work of the loas appears in every facet of daily life and that pleasing the loas will gain the faithful health, wealth, and spiritual contentment. The loas speak to their devotees through spirit possession but only for a short time during ceremonies and manifest to protect, punish, confer skills and talents, prophesy, cure illness, exorcise spirits, give counsel, assist in rituals and take sacrificial offerings. The priest (houngan) or priestess (mambo) acts as an intermediary to summon the loa and help the loa to depart when his or her business is finished.
American Indian traditions are also incorporated, including a snake cult, and there are elements of Kabbalism and even Freemasonry.
The spirits consist of two main groups: the rada, believed to be often mild and helping, and the petro, which are regarded as potentially dangerous and harmful. Voodoo rites include special ceremonies in which the loa have the power to make their presence known.
These are characterised by music and dancing that lead the participants into a trance-like state in which they are possessed by the loa. The spirit temporarily displaces the astral body of the possessed person and occupies his or her physical body. The individual thus possessed is said to be mounted by the loa and behaves and acts as the loa directs, usually in a manner characteristic of the loa itself.
Like other forms of Occult lore, there is a progression in Voodoo from the basic Initiation of a teenage child to full priesthood. But in Voodoo there is no clear theory or theology; everything is ritual and practice. Other Voodoo practices include animal sacrifices and pilgrimages. The focal point of a pilgrimage is usually a Christian church identified with a particular Voodoo spirit. The most important of these pilgrimages take place in July and honour Ogou (Saint James) and Ezili Danto (Our Lady of Mount Carmel).
Magick, for both good and evil, is an integral part of Voodoo, and an aspect of voodoo is called 'work of the left hand', which includes belief in Zombies.
see also: GRIS-GRIS
PLEASE NOTE:
One of the major problems with 'defining' Paganism and/or its beliefs and practices is that it is an 'organic' movement, in that it is undergoing constant change and re-evaluation from within, and as such any 'one-size-fits-all' approach to understanding Paganism will be found wanting.
Due to the very 'organic' nature of Paganism, and the many differing Paths and Traditions within it, in many cases no one definition may be universally accepted by all Pagans. Therefore, where such cases of possible conflicting and/or contradictory meanings of certain terms occur I have endevoured to give not only the generally accepted meaning, but also any major 'variations' in belief and/or practice.
Christians who believe this difference in meaning of certain key terms, beliefs and practices to be unique to Paganism need to remember that such conflicts also arise within the Body of Christ - the Church. Take for instance the differing practices amongst Christians concerning Baptism and the different attitudes towards women in the clergy.
- Jean-Luc
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