Connecting with the Divine…Where in the Hell to Begin?

September 29, 2013 By Leave a Comment
Dia de los Muertos Shrine for honoring the ancestors, Tropenmuseum, Amsterdam. Photo by Lilith Dorsey.

The struggle to connect with the Divine energies is a timeless one. Clearly it is difficult to know exactly where to begin. A wise young gentleman who attended my lecture this weekend at NYC Pagan Pride, asked me what I recommend for people just starting out who wish to reach out towards the ashe or energy of the different gods and goddesses of the Afro-Caribbean traditions of Vodou, Voodoo, or Lucumi (Santo.) Good question. I think that there are a few respectful and beneficial practices that … [Read more...]

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Sexy Ghosts in the City: Pagan Pride 2013

September 26, 2013 By Leave a Comment
Ancestor statues , Tropenmuseum, Amsterdam. Photo by Lilith Dorsey.

No doubt about it there is sex in the city, and there are ghosts in the city. Lots of ghosts in this city, my city, New York City. In the Voodoo tradition our ghosts are sexy, they are lusty, they are funny, they are lewd. That's just the way they are. It probably stems in part from the fact that procreation is life and therefore very precious to those who have passed. All Afro-Caribbean pagan traditions: Voodoo, Vodou, Candomble, Obeah, hold the dead and the ancestors who have gone before in … [Read more...]

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Voodoo Veves: Sacred Cell Numbers for the Gods

September 24, 2013 By 3 Comments
Marassa veve tattoo, for the Voodoo spirits represented by divine twins unifying the universe.

Invented by chickens? Exploding art to deter gang violence? Mysterious corn drawings appearing from the beyond? What in the universe am I talking about, why veve drawings of course, the sacred symbols of Vodou. No one is precisely sure how they initially came to be, but folklore abounds on the topic. Some believe that they were created originally from the patterns in the dirt that were formed by the chickens and other animals during ceremony. I have even spoken to some scholars who believe that … [Read more...]

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Gumbo is Gumbo: The Enmeshment of N.O. Voodoo Performance and Ritual

September 22, 2013 By 2 Comments
Offerings left at the possible site of Marie Laveau's tomb, St. Louis cemetery No. 1.

Performance and ritual, these entities can be as far apart or as close together as one's vision. The earliest written records of Voodoo Ceremonies in New Orleans are in the Times Picayune. They describe scantily clad rites that are both scary and sinful. Oh mainstream media, is it a guarantee that they miss the point? In the early to mid 1800's these public ceremonies were run by legendary Voodoo Queen Marie Laveau. Accurate or not, the earliest historical record of public rites are primarily … [Read more...]

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King Chango Cashew Chili Recipe

September 18, 2013 By 20 Comments
Altar for Chango Feast and Ritual, photo by Lilith Dorsey

King Chango is the Santeria Lord of fire, passion, and the drum. His consummate masculinity shines through in all that he does, even when he wears his wife's clothing as a disguise. Chango is a warrior god, said to wield a double edged sword of justice. If you are interested in more information about Chango, I recommend the book Santeria: A Practical Guide to Afro-Caribbean Magic by Luis Manuel Nunez. This recipe is suitable to use for any Chango feast or ceremony, or when you just want to … [Read more...]

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Divination Space Station: Dorothy Morrison

September 17, 2013 By 1 Comment
Psychic. Fifth Avenue, NYC. By Timothy Krause.

  Welcome to the Voodoo Universe's first installment of the Divination Space Station, our guest interview series on all forms of divining.  Divination: it's in the cards, the stones, the bones, the future. I have participated in quite a few divination panel discussions or roundtables over my twenty years of involvement in the Pagan community. Several interesting discussions came from these sessions, which were both led and attended by practitioners from all walks of life. On many … [Read more...]

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Cleaning House with Voodoo and Santeria

September 15, 2013 By 2 Comments
Oshun altar for the feast of Caridad del Cobre.

 “Let everyone sweep in front of his own door, and the whole world will be clean.” -Johann Wolfgang von Goethe I have been lecturing on Voodoo and Santeria for over fifteen years, and believe me I get a lot of weird questions. Many people wish to connect with the energies of the religion but are not initiated or under the proper guidance of their spiritual godparents. I had one woman after I became distracted after the end of my workshop come over dip her finger in the liquified candle … [Read more...]

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Top Ten Reasons Voodoo Will Never Die

September 13, 2013 By 3 Comments
"Possible" Tomb of Voodoo Priestess Marie Laveau, St. Louis Cemetery No. 1. This site is the second most visited grave in the U.S.

We have great music. We got skills -- slavery, kidnapping, rape and murder make a religion fierce. We don't care whether you believe or not, Voodoo moves forward anyway. It's in your blood, the earliest evidence of modern humans were in Africa, it's in all our DNA. Fear is a great motivator. Voodoo is nothing if not feared. Voodoo invented mojo. Voodoo can dance. It dances on fire, water, and in the corners of your mind. Voodoo smells heavenly. Open the nearest bottle of Florida … [Read more...]

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Congo Squared Redux

September 12, 2013 By Leave a Comment
Grave in St. Louis Cemetery No. 1

 The following is a spoken word piece I wrote after my initial post-Katrina visit to New Orleans. The words ring as true today as they then. Just in case you were wondering, yes a tour guide did indeed comment on me and my friend while we were drumming and dancing in St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 and call us a “supposed” voodoo ritual. I laughed out loud.  It’s the 21st century now, not the 19th but the ghosts of the Crescent City still whisper. After Katrina the spirit still floats. The … [Read more...]

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Hoodoo, Voodoo, We do!

September 11, 2013 By 8 Comments
Lilith Dorsey, Dr. John and Priestess Miriam at Krewe du Vieux

There is definitely more information about my connection to this topic than could be contained in a single post, and after I finished yesterday's sampling I realized maybe I should explain more. I have a book, Voodoo and Afro-Caribbean Paganism, which I was encouraged to pen by my dearly departed friend Isaac Bonewits, who also wrote the forward to the book. He convinced me of the need for something that would address every basic question that a practitioner might have. I am honored and pleased … [Read more...]

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