TRUST ME: Vodou is NOT something to play around with. It's a complex religion that combines ancient African tribal beliefs with the Catholic church that has over 1,000 Lwa [spirits aka saints] that can be summoned for protection, benign assistance or the exacting of revenge against enemies.... and it's usually the latter!
Animal sacrifices are common in their rituals where spilled blood [including human when frenzied practitioners will slash themselves] figures prominently as a holy purifier [guess where they got that from?]; idols are also a big part of their ceremonies as are ecstatic chanting/dancing enhanced by alcohol/drugs.
While there are many different sects [including a watered-down Louisiana practice], the classic Haitian is the by far the most pervasive where superstition has always reigned supreme there since the 1500's.
For my money, Vodou is the darkest cult practiced today and far exceeds Satanism in that respect. So: you've been warned!
Quoting: GSB/LTD Read your post on Halloween and this. Yes, disagreements on both accounts. It is the beauty of the decor that I admire. I make a distinction between Halloween and Toussaint, All Saint's Day, Día de los Muertos. I am not unfamiliar with Vaudou in the least, to be clear. Quite to the contrary, though you sound better versed. I am aware of the Lwa, the sigils, the dances, the music, the bloodshed of animals etc. There are other ways, as you said, self blood and even with no blood, results have been obtained, I have catalogued this during my past research. (I am also vaguely aware of Santeria, and the fact that some claim "Voodoo" is different than "Hoodoo" and Voodoo would be the terminology strictly invented by Hollywood, at least for the English language, and I say it is nevertheless no less powerful than the "real thing".)
And one more place where I disagree: not that it's a competition or anything, but Palo Mayombé is much, much "worse" than Vaudou/Hoodoo: darker! :) It is from the Congo, IIRC. If the photos are the same as they were over a decade ago, I don't recommend any Christian here searches this, or the images are sure to trigger them worse than a mere Ouija board.
Once you look into Palo Mayombé you might also conclude that it might very well make a Vaudou practitioner look 2nd rate, and a Ouija board, spirit summoner like a wannabe amateur! :) It is that extreme!
(hope this doesn't double post, I checked, s far so good.)
