I know I've not shown my voodoo doll that I purchased and had 'blessed' while vacationing in New Orleans over the past Thanksgiving holiday. Mainly because voodoo is supposedly a bad religion to most. Yes, there is bad voodoo...evil voodoo. But, if you've ever researched on the subject, there IS ALSO GOOD VOODOO. Of course, it's originally 'based on' the religious beliefs of the West Africans. But for me, it's more of a superstition or a good luck charm. While there visiting, one of my main goals, after reading about the voodoo priestess who did good voodoo in the early French city of New Orleans, in the late 1700s and early 1800s...and how her clientele built up because of her good reputation and what good deeds she did throughout her life, I was inclined to get me a voodoo doll. I too, before I read so much, thought it was more or less all evil, conjuring in my mind the plain clothed primitive faceless doll with pins stuck in for curses... and didn't realize that there are priestesses [and kings] who do only good deeds. But, of course, this is just still a mythical belief to me...yet, it did NOT deter my wanting one. It costs plenty [monetarily] to have a doll 'blessed' by the high priestess... but, it's part of what I wanted...I just didn't want an 'off the shelf' handled by 100s of tourists doll...I wanted the real thing!! Just to have a bit of their culture and perhaps believe in a superstition more or less. Anyway, throughout the city, there are few of the renowned priestesses who will bless your doll specifically for what you want. Or you can buy the more generalized versions that are found in 'bulk' on the voodoo specialty shops' shelves and bins. I wanted one made especially for me...this is what I chose:
FROM WIKIPEDIA:
In Louisiana culture - The Voodoo doll is a form of gris-gris, and an example of sympathetic magic. Contrary to popular belief, Voodoo dolls are usually used to bless instead of curse. The purpose of sticking pins in the doll is not to cause pain in the person the doll is associated with, but rather to pin a picture of a person or a name to the doll, which traditionally represents a spirit. The gris-gris is then performed from one of four categories: love; power and domination; luck and finance; and uncrossing.
For me, a voodoo charm, gris-gris, or perhaps a doll is nothing more or similar to that of those who carry a good luck charm such as a rabbit's foot, or those that carry along with them on their travels, a St. Christopher medal, or a Native American Totem -things that you may wish to believe in or have a certain superstition that they will work.
The voodoo priestess [photo] who blessed the doll outside their 'church' and adjacent to the gris-gris establishment - note: I can't even recall her name now as I type this, Miriam something or other... but I do remember she is from Africa, and only recently within the last two decades began practicing the good voodoo in New Orleans along with her husband, who recently passed away. She also does rituals, marriage ceremonies, and other stuff I can't now recall, plus, if you enlarge the other photo next to her, this is what the doll represents for me.
Her photo is borrowed from online [I did not take this photo]
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FROM WIKIPEDIA:In Louisiana culture - The Voodoo doll is a form of gris-gris, and an example of sympathetic magic. Contrary to popular belief, Voodoo dolls are usually used to bless instead of curse. The purpose of sticking pins in the doll is not to cause pain in the person the doll is associated with, but rather to pin a picture of a person or a name to the doll, which traditionally represents a spirit. The gris-gris is then performed from one of four categories: love; power and domination; luck and finance; and uncrossing.
For me, a voodoo charm, gris-gris, or perhaps a doll is nothing more or similar to that of those who carry a good luck charm such as a rabbit's foot, or those that carry along with them on their travels, a St. Christopher medal, or a Native American Totem -things that you may wish to believe in or have a certain superstition that they will work.
The voodoo priestess [photo] who blessed the doll outside their 'church' and adjacent to the gris-gris establishment - note: I can't even recall her name now as I type this, Miriam something or other... but I do remember she is from Africa, and only recently within the last two decades began practicing the good voodoo in New Orleans along with her husband, who recently passed away. She also does rituals, marriage ceremonies, and other stuff I can't now recall, plus, if you enlarge the other photo next to her, this is what the doll represents for me.
Her photo is borrowed from online [I did not take this photo]
CONNECTING TO: