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As you search for meaningful spiritual truths and tangible access to hidden forces, you are bound to wonder about practices carried out in other cultures. Needless to say, if you have heard of voodoo, you may feel a bit intimidated by a range of information designed to prevent people from enjoying all the rewards associated with this particular belief system. In fact, if you are searching for information that will help you increase your capacity to achieve positive results in life, many of the answers you are looking for may well be found in voodoo.
Contrary to many of the superstitions surrounding the practice of voodoo, it is most often used to achieve positive results. Practitioners and community members often need help with fertility, increasing wealth, finding life partners, and improving health. Therefore, you will find that the lwa and ancestral spirits summoned during Voodoo ceremonies are usually dedicated to positive changes in the physical world. That said, if these spirits are not approached correctly, or you abuse the energies associated with voodoo, rest assured there will be consequences.
Chances are, if you’ve heard of zombies or watched a few horror movies, you may feel that you know more than enough about the practice of voodoo. As with many other folk religions and practices, you will find that many distortions about this religion cover a system of worship designed to bring healing and benefit to its practitioners and followers. In fact, as you learn more about the empowering spirits or Lwa of Voodoo, you may be very surprised at some of the names that appear and how they are venerated.
Voodoo Across Time
Even though there are few written records, it is thought that the Vodun religion has existed for at least 6000 years. Among the Yoruba and Fon of Africa, the word Vodun actually means “spirit”. While the original practitioners of Vodun worshiped Lwa, or spirits that focused on assistance with the tangible needs of life, enslaved people brought to Haiti, and other nations adapted the Lwa to the system of Catholic saints as well as deities of the Arawak Indians. Today, practitioners of Vodun in the America’s can as easily choose to follow the spiritual path of a saint or Arawak deity as much as they can a traditional Lwa. Perhaps it can be said that saints were simply added to Vodun as much as they and other markings of Christianity were used to cloak indigenous folk magic.
The History of Voodoo
Once you begin to understand Voodoo as a vibrant, complete religion with fascinating traditions, you are bound to wonder about its origins. While some parts of history are better known than others, most historians agree about its first occurrences in history as well as its capacity to benefit practitioners regardless of where they live. Since well over 80 million people practice Voodoo, you can rest assured that growing levels of interest will help bring more information to light.
African Roots
The word Voodoo can be traced back over 6000 years to a region of coastal west Africa. Then, as now, the word Voodoo means sacred or spirit. The word mambo, or voodoo priestess, also carries the root words for healer, magic, and mother.
Even though people in this region had their own sets of beliefs and tribal affiliations, the slave traders made no such distinction. As a result, the enslaved people from modern-day Benin, Ghana, and Togo merged their belief systems into a set of deities and practices that enabled each group to be in harmony with the others. While this created a fairly large divergence with the voodoo practitioners left behind, those that arrived in the new world were still able to make good use of the combined religious form.
Evolution in Haiti and Louisiana
As slaves began to adapt to the Americas, they also developed new traditions to help them fit in with the native people as well as the Haitian plantation owners. This included converting saints and angels to Orishas as well as giving purely African spirits Christian names. Beneath the names and language changes, the modes of worship were still much the same as they were in Africa. That said, it should be noted that the root doctors or herbal healers had to alter a number of herbal, animal, and mineral ingredients to match the new environment. In a similar way, Voodoo practitioners in Louisiana also made similar changes while doing their best to hold onto the core cultural values of authentic Voodoo.
Extermination Campaigns
It is very important to realize that enslaved people went through the same kinds of persecution that many other non-Christians did. This included massive campaigns designed to portray folk magic and African religions as evil and harmful to humanity. For example, even today, movies portray practitioners as crazed, possessed people that curse people by sticking pins in dolls and creating zombies. As may be expected, they are usually defeated by a Christian or even an atheist with a Christian slant.
Today, many of the campaigns designed to discredit Voodoo are failing because modern medicine and the Christian faith are not able to address a wide range of health and emotional issues. As people become more interested in herbal remedies, spiritual healing, and the origins of human faith, they find out that Voodoo has many benefits to bestow on those who need help.
Across time, people have embraced different spiritual traditions in an effort to solve all kinds of problems, as well as to help ensure continuity of culture. In the case of Voodoo, there is no question that it has withstood over 6000 years of trials and successes. While many aspects may have been changed in order to accommodate different geographic regions, it never lost its capacity to unite and serve the people. Therefore, if you are interested in learning more about spiritual traditions that support both witchcraft and cultural stability, Voodoo will be of interest. At the very least, you can learn more about the history of this fascinating religion in order to gain more insights into its strengths and future viability.
Basic Purpose of Voodoo
Perhaps it can be said that war is the only formalized human activity that has destruction as its sole purpose. Within that context, it becomes much easier to understand that Voodoo was created to meet the needs of people in a specific region of the world. In most cases, as you learn more about Voodoo or Vodun, you will find that it focuses on herbal remedies and other tools that can be used for healing. When it comes to spell casting, you will also find that Voodoo rituals are also designed to bring benefits to specific people far more than for the purpose of harm.
Is There a Dark Side to Voodoo?
If you watch horror movies or any number of documentaries on zombies, you may at first think these stories have very little truth to them. On the other hand, it should be noted that the priests of Voodoo have very extensive knowledge of both natural poisons and medicines. In this case, researchers have indeed discovered that a practitioner of Voodoo can cause a person to exist in a zombie state for some time by using pufferfish extracts and other ingredients.
When it comes to objects largely misunderstood in the modern world, voodoo dolls rank at the top of the list. While pins can be placed for the purpose of causing harm, the dolls can also be used for sympathetic healing. For example, pins can be placed to help a person attract money and love just as easily as they can be placed to cause illness and suffering. It can be said that the intent of the voodoo doll owner determines whether this tool is being used for harm or benefit as opposed to having a specific harmful meaning within the religion.
As people begin to go farther away from what they have been told about other people and cultures, it should come as no surprise that most don’t really know what voodoo is. When they hear Voodoo, they immediately think of Black Magic. If you can get past all of the old and misguided stereotypes, you will discover a pantheon of spirits that offer all kinds of blessings and benefits. In addition, if you are interested in working with Voodoo as a form of folk magic, you will also find a number of priests that can guide you on your path.
Common Misconceptions About Voodoo
Does the very word “voodoo” conjure up images of dark energies being used to cause mayhem throughout the world? Unfortunately, if you go on believing that practitioners of voodoo have no sense of tangible good, you will miss out on a number of traditions that can help you live a better life. At the very least, you can learn a bit about how all the false information came into being, as well as what you can do to stop its spread.
Origins of False Information about Voodoo
As with all kinds of false information about druids, witches, and folk magic practitioners, most of the false information about voodoo comes directly from pastors and others who claim to be members of some type of Christian clergy.
Historically speaking, it can be said that most, if not all, clergy members that spread false information were, in fact, ordained by legitimately recognized churches.
Their goal was to break the spiritual traditions of the African slaves as well as prevent those traditions from spreading to wealthy, white parishioners. On the other hand, if you do some research on modern evangelists, you will find that many have degrees in business or banking, have never entered a legitimate Christian seminary, and actually decided to ordain themselves.
Case Study: Human Sacrifice and Cannibalism
Consider a situation where you were told that voodoo is an evil practice because practitioners engage in ritual animal and human sacrifices. Even though voodoo priests will engage in animal sacrifice (mainly chicken) if called upon by the Lwa, the meat is always consumed during the ritual. Human sacrifice is not part of the religion, nor is cannibalism. However, clergy members bent on distorting the truth took the tradition of eating sacrificed animals and simply applied that to humans.
It is also important to note that animal sacrifice in voodoo is probably far more humane than what happens on commercial meat farms every day. For example, the chicken sitting in your freezer was most likely hung upside down and then ran past a blade meant to cut its head off. Regardless of whether or not the severing was successful, that chicken and hundreds of others were then dumped live into a pot of scalding hot water to make removing their feathers easier. Similarly, cattle, hogs, horses, and sheep are often alive and in extreme agony for several hours during the butchering process.
How You Can Stop the Lies From Propagating
To begin, it is very important to start learning the truth about the Vodun religion. Rather than ask people that have no experience with it, you should seek out information from mambos and houngans that are recognized by the people. From there, when you hear things that are false, you can direct these same people to find out for themselves.
There is no question that interactions between cultures will create a sense of fear for traditions that seem unusual or strange. That said, telling lies or twisting the truth about others does not take away the benefits from people that actually practice these traditions. Rather, it takes away from others that may need help and cannot do so because they have been pointed in the wrong direction. While it may take some time to unravel all the misconceptions about Voodoo, you will find it well worth the effort. Even if you do not embrace this particular religion, at least you will do away with some beliefs that only serve to create a false and, therefore, useless view of the world around you.
The Practitioners of Voodoo
As with any other religion, there are practitioners that are responsible for performing advanced rituals as well as passing on traditions to the next generation. In the case of Voodoo, the hierarchy is well established as well as deeply rooted within each local community. If you are interested in becoming a Voodoo priest, you will find that it takes years of training as well as a lifelong commitment to both the community at large and those within the society that have personal needs. Depending on the community, you may only be allowed to enter training for this vocation if your direct ancestors were or are practicing priests.
Hierarchy and Experience Levels
Even though Voodoo has dedicated male (houngan) and female (mambo) priests, individuals can still interact directly with the Lwa based on their own needs. Individuals that need more help can call upon the priests, who will then conduct rituals, create talismans, or administer herbal remedies. Aside from this, the priests are also responsible for training the hounsis, or apprentices that will one day become full priests. Typically, the priests open rituals as well as determine which spirits will be called for any given ritual. Interestingly enough, it is the hounsis that become possessed by the Lwa. The hounsis are also responsible for preparing sacrifices, dancing, and carrying out other parts of the ritual.
Rituals for the Community
When it comes to rituals to serve the community, the priests may call upon any number of Lwa to ask for assistance. Whether help is needed with crops, stopping the spread of disease, or victory in battle, the mambos and houngans will determine what kinds of sacrifice are needed and decipher when the Lwa is present and ready to communicate. For example, if help is needed with crops, the hounsis will prepare sacrifices as well as accept possession by the appropriate Lwa. From there, the mambos and houngans will ask for help, as well as decipher the responses given by the spirits.
Service to Individuals and to the Voodoo Religion
For the most part, weddings, funerals, love spells, money spells, and other rituals designed for personal needs will be conducted in much the same way as those for a community. On the other hand, the priests may also provide herbal remedies or information about tasks that must be carried out. Depending on the situation, these tasks may include rituals the person must do on their own as well as mundane tasks designed to alleviate any given problem.
When it comes to meeting the needs of the Voodoo religion, priests may gather with others from other geographic regions to call upon the spirits for the well-being of all who follow the faith. Interestingly enough, this includes enormous ritual gatherings on a yearly basis for the victory in war and other matters. Needless to say, training new priests is also a very important duty that entails a higher level of service than can be carried out by someone that simply worships within the traditions.
Individuals that are interested in gaining benefits from the Lwa, or spirits of Voodoo, can usually find rituals and ceremonies that can be conducted without being a priest. That said, if you want to embrace the true power and richness of the Voodoo faith, you will be well served by working with a mambo or houngan. At the very least, if you are willing to commit yourself in terms of time and effort to a complete system of worship, medicine, and faith, few other religions will offer as many opportunities as Voodoo.
Voodoo Spirits, Lwa, Bondye, and Ancestors
Followers of Voodoo believe in the power of the supreme power known by the name of Bondye, also termed bon dieu, meaning “good god. But as the supreme power Bondye is unreachable by humans and does not directly involve himself with human affairs. Voodoo practitioners have to seek the aid of spirits, also called Loa and Lwa, to reach the supreme god. The deities connect humans and Bondye.
All deities and Lwa have significant powers on their own, and Voodoo followers and practitioners petition to them during their rituals and spells. Through offerings and sacrifices, the Lwa can positively affect them. Each Voodoo follower and practitioner has their own Lwa, and each Lwa has dominion over a different area of life.
Becoming Possessed by a Voodoo Lwa
Even though there are many elements of the Voodoo religion, few evoke as much interest as practitioners consenting to be possessed by the Lwa. While this is usually a short-term event that is carefully guided and controlled by a voodoo priest, it has also become a focal point of controversy in societies that believe possession is always about evil. If you are interested in working with the Lwa or spirits of Voodoo, it is very important to understand how possession works and what you will need to do to avoid unnecessary risks.
Conducting Rituals that Involve Possession
As with any other ritual, many in Voodoo help restore a balance between any given person or community and the spirit world. For example, lack of wealth, relationship problems, illness, and bad weather can all be seen as afflictions that occur because the spirits are displeased. While small matters may be managed without visiting a priest, others require a ritual in which a Lwa possesses at least one person to offer assistance. This may include everything from carrying messages to Bondye, the supreme god, or providing energy for talismans that will help resolve the problem.
The Process of Becoming Possessed by a Lwa
Most Lwa possessions are conducted during a ritual where the priest calls upon a specific spirit that will enter the body of an apprentice practitioner. The apprentice will usually lean forward as if struck from behind and then have something very similar to a seizure. According to the Voodoo priest, this is the struggle between the Lwa and the person’s soul for control of the body. After the person goes still and regains consciousness, it is said that the Lwa is present and capable of communicating. At this stage, the Lwa may be invited to eat, dance, or partake in other ritual activities. Once the required assistance is secured, the priest will invite the Lwa to leave and oversee the recovery of the apprentice.
How to Avoid Unwanted Possession
While the Lwa may be invited during rituals, some can be a bit cantankerous. This includes attempting to possess people who are not prepared to engage in these activities during a ritual. Needless to say, there will also be times when even an apprentice will not want to be disturbed by a Lwa. For example, if the apprentice is taking care of a child or engaged in other activities, they will need to address those issues before temporarily using their body to another spirit.
In some cases, Lwa may even try to possess non-apprentices outside of ceremonial occasions. Typically this is not seen as a mark of evil. Rather, it tends to be seen more as a favor that isn’t wanted at a particular moment. Fortunately, people who practice Voodoo have several ways to let the Lwa know they do not want to be disturbed. This includes wearing head caps as well as other symbols to prevent possession.
While you can still do a good bit of useful work as a root doctor, conjuring or mystical witchcraft will require allowing possession by a Lwa. If you feel uncomfortable about this, it may be of some help to ask a voodoo priest about protection methods and then try to be present for a few rituals. At the very least, once you become more aware of the safety mechanisms used, you will also better understand how to avoid problems with spiritual interactions overall.
The Ingredients and Sacrifices in Voodoo
Even though voodoo is well known for sympathetic doll magic, zombies, and other things that have become symbolic of dark magic, the religion itself has many beneficial elements. In fact, when it comes to using plants for healing and maintaining good health, few traditions offer as much information about herbal remedies in both the Americas and Africa. Therefore, if you are interested in learning more about herbs’ medicinal and spiritual uses, working with a voodoo priest may be of some help.
Origins of Plant Use in Voodoo
It is important to realize that voodoo practitioners already had a vast wealth of herbal knowledge before being brought as slaves to the Americas. Historically speaking, these people claim the forest spirits or Azzizas revealed their medicinal and magical properties over time. Since voodoo practitioners could not find the same exact species of plants in the new world, they went ahead and found plants that were compatible with their needs. Depending on the priest you work with, you may find several variances in herb species used for both ritual and healing purposes.
An Introduction to Root Doctors
Interestingly enough, some parts of voodoo have very little to do with spell casting and rituals. For example, when it comes to using herbs for medicinal purposes, the people clearly distinguish between practitioners who gather and prepare herbs and those who cast spells. In this instance, root doctors most likely do not cast spells or engage in rituals. Instead, root doctors will provide herbs in the form of packets or any other form that can be consumed or applied to the body.
Plant Sacrifice and the Art of Conjuring
As with so many other things, those that belong to the voodoo faith believe that everything has a spirit or energy that can be used to appease or gain assistance from the Orishas and ancestors. When plants are used in this way, the practitioner is known as a conjurer. During a ritual, priests will give herbs to their apprentices to bring on a trance state that will encourage an Orisha to possess that person’s body. Depending on the situation, herbs may also be used for divination or other purposes.
Consider a situation where you need to have a love or money spell cast on your behalf. If the situation warrants it, the voodoo priest may conduct a special ritual to obtain insights and answers from the Orishas. Aside from using some plants to induce a trance, others will also be sacrificed to the spirits that appear. From there, a voodoo priest may assemble a packet of herbs as instructed by the Orisha that can be used by the person asking to have the spell cast. In some cases, talismans or charms may also be given to people that need assistance. While these talismans are all prepared during magic rituals, it is not always necessary for the recipient to know the priests when the talisman is constructed.
Many people that do not believe in magic or spiritual energy still find themselves very interested in the medicinal properties of herbs. If you are looking for someone with enormous experience with local plants, it may be worth your while to ask a local voodoo priest about which plants they use for various illnesses. Needless to say, if you also need spiritual help or assistance with mundane needs, you can also find out more about how herbs are used in conjunction with spell casting and rituals.
Voodoo Spells and the Sacrifice of Chicken Feet
When it comes to folk magic, you will find that most, if not all, place an enormous amount of significance on feeding the spirits. Since objects and living things all have varying energy levels, practitioners of various religions will look for ones that have the most energy to release via animal sacrifice. In the instance of voodoo, chickens are viewed as very powerful animals. That said, not all of the Orishas in voodoo will accept the sacrifice of chicken blood or other body parts. In fact, some Orishas will become highly offended if you try to offer them chickens. Under these circumstances, it is crucial to know which Orishas will make this demand.
The Role of Chicken and Animal Sacrifice in Voodoo
To begin, it is very important to realize that the spirits of Voodoo only require energy that is released from any given object or body. In the case of a living thing, such as a chicken, the energy release is seen as being complete upon the animal’s death. By contrast, a candle releases its energy as it burns, thus sacrificing both the vessel of the candle and its energy.
Is Chicken Sacrifice in Voodoo Ethical?
Before answering that question, let us consider the fact that male chicks are exterminated within hours of hatching on commercial egg farms because they will never grow into animals that will lay eggs. Millions of male baby chicks are thrown live into plastic bags and incinerated on any given day. Aside from being horribly cruel and inhumane, there is no question that the entire process is incredibly wasteful of Earth’s bounty.
Since the Orishas do not truly require physical bodies or vessels, the meat and other parts of chickens are usually eaten by those taking part in any given ritual. Interestingly enough, if the meat is not consumed, the Orishas would most likely be offended because the meat would be wasted. Perhaps it can even be said that eating a chicken killed during a ritual can be seen as sharing a meal with the spirits.
How Chicken Feet are Used in Voodoo
Even though chicken blood, eggs, and meat are commonly sacrificed to the Orishas, the feet are not usually used for this purpose. Instead, they are used as amulets that can store power or warn for the sake of protection. Depending on the local customs, chickens feet can also be used for many other talismans that require a great deal of strength or power. This may include amulets for love, healing, wealth, and different needs.
Alternatives to Chickens
In today’s world, it should come as no surprise that voodoo practitioners use replacements for chicken sacrifice if at all possible. Among other things, many now use candles, eggs, and dances to feed the Orishas. That said, if an Orisha still requests a live chicken to be sacrificed, the ritual will include that element.
There is no question that some people will say all forms of killing animals are wrong. On the other hand, individuals that eat eggs or chicken meat might want to rethink their judgment of voodoo practitioners, given how chickens are raised and slaughtered on commercial farms. If you are interested in pursuing the magical aspects of voodoo, it will be of immense benefit to learn which Orishas specifically call for chicken sacrifice. This will make it easier to know when alternatives are needed and ensure that you can limit the loss of animal life as much as possible. At the very least, when it comes to feeding the Orishas and demonstrating your commitment to be bound to a ritual, you will find many alternatives that are just as effective.
The Power of Voodoo Spells
As with many other spiritual traditions, a number of people tend to try and learn everything they need from books and videos. While you may gain a lot of information from these sources, it is truly not the same as actually working within an established voodoo community. For example, if you learn how to summon, and then become possessed by a Lwa, it does not mean you will have enough skill to send the spirit away once you have completed your mission. Sadly, this, and many other practices lead to a situation where people who could truly benefit from voodoo never get a chance to work with it.
Voodoo spells can be very powerful, as anyone who has been the subject of one can attest. You don’t have to be a mambo or houngan to perform powerful rituals. Voodoo is an embracing religion that you can study to use magic and spells as part of your daily life.
Casting Voodoo Spells
As with every other aspect of Voodoo, spells originating from this belief system are fairly intricate and powerful. Before you cast this type of spell, you should make certain that you know what you are asking for, as well as the way it will change your life. Since Voodoo spells also tend to rely on a number of physical items, you should also make sure that you can gather them and have enough on hand to meet your needs.
When to Use Voodoo Spells
Even though many people have serious misconceptions about the nature of voodoo, others are learning that voodoo spells can offer a tremendous amount of benefit. For example, if you are looking for a powerful love, money, or healing spell, some of the most successful ones tend to originate within the Vodun religion. If you decide to use voodoo in order to achieve a specific goal, you should at least know the basic steps for casting a spell.
If your life is headed down the wrong path, you can use voodoo to reverse the course of your life and send you along a different path. It is a religion that has the power to shape the universe, and in that regard, it can do a great deal for you as long as you learn how to conduct a ritual properly.
Voodoo love spells can strengthen your relationship with others and make you feel more secure in those relationships. They can enhance your compatibility with your loved one, remove problems and create a happier relationship. There are also darker rituals that can bind your partner’s love to you, keep them faithful, and force them to marry you. You will even find Voodoo rituals to return a lost lover and break-up spells to get rid of unwanted third parties.
Within the realm of Voodoo, there is not only love magic, but also rituals for success, power, luck, wealth, healing, protection, revenge, and any other aspects of life. Most rituals are for the purpose of helping yourself or a loved one. But there are also rituals that do harm and seek malice. If a person has wronged you, you can create havoc in their lives, causing them sleepless nights or have irrational fears.
Securing Help from a Houngan or Mambo
If you do some research, you are sure to find all kinds of free voodoo spells dedicated to various purposes. While these might work in some situations, the best voodoo spells invoke spiritual beings, or Lwas that are fully capable of possessing a human body. Therefore, if you call upon them without knowing what to expect, or outside of the Vodun religion, it can pose a serious risk to your well-being. Typically, you should seek help from a Vodun priest (houngan or mambo) in order to obtain an appropriate spell as well as any other information you may need about how to prepare yourself before casting the spell.
Preparing for the Ritual
Depending on the spell, you may need to gather various materials that will be used during the ritual. This may include a live chicken, materials for an amulet, and various foods or other objects that will be used to entice and pay the Lwa. You may also be asked to wear red garments before the ritual or perform other activities that will ensure you do not offend the spirits.
Things That May Occur While a Voodoo Spell is Being Cast
When you attend a Vodun ritual, you should be prepared as much as possible for what will happen. For example, the houngan or mambo may sacrifice live animals as well as make cuts on various parts of your body. While it is not likely that you will become possessed during a ritual conducted by a mambo or houngan, it is still important to make sure that you are comfortable with these events going on around you.
If the priest gives you a spell to cast on your own, you should be able to do so without becoming possessed by a Lwa. On the other hand, it is important to note that spell casting in Vodun always implies a binding commitment to the Lwa that will be helping you. Therefore, if the spell comes with various instructions for providing food or some other payment, you will need to do so. That said, if you are instructed to perform an animal sacrifice, and it is illegal in your area, it may be best to not go through with the ritual or the spell casting event.
After the Ritual
After the ritual, you will usually be given herbs and instructions for wound cleaning as well as an amulet that holds the power of the Lwa willing to help you. In some cases, you may also receive a tattoo in place of a talisman. Once the spell is cast, it is very important to maintain a high level of confidence as well as make room for the things you called to you in the spell. Needless to say, if you asked for something to be banished, then you can also begin making plans for a life without so many problems.
People dealing with situations that seem impossible may exhaust all kinds of resources before turning to voodoo spells. If you are in a situation where you need help from the Lwas, it is very important to respect them as well as what they can do. At the very least, if you are not a member of the Vodun religion, you should go to a mambo or houngan for counseling rather than simply trying to cast spells on your own.
Selecting Voodoo Magic as your Magical System
As you learn more about different magical systems, you may reach a point where you want to compare how each one works. In this case, you will find that voodoo magic relies on the same principles that form the basis for other systems. No matter whether you are working with various kinds of voodoo, Wicca, Santeria, or other forms of witchcraft and folk medicine, certain elements will always be required for success. That said, in the arena of voodoo, you may be a bit surprised at how these elements unfold within the community as well as in regions where these practices are less known.
Intentions and Target Must be Clear
Today, far too many people carry out spiritual endeavors in much the same way they do driving. Instead of paying proper attention to everything going on around the vehicle, they send text messages, watch TV and even carry out other tasks that endanger their lives and everyone else’s. Unfortunately, voodoo is very similar to other magical systems in the sense that you must pay attention to what you are doing, and have very clear goals in mind. Even if you are not going to allow yourself to be possessed by a Lwa or ancestor, failure to have a well-defined target and goal can truly wreak havoc.
Usually Requires Something From the Target
When it comes to manifesting any given goal, voodoo relies heavily on sympathetic magic. While one object can take the place of another, something physical and tangible from the target must be used to connect both objects. For example, if your target is a particular person, you might need hair, nail clippings, or body fluids to use in conjunction with a voodoo doll, mojo bag, or other object. If you cannot readily obtain these objects, you may need to do some additional work in order to gather the items required for other rituals and spells.
Target’s Belief is Not Required
Many people engaged in psychic self-defense and other forms of magical working will tell you that it is impossible to affect someone that does not believe in any given system of magic. It is very important to realize that we are all part of one enormous and interdependent whole. As a result, even if someone does not know you or how voodoo works, eventually the energy will impact its target and have an effect. Depending on the situation, the fact that voodoo was used may never be discovered let alone dealt with.
Works Better With Positive Intentions
There is no question that voodoo has a reputation for hexes, curses, and other nefarious activities. On the other side of the coin, those who developed and continue to work with voodoo did not create it solely for dark purposes. Rather, they meant to have a complete magical system that enables each practitioner to bring the best possible energies into this world. You will find that the Lwa and ancestors associated with voodoo will produce much better results when you work with them to achieve positive and beneficial outcomes. If you prefer to receive and send blessings, rest assured that the unseen forces associated with voodoo have a similar preference.
Once you stop thinking of voodoo in terms of all the misinformation found in horror movies and other sources, you will find a vibrant, enjoyable system of magic to work with. Aside from a robust system of spells, rituals, and other workings to cover every aspect of life, voodoo offers many opportunities for healing at all levels. Why not get started today on finding out more about how voodoo magic works and all the fascinating things you can do with it.
