Hey, to everyone who saw the thread before, I'm gonna g

i can't stop farting

I first lit some incense, lavender, sandalwood and clove. Then the white candle, offered it east west north south etc said a prayer for my ancestors and then personal ones. (During i accidentally knocked a picture of my grampa off centre. I then lit Legba's candle and repeated the incitement i posted on the other thread. And this is where it gets interesting! During the incitement, my mind went completely blank, i didnt think about what words i was saying. I kept getting surprised i was speaking, it's sorta hard to describe but my mind kinda went 'up' like i a cloud and i could kinda nudge my thoughts but my it felt really light. I felt i'd only be comfortable to rock backwards and forwards like i could stop if i wanted to but i was kinda being carried like on a swing. And then just my left hand and foot started tingling. And then what's weird, was my voice broke, it got really low and my dog went crazy!

When i heard that i stopped.
I got it a bit more together, i lit La Sirène's candle, i sang some sea songs for her and i didnt feel anything as pronounced as i did with Legba but my head started tingling and i felt something tingling in the middle of my forehead, just below my hairline like there was something there.

I a little prayer to La Sirène and Legba, tied a knot in a necklace 7 times for a luck charm, then repeated a similar incantation to Legba, saying bye and thanking the Loa. Similar things happened, hand and foot started tingling my voice broke even rougher, this time my dog was chill.

>>17791382
it da voofoo monn

>cont
When i stood up, i had the woorst headrush! Omfg, i nearly tripped over my guitar. I wasnt tired so i stayed up to 5am, got a couple hours sleep. The next day (yesterday) i was feeling great! Kinda worried about my dog, he was really sick. Came home after work, spend 6 solid hours playing guitar. Went over to the shrines to thank the lwa for the luck charm, and my grampa's photo was straightened..

Is that a statue of ganesha?

Did some research afterwards, found out some interesting things.

>Foot was tingling
Papa Legba had a lame foot
>Didnt know why it was just my left hand that was tingling, not my right
The Petro spirits are associated with the left hand. Commonly work with solo practitioners rather than community worship. Called on for magic to help your own needs. (my luck charm)
>dog nuts
Legba often depicted accompanied by a dog
>forehead tingling
La sirene often depicted wearing a crown
>weird guitar obsessive session
La Sirene associated with musical inspiration
>headrush standing up mess
La Sirene has difficulty walking, Papa Legba is crippled

My experiences so far have been positive, if anyone has any questions/advice, do comment!

>>17791443
Yeah, i put it there by accident. Later told Ganesha is assumed the Hindi equivalent of Papa Legba..

>>17791460
Didn't knew that, how does Papa help you?

>>17791494
I don't really know. So far it's subtle, but I could guess good mood, more energy, easier life, relief of stress, sense of calm.. I also asked specifically for help with luck and focus.

>>17791382
It's gotta be witches!

>>17791370
What are these, demons or what?
Honest question
Sort of interested but don't want to attract anything that could be negative..

Question for you, OP. Do you read the webcomic Lackadaisy Cats? A voodoo symbol similar to this one was used in a recent plot. Getting more background information would be interesting.

>>17791650
I wouldn't say demons. The Lwa which are worshiped are spirits given to us to act as intermediaries between humans and Bondye (God) because God doesn't involve in human matters. They're actually linked to Saints and other gods in animist religions such as Hinduism. They're not bad or good in the traditional sense, but certain ones I've been told can be more 'hot' or 'cool'. They do represent all aspects of humanity, so there are ones that represent death and war etc
.. This aside, rather than 'demonic' function the lwa are associated more with guiding people and communities. I hope this answers your question

>>17791650
The Loa are not Demons, in their own sense. In an Abrahamic context, absolutely. They are possible compatriots that have a variety of emotions. Some like you more than others, but unless you are very serious and sincere, they won't give you the time of day. I'm not into voodoo, but that is how I understand them, as I've read them. They tend to trick the naïve and foolish, but they won't ruin your life unless you are retarded about how you treat them.

>>17791948
Aha I don't read any webcomics, but the one you mentioned seemed interesting. Do you have a picture of the symbol?

File: Crossroads.jpg (1MB, 1000x1751px) Image search: [Google]

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>>17792002
I can do you better and link a few pages, as well as post the relevant one. It'll be a big spoiler to those who have never read the comic before or are really behind on it, but it may interest some people enough to give it a look. The plotline is basically about the prohibition era, but with cats instead of humans. It's a lot more interesting and a lot less "furry" than it sounds, really, the artist is amazing.

The storyline with the voodoo stuff is here. Read from the first link through to the last.

http://lackadaisycats.com/comic.php?comicid=133
http://lackadaisycats.com/comic.php?comicid=143

And for the record, the female character with the thick Cajun accent is a "self-proclaimed Voodoo priestess", according to her old bio, so the "legitimacy" of her practice may be questionable at best.

>>17792204
Ah! I actually love it! You're right, the artist is amazing. The references to voodoo are surprising accurate! The author must have a pretty deep knowledge of the subject.
Thank you for sharing.

I found having a little knowledge of voodoo makes me appreciate the subtle voodoo references in the comic strip so much more. Since you showed me the strip, I can point a couple things I noticed it you like?

>>17792414
Yes please, I'd be curious to hear about it.

And I'm glad you like the comic, it really is fantastic. If you like that storyline, I recommend starting from the beginning. There's an obvious art-shift, but she still has a good style even from her earliest works. And she really seems to do a lot of research on her history! She admits when she fudges the details a little or can't get it all 100% accurate due to research difficulties, but it's really one of the better webcomics I've found, especially concerning actual events.

Now go do that voodoo that you do so well.

>>17792699

>the deal with the chicken
>' he invited himself'
Chickens are a common sacrifice in voodoo. The animals are said to give themselves over rather than be 'chosen' by the devotees

>the priestess
She's wearing all white, a rope around her waist and a white headscarf.. Dress for summoning a particular family of spirits

>the symbol on the floor
The mark of a particular spirit. It's called a Veve. Part of a shrine to call on a spirit's presence. The mark is for the same spirit as mine, that's why it looks so similar.

>Carrefour
The spirit the priestess speaks about. The counterpart to Papa Legba, (the lwa/loa my shrine is for.) While Papa Legba controls the directions of travel and the gate to the other side, Carrefour controls the 'in between places' and everything that goes bump in the night. That's likely what the priestess is referring to with 'criss cross path'. Like Legba, Carrefour is universal, so the character would have come across him before without necessarily following voodoo.

>Guy on the train
The man is supposed to be a representation of Carrefour, who's known for walking with a cane, smoking tobacco, and for helping travellers.

>Ploy sell 'Gris gris'
Voodoo remedies / charms the character believes he's going to being scammed into buying.

>As for the crocodile
I don't know what the deal with the croc is, but a white crocodile is traditionally sacred in African culture.

>"that one, is he alive?"
The vacant-eyed cat, supposed to be a voodoo 'zombie', under the control of the priestess. This is looked down upon by other voodoo practitioners. In voodoo, a zombie is the empty body of a person after they have died, brought back to serve as a slave.

>"the other paths gone forever, the other Loa leave you, obliged to him only"
That's been fluffed a lil. The Loa are responsible for different aspects of life, so multiple Loa can be associated with one person. Some Loa do demand a certain level of loyalty, but the other Loa do not ' leave'.

>>17793701
That's everything as I understood it anyway, I hope you'll find some of it interesting :)

Some good links for information about voodoo can also be found on Thoth's library.

I'm the OP of the other thread, hoping for some Vodou book recommendations

>>17794070
Hi! With what I can recommend you, it depends on what you're after. There are some ones I'd recommend at the top of the thread
>>17791370
All the voodoo books have some historical context, (it's necessary!) but if your interest is primarily in learning about the religion rather than practice it, I'd recommend the book 'Secrets of voodoo'.

If you're interested in practising the religion, I'd recommend Voodoo Rituals: A user's guide. It presents information very simply! https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=2UNFPas9KcgC&printsec=frontcover

If you do want to practise, I suggest you also look at 'Voodoo Hoodoo Spellbook'. It's a bit more wordy, but it does provide some essential information the other book misses.

The blog I posted is also very good with detailed step by step instructions, but some of the stories on the blog are a little less useful. The blogger is a houngan from New Orleans.

Hope that helps! Let me know how you get on

Hey again op!

>>17793701
>Dress for summoning a particular family of spirits
While this is generally correct, it's also general wear for any ceremony, particularly cleansing or healing ceremonies (of which most are) regardless of the lwa being called.

>that's why it looks so similar.
Again, an interesting element of the diaspora is it's lack of centralized canon. The various veve will change and be slightly different depending on the house in which they are being called. There is no one "correct" veve. There are the most widely identified ones, but depending on the person(s) in charge of the ceremony and congregation, they can change as dictated by the spirits or personal interpretation. I believe the more experienced houngan and mambo can actually use this variation to identify your background if a veve is drawn a specific way.

>The counterpart to Papa Legba, (the lwa/loa my shrine is for.)
Carrefour (lit. "crossroads") is one of the petwo aspects of Legba. So they are the same entity, sort of. Branches and roots etc. he is the petwo nation representative of legba. Your symbol is in service to Atibon Legba, or Legba nan Rada. How you call upon or service the spirits, will change how they respond, or manifest. The nanchons of the lwa derive ultimately from their geographical and anthropological origins, and tend to describe their overall demeanor.

>zombies in general
this is a pretty complicated topic anthropologically actually, some claim its nothing but superstition but there is considerable evidence that there is actually a chemical process whereby the condition is achieved. Its probably 100% myth that bokor or anyone else, resurrect the dead. What is more likely is that houngan or mambo in particular communities used "zombification" as a pacification punishment on violent members of their communities, as the actual "zombies" that we know of are more like lobotomites than the literal walking dead. The myth grew naturally out of this.

>>17794341
also pitching in on this subject a bit...
in my experience the lwa and the ancestors will respond naturally to the practices, however I would cautiously advise you not to consider it or refer to it as "practicing the religion" as the actual faith is an initiatory religion with specific rules about how one comes into and follows the faith.

I am in no way advising you not to look into the history, to work with the lwa or your ancestors as I believe this is something that does not necessarily require initiation or a specific interpretation, but neither is it technically speaking, practicing the religion. I hope that made some sense.

All the books listed here may be good starting points for information as well as some of the blogs. I would caution you to not take everyones word at face value as there is a great deal of fraud and charlatanry within the diaspora, many people claim to be mambo or houngan, but that title is reserved to those who have undergone the proper initiations and training, it is not a title that can be self-declared. There are a lot of people capitalizing on it for profit so take EVERYTHING with a grain of salt. I dont care what their qualifications are, take any advice on the subject of the diaspora with a grain of salt.

The ones who are worthy of the attention will usually be readily discernible from the bullshitters simply by their demeanor, and their motivations. If they seem sketchy, theyre sketchy.

>>17794611
>>17794649
ALso I should state for the record:
I am not a houngan, or a mambo, I am not a santero, or any form of diaspora holy person, please take everything I say as opinion only. I practice a solitary practice with heavy emphasis on ancestral work, syncretism and a particular interest in the african diaspora, I am in no way an actual vodouisant. I just wanted to clear that up and have it be open.

>>17794676
That's interesting. What kind of things do you do with regards to ancestral work?

>>17794835
well Ive found that in almost all cultures that practice ancestral reverence, the practices are remarkably similar. Usually an altar or "special place" specifically for the ancestors, usually images, either actual photographs or paintings or something symbolic, like favorite items. Candles, or fire of some sort are fairly universal, serving them water is almost completely universal from africa to china to the far east.

So bascially, an altar, white candles, pictures, serve water. Once a week sit down and chat.
Thats about it for the ancestral work, unless you mean the magic involved.

>>17793701
Thank you! That's a much more detailed response than I was hoping to get. I'll try not to go into the comic too much, since this isn't /co/, but I'll give you a little more insight on it while trying not to give away too many spoilers.

About the chicken, they were actually saying that the "zombie" man invited himself, but you were meant to think they were talking about the chicken at first, just for humor.

>The mark is for the same spirit as mine, that's why it looks so similar.

I noticed some slight differences between the symbol used in the comic and yours. Is it just a variation because it's for Carrefour instead of Papa Legba, or are minor variations of these symbols common?

>The man is supposed to be a representation of Carrefour, who's known for walking with a cane, smoking tobacco, and for helping travellers.

That's interesting. The man's name is Atlas and this is, I think, only the second time we've seen him for more than a few flashback panels or characters talking about him. He ran the Lackadaisy speakeasy until his mysterious murder, which sent said speakeasy into decline and kicked off the events of the comic. The scene on the train depicts the first meeting between him and the bespectacled cat, Mordecai, who was on the run from old business associates. Since Atlas's murder, he currently works for the competition, Marigold.

>white crocodile is traditionally sacred in African culture

I think this may just be the artist's own invention of a "spirit guide", artistic license and all, unless you know of any specific stories concerning white crocodiles that might apply here? Nico, the big cat, called him "Leblanc L'Ancien", something like "The Ancient Big White"? Is there a legend about that?

>Some Loa do demand a certain level of loyalty, but the other Loa do not ' leave'.

Artistic license again, I think. Or Serafine, the "priestess", was just conning Mordecai to manipulate him, which wouldn't surprise me.

File: Voodooienne.jpg (1MB, 1000x1896px) Image search: [Google]

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>>17794611
Thanks for your input too.

To OP, concerning pic related, is there anything you can tell me about the things in the jars hanging from the trees? My guess is that they could be ingredients used in making "potions" or powders for spells or ceremonies, but my limited knowledge of voodoo only comes from questionable hollywood depictions, which is why I'm in this thread asking questions.

>>17795390
Oh, and if you could explain anything about the "Nowhere Isles" or "Laveau and Lafitte", I'd appreciate that too. Sorry for all the questions, just curious.

>>17795390
>>17795402
Not OP, other person, but happy to help:

>or are minor variations of these symbols common?
Minor variations are the rule, not the exception. Also as I said earlier, Carrefour IS one of the Legba spirits, there are many, including the one usually referred to as just "Legba" who is Legba in the rada nanchon.

>artistic license and all
I agree, there ARE a number of stories about white crocodiles/alligators throughout the diaspora, but none that are specifically relevant.

>anything you can tell me about the things in the jars hanging from the trees?
Interesting that you picked up on this, as this was one of my favorite panels for the idea it puts forward. This is a conflation of two different practices in southern conjure tradition (hoodoo/rootwork) both that of a "bottle tree" and "jar spells". A bottle tree is an old southern tradition brought over via the slave trade, it is (probably) congalese in origin, but to put it simply: the bottles hanging from the trees attract negative spirits who become caught inside them, thus preventing them from entering a home, keeping it safe.

Jar spells, are a particular method of doing spellwork for southern rootworkers and conjure doctors, it's too complex to cover simply in a single post, but its sort of a simple and effective sympathetic magical practice to contain a spell within a jar which can then be used in a variety of ways.

The combination here of both a bottle tree, and jars with curio and other objects in them, implies to me that the residents of the house are not just trying to catch the spirits to prevent them entering the house, but perhaps attempting to get them to inhabit said objects for some other purpose. Ive never seen this done, and its actually kind of a clever magical concept in my opinion.

(continued)

>>17795851
>>17795402
>Nowhere Isles" or "Laveau and Lafitte"
Nowhere isles, I believe, is just again artistic license, Carrefour (and all legbas) are liminal deities and "places between places" or "nowhere" are recurring concepts, in this case I think nowhere isle is a fictional creation to convey that.

As for Laveau and Lafitte, that is a topic that's far too complicated to get into on the limited scope of this forum, but they are specifically referring to Maitresse Marie Catherine Laveau (yes, that Marie Laveau, the "voodoo queen"), and Jean Lafitte, who was a pirate/privateer during the was of 1812. They are both folk heros and figures of cultural significance to the people of Louisiana and the southern united states. Lafitte is usually not associated directly with voodoo in any way Im familiar with but its context in this story is essentially them saying that they have the blood of heros and legends.

Theres more to be said about both of them than can be covered here, but you can do a simple google search and start reading up on either one of them.

>>17795851
Thanks!

I especially like your insight about "bottle trees" and "jar spells". From what I can see, the clearest items appear to be a scroll/parchment and some sort of doll. Then what looks like a bone and a knife. The other two I'm really not sure about, one looks sort of like a toy "top", the other just some sort of unidentifiable trinket. Hard to say without a larger or more high-quality image. But I suppose the content isn't as important as the intent. And while capturing spirits to use for personal gain isn't an entirely new concept, at least in other traditional magical works, it is pretty neat to see that applied to voodoo here. It makes me wonder if that might have a significant role in future events.

>>17795868
>As for Laveau and Lafitte, that is a topic that's far too complicated to get into on the limited scope of this forum, but they are specifically referring to Maitresse Marie Catherine Laveau (yes, that Marie Laveau, the "voodoo queen"), and Jean Lafitte, who was a pirate/privateer during the was of 1812. They are both folk heros and figures of cultural significance to the people of Louisiana and the southern united states. Lafitte is usually not associated directly with voodoo in any way Im familiar with but its context in this story is essentially them saying that they have the blood of heros and legends.

Interesting. Jean Lafitte being a pirate and not so much associated with voodooism still makes sense in this context, since the two siblings are a pair of criminals who were caught stealing alcohol shipments bound for Marigold (doing quite a ruthless and violent job of it, too) before it was decided it would be best to hire them for their skills rather than try to fight them. This seems to fit the piracy image perfectly.

Once again, thanks for the insight.

Is OP coming back?

>>17799775
>>17802867
Thank you to whoever bumped the thread, I had a weird weekend. Also accidentally messed up my ancestors' shrine and didn't notice so they were probably a little pissed.

I'm gonna do a couple things tonight, l'll put up some feedback later. But what is interesting is that the whiskey I put out for Legba is completely gone, like no trace!

>>17794611
Hi! Thanks again for the level of detail you put up
>lack of centralized canon
Yeah I find that one of the most appealing aspects of the diaspora.

>In service to Atibon Legba
My veve and the offerings I put out are directed at the Rada aspects of Legba, but from the way the lwa seems to be interacting, I get the sense the Petro aspects are involved too.

Zombies
>I watched an interesting documentary on this that suggested that the way bokors create these 'Zombies' is by administering a living person a poison that gives the appearance of death. They then are administered an antidote that appears to 'Resurrect' the person, but this leaves the victim in a severely brain damaged, suggestible mind frame, giving rise to the 'zombie' myth. This explanation is not the only one but, the 'zombie' phenomena does seem more than urban legend. especially in rural areas of Haiti there have been cases of people who have been assumed dead and buried to then be found wandering around acting in a very unusual or vacant manner, not recognising loved ones and never recovering back to normal. The eating brains thing is definitely not associated with this though, you're right.

>>17794676
>>17794649
You're right about the problem of sketchiness, I do find the more I learn, the easier it is to discern between legitimate sources. I would still love to hear more about your experiences. Your work with your ancestors sounds familiar but I mean have you done anything that you noticed had effects you didn't expect or you thought particularly interesting?

>>17795376
Other responses addressed a lot if this! But thank you for sharing the comic, I think I'll be following it in the future

>>17803698
I am kinda unsure whether this might be related to pissing off my ancestors, but I'll say what happened anyway.
>I accidentally got some dirt on my ancestors' shrine. I didnt notice.
>after, I noticed a couple things
>when I went to put out their candle, the candle made a kinda violent fizzing noise
> I went into the room with their shrine another day I walked by their shrine I hurt my foot on a tiny rock, no idea how it got there. In my house we don't wear shoes inside.
>that night I found a sewing needle in my bed. Again, no idea how it got there.
>I woke up with the worstt back pain, omfg never had anything like it before. I hadn't done anything strenuous the days before.

I don't wanna jump on something, this could very easily be coincidence. Just wanna know if anyone has any insight.. Or has heard about something related?

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Hi,
In the photo's my shrine to La Sirène (lwa associated in particular with beauty, music and the ocean). Since there's not a lot of information readily available about this lwa, thought I'd share! If anyone has a particular interest, or questions, let me know.

>>17804656
Tell us.

>>17803698
>whiskey is completely gone

Your local hobo thanks you.

>>17805780
What I can tell you depends what you're particularly interested in, but I can give a general overview.
She also rules over vanity and the moon.
Said to have ability to hypnotize people with her beauty. She rules over dreams and can often be seen there. In many traditions, she is as likely to harm her followers as to help them. Her cult has strong associations with fortune, healing, sex, and water.

La Sirène is also known by the names La Balène, Mami Wata, Yamaya, Diosa del Mer.

Mami Wata is usually described in excesses. She possesses an inhuman beauty, unnaturally long hair, and a lighter-than-normal complexion. Her hair is straight, either black or blonde, and combed straight back. In many parts of West and Central Africa, "Mami Wata" is used a slang term for a gorgeous woman.

Mythology wise, La sirene is is very powerful and extremely dangerous when she's angry, in possession she don't walk she crawls, she don't speak but she makes a sound like an instrument. Those possessed by La Sirene usually have a hard time walking and may find it hard to breathe, people will douse someone possessed by her with water. Known to be one of the most graceful lwa, she's not a spirit that have known to live physically, she has been there since the beginning of time.
>>17795376
Interestingly, one of la Sirène's escorts includes 'Le Blanc' (white goddess of the sea).

>>17806645
She is considered one of the most powerful of all lwa.Mami Wata is unpredictable. She craves attention, and her followers must be prepared to be called to service without warning. She can give her devotees rewards based on her attributes: beauty, an easy life, good luck, and material wealth. However, she can also takes these things away on a whim. Nevertheless, she largely wants her followers to be healthy and well off. More broadly, people blame the spirit for all sorts of misfortune. In Cameroon, for example, Mami Wata is ascribed with causing the strong undertow that kills many swimmers each year along the coast.

.Traditions on both sides of the Atlantic tell of the goddess abducting her followers or random people whilst they are swimming. She brings them to her paradisiacal realm, which may be underwater, in the spirit world, or both. The captives' release often hinges on some sort of demand, ranging from sexual fidelity to the goddess to something as simple as a promise that they do not eat fish. Should she allow them to leave, the travellers usually returns in dry clothing and with a new spiritual understanding. When they return they often grow wealthier, more attractive, and more easygoing after the encounter

Many Houngan and Mambo will not swim with their head under the water in the sea for fear that La Sirene may come and take them to her underwater kingdom. Particularly in Haiti, people who have been swimming in the sea will simply disappear, not to be seen for 7 years. At this end of this time, miraculously, from no where, they will return. They will be paler than they were before, their hair white, or streaked with grey and with a great newfound knowledge/ ability for magic, greater than most houngans.

La sirene is mostly catered to with the lwa Agwe (either her father or husband depending on the mythology) Often a basket ( bak) of offerings is floated on the water. If it sinks, Met Agwe and La Sirene have accepted the offering.
.

>>17806659
Most of this info is from sources I've put at the top, but also from profiles on couple blogs kicking around if anyone wants to know about other lwa. I posted so much stuff for personal reference really, but if there's anything you'd like to be clarified, I'll try my best!

>>17806416
Aha, hobos have expensive taste these days

I see the shitposters are having a slow day today.

>>17806758
Post more, getting interesting.

bump for voodoo

btw OP are you a boy or a girl

>>17810058
Girl

>>17808760
What do you mean 'getting'

Aha that's pretty much all the information worth giving about that particular lwa, but I can put some more up about others if you want?

>>17810248
>can put some more up about others if you want?
sure

Any more rituals results? I like reading this stuff

Bump? Or time to let it die?