Voodoo and Afro-Caribbean Paganism


Book Description

Few religions are as misunderstood as Afro-Caribbean traditions like Voodoo, Yoruba, Candomble, Shango, Santeria, and Obeah. Even the most wide-ranging books about Paganism rarely include a discussion of the African earth religions.




Orishas, Goddesses, and Voodoo Queens


Book Description

"Throughout Africa and beyond in the Diaspora caused by the slave trade, the divine feminine was revered in the forms of goddesses, like the ancient Nana Buluku; water spirits like Yemaya, Oshun, and Mami Wata; and the warrior Oya. The power of these goddesses and spirit beings has taken root in the West. This book shows us how to celebrate and cultivate the traits of these goddesses, drawing upon their strengths to empower our own lives"--




Water Magic


Book Description

The first entry in Llewellyn's exciting new Elements of Witchcraft series, Water Magic reveals the amazing possibilities of using water in your modern practice. Once you learn to access the enormous depths of this life-giving and powerful element, it will enhance your magic and help you grow into a better version of yourself. Cleansing and strong, the power of water is all around you and in you. Lilith Dorsey presents many ways to incorporate water into your magic, from washes and baths to spells and rituals. Discover how to use the symbols of water in your magical workings. Learn the histories and wisdom of rivers, lakes, and oceans, as well as water's relationship to the wheel of the year. Explore water and its manifestations in mythology and lore and meet the gods and goddesses who rule over the element.




Voodoo and African Traditional Religion


Book Description

In these times of intense turmoil, people of African descent are facing serious threats and challenges to their well-being. The ability of the Black community to call on the spirits and ways of its ancestors is crucial to its continued strength. Nearly 20 years have passed since the first printing of this landmark book by renowned scholar and practitioner Lilith Dorsey, and there is still a great need for more accurate and respectful information about African Traditional Religions that have been misrepresented, misunderstood, maligned, and mocked by popular media and the public. This revised and expanded edition provides a helpful introduction to African diaspora religions, a guide beyond the basic tenets to the vibrant, living spirit world of these peoples, and a much-needed key to protocol and proper etiquette, while clearing up common myths about Haitian Vodou, New Orleans Voodoo, Santería (Lucumí), and other practices that stem from misconceptions about possession and sacrifice. New material includes guidance for activists to empower their work for social change with the fierceness, tenacity, and wisdom of their ancestors, as well as never-before-published recipes handed down through the generations, personal spells and charms including root magick for protection and protest, and devotional rituals you can perform yourself. This book stands as a survey of meaning and veracity in a set of religious worlds where secrets are often best kept secret, and teachings are almost always oral and ethereal.




Love Magic


Book Description

This is really “the big little book of love magic.” Magical maven Lilith Dorsey has packed into this fun, informative, and practical book over 250 spells, potions, rituals, and recipes devoted to all facets of love and sex. Based on years of magical experience and prodigious research, this book includes sections on such topics as self-love, marriage, fertility, erotic adventures, the ethics of love magic, and more. The spells are drawn from a wide diversity of magical traditions and focus on an equally diverse situations. There are spells for finding love, keeping love, and healing yourself so that you are ready for love. The book also includes rituals for invoking goddesses of love. Dorsey considers and discusses all facets of the romantic experience. Let's face it we are obsessed, inspired, delighted, and in love with love. And here is the go-to book for every spell you will ever need for finding and keeping romance, passion, sex, marriage, fertility, and love in your life. Rooted in serious scholarship while still exploring the weird, wild, and wonderful side of love magic, this book provides expert advice and genuine spells that work to bring you your heart's desire.




Witch Queens, Voodoo Spirits, and Hoodoo Saints


Book Description

A magical mystery tour of the extraordinary historical characters that have defined the unique spiritual landscape of New Orleans. New Orleans has long been America’s most magical city, inhabited by a fascinating visible and invisible world, full of mysteries, known for its decadence and haunted by its spirits. If Salem, Massachusetts, is famous for its persecution of witches, New Orleans is celebrated for its embrace of the magical, mystical, and paranormal. New Orleans is acclaimed for its witches, ghosts, and vampires. Because of its unique history, New Orleans is the historical stronghold of traditional African religions and spirituality in the US. No other city worldwide is as associated with Vodou as New Orleans. In her new book, author and scholar Denise Alvarado takes us on a magical tour of New Orleans. There is a mysterious spiritual underbelly hiding in plain sight in New Orleans, and in this book Alvarado shows us where it is and who the characters are. She tells where they come from and how they persist and manifest today. Witch Queens, Voodoo Spirits, and Hoodoo Saints shines a light on notable spirits and folk saints such as Papa Legba, Annie Christmas, Black Hawk, African-American culture hero Jean St. Malo, St. Expedite, plague saint Roch, and, of course, the mother and father of New Orleans Voudou, Marie Laveau and Doctor John Montenée. Witch Queens, Voodoo Spirits, and Hoodoo Saints serves as a secret history of New Orleans, revealing details even locals may not know.




Vodou Love Magic


Book Description

A working guide on how to find love and sexual fulfillment by working with the lwa, the spirits of Haitian Vodou • The first book on wanga (love magic) by an actual Vodou initiate • Provides spells and spirit work for many different problems associated with affairs of the heart • Spells included are detailed and easy to follow Haitian Vodou, like other folk traditions, is an eminently practical craft. Vodou practitioners see their relationship with the lwa--the spirits honored in Haitian Vodou--as mutually beneficial rather than one-sided. In return for sincere offerings, the lwa are happy to provide protection and support in dealing with life’s problems--which more often than not concern love. In Vodou Love Magic, Kenaz Filan details the myriad aspects of love and sex governed by the different lwa and explains what services each can provide in attaining fulfilling relationships--and who will likely offer the best wisdom for your needs. If you are having trouble meeting people, Legba’s Opening the Door spell can resolve this difficulty. If you wish more fire in a relationship, then you should work with the warrior spirit Papa Ogou. Filan presents easy-to-follow instructions for numerous love spells and also reveals how the lwa offer counsel for dealing with ending relationships, toxic behavior patterns like codependency, or romantic triangles. Vodou Love Magic does not provide a magic genie who will fulfill every wish, but it does offer access to a team of spirits who can help transform dreams into realities.




Haitian Vodou


Book Description

Haitian Vodou is a fascinating spiritual tradition rich with ceremonies and magic, songs and prayers, dances and fellowship. Yet outside of Haiti, next to no one understands this joyous and profound way of life. ln Haitian Vodou, Mambo Chita Tann explores the historical roots and contemporary practices of this unique tradition, including discussions of: Customs, beliefs, sacred spaces, and ritual objects Characteristics and behaviors of the Lwa, the spirits served by Vodou practitioners Common misconceptions such as "voodoo dolls" and the zombie phenomenon Questions and answers for attending ceremonies and getting involved in a sosyete (Vodou house) Correspondence tables, Kreyol glossary, supplemental prayer texts, and an extensive list of reference books and online resources Well-researched, comprehensive, and engaging, Haitian Vodou will be a welcome addition for people new to Haitian spirituality as well as for students, practitioners, and academics.




Secrets of Voodoo


Book Description

Secrets of Voodoo traces the development of this complex religion (in Haiti and the Americas) from its sources in the brilliant civilizations of ancient Africa. This book presents a straightforward account of the gods or loas and their function, the symbols and signs, rituals, the ceremonial calendar of Voodoo, and the procedures for performing magical rites are given. "Voodoo," derived from words meaning "introspection" and "mystery," is a system of belief about the formation of the world and human destiny with clear correspondences in other world religions. Rigaud makes these connections and discloses the esoteric meaning underlying Voodoo's outward manifestations, which are often misinterpreted. Translated from the French by Robert B. Cross. Drawings and photographs by Odette Mennesson-Rigaud. Milo Rigaud was born in Port au Prince, Haiti, in 1903, where he spent the greater part of his life studying the Voodoo tradition. In Haiti he studied law, and in France ethnology, psychology, and theology. The involvement of Voodoo in the political struggle of Haitian blacks for independence was one of his main concerns.




Sticks, Stones, Roots & Bones


Book Description

Tracing the magical roots of "hoodoo" back to West Africa, the author provides a history of this nature-based healing tradition and offers practical advice on how to apply hoodoo magic to everyday life.