Voodoo and Power

Voodoo and Power PDF Author: Kodi A. Roberts
Publisher: LSU Press
ISBN: 0807160520
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 294

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Book Description
The racialized and exoticized cult of Voodoo occupies a central place in the popular image of the Crescent City. But as Kodi A. Roberts argues in Voodoo and Power, the religion was not a monolithic tradition handed down from African ancestors to their American-born descendants. Instead, a much more complicated patchwork of influences created New Orleans Voodoo, allowing it to move across boundaries of race, class, and gender. By employing late nineteenth and early twentieth-century first-hand accounts of Voodoo practitioners and their rituals, Roberts provides a nuanced understanding of who practiced Voodoo and why. Voodoo in New Orleans, a melange of religion, entrepreneurship, and business networks, stretched across the color line in intriguing ways. Roberts's analysis demonstrates that what united professional practitioners, or "workers," with those who sought their services was not a racially uniform folk culture, but rather the power and influence that Voodoo promised. Recognizing that social immobility proved a common barrier for their patrons, workers claimed that their rituals could overcome racial and gendered disadvantages and create new opportunities for their clients. Voodoo rituals and institutions also drew inspiration from the surrounding milieu, including the privations of the Great Depression, the city's complex racial history, and the free-market economy. Money, employment, and business became central concerns for the religion's practitioners: to validate their work, some began operating from recently organized "Spiritual Churches," entities that were tax exempt and thus legitimate in the eyes of the state of Louisiana. Practitioners even leveraged local figures like the mythohistoric Marie Laveau for spiritual purposes and entrepreneurial gain. All the while, they contributed to the cultural legacy that fueled New Orleans's tourist industry and drew visitors and their money to the Crescent City.

Voodoo and Power

Voodoo and Power PDF Author: Kodi A. Roberts
Publisher: LSU Press
ISBN: 0807160520
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 294

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Book Description
The racialized and exoticized cult of Voodoo occupies a central place in the popular image of the Crescent City. But as Kodi A. Roberts argues in Voodoo and Power, the religion was not a monolithic tradition handed down from African ancestors to their American-born descendants. Instead, a much more complicated patchwork of influences created New Orleans Voodoo, allowing it to move across boundaries of race, class, and gender. By employing late nineteenth and early twentieth-century first-hand accounts of Voodoo practitioners and their rituals, Roberts provides a nuanced understanding of who practiced Voodoo and why. Voodoo in New Orleans, a melange of religion, entrepreneurship, and business networks, stretched across the color line in intriguing ways. Roberts's analysis demonstrates that what united professional practitioners, or "workers," with those who sought their services was not a racially uniform folk culture, but rather the power and influence that Voodoo promised. Recognizing that social immobility proved a common barrier for their patrons, workers claimed that their rituals could overcome racial and gendered disadvantages and create new opportunities for their clients. Voodoo rituals and institutions also drew inspiration from the surrounding milieu, including the privations of the Great Depression, the city's complex racial history, and the free-market economy. Money, employment, and business became central concerns for the religion's practitioners: to validate their work, some began operating from recently organized "Spiritual Churches," entities that were tax exempt and thus legitimate in the eyes of the state of Louisiana. Practitioners even leveraged local figures like the mythohistoric Marie Laveau for spiritual purposes and entrepreneurial gain. All the while, they contributed to the cultural legacy that fueled New Orleans's tourist industry and drew visitors and their money to the Crescent City.

The Spirits and the Law

The Spirits and the Law PDF Author: Kate Ramsey
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
ISBN: 0226703819
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 446

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Book Description
Vodou has often served as a scapegoat for Haiti’s problems, from political upheavals to natural disasters. This tradition of scapegoating stretches back to the nation’s founding and forms part of a contest over the legitimacy of the religion, both beyond and within Haiti’s borders. The Spirits and the Law examines that vexed history, asking why, from 1835 to 1987, Haiti banned many popular ritual practices. To find out, Kate Ramsey begins with the Haitian Revolution and its aftermath. Fearful of an independent black nation inspiring similar revolts, the United States, France, and the rest of Europe ostracized Haiti. Successive Haitian governments, seeking to counter the image of Haiti as primitive as well as contain popular organization and leadership, outlawed “spells” and, later, “superstitious practices.” While not often strictly enforced, these laws were at times the basis for attacks on Vodou by the Haitian state, the Catholic Church, and occupying U.S. forces. Beyond such offensives, Ramsey argues that in prohibiting practices considered essential for maintaining relations with the spirits, anti-Vodou laws reinforced the political marginalization, social stigmatization, and economic exploitation of the Haitian majority. At the same time, she examines the ways communities across Haiti evaded, subverted, redirected, and shaped enforcement of the laws. Analyzing the long genealogy of anti-Vodou rhetoric, Ramsey thoroughly dissects claims that the religion has impeded Haiti’s development.

Voodoo

Voodoo PDF Author: Gert Chesi
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 286

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Book Description


Vodou in Haitian Life and Culture

Vodou in Haitian Life and Culture PDF Author: C. Michel
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 0312376200
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 242

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Book Description
This collection introduces readers to the history and practice of the Vodou religion, and corrects many misconceptions. The book focuses specifically on the role Vodou plays in Haiti, where it has its strongest following, examining its influence on spiritual beliefs, cultural practices, national identity, popular culture, writing and art.

Vodou Shaman

Vodou Shaman PDF Author: Ross Heaven
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1594776644
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
Languages : en
Pages : 296

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Book Description
Goes beyond the stereotypes to restore Vodou to its proper place as a powerful shamanic tradition • Provides practical exercises and techniques from the Vodou tradition that can be used as safe and effective means of spiritual healing and personal transformation • Shows how to remove evil spirits and negative energies sent by others • Written by a fully initiated Houngan (Vodou shaman) Providing practical exercises drawn from all aspects and stages of the Vodou tradition, Vodou Shaman shows readers how to contact the spirit world and communicate with the loa (the angel-like inhabitants of the Other World), the ghede (the spirits of the ancestors), and djabs (nature spirits for healing purposes). The author examines soul journeying and warrior-path work in the Vodou tradition and looks at the psychological principles that make them effective. The book also includes exercises to protect the spiritual self by empowering the soul, with techniques of soul retrieval, removing evil spirits and negative energies, overcoming curses, and using the powers of herbs and magical baths.

Rara!

Rara! PDF Author: Elizabeth McAlister
Publisher: Univ of California Press
ISBN: 0520926749
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 277

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Book Description
Rara is a vibrant annual street festival in Haiti, when followers of the Afro-Creole religion called Vodou march loudly into public space to take an active role in politics. Working deftly with highly original ethnographic material, Elizabeth McAlister shows how Rara bands harness the power of Vodou spirits and the recently dead to broadcast coded points of view with historical, gendered, and transnational dimensions.

Va-Va-Voodoo!

Va-Va-Voodoo! PDF Author: Kathleen Charlotte
Publisher: Llewellyn Worldwide
ISBN: 0738709948
Category : Family & Relationships
Languages : en
Pages : 217

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Book Description
A perfect blend of practical magic and inspiring, down-to-earth advice, this one-of-a-kind book includes magic rituals, charms, aphrodisiacs, and spells, as well as helpful relationship tips regarding communication, self-esteem, intimacy, sex, breakups, and forgiveness--written by a relationship counselor and voodoo initiate.

The Complete Book of Voodoo

The Complete Book of Voodoo PDF Author: Robert Pelton
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780942272512
Category : Voodooism
Languages : en
Pages : 254

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Book Description
Magic with no holds barred! Here is the definitive work on the history, ritual, and powers of the ancient art of voodoo from the earliest times to the present, offering complete details on the closely kept secrets of man's most exotic and powerful form of magic.

Voodoo

Voodoo PDF Author: Mari Silva
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781638181163
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 146

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Book Description
Discover the rich history of Voodoo, including its rituals, spells, practices, and beliefs. Do you want to learn the secrets of the Voodoo religion? Do you want to finally uncover the truth behind this religion and discover if Voodoo is depicted in modern media accurately? This book will serve as a remarkably complete guide designed to help you understand every aspect of the religion. Overall, it has a simple structure, allowing you to grasp even the most complex and vague Voodoo concepts. Here is a closer look at a few things you will learn and discover in this book: Learn the common misconceptions about Voodoo and debunk them Discover voodoo religion's synchronization with Catholicism Understand its two vital branches - the Haitian Vodou and the New Orleans Voodoo Uncover the shared beliefs, traditions, and rituals practiced by Voodoo practitioners and devotees Learn about Bondye, the Supreme God, and how Voodooists believe in and worship Him Explore Lwas and the three major families classifying these spirits Learn commonly used veves and their symbols Discover how to use and draw the veves Discover the roles played by gris-gris bags and Voodoo dolls and the basics of making and using them Explore casting cleansing, protection, and love spells Learn how to summon or invoke the Lwas Investigate common ceremonies and festivals celebrated by Voodoo practitioners and devotees And so much more! After reading this comprehensive book, you will notice a significant improvement in your understanding of the Voodoo religion. You will see how powerful Voodoo is and uncover the truth behind the dangerous misconceptions surrounding it. So, what are you waiting for? Click on the "add to cart" button to get your copy of this book today!

Voodoo Science

Voodoo Science PDF Author: Robert L. Park
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780198604433
Category : Law
Languages : en
Pages : 244

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Book Description
Occasionally in the world of science, unexpected results that appear to violate accepted laws of nature can herald revolutionary advances in human knowledge. Many of these 'revolutionary' discoveries do, however, turn out to be wrong, and eminent scientists must carry the burden of a tarnished reputation for mistakenly thinking they have made a great discovery. In this entertaining text, Robert Park examines the social, economic, and political forces that elicit or support flawed or fake science and then go on to sustain it in the face of often overwhelming contrary evidence. Readers are made aware of the fine line that exists between foolishness and fraud and are warned against irrational beliefs dressed up as scientific garb.