[Opinion] Hoodoo and Voodoo - applying to non African practitioners

[Diluculo_DelFuego]

Vodou or Voodoo is an African rooted system, that was uses the Lwa, or spirits, to help influence Magick. One must be initiated into the system by a known practitioner. That becomes your lineage and proof.
Hoodoo on the other hand, is more welcoming toward the self initiated. Hoodoo, also known as Folk Magic, is a way of using feral sorcery, or items on hand, to use for the acts of magic.

So, the question is, is either really open to non-Africans?

 

[Mannimarco]

According to woke Americans in the current year? No. According to the entities themselves? Yes. Lots of folks of European descent are currently working both systems and are just fine.

I've had a bit of contact with the lwa, and the entire gatekeeping/cultural appropriation thing seems to be built on nothing but reverse r*cism. Because the lwa don't seem to care what color a persons skin is. They might not want to work with everybody, but its not skin color that determines that.

 

[Diluculo_DelFuego]

Thanks @Mannimarco ... Great answer. One question - is Legba the only gatekeeper, or are there others?

 

[Mannimarco]

In Haitian Vodou at least, there is another keeper of the gates, who is served first when calling dark/destructive lwa

 

[beardedeldridge]

Give it a go. Our understanding of magic improves as we learn from different systems/cultures. Thus it has always been and thus it will always be.

*Aways be wary of any “truths” that just happen to match present day feelings.

**Just don’t talk about it on social media.

-Eld

 

[Vandheer]

Vodou or Voodoo is an African rooted system, that was uses the Lwa, or spirits, to help influence Magick. One must be initiated into the system by a known practitioner. That becomes your lineage and proof.
Hoodoo on the other hand, is more welcoming toward the self initiated. Hoodoo, also known as Folk Magic, is a way of using feral sorcery, or items on hand, to use for the acts of magic.

So, the question is, is either really open to non-Africans?

Are you okay with this, claiming to be a Christian? Your god says to not worship anyone but him, which even if you don't worship, you may lose your brownie points. Food for thought for ya.

There is also the fact you get feisty at sweet nothings and declare you are done with this or that in an heartbeat. Lwa are very no-nonsense from what I heard. Are you sure about this?

 

[stratamaster78]

Are you asking out of just curiosity or are you interested in the work itself?

I’m only asking because I thought you were joining the OTO or AA?

I don’t have any experience with Voodoo but pretty much anyone can do practical Hoodoo.

I don’t really want to go into the whole race thing because imo it’s just stupid low vibratory terrestrial minded BS.

We all reincarnate and have probably already been every skin color possible.

But anyway do what you will.

 

[Xenophon]

Vodou or Voodoo is an African rooted system, that was uses the Lwa, or spirits, to help influence Magick. One must be initiated into the system by a known practitioner. That becomes your lineage and proof.
Hoodoo on the other hand, is more welcoming toward the self initiated. Hoodoo, also known as Folk Magic, is a way of using feral sorcery, or items on hand, to use for the acts of magic.

So, the question is, is either really open to non-Africans?

You thinking about getting into it? I thought you were a Golden Dawn/Christian mage?

Besides, even my far-right self sympathizes with blacks and Native Americans when they cry, "cultural appropriation!" A third of my life spent in Asia has convinced me that the Romans were right: even being raised by wolves don't make you lupine. Genes are destiny.

 

[Diluculo_DelFuego]

You thinking about getting into it? I thought you were a Golden Dawn/Christian mage?

Besides, even my far-right self sympathizes with blacks and Native Americans when they cry, "cultural appropriation!" A third of my life spent in Asia has convinced me that the Romans were right: even being raised by wolves don't make you lupine. Genes are destiny.

Well, Golden Dawn seems to be a quicksand trap, so I am looking at A:.A:. at the moment.
With that put of the way, yes ... I am a Christian who believes that Magick is not as forbidden as some think, including Folk Magick.
Which brings us to Hoodoo. Hoodoo to me is a combination of Magick, candle and incense Magick, and Folk Magick.
I always wondered how Hoodoo or African traditions went hand in hand with Christian churches.
Voodoo was masked with Catholicism to carry on the African Saints traditions (Lwa).

 

[Xenophon]

Well, Golden Dawn seems to be a quicksand trap, so I am looking at A:.A:. at the moment.
With that put of the way, yes ... I am a Christian who believes that Magick is not as forbidden as some think, including Folk Magick.
Which brings us to Hoodoo. Hoodoo to me is a combination of Magick, candle and incense Magick, and Folk Magick.
I always wondered how Hoodoo or African traditions went hand in hand with Christian churches.
Voodoo was masked with Catholicism to carry on the African Saints traditions (Lwa).

The late Michael Bertiaux gave himself out as a kick-ass "vudun" practitioner. There is some of his stuff online. Kenneth Grant seemed to slobber on the sandals MB wore; others take a more jaded view.

 

[Wildchildx11]

If it's calling to you, study it.


I don't believe that spirituality or Magick is limited to people of a certain race. The "cultural appropriation" is just woke nonsense.

If you feel a calling to study something, study it, if you feel a calling to practice something, then practice it. If you are hesitant and reluctant to learn something, that is probably the biggest sign that you should at least study it.

 

[pixel_fortune]

Imo "cultural appropriation" is when you do a 2-week online course and then start calling yourself a Voudon Priest, charging $$$ for it, and interrupting trad practitioners to tell them they're doing it wrong because it's not what you were taught.

It's a real thing, people actually do that and it's super annoying, but you won't be one of them.

so I am looking at A:.A:. at the moment.

So a thing I'm seeing with this and hoodoo etc is that you're talking like you have to make a Big Decision.

But you don't. You don't need to formally resign from your GD practice and announce your new practice. Just keep following what interests you. If you want to pause your training, pause it.

I just read Way of the Will, the sequel to Living Thelema (it's GREAT btw) but i didn't have to do any soul searching beforehand to see whether i should become a Thelemite. Reading a book is not committing to a life path. Doing a Star Ruby is not committing to a lifepath. Even showing up to a lodge as an interested potential member isn't a commitment! They don't LET you commit till you've spent a chunk of time with them

I'm using AA examples but the same is true of Hoodoo, you don't need mage a decision before you start looking into practices that interest you

I feel like you're putting a huge amount of weight on what is actually a pretty small decision - what book to read next.

 

[Xingtian]

I agree, most- not all- of the “cultural appropriation” discourse is pointless handwringing over very normal, in fact inevitable, human cultural behavior.

Hoodoo and voodoo are not the same, in fact there isn’t much relation between them. Hoodoo is basically African-American Christian magic with some influence from Native American herbalism. Most of the practitioners are sincere Christians. It’s more comparable to the Pennsylvania Dutch powwow tradition. In fact hoodoo practitioners made use of German grimoires translated and published by Pennsylvania Dutch publishers. Did they ask “am I engaging in cultural appropriation?” when they ordered The Long Lost Friend from a mail order catalog? No.

 

[Diluculo_DelFuego]

Thanks for the information all. I will continue conjure study as well. I have a few ideas through it.

 

[Xenophon]

Thanks for the information all. I will continue conjure study as well. I have a few ideas through it.

Only way to know is take the plunge. Let us know the results.

 

[Diluculo_DelFuego]

Well, I intend to.
My goal is to be a Magus, while also a Christian.
My reasons are deeply personal.
However, evocation time is where I intend to evoke the 144, as well as the old gods and goddesses. The Saints and Lwa included.