In the United States, Voodoo is often misunderstood. Many Americans see it as a group of people who get together and place curses on those they despise and hold it in the same regard as devil worshipping. But a deeper look into Voodoo reveals a more civil and acceptable practice that dispels the negative connotations that people try to hold against the religion.Voodoo (also spelled Vudun, Vudou, and Vudu), can trace its origins to the earliest times of human history. This religion, according to www.swagga.com, is one of the oldest in human history, tracing back 10,000 years. It is believed that there was not just one form, but rather many early tribes’ beliefs mixed to provide the original foundation. However, the Voodoo that the world recognizes today is generally believed to have been cemented in Haiti during the period of slave trade. This is ironic considering the fact that Caucasian captors were certain that destroying the slave’s fabric of belongingness to a particular tribe or ethnic group would only keep the slaves separate. Conversely, it only brought the slaves together through their common beliefs and practices in Voodoo.
As has been stated before, Voodoo is misunderstood; it is not the practice of placing curses on people or sticking pins and needles in dolls. When looked at more closely the true nature of Voodoo can be found. Swagga.com’s article on the religion features one passage that captures Voodoo’s essence in a way that is not formal, but in a way that seems more personal: “Within the voodoo society, there are no accidents. Practitioners believe that nothing and no event has a life of its own. That is why “vous deux,” you two, you too. The universe is all one. Each thing affects something else. Scientists know that. Nature knows it. Many spiritualists agree that we are not separate; we all serve as parts of one. So, in essence, what you do unto another, you do unto you, because you ARE the other. Voodoo. View you. We are mirrors of each other’s souls. God is manifest through the spirits of ancestors who can bring good or harm and must be honored in ceremonies.” (“The Essence of Voodoo” section). In other words, every one thing (including a person) depends upon something else to keep the order of nature. Since all these parts work together, they are in reality part of “One.” Everything in the universe is really just a system of parts that is really all the same.
Voodoo ceremonies feature many objects and ideas. These may include music, dance, animals, or “healing hands.” In ceremony, a priest/priestess (often called a Maman for females or Papa for males) may be asked by a participant for help, whether mentally, physically, or spiritually. The priestess may offer help though herbs and medicine or though faith. The power of serpents is also reviled within Voodoo, a power that within the tradition of the religion is vested through the priest as a vehicle of expression of their power. Additionally, one more feature of the ceremony, the dancing, is a connection to the supernatural and to the spirits.
Finally, a major misconception about Voodoo arises from simple confusion over it and another ancient African religion known as Hoodoo, specifically the local variant known as New Orleans Voodoo. According to Wikipedia, practitioners of New Orleans Voodoo may use graveyard dirt, powders and puppets (or dolls) and are said to place curses on other people. The problem is that this is actually close to Hoodoo and thus should not be confused with actual Voodoo despite use of the word Voodoo in its name. It is uncertain how the two practices came to became compared to each other, though some theorize that is has to do with the religions’ similar pronunciation.
For more information on the subject of Voodoo, log onto http://www.swagga.com/voodoo.htm, as well Wikipedia’s article http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voodoo.