Voodoo Voyage. Things You Never Dared to Ask About the Mysteries of Voodoo

Voodoo might be synonymous with New Orleans, but very few understand it beyond a passing fancy or stigma. In reality, voodoo has always been a vital part of New Orleans’ historical and cultural landscape. To call voodoo ‘black magic’, as common misconceptions go, would be grossly reductive. Voodoo is a religion that connects people to nature, higher forces, spirits, and their ancestors. A belief in the power of spirits lies at the heart of voodoo, not in an omnipotent God. To connect with these spirits, followers use mediums such as chanting, music, dance, and snakes. The early origins of voodoo here go back to when enslaved West Africans first arrived in Louisiana. With time, they merged their traditional religious practices with Catholicism, the dominant religion of the local population. It’s why New Orleans voodoo is also called Voodoo-Catholicism. The practice became an integral part of life and culture, especially when people who fled Haiti after the 1791 revolt moved to New Orleans and eventually became free people of color. Visiting a voodoo queen or king for spiritual guidance was common practice in the 1800s.