WTW Planet Prompts - Day 7: Uranus - Lore
Jasmer Balrow, the Voodooist
It’s more of a religion than a form of true witchcraft.
Although now it’s mostly speed in America, Voodoo has West African roots but it was heavily influenced by the catholic white slaves owners during the slave trade.
The liturgical language is Louisiana creole.
Magic finds it source in the voodoo spirits, the loa which are like intermediaries between God Bondye (from Bon Dieu) and the voodooists
During ceremonies and observances, the voodooists ask the spirits for help, protection or guidance. But the ritual goes both ways and voodooists have to take care of the loa through rituals and sometimes animal sacrifices
To communicate with the followers, load possess one of them temporarily and takes control of their body. Some say tho host is immune to pain and injuries while possessed.
The hosts often have strange unnatural movements, speak in unknown language when possessed but they can also be very clear and coherent.
The ceremonies often include dances, costumes and masks as well as ceremonial music and instruments like drums. Signing is a crucial part of the ceremonies as it is the songs that open the portals between the spirit and human worlds.
Voodoo divination is made by various processes like tossing seed hulls or pulling a specific stone from a tree
mambos are priestesses and houngan are male priests
Voodoo is not a dark art or dark magic as it is often depicted to be in pop culture. Voodooists mostly focuse of caring and helping others.
There is also a culture of ancestors’ veneration through offerings and ceremonies to avoid angering them and ensure a positive relationship with them. Voodooists often asked the dead for advice or protection.
Voodooists have queens who are powerful female practitioners and are very influent and powerful among the communities. They lead ceremonies and rituals.
Voodooists believe that nature and inanimate objects have consciousness.
Jas’ abilities / Voodoo magic:
She could use dark magic but she usually doesn’t. Curses, spells designed to hurt people and zombies belong to a dark type of Voodoo called bo or black magic. (They aren’t pop culture zombies: it’s a potion which makes the drinker look dead and when they’re buried, they’re given drugs to enter a dream like state to obey the voodooist)
Voodoo magic works with rituals and spiritual ceremonies, which often use tools (like chalk to draw patterers, candles etc…)
Using herbs, poisons, charms and amulets to protect or harm, spells, voodoo dolls, medicinal miracles, summoning loas
Making gris-gris which are used for love, power and domination, luck and finance, and uncrossing
Making voodoo dolls which are usually used to bless and have no power to curse, the pins is just to name the doll and pin a spirit to it
Making ftishes (any inanimate object that is believed to possess magical powers), or objects meant to contain the essence or power of particular spirits
Jas can’t just do anything she wants with voodoo magic, she has to follow specific rituals and rules
Voodoo magic takes time and preparation so it’s not very handy in combat but it can help protecting and healing people.
It depends entirely on the spirits so if Jas was to offend them somehow they wouldn’t help her and might potentially kill her.
