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Servants feeding cats in an ancient Egyptian temple (gouache on paper) 

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Is Vodou evil?

The simple answer to this is no. There are evil people in every religion and practice, but Vodou itself is not an evil religion at all. Throughout the years, Vodou has gained a bad reputation due to Hollywood movies(one of the first being the film “White Zombi” which came out in the 1930’s).

Does Vodou only permit certain people?

Vodou has no predjudice against people of any race, gender, sexual orientation, ailment, physical condition, or any other factor that can be used to discriminate. Although Vodou is not meant for everyone, the Lwa do not discriminate.

Do you have to be initiated to be a part of Vodou?

Initiation is not necessary to be a Vodouisant, the non-initiated community make up almost more than 60% of Vodou itself. Initiation in Vodou can be quite costly, depending on the Sosyete as well as the initiation itself. However, the Lwa do not require you to be initiated to serve them.

Is Vodou a practice?

Vodou is often confused as a practice and at times, even the same thing as Hoodoo. Vodou is a religion from Haiti, whose origins come from different parts of Africa including Nigeria and the Congo. It is considered an African Traditional Religion and came from West African Vodun. The religion being practiced chiefly in Haiti and venerated by a large community. Vodou has a magical system intertwined within in it, but in itself is a religion.

Recommended Reading on Vodou:

Divine Horsemen: The Living Gods of Haiti

Why animal sacrifice?

In a society where meat is predominantly eaten, animals are considered food and a religion which arises from the Congo; animal sacrifice is not about the death of the animal but rather the offering of the life-giving energy of that animal to Lwa. As we eat, they must eat. The animal is usually cooked and eaten by the community afterwards; nothing is wasted.

Can Vodou be considered Monotheistic?

Vodou is considered to be a monotheistic religion, as the only one supreme creator is Bondye. God is seen as distant and not readily accessible to us, often considered to be “too busy”. We listen about God and we worship God, however we do not see God. The belief system can be seen in a Roman Catholic way to some aspects, Bondye being the superior creator and the Lwa being the Saints.

The Lwa are readily accessible to us, we serve Lwa and in return they serve us. They confer upon us the physical well being and material blessings.

Is Voodoo and Vodou the same thing?

Vodou and Voodoo are not the same thing, although one can consider them to be two sides of a single coin. Voodoo is what Vodou became when taken into New Orleans, becoming a more creolized version. The main difference being that Voodoo puts great emphasis into worshipping Danbalah. Vodou is the “original” religion you could say that formed in Haiti.

Artwork of Lwa Ezili Danto

Can anyone enter Vodou?

This is a question that will bring controversy among many people but simply has one answer, No. Not everyone can enter Vodou, the reason being that Lwa will simply not work with everyone. You see, you cannot just come into Vodou and decide to work with any Lwa of your choosing simply because they attract you. If you do this, then the Lwa will either not put any attention to you or things could go badly.

Can you know this through a dream or intuition?

There are many people that have stated to dream of Lwa asking them to work with them and this is good, Dreams are very important in Vodou. However, the only way to be completely certain of this is through a reading with a initiated Mambo or Houngan of the religion. Why is this so important? Because even if you do get a “feeling” or dream of a Lwa, you are not completely sure if Lwa actually wants to work with you. The Reading will tell you if you are meant to be in Vodou, which Lwa are interested in working with you, and other key points in your path when it comes to Vodou.

If you do have any path in Vodou and no Lwa wishes to work with you, then I would recommend you to simply step away. It could be that it is not your time to enter the religion or you are simply not meant to be in Vodou. This is not something to be angry about, simply accept it and move on.

Another book I’d recommend:

Haitian Vodou: An Introduction to Haiti’s Indigenous Spiritual Tradition

Is Vodou the right path for me?

“The legislative arena was clearly not the only one in which historical struggles over the meaning and value of obeah took place. It is obvious that, especially in the post-slavery days, missionary activities and the entire apparatus of religious instruction played a decisive role in spreading and entrenching anti-obeah feeling across the British Caribbean.” - Enacting Power: The Criminalisation of Obeah in the Anglophone Caribbean 1760-2011 J.S Handler & K.M Bilby

——– Now the question to ask yourself is, why was there so much concerted effort put in by the coloniser to distort the real meaning of obeah, especially considering it was/is claimed to be nothing by mere ‘superstition’?

The best source of Iwure is Ifá verses. They are categorized for every situation imaginable Let’s start with a practical one for starting your day from Odu Mimo Oyeku Meji. We start prayers at dawn because the forces that create each day are the forces that create ire - good fortune and blessings for us.


Iwure Oyeku Meji - collected by Chief FAMA


Yoruba traditional religion has many similarities with other African traditional religions, including the ways in which it has creatively fused with other religions in the global Yoruba diaspora. People honor and seek the aid of one or more of the orishas (deities) and ancestors (those who have died but remain interested in their descendents) to support attempts to live fulfilled, healthy, and respectful lives.  Many Yoruba believe in a “high God,” Olodumare, above the many orishas, perhaps manifest as the many orishas. For them, Olodumare is the creator who started everything but generally leaves the running of the earth to the orishas, each of whom is linked with specific phenomena. Shango, for example, is associated with lightning and electricity. In this fusion of animism and polytheism, deities exist in a rich web of relationships in a thoroughly social universe. A creative energy called “ashe” flows through everything. Public and private rituals, including sacrifices, are conducted to celebrate and enhance these relationships, which are expected to benefit the devotees as well as the deities or ancestors, especially by sharing of the “ashe.” Religious knowledge is conveyed through divination systems, empowering stories, traditional practices, and dramatic festivals often involving masks and drums.