No.
1: Hurricane Protection Ritual
This ritual
is held each July, approximately a
month into New Orleans’ annual
hurricane season. Under the direction
of Mambo Sallie Ann Glassman and La
Source Ancienne Ounfo, the ritual
is held to honor the powerful Petwo
Lwa Erzulie Dantor and to thank her
for continued protection in the face
of these powerful and destruction
forces of Nature. Mambo Sallie Ann
assembles the servite around the peristile
in her temple where offerings are
made and rituals are performed to
invoke Dantor across the dark waters
of the Great Abyss, asking her to
keep her faithful safe for another
year. Appropriate offerings at the
Hurricane Protection ritual include
spicy fried pork, corn and egg omelets,
spicy cakes and candies such as “Red
Hots” and “Hot Tamales,”
rum, whiskey, cigars, Florida Water,
and storm water. Dantor is syncretized
with the Catholic Our Lady of Prompt
Succor and the Black Madonnas of Poland,
among others. Mambo Sallie Ann and
the Ounfo have been holding the Hurricane
Protection Ritual each year for the
past eight years, and each year New
Orleans has been protected. However,
the destruction and havoc wreaked
by Hurricane Katrina have tempted
many to suggest that Dantor finally
failed her servite and the City. Devotees
of this powerful Lwa are quick to
point out that, actually, Hurricane
Katrina did turn away from New Orleans
at the last minute: after making landfall
in Louisiana’s southern Plaquemines
Parish, Katrina turned eastward and
vented her worst fury on the Mississippi
Gulf Coast. Believers in Dantor and
the power of this yearly ritual credit
this last minute turn to the great
Lwa and reiterate what officials all
across the region have said again
and again: This was not a direct hit;
had Hurricane Katrina been a direct
hit, there would be nothing but water
where the City now stands. Thanks
to Erzulie Dantor, many believe, there
is something left of New Orleans today.
No.
2: Marie Laveau Headwashing Ceremony
Commemorating
the time of year most preferred by
Voodoo Queen Marie Laveau for her
workings, this ceremony takes place
on June 23rd, traditionally St. John’s
Eve and an important date in many
cultures. During her lifetime Mambo
Marie Laveau hosted her voodoo “bamboulas”
to coincide with this date; these
always took place along the waterway
known as Bayou St. John in New Orleans.
To honor both the tradition and the
great Voodoo Queen herself, Mambo
Sallie Ann Glassman and La Source
Ancienne Ounfo host a midsummer headwashing
ritual each year on the same waterway
favored by Marie Laveau. This ritual,
performed for the benefit of devotees
and members of the public alike, is
a celebration of the season of fullness
and plenty. As with other rituals,
Marie Laveau, honored as a powerful
ancestral Lwa in her own right, is
invoked by the Mambo to join in the
festivities. A ritual headwashing
takes place and all are invited to
share in the powerful “ashe”
or energy that is invoked from the
presence of Marie Laveau and that
is passed, through the Mambo, to each
devotee. Hypnotic ritual drumming
accompanies the ritual and after headwashing
is complete devotees dance long into
the sapphire night. Offerings for
Marie Laveau are appropriate and these
include white candles, white scented
flowers, hair dressing items such
as combs, brushes, ribbons and clips
(Marie Laveau was a hairdresser by
trade), foods such as fried pork and
coconut cake, cigars, Florida Water,
and, of course, rum. Mambo Sallie
Ann repeats her waterside ritual in
the lobby of the International House
Hotel in New Orleans each June 24th,
St. John’s Day.
No.
3: Bianca’s Midnight Blessing
of the Monkey and Cock Statues
Modern day
Voodoo Queen Bianca reigns over New
Orleans Voodoo in direct line from
Marie Laveau, recognized as the original
queen. Each year, sometimes twice
a year, Queen Bianca will host a ritual
in which the Monkey and Cock Statues
created in honor of Marie Laveau are
blessed and charged. In this ritual,
which always takes place outdoors
in a highly secret location, Queen
Bianca will invoke the spirit of Marie
Laveau, becoming possessed by the
powerful Voodoo Queen. Through Bianca,
her modern day counterpart, Marie
Laveau is able to be present with
her devotees and personally blesses
the Monkey and Cock Statues. The highly
secret vodusi of Queen Bianca’s
Sosyete present the living, channeled
Marie Laveau with the first Monkey
and Cock Statue of each year as an
offering; other offerings preferred
by Marie Laveau, including those detailed
above, are also presented and accepted
by Laveau through the powerful Queen
Bianca. The first Monkey and Cock
statue remains with the powerful Mambo
throughout the year until the time
of the next ritual when it is ceremoniously
broken in favor of another. This ritual
is said to take place once each year,
usually around April 30th or May 1st;
often, however, Queen Bianca and her
vodusi will repeat the ritual in the
fall of the year, coinciding with
harvest festivals and Samhain rituals.
As stated, the location for each ritual
is a closely guarded secret and is
only shared with members of the Sosyete
at the very last minute, when they
are called to assemble. This is one
of the most powerful examples of continuing
devotion to the great Marie Laveau
surviving in New Orleans today.
No.
4: Day of the Dead Ritual
Voodoo rituals
commemorating the ancestors and sacred
dead coincide with the timing of other
such rituals the world over. The Day
of the Dead rituals observed by the
practitioners of vodoun, however,
tend to be the least public and least
accessible of all voodoo rituals.
Generally, these rituals are celebrated
on or about the 1st of November, a
date that coincides with the Catholic
observance of All Saints’ Day.
Sometimes, however, the vodoun rituals
will begin one to two days prior to
this holy day. Mambo Sallie Ann Glassman
traditionally hosts a Day of the Dead
(or, Dia de los Muertos) ritual in
which she honors the ancestors (the
family Lwas) and the powerful Lwas
who advocate for the dead as they
cross the dark waters of the Great
Abyss. Paramount in these celebrations
is the honoring of Gede, the great
Lwa of death and regeneration. Gede,
and his family of Gueddes, as well
as Manmam Brigit, his wife, all hold
prominent roles in voodoo commemoration
of the dead. Offerings to Gede or
Manmam Brigit are appropriate on this
occasion; these include black and
purple candles, sunglasses with one
eye missing (to acknowledge Gede’s
ability to see in both worlds –
living and dead), cigars and cigarettes,
rum, spicy pork, bones, graveyard
stones and dirt, crosses, black jewels,
and raw cotton. Devotees are often
invited to participate in the Day
of the Dead Voodoo Rituals by bringing
photographs or other items that commemorate
their deceased loved ones and by participating
in a ritual “Dumb Supper”
under the direction of the Mambo or
priestess.
No.
5: Blessing of the Mississippi River
This ritual
is held each year around the beginning
of May to commemorate the great Mississippi
River, a force of life and commerce
in Louisiana and the surrounding region.
The powerful Rada Lwa Yemaya, also
called Oshun in the Santeria religion
and Mami Wata to the Dahomey, is the
force invoked in this traditional
ritual. The Mambo stands at the river
side and, following invocation of
the water spirit, will propitiate
her with offerings such as sea shells,
sweet cakes, red wine, and fresh fruits
such as mangoes and pomegranate. The
offerings are ritually “fed”
to the river to honor the Lwa and
to seek her blessing for a profitable
and healthy year.
No.
6: Blessing of the Cemeteries.
This ritual
usually takes place in the dark month
of November. After the Day of the
Dead celebrations, there are specific
rituals designed to invoke the powerful
Lwas who protect the Cities of the
Dead; these Lwas include Manmam Brigit,
again, but also the powerful Santeria
spirit Oya who dances about the tombs
and guards the entrance to graveyards.
The ritual is a procession through
the cemetery with offerings left at
significant crossways and tombs as
indicated by the Mambo. This will
ensure the safety and sanctity of
this last resting place and will honor
the powerful protectress who guards
the sleeping dead. Offerings to Oya
include deep purple eggplants, orange
and purple candles, pumpkins and squash
(cooked or raw), rum and whiskey,
cowrie shells and cigars.
No.
7: Crime Protection Ritual
This voodoo
ritual, held in to honor and ask protection
of the powerful Lwa Ogun La Flambo,
is held at least once a year, but
will be held more frequently if there
is need. Designed to seek the intervention
of Ogun in stopping the spread of
violent crime and in keeping the hearth
and home safe, the ritual is a powerful
reminder that devotees of vodoun seldom
go unrewarded. Entire neighborhoods
have been offered for protection from
Ogun, who is syncretized with St.
George and is often depicted on horseback,
carrying a spear. Invoked by the Mambo,
Ogun is a powerful advocate; he is
appeased with offerings that include
151 proof rum, iron nails, cauldrons,
horse shoes and farming implements,
and machetes that have been painted
or marked with his veve. Ogun is said
to leave no request unanswered and
those who put their house under his
protection have nothing to fear.
No.
8: Voodoo Wedding Ceremony
Voodoo weddings
are growing in popularity in New Orleans
and couples have come from as far
away as Canada and Australia to be
joined in one of the most meaningful
rituals in all vodoun. Priestesses
and priests who perform the rituals
insist that the couple approach the
union soberly, meaning having meditated
not only on the meaning of the union
but on the which of the powerful Lwas
will most closely associate with the
newly-married. Usually, the priestess
is closely involved in this process,
guiding the couple and interpreting
the signs from spirit. Voodoo weddings
seem to bring extreme joy to Erzulie
Freda, the Rada Lwa of True Love,
and she always seems to respond to
wedding invocations. La Sirene, another
aspect of Erzulie, also likes to lend
blessings to wedding unions, and Gede
likes to show up because there’s
a party involved, but also because
his role as the Lwa of regeneration
is important to the process of starting
new life together. Once the couple
has achieved this awareness, the priestess
will guide them and invoke not only
the Lwas but also the ancestors for
blessings on the union and the couple’s
new life. Similar to pagan handfastings,
Voodoo weddings invite the couple
to revel in the joy of togetherness
by jumping over the ritual broom;
the broom is then presented to the
couple as their first wedding gift,
to be displayed in a place of honor
in the new home. Gris-gris bags containing
appropriate herbs and object links,
such as hair or fingernails, from
the couple, are created and consecrated;
these are also presented to the couple.
Invoking the Gran Zombi is another
voodoo wedding ritual: Gran Zombi,
the snake, represents the great creator
spirit of the Universe and is invoked
to bless the union. The couple joins
hands and the snake is placed over
their arms to ritually coil upon them
and bind them together in spirit.
Voodoo weddings, with their significant
ancient rituals, drumming trance dances,
and wide-open connection to the spirit
realm are occasions for great celebration
among vodusi and devotees; this is
part of their growing popularity among
people from all walks of life. The voodoo wedding is definitely a different experience from a traditional church wedding with wedding bands and flowers. Whatever ceremony you choose the exchange of women's and mens wedding bands is still a powerful symbol for married couples.
No.
9: Blessing of the Mardi Gras.
This unique
ritual is generally held at or around
midnight of Lundi Gras, or the Monday
prior to Fat Tuesday in New Orleans.
In this festive ritual the blessing
of all the Lwas and ancestors is asked
for a happy and safe Mardi Gras day.
Usually performed separately by each
sosyete or Ounfo, drumming and colorful
clothing distinguish this ritual from
others of more serious intent. Gede
again finds honor in this ritual,
as he is the patron of the unexpected,
but there are other trickster spirits
honored and called upon as well, and
these vary with the whim of the Mambo
each year. All in all this is a ritual
designed to bless the party and direct
that a good time will be had by all.
Offerings include a mix of New Orleans
delicacies including gumbo, red beans
and rice, and the real Food of Mardi
Gras, the King Cake! Often, necklaces
of little King Cake babies are made
throughout the previous year to be
offered to the Lwas at this festive
time. So far, they have never failed
to reward the faithful as a good time
is had by all!
No.
10: Bianca’s Annual Drumming
Ritual
The highly
secret Sosyete of Bianca the Voodoo
Queen of New Orleans conducts regular
drumming rituals in secret locations
throughout the New Orleans area. In
the face of Hurricane Katrina, Bianca
and her vodusi undertook a marathon
drumming ritual, maintaining it through
the very worst of the hurricane’s
fury. Even the winds and floodwaters
of Katrina could not drown out the
drums, and in the end, despite the
devastation, the storm turned and
spared New Orleans it’s very
worst. Under normal circumstances,
that is pre-Katrina, Queen Bianca
regularly called her Sosyete together,
usually around the middle of August,
for an annual ceremony to propitiate
the Lwas and the ancestors, thanking
them for their unceasing attention
to the faithful. These drumming rituals
are the direct descendants of the
“bamboula” that Marie
Laveau hosted during her reign as
Queen of Voodoo, and, in fact, Queen
Bianca still refers to the ritual
by that popular name today. With the
displacement of many members of her
ultra-secret sect, it will be some
time before Queen Bianca will host
another “bamboula;” but
she asked that the drumming rituals
continue to take place in absentia
until the Sosyete is once again reunited
in its New Orleans home.
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