I put a spell on you and now you’re mine.

If you are from Louisiana you know about New Orleans Voodoo. It is a part of our culture. Engrained so much that children are not allowed to dress as witches for halloween at some schools as to not offend the voodoo practitioners. You are thinking how can a state that votes for Rick Santorum also be a place of voodoo? Well, the people of Louisiana are  a kin to a giant blend of crazy, you just never know what you will find here. But you can be sure what you find will be crazy.

One cannot mistake Louisiana Voodoo with that of Southern Hoodoo and Hatian Voodoo- the difference- according to the reliable wikipedia is Louisiana Voodoo is often confused with—but is not completely separable from—Haitian Vodou and southern Hoodoo. It differs from Vodou in its emphasis upon Gris-gris, voodoo queens, use of Hoodoo occult paraphernalia, and Li Grand Zombi (snake deity). It was through Louisiana Voodoo that such terms as gris-gris (a Wolof term) and voodoo dolls were introduced into the American lexicon. Contrary to popular belief the gris gris or voodoo dolls are actually used to bless people more often than curse.

I tried to walk into The tourist house of voodoo in New Orleans and simply could not. I cannot imagine what would happen If I were actually invited into a true house of voodoo. I fear I may faint.

image from google images

 

There are many superstitions associated with Louisiana Voodoo:

• A lock of a girl’s hair brings good luck.
• If you lay a broom across the doorway at night, a witch can’t come in and hurt you.
• Having a woman visit you the first thing on Monday mornings is bad luck for the rest of the week.
• Don’t borrow or lend salt because that is bad luck.
• If you sweep trash out of the house after dark you will sweep away your luck.
• Don’t shake a tablecloth outside after dark or someone in your family will die.
• To stop a Voodoo spell being placed upon you, acquire some bristles from a pig cooked at a Voodoo ritual, tie the bristles into a bundle and carry them on you at all times.
• If a woman sprinkles some salt from her house to yours, it will give you bad luck until you clean the salt away and put pepper over your door sill.
• If a woman wants her husband to stay away from other woman, she can do so by putting a little of her blood in his coffee, and he will never quit her.
• If a woman’s husband dies and you don’t want her to marry again, cut all of her husband’s shoes all in little pieces, just as soon as he is dead, and she will never marry again.
• You can give someone a headache by taking and turning their picture upside down.
• You can harm a person in whatever way you want to by getting a lock of his hair and burning some and throwing the rest away.
• You can make a farmer’s well go dry by putting some soda in the well for one week, each day; then drawing a bucket of water out and throwing it in the river to make the well go dry.

I have been told Voodoo only works if you believe in it. But, all it takes is one little bit of doubt that maybe just maybe there is something to it, and you are susceptible. If you came across a grave yard out in the bayou on a dark hot summer night. Where their were skulls and bones everywhere, fiery candles glowing, people chanting, and they stop- and all turn to you at the same moment. And shout something you do not understand. Would you think they had cursed you?

Would you believe?