Where to Start with the Voodoo?

Question for today: Where does one begin with the Voodoo? Spells? Oils? Candles?

This is a very good question. So many people think of Voodoo as simply a system of magick, which is truly tragic. It is so much more than magic. As I have said before, it is a way of life for those who believe.

The preconception of Voodoo as simply a system of magic is understandable given the manner in which it is protrayed in popular media as well as on many websites. The focus is typically on what "it" can do for you and how quickly and effectively "it:" can do it. Alternately, the focus is on what a person can do with "it" to change people, places, and things.

Sure, there is a lot that can be done with "it". But first, it is a good idea to know what "it" is, dontcha think?

For those of you who already know, bear with me. This post addresses those who are not in the know.

When I speak of Voodoo, I speak from the tradition in which I am familiar, and that is New Orleans Voodoo. This is the tradition into which I was born, and all of my responses to questions are couched within this context.

Voodoo is a religion first; though, the religion does include a magickal tradition. Voodoo is a way of interacting with the world; it is a tradition based on healing and walking in harmony with the forces of nature - earth, wind, fire, and water. It is a tradition in which we acknowledge the interrelatedness of all things, and we acknowledge the world of the Visible as well as the Invisible. We acknowledge our relationships with self, family and community, and with our ancestors past, and our ancestors yet to come.

So where is the magick?

Well, I never recommend starting with the magick, because the magick is irrelevant if there is no relationship with our ancestors. If you are just starting out, forget the candles, the oils, and the spells. I recommend a person starts with the ancestors.

The ancestors are not just my ancestors...those with whom I am related by virtue of blood. The ancestors include all of those who have gone on before us - universal, archetypal, yours, mine, and ours.

Answer to today's question: You start with your ancestors. Make an ancestral altar and develop a relationship with them. The rest will be shown to you.

To learn how to create an ancestral altar and the basics of ancestor reverence, join Planet Voodoo's Conjure Corner where you can find all of that information and much, much more.

Can I Change the Past with a Voodoo Doll or Magic?

Every once in awhile (okay more than once in awhile) I am asked a question about changing something that has happened in the past. Some of those requests I can understand; for example, when someone would like to change the fact that they were abused. This is just evidence that the person is in a lot of emotional distress and in need of support from a professional, not a voodoo doll. As effective a spellcaster as I am, I am not that good. But boy if I were, I would change the world.


However, there are some things people ask for that is just evidence of a person who does not want to take personal responsibility for the choices or actions that have made in the past. Even if I could change those situations I wouldn't because sometimes we need to face the music, as it were, in order to never repeat the mistake again.


So here is a question I was asked recently and my response to the question:


Question

I recently failed college and was suspended as a result. I need my grades changed in my university's system and make everyone forget that I was ever flunked and then make my university think they made a mistake then reinstate me as a student. I need to change it so I made a 3.7 each semester.

Answer

Unfortunately, I think your request is unrealistic. Magick isn’t magic like the kind you see in Bewitched or Harry Potter, it is an art that works in tandem with Universal forces to manipulate situations to a desired end. However, that desired end needs to be realistic. What you are wanting is to change the past and something that has already happened and that can’t be done. Anyone who tells you otherwise is lying to you and is just ripping you off, so think long and hard about hopping from spellcaster to spellcaster until you find someone who says what you want to hear.

Surely there is another course of action you can take, albeit a harder one. Sometimes, it is necessary to face things head on and do what you need to do to change it, instead of wishing upon a star.


Now, I know this person is going to go to another spellcaster and ask the same question and that other spellcaster will take a lot of money from this person and do a spell for them. And, it won't work. The person will not only have a lot of anxiety about their situation, they will also be out of a lot of money.

I could have easily preyed upon this person's vulnerability, but that is not how I operate. Unfortunately, not everyone shares the same ethics as I do.

Can You Like, Kill a Person with a Voodoo Doll?

Murder, torture, abuse, maim, dismember...these are some of the words commonly associated with Voodoo dolls in the popular culture. People turn to the extreme to get even, gain control over, torture, and even kill their enemies. But before I answer this burning question, let's look at the process of torturing an enemy with a Voodoo doll.

So, what is torture by Voodoo doll?

1. the inflicting of severe pain by sticking pins in the groin area to force information or confession, get revenge, etc.

2. any method by which such pain is inflicted, such as binding, burying alive, or cutting and dismembering

3. any severe physical or mental pain, agony, and anguish caused by crushing the head of a Voodoo doll that resembles or represents an intended victim

4. a cause of such pain or agony, such as fire (burning a voodoo doll), knives (stabbing a voodoo doll), scissors (cutting a voodoo doll), or brute force (beating a voodoo doll)

5. physical abuse of such severity that it results in the ultimate Voodoo death.

Seriously, it never ceases to amaze me the questions that I receive about Voodoo dolls. Believe it or not, people want to know, "can you like, kill a person with a voodoo doll?"

I have this video on YouTube called How to Make a Voodoo Doll, and this question has appeared there on a number of occasions. Here are some of the responses to that question:

"I think you only go to hell when you abuse the doll & kill people"

"omfg dudes think about wat ur saying killing someone with a doll i mean come on how can u do that with just an doll?"

"how do you make it work...i want to to make it but not kill people!!! i just wanna teach them a lesson e.g. when you poke the pin in their heart you draw (i think) their love but it can cause a heart attack...I'M NOT A MURDERER PLEASE HELP ME!!!"

"i want to make a voodoo doll but i dont wahant to kill somewan onistly is this tru duse it work and if it dose do you know how to use it safly"

"does this work?? and how do u make a person love u without physically harming them?? I heard that a blue pin in the heart makes them love you, but it can bring a heart attack. I dont want to kill him. I just want him to love me like before....Please reply!!"

First, can I just ask, are people really this flippin' illiterate? I mean, omfg lol wtf?

Now that I have that off my chest, I can answer the question.

Then again, do I really have time for this?

Well let's see, in the Pirates of the Carribean game, voodoo dolls can kill. You can obtain a pirate voodoo doll by "completing a quest to release a spirit from a shard of a relic of Tia Dalma's. This quest will involve you to kill any enemy at every island and main port save those of the Privateering islands" (http://piratesonline.wikia.com/wiki/Voodoo_doll).

And, in a game called Blood, you can create a Voodoo doll weapon that allows you to send your victims screaming in pain to their ultimate demise.

In fact, I am certain that there are countless games now that allow you to create and kill with Voodoo dolls.

But I don't think that is what the question is about. There are people who seriously want to know if you can kill someone with a Voodoo doll...like, for real.

Hmm, there is the Santa Clara County murder case involving Damon Wells aka Son of the Devil.

Apparently, Damon experimented with voodoo and devil worship, and would frequently talk about demons and black magic at home and at high school. He claimed to hear the devil's voice and claimed he could read other peoples thoughts. He made several voodoo dolls which he would use to hurt people, one of which depicted a bully from school. His school mates tended to avoid him, except this bully, an older boy in the 12th grade, who would delight in teasing him.

According to investigative records, years later Damon sought revenge against this particular tormentor. He took the bully's picture from their high school yearbook, created a special voodoo doll, and repeatedly cast spells and called upon the Devil to destroy him. Coincidentally this bully is reported to have stabbed and killed his pregnant wife, finally turning the knife upon himself. He claimed to have been possessed by the devil.

Is this story true? I haven't a clue. I found it here in case you want to read the whole article.

Then, there is the case of the whole population of Taiwan looking to Voodoo dolls to topple their president Chen Shui-bian in 2006. reportedly, 7000 Shui-bian Voodoo dolls were snatched up in a matter of hours at an anti Shui-bian rally.

I guess Taiwan is not the only country/province/state/region in China (I'm not sure what the politically correct term is at this point so I thought I would cover all of my bases) to resort to Voodoo dolls to topple their presidents. I mean, look at the popular George W Voodoo dolls, Osama Bin Laden Voodoo Dolls, Tony Blair, Bill Clinton...the list is endless. Oh, and let's not forget the Saddam Hussein Voodoo doll; I guess that one worked.

For years people have believed they can hurt or kill others with Voodoo dolls. Just recently, for example, the city commissioner of Deltona, Florida found a voodoo doll complete with pins and her face attached to it, next to her mailbox this weekend. Apparently, someone is not too happy with the state of affairs there. Check out the story below.



So, can you like, kill someone with a Voodoo doll? For this question, I will let you be the judge.