Different Styles Of Voodoo
When I hear that a country or city don't practice real Vaudou aka voodoo it bothers me when that person don't really know what voodoo, Vodou, Vodun etc is. Some think that it started in Haiti or that it isn't real if your not initiated in Haiti. So I wanted to make this quick post to show a few of the different styles of voodoo there are. Do the proper research and choose which practice calls to you.
First up is African Vodun is an is the birth place of vodun a ancient religion practiced by some 30 million people in the West African nations of Benin, Togo and Ghana. With its countless deities, animal sacrifice and spirit possession, voodoo — as it's known to the rest of the world — is one of the most misunderstood religions on the globe.
Second Haitian Vodou is an African diasporic religion that developed in Haiti. It arose through a process of syncretism between several traditional religions of West and Central Africa and Roman Catholicism. Vodou revolves around spirits known as lwa. Typically deriving their names and attributes from traditional West and Central African divinities, they are equated with Roman Catholic saints and the central ritual involves practitioners drumming, singing, and dancing to encourage a lwa to possess one of their members and thus communicate with them.
Third. Louisiana Voodoo, also known as New Orleans Voodoo, is an African diasporic religion which originated in Louisiana, now in the southern United States. It arose through a process of syncretism between the traditional religions of West Africa, Haitian Vodou and some christianity.
Forth Santería, also known as Regla de Ocha, Regla Lucumí, or Lucumí, is an African diasporic religion that developed in Cuba during the late 19th century. It arose through a process of syncretism between the traditional Yoruba religion of West Africa, the Catholic form of Christianity, and Spiritism. This is the same as the Ifa in Africa except they use saints also
Fifth Palo: also known as Las Reglas de Congo, is an African diasporic religion that developed in Cuba. This is the first practice that hit first before Santeria. It arose through a process of syncretism between the traditional Kongo religion of Central Africa, the Roman Catholic branch of Christianity, and Spiritism.
Sixth Espiritismo: Spiritism. Espiritismo (Spiritism) is rooted in the belief system that the spirit world can intervene in the human world and is widely practiced in Puerto Rico it not voodoo but I wanted to add it. At its most basic level, it invokes God and The Positive Spirits to divine for and assist the person. There is the use of a table covered with a white cloth, a large bowl full of water, and a crucifix. There are no initiations into this tradition and people work together at gatherings called Misas.
Seventh Sanse: Sanse is a cross between Spiritism and the 21 Divisions. In this tradition, the dead and the Lwa (or Misterios) are worked with spiritually. There is an initiation called a Bautizo (Baptism) and people work withall sorts of different spiritual tableaus, or frameworks.
Eight. Obeah, or Obayi, is a series of African diasporic spell-casting and healing traditions found in the former British colonies of the Caribbean. These traditions derive much from traditional West African practices that have undergone cultural creolization.
Ninth. Dominican Vudú, known as Las 21 Divisiones (The 21 Divisions), is a heavily Catholicized syncretic shamanistic religion of African-Caribbean origin which developed in the erstwhile Spanish colony of Santo Domingo on the island of Hispaniola. Now 21 Divisiones/Dominican vudu is very similar to the tchatcha/kwakwa/Deka lineage in Haiti. In 21 Divisiones and in the tchatcha lineage of Haitian vodou, is the north part of Hati and the initiations are different and the temples are organized differently.
Tenth. Trinidad Orisha, also known as Shango, is a syncretic religion in Trinidad and Tobago and the Caribbean, originally from West Africa.
I these are some of the voodoo style practices around the world .
