2016 Voodoo Universe Top Ten posts photo by Lilith Dorsey. All rights reserved.
2016 had a lot of lows and not too many highs, but I think we are all doing our best to remain positive. So in the spirit of optimism here are Voodoo Universe’s Top Ten posts of 2016.
The Truth About Voodoo vs. Hoodoo – Voodoo, Vodou, and Hoodoo are each complicated religions that are
Vodou vs. Hoodoo infographic by Lilith Dorsey. All rights reserved.
difficult to understand. This infographic helps to break down the basics for you in way way that is easy to comprehend.
Simple Samhain Crafts for All Ages – Crafting is my passion. It wasn’t easy, but it was a lot of fun coming up with crafts that will work for people from 3 to 93. See this post for ways to make your own skeleton fairies and dark pumpkin houses.
Interview with Voudon Gnosis Author David Beth – It was a serious honor and a privilege to interview author David Beth on Voodoo Universe. This author is both a legend and a visionary in the discipline of Voudon. The in-depth interview gives serious insight into the man and his magicks.
#Beyonce Pours Out Oshun’s Honey and Lemonade – Leave it to pop diva Beyonce to get the eyes of the world focusing on the beautiful Orisha Oshun. She does this elegantly with music and dance.
The Dirt on Magickal Dirt – Magick is a dirty business.
Dirt on Dirt photo by Lilith Dorsey. All rights reserved.
Many different types of magick use dirt as an ingredient in spells and potions. Every different dirt carries different energy. Like dirt from a footprint which the post says “is used when you are doing a working on a specific person, namely whoever’s footprint you have. I’ve seen this as an ingredient in love spells, and also spells of commanding and compelling. Gather up the footprint dirt and place in a paper bag.”
La Santa Muerte– This goddess of death has a long history. In the post I talk about how “researchers theorize that the origins of Santa Muerte go back through history to an Aztec goddess of death and the underworld. Next she blended with some of the early European myths and legends about death, and became what and who we see today.”
Herbal Magick: Rosemary – I’m proud to say that one of the posts in our new Herbal Magick series made it into this years top ten. Rosemary is one of the more popular herbs to use for protection, healing, and success.
Video: Love Magic Unleashed – Love makes the world go around… we hope so at least. This is the new video for my new book Love Magic. The book is available now to order wherever books and ebooks are sold. It contains over 250 magical spells for getting love, keeping love, loving yourself, spreading the love and more. There are spells to honor the Goddess in all her glorious forms. Spells to connect with your ancestor’s wisdom for guidance, and much more.
Thanks for reading, sharing, and commenting ! Here’s to 2017 !
Priestess Miriam Chamani of the Voodoo Spiritual Temple, one of my Godmothers. Photo by Lilith Dorsey, copyright 2014.
Finding godparents is a really complicated process. You could end up with someone who manipulates you, takes lots of money from you and leaves you with nothing, or even lands you in jail. I have heard of all of these things happening when people end up choosing difficult Santeria (La Regla Lucumi) or Voodoo godparents. Now, I truly believe we all have our lessons to learn, but if we go into the process with our eyes open, and keeping a few key points in mind, the process of joining an ile (Santeria/ Lucumi) or hounfor (Voodoo/Vodou) spiritual house may go more smoothly. In Santeria, godparents will most likely be an initiated Santera or Santero, while in Voodoo they may be a Mambo (Priestess) or Houngan (Priest). Many houses are not actively seeking godchildren either, so keep that in mind as well.
Some of the questions to discuss beforehand are as follows:
How long have you been crowned ? Discuss the person’s lineage. Some houses don’t traditionally give out entire spiritual lineage, but this is something you should definitely have access to if you are thinking about joining an ile and starting your initiations.
What will be expected of me as your godchild ? Each house is unique, different, and correct, I can not stress this enough. Every ile has it’s own requirements for godchildren. In my house, we are required to abide by the reading of the year, keep our personal and house obligations, and participate in house events, either financially, or in person, ideally both.
How/When am I able to contact you ? Like most clergy, Santeros and Santeras need to be continually available to their congregation. Finding out in the beginning when is the best time to call or text, can make the whole process go much smoother for all involved.
Can I meet, speak with other godchildren ? Did another godchild introduce you to the house ? I encourage my godchildren to speak and interact with newcomers, so everyone can start to feel like a family.
Are they trying to poach godchildren from other iles (spiritual houses) ? I obviously wouldn’t ask this question directly but I have seen this happen at almost every large ceremony I have attended. It seems very disrespectful to me, but I guess that is the nature of the beast.
What are their positions on controversial topics like animal sacrifice, homosexuality, etc. ? If these are oppositional to your beliefs, you can see how this could become a problem.
Finding the right godparents is an issue for a lot of people. I love all my godparents dearly and trust them with my life, you can see one in the photo above accompanying this post. My process however wasn’t a simple one. Finding godparents is not an easy task. I know one woman who followed her Madrina (godmother) into the bathroom so she could ask to join the Ile, I don’t recommend this, but it worked. I’ve heard every horror story imaginable, from people being required to give up their spouses, to godchildren being abandoned in foreign countries while on spiritual pilgrimages. Godchildren have to trust, respect, and follow the guidelines of their godparents. Once fully initiated by an Ile or Santeria/Lucumi spiritual house, it is very difficult, if not impossible, to leave. It’s like you have a chance to choose your parents, but realize this is the nature of relationship you are entering into and please choose wisely. Good Luck!
This is a very rich topic, and I would love to hear everyone’s ideas, suggestions, and experiences in the comments below. Be on the lookout for a follow up to this post, there is definitely much more to be said.
Sign at The Witches’ Well at Edinburgh Castle, Scotland. Photo by Lilith Dorsey. All rights reserved.
Edinburgh Scotland is a unique city with a magick all its own. Castles, underground vaults, ghosts, and a long history this city does not disappoint. One of the most interesting highlights is the Witches’ Well near Edinburgh castle. Witches have a difficult history. We must do all we can to never forget that, lest it happen again. The castle is located on the Esplanade and rises high above the city. Just to the right as you approach you will see the Witches’ Well.
According to the Edinburgh Castle site ” Persecution of witches can be dated back to at least the 10th century, and continued throughout the medieval period until well after the Protestant Reformation of the 1500s….Over two years [in the 1590s], at least 60 women and men were brought from North Berwick to Edinburgh Castle and brutally tortured. They usually confessed to consorting with the Devil, and many were duly hanged or burned on the open ground now occupied by the Esplanade.”
The plaque at the Witches’ Well sight is less of a monument to the persecution of an ancient religion, and more typical tourist sign. But nevertheless and ever the more it is what it is, and is certainly worth a visit if you’re able.
This is only one of many sacred sites in Scotland that hold their own magick and mystery. Arguably the most famous Witch in Scotland was Isobel Gowdie. She has been the subject of many novels, and even a classical piece of music which you can listen to here:
This magickal piece composed by James MacMillan. Unfortunately there are very few known facts about Gowdie and many of the other Magickal humans who lost their lives for practicing these traditions. You can read more about her and the infamous trial at the Spooky Scotland website. While you are at the Witches’ Well you may wish to say some words of honoring for Isobel Gowdie, and all the other Witches who came before. Their struggle and their memory is still with us today. You may also wish to leave a small biodegradable offering of water, fruit, or perhaps flowers like thistle (the national flower of Scotland.) After all what is remembered lives.
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Tarot is on everyone’s lips right now, and for some of us it is always in our hearts. There’s a new film coming out, and my new book Tarot Every Witch Way releases soon. So I’m taking this fortuitous opportunity to highlight some of my favorite tarot professionals. This time it is a fellow New Orleans Witch, someone who is both near and dear to me, Juliet Rose.
When did you start divining?
I started divining when I was in high school. My cousin gifted me my first oracle deck when I was 15.
With what method?
I started out with oracle cards and then became fascinated with tarot pretty soon after. I bought my first tarot deck (a pocket-sized one right by the register that I could buy discreetly amidst other purchases) at Borders Books. I grew up in a conservative small town, so my tarot practice was like this beautiful, secret thing that was just mine—a world I could disappear in and connect with spirit for clarity and guidance without anyone else knowing. I fell in love with the practice and started divining about everything—relationships, life path, what college to go to, etc. I still mostly used oracle cards in my teen years, but started using primarily tarot when I got into my twenties.
Which method do you use most often now?
Definitely tarot (and mediumship/channeling). I find tarot can answer most questions and clarify most situations really effectively. Sometimes I use oracle cards and crystals to add further emotional and situational context to a tarot reading
How important is the choice/phrasing of the question?
I used to think it was not important, and then I started tracking my readings for myself in a journal and realized that when an answer “didn’t make sense” in a reading, it was usually because I hadn’t asked a real question or my question was too confusing/interpretable in a variety of ways. If you’re just looking for general guidance, I think it’s okay not to have a question, but then it’s important to be open to whatever message comes through. If there’s something you want to know, I’ve learned it’s better not to be “shy” with spirit and just ask what you want to ask, in the way you want to ask it, and then trust the message you receive is actually the answer to that question. I’ve also found clarifying timing to be important in certain readings. I remember about nine years ago, I pulled some cards about a cute guy I met in a bar. I was curious if we had any possible future together/if I should keep flirting with him, and I was happy to receive the two of cups and the ten of pentacles. I thought we were going to get close and maybe even have a romantic future with one another and was disappointed when “nothing happened.” Lo and behold, I ended up staying friends with the person and we did get emotionally closer in a way that has turned somewhat romantic a few times over the years—but not until many years after that initial reading.
Do you have a yes/no method of divining you recommend?
In the past, I’ve used pendulums for this, but I felt like I was influencing the results of the pendulum too much, so I switched to single card tarot pulls for yes or no questions. I have certain cards I think of as “yes,” “no,” or “maybe” answers to yes/no questions and depending on which single card I draw, that’s the answer to the question.
Is there any advice you have for newcomers when using divination?
You don’t need to rely on the guidebook as much as you think. A lot of new readers are sometimes put off from learning tarot because they’re worried about “memorizing all the meanings.” Personally, once I started trusting my own intuition more than I was trying to recall or remember specific traditional meanings of cards from any one book, my readings became more effective and specific to the people I was reading for.
What’s new and next for you?
I’m finishing some tarot and oracle deck concept ideas I’m hoping to try and pitch by mid-2024, as well as a poetry chapbook. I’m also excited to be presenting a class at WitchCon and working on a product line of talismans made from magickal plants.
What’s the best way for people to get it touch and get a reading?
One can book readings with me in-person or by phone at Potions Lounge, Vampire Apothecary, or Omen in the French Quarter (NOLA) or by scheduling online for a virtual session through my website, sunkissedowlmagic.com Clients seeking a custom time slot or appointment can email me at tigerjrose@gmail.com
Biography: Juliet is an Indigenous and Sicilian witch and a priestess of the Alexandrian tradition. She’s a fiery Aries from Philadelphia who has been using her psychic and mediumship gifts to help people since she was a child. Juliet has over a decade of cartomancy experience and has been reading professionally in New Orleans since 2018. She works closely with her spiritual teachers and magickal ancestors (who hail from the Narragansett Indian Tribe and the volcanic mountains of Catania, Sicily) to channel information for the highest good of all.
Tarot of the Vampires- Strength card. By Charles Harrington and Craig Maher. All rights reserved.
It was my supreme pleasure to meet Charles Harrington last year at the Endless Night Vampire Ball in New Orleans. Harrington along with Craig Maher is the creator of Tarot of the Vampires published by Llewellyn Publications. The deck is stunning, a veritable must have for every creature of the night. As soon as I saw these cards I knew I wanted to interview Charles Harrington as part of our divination series. Questions are in boldface, and his responses follow.
When did you start divining?
I got my start in high school, purchasing my first deck from a game store in the mall. I was definitely one of the weird kids at that point so I would keep my deck in my backpack every day and give friends readings between (ok during) classes. People were very tolerant of this habit and I had almost no negative experience being the high school’s resident diviner. Looking back at some of those readings I used to give… let’s just say I had a lot to learn.
With what method?
Back when I got my start, I had one book (Tarot for the Apprentice by Eileen Connolly) and of course the Little White Book (I am told young readers today do not know the term “LWB” because guidebooks have improved so much). I only did three card spreads and the Celtic Cross because that’s all I knew and my approach was entirely predictive because, again, that’s all I was aware of. One day I picked up a copy of the Legend Arthurian Tarot by Anna-Marie Ferguson wherein I learned about the “Horseshoe Spread” which was much more straightforward than the Celtic Cross and had greater depth than those three card spreads. It was love at first sight and it became my primary Tarot spread for the next two decades. I wish it had a sexier name (the Arc of Destiny?) but that spread leveled up my practice and I was certain to include it in the guidebook for Tarot of the Vampires for this reason
Which method do you use most often now?
I still lean toward predictive / advice Tarot techniques but in college I became familiar with the works of Mary Greer and Rachel Pollack and began to incorporate Wisdom Readings into my practice. These are a way of asking the divine mind-expanding things like “What is the soul?” “How can I live my life as a reflection of this Goddess?” I also am a big proponent of using the Tarot for Shadow Work, which was an emphasis for the Tarot of the Vampires as vampires have always been a powerful cultural shadow for humanity that has evolved and shifted throughout the decades to continue to hold up a dark mirror to our faces.
How important is the choice/phrasing of the question?
This is going to get me in trouble. I apologize in advance. I feel like today there is too much emphasis on “correcting” the querent’s question. When someone asks us “Will I get this job?” we are supposed to say “Ah, your real question is ‘What do I need to know about prosperity?'” This bothers me. I imagine a person going to the doctor because they have an acute ache that won’t go away and having the doctor say “Ah let me tell you about wellness!” I think readers are often afraid that they won’t be able to make a correct prediction (or they don’t believe Tarot can make accurate predictions) and they sidestep by rephrasing the question to be more general. If this is you, (if you can hear the sound of my voice!) try to first address the question you were asked and then supplement with other advice that the cards offer. For example, with the question above “In terms of this job you are going after, it looks like there will be some challenges. Let’s see what you can do to find what you need…”
Do you have a yes/no method of divining you recommend?
I do! It’s a little complicated but I enjoy it. Take the Wheel of fortune out of your deck and then shuffle it and draw seven additional cards facedown. Add the Wheel of Fortune to this smaller pile of eight cards and shuffle them together. Lay the cards out in four quadrants with two cards in each quadrant. Turn the pairs of cards over and find the Wheel of Fortune. Now interpret this position (and only this position) with the additional card next to it.
Position 1: Yes, Because.
This is the enthusiastic Yes! The second card points to why the thing will happen
Position 2: Yes, If
This is a pretty good outlook but it will take some extra effort by the querent. The second card says what is needed to bring this over the finish line.
Position 3: No, Unless
This is not looking so good but the accompanying card may give some advice about what to do to bring about a desired change.
Position 4: No, Because
This is the enthusiastic No and the accompanying card can help explain why this won’t happen.
Is there any advice you have for newcomers when using divination?
There are three things I recommend:
Read the guidebook – A lot of love and hard work goes into that guidebook! Definitely trust your intuition but the guidebook might have some more advice that your intuition missed.
When reading for yourself, write the reading down – The main reason to do this is that it forces you to give yourself a complete reading instead of looking at the cards and saying “Yep, yep, that makes sense, that’s what I expected.” It will help you fully explore the spread and its possibilities. In the following days/weeks, instead of doing another spread because you are anxious about the question you can return to what you wrote down and continue to explore it in greater depth. It also helps justify the purchase of fancy journals we readers tend to love. If you prefer electronic record keeping, I highly recommend Evernote for storing readings.
Get Liminal – As Tarot reading has become more psychologically influenced and we have worked to do away with some of the unhelpful superstitions, people have sometimes ditched the mystical parts of Tarot reading entirely. Enhance your practice by doing something to enter into sacred space and bring yourself between the worlds. Light some incense, say a prayer, visualize the temple of the High Priestess, whatever it takes and you have the bandwidth for. I find this makes me more receptive to receiving the answers from the Universe (or whomever is on the other side of this operation).
How did you come up with the idea for Tarot of the Vampires?
I have loved vampire stories my whole life and of course I’ve really enjoyed vampire tarot decks (I’ve owned pretty much all of them). I felt that most decks focused entirely on what I think of as the “Carpathian” vampire archetype with crumbling castles, helpless maidens, everybody’s white, etc. This didn’t reflect the modern stories I enjoy so much like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicles, True Blood, the Vampire Diaries, Anita Blake, etc. One year the late and very great pagan author Margot Adler gave a talk about vampire novels at a pagan conference . Following the death of her husband, she read hundreds of them and formed her theory of the modern vampire which was that the vampire-as-hero is a powerful, dangerous being, trying desperately to be moral. This is a wonderful reflection of humanity as we are similarly powerful, dangerous beings who want to do good and create beauty but who are aware that they have a destructive nature as well. She wrote about this in her wonderful book Vampires R Us and her ideas really helped inform my approach to the cards, especially the Minor Arcana. This kept the deck from just being the Rider Waite Smith with fangs (though it is absolutely in the RWS School of Tarot).
Lilith Dorsey and Charles Harrington at Endless Night Vampire Ball – New Orleans.
What’s the most interesting thing that happened as a result of working on that project?
Just as divination is a sacred conversation between the diviner and the universe, the creation of a Tarot deck is a sacred conversation between author and illustrator. This project connected me to the incredible artist Craig Maher who partnered with me to bring the deck to life. If the author is the scriptwriter and executive producer, the illustrator is the director, set designer, casting director, costume designer, cinematographer, special effects department and all the other roles you can imagine. I’m a words guy and I am in awe of Craig’s gift for taking those words and communicating them visually. He has a wonderful gift for interpreting mood, lighting, composition, as well as venerable Tarot traditions to create these dynamic, interesting characters filled with depth and mystery. We had a dialog about every card in the deck and he could take a weird prompt that I didn’t even know fully how to begin to depict and turn it into what I feel is one of the most intense and compelling Strength cards in Tarot.
What’s next for you ?
I recently wrote the guidebook for an oracle deck based on Dante’s Inferno to go along with artwork created by the amazing artist Paolo Barbieri. That was a wild project because it required me to shelve my modern pagan sensibilities aside and fully embrace the worldview of Dante. It’s an intense deck with some very confronting imagery and requires a bit of courage to pull a card each day
From the Llewellyn publications website – Charles Harrington has been reading, teaching, and loving tarot for 25 years. He is the author of the guidebooks to the Murder of Crows Tarot, Ferenc Pinter Tarot, and Tarot V from Lo Scarabeo. His love of the cards and connecting with other readers has manifested in co-hosting podcasts, speaking at conferences, and leading meetups in the San Francisco Bay Area. In his free time, he loves to find new and strange ways to use the cards in pursuit of wisdom, fun, and the occasional free cocktail.
Note: This deck is especially precious to me as the Three of Cups card from it graces the cover of my new book Tarot Every Witch Way. Thank you Llewellyn Publications and Charles Harrington for making it possible.
Tarot of the Vampires- 3 of Cups. All rights reserved.
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When I started this blog back in 2013 it was my mission to present accurate and respectful information about all areas of African Traditional Religion, including everything, including Miss Cleo. Wait What? I know some of you readers weren’t expecting that. Like myself maybe you grew up watching the commercials with Miss Cleo and hearing the disrespect and the negativity that surrounded her public image. Maybe you’re younger and the only Miss Cleo you know comes from the recent HBO/MAX documentary, that from the trailer seems to talk more about the public image and less about the woman herself. But as a Queer Black person myself I knew that most often the public stories we hear about people who are both BIPOC and LGBTQ are often false and misleading, and I decided to find out the truth myself.
The following video was shot shortly before her death in July 2016 (I know others are claiming that they conducted the last interview with her, I don’t know about that,) but I do know that this is one of the only interviews conducted with the seer formerly known as Miss Cleo by someone within the African Traditional Religious community, by someone who is also Black and Queer and just wanted to get the truth out. During this interview we spoke about Lucumi, Voodoo, psychics, her heritage and initiations, and also what was to be her last book The Queen’s Bridge, where she sought to provide women going through menopause with a space to heal and grow.
This interview was lost for years, but I recently discovered it in my files and thought it was high time for it to see the light of day. The quality is not what it could be so I apologize in advance . There is also a second part, if people are interested I will be happy to post that too. However, it was an honor to call her a friend. I so genuinely miss our talks, and I honor her on my ancestor shrine and hopefully with the work I do everyday. May she rise in power, and may all who are reading this understand who she really was, and help to uplift her spirit while putting an end to the ignorance that still surrounds her life. Blessings to her family and friends !
Watch the Interview Here
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Arlo Wilde, the youngest psychic reader in New Orleans at Sassy Magick. All rights reserved.
Over the years we have profiled a lot of psychic readers here on Voodoo Universe, and this time around I am proud to present an interview with Arlo Wilde. Arlo is definitely the youngest professional reader we have explored here. I hope you enjoy the following interview. If you would like to get a reading you can find Arlo at Sassy Magick in New Orleans.
When did you start divining?
– I started when I was 7 years old, which is 7 years ago. I had asked my parents if I could learn Tarot, and they said yes! I taught myself until the age of 8, where I started to read Tarot.
With what method?
– I started with Tarot, then moved to adding on more things such as Pendulum work and Oracle.
Which method do you use most often now?
– I mostly use Tarot now, however it’s pretty balanced between Tarot, Oracle and Pendulum work. It simply depends on the question, and context.
How important is the choice/phrasing of the question?
– It’s semi-important for me. The phrasing can help it be more clear, however if you can get the question out in a way that I can understand, I am able to read it easily. To simplify it, as long as I can understand the question you’re good!
Do you have a yes/no method of divining you recommend?
– My recommendation for yes/no divination method is Tarot or Pendulum. For Tarot, I read it as Upright = yes, reversed = no. For pendulums, it depends on the pendulum/spirit you’re asking. Before you ask your question say “show me yes” and then “show me no”, this way it’s easy to understand the response you get.
Is there any advice you have for newcomers when using divination?
– Absolutely! I suggest making yourself a cheat sheet with all the information you learn or need to learn. It’s easy to go back to it, when needed. When I was learning Tarot at 7/8, I made myself a booklet with all the information I needed. Also, remember to take breaks! They are way more important than you think they are. Giving yourself burnout, will make it harder to learn.
Are there any new projects you are developing?
– I’m currently working on starting a Teen-coven! It will be 13-17 only, and will be a safe space for baby and/or closet witches trying to learn the craft. We will do group work, and still focus on individual at the same time.
As always if you have enjoyed what you find here check out the other divination posts here, and please remember to like, comment, and share !
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