rockofeye
Rock of Eye
Alex Batagi/Bonkira Bon Oungan. Queer, transmasculine priest/houngan asogwe, polytheist, spiritual worker, artist, writer, and wearer of many hats.
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Is there a reason why a manbo might prefer having an illuminasyon over a leson for a client? Recently called a manbo about a complicated situation I had and was unsure about how to approach things, by which she recommended having the lamp (I also noticed this preference a few months ago too). Is a lamp more convenient as opposed to trying to discern the will of the lwas, or is there something special about a general lamp compared to a revelation for different activities?
Hi,
So, an iliminasyon is not a general lamp. It is a powerhouse of a prayer service done over a lamp. Different lineages do it different ways but it involves construction of a lamp with multiple wicks, ranging from maybe seven wicks all the way to 21 wicks depending on the need, and a series of prayers done over it. Sometimes the prayers are extemporaneous and sometimes they are the litany of prayers that is broadly called the priye Ginen*, or the prayer of Ginen, that calls Bondye, all the saints, all the ancestors, and all the lwa to hear the needs of the person doing the iliminasyon, whether for themselves or on behalf of someone else.
Some basic offerings are generally prepared, or more elaborate offerings can be made, again depending on the need. The iliminasyon can remain as a lamp or can be used to make a life saving treatment in the case of dire circumstances like an illness resisting treatment or death that is known to be coming to someone.
So, it's kind of a big deal.
Why would a priest prescribe it? It's a way to draw a lot of attention to a cause or question in a way that brings a lot of heat and light, which is important in our relationships with our lwa. Lamps are the backbone of Vodou; most priests have one going on their table at all times. An iliminasyon is kind of the dynamite lamp to blow things open with a big blast of heat and light.
The iliminasyon does discern what the lwa want or are trying to communicate, even if they don't speak in a way we understand. Like, a situation may resolve in the way we are asking or if we are asking for specific help that help may come. It isn't something more convenient for sure; it is definitely work. A reading is much easier and less time consuming.
They may prescribe it because the issue is complicated or because they think it goes beyond what a reading can give, or maybe that readings have not addressed the issue for you. Sometimes they may prescribe it simply because the lwa tell them to. That's something that happens quite often with folks I work with; it comes up in a reading or in a dream or the lwa tell me in another way, and I communicate that on so the person can decide what they want to do.
I wouldn't necessarily say it's a preference but more a prescription. She is probably seeing or being told that something could really benefit from that particular work, especially if it has come up multiple times.
Hope this helps!
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i was told my grandmother practiced vodou in haiti and she’s passed. how would i go about reconnecting in that light?
Hi,
If there is no one else in your family that you know of that practices, I suggest reaching out to a priest for a reading to see what the lwa and potentially your grandmother have to say. You are not in an unusual position and a huge amount of the folks who I see for divination and spiritual work have similar situations. What we do is do the leson/reading and then talk through the prescriptions the lwa and ancestors may give.
You can also reach out to your grandmother via prayer. Light a white candle and set out some fresh water and speak to her about what's on your heart and what you are looking for.
Happy to connect if you're interested in chatting about more details or linking up for a reading!
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What happens to regular food offerings in a house altar? I noticed that the ones served in fèts are eaten (with a few exceptions of burying them, sending them out to sea on a bak, or disposing in other ways) but wanted to know if practitioners ate offerings made to the Rada, Petwo, etc. or had to let them rot and then dispose of them.
Hi,
It depends on what it is and what the purpose of it is. If I prepare food for my lwa at home just as an offering, I don't eat what I place for them. I might eat leftovers from cooking if there are any but what goes on the altar is for them only. Often there is a prescribed amount of time for it to sit there, either as informed by the lwa or as a standard thing, and then food is disposed of. Letting it rot sometimes is a prescription (and a good one!), and sometimes would be wholly inappropriate, like for Ezili Freda, Danbala, and most of the Rada lwa and a bunch of others.
An example of what might happen with food is what Gede asked of me recently. Food was prepared for him for his fet, and he came and ate it and enjoyed it...but he also wanted me to have similar done for him in Haiti and told me I could not dispose of his food here until I had the work done in Haiti. I was to take his food home, place it with his things, and keep it there until the work was completed. It took a minute to coordinate money, seek out what he likes to eat since it is different than what most Gede eat, and then have our folks down in Haiti prepare it in our lakou and deposit it. So, I had a basin of rotting manje Gede that I couldn't get rid of until I received the confirmation that it was done by my adopted son. I was kinda grossed out, this particular Gede was very amused by my distaste. When it could be disposed of, it went into a bag and into the trash.
In Haiti, food that won't be eaten would traditionally get deposited under a tree but that's often hard to do in the US if you don't have a yard. I don't, so what I do is place everything in its own plastic bag and then place it in the trash for disposal.
A sometimes exception is fresh fruit or vegetables. For example, I just did our household service for Kouzen and gave him a bunch of fresh fruit and vegetables. The service is finished, the prescribed period is over, and the fruit/veg is still good so it will go into our kitchen to eat. Kouzen is not going to ask me to sacrifice food I can eat.
Hope this helps!
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Congratulations on the "potato!" May your household be full of joy and blessings! On a random note, how are Haitian potatoes different from American ones (Idaho potatoes et al)? Any good potato dishes, whether deep fried, boiled in a soup, etc.? What of sweet potato dishes?
Thank you!
I don't think pòmdetè in Haiti are different from the potatoes we have in the US. I know I have seen/eaten white brown-skinned potatoes in Haiti (usually as French fries or some other fried potato thing or salad Ris, which is a Haitian potato salad with Bert's and often peas, it's usually bright red from the beets and absolutely delicious. That's probably one of the more well known potato dishes. Pòmdetè au gratin and mashed potatoes are done in Haiti as well, but I haven't seen it too many places outside of restaurants.
What is called patat in Haiti is a red skinned sweet potato, and that is prepared often as patat ak let; or sweet potato boiled in milk with spices. Pen patat is a sweet potato pudding served for dessert...and very tasty!
Yanm in Haiti is an African yam; much larger than what we would think of as a yam and white inside with a kind of woody skin.
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Are you more a banan peze or a banan douce kind of guy?
Totally depends on what I am eating! I am a banan peze person when I am eating lanbi or griyo or similar. I am a banan dous person when I am feeling snacky. I have become a banan bouyi person when eating food with sauce or even with eggs for breakfast. I also like fig/what are called bananas in the US...my fave is cut into cereal.
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Have you seen the videos of possession of lwa from Brazil? What do you think about them?
Hi,
I have seen those videos and I am not sure what to think. It looks unusual to me, but I have been taught and specifically approach things from the viewpoint that the lwa come as they will and sometimes that defies our understanding. I like to leave room for mystery and grace. And, it is difficult to really assess something when you are not in the room. Even then, I would be unwilling to point fingers because, frankly, that's rude and lacking in that grace.
I think what is a little confusing for me, and it really is a me thing, is that this is operating in a context outside of Haitian culture which is not unsurprising...they are all the way in Brazil! I do know that there is a community in Brazil that is being guided by Haitians who are trustworthy and knowledgeable but I am unsure if it is this community.
What I will say is what I have seen said on social media is pretty uncharitable and honestly hurtful, if the folks in that video came across the comments. Critique is one thing, but cruel and crass comments are something else entirely. And, to be perfectly blunt, more than a few folks I saw making comments are not in a place to be casting judgment about what is real/fake or wrong when they themselves have very publicly done things wildly out of pocket and/or wrong in the sense that they have lacked the education to do something correctly, thoroughly, and with cultural sensibilities and general prensip yo in mind. Those folks are not in a place to help, so don't hurt...especially when you yourself are not above very valid criticism.
So, I look at the situation with grace. The lwa move in mysterious ways and they seek their people out wherever they happen to be. Could things be very wrong? Absolutely. Do folks who want to serve the lwa need the guidance of competent priests and the enthusiastic participation of Haitians, as without Haitians there is no Haitian Vodou? Yup. And yet...we don't have the whole picture, so we operate with grace and assume good things, versus being the very definition of a low bar.
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Hi, I am in need of help I am to marry Legba I have a timeframe and my time is running out. I can find a houngan or mambo that is willing to do the ceremony. Do you know of anyone I can turn to that will assist me quickly? I live in Georgia legba told me I needed to go to New Orleans but that’s all he said other than the person has to be high ranking. Thank you for your time
Hello,
Maryaj lwa can certainly happen on a short time frame, but it costs, requires specific items, and each lineage does it differently; some lineages will not marry Legba. It is possible to have it done quickly, but it is difficult re: items needed and money.
I don't recommend New Orleans for Vodou.
I would recommend a reading to discern more about your situation and determine what other lwa are in play, as people very rarely marry one lwa only for spiritual reasons, and certainly not Legba alone. I do those readings; feel free to contact me here either by PM or leaving me a way to contact you, or email me at [email protected], I have availability this week.
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Ogou, a project finally finished, and upcoming possibilities!
The calendar has gotten ahead of me, and here we are again on a jou fet/feast day for Ogou. It's been quiet around these parts for a minute (more on that below..), and it feels like that kind of timing that puts you in exactly the right place at the right moment. Funny how divine providence works.
If you've hung around for a minute, you know the story I'm going to tell. Maybe I sound like an old person who walked barefoot up a hill in three feet of snow to go to school, but it's something that stuck with me and it's something that really did change my life.
Today is St. George's feast day, which is a day given to at least one Ogou for most if not all vodouizan; it's probably one of few overarching pieces of sameness that you can find country-wide in Haiti. Ogou is central to Vodou; it was Ogou Feray and Ogou Je Wouj who sprang up during Bwa Kayiman and who stoked the revolutionary spark that made the first free Black republic a reality. He is probably more central than he is given credit for; he is certainly overlooked at times in favor of others.
I've had the grace to not be able to overlook Ogou. He made sure of that when he (among others) brought me to my spiritual mother and the lineage named after nasyon Nago, the family of Ogou.
He also made sure of that when I was careening down a very bumpy road towards kanzo. It was 8 years ago now (!!) that I was sitting in an apartment that I would end up abandoning not knowing how in the hell I was going to get everything in order for kanzo just a few months later. I didn't have the money, I didn't have the stuff I needed, I don't even think I had my passport at that point. I was in serious trouble, and I knew it.
So, I did what I could and sat and made a small service for Ogou. I bought what little I could put together, made it pretty, and presented it to him. In retrospect, it's kind of cute what I thought I knew and must have been like a small child presenting you with the product of their toils: the spiritual equivalent of a mud pie with dandelions stuck in it and a macaroni necklace.
But, I did it and I told Ogou that I knew I had made a promise, I knew that I was in trouble, and that I would do whatever he told me if it got me into the djevo. I lit the match and gave it to him, he set the fire and burned my life down.
Within two weeks, I abandoned the apartment I had and packed my car to make a couple of trips into Boston to live in a teeny tiny rented room that was close to my job that Ogou would direct me to quit. I sold my car, any possessions I had that were worth money, and took my stacked vacation time money from the job I quit, all while working up until a few days before I needed to fly to Haiti and hustling at night with whatever side gigs I could find. I bought my flights to/from Haiti before I prepared anything else or even had the money I needed in my hands because I figured that it would be pretty awkward if I had to fly to Haiti and just...hang out when I had been planning to kanzo all along.
It looked like things were going to work out. I was barely sleeping, but the money was coming in and I had the things I needed to go to Haiti with....but what would things be without a last minute twist?
Two days before I left for Haiti, I found out that the way my rent was going to be paid while I was in Haiti fell through. So, I spent two days moving what I could into a friend's basement and abandoned the rest of my belongings, again. I had some boxes, a couple bags of clothes, my suitcase to go to Haiti with...and that's it. Everything else was gone, and I found myself in an airport unsure of where I was going when I got back.
I made it to Haiti after delayed and canceled flights and some crying in a corner, and the rest is history. Ogou (and all my lwa) held me up during the process, and held me up afterwards while he helped me rebuild the life I gave him to burn down. Literally everything I have now descends from the hands of Ogou and my lwa. Career and professional success, home, relationship, spiritual opportunities...all of it down to the last little piece. Nothing is without his/their influence, and my life has become worth living because of it. He saved me, and it all really started on this day 8 years ago. It's been a wild ride the last 12 years with the lwa, and I genuinely couldn't ask for anything better.
'Gratitude' is not a sufficient word because it cannot encompass how I hold all these things inside of me. It is beyond language and verbalization, and when I find myself in front of Ogou and wanting to thank him yet again for all that he has done for me, words are insufficient. I look at him kind of despairing to explain, and he just nods. He knows.
And here I am. Like I said, a wild ride. I looked at a calendar the other day and it really has been 12 years since I got dropkicked into Vodou. So much has happened and so much is to happen and to become. I am not yet the reflection of what I believe the lwa want for me, but I do believe I am climbing closer each day.
I've been pretty occupied in the last year with big stuff; I wrote previously about the completion of my husband's immigration process FINALLY which has him in the US with me permanently (and back and forth to Haiti as life allows). After that, a rather large project occupied most of my time/energy.
Details about that and upcoming stuff behind the cut.
I keep a lot of things close to my heart and am careful about what I write about here, both for practical and esoteric reasons. I strive to be transparent and vulnerable in healthy ways, and yet maintain some semblance of privacy, especially for those closest to me, like my husband.
But we did a thing and it's such a big thing that it deserves a mention in the place where I have detailed some of the most important bits of my life. Presenting our first collaborative effort:
Bondye, all the lwa, and the power of our collective ancestors gave us the opportunity to bring this soul and newest ancestor into being. We are happy to have our little potato with us. This is what has kept me so quiet here; pregnancy is not for the weak and it was a ride I, your friendly neighborhood gender non-conforming houngan, never thought I would take....and yet life with the lwa brings new twists and turns and beautiful gifts. I was deadset on never having children of my own, and here I am with a little potato.
This has opened a wide new world for me and boy have the lwa had a lot to say before and after the potato arrived. They are a tiny pitit Ginen and the lwa have been clear that we can never forget that.
So...there's that. It's funny, but being the caretaker of a potato that the lwa are deeply invested in brings me back to why this blog was started in the first place: I was having experiences that I did not see reflected anywhere, so I decided to write it all down.
I am not the first parent in the world, of course, and absolutely not the first vodouizan to bring forth a child...but again I don't find anyone else with my particular constellation of experiences having a similar experience. This time, at least, I have plenty of people to call and chat with when I have questions about the intersection of Vodou and the potato.
I expect some of it will make it here and some won't. My rule about writing about people that are close to me is that they get to consent about what details I share. When I write about my (human) husband, I share it with him before it posts. As the potato has not yet developed the capacity for consent, what is presented about them will be limited. Their face won't make it onto Tumblr or any other platform or social media I write on, and personal details will remain as neutral as I can make them. If you are one of the folks who knows me in an offline kind of way, I'd ask you to respect that as well.
Other things:
Tomorrow, I will have a post about an upcoming opportunity to celebrate Kouzen. I had hoped to have something put together for his actual fet day on the 1st, but like November is given over to Gede, all of May is Kouzen's month. Look for details tomorrow.
By next week, I will be live on Medium. This will allow folks to get my long-form posts directly in their email or via the feeds they use elsewhere. My long-form posts will continue to be posted here, and I will continue to answer questions and interact with posts here.
Website is coming!
I am toying with launching some online educational opportunities and have some specific plans, but would also like to hear what folks are interested in having live educational opportunities on. I'll post separately about that as well.
My husband is launching his atelier, expect posts about what he has available as well!
So...how are you?
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Do female Legbas exist? Likewise, would St. Benoît Joseph Labre be a Legba-like figure in your opinion? What of St. Drogo (a Legba, Kouzen, or Gede figure)?
On a different note, does St. Francis of Assisi have a corresponding lwa? What about the different baby Jesus images like the Divine Child Jesus, the Holy Infant of Atocha, Prague, etc.? And considering how rare St. Ulrich images are, is St. Brendan the Navigator or St. Nicholas of the Sea used for Agwé by many in the American diaspora?
No, female Legbas are not present. Legba comes with his wife, who is by the gate with him. Labre and Drogo are not saints found within Haiti, really. Haitian Catholicism and Ginen are very specific for a variety of reasons.
St Francis is usually venerated only in church, but specific lakou may have different relationships. I know of one lakou near Leogane who have a unique relationship with St Francis.
Images of the child Jesus are not used super often. The infant of Atocha walks with Jean Petwo in the lineage I am initiated in.
No, those saints are not given to Agwe as they have no real presence in Haiti. If people want an image of a saint and can't find a paper one easily, they'll paint them or commission them.
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What’s the bathroom like in Haiti?
Hi,
I'm assuming you mean the set-up of bathrooms and what using the bathroom might be like.
If you are staying in a hotel or in a home in a well to do neighborhood with Western style homes, it's probably very similar to what you might be used to in any Western country; a flush toilet, a shower with running water, and a sink with running water. Water pressure and flush power can fluctuate and usually isn't the same as you would see in the US.
Basically everywhere else, water is brought by buckets and barrels from cisterns. Flushing the toilet is done by pouring a bucket of water into the toilet, and usually paper is not flushed. Your shower is a bucket of water which you pour over yourself with a cup or a dipper, which is super refreshing when it's hot.
More rural areas will have an outhouse kind of set-up with no central plumbing and neighborhoods that are extremely poor often have channels on the side of the road that may take solid and liquid waste away from homes. This has its challenges, as that can affect local water supply.
The water you bathe with is not what you would use to brush your teeth or drink, even if it is coming out of a faucet.
I hope this answers your question!
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While St. Michael usually represents Agaou and sometimes other lwas like Osan, what lwas walk with the other archangels as Gabriel, Raphael, and perhaps even Uriel? Would 4 instead of 3 archangels be best for the cardinal directions (or 7)?
There is no overarching regleman of what saint is present with what lwa; it is largely very specific to lineage. Osanj does not walk with St Michael in large swaths of Haiti, that would be a very unusual occurrence for a number or reasons.
All archangels are not necessarily represented. Some folks will give Agwe the image of Raphael with the fish, but again that is lineage specific and the lwa can have very strong opinions when a saint image is placed with them that they do not associate with in the lineage someone is learning with or born from.
The lineage I am initiated in does not utilize cardinal directions. Cardinal directions are not really utilized too much in Vodou, though there are certainly things that look like that.
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While St. Joseph is usually associated with Papa Loko, what about his other images such as St. Joseph the Worker (carrying an axe/hammer) or St. Joseph the Terror of Demons? Would those kinds of images be more appropriate to different Ogous, Agaou, etc? Does St. Francis have a correspondent in Vodou?
Those other images of St Joseph are not often used. It's possible someone does somewhere, but it's not common practice and I imagine most folks would feel pretty unsettled about transmitting a saint who is with Loko on to others.
We don't assign saint images based on what we might think might match; the lwa and saints are pretty specific about how things line up.
St Francis does and does not walk within Ginen, and it depends on where you are and whom you are learning from if he does.
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As an artist, if you were to make a Vodou rendition of the Last Supper, which lwas would you depict? And on a related note, is there already a correspondence between specific lwas, Jesus (or is he already Bondye?), the 12 disciples, and Judas Iscariot (perhaps as Linglessou)? For instance, while St. James the Great and St. James the Less are Ogous, St. Peter is a Legba/Sobo, St. Jude is a Legba/Simbi, etc., what lwa correspondences do others like Luke and Mark have? Would St. Philip make a great Gede as a patron of hatters and chefs?
I don't know that I would make that rendition!
How and why saints are present with lwa is one part mystery and one part history, in that it is largely something specific to lineage, locality, or specific lakou so it's less about selecting images to use and more about embracing what is transmitted to you by your lineage elders.
Various images of Christ are given to Bossou and Linglessou/Kriminel, among others.
Part of the mystery is that not all saints are present and we don't get to decide who is/is not present. There are Reasons and reasons that get revealed over time as we progress with our lwa.
Hope this helps!
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At the End of the Year
Despite this being a very hot, very active part of the Vodou year, I have found myself feeling very contemplative and reflective as I head towards the change of the calendar. This is unsurprising; the older I get, the more I prefer to sit quietly and drink in my understanding of my own self.
And yet, the poto mitan is still on fire and the air is still filled with flames and the smoke and dust of pounded leaves. I feel like I am sitting in the middle of a fire tornado watch the lwa light the flames to burn away what does not serve us as we move into a new year.
It is not by chance or accident that Makaya season spans the last month of the old year and a piece of the New Year. It's the good kind of burning.
2023 was The Year for me. A lot of goals I had set quite awhile ago have come to fruition and all the groundwork I laid became the foundation for the rest of my life. I didn't do it on my own, of course...all the work (and accompanying blood, sweat, and tears) was done with the lwa, who held me up when I legitimately thought I was done.
After battling for my husband's visa for three years, I got it done. It took a federal court case that I filed (because who has lawyer money?) and lamp after lamp after iliminasyon. Every time something changed or didn't change and we found another speedbump, another lamp with the work doubled in Haiti. More prayers, more struggles...but I won the battle in the end and it is sealed. I have never felt the kind of satisfaction that I felt when we made it through the final hoop of customs to enter the US. The phone calls from the airport to family and friends back in Haiti and in the US were the best phone calls ever. The airport dinner was the best dinner ever.
And despite all the work that went into it...I know we were blessed in the process because it only took three years. While waiting for processing at the American embassy in Port-au-Prince, S met people who had been in process for years longer than us for the exact same visa. There were moments where we could have been turned back and yet with grace we were not. When you are in the fire, it is hard to see where the hands of the lwa might be, but when it was finished....I see how they both made the road, cleared the road, and accompanied me on the journey.
I did all that, and I am super proud of it.
There have also been many other wins and successes but that's the big one, and I am satisfied.
2024 doesn't look like it will be an easier year in this world bent on destruction, but I am hopeful. There is lots to look forward to; my husband is getting ready to launch his atelier that will showcase his talent in traditional drapo and boutey lwa making, as well as his painting and garment skills. There are a couple of book projects simmering away and maybe the formation of an artist collective based in Haiti, as well as other Haiti projects. I hope and plan for success as a foundation moving forward.
We are busy getting ready for this new year. The house has been cleaned and every bit of laundry done, the baths have been made, magic refreshed, and tomorrow's soup joumou will be a reward for all of the running around. May these preparations solidify my blueprints to success.
We not only witness the New Year arriving, but January 1 marks the 220th anniversary of Haitian independence from colonial rule and the liberation of all enslaved individuals in the territory of Haiti. It is a poignant new beginning within a new beginning, particularly at a time when worldwide we are faced with the spectre of colonialism, poisonous nationalism, and the reminder that the world has not yet quashed the reality of subjugation of those we deem lesser. Liberation is an ongoing active process, and the fire lit by our revolutionary spiritual ancestors still burns. The lessons of Dessalines, L'Ouverture, Ogè, Papillon, Pètion, Christophe, Capois, Makandal, Boukman, Fatiman, la Prophétesse, and all whose names were not written or were forgotten are still important.
I do not wish for peace, but for revolution that brings new life. In that revolution, may you find prosperity, health, a sense of purpose, the knowledge that that the world needs your presence and participation, and balance in deeply unbalanced times. May you be accompanied by your ancestors and spirits who love you, and may the hope for a new year burn bright!
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For ceremonies, would people make their own cakes to a lwa (following standard procedures about not hungering for the cake, ritual purity, etc.) or buy them from a bakery? What makes certain cakes (and/or pastries) made by an outside bakery acceptable for ceremonies but not other restaurant dishes? What sorts of cakes do the different lwas and nasyons prefer?
Hi,
Most people buy cakes for ceremonies, usually from Haitian bakeries or a trusted community member who bakes. It is generally too much work to be trying to bake while preparing everything else, and in Haiti many people do not have access to the equipment to bake.
Instructions are given as to what cakes need to be made and what they should include or not include; most Haitian bakeries have an understanding of what the cakes are for so they are careful. Many Haitian cakes that are given to the lwa are traditional recipes, like bonbon siwo or gato anana, and ingredients that are tabooed for the lwa are not common ingredients for many Haitian baked goods.
In contrast, most Haitian food purchased in restaurants would contain ingredients tabooed for the lwa so they wouldn't be appropriate to give to the lwa.
There are also ways that manje lwa is prepared that differ from how food in a restaurant is prepared, and people who prepare food for the lwa need to be spiritually clean for the work, which can't be guaranteed or asked of restaurant workers. Food is also tightly monitored and prepared by trusted hands because it can be so easily spiritually spoiled. Fighting while preparing food can render it inedible by the lwa, and food is vulnerable in that someone with bad intentions can mount magic in food.
And, buying and preparing food for ceremonies is part of the sacrifice of a ceremony. The money spent and labor of preparation is its own devotion and gift to the lwa.
Generally, the lwa are happy with cake, period. Cake is a special occasion food in Haiti and not really eaten casually so its presence is special and sometimes that's part of the gift. Most cakes I have seen served are white cakes decorated for the spirits included in the ceremony. Gede is often given chocolate cake. Ezili Danto (and other Petwo lwa) enjoy gato anana, which is a Haitian pineapple upside down cake. Kouzen will enjoy siwo bonbon from time to time.
Hope this helps!
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What exactly are "faces" when referring to Rada "faces" as opposed to Petwo "faces" for different lwas such as talking about the "Rada" face of Simbi, Ti-Jean, and Ezili Dantó? While I understand Danbalah Wèdo being Rada as opposed to Danbalah LaFlambeau being Petwo, does this mean that some Petwo spirits' forms are venerated in their Rada form during the Rada section? Would Simbi Dlo be honored in Rada, or is he still Petwo? Does having a Rada face mean a specific form or a certain nature?
Hi,
There are different ways to explain it. Sometimes describing a spirit as having a more Rada face or a more Petwo face means that their nature is changeable. Sometimes it is a way to describe a family of spirits. Sometimes it's a way to describe a group of spirits that have the same root and then diverge.
Danbala is a family name; while we most often refer to Danbala Wedo when we speak about Danbala, there are hundreds of spirits called Danbala. Some are snakes, some come as men, some come as half man half snake. Danbala Wedo is the most well known Rada Danbala, but there is also Danbala Yenou, Odan Missi Wedo, and others who take the name Danbala, and similar in the Petwo rite.
Similarly, Ogou and Ezili are family names and various Ogou and Ezili extend or can extend into different rites, like Ezili Freda and Grann Tessi Freda in the Rada rite, Ezili Danto, Ezili Kè Nwa, Ezili Mapyang in the Petwo rite, Ezili Danto and many of her sisters extending into Makaya, Chanpwel, and Bizango rites, Ogou Sen Jak and sometimes Ogou Ashade in the Rada rite, Ogou Badagris, Ogou Feray, and numerous other Ogou in the Nago rite, and Ogou Feray, Ogou Demanyè, and Ogou Je Wouj in the Petwo rite. They are all spirits who share a family name and, especially with Ogou, the same root, but show a different 'face' at different times in different rites.
Simbi Dlo is always honored in the Petwo rite; all Simbi spirits come in the Petwo rite or other fiery rites that extend from there.
Rada spirits in general are considered as royalty and are generally cooler spirits with more reserved temperaments, though that doesn't mean calm and quiet. Agaou is welcomed in the Rada rite yet can come screaming like Ogou, and Bossou called with the Rada rhythms is as unpredictable and volatile as his Petwo counterparts.
Hope this helps!
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Hi there! I had a medium do a life guidance session which involved some automatic writing. He channeled Erzulie and she gave me a ritual to fulfill my desire to live life more filled with love.
Do you have any suggestions on how I can show her my gratitude?
Thank you!
Hi,
I'd show my gratitude by going to a legitimate houngan or manbo and getting a reading from to determine if Ezili wants something, which specific Ezili that is, and how to go about fulfilling what she asks without stepping on her toes.
The lwa do not speak through things like automatic writing and mediums outside of their cultural format, and things like that can't be taken seriously. Additionally, all of the Ezili spirits are picky, exacting, and have high standards. I would be super concerned about doing a random ritual a medium suggested because there are things that are tabooed to give or do for the lwa, and specific things that various Ezili spirits do not like and can be very unhappy to receive.
The majority of stuff that folks who are not within the religion prescribe for someone to do with the lwa range from 'that's not great' to 'you have severely offended these spirits and there is now a high price to both make them happ6 and remove the conditions of their unhappiness in your life'. Don't get caught up in that kind of stuff...it's bad for basically everything.
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