Is Voodoo Real?

To simply put it, African Shamanism and the Voodoo is just one. Is voodoo is real is one of the basic questions that people ask. And the answer to this question is yes. A great spirit is the source of creation and life, aside from this, the god/s created this world as an expression of himself through dancing. Ashe, a term he is commonly referred to, revealed his powers and taking different forms of spirits known as the Loa. This thing is believed to be spirit elements and different forces of life just like birth and death. Voodoo is real due to these reasons. However, if you still have doubts in your mind, this article will help you figure it all out. 

The Ancient Art of Voodoo

The organized religion of Egypt, known as the Ma’at, is from the primal Voodoo. However, this is also common in other Middle Eastern faiths such as the Yezidi Kurds. Similar ideas were shared by different tribes in the African region. To simply put it, this is just pretty much the same, however, a different word is used. However, “Ma’at” is more scholarly than Voodoo.

Voodoo vs. Other Religions

What is the main difference of Voodoo from other religions such as Islam and Catholicism? Can we say that how real is Voodoo? Or what is the true usage of Voodoo? Is it a search for understanding? Or is it a quest for power? There are great concepts of power in voodoo. Different from the popular beliefs, an art of keeping the peace is a great part of Voodoo. Same with the Egyptian ways, many believe that our world could prosper with peace between the powers. However, is it pleasing to the spirits? The answer to this question is both yes and no. Do not fret, this has a great reference from the Egyptian religion.

Many people believe that voodoo is real because it considers that the spirit is part of the world and it is widely connected to the African Shamanism. The spirit, in essence, is a part of the community. In worship, the west and the believers of Voodoo are two different things. They would alter things for or with the Loa.

Ashe

The “ashe”, or is underlying concept, deals greatly of what they did or even how they have greatly governed their own tribes. The reward of virtue was power, this is the main idea of the ashe. You have the right to exercise something if you have the power to do so, especially if they have an inherent virtue to do so. We can compare it to a higher power given as a gift. You can’t rule a tribe if you were not in touch with the Loa. In this essence, we can say that the nature spirits are very important. The tribe also characterize things as evil and good, just like we do.

Two Shamans

There are two kinds of African shaman, just like the Native American People. Those who serve the tribes are what we call the civic shaman. These people are also called “Mambo” or the “Houngan.” Civic Shamans are referred to wise folks in their tribes, however, they are usually focused on peacekeeping as well as forming prosperity and waiting for it to unfold to their people. They serve the Loa, however, they do not worship it. To become this shaman, you need to be attuned to the spiritual force because this serves as an invisible fire. “The Bokor”, known as the sorcerers, have served the Loa with both hands. With this, they have lived less with the people but more with spirits.

The aforementioned holds true to other cultures such as in Spanish Bujahs, Chinese Wu-Jen, northern American tribes, and as well as the Brujos. The Fey, or witch in Celtic, are remarked as people with the gift of shamanism. Same as the Bokor, the Brujos are also sorcerers. Some other people thought that the former was crazy, especially when they sought after power. They behaved like the Toltec seer, who was moved not only by power but also with elements. Unlike in other indigenous cultures, they aren’t branded as evil.

Mana

Mastery of awareness in pursuit of making better choices is the power that they want to have. In this essence, you can also make a good choice in a large scheme, making consequences like magic. This is somehow similar to the butterfly effect. Or, how one piece of stone can start an avalanche that a person was not hoping for.

The devotional path, or the Bhaktis as Hindus call it. Is that path filled with feeling, but it is not the same as how believers of Voodoo work. This makes them believe that Voodoo is real. “Mana”, “ashe” or luck as how some people call it, uses the original word meaning, which is in Norse. They believe it is the same because luck can also be found in Norse.

Is Voodoo Real or Only Superstition?

Some people believe voodoo is real while some people think this is a superstition. For example, Jorge Roos (a movie director) believed that he was in the middle of a voodoo ritual back in 1964. In those days, Roos has traveled to Cuba to teach in a film school in Havana. The director knew that there was voodoo on the island. Because of this, he wanted to meet a male priest, or commonly called a houngan. It is not very easy for him to find such a person.

When he had asked around, people would just shake their heads and tell him that they do not know voodoo. One good reason is that the Cuban government banned the practice, especially when the communist revolution came. In a fortunate day, Roos talked with two guys in a restaurant. He, then, asked again if they know anything about voodoo. A person replied that a person at the film school knows how to help him. This person is Rosita.

Rosita and Roos

Rosita contacted Roos and they managed to make a deal to meet a hougan. This girl brought the director and took him to the temple. Inside this place, it smelled very awful. When he was faced with the person he was looking for, he had a bad feeling that there was evil spirit with them. According to the director, the person had very creepy eyes and was very difficult to be with. He had spoken to this person, but after a few minutes, he returned to the Rosita girl. While he was riding in the car, he knew something weird has a happened. The director felt a violent episode of a stiff neck, up to the point which felt like a cramp. While this was happening, he could also smell something foul – he further believed that this smell came from the houngan. After a while, the smell and the cramp disappeared together. However, the director still felt it when he was in Denmark and Cuba. Fortunately for them, these disappeared.The director was, then, convinced that the houngan had done this curse on him, however, he did not know the reason behind this.

Up to this day, people still believe that voodoo is real. Some people might say that this is a religion, however, this is different from what it was before. But, some people still revere this as black magic and zombies.