What is Voodoo?
It is an animistic folk tradition brought to the U.S. during the slave trading days. The basis of the religion came from Africa. It Voodoo is a West African word meaning ‘spirit’; the original word was vodun. Voodoo is a religion, with one God, a pantheon of Spirit Forces called Loa or Orisha, similar to the Catholic Saints, with certain rituals & steps of initiation which must be adhered to. Hoodoo is basically a collection of Cajun magick & folklore without a theology attached to it. Many Voodoo practitioners, especially in the Louisiana area, do incorporate elements of Hoodoo into their practice which is simply a testament to the very adaptive nature which has kept the religion of Voodoo alive in the New World. Voodoo in Africa and Haiti has maintained much of its original structure and orthodoxy, whereas Voodoo in New Orleans is more of a folk religion composed of European, indigenous American, and, most especially, African cultural elements. New Orleans Voodoo is associated with m
