Table of Contents

I. A HISTORY OF VOODOO. 1. Out of Africa. In the Ancient Kingdom. Tribe Jive. The Old Gods. Looking Back to the Homeland. 2. The Secret Religion of Slavery. Haiti's Early History. Crossing the Ocean to Hispaniola. Mixing It Up: Melding of Tribal Customs. Secret Worship. Staying Safe: Hiding Behind Catholicism. Native Influences. 3. Rebellion and Revolution. The History of a New Country. Readying for Rebellion. Voodoo Coup. Aftermath of War. The Religious War Against Voodoo. Voodoo Politics. 4. Voodoo in the Modern World. Vilifying Voodoo. Voodoo in Haiti Today. Southern Style: Voodoo in New Orleans. Moving On Out: The Haitian Diaspora. Caribbean Cousins. 5. Voodoo's Artistic Legacy. Flag It. A Picture Is Worth a Thousand Words: Art. Collecting Haitian Art. The Voodoo Beat: Music and Dance. Words for the Wise: Literature. II. THE FUNDAMENTALS OF VOODOO. 6. God and Spirit. God in Voodoo. Who Are the Lwa? Where the Lwa Come From. Lwa Nations. What the Lwa Do. The Lwa Personality. 7. The Great Lwa. The Hierarchy of Lwa. Danbala and Ayida-Wedo, Father and Mother. Papa Legba, Head of the Lwa. Ezili Freda, Lwa of Love. Ogou, the Warrior Lwa. Agwe and Lasiren, Lwa of the Sea. 8. The Lwa of Death. The Hierarchy of Gede. The Many Spirits of Death. The Baron, Lord of Death. Maman Brijit, Queen of Black Magic. Going to the Graveyard: Honoring the Lwa of Death. 9. Lwa Everywhere. Thousands of Spirits. Other Lwa You Should Know. Here Today, Gone to Lwa. Two Are Better Than One: The Sacred Twins. Becoming a Lwa in Five Easy Steps. 10. The Relationship with the Lwa. Life with the Lwa. Who Sits on Your Head? Care and Feeding of the Lwa. Presents! Gifts to the Lwa. How the Lwa Serve You. 11. Possessed by the Spirit. The Possession Obsession. Saddle Up! Possession Is Nine Tenths. The Aftermath of Possession. Faking It. 12. Death and the Soul. A Map of the Soul. After Death: The Soul's Journey. Putting the Body to Rest. Raising the Soul. Family Ties: Honoring the Ancestors. III. VOODOO IN PRACTICE. 13. The Priests and Priestesses of Voodoo. That's Mr. (or Ms.) Spiritual Leader to You. The Oungan As Community Leader. The Oungan As Therapist and Advisor. The Oungan As Fortune-Teller. The Oungan As Folk Healer. 14. The Voodoo Community. A Neighborhood Religion. Gathering Place: The Voodoo "Church". Where the Lwa Live. A Peek Inside the Ounfo. Voodoo VIPs. 15. Ritual in Voodoo. Let's Have a Ritual. Greetings and Salutations. Pictures and Patterns. Let's Party! Drumming, Dancing, and Chanting. Sacrifice: The Ritual Meal. Calling All Lwa. 16. Initiation into Voodoo. Called by the Lwa. Joining In. Washing the Head: Baptism in Voodoo. Trial by Fire: The Ordeal of Kanzo. After Initiation. 17. Special Rituals and Rites. Rituals to Honor the Petro Spirits. Till Death Do Us Part: Marrying a Lwa. Taking a Luck Bath. The Feast of the Yams. Voodoo Pilgrimages. Check Your Calendar. 18. Getting into Voodoo. Constructing an Altar. A Little Respect: Revering Your Ancestors. Attending a Ritual. Traveling to Haiti. Getting Serious: Becoming Initiated. 19. Special Issues. Voodoo Woohoo: Religion or Party? So When's the Human Sacrifice? Everybody's Welcome: Tolerance in Voodoo. How Voodoo and Other Religions Mix. IV. MYTH AND MAGIC. 20. Charms and Spells. "Magic" in Voodoo. The Priest As Magician. How Charming: Protective Charms. Spelling Tests: Requests of the Lwa. 21. That Old Black Magic. Sorcerers: The "Left Hand" of Voodoo. Curses and Revenge. Ouch! Voodoo Dolls. What's the Password? Secret Societies. 22. They Live (or Do They?): Zombies. Night of the Living Dead: Zombi Facts and Fallacies. From Grave to Slave. Protect Yourself: Prevention and Cures. Zombi Powder: A "Natural" Cause? Mistaken Identity: Real-Life Zombis. 23. In the Voodoo Shop. Finding a Voodoo Shop Near You. Services for Sale. Get Out Your Credit Card. Protecting Yourself Against Con Artists and Swindlers. 24. Voodoo on the Big Screen. What Sells Isn't Necessarily What's True. Voodoo Done Right: A Few Movies to Watch. Your Rent List: A Voodoo Filmography. The Ultimate Horror Monster: Zombies in the Movies. APPENDIXES. Appendix A. Glossary of Voodoo Terms. Appendix B. Resources for Further Study. Index.

About the Author

Shannon R. Turlington is the author of more than 20 books, including the entertaining and comprehensive Do You Voodoo? which was the culmination of her very popular website of the same name. She is also the author of The Everything Kids Monster Book, to be published in 2002. She has been studying Vodou, Lukumi, and other alternative religions for many years; much of what she has learned can be found in this book. She lives in North Carolina with her dog, Delirium.