The Vodoun religion at its cosmological core is an ANCESTRAL RELIGION, meaning that the African Diaspora have a very special bio-spiritual relationship with the Vodoun deities, because they are born to them, and are passed down through their own bloodlines.
This holy covenant was made with the Africans and their tutelary deities more than 10,000+ years, through birth inheritance and ethnic lineage affiliation.
Contrary to anthropological and pro-slavery speculations, the advent of slavery (miscegenation) did not remove them from the bloodline.
The Diaspora are actually more connected to the Vodoun because of the legacy of slavery, which follows an ancient history dating as far back as the 6th century C.E. (A.D.).
Today, in West Africa, nearly all the major songs, and celebrations are dominated by the Vodou deities and Tchamba ancestral slave spirits whose kin were lost to slavery in the New World, during Arab (Muslim), and European colonialism of Africa. The theme of most of these songs is the awareness by them that as long as the Diaspora remain lost to them and to their religious culture, they, their ancestors and deities will continue to suffer in the New World.
Annual Petatrotro ancestral and Mami Wata celebrations held at the Mami Wata Healers Society in Augusta, GA. USA. More African-Americans are being called back to their ancestral traditions. They are resurrecting their lineages and enjoying a privilege of openly worshiping their spiritselves. A religious freedom routinely denied their ancestors in the New World.
The Vodoun deities born to the African-American Diaspora did not originate from Haiti. They came directly in their blood from their own ethnic lineages from which their ancestors descend in WEST AFRICA.
The Vodou religion of Haiti is not an African-American religion, and is not the originators of the Vodoun religion in America. Though similar, their vodou spirits are unique to the specific families and the ethnic lineages who were brought over and enslaved in Haiti. Lineages that may be very different from those African lineages brought over and enslaved in the United States.
(above): Antique “hippie” poster entitled “Circle Mandela. L.A. CA“ is reminiscent of the post beatnik generation of white Americans, searching for spiritual meaning through Eastern mysticism, Transcendental Mediation, Tantric sex, Yoga and other Kemetic derived religious practices. During the 1950s and 1960s, thousands flocked to the holy temples and Ashrams of India, following in the tradition of the ancient Celts, Dorian Greeks, Tuscan (Romans) who made annual pilgrimages to the holy temples of Black Di-Anat (Matanni empire in ancient Turkey), and to the Black Mami temples of Ceres in ancient Bethlehem, and elsewhere. All seeking healing, knowledge of prophecy, spiritual guidance and her protection believing it to be the end-of-the-world.
The result was mass assimilation and commercialization, demonstrated in modern times by a plethora of western-styled literature, books, tapes, clothing, and temple implements. All reflecting a point-of-view devoid of its intrinsic esoteric meaning as it was known to the indigenous people of those ancient lands.
Conversely, the Vodoun (and other African traditional & Diaspora religions) are experiencing an influx of Neo-pagans, Thelemics, Wiccans, Satanists and other non-Diaspora who are misinterpreting, and revising its core philosophy and cosmology to reflect their own beliefs and spiritual agenda.
While a few are sincere in their efforts, the majority viewing Vodoun as a business to market their “cultural spiritual wares,” while exuding an arrogance, disrespect and caviler disregard for African-American priests/esses, their ancestors and the sacredness of their ancestral religions.
On the surface, this deception often hurts those in the Diaspora who are new and re-learning about their ancestral traditions. One of the goals of this destructive trend is to obscure and to condition many in the Diaspora into accepting an inferior status in their own ancestral religions, or into accepting certain philosophic beliefs that are often fundamentally disturbing and offensive to their ancestors and deities/spirits. This misinformation is craftily packaged in pseudo-science and “African” philosophy, and is widely disseminated as fact through electronic internet and print media.
NOTE: The term “Hippie” was coined by African-Americans in 1960s to describe rich and middleclass, German immigrants and white Americans searching for spiritual meaning and cultural identification with the “downtrodden.” They (hippies) were viewed as a disaffected group whom Malcolm X observed “acted more Negro than the Negro.” Referring to their use of slang, and their emulation of African-American cultural lifestyles and mannerisms.
THE N E W A G E I N V A S I O N ?
American born, Chief Hounon-Amengansie, Mama Zogbé, paying respect to the oldest living Chief Amengansie in Togo, West Africa. It is from these and other Vodoun lineages are the hallmark of the Vodoun, Mami Wata and Amengansie ancestral traditions. At their cosmological core, they are ancestral, and the Diaspora must not loose sight of this as revisionists try and ignore or down play this critical aspect.
The Vodoun Religion ancestrally, cosmologically, theologically, philosophically and ritually is not the next progressive step from Satanism, Thelema, Wicca, paganism or any other western created “magical” paths.
It is not a prerequisite to speak an African language or to be born in Africa, to be born with ones personal/family deities. All languages descend from Africa. Africans have been migrating and erecting kingdoms outside of Africa with their deities for thousands of years, and the Vodou speaks the language of their children wherever they might reside.
Those of the non-Diaspora who have purchased “Vodou initiations” regardless of “purchased ranking” can never resurrect (initiate) the personal vodou deities, nor the enslaved ancestors of anyone in the Diaspora. That is a priestly calling unique to the African/Diaspora lineages. Therefore only they [African/Diaspora lineage priests/ess) can be the “MAMAM” and “PAPA” of anyone in the Diaspora in the Vodoun religion. The collective lineages of enslaved Africans around the world falls under the matrilineal ancient clans of Mama Tchamba (see links below).
No mysteries or secrets of the Vodoun religion is published in books or known by any except lineage adepts, who will never speak. AFRICAN/DIASPORA ANCESTORS are the most important element in the Vodoun Religion. Without them, THERE IS NO WALK, and no legitimate clerical or spiritual authority.
Legitimate clergy of the Vodoun religion do not guise themselves, or hide behind pseudonyms, nor do they hide their faces when publishing websites offering services to the community at large. This deception is a growing problem especially by those who claim rank and titles yet possess no ancestral lineage or legitimate spiritual authority in the Vodoun religion.
It is crucial for the Diaspora to not omit (as others have done) this fundamental divine fact. As unsettling as the trend to obscure the historical, theological, and philosophical foundation of the Vodoun religion might appear. In the end, ones own ancestors and spirits will lead them to their own path in these very powerful African ancestral religions.
(cont) MORE IMPORTANT FACTS ABOUT VODOUN & THE DIASPORA
1960s beatnik generation experimenting
With TM (transcendental Meditation)