For our ancestors the whole world was alive with spirits. The Gods bubbled forth from rivers and springs and whispered in the breezes that rustled through cities and farms. The ground underfoot, the stones, the fire that cooked the food and drove off the darkness, these all had spirits - not just sp[...]

Until recently, the Haitian practice of Vodou was often identified with devil worship, dark curses and superstition. Some saw the saint images and the Catholic influences and wrote Vodou off as a "Christian aberration." Others were appalled by the animal sacrifices and the fact that the Houngans and[...]

Haitian Vodou is a very practical and scientific craft: either you please the spirits and get results or you don't - often for good reason. The lwa - the spirits honoured in Haitian Vodou - know that it is far more useful to find out exactly what is causing your money woes rather than receiving a qu[...]