Analysis Of Marie Laveau's House Of Voodoo

St. Expedite, patron saint for those who just can’t wait. But what does a saint have to do with Voodoo? For those of whom the word “voodoo” conjures images of human sacrifice and Voodoo dolls full of needles, or who just don’t know much about the religion, this companionship may be baffling. Any quick inquiry of Voodoo will bring forth the long history of incorporating Catholic symbols into Voodoo practices. How does a religion come to adopt symbols from another religion, and in what ways do the rituals pertaining to that borrowed symbol change, and how do they stay the same? I traveled to New Orleans to find out just what exactly the connection between Voodoo and a supposedly Catholic saint had. My travels coincided with the April 19th Feast

The shop is located in the French Quarter of New Orleans, on the famous Bourbon Street. The exterior is unassuming, a small house-like building, unlike the two-story buildings with wrought-iron balconies that surround it. This makes entering the shop all the more shocking. As soon as you step inside, there is an explosion of odds and ends. Voodoo dolls, African masks, gris-gris bags, anything having to do with Voodoo, magic, and any and all other spiritual needs. I recorded my notes in a small notebook with pen, this was slightly disadvantageous because James, who was demonstrating the ritual, was speaking and explaining things rather quickly. Because it was not an actual ceremony and just a demonstration by him, my presence did not influence anyone’s behavior, and from start to finish I was in Mari Laveau’s House of Voodoo for about an hour and fifteen

It’s Catholic, but some conjurers will do it too and they take from every religion and do a lot of voodoo stuff too, so maybe that’s where you got confused at.” All I could do in that moment is nod my head and let out a weak “Ah… okay.” Things were making a lot more sense now, and at the same time making a lot less sense. In the research I conducted before taking this trip, I was having difficulty pinpointing exactly what Voodoo had to do with this St. Expedite ritual, and was hoping to make that connection while observing. This last set of words, delivered so nonchalantly, almost as an after thought, left me confused. This was the end of his demonstration, it was clear. I made my way through the shop, past the gris-gris bags and voodoo dolls for sale, and back out into the street, zig-zagged my way through the French Quarter crowds, onto the cramped street car, and back to my hotel room as fast as I could to figure out where I went wrong in my