Definitely not Palo.
A lot of people mistake the graphic designs of the Veves with western sigils this is the furthest thing from the truth. Veves(Vodoun) similar to Firmas(Palo) and come from the writing systems of the Bakongo. In Palo the closest thing we have to anything like Legbas Veve is the Dikenga which is absolutely useless to those who are not actually Paleros or Ngueyo, and it serves a totally different function.
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nopes. I just looked and compared. Not the same one as I thought. Close but not quite!
@PaterOctavius888 so what does it mean that I’ve seen this and not just a flash image of it, it stayed for a good while on the ceiling in my bedroom! I’m not of African nor Caribbean descent. I have considered making dolls of enemies but really didn’t know how to do it except for nail clippings or hair infused that’s as far as my voodoo knowledge goes. I do have a feeling that something wants me to make contact with it. So if it’s none of the previous suggestions from people on here where do I start? Using the veve/symbol or whatever it was that I saw as a point of contact?
Its a common misperception of the use of hair and nail clippings used in dolls, and folks calling that voodoo. A lot of those perceptions are born out of Hollywood, yet they are based out of western sympathetic magick. In reality you are more likely to find that kind of stuff in Hoodoo than Vodoun due European influence. Because of the amount of misinformation out there it will be impossible for me to provide you evidence of this, however I feel a deep importance on offering you some insights. I know where you are the thought that there could be a Houngan or Mambo near you seems nill, but you might be surprised if you find an authentic practicioner where you are, but they are there. And if or when that Houngan or Mambo enter your life, they will corroborate these words.
I really want to state that there is in fact something called a “calling” towards the Loa the “calling” will in time place the appropriate individuals on your life road so that you can answer that calling. I think seeing that visualization could be a potential sign of a calling however thats not the be all end all answer. If you really feel you are being called, then perhaps you should begin to do your own investigation into this tradition. The sad thing is with Vodoun just like LHP, its a selling point for a lot of people who only care about the dead presidents and not the preservation of a cultural spiritual tradition, that being the case you will have to cipher through a lot of garbage to get to certain truths.
I will explain in a very summerized form the actual belief structure of Vodoun.
Every adherent to Vodoun believes in one God. Which is usually celebrated by the name Bondye or “the good God.”
The Loa represent different forces of nature, the Loa are the mouth peices and ambassadors of Bondye on Earth.
The Veneration of ancestors and spirit guides, this can include blood relatives, family inherited spiritually, Freinds of the ancestors and patron spirits of ancestors, as well as pets and animal spirits.
Vodoun in Haiti is much different than the practices in Africa but it was definitively born out of the same spirit. What makes Haitian Vodoun unique is its history, where in Africa many of the tribes that formed Haitian Vodou didnt necessarily get along very well or include one another, out of necessity to survive, those ideals had to be knocked down. There were several tribes who had their own language barriers with one another different Bakongo nations, Igbo, Ewe, Fon, Dahomey, and Yoruba were some of the pivotal tribes at the forefront of the inception of Haitian Vodoun. Soon after it began to include the Taino or Arawak people as well as Irish “servants.” After Criole became an established language elements of Freemasonry began to become included in the practices of Vodoun. Vodoun is much more than a spiritual system. Its a way of life that includes everything from deeply engrained spiritual beliefs, music, dance, fashion, food, and an array of other arts and sciences.
Further more the structure of Vodoun is the same as any other ATR in regards to honor. Dealing with honor for the elders of the tradition for those are the ones keeping the tradition alive, honoring the ancestors for having kept the tradition alive, and the Loa for giving the tradition life.
“If we stand tall, it is because we stand on the shoulders of many ancestors.”
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@PaterOctavius888 Thabk you for explaining it to me, I guess it’s like any religion it takes some serious commitment to study it properly. I think this site was put in my path to start me off tbh I need to find a practitioner, it feels like it’s going to be hard to find someone here, however, as you say I WILL find someone authentic if it’s neant to be. I do feel like I’m being pulled, I can’t explain it but so much has occurred in a short space of time since the first contact with Belial its all gone mad. I’m dedicated to find what or who is actually calling me. I need to do sone serious exploring and studying I think! Weirdly it seems my great grandfather was raised in Africa, something to do with diamond mining ( I didn’t think about it until tonight) and it was him who had similar (I think) beliefs to me. Somewhere along the Druid lines tho I think. I don’t know what’s happenening but I’m damn sure something is occurring. I’ll figure it out. Thanks again for taking the time to explain all that to me! My head’s spinning too many thoughts going around lol
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Papa legba
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Yep it seems so! It’s very strange as it’s not an area of practice for me but he seems to want me to contact him! Anyway I’ve been preparing to make contact with him! Thanks for everyone’s help! I’ll keep u posted on my progress!
You will also want to work on seeing what spirits are around you, or ‘walk’ with you. It’s possible that you have a predominant spirit or two who followed these traditions in their lifetimes and they are influencing you/guiding you because you spiritually are aligned to the same path. Like PaterOctavius said, “If we stand tall, it is because we stand on the shoulders of many ancestors.” To add to that, several of my spirits said “Nothing happens without spirit–spirit/egun/ancestors are one’s foundation and to be able to fly one first must walk slowly enough to ‘hear’ the ancients speak.”
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Can you elaborate on the elements of Freemasonry and Vodou? The moral elements or ritual?
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An example of its moral elements would be found in the principles of secrecy and oaths as well as an obligation towards good character and community charity. Ritualistic parts of this would include some of the hand gestures that are used as well as some of the symbolism being furtively inserted into some of the Veves, particularly the Ghede Nation, Ogu, Ayizan, and many of the other Lwa.
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I have noted some of the moralities within various Houses were aligned within Masonic principle. I’ll be sure to use certain grips when shaking the hands of houngans from now on. Thanks
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yes your right about the ancestor thing, its my great grandfather, he was a Druid, also he had ties to south Africa as he was raised there. I think he had ties to the freemasons at some point too, he was a mysterious character I think lol! its def him that is the spirit around me. Plus ive always had a psychic ability which I tried to stifle as it scared me when I was young, that’s a hand me down from moms side too. I was approached by Belial initially a few months ago, I dreamed he was sitting on the bed talking to me telling me he had lots to teach me,he told me his name then he sort of slid into me! id never heard of him before that but he had appeared in a dream a whie before but I didn’t take any notice at that point as I thought it was a dream lol, since the second visit its been all go lol I keep seeing strange symbols when I meditate, the star of david and a triangle being put together, or 3 triangles merging together! over active imagination? ive since seen the same veve and a pentagram on the door of the cupboard where I keep my alter so I do think someone wants to speak to me
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Hi,
I have not read all the replies on this so I apologize if I’m repeating something. That looks to me like Papa Legbas veve. He is the gatekeeper and spirit of the crossroads. It could just mean that you have a path to vodoun that is now open to you. He can be a ferocious spirit if provoked, but is usually not very aggressive in general. If he is appearing to you he could be telling you he’s opening the gate. If someone sent him against you then he would be there to block or restrict you from taking some sort of action.