I’m feeling drawn to the idea of honouring my ancestors and the Loa. The Loa themselves are fascinating and I’d love to work with them.
But any kind of religion is unappealing to me. Is there a way of working with Loa without having to get into the whole religious stuff? Is there another tradition involving working with the Loa that would appeal to me more?
What ‘religious stuff’, precisely? What do you even know about the religion of Vodou? There are no Loa divorced from that religion. You don’t ‘work with’ the Loa either. They are not your tool. You serve them, and there are set ways of doing this which must be observed, and they serve you in return. If you’d really love to serve them, then you’d respect the tradition from which they hail and in which they wish to be approached, rather than trying to find some way which suits you. That is, at heart, mere self-service, and don’t think that these beings wouldn’t know that. It’s like the stereotypical image of Europeans trying to do business with the Japanese Empire in times gone by; it is you who must conform to and respect and obey their traditions if you wish to get something out of them (and if you do, you will).
No. There isn’t. And the Loa couldn’t care less what ‘appeals’ to you or about offending your modern Western sensibilities about religion. You serve them as they want, and they serve you in a way that will improve your life in ways you can’t imagine. Westerners think they can just pick and choose and mould together a hodge podge of whatnot to suit them and call it ‘spirituality’ (and doing so is not a tradition). It doesn’t work that way, and these beings do not suffer fools who think otherwise lightly. And you don’t get to choose which Loa to serve. No, you don’t serve ‘the Loa’, but specific Loa which either walk with you or will be introduced to you through others. That is to say they choose you based on deep affinities and your needs (not your wants). And they will let you know when they have. If they haven’t, your attempts to serve them will at best be ignored.
Gemma W., you may want to check out Michael Bertiaux. EA recommends his books. There are also very simple direct ways to honor your ancestors with an altar in your home. You can leave offerings for them and establish a conexion that with cultivation can become rather powerful.
333
Correct me if I’m wrong but dont you need to be a priest in that religion to work with them or serve as Poet says? Maybe I misinterpreted a video I watched or something but I though they were off bounds unless you were initiated. Maybe someone with more knowledge could respond.
Poete. I appreciate you sharing what you know but not the disrespectful way you delivered it! My questioning is valid. I am the first to admit I’m wet behind the ears. I can be expected to get stuff wrong. That doesn’t mean you get to talk down to me. Remember, you were at one time, wet behind the ears and full of questions.
UndeadGod, awesome, thanks for the heads-up. I’ll go and check him out. As for setting up an altar, honouring my ancestors, I’m already onto that. It’ll be done once I’ve got the place straighter (not long moved in). I’ve been reading Jason Miller’s book, The Sorcerer’s Secrets which discusses the importance of making offerings etc.
Jakob, from little info I’ve been able to gather (mainly from the websites of houngans and mambos), no, anyone can get started and you don’t have to be initiated to honour your ancestors and the loa. But I think to get further knowledge, you need to be initiated or become a houngan or mambo.
But don’t quote me, if I’m wrong please correct me.
It’s when one starts opening Veves and calling them down in rituals right away that some kind of initiation is best. That is not recommended without guidance. The Loa can be honored and fed perhaps even winning their favor by anyone.
I believe there are some ways of self initiation has anyone read the Spider and the Green butterfly by E.A and Baron DePrince its a really good book to begin Serving the Loa I had just completed it im just studying it over and over i want to do the same as Gemma W. in honoring my Ancesters and the loa but the Spider and the green butter fly kinda scared me away from it for now:D hopefully E.A can give more Advice if he isnt busy.
Man I got to get all these books Ive really been missing out!
In what way is it scary? I’m just interested.
I guess the scary thing is that you cant banish them pretty much by anything, aparently...If you want them eventually gone, theyll just leave if THEY want to and agree to do so…
Let me reword that by scared me away its how it talks about the loa i knew they werent to be worked with but to be served ive had an uncle who serves them he is no longer with us it runs in my family there are several others but im not willing to give up my mind body and soul to the loa just yet although it does call to me than any other form of magic ive learned over the years Gemma W.