Voodoo Doctor

I believe there is one Supreme Being, Bondye (Bon Dieu - Good God) or Gran Met (Great Master), but he is remote, perhaps more of a force than a "person." He created the Universe, but he does directly involve himself in its affairs. There are intermediary beings, the loas, which are sometimes referred to as the Voodoo "gods." I work directly with these beings. As with many other polytheistic systems, the loas represent natural forces and/or have specifc functions. Erzulie Frida is the loa of love and beauty. Agwe is the loa of the Ocean. Loko is the loa of healing and plants. Ogun is the loa who presides over war. Papa Legba (the Old Man at the Crossroads) is the gatekeeper who opens the door so than mankind can converse with the other loas. Ghede is the loa of Death. My personal loa is Simbi Makaya, a loa who presides over magic and sorcery. Please understand that these are very simple descriptions and the actual character and function of the loas is much more complex. I just wished to provide a brief sketch of my belief system .

Voodoo Doctor remembers being something akin to a "simbi" in a primordial garden world. A simbi is a nature spirit that likes water and trees and has snakelike or reptilian qualities. In this memory, Doctor Griffin generally appeared as a normal human, but could shift into a snake-like humanoid, and maybe even fully into a large snake (or dragon?). In Voodoo there is a Papa Simbi who is one of the loa (loa are sometimes called Voodoo "gods"), and he is Doctor Griffin's patron. Doctor Griffin was a simbi who lived alone in the wild, but he remembers that there were freshwater rivers, ancient cities of white marble, and an ocean and a harbor full of ships nearby. In the harbor was a tall lighthouse. He remembers a sky full of stars. All was pristine. He also remembers being a welcome guest at a palace or temple in the sky or clouds, as if he were an advisor or visiting dignitary of some sort. There were plenty of handsome young men (and women) wearing short robes or tunics of different colors. He doesn't remember seeing anyone old, sick, or infirm, and there were no children (everyone seemed to be in their late teens to maybe thirty). It was a world full of magic, but aparently no high technology. That is pretty much all Doctor Griffin remembers, all of his other memories are from this lifetime.

Doctor Griffin is surprised at the evangelical Christians supporting a Mormon for president, because he does not feel that Mormonism and evangelical Christiainity are compatible. Protestants and Roman Catholics have far more in common. Alot of Mormon doctrine is based on Freemasonry and elements of Qabalah found in Freemasonry. Doctor Griffin never hears the more extraordinary elements of Mormonism mentioned, such as the belief thet when some souls die they go to the Moon, after a period spiritual evolution they then go to dwell in the Sun with the other perfected souls. Hell is not a fiery place of torment but living in the darkness away from the presence of God. Mormons believe in eternal progression so that human souls will eventually become gods themselves. No one mentions their "underwear;" they wear a sacred garment with Masonic symbols on it they constantly wear underneath their clothing. Doctor Griffin believes that people are allowed to believe whatever they wish as long as it doesn't infringe upon others, and it is not my intention to criticize. He would not label Mormonism a "cult" any more than any other religion. He just wanted to point out his bewilderment at the fact that Pat Robertson and other evangelicals are so gung ho for Romney after deriding Obama and accusing him of being a closet Muslim. No matter, Doctor Griffin will just have some iced tea and watch from the porch . http://en.wikipedia..../Temple_garment http://en.wikipedia....ormon_cosmology

Hi Rev'd Rattlesnake, I am from Florida and lived in south Georgia for a few years (my grandparents were all originally from south Georgia before moving to Florida). I have never been to New Orleans but maybe will get there someday. My grandmother believed in all the signs and omens, like a bird flying into the house means someone is going to die or if you see ants out on their mound it's going to rain. She was also well versed in herbal lore and home remedies. She considered herself a good Baptist and would never have considered the folklore she knew and the home remedies she used to be Voodoo or Hoodoo. But I've found that southern Voodoo or Hoodoo incorporates most of the same beliefs and practices. Many Voodoo/Hoodoo practitioners also considered themselves good Christians. I have incorporated the loa from New Orleans and Haitian Voodoo into my practices because I personally am not comfortable within a Christian framework. Historically southern Voodoo and Hoodoo have incorporated almost anything that works, so I do not feel it is inappropriate to adapt things to fit my personal needs. I know there are purists who insist that the term Hoodoo applies only to conjure work and the term Voodoo (Vodou) should only be applied to the religion and they should not be mixed. I am one of a handful of people who believe that Hoodoo is merely a variant pronunciation of Voodoo. (I also still believe that Voodoo originally derived from French vauderie and originally meant sorcery and does not derive from an African word for spirits. But I'll save that for another time.) However I do not claim to be a Voudou houngan (initiated priest) but function as a bokor (sorcerer). I am only judged by how effective my Voodoo is. Sorry if I got sidetracked. Hi Qryos, Is there anything in particular on which you wished me to elaborate?

Hello everyone, Mediumship is a huge part of my practice of Southern Voodoo. I consult with my patron loa who is called Simbi (or Le Grand Zombi). A loa is a Voodoo god, an intermediary between man and the supreme deity. In Voodoo, a particular loa may possess a practitoner, taking temporary control of the person. This is not at all considered negative or harmful. I frequently use cartomancy as a method of interacting with the spirits. I like The New Orleans Voodoo Tarot deck, but my favorite is still the Gypsy Witch fortune telling deck. I also sometimes use a crystal ball to see into the spirit world. I can see and hear spirits without the use of these props, but I enjoy using them. Candles are used to draw spirits or their influence. Payments are made to spirits at the graveyard with a silver dime or ten copper pennies in exchange for a pinch of their graveyard dirt. (A little bit of whiskey or rum can be used in lieu of money.) In Voodoo it is also believed that spirits inhabit rocks, trees, and rivers. There is no "down time" in Voodoo for spirit communication, you are in communion with them all the time and everywhere you go .