Cultures That Embrace Vodou Will Shape Its Future

August 23, 2010 by Kenaz Filan

Continued from Page 1

Alas, many found it difficult to gain entry into these religions. While black Americans were trying to emphasize their African "race," Caribbean practitioners were often more concerned with ancestry. They were less concerned with skin color than with one's roots in Jamaica, Cuba, Haiti, etc. Being black was not as important; being part of the culture, or at least having ancestors who were part of the culture, was. (In fact, there were and still are Cuban and Brazilian houses that will not initiate those who are too dark-skinned or noticeably black—the racial dramas and prejudices that have plagued America are by no means uniquely American).

Some black Americans decided to create their own religious movements that used African and Caribbean techniques but which focused on developing an African/Afrikan identity. These movements tend to downplay the Christian and Catholic influences and imagery found in many Caribbean traditions, seeing them as "corruptions" or at best "masks" that were used to hide the "true African traditions" from slavers and overseers. They also restrict membership to those of African ancestry, typically other black Americans. So long as segregation and racism exist in American culture*,* many black Americans will feel a need for safe "black space." Afrocentric Vodou and other African-inspired traditions may well fill that need and provide them with a place for healing and growth.

Neopagan Vodou
Many Neopagans have become fascinated with the immediacy and sensory immersion of Vodou. Some have begun incorporating possession, dance, and offerings into their religious services. The post-Harner interest in Shamanism has also fueled interest in various indigenous practices, including Vodou. These systems of worship and magic are often believed to be more "authentic" and "powerful" than contemporary Western traditions. Because most modern New Age and Neopagan movements are willfully eclectic and anti-authoritarian, there has been a tendency to take the techniques while leaving behind the veneration of spiritual parents and need to preserve the regleman. At its best this has led to fascinating syntheses of traditions; at its worst it has created a mishmash that exotifies and commodifies various cultures.

The continued growth of this strain will depend on the continued growth of Neopaganism, Neo-Shamanism, and the New Age movement. My friend John Michael Greer has suggested that within a decade or two American Neopaganism will seem as quaint and outdated as Theosophy and Spiritualism. While Neo-Shamanism is currently "hot," it is not yet clear whether it is the beginning of a major new movement or a fad. And the New Age movement faces its own challenges: it's difficult to preach a gospel of abundance and plenty when the economy is swirling around the toilet bowl. Can a movement that has largely concentrated on the prosperous survive the decline of affluence?

One good thing that could come out of our economic downturn is the development of American Voodoo (and American alternative spirituality in general) as a community affair. We may not be what Muslims call "people of the Book," but many of us get most of our spiritual education from books and most of our spiritual interaction via online forums. We're largely a group of solitary practitioners, a model that is quite different from the Haitian société in which members are expected to provide each other with social and financial support. (This can be compared to the "Lodges" and "Fraternal Orders" of 19th and 20th century America. These were not just social clubs, but also provided health benefits, insurance, and other services to their members). In a time of increased need, today's covens and groups have a chance to make a real difference in the lives of their members.

Whatever happens, I suspect that Vodou and Vodou-inspired traditions will be around for some time to come. Vodou has survived several centuries of poverty and oppression and numerous efforts to eradicate it through laws and "anti-superstition campaigns." I have no doubt that it will survive its encounter with American culture. It will certainly change in response to its times and its situation; Vodou has always been a flexible faith that adapted to problems as they arose. But its root—its spirits and its tradition of serving them—will survive and cast out new shoots now and in the decades to come.

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8/23/2010 4:00:00 AM

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