Overview:
Scholar Patrick Bellegarde-Smith, a houngan asogwe, shares some core ideas about Vodou to assist these in search of to know that facet of Haitian heritage. From the sanctity of nature to the permanence of the soul, the listing counters misconceptions and highlights Vodou as a coherent worldview grounded in stability, power and ancestral continuity.
Throughout generations, Vodou has typically been misunderstood. Formed by colonial narratives, Christian missionary affect and Hollywood distortions, it’s typically topic to controversy between those that follow, settle for or reject it, even in Haiti. The controversy about Vodou’s position in Haitian tradition most lately emerged over the Haitian workforce’s FIFA 2026 World Cup Qualifying uniform, which incorporates a vèvè. Of Vodou’s quite a few sacred symbols, the one included within the design represents Papa Legba – the deity known as upon to open doorways.
For Haitians rediscovering the nation’s non secular heritage or anybody in search of to know what Vodou is or isn’t, scholar Patrick Bellegarde-Smith’s teachings supply some readability.
A Vodou practitioner for 34 years and Houngan Asogwe, or senior priest, Bellegarde-Smith is professor emeritus of African and African Diaspora Research on the College of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. He has authored a number of books on Vodou and Haiti and was president of KOSANBA, a scholarly affiliation for the examine of Vodou and different African-derived religions. He’s at the moment engaged on a sixth e-book about gender identities in Vodou.
In a current interview with The Haitian Occasions by way of electronic mail, Bellegarde-Smith shared ideas on Vodou’s standing in society for the time being. He mentioned Vodou is similar to different perception programs rooted in nature, together with Hinduism, Buddhism, Shintoism, Japan’s nationwide faith and Native American religions.
“The youthful era of Haitian Individuals, in addition to some in Haiti correct, are rediscovering their roots, their ‘racines/rasin,’ ” he mentioned.
“As with Native American spirituality and Buddhism within the Sixties-Nineteen Seventies in the USA, African spiritual programs are being found by white Individuals, and others. Haitian Vodou [is] discovering favor all through society. Native American faith is now not disparaged, and Vodou is slowly attaining this standing.”
In his 2004 e-book, “Haiti: The Breached Citadel,” Bellegarde-Smith defines Vodou, thus:
“Vodou is a coherent and complete perception system and world view during which each individual and every thing is sacred and should be handled accordingly. In Vodou, every thing on the earth — be it animal, vegetal, or mineral — shares principally comparable chemical, bodily and/or genetic properties…
The cosmological unity of Vodou additional interprets right into a vaunted African humanism during which social establishments are elaborated and during which the dwelling, the lifeless, and the unborn play equally vital roles in an unbroken historic chain.”
Of the African and Haitian Vodou spiritual ideas Bellegarde-Smith supplied, right here’s a abstract of essentially the most potent. Most, if not all, require some reflection.
Every part in existence is sacred
Vodou begins with the assumption that every one issues — animal, plant or mineral — share important properties and are a part of the identical non secular continuum. Nothing is inherently mundane. Every part carries significance.
God is immaterial, and the lwa [Vodou deities] are its expressions
God just isn’t human-shaped, however is created by people in their very own picture. The lwa, nonetheless, are “knowable fragments of an unknowable God,” permitting people to work together with their cosmic power in a relatable type. God can be impartial, neither good nor dangerous, however “cool.”
“While you look into the cosmic mirror, the picture that appears again at you is the picture of God… There aren’t any messiahs, solely you standing on the middle.”
There isn’t any satan, unique sin, or exterior heaven and hell
Vodou acknowledges evil, however not an exterior being chargeable for it. As a substitute of sin, Vodou teaches taboos that keep stability. As a substitute of the Western concept of everlasting reward or punishment, Vodou teaches that every motion generates outcomes that ripple by way of one’s life, one’s neighborhood and one’s spirit.
“Heaven and Hell don’t exist apart from that which you create,” one idea reads.
“There isn’t any satan, there is no such thing as a Devil, however there’s Evil. The evil one launches right into a sea of anger, vengeance or indifference, sometime returns to port and to you.”
“The target for every life, for this life, is to grasp each the forces of fine and of evil.”
All issues are linked — coincidence doesn’t exist
As a result of the universe is unified, what seems as coincidence is solely unseen connections. Occasions, energies and relationships type a part of a single cosmic script.
People are non secular beings selecting a bodily expertise
In Vodou, life just isn’t a one-time occasion. Reincarnation is a pure recycling, thus the explanation ancestors stay lively contributors within the lives of the dwelling.
“There’s life earlier than life and life after life. Which means, the soul is everlasting as a co-creator of the universe,” Bellegarde-Smith mentioned.
“The concern of Dying will kill you.”
Nature is to be revered as a sacred power
The pure world is the working system of the divine. Vitality fields flowing by way of nature are the divine work of deities — and should be revered.
Energy comes by way of sacrifice, and information by way of effort
The understanding that every one issues are power requiring feeding is a central tenet.
Vitality is energy, which will be achieved and result in much more power. Energy itself is achieved by way of sacrifice, and information by way of effort.
“Konesans [esoteric knowledge] is simplicity itself, but advanced,” Bellegarde-Smith mentioned.
Divination as “knowable tendencies and fragments”
“The long run is knowable as tendencies and fragments, as time wraps round itself,” Bellegarde-Smith mentioned.
The idea suggests sample recognition performs a job in divining what lies forward.
Steadiness and equilibrium should all the time be maintained
Vodou emphasizes that every thing seeks equilibrium. Miracles happen every single day as a result of the world is balanced. After they cease, stability has been misplaced.
“The favourite baby carries the heaviest burden,” Bellegarde-Smith mentioned.
Rhythm is the universe’s language
Rhythm, the vibration of matter, is to power what consciousness is to concept.
“All issues throb with life; one seeks to know their essence,” Bellegarde-Smith mentioned.