Voodoo (Vodou, Vodoun, Vudu, or Vudun in Benin, Togo, southeastern Ghana, Burkina Faso, and Senegal; also Vodou in Haiti) is a name attributed to a traditionally uten West African spiritual system of faith and ritual practices. Like most faith systems, the core functions of Voodoo are to explain the forces of the universe, influence those forces, and influence human behavior. Voodoo’s oral tradition of faith stories carries genealogy, history and fables to succeeding generations. Adherents honor deities and venerate ancient and recent ancestors. This faith system is widespread across groups in West Africa. Diaspora spread Voodoo to North and South America and the Caribbean.African origins

The cultural area of the Fon, Gun, Mina and Ewe peoples share common metaphysical conceptions around a dual cosmological divine principle Nana Buluku, the God-Creator, and the Vodun(s) or God-Actor(s), daughters and sons of the Creator’s twin children Mawu (goddess of the moon) and Lisa (god of the sun). The God-Creator is the cosmogonical principle and does not trifle with the mundane; the Vodun(s) are the God-Actor(s) who actually govern earthly issues.

The Pantheon of Voduns is quite large and complex, though not complete. In one version, there are seven twins female and male of Mawu, interethnic and related to natural phenomena or historical or mythical individuals, and dozens of ethnic Voduns, defenders of a certain clan or tribe.

West African Vodou has its primary emphasis on the ancestors, with each family of spirits having its own specialized priest- and priestesshood which are often hereditary. In many African clans, deities might include Mami Wata, who are gods and goddesses of the waters; Legba, who in some clans is virile and young in contrast to the old man form he takes in Haiti and in many parts of Togo; Gu, ruling iron and smithcraft; Sakpata, who rules diseases; and many other spirits distinct in their own way to West Africa.

European colonialism, followed by totalitarian regimes in West Africa, suppressed Vodun as well as other forms of the religion. However, because the Vodou deities are born to each African clan-group, and its clergy is central to maintaining the moral, social, and political order and ancestral foundation of its villagers, it proved to be impossible to eradicate the religion. Though permitted by Haiti’s 1987 constitution, which recognizes religious equality, many books and films have sensationalized voodoo as black magic based on animal and human sacrifices to summon zombies and evil spirits.

Today in West Africa, the Vodou religion is estimated to be practised by over 30 million people. Vodoun became the official religion of Benin in 1996.

Both American and Caribbean variations of the faith system center on ancestral spirits and two main pantheons of Lwas; tribal relationships are de-emphasized.Origin and usage of the term

Voodoo (Vodun or Vudun in Benin and Togo; also Vodou in Haiti; Vodon, Voudoun, Voudou, or other phonetically equivalent spellings) has various roots. These include the Fon, Mina, Kabye, Ewe, and Yoruba peoples of West Africa, from western Nigeria to eastern Ghana.

The word Vodún (Vodoun Vudu) is the Fon-Ewe word for spirit. The word Voodoo is primarily used to describe the Afro-creole tradition of New Orleans, Vodou is used to describe the Haitian Vodou Tradition, while Vudon and Vodun and Vodoun are used to describe the deities honored in the Brazilian Jeje (Ewe) nation of Candomble as well as West African Vodoun, and in the African diaspora. Voodoo or Hoodoo also refer to African-American folk spirituality of the southeastern USA, with roots in West African traditional or “folk” spirituality. When the word Vodou/Vodoun is capitalized, it denotes the Religion proper. When the word is used in small caps, it denotes folk spirituality, or the actual deities honored in each respective tradition.

Although the word “Vudu” (Ewe) and “Vodou” (Fon) are ancient words still extant in West Africa, some western scholars have speculated that the word “voodoo” is a transliteration of the French words vous tous (pronounced voo-too), meaning ‘you all’. The name vodu comes from the West African language, Fon meaning ’spirit’ or ‘deity’. The Kongo rites, also known in the north of Haiti as Lemba (originally practiced among the Bakongo) and is as widespread as the West African elements. The Vodoun religion was suppressed during slavery and Reconstruction in the United States, but maintained most of its West African elements.

The Fon tradition in Cuba is known La Regla Arará.Myths and misconceptions

Public relations-wise, Vodou has come to be associated in the popular mind with the lore about Satanism, zombies and “voodoo dolls.” While there is evidence of zombie creation[citation needed], it is a minor phenomenon within rural Haitian culture and not a part of the Vodou religion as such. Such things fall under the auspices of the bokor or sorcerer rather than the priest of the Loa.

The practice of sticking pins in dolls has history in European folk magic, but its exact origins are unclear. How it became known as a method of cursing an individual by some followers of what has come to be called New Orleans Voodoo, which is a local variant of hoodoo, is a mystery. Some speculate that it was used as a means of self defense to intimidate superstitious slave owners[citation needed]. This practice is not unique to New Orleans voodoo, however, and has as much basis in European-based magical devices such as the poppet and the nkisi or bocio of West and Central Africa.

These are in fact power objects, what in Haiti would be referred to as pwen, rather than magical surrogates for an intended target of sorcery whether for boon or for bane. Such voodoo dolls are not a feature of Haitian religion, although dolls intended for tourists may be found in the Iron Market in Port au Prince. The practice became closely associated with the Vodou religions in the public mind through the vehicle of horror movies and popular novels.

There is a practice in Haiti of nailing crude poppets with a discarded shoe on trees near the cemetery to act as messengers to the otherworld, which is very different in function from how poppets are portrayed as being used by voodoo worshippers in popular media and imagination, ie. for purposes of sympathetic magic towards another person. Another use of dolls in authentic Vodou practice is the incorporation of plastic doll babies in altars and objects used to represent or honor the spirits, or in pwen, which recalls the aforementioned use of bocio and nkisi figures in Africa.

Although Voodoo is often associated with Satanism, Satan is primarily an Abrahamic figure and has not been incorporated in Voodoo tradition. When Mississippi Delta folksongs mix references to Voodoo and to Satan, what is being expressed is social pain such as from racism, which is couched in Christian terms and blamed on the devil. Those who practice voodoo do not worship or invoke the blessings of a devil.

Further adding to the dark reputation of Voodoo was the 1954 thriller “Live and Let Die”, part of Ian Fleming’s widely successful James Bond series, which had been continually in print in both the English original and translations to numerous tongues. Fleming’s depiction of the schemings of a fiendish Soviet agent using Voodoo to intimidate and control a vast network of submissive Black followers got an incomparably greater audience than any careful scholarly work on the subject of Voodoo.

We have had many people emailing in asking questions about different things, other than ghosts. A recent question was about Laurie Cabot so I am featuring this from Ms. Cabot’s website. I met with her in 2007 and she is truely a fantastic and knowledgable woman.

Why Laurie is known as the “Official Witch of Salem.”
In the mid nineteen seventies, Governor Michael S. Dukakis of Massachusetts, bestowed upon Laurie Cabot the state’s Patriot Award.
This historical award is issued by the Governor to honor citizens of the state for public service which leads to the betterment, enrichment and welfare of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
The Patriot’s Award is given to Civic leaders, Distinguished Civil Servants, Community Leaders and others who are dedicated in a significant way to improving the lives of their fellow citizens and their community.
This award has been given since the early days of the Commonwealth and the recipient of the Patriot’s Award has amongst other things, the privilege of grazing cows on the Boston Common, and wearing a tri-cornered hat. To the best of our knowledge Laurie has not done either thus far.
The proclamation is signed by the Governor and the Treasurer of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and it reads:
“I proclaim Laurie Cabot the Official Witch of Salem for her work with children with special needs.”
Laurie’s first official duty as a state Patriot residing in Salem, was to greet a delegation of artists who were visiting the city from China. The artists had been invited to the United States to display their art at the Boston Museum of Science, and were the first such group of artists to be invited to America after relations with China had been established by President Nixon.
While this certainly was a compliment to Laurie Cabot, it was and is today a symbol of hope for all Witches who do good works on behalf of their community and nation. Equally as important, it serves as a testament that Witches have a place in America today and are recognized as practicing a legitimate and honorable religion which shows a path of dedication for the good of all. This was the first time in history that a high standing politician openly recognized a Witch for their good works.

Taking a tour in a hearse is always an adventure. You have the excitement of riding (usually for the first time) in a vintage hearse, the opportunity to explore narrow streets that are not part of the main stream tourist areas of downtown and the possibility of encountering an entity! With all those things combined with the anticipation of the evening, throw in a real EMF-meter and an experienced licensed guide and it adds up to a night of fun! 
I have had some evenings where honestly we had no activity and other nights when every step was met with cold spots, orbs in every picture and even full apportions of a cat and “something  peering” at us from the top of the Lighthouse! I have encountered what I can only assume is George Potter at the back of A-1-A Ale works. A-1-A use to be Potters Wax Museum.   (I was telling a story about O.C. Whites when the K-2 meters were going crazy with spikes.I said hang on George, I will get to you as soon as I finish this story and the meters STOPED spiking!) I have heard footsteps following us at the Lighthouse, saw something I can’t explain in the National Cemetery and witnessed countless guests experience “chill bumps”
So what do you need to do to have a great night “investigating”? You need to start with an open mind. Being “skeptical” is fine! In fact I encourage it! But be open to the possibility that there is something more to the here and now. Bring a camera and extra batteries. There are times when camera batteries have been drained. Share your own personal stories and ask your guide questions. We may not have the answers but we love the opportunity to hear your experiences and share ours!
Remember what we do is not theatrical, no one is going to try and scare you, we don’t dress up in costume, and we use the same tools that Ghost Hunters and TAPS use. Our tours are about education, history and making sure what ever experience you have is authentic. If there are power lines that are making your meters spike, we will tell you! This tour is the real deal!
I look forward to seeing you in the back of my hearse!
Tina

One of my favorite places to take a walk in the evenings is the Mission Grounds. It is a most beautiful place to enjoy peace and quiet away from reality. As I was walking through the cemetery for some reason the door on the Chapel caught my eye. It looked like they had either installed a new door or had stained the old one. For some reason I was drawn to it. I touched the door to see if the stain was still wet and it felt like it had been there for years, but something looked different.
I had never noticed a slight gap between the two doors and decided to peek in. I could see a candle on the mantel lit, which I thought was rather strange since it was after hours and everything was locked up tight. Why would they leave a candle lit all night? As I was gazing at the candle a woman in a white havoc walked over in front of the altar, and knelt down. She was totally transparent and I could tell without a doubt she was a nun and she was praying. I stood there looking at her not believing what I was seeing and totally amazed at the same time.
As I was watching her with her head bowed and hands clasped I heard woman walking around the trail coming towards the chapel. As I heard them, so did the spirit in the chapel. She rose up, crossed herself and turned to leave and she just vanished! I just stood there for a second not really believing what I saw because she was an intelligent haunt, not residual. She actually heard them coming and when she did she left. Apparently she didn’t mind me being there because I respected.
Hopefully my next even walk I will encounter her again. I hope to one day find out who she is.
~Jamie
Manager  GhoSt  Augustine

Taken from Prairie Ghosts to share the story of where spiritualism began. Thank you so much to Prairie Ghosts for an outstanding article.

Shortly after the “coming of the spirits” to the Fox household, the story of the family took a more dramatic turn. The two daughters, Maggie and Kate, were both purported to have mediumistic powers and the news of the unearthly communications with the spirit quickly spread. By November 1849, they were both giving public performances of their skills and the Spiritualist movement was born. The mania to communicate with the dead swept the country and the Fox sisters became famous.
After their initial rise to stardom in public and Spiritualist circles, the sisters continued to appear in a variety of venues. They were now joined by their older sister Leah, who had been abandoned by her husband and was living in poverty before her sisters discovered their talent for communicating with the spirits. The publicity around them was intense. Some newspapers and public venues hailed them as frauds and others as sensations. Regardless, people flocked to see them in massive numbers, all of them gladly paying for the privilege.
With Leah as their manager, Margaret and Kate toured other cities, becoming hugely popular. Their séances became more elaborate, with objects moving about, spirits appearing and tables levitating.
Suddenly, others began to discover their own mystical powers and mediums and séances became all the rage. The sisters were embraced by such celebrities as P.T. Barnum, William Cullen Bryant, James Fenimore Cooper and newspaper editor Horace Greeley, who provided quarters for the girls at his mansion. Greeley was grieving over the death of his son at the time of his investigations of the sisters and so the possibility that the dead might be still accessible to the living was of great interest to him. Greeley even offered to pay for the girl’s education and while Leah accepted his offer for Kate, she refused to allow Maggie (the more talented of the two mediums) to leave what had become the family business.
The Fox sisters were routinely exposed by skeptics as fakes and it was claimed they produced their phenomena in a variety of ways ranging from toe, knee and ankle cracking to ventriloquism to assorted mechanical devices. Despite this, no trickery was ever discovered. A number of committees and forums were created to test the powers of the sisters. Most involved posing questions to the spirits and while the replies were often inconsistent, they were accurate enough to make an impression. One test involved the girls being bound tightly about the ankles so that they could not move their feet. Even trussed up, they still managed to produce eerie rapping sounds. A committee of women also checked the girl’s undergarments to insure that nothing was hidden there to produce the sounds. They found nothing and despite the hostility shown to the sisters by the committees, most were forced to admit that they were able to detect no fraud.
In spite of this, many of the accounts of their activities have been questionable at best. Leah was often accused of trying to glean personal information from the sitters at the Fox sisters’ séances that would help the “spirits” to give out correct answers. They also excelled at calling in the spirits of the famous dead. The results of this were not always impressive. When one sitter noted that Benjamin Franklin’s spirit seemed to be surprisingly lacking in good grammar, Maggie Fox stomped away from the séance table with only the reply of “You know I never understood grammar!” As dubious as the séances may have been though, they convinced many that the girls were genuine and business boomed.
Maggie eventually abandoned mediumship for love. In Philadelphia, she met and fell in love with famed Arctic explorer Elisha Kent Kane, the dashing son of an aristocratic family, who did not deem Maggie worthy of marrying into their line. They did exchange vows and rings in the company of friends but were never legally wed. Unfortunately, the affair ended in tragedy when Kane died in 1857. Maggie was left broken-hearted and almost penniless. She had abandoned being a medium but now had to take it up again. She began drinking and her health and her mental state began to decline.
Kate had fared slightly better than her sister, but soon she too was paying the price for her fame. She also began drinking, which often wreaked havoc on her performances. Although she was still having trouble controlling her alcoholism, she traveled to England in 1871 and remained sober long enough to perform for a number of British Spiritualists. She remained in England and the following year, married Henry Jencken, a barrister, with whom she had two sons. The first, Ferdinand, was born in 1873 and was reportedly a medium by the time he was three years old. It was said that spirits took over his body and caused an “unearthly glow” to emanate from his eyes.
By 1885, Spiritualism was on the decline and investigations of fraud began to increase. This year brought tragedy to both of the Fox sisters. Maggie was called before a commission in New York to prove her skills, a test that she failed miserably, and Kate saw the death of her husband from a stroke. She returned to New York and here, in early 1888, she was arrested for drunkenness and idleness and welfare workers took custody of her sons. Maggie, who had remained close with Kate, was unable to get the boys herself but she did manage to get them into the custody of an uncle in England.
In 1888, Maggie made the infamous appearance when she denounced Spiritualism as a total sham. The years of alcohol abuse, loneliness and grief had taken their toll on her and she weighed the idea of committing suicide before finally choosing confession instead. She booked the stage at the New York Academy of Music and walked out on stage to announce she and Kate had created the strange rappings heard in their Hydesville home by simply cracking their toes. She also stated that Leah had forced them into performing as mediums for the public. “I have seen so much miserable deception,” she reportedly said. “That is why I am willing to state that Spiritualism is a fraud of the worst description.” Sitting in a box overlooking the stage, Kate silently affirmed her sister’s confession.
While the critics laughed and cried “I told you so”, devoted Spiritualists denounced Margaret’s confession as the ravings of a sad and tired drunk. Kate, who did not speak at the public appearance, later stated that she did not agree with her sister and she continued to perform as a medium. In 1891, Margaret would recant her confession. Many have said that the confession was a sham itself. They maintain that Maggie and Kate only renounced the movement to spite their sister Leah, who they had grown to hate. Leah had since married a wealthy and respectable businessman and using the fortune that had been gained for her by her sisters, she had long ago turned her back on Maggie and Kate, who she considered an embarrassment.
Kate later drank herself to death in July 1892 at the age of only 56. Her body was discovered by one of her sons. Margaret died in March 1893, at age 59, in a friend’s home in Brooklyn. At the time of her death, she was penniless.

A Haunting Experience at Meehan’s on the Haunted Pub Tour
 I wanted to do something fun for my friend and her boyfriend for his birthday so I invited them on the Haunted Pub Tour with me.  I was going out to review our awesome tour guides and figured they would enjoy it too!
We got to the last stop of our evening, which was at Meehan’s Irish Pub. It is an awesome place with great drinks, and a wonderful atmosphere. Plus, at least three ghosts that we know of. While everyone was at the downstairs bar to get their drinks before heading upstairs a gentleman asked me if I was the tour guide. I explained to him how I was the manager but I could answer any questions he may have. He asked if the place was haunted and I proceeded to explain to him how the place had three ghosts and mentioned the male spirit. As soon as I said that, my friend who was holding a K2 EMF meter, the meter started lighting up. We asked if “he” was there with us and the K2 lit up once again. The man at the bar was shocked and asked why the meter lit up and we explained how the spirits like to communicate to use with the K2 meter. Then my friend, Diane decided to ask if they ghost liked the lady in the red dress (which was me and I was wearing a red dress). When she asked the K2 meter lit up once again. We wanted to make sure no one had a phone that could be interfering so we walked away from everyone and asked the question once again if he like the lady in the red dress and indeed, the meter lit up again!  I then asked if he wanted to go upstairs with us and hear the stories and the meter lit up yet again. We walked over to the stair case and as we started to go upstairs Diane asked once more if he was sure he wanted to go upstairs and he responded again by lighting up the meter. 
After we sat down upstairs and seated at our table we asked if he liked it better up there and for the last time, the meter went off. Apparently he wanted to be upstairs.
We hope you will join us one evening on the ORIGINAL Haunted Pub Tour! It is truly an awesome tour with great stories, fantastic pubs, and some happy haunts. We can’t guarantee you will experience spirits of the paranormal kind but you will experience the drinking kind ;o)
Happy Haunting!!
~Jamie
Manager of GhoSt Augustine

 I have had many things happen on my Haunted St Augustine tour. One night there were 8 of us on my tour including myself and as we were standing around discussing what had happened at the location we were at, all of the sudden everyone of our KII meters started flashing one after another as if someone were running around us in a circle. I had never experienced this before and so I asked everyone to check their cell phones just to be sure this wasn’t an electronic interruption. No one had missed a call. On another occassion, everyone on my tour including the tour manager who happened to be going along with me this night, watched as the blinds of one very empty and very haunted house opened and closed themselves for about 20 minutes! There have been many other experiences on my tour but I think one of my favorites came from a complete skeptic. I had a gentlemen on my tour once who let me know right away that he didn’t believe in ghost and was
only on my tour to support his wife who was a firm believer. I applauded him for supporting his wife and told him I understood, even though I was secretly hoping he would have an experience for his wifes’ sake. Boy did he! Not even 5 minutes into investigating the very first location, he grabs his right cheek and his jaw hung wide open. I asked if he was ok and he said, “something just slapped me across my face.” As he was telling me this, he suddenly grabs his left cheek and says, “something slapped me again.” His wife was laughing when I asked him if he was a believer now and then added, “if not, maybe you should just say you are so you don’t get slapped again!”

Curse of the Pharaohs

The Curse of the Pharaohs refers to the belief that any person who disturbs the mummy of an Ancient Egyptian pharaoh is placed under a curse whereby they will shortly die. Many tombs of pharaohs have curses written on or around them, warning against entering.

The belief was brought to many people’s attention due to the deaths of some members of the team of Howard Carter, who opened the tomb of Tutankhamun (KV62) in 1922, launching the modern era of Egyptology. The first of these “mysterious” deaths was that of Lord Carnarvon. He had been bitten by a mosquito, and later slashed the bite accidentally while shaving. It became infected and blood poisoning resulted. Skeptics pointed out that many, many others who visited the tomb or helped to discover it lived long and healthy lives. A study showed that of the 58 people who were present when the tomb and sarcophagus were opened, only eight died within a dozen years. All the others were still alive, including Howard Carter who died peacefully at the age of 64 in 1939. The doctor who did the autopsy on Tutankhamum lived until 75.

Some have speculated that deadly fungus could have grown in the enclosed tombs and been released when they were open to the air. Arthur Conan Doyle, author of the Sherlock Holmes mysteries, favoured this idea, and speculated that the mold had been placed deliberately to punish grave robbers. A newspaper report printed following Carnarvon’s death is also believed to have been responsible for the wording of the curse most frequently associated with Tutankhamun – “Death shall come on swift wings to him who disturbs the peace of the King” – a phrase which does not actually appear among the hieroglyphs in KV62.

While there is no evidence that such pathogens killed Lord Carnarvon, there is no doubt that dangerous materials can accumulate in old tombs. Recent studies of newly opened ancient Egyptian tombs that had not been exposed to modern contaminants found pathogenic bacteria of the Staphylococcus and Pseudomonas genera, and the moulds Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus flavus. Additionally, newly opened tombs often become roosts for bats, and bat guano may harbour histoplasmosis. However, at the concentrations typically found, these pathogens are generally only dangerous to persons with weakened immune systems. Air samples taken from inside an unopened sarcophagus through a drilled hole showed high levels of ammonia, formaldehyde and hydrogen sulfide; these gases are all toxic, but at dangerous concentrations are easily detected by their strong odours.

Partly as a result, many modern archaeologists wear protective clothing when opening long-closed burial chambers.

My first encounter with a haunted building was when I was 15. I was partying in
an extravagant four story mansion in a mountainous resort in Asia. The mansion
had been converted to a nightclub called “Spirits”. The first floor was a
gigantic dance floor. The second and third floors were restaurants and
bars with a panoramic view of the dance floor below. The fourth floor was
reserved for children, who were playing video games and being taken care of by
their nannies while their parents danced and drank on the lower floors. It was
very fun, ethereal, and eerie moment…listening and dancing to trance music in
what was once a haunted mansion.

Now, I find myself going to haunted locations almost every day as a tour guide
for Ghost Augustine. Sometimes, I’m surrounded by people, who want to have
“spirits” with the spirits, on the Haunted Pub Tour, a very jovial tour in some
of the most haunted taverns and pubs in St. Augustine. On other
occasions, I find myself giving a tour with people, who want to investigate and
have that serious ghostly encounter, on the Paranormal Investigative Tour.
To be honest, I never saw myself as a tour guide. I just enjoyed taking out
family and friends to all the fun and historical places in St. Augustine for
free. Falling into this job was very serendipitous and so easy, yet I realized
later on that it requires a certain person, who can provide entertainment and
knowledge with tenacity, fortitude, and a sense of humor.

Banshee

Traditionally, when a citizen of an Irish village died, a woman would sing a lament (in Irish: caoineadh, ['ki¢°n??] or ['ki¢°n?u¢°]) at their funeral. These women singers are sometimes referred to as “keeners”. Legend has it that, for five great Gaelic families: the O’Gradys, the O’Neills, the O’Briens, the O’Connors, and the Kavanaghs, the lament would be sung by a fairy woman; having foresight, she would appear before the death and keen. When several banshees appeared at once, it indicated the death of someone great or holy. The tales sometimes recounted that the woman, though called a fairy, was a ghost, often of a specific murdered woman, or a woman who died in childbirth.

Banshees are frequently described as dressed in white or grey, and often having long, fair hair which they brush with a silver comb, a detail scholar Patricia Lysaght attributes to confusion with local mermaid myths. This comb detail is also related to the centuries-old traditional romantic Irish story that, if you ever see a comb lying on the ground in Ireland, you must never pick it up, or the banshees (or mermaids – stories vary), having placed it there to lure unsuspecting humans, will spirit such gullible humans away. Other stories portray banshees as dressed in green, red or black with a grey cloak.

Banshees are common in Irish and Scottish folk stories such as those recorded by Herminie T. Kavanagh. They enjoy the same mythical status in Ireland as fairies and leprechauns.

The banshee wails around a house if someone is about to die.