EDIT: I'm leaving this post up for now as a reflection of where I was at the time, but DO NOT buy Kenaz Filan's books. He is a proven white supremacist with incredibly problematic and contradictory views to his works on African Diaspora Traditions.
Aaaaaahhhh!!!!! (that's a scream, not a sigh)
I've been counting on the deadbeat Country Gay flatmate moving our of our house for months now. I've been searching (with no help at alll from my two other flatmates) for someone to take the room for all that time with no success. His moving out would mean that I could get the net hooked up to the house with a deal I could afford. As it is I'd be paying for it all by myself and that's just too much. I know I say this every sporadic post on here, but I'll have the net at home soon and start using this thing the way I intended to all along - hot men, occult insights, theatrical/filmic rants, and so forth. Also much less rambling (except in aforementioned rants).
I thought I'd pot on here mostly because I had an intense night of dreaming last night, and considering the renewed work with the Lwa I've been doing that's no surprise. I've also just finished reading Kenaz Filan's book so the Lwa are on my mind in more ways than one.
I'll get to the dreams in a sec, but just quickly, the book itself was very good for what it was. It's a beginners introduction to Vodou, what it is, what the major aspects to practising the religion are, who the major players are, and what you can do (and not do) to get started with serving the Mysteries.
It's always fascinating to me how different the approaches to Vodou can be from house to house, and Mambo/Houngan to Mambo/Houngan. As a non-initiate, and particularly as a white, western non-initiate, I'm natural;ly always looking to find the "best" way to do things, the most respectful and appropriate way to serve. For instance, the two MAmbo's I have worked with and several books I ahve read have always placed an enormous emphasis on the Ancestors. Before doing anything in Vodou you must honour your Ancestors. Filan's book certainly highlights the importance and value of Ancestral service, but it comes in the section relating to the Ghede and the dead, and is far from an emphasised aspect of the Vodou he presents. I'm not saying this is wrong or right, but it is very interesting to me. The value of this book is that he makes the religion and some of its more frequently served spirits very approachable. He doesn't mince words, but says "You can't do this or that without being initiated, so don't try it" or "I can't tell you this because of my oaths." This makes respect for Vodou and its protocols of primary importance, and while I'm sure it won't stop young readers from doing things because they are dangerous, it certainly isn't whitewashed. I know when I was first starting out I went straight to buy a gourd rattle and shook that thing all over the place because, being from a ceremonial background I wanted something to use like my dagger - something to "command!" But Filan makes the excellent point that the Lwa would not doubt see this as very disrespectful seeingas I have not undergone kanzo and Papa Loko has not given me the asson. Not that my cheap imitation could come near to it, but the action itself could be misconstrued as an upstart dressed in a borrowed police uniform (terrible analogy, but you get the idea). Worse still they could take the rattle as read and trreat you like an asogwe, and either become justifiably pissed off when you don't respond or behave accordingly, or go all out leaving you in a state you can't get yourself out of. Now I haven't used that thing for years, because after I attended my first Vodou service I just felt instinctively that it was not appropriate.
Another intriguing difference between my understanding and Filan's presentation is that he lists Kalfou (Carrefour) among the spirits you may wish to approach. Granted he does make Kalfou's extremely volatile and dangerous nature abundantly clear, but mentioning him in a beginners book does not accord with my understanding of just how dangerous he CAN be. Powerful, yes, effective, yes, but not if you can't control him. Again I'll say this has only been my understanding from what I have been taught/have read.
But Filan himself is at pains to demonstrate make the varied and changeable nature of Vodou from house to house and practitioner to practitioner. His book is an excellent introduction to the religion, and even gives advice on how to find a teacher (basically geared towards the United State, but hey, how many Haitian communities are there in Australia, etc?). I'm going to lend it to my bf, not so he can "convert" and begin practising with me, but so he understands more of what it is I do. Although being the Virgo that he is, I'm worried he may worry! Filan's book is quite clear about the potnetial dangerts of Vodou, which is why it is so appropriate. He makes it clear that you can't approach Legba like he's "just an aspect of Mercury" - the Lwa are distinct and separate being with complete personalities and likes and dislikes.
Now I have a three altars set up in my house (actually on my own balcony, but it has louvers I can close off. Not ideal, but not much else I can do): an ancestral altar, an all purpose one I only have some Rada spirits on (not having worked with/met any of the Petro nanchon), and one for the Ghede. I have been maintaining these as much as possible with my ridiculous schedule, as well as fulfilling obligations I have to certain spirits.
I had an intense dream last night involving a hurricane which rose up in a town where I lived. It rose by the water. There was a huge brick wall the height of a small office block. I called out to the tornado "Zaka!" (lwa of agriculture, farming, gossip... - I literally only just remembered this while typing) and the twister burst through this wall. I saw hundreds of thousands of objects spinning through the air, stirred up by the tornado.
The tornado disipated and the dream moved on to me walking through the wreckage along with many others, sifting through the debris. I was technically looting - finding things I could use and putting them in a bag. There were lots of things, but the only ones I remember were a few bottles of olive oil - one very green, and the other a more pale yellow colour. They were cold - with precipitation on them. Perhaps I picked up fruit and vegetables as well, perhaps a comb. I remember some sweet things too. I can't remember much more. The gathering of objects from the rgound and placing them in a bag is very Zaka (or Azacca) related, but a tornado? I'm not sure. Inasmuch as Zaka is linked to the world of farming, not nature per se I wonder that I refered to a tornado - an entirely natural force - as Zaka is intriguing.
There was a second portion to the dream which has faded now. I'm going to (re-)start a dream diary.
That's all for today (or is it....?)
