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The Magic of Marie Laveau

Embracing the Spiritual Legacy of the Voodoo Queen of New Orleans

Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
1 of 1 copy available
The life and work of the legendary "Pope of Voodoo," Marie Laveau—a free woman of color who practically ruled New Orleans in the mid-1800s
Marie Laveau may be the most influential American practitioner of the magical arts; certainly, she is among the most famous. She is the subject of songs, films, and legends and the star of New Orleans ghost tours. Her grave in New Orleans ranks among the most popular spiritual pilgrimages in the US. Devotees venerate votive images of Laveau, who proclaimed herself the "Pope of Voodoo." She is the subject of respected historical biographies and the inspiration for novels by Francine Prose and Jewell Parker Rhodes. She even appears in Marvel Comics and on the television show American Horror Story: Coven, where she was portrayed by Angela Bassett.
Author Denise Alvarado explores Marie Laveau's life and work—the fascinating history and mystery. This book gives an overview of New Orleans Voodoo, its origins, history, and practices. It contains spells, prayers, rituals, recipes, and instructions for constructing New Orleans voodoo-style altars and crafting a voodoo amulet known as a gris-gris.
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    • Publisher's Weekly

      Starred review from November 4, 2019
      Anthropologist and Louisiana folk magic “rootworker” Alvarado (The Voodoo Doll Spellbook) rejects the sensational accounts of voodoo queen Marie Laveau (1801–1881) to present a comprehensive, intensely researched, and imminently readable narrative of her life and spirituality. Alvarado examined legal documents, historical interviews, oral tradition, testimony of voodoo practitioners, and Laveau’s genealogy to create her account, which also features a compendium of prayers, rituals, and spells associated with voodoo. Laveau was born a free woman of color in New Orleans and was a devout Catholic, slave owner, philanthropist, nurse, and volunteer who performed many charitable works, and was likely a hair dresser to upper class white women. Beginning her career as a voodoo queen in the 1820s, Laveau was a driving force in the formation of New Orleans voodoo and the Creole voodoo religion, combining African traditions, Dahomean cosmology, the loa spirit Papa Legba, and Hoodoo magical practice. Nearly half of the book contains spellwork, including candle magic, Catholic conjure, fetishism, gris gris, and water rituals—for purposes including keeping a lover, finding a lost person, healing, and attacking enemies. This insightful resourceful is a thorough examination of Laveau’s legendary status and will be an invaluable reference for devotees of the Laveau voodoo tradition.

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  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

Languages

  • English

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