My last days in New Orleans
I already mentioned that the heritage of Voodoo queen Marie Leveau's is omnipresent in the city. So anything like dancing with snakes, love and harm talismans (called gris-gris), Voodoo dolls to resurrecting the dead (Zombies). All that is part of it.
Merchandise shop near the French Market
Since these rituals are well known in American pop culture there is now are large industry selling voodoo paraphernalia and merchandise to tourists. That had consequences for the original cult. Formerly they were always part of public New Orleans life and just went a bit underground because of all the tourists. There is a Voodoo Museum in the French Quarter that is a bit off the tourist track (German tourist alarm!). The people who keep this museums are actual practitioners. So the artifacts are original and the alters are all used in real every day rituals. Don't be surprised to see Christian symbols. The voodoo gods have merged with catholic saints and both religions are seen as one by the believers.
There are also a lot of “western magic” shops around. Some of them were pretty professional (as in: not directed to tourists). This city certainly got a reputation as center of witchcraft.
However, I wanted to know about the real New Orleans thing and did some online research to find an actual Voodoo church. The closest to the city center was the Voodoo Temple of priestess Miriam and elderly creole lady that is well known in the black neighborhood of Tempe. (I heard stories about her from my host Andrew).
Entering her temple was not even that easy, since the doors are always looked. After some knocking a young strong girl would open and bring me to the priestess. I told her that I was just interested in her craft and we quickly entered a conversation (or should I better say a monologue).
Quist summary of her rant regarding the perception of her profession :D
Many of her visitors are so all-enlightened and spiritual that it is hard to even talk with them, already so high in the sky and think the know everything. Another thing was her invitation to Germany, where a specialist on voodoo culture invited her. However, the expert gave an elaborate scientific talk about Voodoo from an academic point of view, basically putting her into the position of an object of display, or zoo animal. We then ended up in a political discussion about Donald Trump and politics and people in general. She was really fun to talk to, really down to earth and in mind that she is the most famous voodoo queen of the time very approachable. I think I spend about an hour at her temple :D
What a real Voodoo Queen looks like:
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