TALISMANTALISMAN An object marked An object marked

with magic signs and with magic signs and believed to confer on believed to confer on its bearer its bearer supernatural powers supernatural powers or protection. or protection. Something that Something that apparently has magic apparently has magic power.power.

In every In every culture you culture you will find will find objects objects with with powerful powerful meanings.meanings.

Oracle: Oracle: Throughout Throughout history peoples history peoples everywhere have everywhere have sought the divine sought the divine intervention of intervention of divine powers to divine powers to understand their understand their fate. fate.

Many African Many African Cultures created Cultures created oracles to oracles to communicate communicate with ancestors, with ancestors, spirits and gods spirits and gods in order to obtain in order to obtain insight into insight into human human quandaries.quandaries.

The term The term "divination" "divination" describes describes efforts to efforts to foretell foretell future future events or events or to discover to discover hidden hidden knowledge knowledge by by supernatursupernatural means. al means.

The religion of Haiti is The religion of Haiti is VodouVodou

Vodou is a Vodou is a blend of blend of African African Animist Animist religions religions and Taino and Taino Indian Indian practices, practices, laced laced generously generously with with Catholic Catholic icons.icons.

Animism: Everything is alive, Everything is conscious, Animism: Everything is alive, Everything is conscious, Everything has a soul. In serving the spirits, the Everything has a soul. In serving the spirits, the Vodouisant seeks to achieve harmony with their own Vodouisant seeks to achieve harmony with their own individual nature and the world around them, manifested individual nature and the world around them, manifested as personal power and resourcefulness in dealing with lifeas personal power and resourcefulness in dealing with life

Some Objects from the Vodou Religion...

SOME SEQUINED SOME SEQUINED "DRAPO“"DRAPO“

Originally vodou flags Originally vodou flags were made for were made for religious purposes religious purposes only. The flags pay only. The flags pay hommage to the hommage to the spirits. spirits.

Each one is made Each one is made for a specific spirit. for a specific spirit. The sparkles help The sparkles help focus the participants focus the participants and mark the start of and mark the start of a ceremony. a ceremony. Their rich colors, Their rich colors, lavish textures and lavish textures and ancient symbols have ancient symbols have now captured the now captured the attention of the art attention of the art world. world. Collectors can Collectors can expect to pay expect to pay thousands of dollars thousands of dollars for imported vodou for imported vodou flagsflags

AGWE, queen of the ocean. She and her husband are called upon every time a boat is pushed into the water. Symbols: boats, small metal fish, paddles, shells, trumpets, mirrors, combs.

A flag representing A flag representing Danbala the snake Danbala the snake spirit and Bosou. spirit and Bosou. Bosou is a mighty Bosou is a mighty bull spirit bull spirit represented with represented with two horns. He is an two horns. He is an unpredictable spirit, unpredictable spirit, and like a real bull, and like a real bull, he has a fiery and he has a fiery and torrid temper. He is torrid temper. He is associated with the associated with the fertility of the soil. fertility of the soil.

Each one is made Each one is made for a specific spirit. for a specific spirit. The sparkles help The sparkles help focus the focus the participants and participants and mark the start of a mark the start of a ceremony. ceremony.

Their rich colors, Their rich colors, lavish textures and lavish textures and ancient symbols ancient symbols have now captured have now captured the attention of the the attention of the art world. art world.

Collectors pay Collectors pay thousands of dollars thousands of dollars for vodou flagsfor vodou flags

Spirit Bundles - Paket KongoSpirit-activated healing bundles,

consists of curative herbs wrapped in cloths, criss-crossed with colorful satin ribbons, held in place with straight pins and

topped with feathers. They amplify the healing nature of

Vodou. Paket with arms akimbo are considered female; those with vertical stem are male.

After having been "heated up" through fire rituals, these paket kongo work together to affect their cures, frequently in the name of Simbi Andeso, the

water associated with healing medicines.

- Marilyn Houlbergfrom "Vodou, Visions and Voice

of Haiti"by Phyllis Galembo

Ten Speed Press, Berkeley CA 1998

Danbala, the supreme snake spirit, together with his wife Ayida Wedo, the mistress of the skies, form the cosmic nexus between the sky and

sea. Symbols: Snakes, eggs.