To: alt.religion.orisha,alt.religion.voodoo
From: catherine yronwode <cat@luckymojo.com>
Subject: Re: Island of Salvation Botanica in New Orleans
Date: Thu, 20 Dec 2001 05:41:35 GMT

Tribble wrote:
> 
> seanwill@eudoramail.com (Sean Williams) wrote:
>
> > there is no "Proper" way to care for "carga-less" Elegua.
> > You may as well put a canteloupe behind your door and care for 
> > it, the results would be the same!!!!
> 
> I would add that I had a similar experience at the Island of 
> Salvation Botanica. For the record, I have bought many, many things 
> there including beautiful hand painted candles, sequinned flags & 
> bottles & kwakwa, etc. I have been pleased with them all.
> 
> However on one occassion I went in asking for a statue of Legba.
> Sallie informed me that she did not have one in stock but that I 
> could put an Ellegua head on my altar - That Legba and Ellegua were 
> similar enough. She then proceeded to tell me how to care for it by 
> feeding it rum, candy, blowing cigar smoke on it, etc. She went 
> further to say that it needed washed every Monday and if I forgot it 
> could do "bad things" to me.

This is sad. It is really not necessary to play the "spooky-scary" game
with customers, but so many people do. The fact that the Ellegua was
empty makes it even stranger, i guess. Is she dealing in pop psychology
or religious goods? 

> Okay, I have no problem with New Orleans Voodoo. I have argued in 
> the past that there is no precedent for mixing Lwa with Orisha on 
> altars or in service beyond the 1970's in New Orleans. Some Voodoo
> practitioners have stated or inferred that there is some long 
> standing tradition of doing so which goes back to 1804. This is 
> ridiculous nonsense and I will continue to refute it.

And THANK YOU for that! 
 
> I also believe a smart botanica operator (these days) will cater to
> members of all religious systems and esoteric practices. I see no
> problem selling Vodou objects next to Ocha, Hoodoo, Wiccan and
> Christian items. 

I too sell such a mixture in my store (well, in my case, not many Wicca
items, but a mix of Christian, hoodoo, Buddhist, Taoist, Jewish,
animist, Hindu, ceremonial magic, etc.) -- and nobody seems to mind. It
is a good way to reach out to a large enough customer-base to support an
occult store. But i do not pose as an expert in religions; i also try to
speak factually rather than glamourize objects.  

> But! Don't tell someone to put an empty Ellegua 
> head on there Vodou altar. Selling empty Ellegua heads is 
> pushing it  as it is.

Yes it is -- which is why i do not sell Santeria materials in my store.
I tell people that the best place to get these items in from WITHIN the
religion. If they want certain herbs or minerals, i have them, of
course, but i do not try to take the place of the clergy in a religion
which is not my own. 

Thanks for a good, decent post. 

cat yronwode 

Hoodoo in Theory and Practice -- http://www.luckymojo.com/hoodoo.html