Centuries of enslavement, oppression, and cultural erasurecouldn’t silence the heartbeat of African spiritual traditions. In this episode, we journey into the legacy of Louisiana Voodoo—a system of belief forged through pain, resilience, and remembrance.

Through the lives of powerful women known as VoodooQueens, we uncover how ancestral knowledge, ritual, and resistance intertwined in the swamps, homes, and hearts of enslaved Africans and their descendants. These are not myths or caricatures. These are stories of sovereignty, community, and survival.

We explore:

• The roots of Louisiana Voodoo and its distinction from other African diasporic traditions.

• The roles of women—healers, midwives, and spiritual leaders—who preserved magick under impossible odds.

• How Voodoo became a cultural cornerstone, blending African, Indigenous, and Catholic influences in a uniquely Southern expression of the sacred

• New insights into Marie Laveau, the legendary Voodoo Queen of New Orleans, including oral histories and symbolic clues that suggest her home may have served as a safe haven for enslaved people seeking freedom. Her altar, adorned with a statue of St. Maroon—patron of runaway slaves—offers a glimpse into her quiet acts of resistance and compassion.

Whether you’re new to the topic or reclaiming forgottenhistories, this episode invites you to listen deeply to the voices and spirits that refused to be erased.

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Music Credit: Geoff Hardy - Let the Mystery Unfold via.Pixaby

References and Further Reading:

Mystery in Motion: AfricanAmerican Spirituality and the Voodoo Tradition — Louisiana State Museum https://louisianastatemuseum.org/mystery-motion-louisiana-voodoo

Voodoo Spiritual Temple —New Orleans-based center for spiritual and cultural education https://voodoospiritualtemple.org/

Long, Carolyn Morrow. “A New Orleans Voudou Priestess: The Legend and Reality of Marie Laveau.” Journalof American Folklore, 2011. (Project MUSE summary) https://muse.jhu.edu/article/435635/summary

Louisiana Voodoo: Spirit of a People — Documentary via YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDtreBSvquA

Louisiana Voodoo – Wikipedia Overview — Historical development, spiritual practices, and distinctions from Haitian Vodou https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louisiana_Voodoo#:~:text=Each%20Voodoo%20group%20was%20independent,Haitian%20Vodou%20and%20Cuban%20Santer%C3%ADa.

Touchstone, B. (1972). Voodoo in New Orleans. Louisiana History: The Journal of the Louisiana Historical Association, 13(4), 371–386. http://www.jstor.org/stable/4231284