Customer Reviews

Vodou Shaman: The Haitian Way of Healing and Power

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I guess I should have been warned by the title. I'm surprised to see how high other people rate this book. I guess there are still people who enjoy this kind of mixing of spiritual traditions, popular psychology, philosofical thinking and quasi-sciense. I was searching for a book about haitian vodou. About who the Lwa are, and how they are served. This book does not tell you this. The writer seems to have surprisingly little knowledge about the vodou religion. He has a little to say about a whole lot of diffrent spiritual thinking, and seems to find it amusing to make pagan/esoteric stuff as "mystical" as possible. If you want to learn about shamanism a good book would be "way of the shaman" by Michael Harner. If you like to know about vodou you might like "the Haitian vodou Handbook" by Kenaz Filan.

Ross Heaven was initiated into Vodou by the charlatan Mambo Racine, whom he treats with nothing but love and respect in this book. Take a look at some yahoo groups, though, and you'll see his attacks on 'Rancid.' Yes, she's a fraud, but Mr Heaven takes his spite too far. I believe he uses his references to Mambo Racine in the book -- some of which she has said are false -- to give it an air of authority. So be mindful of his 'Haitian diary' entries.

This is how he now describes his djevo experience on a yahoo group:

> Kathy [Mambo Racine] has been spouting for 2 years, without proof, that I
revealed
> djevo secrets in my book, Vodou Shaman. And for 2 years I've been
> saying the opposite and asking for evidence. None has ever
arrived.
>
> I'm getting bored of the argument and since spambo wont shut up
> about it, I've decided to reveal the secrets of her djevo here.
That
> way, when she rants on about this one again, I can honestly
> say "yep, I revealed them secrets!" - and the reason I did so is
> because spambo wouldnt shut up about it, so I guess we have her to
> thank!
>
> Now, bear in mind that these are the secrets of *spambo's* djevo,
so
> they probably bear no resemblance to what goes on in a real
mambo's
> house.
>
> I know for a fact that some of the things that *should* be taught
in
> the djevo WEREN'T (like passwords she "forgot" to tell us and
> emailed a few weeks later; and handshakes and gestures, etc, that
> were taught outside in plain daylight) - and some of the things
that
> *shouldn't* take place in a djevo (like racine smoking dope and
> teaching us tarot cards) DID.
>
> Anyway, if you decide to part with $2,500 to become one of
spambo's
> children, this is what you'll get for your money...
>
> 1. You will sleep on straw with a rock for your pillow. Under this
> straw are supposedly drawn vevers, though I saw no evidence of
this.
>
> 2. For a couple of days you will be made to lie like a foetus, be
> blindfolded, and whipped with a twig if you talk or move (an
> allusion, no doubt, to the fate of slaves under transportation).
>
> 3. Your pot tete will be behind you along with a lighted candle. A
> dove will be sacrificed on spambo's head and some of its blood
will
> go in the pot tete.
>
> 4. Your own head will be cut off - i.e. spambo will scream about
> chopping your head off and wave a machete around, then someone
will
> chuck a few rocks on the djevo roof and your candle will be
stubbed
> out on your neck. This, along with a bit of your hair and a few
> fingernails will go in the pot tete as well.
>
> 5. You will be fed "guinea food" - basically gruel with a bit of
> okra thrown in - and you will piss in a bucket. An old washer
woman
> from down the road will come in each day to fondle your penis in
the
> pretence of washing it.
>
> 6. Each day you will also wash your hands in "magical oil"
> (basically, any old vegetable oil) to strengthen your hands for
> the 'gruelling' brule zen, where you plunge your hands into fire.
In
> fact, the oil does nothing and in fact it doesn't need to since
> the 'raging flames' of a brule zen wouldn't hurt a fly.
>
> 7. On some day or another Gran Bwa will pitch up and tell you how
> wonderful racine is. One of the other Lwa may also turn up to
offer
> you tarot card readings (I'm serious)
>
> 8. After 5 days of this, where nothing is taught to you and you
are
> mortally bored and wondering why you bothered, you will be stood
on
> a chair and sworn to secrecy about it all with a machete at your
> throat, so spambo can rip someone else off without you spilling
the
> beans on her scam.
>
> 9. Spambo will, of course, forget to tell you the password, but if
> you're lucky, she may email it to you a week later. It will be in
> English (not langaj, as should be the case) and no explanation
will
> be given, nor will you be told when and how to use it. Your one-
> sentence English password will be "Even hounsis stare lightly at
the
> sun" (or whatever else she makes up at the time) - and for this
you
> will have paid $2,500.
>
> 10. Outside the djevo, you may be shown about three gestures using
> an asson (e.g. stroking it over your pocket means you have money;
> rubbing it over your ass means "kiss it" - one of spambo's
> favourites).
>
> 11. You will also be shown how to greet another Houngan
(basically,
> turn round a few times, and if he's more senior than you, kiss the
> ground in front of him).
>
> 12. You may be shown a few 'secret' handshakes. These are more or
> less normal handshakes but you extend your fingers and press on
the
> other guy's wrist to tell him your grade (2 fingers = sur pwen;
> three = asogwe).
>
> And that, apart from a few dance steps you might pick up, is about
> it.
>
> Some people reckon they got a few herbal recipes as well. I didn't
> personally, but since Honest posted these already, you know what
> they are and can see theyre mostly ripped off from Jambalaya.
>
> In other words, what happens in spambo's djevo (all these "great
and
> mystical blessings of Guinea" that spambo keeps spouting about),
is
> a big fat boring zero.
>
> What you WON'T get are the proper passwords (and, yes, there are
> more than one), be shown how to call or control spirits, taught
any
> liturgy (or why Vodou is the oldest religion, according to
> spamflaps), prayers, or songs, shown any magic, the correct use of
> the asson (or passwords for it) - or, in fact, receive anything of
> use or value - and no further teachings will follow (I've received
> nothing else from spambo - apart from BS - in the 5 years since I
> initiated with her).
>
> What you will do is lie on a dirt floor, bored, for the best part
of
> a week and maybe if youre un/lucky (depending on your perspective)
> spambo may drop by a few times if she's not too stoned to bore you
> still further with BS.
>
> If you've got a spare $2,500 lying around I cant think of a better
> way to waste it.
>
> I think that's about it, but if I've missed anything, no doubt
> someone will remind me.
>
>Oh yeah, and a decaying ferret (it may be a dove) will be
>strapped to your head for a week, its aroma marginally more pleasant >than the
>stink of racine's BS.

This made him a great Houngan, eh?

But anyway, this book provides a refreshing view of African spirituality and religion. However, his 'core Vodou' ideas, his thoughts that Santeria, Candomble, etc., are just 'Cuban Vodou' and 'Brazilian Vodou' stretch the truth -- at the very best.

Take this book with a few grains of salt.

I really enjoyed this book. It gives an interesting summary of the author's experience of initiation as a houngan, the spirit world, and how to incorporate and benefit from Vodou in a shamanic way, and experiences with people he has ministered to.

There is a glossary as well as an index in the book.

It is interesting and well written. It is definitely not a spell book or a how to Vodou book. There are instructions for setting up an altar, suggestions for drumming and dancing, herbal bath, honoring ancestors and the loa, that kind of thing. It's more like what I would call inspirational Vodou than religious Vodou.

People can argue as to what in the book is genuine or fake, and whether or not the Vodou is real or bogus, that is of no concern to me. I prefer historical and anthropological books to explore the Vodou traditions, songs, dress, and pantheon knowing that there will be mistakes and secrets that outsiders are not privy to, as it is with Scientology. All I am concerned with is that I enjoyed reading the book and I found some interesting ideas, concepts and beliefs held by the author.

Take what you like and leave the rest.

This is a very interesting and useful book. While it isn't a how-to self-initiation book on Vodou, (don't be disappointed) it contains some powerful shamanistic exercises rooted in the (Haitian) Vudou tradition. It is always interesting to see how the Vodou adapt to the needs of the world. By itself, this book can not give readers a full view of the tradition, but I don't think that is its purpose. Vodou as an ancient tradition has a lot of deep roots. It varies not only from country to country, especially from Africa to America, but from family to family. The book gives readers insight into how the Lwa can be worked with effectively in shamanistic healing. In other words, it shows how this very ancient and beautiful African tradition ties in with the general field of shamanism and, by extention, modern psychotherapy. I think this is its main point, and for this reason, the book is very valuable. The exercises that are found in it are as good and effective as you let them be. This is not the first book that links shamanism with psychotherapy. Another great example of this is Armold Mindell's "The Shaman's Body."

I could talk all day and not convey enough good! I've read this book as well his, "Plant Spirit Shamanism". I've gained more from these two reads than from nearly all other books on shamanism read, over the last 5 years. His writes are fun, his words pull you in and take you there. He gives easy to understand techniques for healing using the type of shamanism you're reading about. I've had fantastic results using his methods. You'd be hard pressed to find a better or more genuine author on shamanism. Heaven is ALL soul.

Getting through this book was painful to say the least. Its about 250ish pages and could have been written in about 90 or so pages. The author goes on and on and on and on and on - at times I was able to skip ahead 2 pages and not miss anything - he says the same thing about 10 times in 10 different ways. He does not like western thinking, all westerners grew up wrong and screwed up (and my favorite - are cursed by their parents) - ok we get that you think you are rebel - we do not need to be reminded of it every 3rd page.

Also - this book is hypocritical in which he is doing the same thing that he accuses those "westerners" of doing - which is seeing his own view point as the only "enlightened" view point. People who tend to preach their view as the only view send up big red flags for me. Also, this man is obviously not a scientist - yet he reaches into science - draws his own at times mistaken conclusions and presents them as irrefutable facts.

I gave this book at 2 instead of a 1 because some of his guided meditations are quite nice and I have used some of them and they do work. His accounts of his personal experiences in Haiti are interesting and entertaining. Some of the rituals he describes in my opinion are questionable at best, but intent of them is true and it is obvious he believes in them wholeheartedly.

He branches off in the book in several sections to speak about shamans of other paths - once again with complete authority. This is dangerous as people who are just starting out may take him at his word and go out with a pillow and a machete and try to initiate themselves.

If you are looking for a good book on Voudou - this is not it. He tries to hard to sound very scholarly and ends up boring the reader to tears and at times in my opinion, giving out misinformation. If you did buy this book and read it, just remember that this is one man's account and opinion - nothing more.

This book is a joke to the Haitian religon.I take this book as an offense,as someone of Hatian descent.I am close to a real Haitian mambo and she said this book is a slap in the face to the religion.I hope the author is proud of himself for making a joke out of Vodou.

This book is great for those readers who would like to know more about the real Vodou as opposed to the typical Hollywood movie style of Vodou, and especially for those who would have some interest in practical instructions in techniques and use of plants. For those whose knowledge of Vodou is solely consistent of the input from the media this book will be an eye opener. For those that are on the shamanic path of acquiring wisdom it will be a treasure.

I don't enough about Haitian religion or spiritual practices to comment on authenticity, but it seems that the author has applied shamanistic and other concepts to produce some kind of blended or neo-vodou practice. The author uses some basic shamanistic and spiritual practices like guided meditations so I wonder how much of the book is authentic and if he is basically trading off the mystique surrounding vodou practices. The exercises in the book were basic practices so it is questionable whether they are authentic vodou practices. I prefered the book Drawing Down the Spirits: The Traditions and Techniques of Spirit Possession for information on spirit possession.

In addition, just as a reading experience it didn't find it that great of a read. It was okay, but nothing I would pick up and read again. It seemed to me the author writes about some of his experiences in Haiti, but offers general shamanic practice or guided meditations that aren't specifically vodou. I can understand that perhaps he deosn't want to the reader to do anything dangerous, but then why not just write a book about his experiences? The guided meditations are okay, but there are tons of good guided meditations of all forms out there so they don't make this book anything special.

Helllo! I am Mambo Racine Sans Bout, the same Mambo Racine about whom Ross Heaven has so many nice things to say in his book, "Vodou Shaman". It is with some regret that I must warn the prospective reader that most of what is in this book never actually happened - Ross is willing to say anything for a buck, apparently. He never let me see what he was writing until the book was published, and I never imagined he would make up so many stories! Now that I have refused to support his activities he is very angry with me, but the fact remains that this book is 99% BUNK. [...]