by Stephanie L. Ogle
When people think of or hear “Voodoo” images of odd sacrificial ceremonies, the raising of the dead to walk on this earth as zombies, chanting & dancing and eerie magic & devil worship come to mind. While such imagery has been depicted in Hollywood, none of it is accurate. Voodoo is a religion that originated in Africa that later found its way to Haiti by slaves. The irony to such outrageous stories involving Voodoo is that the majority of African-American’s in this country buy into such stereotypes...if not help spread them as factual.Dispelling those myths, evil associations and taking you inside the world of Voodoo, author Dr. Sharon Caulder’s, “Mark of Voodoo”(Llewellyn, January 2002),is a true account of her journey & discovery of her roots by traveling to Africa. It was at a young age that Caulder felt the internal calling of Voodoo but sought out on her internal and spiritual quest as an adult...and after she’d already had an established and successful career as a Physical Therapist & physician, mostly dealing with affliction of the brain.
The gripping details, along with graphic storytelling in the book starts out with a 5 year old Sharon as witness to and part of a Voodoo ceremony in Brooklyn, giving the reader a true account of what takes place in the world of Voodoo from this point forward. The details are so vivid, it is not unnatural to think that you can even SMELL the aromas during which a particular scene is described.
“Mark of Voodoo” takes you through the trial and tribulations Sharon went through in her spiritual awakening and journey. She would accomplish an amazing.
feat by being proclaimed a chief and initiated as such by the supreme chief of Voodoo, Daagbo Hounon Houna. Sharon and Daagbo would eventually fall in love & become married.This amazing book also included 16 full color pages of Sharon and her husband/chief as well as various Voodoo practices and ceremonies. This book is an excellent book to clarify the truth about Voodoo for those who have already pre-conceived notions about the religion. This book, however, may not be suitable for younger readers due to the graphic descriptions. (Parental discretion is advised)
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