Guest Author - Kim DeLeary
Vodou Visions, An Encounter with the Divine, is a visually stunning and well-written journey into the world of Vodou. Its author, Sallie Ann Glassman is a Vodou Manbo (Vodou high priestess) who has been practicing Vodou for twenty years and is one of the busiest Vodou practitioners in the U.S. Vodou Visions is a practical guide to Vodou.
At first glance, Vodou Visions is a book with a beautiful cover. It is a deep blue color with gold Vodou symbols with touches of black and red. Vodou Visions is a handsome book that would grace any bookshelf or library. There are two main parts to this book. The first part explains Vodou and it important elements. In the second part, Sallie Ann Glassman explains the different Vodou entities.
In the beginning, Sallie Ann Glassman introduces us to the misconceptions that are held about Vodou including her own reaction to Vodou when she was first introduced to the religion. She then describes the Vodou religion in full circle, including its dark side. Sallie Ann Glassman describes the history of Vodou and how it came to the Western world with the African slaves. She continues its history until its present day practice in New Orleans. New Orleans is an important Vodou center although it is practiced elsewhere.
Sallie Ann Glassman explains the practical side of practicing Vodou. She describes the important elements of Vodou including the Sacred Twins, the Dead, the Lwa, Veve (ritual drawings), offerings to the Spirit, the Vodou community, the Oungan and Manbo (Vodou priests and priestesses) and possession. She then describes the concept of sacred spaces, altars and the rituals involved in Vodou.
Sallie Ann Glassman includes rituals for purifying a home, a cleansing bath, presenting yourself to the Spirits, shedding the negative self, empowering the positive self and other important Vodou rituals. Sallie Ann Glassman then offers practical methods for strengthening the abilities for concentration, meditation and visualization. She also explains ceremonial magic, tarot, the Qabalah and divination including using a crystal ball.
In the second part of the book, we are treated to Sallie Ann Glassman's visionary artwork. Sallie Ann Glassman used spiritual methods to create the artwork and the accompanying text. She has asked the Vodou ancestors and spirits to provide the information about themselves for both the artwork and the text. The results are stunning. Each entity/concept has its own Vodou symbol, portrait, suitable offerings, litany, traditional description and explanation of the vision.
The beautiful artwork is offered in black and white, which lends strength and power to the images. I love Sallie Ann Glassman's art. The images found in this book also adorn her book titled The New Orleans Tarot.
Every word counts in this book. This is not a chatty or light treatment, which leaves you thinking there must be more to Vodou. Sallie Ann Glassman has brought to life the colorful world of Vodou. If you are interested in learning about Vodou, I suggest you add this book to your library. Anybody can learn about important spiritual concepts from this book. This well-written and powerful book makes Vodou concepts readily understood, approachable and within reach. I thoroughly enjoyed this eye-opening book and I believe you will too.
You can find Sallie Ann Glassman online at the Island of Salvation Botanica which is a New Orleans store located at 835 Piety St. where you can find items, artwork and supplies related to Vodou. Sallie Ann Glassman also lectures and provides readings. You can read about her at Wikipedia and this article. You can also find a link to hear Sallie Ann Glassman explain why New Orleans must be helped here.
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