Voodoo in New Orleans: Visiting the Voodoo Museum

Recently, I had the pleasure of visiting the New Orleans Historic Voodoo Museum in the French Quarter for the first time since I had moved into the city last June. Coming from a multicultural as well as an inter-religious background, I have always been interested in the intersection of culture and religion, which consistently motivates me to explore various traditions with which I am less familiar with. Understanding the spiritual practices of a group of people helps to identify the cultural values that accompany them, which allows us to create connections with diverse groups of people through actively and consciously engaging with their cultures. In New Orleans in particular, many different cultures and belief systems converge to produce the unique traditions and values in our city. Learning about voodoo provided a new lens through which I might understand and appreciate New Orleans culture and history, and allowed me to value a set of traditions I had previously overlooked and misunderstood.

Before visiting the Voodoo Museum, I had very limited knowledge of the history and significance of voodoo in New Orleans, so I decided to do some preliminary research to better inform my visit. Admittedly, I had initially been wary of engaging with voodoo, since, in popular culture, voodoo is inaccurately portrayed as a dark and mysterious set of practices, with elements of ‘black magic’ that can be used to harm others. I felt that, if this were true, these practices were inconsistent with my own values and spiritual beliefs, and I did not feel compelled to engage with voodoo. However, this discomfort provided the perfect incentive to immerse myself in voodoo culture, to better understand what it really is, and why it is so meaningful to so many people.

Inside the museum is a very small and intimate space. There are only two rooms and a hallway, and the rooms are filled with various altars, pieces of art, candles, decorations, and some informational signs and posters. The front room also functioned as a store front, where visitors could engage further with the museum by buying mementos such as voodoo dolls, gris gris, and candles. Visitors are encouraged to contribute offerings to spirits by leaving gifts on the altars. Many of these altars were overflowing with offerings from previous visitors, consisting of a range of gifts including money, pictures, cigarettes, flowers, jewelry, and candies. I even saw Christian images on many of the altars, and learned that many practitioners of voodoo see it as being ideologically compatible with Catholicism, and incorporate elements of both religions. The space feels intimate and interactive, and was clearly designed to immerse visitors in the experience of voodoo as a tradition representing a direct and meaningful relationship with one’s spiritual life.

Visiting the museum was hugely effective in enhancing my knowledge of and appreciation for voodoo, since this exploration inspired me to become more knowledgeable about the complex and interesting history of diverse cultures in the city. During my visit and through my independent research, I learned that voodoo was born from a combination of various West African traditions, which were brought to this country by our early enslaved ancestors. Many of the ‘spells’ used in modern voodoo were historically used to protect the community, and not to harm others. These along with other practices allowed practitioners to preserve their culture and community in a place where they were not valued or accepted. While many aspects of voodoo culture have undoubtedly been misconstrued and commercialized for popular consumption, in reality, New Orleans voodoo is representative of an incredibly diverse collection of meaningful cultural and spiritual practices, which are valued by many practitioners to this day, and worthy of recognition and respect.

It is imperative that we educate ourselves and commit time to engage with religions and cultures that are different from our own. Achieving multicultural competency comes from learning outside of our own comfort zones and making intentional efforts to explore diverse experiences so we may relate to and appreciate others. We may become more effective global citizens as well as better educators by exposing ourselves to cultural difference through reflecting on our own values along with the social, historical, and cultural factors that influence them. Looking into the future, I am more motivated than ever to commit to learning about unfamiliar cultures and the people who create them, and to embracing the complexity of our diverse city.