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A review by kevin_shepherd
Orishas, Goddesses, and Voodoo Queens: The Divine Feminine in the African Religious Traditions by Lilith Dorsey
2.0
The Divine Feminine in the African Religious Traditions…
I must admit, I was drawn in by the beautiful cover, the clever subtitle, and the association of the author with the words “anthropology” (back cover) and “anthropologist” (pg 15). Unfortunately, this book is to anthropology what Jeane Dixon’s Astrological Cookbook is to astronomy. That’s not to say that there aren’t tidbits of useful study here, ethnographically speaking, but even those are suspect and based primarily on the author’s conjecture.
“Common African traditional religions include, but are not limited to, Ifa, La Regla Lucumi, Haitian Vodou, New Orleans Voodoo, Palo, 21 Divisions, Hoodoo and Conjure, Candomble, Umbanda, and more… There is no guidebook or Bible for these religions; they are instead handed down from person to person.”
Oral transmission was often the only means of preserving African religions in slave populations since so-called “pagan rituals” were almost always forbidden. As such, they were subject to individual interpretations and very often came to incorporate christian iconography and, later, new age accoutrements such as crystals and magnets. To sieve through all the chaff of appropriation would be the task of a true anthropologist but here, as a “practitioner,” author Lilith Dorsey embraces and indeed encourages their utilization.
The Voodoo Mafia?
“…many of the rites and initiations come with a hefty price tag. Some say this is in lieu of a tithe, or an actual full-time apprenticeship… once you have joined a house, leaving it can be as difficult if not more difficult than separating yourself from your blood family.”
Dorsey goes on to tell of a woman she knows who initiated with a Haitian Vodou house but later changed her mind and attempted to leave. According to the author, the woman spent years trying to distance herself from her “spiritual family” and still, to this day, suffers consequences.
“Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in.” ~Michael Corleone, The Godfather Part III
In short summary, I cannot, in good conscience, recommend any book that promotes and promulgates crystals and spells and tarot cards as effectual and legitimate. And before anyone rips into me for viewing Santeria through Judeo-Christian optics, let me just say that I gave Lilith Dorsey twice as many stars as I gave the Reverend Billy Graham:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2845632165
I must admit, I was drawn in by the beautiful cover, the clever subtitle, and the association of the author with the words “anthropology” (back cover) and “anthropologist” (pg 15). Unfortunately, this book is to anthropology what Jeane Dixon’s Astrological Cookbook is to astronomy. That’s not to say that there aren’t tidbits of useful study here, ethnographically speaking, but even those are suspect and based primarily on the author’s conjecture.
“Common African traditional religions include, but are not limited to, Ifa, La Regla Lucumi, Haitian Vodou, New Orleans Voodoo, Palo, 21 Divisions, Hoodoo and Conjure, Candomble, Umbanda, and more… There is no guidebook or Bible for these religions; they are instead handed down from person to person.”
Oral transmission was often the only means of preserving African religions in slave populations since so-called “pagan rituals” were almost always forbidden. As such, they were subject to individual interpretations and very often came to incorporate christian iconography and, later, new age accoutrements such as crystals and magnets. To sieve through all the chaff of appropriation would be the task of a true anthropologist but here, as a “practitioner,” author Lilith Dorsey embraces and indeed encourages their utilization.
The Voodoo Mafia?
“…many of the rites and initiations come with a hefty price tag. Some say this is in lieu of a tithe, or an actual full-time apprenticeship… once you have joined a house, leaving it can be as difficult if not more difficult than separating yourself from your blood family.”
Dorsey goes on to tell of a woman she knows who initiated with a Haitian Vodou house but later changed her mind and attempted to leave. According to the author, the woman spent years trying to distance herself from her “spiritual family” and still, to this day, suffers consequences.
“Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in.” ~Michael Corleone, The Godfather Part III
In short summary, I cannot, in good conscience, recommend any book that promotes and promulgates crystals and spells and tarot cards as effectual and legitimate. And before anyone rips into me for viewing Santeria through Judeo-Christian optics, let me just say that I gave Lilith Dorsey twice as many stars as I gave the Reverend Billy Graham:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2845632165