The Haitian Vodou Handbook: Protocols for Riding with the Lwa Paperback – Illustrated, November 10, 2006

Say the word vodou and the average persons mind conjures up all sorts of dark images. It could be anything from human sacrifice, hexing dolls and even drinking blood. Such a picture is far from the truth. Vodou works with the Loa or what is called the spirits. They are by and large benevolent and caring. Of course there are bad spirits out there but the ones listed in this book are for the most part good. The lowa will grant you your request but they will ask for some favor in return. Keep your word with the lowa or they will get back at you. Cool thing about the Loa is that y9u can serve them anyway you see fit or know how. The Loa do not care so much how correct your devotion is but they do care about the sincerety of your servic. Heck even Wiccans serve them in their circles. Oh by the way you do not have to be initiated into a peristyle or vodou temple in order to serve the Loa or work with them.Kenaz Filan has written a master piece on Haitian vodou. His book meticulously lists and describes the various Lowa and he shows how to serve them. He covers both Ptetwo Loa and the Rada Loa. One house is quicker and hotter and they may answer you request a lot qicker but do not get them ticked off and definitely keep you vows to them. THe other house it cooler Loa they may be slow to take but they also have a cooler temper.Legba the old man with a limp and cane is always the one who opens the dorr for other Loa to come threw. Damballah the big snake who coild=s hims self around the world is real cool and likes everything to be clean. He also dislikes alcohol. Cousin Zaka is the farmer in jeans, Agwe is the sea king married to La Sirene or Frieda. THe Ghedes are the spiirits of the dead visiting with one eyes sunglasses and loving a good drink and dirty joke.THe Haitians have a had a rough life. Starting out as a slave colony for the French and then after a bloody overhtrow things were left i to the hand of mulaatos. Power and privelige are the key in Haiti. THeir attitude towards money and love is very realistic. Much diferent then Wiccan attitudes. Life is stil harsh over there and poverty is no virtue.It is a great book that gives one a good ground work to start serving the Loa. He gives away no secrets of his peristyle and he takes oaths rather seriously. He believes you need to be intiated to learn more although you can get results independently.He also warn against instant initiations, bullying and peristyle leaders who abuse their authority. When choosing a house make sure you are comfortable as they will be a quasi family. This book deserves a five out five rating.

I’m glad I order this book it’s very interesting

Houngan Kenaz Filan has written the nearly-perfect first-stop book for folks who are drawn to Haitian Vodou.He is absolutely honest and utterly transparent. In regards to those avowed secrets that cannot be told, he simply states so - and, when possible, gives the reader ideas for furthering their knowledge and experience, while remaining steadfast to promises made.The Lwa he profiles are excellent choices - "cool" (in temperment) and relatively easy to serve.But he makes no easy-peasy simple recipes for those who don't want to take the time to learn a few simple things about Vodou and the Lwa so they can actually invest themselves in genuine service to the Spirits.Some folks may be put-off by the length and depth of the information about Haiti's history and social living conditions. But Haitian Vodou is so completely interwoven with the socio-politica history of the island, that ignoring the backstory only makes it impossible to gain but the most superficial understanding of Vodou itself.The Resources could stand to be updated, as several of the internet listings are now defunct. But even that is tolerable, and Houngan Kenaz gives enough info to make it fairly easy to track-down the present websites.I am unconditionally confident in recommending this book.Bondye Beni Ou,Dieudonne Bokor Zanmi Ak Sevite Tout Lwa; Sosyete Du Grot La Nan Lespri Sakre

This book fills a gap in the books about Haitian Vodou. There are some excellent scholarly books on the subject, and there are some books that pretend to be about Vodou but are not actually that much about the practice of Vodou as a religion. This book steps in with a lively voice that is aimed for a general reader.The author is clearly knowledgeable and is an initiate. The book is easy to read, and gives enough information for those beginning an exploration of this rich path, but Filan is also careful to explain that for a real experience of Vodou, one must find a Mambo or Houngan to work with, as Vodou is not a solitary path. There is enough information in here, however, for someone just starting out to begin their own practice.This is the book I recommend to people when they ask me about my spiritual practice, because I think it is the best book out there for giving someone a background in Vodou. If you want to know more about this tradition, I suggest starting here.

Great book. Read it in 2 days and I honestly believed every word was just intentional. Great job. Will recommend

Great read, especially if one wants to get involved with Voudou or becoming a conjurer. Informative on the history of this practice & so far on ancient spirits.

This book was very good and easy to follow. The only thing it didn't warn about is how careful you must be with these spirits. They are more volatile than Arch Demons. They get s***ty very easily and will destroy you if insulted. You must play by their rules.Probably better to fool around with Arch devils than upset these guys.

I have been wanting to learn more about the Loas and this book provided all the answers I've been looking for in a well written and explicit manner. I love to read all sorts of books and this one is one of my favorites of all times.

I ordered this book in order to compare Haitian Voodoo to Old Testament Israelite culture and like I thought there was a lot if similarities . Animal sacrifice offering , prayers to Simbi Makaya which is Michael (Micaiah) The Archangel ! Really good book and well written !

Super informative , lost mine in a house fire recently so will buy another copy ASAP

Hätte Scott Cunningham, der Vorreiter der solitären Wicca-Praxis, ein Buch über Vodou geschrieben, wäre es wohl so ähnlich geworden. Der Autor Kenaz Filan schafft es in diesem Buch, dem westlichen Leser die Grundzüge von Vodou zu vermitteln und sehr praktisch orientierte Hinweise für eine individuelle Annäherung an die Lwa zu geben. Ein sowohl behutsamer also auch kritischer Umgang mit den bestehenden Traditionen zeichnet den Text aus. Filan selbst ist nach eigenen Angaben nicht mit Vodou aufgewachsen und ließ sich erst später in seinem Leben auf Haiti einweihen.Den freundschaftlichen Umgang mit den Lwa sieht Filan als die sinnvollste Basis für die Arbeit mit ihnen an. Der spätere Teil des Buches stellt die wichtigsten Lwa vor, u.a. mit Vévé, Charakterbeschreibung und Anleitung zum Herstellen des Kontakts.Die ethische Flexibilität der Vodou-Tradition erwähnt er zwar, doch er erklärt meiner Meinung nach nicht eindringlich genug, daß die Verantwortung für jede Handlung bei einem selbst liegt.Ich lege dieses Buch jedem ans Herz, der gerne mehr über die Vodou-Tradition von Haiti erfahren möchte. Kenaz Filan bietet hier Vodou zum Anfassen, soweit das mit einem Buch möglich ist.

I have been reading around the subject a lot, and was very impressed with this book. I am not an expert on the spiritual / religious practice dimension (which is why I am researching the subject in the first place), and I found Filan's style accessible, fluid and clear. The discussion of the historical, political and cultural aspects of vodou and its evolution were most enlightening, and grounidng existing practises in the social and evironmental context of the present day (touching on such issues as poverty, deforestation and the experiences of the Haitian diaspora in the West) made the book feel relevant and current. Not many books on the occult would contextualize the subject in references to Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs or Rousseau. The introduction to the lwa and the rituals of vodou and the comparative religion aspects of the text are also very helpful to someone researching the subject from scratch.If you are intereseted in this fascinating religion and its practises, this should by no means be the only book you read on the subject, but as one of the introductory texts it is clear, lucid, intelligent and helpful.

excellent book