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| Lust six strand cotton on 22 count linen |
Voodoo is a mixture of west African tribal religions and Catholicism. Just like in any active religion, there is no consensus on exactly what symbols and colors mean. I took some artistic privilege and adapted the patterns from a series of charms that can be found here.
In voodoo, colors have symbolic meaning.
Red -- war, masculine energy and habits
White -- wisdom
Green -- abundance, nature
Blue -- harmony, water, psychic energy
Black -- death
Pink -- children, feminine energy, fortune
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| Protection |
Snakes represent potential energy and arrows are used to direct energy. Priests and priestesses will draw arrows in sand, corn meal, grave yard dirt or other dusty materials to guide spirits.
In the veve to the right, there is a cross in the middle. It is believed that black, or jet, crosses ward off the evil eye by metaphorically stabbing the eye.
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| Winning in Battle |
This veve represents Ogun, a loa associated with battle. He is symbolized with sabers and is notorious for his over-the-top masculine behavior. Ogun must be appeased with run and cigars and will smack pretty girls on the butt with his sabers. (There's no hidden meaning there!)
Catholic Saints typically are described as having perfected personalities and are reserved in emotion. Voodoo loa, often identified with Catholic saints, amplify human emotions and desires. They have big personalities and seem, to me, to make the point that one has to take the good with the bad. For example, Brigitte, associated with finding lost things and lost children, is greedy and selfish.
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| Good Fortune |
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| Lust close-up |
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| Reap Power |
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| Reap Power close up |
