PAPA LEGBA, LOA OF OPPORTUNITIES & GATEKEEPER TO THE SPIRIT WORLD

The Crossroads deity known as Papa Legba is referred to by several names though he is not the same spirit as many of the other names commonly used interchangeably to identify him. In Surinam in Brazil, the crossroads spirit is known as Exu, in Trinidad, in Cuba he is known as Elegua, and in Haiti and New Orleans he is known as Papa Legba. Papa Legba is the master linguist, the trickster, warrior, and the personal messenger of destiny. He has the power to remove obstacles and he provides opportunities. All ceremonies begin and end with Papa Legba, and there can be no communication with any of the other loas without consulting him first. His gift for linguistics enables him to translate the requests of humans into the languages of the spirits and loas.

Papa Legba's colors are red in black (as worshipped in New Orleans), and some of his favorite things that can be used as offerings include, candy, cigars, rum, and tobacco. He absolutely loves palm oil. His number is three and his day of the week is Monday. He is often depicted as an old man with a crooked cane, dressed in brown pants, and accompanied by a rooster.

What about that legend where a person can sell their soul to the devil in exchange for fame and fortune? The infamous crossroads legend is one that ignites such curiosity. The legend of the crossroads is referenced in many popular songs of the Delta Blues tradition (circa 1900 to 1941). These songs referenced Voodoo, Hoodoo, and the crossroads, explicitly. Robert Johnson sang of "hot foot powder sprinkled all round my door" and Muddy Water(s) referenced "the gypsy woman", "seventh son", and the "mojo hand". Although Voodoo is often associated with Satanism, Satan is purely an Abrahamic belief and has not been incorporated in Voodoo tradition. When Mississippi Delta folk songs mix references to Voodoo and to Satan, what is being expressed is social pain such as from racism, which is couched in Christian terms and blamed on the devil. Those who practice voodoo do not worship or invoke the blessings of a devil.

If this is the case, then who are they encountering at the crossroads? Why, Papa Legba of course!

"If you want to learn how to make songs yourself, you take your guitar and your go to where the road crosses that way, where a crossroads is. Get there be sure to get there just a little ' fore 12 that night so you know you'll be there. You have your guitar and be playing a piece there by yourself. A big black man will walk up there and take your guitar and he'll tune it. And then he'll play a piece and hand it back to you. That's the way I learned to play anything I want."

Tommy Johnson

More hoodoo lore here!

Legba is the loa to petition when you have special problems, when things are getting in the way of your progress in life. It is customary to offer things to him as payment for his help. Legba likes candy, toys, and coconut as offerings, or anything children would enjoy. The dog is sacred to him. His favorite color is red and black, and his number is three.



Papa Legba Voodoo Doll veve by voodoomama
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White Bath or Legba Bath

In New Orleans Voodoo, ritual baths are commonly used as prescriptive measures for a variety of conditions. The following ritual bath is a purification bath, and can be done whenever a cleansing is needed.

Bath ingredients:

3 cans of Evap milk
Hand full... Star Anise
Hand full... Anise seed
1 Pound Salt
1 white candle

Directions:

Light the candle. Put all of the others items into a warm bath. Soak 15 minutes, turn to the left 3 times and say "I am clean". Dress in white and sleep in white sheets. In the morning, gather up all the seed stuffs from the bath and the candle and discard at a crossroads.

Spread pennies and candy in the corners of your home. Do the same at street corners and crossroads. It will make Papa Legba happy and he will favor you.

Exus are a family of spirit-deities that that are worshipped in the Afro-Brazilian tradition commonly called Umbanda. Exu is NOT the devil or Satan in Christian terms. Exu (Ey-shu) is a powerful spirit who functions as Divine Messenger. As such, he is a translator between humans and the natural world. In addition, Exu possesses a dual nature as Divine Trickster and Door Opener. He is similar to Legba of the Voodoo tradition and Elegua of the Santeria tradition in that he can remove obstacles and open the doorway to new opportunities.

The trickster archetype in most traditional cultures embodies a sacred role as teacher. The trickster raises awareness of the interrelatedness and interconnectedness between humankind, the natural world, and the spirit world. No person is an island unto themselves; this is a fallacy. Exu humbles us through his trickery regarding this absolute truth.

One way in which African slaves could continue to practice their traditional religions was by shrouding them in elements of Catholicism. Thus, there are corresponding saints for each of the major deities or Seven African Powers. The Seven African Powers is largely a Hoodoo term that is used by practitioners of Santeria, New Orleans Voodoo, Candomble, and other religions. In Spanish, they are referred to as Las Sietes Potencias.

Following is a list of Legba's corresponding saints.

Eleggua / Elegua/ Legba: Messenger, Opener of the Way, Trickster:

* Saint Simon Peter

* San Martin (Caballero)

* Saint Anthony (of Padua)

* El Nino de Atocha

* St. Lazarus

* Saint Expedite

* Saint Michael Archangel

Likened to Elegua/Legba and Ogun of Santeria/Voodoo traditions, Saint Anthony is known to answer the prayers of those seeking special favors. He is reknowned for helping folks find lost things and people and assisting those who desire marriage.
St. Anthony can be summoned by saying the following:

Dear St. Anthony, I pray
Bring it back, without delay.

Or:

St. Anthony, St. Anthony
Please come down
Something is lost
And can't be found

Or:

Something's lost and can't be found
Please, St. Anthony, look around.

This Voodoo doll was made in the spirit of Papa Legba who walks with the black sun. He is very powerful as his tales manifest in the crossroads between the visible and the invisible worlds. He is the first to open the doors to the spirit world when called upon, and has the power to remove obstacles. That is why he is placed behind the front door of homes so he can clear the path and help you accomplish the goals you seek.

Use Papa Legba as a focusing tool for gaining clarity on the current obstacles in your life. Prepare an altar for Legba using some of his favorite things, such as corn, candy, and rum. His favorite colors are red and black. Begin with a call to greet him:

Odu Legba, Papa Legba, open the door, your children are waiting. Papa Legba open the door, your children await.

Sit quietly and meditate on the task you wish to accomplish. Acknowledge the barriers that get in your way. Once this is clear ask Legba to exert his influence over the matter at hand. This ritual is best done on a Monday at 3:00 am, on the third day of the week, the third week of the month, or third month of the year. In the days and weeks following, pay attention to the stories that come your way through your dreams, other people, books, and the media. Contemplate on the truth inherent in each. In this way, you will gain wisdom from Legba on an ongoing basis in your everyday life. By doing so, you are allowing the doors to open and obstacles to vanish.

There are many forms of Legbas. In New Orleans Voodoo, as well as Haitian Vodou, Papa Legba usually appears as an old man on a crutch or with a cane, wearing a broad brimmed straw hat and smoking a pipe, or sprinkling water. However in Africa, he is frequently depicted as a fertility god. Sometimes, Legba is depicted as male and female, sometimes with enhanced manhoods, sometimes as a healer, and sometimes as a protector. Here, he is depicted as an apologetic Legba, petitioned for forgiveness when a person has insulted the gods through awful behaviors like rape and burglary.

Worshippers often have a cement head with a metal spike in the top, and cowrie shells for eyes and mouth, as a representation of Ellegua. Receiving a consecrated Ellegua head is part of the Santeria initiation known as Los Guerreros (the Warriors).

It is said that Ellegua is a manifestation of eshu, a primordial force that spawned out of a rock. The mother of Ellegua is said to be Oya.

Elleguas, Eshus, and Elegbas are often created and housed in objects. Powerful and beautiful Crowned Elegba's handcrafted within sacred space can be found at Crossroads Mojo. Each special Elegba is unique and one of a kind. Handcrafted from a unique blend of clay and traditional herbs, Elegba can remove obstacles, improve communication, provide spiritual protection and bring luck and good fortune. His crown consists of semiprecious stones, shells, crystals, beads, and feathers. Each Crowned Elegba sits on a clay tray of crossroads dirt.

I praise the mysteries and power of Eshu!
You are the messenger of Olodumare, the Orisha and the Ancestors
You are the owner of the four directions:
North, South, East and West
You are the keeper of the Ashe' of the Orisha
You are the guardian of the gates of fortune
You are the Lord of flexibility
You are the Lord of choice, chance and change!

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