Voodoo Doll Keyrings

Voodoo belief recognizes one Supreme Being who created the universe, but who is too far away for a personal relationship with its worshippers. Therefore, the cult followers serve the loa or lesser deities to gain guidance for their lives. The loa are the spirits of ancestors, animals, natural forces, and the spirits of good and evil.

An interesting concept of voodoo belief is the ritual that takes place one year and one day after the decease of a relative. Voodoo belief states that there are two parts of the human soul. The two parts consists of ti-bon-ange (little good angel) and gros-bon-ange (great good angel). The gros-bon-ange is the body's life force, and after death, the gros-bon-ange must return to the cosmos. To make sure that the ti-bon-ange is guaranteed a peaceful rest, the gros-bon-ange must be recalled through an elaborate expensive ritual involving the sacrifice of a large animal, like an ox, to appease the ti-bon-ange. If the ti-bon-ange spirit is not satisfied and given a peaceful rest, the spirit remains earthbound forever and brings illness or disasters on others.

Voodoo doll

green flannel cloth

3 old pennies, 3 dimes, 3 quarters (or, three each of three denominations of your country's coin currency, if outside the United States)

3 cinnamon sticks

3 cloves

3 whole allspice

1 whole nutmeg

gold bell

straight pin with green head

Three pieces of candy

Directions:

Wrap all of the items in green flannel and attach it to your voodoo doll. Then wrap more of the cloth all around the Voodoo doll sealing in the items. Attach the gold bell to the outside of your Voodoo doll with a straight pin with a green head. Begin shaking the doll with your nondominant hand (the one you do not write with) for nine minutes while repeating these or similar words:

"Legba, open the door and clear my path. Bring me money and opportunities to make money. Remove all obstacle to wealth for me. For this favor I will pay you with these sweet candies. Thank you Papa, for all of your help."

Go to a crossroads somewhere and toss three pieces of candy in the center as an offering to Legba for helping you. When you return home, place the money spell voodoo doll on a table somewhere in your house. Leave your purse, pocketbook, wallet, and/or checkbook near the doll when at home. Allow money to come into your life. It is done.

You will need:

2 strong sticks

Spanish moss

scrap fabric cut in 2 inch strips, 2 to 3 feet long (color of your choice)

yarn that complements or contrasts fabric

string, hemp cord, or waxed thread

2 beads or buttons to use as eyes

needle and thread in a color to match or contrast your fabric

tacky glue (Goop is one of my favorite glues to use)

7 pins with heads in the following colors: red, blue, green, purple, yellow, black, white

Take the Spanish moss and wrap it around the sticks, starting at the middle for reinforcement, and going up around the head, down to one arm, back across to the other arm, back to the middle, and down to the bottom. If possible, use moss that is connected together in a big enough piece to cover the sticks without breaking it apart. The idea is to wrap the doll in one continuous motion. I find that the result is often times a stronger doll. If you break the moss apart and have to use more than one continuous piece, that is okay. However, you may have to wrap string around the moss to keep it from falling off. If you wrap tight enough, you shouldn't have to use string over the moss.

Take your beads or buttons and attach them with the needle and thread for eyes, or glue 2 black eyed peas to the face for eyes. Add a button or bead for the mouth. I used a plastic flower for the mouth of this one. Stick some feathers in the top of your voodoo doll's head.