voodoo
Mysterious supernatural practices
Voodoo is a religion originating in West Africa and developed in the Caribbean, particularly Haiti, blending African traditions with Catholic elements.
It involves belief in spirits, ritual practices, and communication with the dead.
In popular culture, voodoo often appears sensationalized—voodoo dolls, curses, zombies—bearing little resemblance to actual practice.
Figuratively, voodoo describes something mysterious or irrational: voodoo economics, It's not voodoo, it's just math.
Toy human figure
- poppetSmall magical figure
- pinPointed metal fastener
- effigySculpted human representation
- amuletWorn protective token
talisman · charm · fetish · altar · candle · skull · bones · staff
Malevolent incantation
- curseInvoked harm through words
- spellArrange letters correctly
- conjurationMagical act of summoning
- enchantmentMagical influence over someone
sorcery · juju · mojo · charm · jinx · bewitchment · supernatural · occult
Haitian spirit-centered religion
- HaitiCaribbean island nation
- BeninWest African republic
- DahomeyBenin's former name
- YorubaNigerian people and language
Afro-Caribbean · syncretism · Catholicism · Louisiana · Caribbean · creole · diaspora · plantation
Fast Cuban ballroom dance
- ancestorsThose from whom one descends
- possessionState of owning
- ceremonyFormal event marking occasions
- initiationFormal admission ceremony
altar · offerings · divination · pantheon · Bondye · Legba · peristyle · congregation
Baseless belief in omens
- zombieReanimated dead body
- curseInvoked harm through words
- HollywoodAmerican film industry center
- horrorExtreme fear or disgust
sensationalism · misrepresentation · exoticism · fear · dread · taboo · forbidden · dark
Percussive rhythm-making
- tranceSemiconscious, unresponsive condition
- sacrificeGiving up something precious
- chantingRhythmic repetitive vocalization
- invocationCalling upon higher authority
libation · possession · cleansing · candles · rum · tobacco · offerings · séance
Fast Cuban ballroom dance
- priestessFemale religious officiant
- witchdoctorHealer using magic rituals
- healerOne who restores health
- divinerOne who foretells events
initiate · conjurer · medium · channeler · practitioner
Those from whom one descends
- LegbaVodou spirit of crossroads
- apparitionVisible supernatural manifestation
- realmGoverned territory or sphere
- afterlifeExistence beyond mortality
crossroads · cemetery · intermediary · invocation · manifestation · channeling
Treatment that heals
- remedyCurative treatment or fix
- herbalismPlant-based healing tradition
- protectionGuarding against harm
- blessingPrayer seeking divine favor
purification · exorcism · folk-medicine · restoration · wellness · countercharm · removal · balance
doll
Toy human figure
amulet · talisman · charm · fetish · altar · candle · skull · bones · staff · rattle
hex
Malevolent incantation
- curseInvoked harm through words
- spellArrange letters correctly
- conjurationMagical act of summoning
enchantment · sorcery · juju · mojo · charm · jinx · bewitchment · supernatural · occult · mystical
Vodou
Haitian spirit-centered religion
Yoruba · Afro-Caribbean · syncretism · Catholicism · Louisiana · Caribbean · creole · diaspora · plantation · colonial
mambo
Fast Cuban ballroom dance
- ancestorsThose from whom one descends
- possessionState of owning
- ceremonyFormal event marking occasions
initiation · altar · offerings · divination · pantheon · Bondye · Legba · peristyle · congregation · faith
superstition
Baseless belief in omens
horror · sensationalism · misrepresentation · exoticism · fear · dread · taboo · forbidden · dark · sinister
drumming
Percussive rhythm-making
- tranceSemiconscious, unresponsive condition
- sacrificeGiving up something precious
- chantingRhythmic repetitive vocalization
invocation · libation · possession · cleansing · candles · rum · tobacco · offerings · séance · summoning
mambo
Fast Cuban ballroom dance
- priestessFemale religious officiant
- witchdoctorHealer using magic rituals
- healerOne who restores health
diviner · initiate · conjurer · medium · channeler · practitioner
ancestors
Those from whom one descends
- LegbaVodou spirit of crossroads
- apparitionVisible supernatural manifestation
- realmGoverned territory or sphere
afterlife · crossroads · cemetery · intermediary · invocation · manifestation · channeling
cure
Treatment that heals
- remedyCurative treatment or fix
- herbalismPlant-based healing tradition
- protectionGuarding against harm
blessing · purification · exorcism · folk-medicine · restoration · wellness · countercharm · removal · balance
- New OrleansFrench Quarter, Bourbon Street, Mardi Gras, Jackson Square, jazz
- Reduplicativesbye-bye, mama, papa, haha, yo-yo
- folk magicspell, spells, hex, hexes, curse
- French AmericaCajun, Creole, French Quarter, New Orleans, Cajun French
- Louisiana Folkloretraiteur, Evangeline, swamp witch, haunted plantation, Papa Legba
- magical practiceswitchcraft, sorcery, folk magic, ceremonial magic, Wicca
voodooscience
Systematic study through observation
empiricism · rationalism · scientific method · evidence-based medicine · logic
voodooatheism
Rejection of deities
secularism · Christianity · Catholicism · established church · Protestantism
- voodoo dollEffigy used for hexes
- voodoo curseSupernatural harm through ritual
- voodoo economicsDerisive term for supply-side theory
- voodoo ritualsSpiritual ceremonies invoking loa
- voodoo priestessWoman leading spiritual ceremonies
- voodoo magicAfro-Caribbean spiritual craft