Democracy means that people can say what they want to. All the people. It means that they can vote as they wish. All the people. It means that they can worship God in any way they feel right, and that includes Christians and Jews and voodoo doctors as well.
Dalton Trumbo
This week, we are talking to community member Belfazaar Ashantison. Zaar, as he might be better known to the majority of the community, has been involved in the Vampire Community, both offline and online, for many years – much longer than this writer. He was one of the first people I met when joining the community – and he is one I have stayed in contact with, through various groups, over those years. One of the few lucky enough to live his life openly, he talks with us this week about his spiritual path.
Hello and thank you very much for agreeing to this interview. I know that religion is a very personal topic, one that many of us are not willing to discuss with others. It is especially difficult to discuss with those outside our respective religious circles as not everyone is open to beliefs other than their own.
Will you please start us off by explaining your vampirism? Are you sang or psi?
–Thank you. I am a sanguinary vampire who believes that our condition is a physiological one. I’ve seen too much “evidence” to support this belief.
GYP: Thank you! And what faith do you follow?
BA: I am Vodouisant. A Voodoo practitioner. I am fully initiated in New Orleans style of Voodoo and working on my Haitian initiations through Voodoo Authentica, the shop/family that I’ve joined with and my God Mother, Mama Lola.
GYP: I have heard Voodoo is very similar to Catholicism. Is this because there are revered Saints in both religions, or are there other similarities?
BA: New Orleans style of Voodoo, as with many of the offshoots of Ifa/Vodun traditions, has incorporated Catholicism into its core beliefs… Both of the religions believe that there is only one God. Both also believe that this God uses intermediaries to aid the daily lives of the believers. In Catholicism, you have the Angels and the Saints to contend with. In New Orleans Voodoo, you have the Orisha and Loa…
GYP: Do you attend regular services?
BA: I host regular ceremonies in my home which are open to friends, family, House members and “visiting dignitaries. In Voodoo/Vodou, each house has its own way of doing things, though several similarities in their approach. Such as Ellegua/Papa Legba being saluted first in EVERY ceremony… However, we do come together on the “High Holy Days” which are termed “Fetes”
GYP: I see different spellings of Voodoo, both used here and across the Internet. Is this similar to the Vampire/Vampyre debate, or does each spelling denote a certain path within the religion?
BA: Voodoo tends to be the Americanized version of the spelling and denotes American practitioners and heritage, where Vodou is the Haitian spelling and denotes a Haitian heritage.
Of the offshoots of the original African traditions that came by way of the slave trade through the Caribean, each has its own heritage, system of advancement and stories of the Orisha and Loa…
GYP: How long have you followed this particular path?
BA: I’ve been a practitioner of Voodoo/Vodou for 15 years but only initiated for 11 years. It is my desire to work my hardest, achieve Houngan status in Haitian Vodou, and truly begin to help those in need…
GYP: What is Houngan status?
BA: Houngan is the Priest of the religion. To make it to this status means a person has dedicated themselves to the service of Spirit… In New Orleans style of Voodoo, I am Houngan though I only say that I am Vodouisant (a practitioner), I am not really going lay claim to it until I have fully initiated in the Haitian traditions with my Godmother, Mama Lola… It is truly my hearts desire to follow this path to its fruition…
GYP: When you say that you want to “truly begin to help those in need”, are you referring to your charitable works via NOVA (New Orleans Vampire Association), or do you mean as a mentor for those interested in following the Voodoo path?
BA: It is in my heart to help people, period… I feel that when I am fully initiated in Haitian Vodou as well as being initiated in New Orleans style Voodoo, it will further that aim and help me focus more on my goals, even with NOVA..
GYP: Have you ever experienced anything that might have shaken your faith, or caused you to doubt?
BA: Not stating this to down Christianity, but when I was a straight forward Christian, I saw things which struck down my faith rather regularly. Since expanding my conscious conception of “God” through my Voodoo/Vodou path, I’ve never once doubted the power behind my faith. “God” is real to me like he has never been before.
GYP: Do you ever feel that your vampiric needs are contrary to the teachings of your religion?
BA: In more than a decade of solid practice, I have yet to run into anything that would be contradictory to the physiological condition of vampirism in the teachings of Voodoo/Vodou.
GYP: Do you incorporate your religion into your vampirism? Do you incorporate your vampirism into your religion?
BA: To answer both of these questions, I will simply state what I have stated for several years. My Spiritual Path and my physiological condition do not cross each other’s paths in any other way than they have mutually affected/effected the way in which I draw energy. Because of my metaphysical path, I can hone in on that which the blood contains which I need. Because of my physiological condition, I found better ways to focus the energies I need for my metaphysical path. They have complimented and augmented each other, but other than this, they do NOT cross…
GYP: Finally… We all know there is loads of misinformation on the Internet about any religion that might be considered a “fringe” religion, especially one that is as misunderstood as Voodoo (no doubt, thanks to fiction and the media, much like Vampirism). Do you have any websites that you recommend for those truly interested in learning more about the path, or would you recommend they visit a practitioner?
BA: In all honesty, there is not one website that I would suggest one check out… There ARE, however, books that I would suggest to help the person who is truly interested in learning…
“Jambalaya” by Luisah Teish
“Divine Horsemen” by Maya Deren
“Tell My Horse” by Zora Neale Hurston
“Mama Lola” by Karen McCarthy Brown
These books, especially Louisah’s will give the reader a better view of what Voodoo/Vodou truly is and allow them the chance to decide for themselves whether this path is the correct one for them…
There are a few good CDs out there with Voodoo music on them as well…
“Rhythms of Rapture”
“Angels in the Mirror”
“Bwa Kaymon”
Each carries a bit of knowledge that would be appropriate for the Vodouisant…
Voodoo Authentica endeavors to answer any questions that comes our way… People needing advice or wanting to ask questions about Voodoo or Haitian Vodou can contact us at voodooshop1@cox.net
The Graveyard Press 