Magic 101: The Manners of Initiates
Before I started learning vodou the way it is intended to be learned—orally, by living and/or working with a teacher—I read a lot of books. I thought it was only respectful not to waste anyone’s time explaining very basic information, and I wanted to approach the religion as prepared as possible for the difference in cultures.
Manners are a presence and a frequent topic in books written by Haitians on vodou and being Haitian. They cite the African roots of the religions and a series of ancient laws and practices about hospitality. It’s one of the reasons the first entry in my culture series was about hospitality: it’s considered an incredibly important part of the culture of vodou and an important part of Cajun culture, I suspect for the same reason.
A good idea never gets old.
Online, I find many Americans who claim to be initiates but have either never had the sort of training necessary to have those manners or are being taught by people who do not possess that training—I will not cast aspersions on their initiation, but I will say that a lack of manners does not reflect well on your society, house, or temple. It also risks correction by your court, because your lwa do not appreciate discourtesy and rudeness. The lwa are sticklers for certain kinds of etiquette. They also enforce order and discipline as the laws of god. Being rude or disrespectful to them or to their children is an invitation to them to teach lessons of the sort which can be destructive.
The lwa are not Americans. They do not practice American culture or manners. They’re also not Haitian, African, or any particular culture. They have their own culture and manners.
Anyone expecting to work with the lwa, especially people who are initiates, should expect to learn a different culture. There will be basic overlap between what many cultures teach as good manners and what you should expect to practice with the lwa, and expect to show to a community. The lwa may even, seeing that you are a child, let you get away with a certain amount of what they would consider bad manners—for the same reason you would humor a toddler pitching a fit—but if you intend to be an adult, you will need to learn.
For my godkids, the following things will be expected:
Mind your business: you are in this life to learn, grow, and elevate. That’s more than enough things to do to keep you occupied in your own business.
Respect the priesthood: we end up as priests to serve the community. Even if you dislike the priest, you will respect the position. It requires extraordinary sacrifice.
Respect the community: vodou is, at heart, a way of life in which caring for your community is central. We will help each other, and we will be courteous to the communities of other priests. Mind your manners in your community and everyone else’s community as a part of that respect.
Obey your priests and the lwa: let the head which gives orders be responsible for what happens as a result of them. That accountability is one of the core tenets of vodou and where Americans tend to get very uncomfortable. I find that ironic, given the current state of our politics.
None of these are up for debate. A society is not a democracy, nor is it American. It is a completely different culture.
