Vodou Reading for the Year 2011:
by
Mambo Racine Sans Bout
After God, after God, after God! In the name of God and Guinea I asked to be informed about the United States and the world in general, in 2011. After the accuracy of the Vodou Reading for the Year 2010, I was feeling a little apprehensive, but I know that it is better to be forewarned, and anyway, why should this year be as bad as last year? Why shouldn't it be better, why shouldn't it be a good year, after all?
I use the classic Tarot deck because it is the divination tool with which I am most familiar. Most Houngans and Mambos in Haiti use other methods, for example ordinary playing cards, but every Houngan in Haiti who has seen my Tarot deck has wanted one for himself, and I have given away lots of decks in Haiti!
I use the Celtic spread. I interpret the cards from a Vodou perspective, sometimes somewhat differently than a "classic" reader would. I used as Significator, "The World" - of course. And after illuminating the altar, I chose a new white candle and rubbed into its surface the herbs from the sacred mortar and pestle of the Roots Without End Society, leaves picked and ceremonially processed in Haiti to contain the essence of all lwa, so as to open the way for divine knowledge to come. After the opening prayers and the liturgy of Vodou, I shuffled and the cards took their appointed places.
Here is the reading I received, and my interpretations:
1. The Emperor - The first card indicates the basic character of the matter in hand. This is Ogoun Shango! In Nigeria, Ogoun and Shango are two different orishas, but since Nago Nigerian people were so strongly identified with Ogoun, in Haiti many Nago orishas such as Shango and Obatala became aspects of Ogoun - Ogoun Shango, Ogoun Batala. These lwa are served in the Rada portion of the Vodou liturgy.
In Vodou songs, Ogoun Shango is referred to as neg balizaj, meaning a stormy, turbulent lwa who sweeps all before him, a lwa who can overpower and produce radical change. But Ogoun Shango is also strongly identified with government. I think this year we will see increasing influence of governmment, but also political assassinations, revolutions, and revolutionary or violent changes in the way governments serve their people.
We may also see lightning-like cracks of energy, major weapon detonations, and wreckage of buildings, even cities. We may also increase dramatically in our knowledge of magnetism and the wireless transmission of energy.
All Ogouns are lwa of power, and power is up for grabs this year. Ogoun lwa are also very hard working, so this is the year for people to work very, very hard toward our chosen goals, because as we work, we attain the power to succeed! We have the power to act, and we have the power to choose how to act.
The Non-Initiates' Service for Ogoun is online as free instruction, and the Ogoun Instructional Package is also available. It is recommended to make a service for the owner of this calendar year as soon as possible.
2. The Lovers - The second card indicates any conflicting or complementary influences. All power implies choices, so it is vitally important that the way we choose to use power is made with regard to spiritual values. Our unconscious minds may influence our choices, thus we must be clear about the reasons on which we base our decisions. People, or nations, who use their power improperly, to harm others, will receive their reward - estrangement from the Love of God. People who use their power correctly and positively will find that not only does their power grow, but their spiritual relationship improves.
In the context of this reading, it is worth mentioning that while Ogoun's influence makes a person work very hard, it is possible to sweeten the situation by invoking Ogoun's wife, the beautiful Maitresse Mambo Erzulie Freda Dahomey. You will still work hard, but if you invoke these two lwa together, you will earn more money, have better working conditions, and enjoy more abundance. The Non-Initiates' Service for Erzulie Freda is online as free instruction, and the Erzulie Freda Instructional Package is also available.
3. Three of Pentacles, inverted - The third card indicates the foundation, the underlying nature, of our situation. This is what we stand on, this is where we make our stand.
When I do a reading, I consider that the cards which are upside down to me are right side up to the lwa who sit across the altar from me, watching the cards. Thus, these cards speak particularly of the influence of the lwa.
The classic meaning of this card is "membership in a secret society such as the Masons". Inverted, it indicates that just like last year, Initiation in a Vodou house is strongly recommended this year. The lwa are telling us to "make a stand" on the firm foundation of the kanzo, on the firm foundation of the family-by-choice relationships that Vodou initiation creates.
4. The Chariot, inverted - This shows the influence which has passed, and is no longer in effect. Our evolution, the steady forward motion of our societies, has now lost it's spiritual guidance and force. We must beware, and consciously reintegrate that Age of Aquarius energy, that progressive movement toward a more open and creative society.
5. Eight of Wands - This card speaks of an influence which may or may not come into being, depending on our actions. It indicates that every single person, every progressive movement, every society and culture, is empowered to reach its goals, if that is the choice made. There is no question but that we can win, personally and as a society.
6. Page of Pentacles, inverted - This card reveals the influence which will definitely come into being in the immediate future. This is excellent news! The Page of Pentacles refers to the transmission of both material wealth and magical knowledge. Make the choice to move forward and you and your nation will be rewarded, with an improved economy and with the power to manifest, to change ideas into reality. This is a very positive card.
However, this card also carries with it a warning, in the context of this reading. With the ascension of governmental powers around the world, it is possible that governments will resort (even more than usual) to deception, to a sort of magical smoke-screen to stay in power.
7. Two of Swords, inverted - This is the card of our house, our world in which we live. Again we see the Swords of Ogoun, and again we see the injunction to choose, to decide, to make a spiritually informed choice that underlies the foundation of our homes, our communities, the places where we live our lives.
8. King of Wands - This card indicates our friends' opinion, what the people around us perceive. In this case, since we are talking about the world in general, and since this is the card of the lwa Grand Bwa, the wild, the Great Forest, it tells us that much of what happens in the coming year is going to depend on environmental issues, and that this is perceived by the peoples of the world, who are going to be watching their neighbors next door, and the other nations of the world, to see that the natural environment is respected. People are going to become more aware of the deadly risks of global warming, and of non-sustainable practices in general.
9. Ace of Swords - This is the card of our hopes and fears. Again we see Ogoun, in this case Ogoun Feray, the King of Angels. By the use of power, we can achieve our hopes, with the fresh clean energy of Ogoun adding impetus. But if we use our power wrongly our worst fears will be realized! Make service for Ogoun, and ask for power to act and power to choose.
This is my interpretation of the reading, containing the information given to me for the Year 2010.
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Here are the recommended resources I suggest to you, based on this reading. The Ogoun Instructional Package includes audio recordings of Vodou songs with written transcription and translation, an herbal bath with written instructions, consecrated candles, vevers, images of Ogoun, and various other appropriate items:
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