Baron Samedi ritual.

[Dumunzi]

I've been wanting to do a ritual with the Baron for a long, long time. Now the opportunity has presented itself.

Queers and Allies, a group on campus I am involved with, is going to participate in the Day of Silence. In short, you take a vow of silence to remember and bring awareness to bullying, hate crimes, and as a way of honoring those who are have taken their lives or been murdered.

I was thinking of erecting a small altar to the Baron Samedi, 9 candles, an offering of cigars, rum, whiskey, etc. And a bowl of salt to stick incense in as an offering that the dead be watched over, and as a way of honoring them.

My question is this; what is the protocol for rituals with the Baron? Or Voodoo rituals in general? There does not seem to be a 101 style book, or anything that would tell me flat out the do's and don'ts.

I'm assuming I need to draw up his veve, 9 candles seems to be a staple(But I don't know the significant reason why), the offerings to him are whiskey, rum(Allready bought some for him), and cigars. Is it necessarily an important thing to buy him the toppest quality? For instance, I purchased a small flask style bottle of Admiral Nelsons rum as opposed to Captain Morgans, it was just so much more expensive. Is that an issue? In regards to offerings to him what do I do with the offerings when the ritual is over and the altar taken down? Leave them in a graveyard? Poor them out to the ground as the offering for him?

Also, must I have a poppet of his resemblance? Is that required?

P.S. As a side note I have all ready read through the Roots Without End website.

[Teresa]

I'm assuming I need to draw up his veve, 9 candles seems to be a staple(But I don't know the significant reason why), the offerings to him are whiskey, rum(Allready bought some for him), and cigars. Is it necessarily an important thing to buy him the toppest quality? For instance, I purchased a small flask style bottle of Admiral Nelsons rum as opposed to Captain Morgans, it was just so much more expensive. Is that an issue? In regards to offerings to him what do I do with the offerings when the ritual is over and the altar taken down? Leave them in a graveyard? Poor them out to the ground as the offering for him?

Also, must I have a poppet of his resemblance? Is that required?

P.S. As a side note I have all ready read through the Roots Without End website.
http://books.google.com/books?id=-IjIzuKa_k4C&pg=PA169&lpg=PA169&dq=making+an+altar+to+Baron+Samedi&source=bl&ots=hrIqvHVVcC&sig=pUZOKU2YfI2y2bhM6ZSR4JzyLAg&hl=en&ei=2nzjSdKFL4vmlQfzlqngDg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1

You can make a simple altar for him with the things you mentioned. Add a glass of water to the altar. You can just use one candle if you wish. Things to place on the altar you can use a black cloth and place some purple material to cover the table with as those are his colors. you can place some sunglasses on the altar and he also likes black coffee. People usually have a skull on the altar to represent him. It can be plastic, ceramic, real, beaded, etc. Altars can be as simple or complex as you wish. You can draw the veve on paper and place it on the altar if you wish but You do not "Have to do that " You also do not have to buy the best of the best either in answer to that question. I am including a few examples of altars for Baron to give you some ideas. I hope some of this helps.

[Dumunzi]

Everything you wrote to me I will study and take at heart. Thank you for the pictures to also!! But I am left with a bit of a follow up.

I wrote to a Houngan(sp?) and his phrasing to me, more or less, was to not do anything with the Baron, he said it would essentially be inappropriate and that I needed to get a reading done by a Houngan or Mambo to figure out which Lwa I walk with before I ever even think of working with one. He said it might cause a negative backlash.

I'm scared of cultuire missapropriation. Of pulling something out of the blue because it works to me and perhaps disregarding the traditions, laws, and rules of a faith? Would doing this, setting up an altar to the Baron, be considered under what i described just now??

Thanks so much again. :)

P.S. Can I use a wax skull candle? Or does it need to be explicitly not a candle?

[BlackLili]

I would be wary of those who tell you if you "can't" or "shouldn't" express your spirituality to whomever/however you feel so moved.

The lwa, at least in my experience, all appreciate being acknowledged and paid tribute to. Teresa is likely the most knowledgeable of all of us in this topic though. I think so long as you are not trying to Call the Baron, or petition him to aid you, but paying tribute in honor of those he protects and watches over, I don't know what it would harm.

I like your ideas so far. It sounds lovely. (I keep a skull candle on my altar to Papa Legba, too.)

[Teresa]

Everything you wrote to me I will study and take at heart. Thank you for the pictures to also!! But I am left with a bit of a follow up.

I wrote to a Houngan(sp?) and his phrasing to me, more or less, was to not do anything with the Baron, he said it would essentially be inappropriate and that I needed to get a reading done by a Houngan or Mambo to figure out which Lwa I walk with before I ever even think of working with one. He said it might cause a negative backlash.

I'm scared of cultuire missapropriation. Of pulling something out of the blue because it works to me and perhaps disregarding the traditions, laws, and rules of a faith? Would doing this, setting up an altar to the Baron, be considered under what i described just now??

Thanks so much again. :)

P.S. Can I use a wax skull candle? Or does it need to be explicitly not a candle?

You can use a wax skull candle, a candy skull, any kind you can find even plastic ones, an old skull mask etc. There is nothing wrong with what you are planning on doing. Many non initiates have altars to honor Lwa they are drawn to. Perhaps that person is more interested in "a dollar" like many in those positions now a days are than in giving good advice. If it was so taboo there would not be services for the non initiates written anywhere.

I do not see anything wrong with what you have planned.

[Dumunzi]

You can use a wax skull candle, a candy skull, any kind you can find even plastic ones, an old skull mask etc. There is nothing wrong with what you are planning on doing. Many non initiates have altars to honor Lwa they are drawn to. Perhaps that person is more interested in "a dollar" like many in those positions now a days are than in giving good advice. If it was so taboo there would not be services for the non initiates written anywhere.

I do not see anything wrong with what you have planned.

Then I shall get some sun glasses for my skull! ^_^ Tell me though, what do I do with the offerings after so long? Is there a certain way to dispose of them when the time comes?

Thanks for setting this all straight, and I believe he was the sort that sold services.

I take it I shouldn't invoke him, unless I call upon him for serious help should the time come? With serious help though I imagine there will be serious accommodations I may make, or so I've been led to believe.

[BlackLili]

I take it I shouldn't invoke him, unless I call upon him for serious help should the time come? With serious help though I imagine there will be serious accommodations I may make, or so I've been led to believe.

I certainly wouldn't ask the Baron to come to me without an adept by my side. By asking that, especially if you research it and perform the greeting and requests as a Voodousant would if they're within a House (a difficult trick as most houses will not reveal their methods to non-initiates,) can quite likely result in becoming a horse for the lwa called on - which can be an intense and sometimes dangerous prospect, even for the initiated.

But respecting and honoring most lwa is a fairly safe practice.

[Teresa]

Then I shall get some sun glasses for my skull! ^_^ Tell me though, what do I do with the offerings after so long? Is there a certain way to dispose of them when the time comes?

Thanks for setting this all straight, and I believe he was the sort that sold services.

I take it I shouldn't invoke him, unless I call upon him for serious help should the time come? With serious help though I imagine there will be serious accommodations I may make, or so I've been led to believe.

You can take the offerings and leave them in a cemetery when you wish to dispose of them. With the liquor, I would pour it on the ground in the cemetery and say Baron Samedi this is for you.

BTW: Off Topic
If you want a good book that can help you understand a bit about voudou, I would suggest Mama Lola by Karen Mc Carthy Brown. It is not as dry a read as Milo's book.

[Sage Rainsong]

Well the only thing that I can think of to add is to not to forget to honor Papa Legba first. You are supposed to honor him before any other Lwa. As far as books go I really enjoyed was The Haitian Vodou Handbook by Kenaz Filan. I think that he did a great job of telling you ways to honor the lwa by oneself without disrespecting the culture or betraying and of his houses' secret knowledge.

[David19]

Well the only thing that I can think of to add is to not to forget to honor Papa Legba first. You are supposed to honor him before any other Lwa. As far as books go I really enjoyed was The Haitian Vodou Handbook by Kenaz Filan. I think that he did a great job of telling you ways to honor the lwa by oneself without disrespecting the culture or betraying and of his houses' secret knowledge.

That's a book I want to get, after reading parts of it. If I'm not mistaken, I think the author also posts, sometimes, on MW (anyone know if that's true or I'm just talking out of my ass here?).

[Sage Rainsong]

That's a book I want to get, after reading parts of it. If I'm not mistaken, I think the author also posts, sometimes, on MW (anyone know if that's true or I'm just talking out of my ass here?).

He has posted a couple of times but I don't think that he has in a while.

[David19]

He has posted a couple of times but I don't think that he has in a while.

That's a shame, but, I still might check out his book, I think he also has a new one coming out (or out already?) by himself and Raven Kaldera, which might be quite cool.