E. A. Koetting and Baron DePrince - The Spider and The Green Butterfly

E.A. Koetting/Baron DePrince
The Spider and the Green Butterfly
it was inhabited by slaves and imperialists, long before the
ancestors and the Loa were imported with captive Africans,
is a place of power. Were the slaves brought to Haiti, or
were they called! Haiti is indeed one of the few spots on
the face of the earth that shines brightest when seen through
Eternal eyes. The few remaining forests dance with spirits,
the water washes energy onto the sandy beaches, the salty
air is thick with power, and the gods roam the darkness of
Haiti undetected by the thousands of American tourists
seeking nothing more than an inexpensive vacation.
A door has been opened between the planes on that
island, and will likely remain open long after it is deserted.
If a Sorcerer from the west ever receives an invitation from
a Master Houngan to come to Haiti and to partake of the
various rituals of initiation, his eyes will be opened to the
spirits that wander throughout that land, and although he
will eventually return to his home, Haiti will forever
continue to call him back.
Similar doors are opened throughout the world,
however, when the solitary Sorcerer takes up the
knowledge that has been passed down from ancient times,
and is now recorded in part in this text. His altar and ritual
room become open doors into the spirit worlds. His home
becomes a gateway beyond. His life becomes the window
through which all may glimpse eternity. Once he begins to
consciously connect with the Vodoun spirits, both he and
his life are permanently altered.
The Vodoun Spirits -
The Vodoun pantheon is possibly one of the most
involved in the world, including gods, demigods,
intermediary Loa, wandering spirits, ancestors, and spirits
of the dead. The western-educated mind is comfortable
with categorization and hierarchy. Being the very
definition of the word "westerner," it is my attempt here to
categorize the Vodoun spirits as best as possible, drawing
not from regurgitated ideas, but instead from that which I
have received from the living Vodoun Masters.
As touched upon earlier, the Loa exist on the earth
as intermediaries between the Grand God, the Almighty,
and the lower creatures, specifically humans. Aside from
this division, I have not, despite weeks of brainstorming
and charting, discovered an actual hierarchy of the Vodoun
spirits. Some seem to possess more ability and power in
specific areas than others, some seem to be more effective
in creating physical change than others, but none rule over
any other. They preside over creation horizontally, each
exercising dominion over its own domain.
The only exception to this seems to occur when
more than one Loa Works upon any one goal. In these
cases, a primal territorialism is observed. This is never
more the case than when more than one type of spirit or
Loa is employed in the achievement of a goal.
The three types, otherwise called "families" of Loa
- Rada, Petro, and Ghede - must be kept separate at all
times. In a Homfort in which all three will be Worked
with, three separate rooms exist, one for each, each room
spiritually sealed off from the others. Summoning a Petro
Loa inside of a Rada Temple, or a Ghede inside of a Petro
Temple, or any other mixed combination is beyond unwise;
it is suicidal, by the extreme reality of the term.
It is said that some of the greatest disasters this
world has seen have been the result of the type of spiritual
battle that ensues when the Loa clash with one another,
causing hurricanes that wipe out entire countries, wars that
kill millions, famines that starve nations, and disease that
destroys entire races.
It is for this reason that the Grand Houngan, when
asked to lift a curse or a crossing, does not counter the