Is the Voodoo doll dangerous?

The voodoo doll is associated with the voodoo cult mainly practised in Haiti and the southern part of the United States. This religion combines elements of African and Christian beliefs. Its main premise is the existence of loa, or powerful spirits, which can manifest themselves to humans through possession and carry out their commands after the appropriate sacrifice has been made.
What is a voodoo doll and where did it come from?

The voodoo doll derives from Haitian puppets symbolising loa spirits. It was popularised in the early 20th century in the New Orleans area. Today, it is still used in the so-called Louisiana voodoo trend. A voodoo doll is a representation of a person to be put under a spell. For it to work, it should contain some personal object or ingredient from that person – such as hair, saliva, epidermis or blood. To better represent the object of the spell, a picture of the person is sewn on in place of the doll’s head.

The voodoo doll – does it work?

Contrary to appearances, the voodoo doll is not only a prop for bringing a curse. It is also often used to heal someone or to bring them happiness, love, wealth or spiritual peace. In Louisiana voodoo, the use of a doll in good faith is referred to as white magic, while in bad faith it is referred to as black magic. Voodoo charms are referred to as sympathetic magic, meaning that a given action should produce an analogous effect in reality. The simplest example is sticking pins into a doll, which are supposed to cause physical pain to the real person who is represented by the doll.
Interestingly, needles are not always used for this purpose – they are often only to direct and enhance the spell being cast. Thus, if our target is a voodoo doll for love, we should prick it in a place that corresponds to the human heart. We work in an analogous way with a healing puppet – we pierce the places through which the sick person suffers. The action of the voodoo doll is based on the power flowing directly from the human being. The effect of the ritual is dependent on the intention of the charm-caster. Its effects therefore depend on us, as she herself is only a transmitter of what we want to convey to the object of the charm being cast. During the ritual, the focus should be on the person as strongly as possible. There is no need to utter special spells – the key is to concentrate and direct your thoughts towards the person. Voodoo dolls in traditional worship are usually used by priests called houngan or bokor. These are people with many years of experience and a high degree of initiation into the voodoo religion, so they are believed to be able to make a doll with a powerful effect, while also being able to predict the consequences it will cause. This is because voodoo magic can be dangerous in the hands of a beginner and lead them to become possessed or cause them harm.

How to make a voodoo doll?

A voodoo doll should be made from natural materials. Straw, wood or hair will work best for this purpose. The colour of the material should be chosen so that it is associated with the object of the charm, so that the puppet is as faithful a representation of the charm as possible. It is therefore advisable to add typical characteristics of that person, such as hair colour or material resembling the clothes he or she often wears. The person casting the spell must make the puppet themselves. Puppets sewn by someone else or bought from a shop will not work. This is because, according to voodoo beliefs, in the process of making a puppet we transfer our own power to it, so the prop only works in the hands of its maker. Before sewing or assembling a voodoo doll, material from the person who is to be bewitched is placed inside it. In addition, a photograph of the person is attached in place of the prop’s face – this is not necessary, but helps to better direct the power. After the ritual, the voodoo doll must be burnt or buried. It should not be used again, even if the object of the spell is to be the same person.