The Voodoo Society

Marie Laveau

American Voodoo came into prominence largely as the result of the efforts of Marie Laveau.  Known as the Queen of all Voodoo, she ruled the world of New Orleans Voodoo for the greater part of the 19th century. 

Marie Laveau gained renown far and wide for her fabulous supernatural power and commanded the respect and admiration of people near and far as the Voodoo Queen of New Orleans, the most famous and powerful occultist in the world.  She was both loved and feared by those who knew her, and even today the name of Marie Laveau remains synonymous with all that is Voodoo. 

Marie Laveau was also a devout Catholic but saw no conflict with this and her role as Voodoo Queen, for Voodoo has always been a tolerant and welcoming religion, open to the truths of other faiths and quick to adopt the veneration of new spirits.  While other Voodoo practitioners mixed Southern folklore, also called hoodoo, and European sorcery into their practices, Marie Laveau encouraged worship of the Virgin Mary and other Catholic saints. 

In an era when life was short and hard, Marie Laveau promoted Voodoo as a practical religion that often seemed to work miracles, actually accomplishing things that other religions could only promise.  Marie Laveau made Voodoo fashionable and popular among New Orleanians of every color. 

Marie Laveau's own ancestry was a diverse mix of black, white and American Indian.  Her spiritual vision of Voodoo was a universal one and not limited to any particular cultural aspect.  To this end, Marie Laveau created a unique form of Voodoo, combining African and Caribbean practices with European magic, Southern folklore and Catholic saint worship.