Ten things to know about Vodou even if you don’t practice, according to a high priest

Across generations, Vodou has often been misunderstood. Shaped by colonial narratives, Christian missionary influence and Hollywood distortions, it’s often subject to controversy between those who practice, accept or reject it, even in Haiti. The debate about Vodou’s role in Haitian culture most recently emerged over the Haitian team’s FIFA 2026 World Cup Qualifying uniform, which features a vèvè. Of Vodou’s numerous sacred symbols, the one incorporated in the design represents Papa Legba – the deity called upon to open doors.

For Haitians rediscovering the country’s spiritual heritage or anyone seeking to understand what Vodou is or isn’t, scholar Patrick Bellegarde-Smith’s teachings offer some clarity. 

A Vodou practitioner for 34 years and Houngan Asogwe, or senior priest, Bellegarde-Smith is professor emeritus of African and African Diaspora Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. He has authored several books on Vodou and Haiti and was president of KOSANBA, a scholarly association for the study of Vodou and other African-derived religions. He is currently working on a sixth book about gender identities in Vodou.

In a recent interview with The Haitian Times via email, Bellegarde-Smith shared thoughts on Vodou’s status in society at the moment. He said Vodou is very similar to other belief systems rooted in nature, including Hinduism, Buddhism, Shintoism, Japan’s national religion and Native American religions.  

“The younger generation of Haitian Americans, as well as some in Haiti proper, are rediscovering their roots, their ‘racines/rasin,’ ” he said. 

“As with Native American spirituality and Buddhism in the 1960s-1970s in the United States, African religious systems are being discovered by white Americans, and others. Haitian Vodou [is] finding favor throughout society. Native American religion is no longer disparaged, and Vodou is slowly achieving this status.”

In his 2004 book, “Haiti: The Breached Citadel,” Bellegarde-Smith defines Vodou, thus:

“Vodou is a coherent and comprehensive belief system and world view in which every person and everything is sacred and must be treated accordingly. In Vodou, everything in the world — be it animal, vegetal, or mineral — shares basically similar chemical, physical and/or genetic properties… 

The cosmological unity of Vodou further translates into a vaunted African humanism in which social institutions are elaborated and in which the living, the dead, and the unborn play equally significant roles in an unbroken historical chain.”

Of the African and Haitian Vodou religious concepts Bellegarde-Smith provided, here’s a summary of the most potent. Most, if not all, require some reflection.

Everything in existence is sacred

Vodou begins with the belief that all things — animal, plant or mineral — share essential properties and are part of the same spiritual continuum. Nothing is inherently mundane. Everything carries significance.

God is immaterial, and the lwa [Vodou deities] are its expressions

God is not human-shaped, but is created by humans in their own image. The lwa, however,  are “knowable fragments of an unknowable God,” allowing humans to interact with their cosmic energy in a relatable form. God is also neutral, neither good nor bad, but “cool.”

“When you look into the cosmic mirror, the image that looks back at you is the image of God… There are no messiahs, only you standing at the center.”

There is no devil, original sin, or external heaven and hell

Vodou recognizes evil, but not an external being responsible for it. Instead of sin, Vodou teaches taboos that maintain balance. Instead of the Western idea of eternal reward or punishment, Vodou teaches that each action generates outcomes that ripple through one’s life, one’s community and one’s spirit.

“Heaven and Hell do not exist except for that which you create,” one concept reads. 

“There is no devil, there is no Satan, but there is Evil. The evil one launches into a sea of anger, vengeance or indifference, someday returns to port and to you.”

“The objective for each life, for this life, is to master both the forces of good and of evil.”

All things are connected — coincidence does not exist

Because the universe is unified, what appears as coincidence is simply unseen connections. Events, energies and relationships form part of a single cosmic script.

Humans are spiritual beings choosing a physical experience

In Vodou, life is not a one-time event. Reincarnation is a natural recycling, thus the reason ancestors remain active participants in the lives of the living.

“There is life before life and life after life. Meaning, the soul is permanent as a co-creator of the universe,” Bellegarde-Smith said.

“The fear of Death will kill you.”

Nature is to be revered as a sacred force

The natural world is the operating system of the divine. Energy fields flowing through nature are the divine work of deities — and must be respected.

Power comes through sacrifice, and knowledge through effort

The understanding that all things are energy requiring feeding is a central tenet. 

Energy is power, which can be achieved and lead to even more energy. Power itself is achieved through sacrifice, and knowledge through effort.

“Konesans [esoteric knowledge] is simplicity itself, yet complex,” Bellegarde-Smith said.

Divination as “knowable tendencies and fragments” 

“The future is knowable as tendencies and fragments, as time wraps around itself,” Bellegarde-Smith said.

The concept suggests pattern recognition plays a role in divining what lies ahead.

Balance and equilibrium must always be maintained

Vodou emphasizes that everything seeks equilibrium. Miracles occur every day because the world is balanced. When they stop, balance has been lost.

“The favorite child carries the heaviest burden,” Bellegarde-Smith said.

Rhythm is the universe’s language

Rhythm, the vibration of matter, is to force what consciousness is to idea. 
“All things throb with life; one seeks to know their essence,” Bellegarde-Smith said.

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