Lori’s Reviews > Jambalaya: The Natural Woman's Book of Personal Charms and Practical Rituals > Status Update

Why am I always longing for that which is lost? Where are my kindred who value the same things that I do?

"An ever-sealed lid of secrecy covered what older folks said and did. Later I learned that this secrecy had been a survival mechanism. Under slavery, the penalty for retaining African ways and beliefs was death. The Black Codes of Louisiana forbade Black people to gather in large numbers unsupervised."

"Because the Voudou is African-based, it views spirituality as an integral part of every day life. Because the Voudou of New Orleans was nurtured by a "servant class," it's magic is practiced as household acts. Because it survived uprooted from its motherland, it teaches adaptability. Because its truth is found in the oral tradition, it teaches respect for the elders."