A Trip to the Marie Laveau House of Voodoo

The other day, while in French Quarter running errands, I decided to stop and look inside the Marie Laveau House of Voodoo on Bourbon St. Though it is a very small shop, it does contain a great deal of items, from candles to books to tarot cards. Although its main purpose is to cater to the needs of authentic Voodoo practitioners, it goes beyond that, offering books on many other religions, though the physical supplies remain Voodoo-centric. There are a number of altars, some behind glass and one right in the open by the entrance, all with signs that read “Do Not Touch” and “No Pictures” and from what I have heard, it is imperative that these signs be obeyed. Tucked away in the back, behind a curtain of beads, is a dark room that, from the conversation I overhead while admiring the other altars, seemed to be used for divination and other ceremonies. There are also some things for the tourists, like pre-packaged voodoo dolls and spells for good luck or finding a lost item. From what I know of Santería and Candomblé, any spells should only be performed by or under the direct order of a priest after consultation of the deities, so I did not look twice that the “spells” the shop sold. All in all, the House of Voodoo is a very interesting shop and should be visited by anyone who wants a first-hand taste of the Yoruba religions.