The act of sacrifice is integral to the practice of Voodoo. It creates a link between the Loa and the Voodooist, a link that reaches through the waters under the earth to the very heart of Guinee. As we are in community, each dependent on the other , so do we stand in relationship to the loa.
One does not take with out giving, onde does not give with out taking. In all exchanges there is reciprocity, a sharing of benefit.
It is not as important what is given as how it is given. We give what we can and in return receive immeasurable grace. In Haiti, the appetites of the loa are well defined; foods and manner of presentation are very exact. In their migration to New Orleans, the loa seem to have acquired a much more catholic appetite. With a bit of love for the Loa as a sauce, a wide range of sacrifices is acceptable. As Akoko, a Voodoo practitioner and theorist, would say "Even small efforts are greatly rewarded" In any sacrifice, sincerity is a major element. These things being stated let us build a Spirit House or oumphor in our hearts and souls from which to offer the external forms of sacrifice.
The word "sacrifice" is taken from the Latin sacer (sacred) and facere (to make). To sacrifice is to make sacred. This is an extremely important point and forms the foundation of the Spirit House in which we will make sacrifice.
The sacrifices I will mention will all be mange sec(dry meal), or without blood. This was done for a number of reasons, primarily the nature of the society in which we live. In general, we do not slaughter our own food. This, some believe, creates an unnatural situation where the shedding of blood takes on foreign and unnecessarily morbid implications. Life lives upon life. This obious natural law seems to have become a secred hid within the butcher's shrink wrap.
The object of sacrifice can relect your choice of sustenance. If you are a vegetaria, offer vegetables or fruits. The Loa does not necessarily share your appetites, but there is a point at which your spirit will embrace that of the loa. If the means of your sacrifice are repugnant to you, your distaste will surely taint that which is given.
