The word Voodoo has been translated as "the snake under whose auspices gather all who share the faith". It is one of the world's oldest religions, which stems from Africa. Although the structure of it seen today was born in Haiti during the European colonisation of Hispaniola. By importing slaves from Africa from all the different tribes across Africa it was thought that they would be demoralised and wouldn't be able to come together and so they would cause no trouble for the Europeans. How wrong they turned out to be, the misery caused brought them and their various deities together, which caused the development of Voodoo.

To most people when Voodoo is mentioned the thing that springs to mind is normally the Voodoo doll or the 3DFX card for the computer enthusiasts. The Voodoo doll is only one of many rituals and practices of the Voodoo religion, and like the whole religion is generally misunderstood by your average person. To most, Voodoo and the Voodoo doll are for evil, a way of punishing enemies with nothing more than a pin. This is not usually the case, while it is true there is a dark side to the magic there is a good side to it as well, healing spells, love spells and luck spells, are just a few. The Haitians used their faith in Voodoo to free themselves and gain independence despite their oppression. As for the graphics card and other computer related things, generally those associated with Microsoft, the normal conceptions of evilness are generally well founded, see Windows and BSOD for some of the details.

Well there's a brief origin story for you, but an entry on Voodoo wouldn't be complete without more on the Voodoo doll and of course how to make and use one. As said above the Voodoo doll is misunderstood and its bad uses are outweighed by its good uses. Ok here we go, firstly you'll need the material to make it with, basically you can make a Voodoo doll out of practically anything, here's how I make them. Traditionally you use what ever is readily available. Some felt or some cotton or whatever. The colour of your doll should be that of what type of magic you are going to perform.

Cut the shape of the body and start to sew the back and front together, when done by hand it adds a personal touch, which helps charge the doll for use. Once the doll is sewed up bar a reasonable size hole for the stuffing, fill the doll with anything that comes to hand, cotton wool etc. Once that's done the final touch is to be added the thing that makes it personal to the person its to be used on, a photo or hair for example, or anything else that you think may help your spell to work. Then seal the doll up and your done. Any finishing touches to make the doll more personal are always helpful, eyes etc. Now to charge it and to make its purpose know. This can be done in many ways as long as its personal and private it should work. Chanting its purpose for example. I'd steer away from the bad thoughts and the needle prodding if I were you though! For it to work properly you have to be a believer, and once the doll is charged and set it must be kept away from others in an undisturbed place for as long as you want the spell to work.

An alternative method is described by one of my less sane friends Emma, which is slightly more dire so I wouldn't advise doing this, but its interesting to see that there are alternatives. This version is made from clay and blood. You can make your own clay or buy stuff with proper mud or dead stuff or something in it. To charge your doll to you, mix in with clay some of your blood, or put some of the blood of the person the spell is directed at in. This is usually quite difficult though. Then make the doll and add eye colour, their name written in their native tongue (hopefully a nice easy one) on the part of the body that you want act on. Any other touches such as a strand of hair always helps.