Abbateur: Ogoun.
New Orleans Voodoo is a living, adaptable spiritual and magickal tradition. It can be practiced within a religious framework, but it does not require a person to belong to a religion. Some people approach it through family tradition, spirit work, prayer, ritual, folk magick, or a combination of these. At Spellmaker, we do not categorize New Orleans Voodoo itself as necessarily a religion.
Haitian Vodou is distinct. While New Orleans Voodoo and Haitian Vodou share historical and spiritual connections, Vodou has its own lineages, rites, priesthood, liturgy, communities, and traditions. At Spellmaker, we categorize Haitian Vodou more specifically as a religion. We use the spellings intentionally: Vodou when we mean the Haitian religion, and Voodoo when we mean New Orleans or American Voodoo.
This glossary was originally written by Houngan Bob nearly thirty years ago. It reflects his knowledge, humor, family terminology, and the language of the time in which he wrote it. We have preserved his voice and the historical headwords as much as possible while updating or annotating a small number of definitions where older wording may now be inaccurate, unnecessarily harsh, or offensive.
Legacy terminology note: Some historical racial classifications and older cultural terms remain as glossary headwords because they are part of the historical record. Their definitions now identify them as historical or outdated where appropriate rather than presenting them as current language.
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Archive provenance: This combined edition brings together the three surviving legacy glossary pages (formerly A–G, H–O, and P–Z). No glossary entry has been rewritten or silently corrected.
A
A
Absinthe: The green opal, the curse of France, elixir, temptress, stupefactor.
Aethyr: The underlying substance which synergistically binds everything together.
Africa: The African spiritual and cultural source of many traditions that shaped New Orleans Voodoo.
Agassou: The great Dahomean Leopard. The Spiritual principle of removal.
Agouer: The Spiritual principles of natural sequence and abundance.
Aïda: The Spiritual principle of exponential gradation.
Aile: Wing.
Ainsi soit-il: "Amen," "So mote it be," "Thus it is."
Aïsan/Aïzan: The Spiritual principle of evolution.
Algiers Point: A place connected to the sale of enslaved people in New Orleans history.
Allée: Hidden path of the Promenade.
Albuquerque: City in New Mexico, U.S.A. which has a mystical link with New Orleans. The center of the Western world.
Alegba™/Alegoua™: The Spiritual principles of communication and guidance.
Algiers: Across the river.
Altar: Your connection to Rev. Samantha Corfield and the Divine Cosmorama™.
Anago: Nigerian group of Lois and their promenades. Not a major part of New Orleans Voodoo.
Ancêtres: Ancestors - Those who have gone before.
Ancient Egypt - Along with Nubia, the source of Voodoo.
Ange: Angel - A Loi.
Angel Heart: Interesting movie, features New Orleans Voodoo.
Angola: Location of Louisiana State Penitentiary. Also a Nation of Lois.
Arada: Dahomey (Benin) group of Lois and their promenades.
Arc-en-Ciel: Rainbow, Aïda.
Argent: Money. Silver.
Argot, Griffe™: Talon.
Armoire: A clothes cabinet. Can be used as a secret Altar.
Asacca/Azacca: The Spiritual principles of steady energy and fecundity.
Assemblage™: A stack of certain items in Rev. Samantha Corfield's Spell Kits.
Asson: The Rattle used by the Houngan or Mambo during a Promenade d'l' Loi.
Assotor: One really, really BIG drum.
ALTM: Common abbreviation for our Attract Love to Me™ spell kit. (Kit used to attract the right love for you.)
Attributes, preferences and dislikes: Information is directly displayed by our Chevaliers. It is NOT Jungian or Crowleyish "assigned," "intuitionally received," or "channeled" concepts.
Ayibobo!: So be it, yeah-you-right, let it be done! (Positive exclamation! More Haitian Kreyol, but adopted into Louisiana Vodou as well!)
B
B
Bailler: To give (something).
Banc: A reef, a financial institution.
Banquette: Sidewalk.
Bantu: Common language of the Kongo people.
Baron Samedi: The spiritual principles of cessation and development.
Bâton Alegba™: Stick used in our private Voodoo Work.
Bâton Jeu-jeu™: Staff used in our private Voodoo Work.
Bâton Royal™: Special rod used in our private Voodoo Work.
Bayou St. John: The bayou meandering from Lake Pontchartrain where certain Voodoo rituals used to be practiced.
Betaille: A bug.
Big Easy: Too hot and humid to be anything else. Sit down for awhile. New Orleans.
BigM: Common abbreviation for our Big Money™ spell kit.
Black Eagles: A Black Masking Indian group; the tradition has also long been known as Mardi Gras Indians.
Black Magic Woman: Song by Santana.
Blanchisseuse: A washer-woman.
Boeuf Gras: Symbol of Mardi Gras.
Bon Coeur: Someone who casts spells for a living (i.e., Rev. Samantha Corfield with her Divine Voodoo™ True Spiritual Spellcasting Service).
Bon Dieu: The Spiritual principle commonly known as "God."
Bon Marché: Good deal, inexpensive.
Bonne Chance: Good luck.
Bossu: The Spiritual principle of controlled expansion. A figure traditionally described as having a hunched back. The son of a Dahomean King.
Boucane: Smoke.
Boudin Rouge: Blood sausage.
Boussilage: A build-up of mud and moss. Very similar to adobe bricks.
Brigitte: The Spiritual principle of containment, yet expansion.
Brown Derby Social and Pleasure Club: Nice little hideaway. On Louisiana Avenue. Great for a tourist to experience "the real New Orleans."
Burgundy: A street, a wine.
C
C
Café au Lait: Coffe with hot cream or milk.
Cajuns: Acadians - Descendants of the Creoles of Canada.
Cajun Voodoo™: A particular form of Rev. Samantha Corfield's Voodoo practice.
Calaboose: Calabozo - Jail.
Calas: One-time street nibble.
Camellia Grille: Best omelettes in the world.
Canseau/Canzeau: The primary initiation's ordeal by fire.
Carencro: Turkey buzzard.
Carnaval: Mardi Gras.
Catholic Church: Many similarities to Voodoo, we have saints, they have saints, and so forth and so on.
Cayenne: Good spice.
Cercueil: Coffin.
Charles M. Gandolfo: Deceased founder and curator of the New Orleans Historic Voodoo Museum, artist who painted the world-famous picture of Marie Laveau.
Chauve-souris: Bat.
Chef Menteur Highway: Highway 90, the road upon which Jayne Mansfield died.
Chèval: Horse - The physical body temporarily taken over and ridden by a Loi. The original personality is temporarily displaced.
Chèvalier, Cavalier, Cavaliere: A Loi, riding.
Chicken Man: His ashes reside in Priestess Miriam Chamani's Voodoo Spiritual Temple in New Orleans.
Chifforobe: Good place for a hidden Altar.
Chouette: Screech Owl.
City Park: Location in New Orleans where certain Voodoo practices are performed privately.
Code Noir: Once a code of behavior (not well adhered to by the average New Orleanians).
Commission: A message.
Confederacy of Dunces: Book by J. K. Toole, a typical New Orleanian's life.
Confondre: To confuse.
Congo: Angola and Belgian Congo, Zaire group of Lois and their promenades.
Congo: A person from the Congo regions of Africa. In older usage, the word was also sometimes used as a racial descriptor for a very dark-skinned Black person; that usage is now dated and inappropriate.
Congo Square: A historic New Orleans gathering place where enslaved and free Black people gathered, especially on Sundays, to trade, socialize, make music, and dance.
Conjuration: One of Rev. Samantha Corfield's Creole Voodoo™ Spells.
Connaisance: Awareness - Under ritual circumstances, one has actually met the physical presence of one of our family Chevaliers.
Connaitre l'Loi: To meet a Loi.
Corbeau: Crow.
Cosmic Voodoo™: A particular form of Rev. Samantha Corfield's Voodoo practice.
Coup d'Gras: The final strike.
Couvert: Cloudy sky.
Craie: Chalk.
Crawfish: Suck the head and pinch the tail.
Creoles: A complex Louisiana cultural identity whose meanings have varied over time. Historically it has included locally born people and descendants of European colonists, free people of color, and enslaved Africans and their descendants.
Creole Voodoo™: A particular form of Rev. Samantha Corfield's Voodoo practice.
Crescent City: Built on the curve of the river.
Crochir: To bend, warp.
Croisailler: To crisscross.
Cross: To put a Spell on someone, to interfere with another's activities.
Crossroads: A place where the two worlds intersect.
Cymbie: The Spiritual principles of change and protection.
Cypress: Swamp trees.
D
D
Damballah: The Spiritual principles of predestination and success.
Dans l'Fond d'l'eau: At the bottom of the water.
Déchainer: To be unrelenting.
Dégager: To extricate.
Dessounin: The death rite which separates a Loi d'l' Tete from the body of his/her initiate.
Divine Cosmorama™: A term used where other people might use the word "God." The total cosmos, including both universes.
Divine Voodoo™: A special form of Rev. Samantha Corfield's Voodoo practice.
Doctor John: John Montenet was a well-known Root Doctor in New Orleans. Marie Laveau's mentor.
Doctor John, the Night Tripper: Mac Rebennack, a famous New Orleans pianist, singer, and Vodouisant. May or may not have been a self-defense student of Bob Gibbons. (Don't test this theory, Dr. John will fuck you up.)
Doctor Yah-yah: Was another Voodoo practitioner.
Domestique des Vaudoux™: Servant to the Grand African Spirits - Rev. Mambo Samantha Corfield.
Dooky Chase: Excellent Creole restaurant on Orleans Avenue.
Doubloon: Carnival throw. Since 1960.
E
E
Eau: Water.
Elysian Fields: A street in New Orleans.
Empereur Jean-Jacque Dessalines: Hero and Saint of the revolutionary war.
Enchanteur, Enchantresse: Spellworker - One who uses Rev. Samantha Corfield's Spell Kits.
Entortiller: To twist, entangle.
Enturbulation: The state of a person in distress, before starting one of Rev. Samantha Corfield's Spells.
Envoyer: To send.
Eperon: Cock's spur.
Ersulie/Erzulie: The Spiritual principles of Desire and fulfillment. Voodoo Love Goddess Supreme.
Esplanade: Hidden path to the Other World.
Esprit: Spirit - A Loi.
Essence: Perfume.
F
F
Faire l' M´nage: To make house - To clean the House of our Lois.
Fais-dodo: Cajun country dance.
Fait Accompli: The Spell is done.
Fantôme: The visible spook.
Farine d' froment: Wheat flower.
Farine d' maïs: Cornflower.
Fascinate: To direct one of Rev. Mambo Samantha Corfield's Spells toward another person.
Fats Domino: Antoine Domino, another great New Orleans pianist, singer, and amazing performer.
Fièvre Jaune: Yellow fever.
Flambeaux: Torch Bearers.
Flamme: Fire. Flame.
Fleur d' Lis: Flower of the lily. On the official flag of New Orleans.
Fon: Language of people living in Ghana and Benin.
French Market: Where fresh gifts for our Lois may be obtained.
G
G
Gagner: To win, to obtain, to have.
Galeries: Balconies.
Général Toussaint L'Ouverture: Hero of the revolutionary war. A great Saint.
Gésier: Gizzard.
Ghosts: Apparitions of those who have recently deceased.
Gifts: We do not "sacrifice" for our Lois, nor give "sacrifices" to them. We give them gifts.
Glapion: The family name of some of the widow Paris's descendants.
Goun baille ça: The statement, "Ogoun gives this," when delivering a Coup d' Gras.
Govi: A clay pitcher containing a Lwa/spirit.
Grand Chemin™: Overt path to the Other Side.
Grand Maître: Grand Master - That which passes for"God," yet is the consciousness of the Divine Cosmorama™.
Grand Zombi: Damballah and/or Cymbie.
Gratter™: To scratch the ritual marks into or upon the flesh of the Initiate.
Graveyard: Where certain Spells are executed.
Griffe™: A Magickal Seal used in Rev. Mambo Samantha Corfield's Spell Kits.
Griffonage™: A Symbol used in Rev. Mambo Samantha Corfield's Spell Kits.
Gris-gris: Burnt gray - A Voodoo Spellworking procedure.
Gris-gris Bag: A Magickal Voodoo packet or ritual object; older sources often used the anthropological term "fetish."
Gros Bon Ange: Fat Angel Song by Jefferson Airplane - One of two spiritual principles in Spellcasting, the material aspect. The physical aspect of a being.
Garde: A protective Magickal Charm.
Geek: One who bites the heads off chickens.
Guetteur 'Gator™: The Louisiana Guetteur, lurking in the shadows, watching, waiting...
Guetteurs™: Watchers - The spiritual principle of continuation. Commonly written as "gede." See the movie City of Angels.
Guider: To Guide, a Guide - The Spiritual principles of advancement and development.
Guinée: Africa. The motherland.
Gumbo: Thick soup. Try some. (Ask Mambo Sam to make you some!)
H
H
Haiti: Another center for Voodoo.
Hand: A Voodoo ritual object or charm; older sources often used the anthropological term "fetish."
HD: Our abbreviation for "Heart's Desire" - either in what you are asking for or the person you are casting our love spells on. "I want my HD to respond to my spells."
Helpers: Spiritual aides. One of our Loi and/or his or her minions.
Helping Hand: Spiritual assistance for those in distress.
Hochet: Pronouced "ho-shay" - the sacred rattle of the senior members of a New Orleans Voodoo House.
Hoodoo: A distinct African American spiritual and folk-magical tradition, also known in many contexts as conjure or rootwork. It is historically related to African American religious and magical traditions, but it is not simply another spelling of Voodoo.
Hoppin' John: Black-eyed peas and rice.
Houdou: Cajun and Creole spelling of Voodoo, the "H" is silent - A Loi or Spiritual practice.
Hounfort: A Voodoo Temple and its accompanying grounds.
Houngan: A Master of Ceremonies of the Arada group, a Voodoo priest.
Hounsi: A Voodoo initiate of the Arada group. Not at all the same, but may be understood by outsiders as being in a similar vein to a "confirmed Catholic."
House of the Rising Sun: Poignant song, author unknown. written in the 1800's. About either a gambling casino or house of ill-repute in New Orleans.
Hyacinth de la O: One of Rev. Samantha Corfield's confidants in matters of Voodoo.
I
I
I Put a Spell on You: Song by Screamin' Jay Hawkins, inspiration for Rev. Samantha Corfield's original web site, Put-a-Spell-On-You! (This site by that name no longer exists. It evolved into Spellmaker | The Voodoo Boutique.)
If Ever I Cease To Love: Theme song of Rex, King of Carnival.
Ibo, Igbo: A nation of Lois and their promenades.
Iko, Iko: Song.
Ile en Bas d'l' Eaux: The original home of the primal Mysteres.
Ile Ifé: Holy City. Where the Mound of the World was formed and everything began.
Import Voodoo: An older Spellmaker family term for Voodoo traditions brought into New Orleans from Haiti or other regions and blended with local practices. It was used to distinguish those traditions from our own Traditional Family Voodoo.
Incantation: A chant performed while casting a spell.
Indien: In this historical Louisiana context, a Native American or Indigenous person.
J
J
J'ai faim: I want blood.
Jackson Square: Originally, Place d' Armes.
Jambalaya: Crawfish pie, filé gumbo. Traditional rice dish made with a variety of different ingredients.
Jean Lafitte: Once a pirate.
Jeu-jeu: Toy - A Voodoo ritual object or Voodoo doll; older sources often used the anthropological term "fetish."
K
K
Khouzhan: Historical term used exclusively in the Spellmaker Family to designate a Novitiate, one who has taken one or more of the 9 initiations on the road to Priest or Priestess.
K&B Purple: The purple color used in the old Katz and Bestoff signs. Certain Spellworking items could be purchased from the drugstores.
King Cake: Mardi Gras Confection. Don't bite the baby.
King Henri Christophe: Hero and Saint of the revolutionary war.
Krewe: A public or private Mardi Gras Association.
Krewe of Zulu: Throws golden coconuts during Mardi Gras.
L
L
La Bamboula: A Promenade.
La Bas: Over there. The Other World.
La Flambeau: The flame - A nation of Lois.
La Fleur s'apres former: The Spell is in action (taking effect).
La Loi: The Law (Les Lois: (plural) the laws, rules, or guides) - A Spirit; a Grand African or Creole Ancestral Being who is capable of entering many material substances. Our Lois establish a link between humans and their relationships to, and activities in, the natural world. Comparable to a Saint or Angel. Our family Lois are linked with their homeland and issue by occult means to the Altars of Rev. Samantha Corfield. There is no correspondence with "other gods," for our Lois are not imaginary Jungian archetypal stuff.
La Nouvelle Orléans: New Orleans.
Lagniappe: A little something extra.
Laisser (aller) l' Bon Temps Rouler: "Let the good times roll."
Lame: A wave.
Lapin: A rabbit.
Liberace: The White Man. Healer on the Other Side.
LMA: Our abbreviation for our spell kit Love Me Again. Used to designate the kit and also, in our slang, "I want him to LMA."
LMMA: Our abbreviation for our spell kit Leave My Man Alone. Used to designate the kit and also, in our slang, "I need that b*tch to leave my man alone."
Loco: The Spiritual principle of advancement through assignment.
Loi Acheté: Bought Spirit - One of our Loi whose services are temporarily purchased for Spellwork and included in Rev. Samantha Corfield's Creole Voodoo™ Spell Kits.
Loi Maître d'l' Tête: Spiritual master of the head - A person's guiding Spirit, received during initiation.
Lucky Dog: Read "A Confederacy of Dunces," and/or walk the French Quarter.
La Lune: The moon.
M
M
Maelstrom: The gathering and focus of energy when using Rev. Samantha Corfield's Spell Kits.
Magie, Magick: Not parlor or stage magic, but the manipulation of time, thoughts, and emotions.
Magickian: One who does Spellwork.
Magnatizer: To Mesmerize.
Make groceries: Get gifts for our Lois.
Malfaiteur: One who interferes with the activities of another person rather than do well for him or herself, in order to attain things.
Malvina Latour: Marie Laveau's successor.
Maison Blanche: Department store on Canal Street. Also the cottage Marie Laveau had beside Lake Pontchartrain.
Malcolm X: Martyr.
Maman-aux-Lois™: Mother to our Spirits - Rev. Samantha Corfield.
Mambo: The Mistress (lady "master") of Ceremonies of the Arada or Anago group, an initiated Voodoo priestess.
Mamou: Coral tree.
Manger Loi: Loi Food - A gift to a Loi.
Manteau: Mantle.
Marais: Pond.
Marassa: The Spiritual Principles of similarity and sympathy.
Marcher: Work - The Work of using Rev. Samantha Corfield's Spell Kits to improve one's material and emotional conditions during his/her life on earth. While these things are being accounted for, one is also learning Spiritual development.
Marcher d'l' Loi: Spirit walk - The pattern of movement for and/or of our Lois during a Voodoo ritual.
Mardi Gras: Fat Tuesday - The Tuesday before Lent begins.
Marie Laveau: The most well-known of New Orleans Voodoo Queens.
Marinette: The Spiritual principle of well-being and freedom.
Marteau: Hammer.
Martin Luther King, Jr.: Martyr.
Mary Oneida Toups: She was the most well-known modern-day Witch in the French Quarter - New Orleans witchcraft initiator of Houngan Bob Gibbons and Mambo Samantha Corfield.
Mascarade: The Masquerade - The Cosmic Promenade of our Lois disguised as Catholic Saints.
Maspero's Exchange: A place associated with the sale of enslaved people in New Orleans history. :(
Masque: A Catholic Saint fronting for one of our Lois.
Médicament: Remedy.
Melanger: To mix.
Minuit: Midnight.
Mirages™: Spell-sent impressions.
Moin: I, me, mine, one less than the whole (monde).
Moisi: Mildew.
Mojo: Mumbo-jumbo (mumbled and jumbled) - A spoken spell.
Mojo Bag: Gris-gris Bag.
Monde: People, or a person, everyone (within a set).
Monnaie: Money.
Mots: Words.
Mulatto: A historical racial classification for a person of mixed Black and white ancestry. The term is now widely considered outdated and offensive and is retained here only for historical context.
MYLM: Our abbreviation for the spell kit, Make You Love Me. Also used as a petition, "I'm going to work hard to MYLM."
Mystères, Mysteries: Lois.
N
N
Nager: To swim.
Nègre Marron: A historical French/Creole term for a maroon or freedom seeker: an enslaved person who escaped slavery and lived independently. Older literal renderings of this term can be offensive in modern English.
Neutral Ground: The median between two or more lanes of opposite direction.
New Orleans: Center of Voodoo in the U.S.A. -Where the hidden entrance to l' Ile en Bas d'l' Eaux exists.
New Orleans Historic Voodoo Museum: Best typifies what was at one time traditional New Orleans Voodoo.
New Orleans Witchcraft: Practical witchcraft, no religion to it, used to obtain those things which one desires.
Ngangan: A traditional ritual specialist of the Congo group; a priest or priestess who casts Spells.
O
O
Octaroon: Historical spelling in this glossary of octoroon, an old racial classification for a person described as having one-eighth Black ancestry. The term is now considered dated and offensive and is retained only for historical context.
Oeufs: Eggs.
Ogoun: The Spiritual principles of bursting energy and tension.
Old Absinthe House: Historic Bar in the French Quarter.
Ombrage: Shade, shadow.
Orage: Storm. Anger.
Oriflamme™: A Symbol used in Rev. Samantha Corfield's Spell Kits.
Os: A bone. Used in certain forms of Spellcasting.
Ouanga: A physical object containing a "point," a Charm or packet.
Ouangateur: A person who crosses another with a Charm.
Ouavalouaié™: The Spiritual principles of illness and health.
Ouidah/Ouedo: The major city in Dahomey (Benin) where intense slave trade took place. A holy city in Benin. The Center of the World.
Ouragan: Hurricane
Onzoncaire: The Spiritual principle of propinquity.
P
P
Paiement: Payment.
Papillon: Butterfly.
Parade: The procession of a Mardi Gras Krewe.
Parish: Division of land according to the Church. Similar to a county.
Parish Prison: Marie Laveau would visit and assist wronged prisoners. You don't want to take residence there...
Patient: The person upon whom our Spellwork is directed.
Pelican: State Bird. Mystical symbol on the Louisiana State Flag.
Peristyle: The open area of a Voodoo Temple where communal ritual practices take place.
Persévérer: To persevere.
Perique: Special tobacco.
Pierre: Stone, rock.
Pirogue: A certain type of boat.
Placage: A historical Louisiana social arrangement involving a woman of color and a white man.
Place Congo: Now, it may be Armstrong Park.
Placée: The woman in the above deal.
Plume: Feather.
Pot d'l' tête: Pot for the Head - The container of an initiate's hair, nail clippings, and Magickal products.
Point: The locus of power and magical force.
Petit Bon Ange: Little Angel - One of two spiritual principles in Spellcasting, the immaterial aspect.
Po' Boy: A really, really BIG sandwich.
Pontchartrain Railroad: Yes, there was one.
Porte-Cochére: Gated coach entrance.
Praline: Sweet sugared pecan bonbon.
Prince Hall: Look him up in your reference books.
Professor Longhair: Henry Roeland Byrd, another great New Orleans pianist.
Promenade: Ritualized "dance" steps or pattern of body movement.
Promenade d'l' Loi: Spirit dance - The pattern of movement for and/or of our Lois during a Voodoo ritual.
Pontchatoula: Spanish moss, among other things.
Purple, Green and Gold: For us they stand for Right, Truth, and Justice.
Q
Q
Quadrille: Certain occult activities peculiar to our family. A dance. A formal display.
Quadroon: A historical racial classification for a person described as having one-quarter Black ancestry. The term is now considered dated and offensive and is retained only for historical context.
Quadroon Ball: A historical term for social events where white men and women of color met within the system known as plaçage. The racial label in the name is now considered dated and offensive but is retained because it is the historical name.
R
R
Racine: Root.
Recepient: The person upon whom our Spellwork is directed.
Réflexion: A process utilized in Rev. Samantha Corfield's Creole Voodoo™ Spellwork.
Remedie: Medicine.
Renard: Fox.
Repasser: To do the Spell again.
Rev. Samantha Corfield: The first person to bring Old New Orleans Family Tradition™ Voodoo to the public at large.
Réveiller: To call (the name of). To awaken.
Revenant: A ghost or spook.
Revange (Revanche): Revenge.
Reverend: Reverend - An person revered for his/her Spiritual Knowledge: an ordained Mambo, Houngan, Ngangan or Bon Coeur in the United States of America.
Rien: Nothing. Nil. Nada. Zip.
Riviére™: Sacred necklace used during certain Voodoo rituals.
Revirer: To turn around.
Root: A root used as a ritual object or working ingredient in Voodoo Spells; older sources sometimes used the anthropological term "fetish."
Rootwork: Usage of roots for Spellwork and Healing.
Rouler: To roll.
Rue St. Anne: Where the home of Marie Laveau once stood.
Ruthie the Duck Lady: Once commonly seen in the French Quarter with her duck.
S
S
Salive: Saliva.
Sanctuary: Room containing Rev. Samantha Corfield's Altars.
Saint, Sainte: A Loi.
Sang: Blood.
Sang Mêlé: Mixed blood, more than one race.
Sanite Dede: Another Voodoo predecessor of Marie Laveau.
Sarabande: Confusion. The Spiritual principles of instability and displacement.
Satchmo: Louis Armstrong.
Satchmo: Rev. Samantha Corfield's faithful companion. Passed to the Other Side May 29, 2001.
Schwegmann's: Supermarket where some Voodoo offerings could be obtained.
Séance: A meeting, a session, between those of both worlds.
Séance Room: Secret room where a session is held.
Second Line: Wonderful piece of music. People just join in with the returning funeral procession.
Serpent Congo: Black mocassin.
Serpent d'eau: Water mocassin.
Shotgun: A particular New Orleans-style house.
Sim'bi: The Spiritual principle of smoothe wavelike fluidity.
Slaughterhouse Point: Algiers Point - So called because of the nearness of a slaughterhouse.
Snow Ball: Not a "slush" or a "snowcone" but a flavored ice drink best made in New Orleans.
Soirée: Evening party. Soirées are also related to our Promenades.
Société d'l' Reine Marie-Louise™: Private association of Rev. Samantha Corfield's Spiritual Workers.
Sorcier, Sorciére: Witch, Magickian.
Sorciérie: Witchery.
Sortilege: Witchcraft. Divination.
Souplesse d' Main: Sleight of hand.
Souris: Mouse.
Spectre: The visible spook.
Spell: A series of activities sent into the Cosmos in order to attain that which one desires.
Spellmaker.com: The second web site created by Rev. Samantha Corfield to launch The Voodoo Boutique®.
Spellworker: One of Rev. Corfield's clients.
Spirits: Our Lois. Angels and/or Saints.
Spirit Room: Room containing Rev. Samantha Corfield's Altars. Room where the Séance is held.
Spiritualism: Inextricably bound to New Orleans Voodoo Practices.
Spy-boy: Who does reconnaissance.
St. Expedite: A Spiritual principle of expediency, peculiar to New Orleans Spiritual Work.
St. Louis Cemetery No. One: Where Marie Laveau is entombed.
St. Pierre/St. Peter: Dompedro - The Spiritual principles of constancy and wholeness.
Suaire: Shroud.
Subject: The person upon whom we direct our Spellwork.
Succomber: To succomb to the Spell.
T
T
Tabasco®: Good stuff. Visit Avery Island.
Target: That upon which we direct Spellwork.
Tchamandeur: A moocher.
Tèc-tèc: Popcorn.
Terre: Dirt.
The Church of Nine Mysteries®: Location where services for Rev. Samantha Corfield's Vaudoux are held.
The Constant Undercurrent: The everlasting effect of one of our Spells upon its subject.
The Voodoo Boutique®: The original internet mini-mall designed and developed by Rev. Samantha Corfield in order to expose her original Creole Voodoo™ Spell Kits to the public.
The Widow Paris: Marie Laveau.
Tignon: A wrapping, like a turban, for a free woman of color. Once the law. Once the law.
Tipitina's: Where Professor Longhair used to play.
Tirer la Bonne Aventure: To tell one's fortune.
Tombeau: Tomb. Because the coffins would rise to ground surface. Spooky, huh?
Touché: The Spell hit home.
Tourbillon: The central or main post around which our Lois circulate to arrive among us.
Tourmenter: To persecute with vengeance. To acquire revenge.
Traditional Family Voodoo: That Voodoo which had gone underground and was kept within families to preserve its integrity and private knowledge over generations. It contains old Congo and Dahomean spiritual influences, among others. Rev. Samantha Corfield has gradually shared certain aspects publicly. In our current usage, Traditional Family Voodoo may be practiced as a spiritual and magickal tradition without requiring membership in a religion. Some practitioners understand parts of it religiously; others do not.
TURK: Our abbreviation for The Ultimate Revenge Kit. Often used as, "Am I going to have to TURK that idiot?"
U
U
Ursule: Daughter of Erzulie.
V
V
Vaudou: Louisiana Creole and French - A Loi or Spiritual practice.
Vaudouisant: A practitioner of Voodoo.
Vendeur d' Esclaves: An enslaver or dealer in enslaved people.
Vèver: A symbolic drawing for a particular Loi.
Vieux Carré: Old square - The French Quarter in New Orleans.
Ville au Camp: Location on the Other Side where our Lois live.
Vin: Wine.
Visiter: To haunt.
Vodou: Haitian Vodou, a Haitian religion and spiritual tradition with its own lineages, rites, priesthood, and lwa. Spellmaker uses the spelling Vodou specifically when referring to the Haitian religion.
Vodun, Vodoun: Fon - A Loi in Dahomey (now Benin).
Voler: To fly.
Voodoo: In this glossary, New Orleans or American Voodoo: a living spiritual and magickal tradition that may be practiced within a religion or outside formal religious membership, depending on the practitioner. Historically, the word has also been used more broadly for spirit work, Spellwork, or a practitioner.
Voodoo Doll: A ritual object used in Voodoo Spellwork; older sources sometimes used the anthropological term "fetish."
Voodooist: A practitioner of Voodoo.
Voudou: Cajun and Creole - A Loi or Spiritual practice.
Vúdu: Spanish - A Loi or Spiritual practice.
W
W
West Florida: Four parishes in Louisiana were considered by that name.
When the Saints Go Marching In: Sorrow and loss are forgotten in the joy of Going Home. The procession returns.
Wild Tchopitoulas: A Black Masking Indian tribe, part of the New Orleans tradition also long known as Mardi Gras Indians.
Wild Magnolias: Another Black Masking Indian tribe, part of the New Orleans tradition also long known as Mardi Gras Indians.
Y
Y
Yanvalou: Promenade used during some Voodoo rituals.
Yellow Fever: Epidemics in New Orleans history.
Yeux Rouges: Red eyes - A Creole grouping of mixed-ancestry Lois, described in the family tradition as having both Congo and Native American or Indigenous ancestry; the tormented.
Z
Z
Zink: This little item is a mystery for you to investigate--if you can.
Zulu King: Raised Man of the Zulu Parade.
About this legacy page: This glossary was originally written by Houngan Bob. The 2026 edition preserves his work while making a small number of clearly identified language and framing updates so the page can remain useful to new readers without erasing its history.
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