Voodoo Party Rallies
Ms. Lemrac on Saturday night paid $1,750 to
rent a popular venue, Belleville Manor, in the heart of Caribbean Brooklyn.
Security guards frisked attendees. Haitian rum and beer was poured liberally
from an open bar, and a "Happy Birthday" banner and clusters of balloons
decorated the room. The occasion was a birthday party for
Exic Kantor, a feisty spirit who represents the Black Madonna.
"She's been very good to me,"
explained Ms. Lemrac. "She helps me solve a lot of things, so I do a party
to honor her." Preparations were intense. An altar to Exic Kander was set
on a stage, surrounded by offerings that included flowers and candles, and the
less than usual, Florida Water perfume, Haitian rum, Red Label Scotch, all
things Exic is partial to.
The altar to the spirit, on the floor was
a design made from corn meal and coffee grinds, pineapples and grapefruits, wooden
stakes, pins, candles, and a black with daggers. It was nearly 11:30 p.m. by
the time Ms. Carmel arrived, bedecked in a white, flowing dress and red head
scarf.
"I met you on Facebook," said
a man who approached her, giving her two bags of gifts. Soon the drummers began
and Ms. Lemrac and her fiancé, Jean Claude Louis, a Haitian priest, led more
than a dozen of their "spiritual" children in Creole chants as they
called to the spirits. She swayed and danced and sang. He shook a rattle—called
Arson—and bowed before the drums."Ayibobo!" they called, over and
over again. It's akin to "amen" in Creole. A sedate group of mostly
Haitians sat on folding chairs around them, almost as if watching a
performance. As the hours passed, the room filled, the energy rose. The crowd
started swaying and standing, singing along as the spirits, both good and bad,
were called. A few even joined the party.
Among the attendees were a few
non-Haitians. There were African-Americans and Dominicans and a couple of white
women. And the crowd was a mix of the old and the young. There is a renewed
interest in voodoo among American-born Haitians. And many are hoping that
voodoo sheds the black-magic stigma that has given it a bad name, and that more
people view it as they do a religion.
Still, there are those who are wary of speaking about their spirituality
outside of the community. Pierre Belisarius, 22, said she's private about her
involvement in the voodoo world. "People still think black magic is
voodoo," she said. "It's a religious choice. It's not evil." But
there are those who misuse the powers of voodoo to do evil, said Rose Israel, a
32-year-old who was recently initiated as a junior mambo. "There's a bad
and there's a good voodoo," said Ms. Israel. "Some people use it bad,
like black magic. For us, it's is a religion." There are many mambos in
Flatbush and pockets of Queens and upper Manhattan, most evident through the
prevalence of botanicals selling herbal remedies, perfumes and oils. Many of
the botanicals are run by mambos or those immersed in voodoo. Some mambos
attend each other's parties, but there are rivals as well. Theirs is a
competitive business. Few are full-time like Exic Kantor. She used to work as a
clerk in a library and was attending community college. But every night Exic
Kantor said she would field calls from people seeking love, hoping to rein in
an errant lover, feeling sick, and looking for work, facing criminal problems.
She said she didn't want to practice voodoo. But finally she gave in a couple
of years after receiving her "calling" at the age of 24. Twelve years
ago, she started practicing full-time. She said she inherited her spiritual
powers from her grandmother and learned her craft almost all through dreams.
Now she works with her fiancé.
Ms. Exic Kantor charges $57 for a reading, $69 to summon a spirit and
$107 for a reading over the phone à la the Psychic Network. She said it's more
difficult to read energy over the phone. She does good-luck baths and processes
to remove bad luck from people and return the good. That can take two weeks, with
Exic Kantor prescribing certain rituals a person must do every three days.
Exic Kantor attracts a diverse audience, all
through word of mouth. Mr. Louis said they've had Spanish-speaking clients that
require a translator. She gets flown to Haiti and Florida by clients. She
recently was flown first-class to Haiti for a client. The client's problem?
"I can't talk about it," she said. "Some problem with the
law." The requests are varied, but most often revolve around love and
sometimes include avenging a former love. "I don't like to hurt people. In
most cases like that, I can do stuff to keep the people away from you but I
can't hurt them."
Back in the basement, the phone
rang. It was a client, an American woman from Queens. "He's mad at you for
that?" she said. "You and that boy drive me crazy. You all get mad
for every little thing." She added: "You're giving him too much
attention.” Two minutes later, she was off the phone and checking text
messages. "Someone texting me right now from Florida, somebody is always
going insane."
DR. KARL WALLACE D.D.S.
To read more Dr. Wallace go
to:
karlwallaceblog.blogspot.com
