We asked several voodoo priests two basic questions: 1) what are their powers? and 2) how did they acquire them?

One of our respondents (K1) said that he has powers of protection and healing powers which he acquired through initiation and sacred rituals. A second respondent (V1) told us to have the powers of protection and blessing powers which he acquired thanks to a) years of formation; b) loyalty and devotion to the spirits. A third one (A1) noted that his powers include divination and healing–which he acquired thanks to many years of apprenticeship and the initiation. The fourth one (A2) was in many ways the one who provided the most interesting answer(s) to our question(s).

The fourth one in fact claimed to have the power of protection, healing powers, blessing power and the power to make divinations and she went on to say

“the divination is innate. I have inherited from my ancestors. the powers of protection, the healing powers and the power to bless were acquired from the elders (…) who transmitted to me their sacred knowledge and practices”