Marie Laveau was a renowned and powerful voodoo priestess in nineteenth-century New Orleans. Renowned during her lifetime and beloved thereafter, some believe she continues to perform her magic from beyond the dead. The details of Laveau's life are few, made more difficult by the fact that her daughter, Marie, was also a prominent priestess. Marie was born about 1801 in New Orleans's French Quarter, the illegitimate daughter of a Creole mother and a white man. Slaves, Creoles, and free people of color in New Orleans throughout the 18th and 19th centuries performed a kind of voodoo that blended African, Catholic, and Native American religious rituals. Laveau, a hairdresser by profession, was the city's most renowned and reputedly most powerful voodoo practitioner. She sold charms and bags of gris gris (a mixture of herbs, oils, stones, bones, hair, nails, and burial soil), read fortunes, and counseled New Orleans inhabitants from all socioeconomic backgrounds. According to some, Laveau has the ability to prevent condemned criminals from being executed.
While most academics assert that Marie and Jacque had no children, baptismal records from St. Louis Cathedral indicate the presence of two daughters. Marie Angelie Paris was christened in 1823, while Felicite Paris was christened in 1824. Both are described as the daughters of Marie Laveau and Jacques Paris. Felicites baptismal records indicate that she was seven years old, implying that she was born in 1817, two years before Marie and Jacques married. Regrettably, the information about Marie Angelie and Felicite ends there. Marie Laveau's life was shrouded in mystery from an early age. Her first two daughters vanished in a manner similar to that of Jacque Paris. There is no proof of his demise, despite the fact that Felicite's baptismal certificate stated him to be died. What we do know is that Marie referred to herself as the Widow Paris for the remainder of her years.
People from all over the world come to leave different types of offerings as part of this ceremony or as an expression of appreciation to Laveau for fulfilling a request. A variety of these items may always be seen scattered about the tomb, including candles, cash, miniature figurines, beads, flowers, and messages. Even now, individuals allege that Laveau granted them desires. She was reputedly strong enough to heal the sick, resolve love conflicts, and assist condemned captives, and her abilities are still believed to exist today. The complete tale of Laveau's life and death is unknown, and other stories seek to interpret the mysterious occurrences ascribed to Laveau. Regardless of these discrepancies, one thing is certain: Marie Laveau was unique. Nobody can ever know for certain what caused Laveau's alleged abilities, but following a visit to her grave, I'd like to believe they still exist today.
This is a great small business that has just about everything you could desire in the voodoo/new age realm. While the majority of things are mass produced/made in China, the majority seem to be one-of-a-kind. That night's clerk was incredibly irritated and unpleasant. When we requested for an item that was behind the counter, he made a puffing sound. I'd been in New Orleans for two days at this time and had been using the same debit card throughout. He requested to see my identification for the debit card, which I did not have—so he waved back to me holding my card and said, "Well, I'm afraid I can't assist you." My sale was around $30.00. Now, keep in mind that this was the first of perhaps six locations that requested my identification. Perhaps this is a shop policy, but there is no need to be impolite. He really acted as though he despised his work, which took away from the shop's overall enjoyment.
