Dear Marie Laveau,

You were a powerful, strong, beautiful and magickal woman. You commanded the respect and attracted the counsel of both black and white people of all classes and ages, in an era when neither women nor people of colour, held much esteem in American society.

You were intelligent, articulate and talented. You knew how to run a business and also a damned good voodoo ritual!

You managed to bring up 15 children and even teach one to be your successor as voodoo queen of New Orleans. You somehow managed to juggle motherhood with voodoo sorcery and being THE celeb hairdresser of the day! Not an easy task!

How we could do with someone like you around today – to mend our broken hearts, heal the sick and even show us the odd love spell!

love, the Mookychicks xxx

Marie Laveau Best Known For:

Undisputed highest priestess of voodoo in the world. Ever.

Marie Laveau Least Known For:

Her name translating as 'The Calf' in French.

Mooky Factor:

The undisputed queen of voodoo of all time, her mooky factor surpasses all others. Superwoman, super human, supernatural and all in a time and a place that didn't make any of it particularly easy in the least.

20/10 on the mook scale! Demi-goddess most high!

Only known Marie Laveau Quote:

In 1930, Laveau declared herself 'The Pope of Voodoo', which may have sounded something like this: 'Je suis la papesse de voudoun' in French Creole.

Marie Laveau Links:

Mookychick Magic section

Mookychick New Orleans report

Marie Laveau on Wikipedia

More about Marie Laveau

Read about Marie Laveau and Voodoo:

Voodoo In New Orleans by Robert Tallant

Voodoo Dreams: A Novel of Marie Laveau (Paperback) by Jewell P. Rhodes

Background to Marie Laveau

Late great voodoo queen of New Orleans, herbalist, nurse and hairdresser.

1794-1881(?)

Her origin:

A free person of colour, Laveau was born in New Orleans in 1794, the illegitimate daughter of a rich Creole plantation owner Charles Laveaux, and his mistress Marguerite Henry who was half black, half Indian.

Marriage, Love and Children:

After first hubby Jacques Paris buggered off (presumed dead) shortly after she married at the age of 25 and, instead of crying into her crawfish pie and filet gumbo, Marie got on with life - learning all about the craft of voodoo from Doctor John, or John Bayou as he was sometimes known. Often referred to as The Widow Paris but more often known by her maiden surname of Laveau, Marie took a common law husband – Christophe de Glapion – with whom she had 15 kids. Her offspring double-barrelled their names to Laveau-Glapion. Very modern!

Voodoo Priestess:

Part sorceress, part saint, Marie balanced the life of voodoo priestess, devout catholic and business woman, selling charms, gris gris and mojos, yet but still found time to bring up 15 children and run a hairdressing salon. Oh, not to mention her charitable deeds healing the sick and tending to the dying. Whew! Quite a superwoman, with supernatural powers to boot!

Rather than riding in cabs or even on horses, Marie preferred the ride the loas (voodoo spirits) and took charge of the Congo Square rituals for the local voodoo community.

Hairdresser, soothsayer and spell maker to the rich and famous:

Her skills in the coiffure department got her noticed in influential, celebrity circles of the time (we're not talking just cornrows and a few weaves, here) and Laveau became the confidante of many of the rich chattering classes. This gave her access to many confidences and she became fortune teller, love spell advisor and charm-maker for many of the rich women who were her clients. In time, Laveau became one of the most powerful woman in New Orleans. Whites of every class sought her help in their various affairs and while blacks saw her as their leader. Judges paid her as much as $1000 to win an election, other whites paid $10 for a love powder. She freely helped most blacks. To visit her for a reading became fashionable.

Healer, nurse and herbalist

She was also a skilled herbalist and specialised in indigenous plants and in later years took to nursing, particularly during the outbreaks of yellow fever and cholera in New Orleans. She had no fear of death or disease. She did all this as an act of charity and ministered to the sick and the condemned at their last moments to give solace and strength.

The death of Marie Laveau

The date of Laveau's death is often disputed. Some say she died 5 years after her common law husband, Christophe de Glaipon at 62, others attest she lived until 98, but it seems she was taken ill and bedridden, some years after the death of her partner, and her daughter Marie Laveau Glapion who strongly resembled her and lived in the same house, followed in her footsteps as the Voodoo Queen of New Orleans and was often mistaken for her.

Marie Laveau's Grave

Whatever the case and whichever the Marie Laveau, a tombstone stands in the St Louis Cemetery in New Orleans engraved with her name. People still come to it to pay respects and ask for wishes to be granted. The most common offerings at the graveside are coins, cigars, rum, candles, flowers and mardi gras beads, in true voodoo tradition. However, if you visit the tomb, you will notice many crosses freshly drawn on it.

These are not necessarily kisses for Marie, but a voodoo spell: One asks Marie for a wish to be granted, leaves an offering, turns around 3 times then marks the tombstone with a cross 3 times with a piece of brick. However, Laveau's family have asked for this practice to be stopped as it's desecrating the tombstone. If you happen to be passing by and want to pay your respects, better to leave some flowers and a nice handwritten poem with your wish in an envelope at the grave!