Ghede as Sacred Clown
Chapter 3 Ghede
Read before jumping to conclusions.
From my book, Clown
Crowley’s diary: Dec. 1923. “Voodoo-orgie. The most wonderful climax in years.”
Certainly a complex man of contradictions, Aleister Crowley was known to have made biogoted remarks and yet he pointed out in his Confessions that “The hatred of the Yankee and his fear of the Negro are as great as ever. In the latter case, it has increased.” He also made degrading remarks about women, where I’ve seen leaders in Thelema try to use that stance to say women are inferior. In these modern times, it is hoped that we can appreciate the contributions of women, and that includes women of different ethnicity, to Thelema, and find a way to celebrate these connections. I can’t speak for Minorities and am in no way speaking for the Vodou tradition, but I’d like to take a moment to open my horizon while hoping to see new voices arise in these areas in the future, especially to share deeper insights. We can’t change things that were said in the past, but we can change these attitudes in the present.
Though I don’t have the answers on how to do that, I’m trying to educate myself better. Maybe we start by recognizing what is wrong and then being open to better understanding the experiences of others as well as their traditions, especially if outside of our usual circles. As many cultures have enriched Thelema, I hope we can find a way to honor each of them. No, we can’t erase or change the comments or any pain they have caused, but we can begin a dialogue in our modern time and see what we can do to honor and appreciate what has been taken for granted. Unfetter it and let it speak so that we listen.
“A small, but powerful dose of the African current found its way into Thelema. with “obeah and wanga” in the text of The Book of the Law, it sits in a sacred text of modern magic, an encoded power reaching across culture and race.”- Aleister Crowley, Marie de Miramar and the True Wanga, Christopher Josiffe
Because I’m unfamiliar with this area, I needed to do a little reading to get acquainted. To start with, I found out that “In New World Vodou, the spirits (or lwa) with whom believers interact are divided into three main families, Rada, Petro, and Ghede. Iwa can be viewed as forces of nature, but they also have personalities and personal mythologies. They are extensions of the will of Bondye, the ultimate principle of the universe.” During ceremonies, humans serve the Iwa and take on their personalities and even possession. The book Vodou, a Sacred Theatre: The African Heritage in Haiti by Marie-Jose Alcide Saint-Lot explores the connection to Sacred Theatre, which is similar to the Harlequin or Jester with the roles they played for Court, Mystery Plays and Theater, though in addition to this, Vodou uses correspondences of each spirit such as their favorite colors and items, as well as offerings, as is found in ritual traditions.
As there are syzygies in Thelema, I also found it interesting that this can be found as well, such as in the T’Changa cults.
“The Vodou or T’Changa cults is the dual magick system of the Arada, Yoruba and Dahoman tribes. All functions of T’Changa are dual, i.e., can only be effectively performed by a Priest (Papaloi) and Priestess (Mamaloia) together and in the presence of the Sacred Snake.” How much of the Voodoo society did Crowley come in contact with in New Orleans? He was said to have became enamored with a woman named Sister Green, whom he listed as one of his past lovers and featured her in the story “Not the Life and Adventures of Sir Roger Bloxam.” See excerpt below:
“And so I go aghast; for so great and so wonderful is the story of the Life and Adventures of Sir Roger Bloxam that it is well I have not That to write. (I told you a long while since, did ye believe? Let him that did take another drink, and a long one, praising me, and himself, and the sweet God of Truth that did make such understanding between us!) But I was better off before, in New Orleans, not a doubt of it, Edward or no Edward; for there in Dauphine Street there was no need of getting up or going to bed. I knew nobody, and nobody knew me; my loves were casual and lonely as my lunches. This is the proper life for the pure poet who would commune evermore with Beauty, enjoy the Beatific Vision, pace the sapphire pavement of the Throne of God, and compose hymns in praise of Apis over the Filet de Boeuf Robespierre at Antoine's, or of Pitma over Sister Green, the smooth, muscular, black-purple glory of her body was like the stone of that many-breasted beauty Diana in Neapolis.”
Crowley associated with or came in contact with others who had contact with the West Indies and Haitian culture and traditions such as Pamela Coleman Smith, William Seabrook, and J.F.C. Fuller, but how much did he seek out, if any, of their experiences with the subject? Magickians and magickal systems frequently cross pollinate each other, and even in the ancient Hellenic area or other time periods, systems were infusing one another like merging or briefly touching divergent streams. Nowadays everyone is quick to call everything appropriation, as if there was always sinister intent; when this can occur naturally when different cultures/peoples were interacting over time and feeding our hearts. There are purists who think everything should be separate by race and nationality, and I can certainly respect cultures who feel robbed and overtaken by Christianity and colonialism. I can understand their argument and respect why they choose to recapture their identity and tradition. On the other hand, the Western Mystery Tradition is a fusion of many traditions throughout time, and Thelema even includes the Eastern Mystery Tradition. Separating or denying parts of it now to re-divide everything out doesn’t make sense to me. There is also a rise in white supremacists who also want to keep their systems “pure,” and we see that hate is the motive. Humans are entangled with each other. That’s why I’m a little concerned about the divisions and hate resurfacing, when walls were coming down and people were once moving towards seeing that we are a global family, even if from different cultures, which we might also revere. A Sacred Clown would put all these controversies out there to discuss, and I’m sure that readers each have their own conflicting or opposing views, which they are free to have, though it might be healthy to consider larger considerations beyond our own race or nation, as well as our relationships to those outside of them. History shows humans have never been good about that. Sometimes, we must be provoked by uncomfortable ideas. Disagree or agree, as long as you come to that determination for yourself. Don’t listen to me. I’m just trying to be open.
Now turning to The Book of the Law and Crowley’s mentioning of Obeah and the Wanga, I’ve seen arguments that Obeah is Jamaican folk magic and claims that Crowley was just throwing around Jamaican or Haitian terms; implying that it doesn’t mean anything. That seems an oversimplification, and I wanted to see another side to this argument. Maybe we should question how Crowley came in contact with these traditions and to what level? His Scarlet Woman and later wife, Marie de Miramar, seemed to have offered some limited exposure, which she received from living in Nicaragua, though her parents were European. It seems both she and Crowley developed an appreciation for these traditions. Crowley had pointed out in his diary that “She has absolutely the right ideas of Magick and knows some Voo doo.” This might not appease those who made the earlier argument, but I set out to learn more.
Back to that original argument; it is possible that Crowley wasn’t even referring to Jamaican Obeah practices. If so, I wanted to discover exactly what was he saying, as well as wanting to explore some of the real practices behind Vodou for my own understanding and appreciation; no matter how limited with me being an outsider. Though I wasn’t going to practice, I didn’t want to be full of misconceptions either. Note that I there are variations, and many have their own traditions. As I’m not an expert or a part of any of these traditions, I have a limited view as well.
For those who study the Mysteries, much can be gained from exploring the connections and correspondences, such as would be found in the book 777. Seeing beyond our cultural and traditional landscape helps us traverse the divisions that separate us. If we aren’t familiar with what is similar and what is opposite, perhaps we lose a glimpse into the world soul. Crowley suggested Horus could unite all religions. Symbols can do that, but I’m not sure ideologies can.
In his Commentaries, Crowley wrote,“The obeah is the magick of the Secret Light with special reference to acts; the wanga is the verbal or mental correspondence of the same. [...] The "obeah" being the acts, and the "wanga" the words, proper to Magick, the two cover the whole world of external expression.” To which, Christopher Josiffe points out that another person claimed “The power of Obeah lies in utterance, rather than fetish objects or poison,” and that “Wanga both an incantation and spell, and mysterious and poisonous drug than solely a drug,” which is different from how Crowley is using these words. As there are different traditions, the meanings of words can vary. This author claims that he found a copy of “Obeah Simplified” in the Yorke Collection and suggested that it may have been Crowley’s copy, as the notations are written in large handwriting; whereas, Yorke had “small, neat script.” This pamphlet had also been reproduced in a Theosophy Journal, so it is possible Crowley may have seen it there as well, Josiffe claimed, as some of the ideas presented may have influenced where Crowley got his ideas on the Obeah and the Wanga.
AL I.37: “Also the mantras and spells; the obeah and the wanga; the work of the wand and the work of the sword; these he shall learn and teach.”
In Commentaries on The Book of the Law, Crowley wrote, “Magick Ceremonies proper are merely organized and concentrated attempts to impose our Will on certain parts of the Cosmos.” Josiffe says, “It seems hardly a coincidence that this comment amends the line 37, the very line containing the phrase “The Obeah and the Wanga.”
This is what Paul Joseph Rovelli had to say:
“What is the Obeah and the Wanga? And why is this important? Well, first, the Obeah is the magickal power within oneself. The word itself translates from the Yoruban language to mean ‘mystery’. Crowley refers to the Obeah as the ‘Secret Light’, which he says bears a special reference to ‘the acts’. Immediately, the Secret Light seems a reference to Levi’s ‘Ether’. The root of the word is OB, which can be transliterated into Hebrew as AVB, equaling nine and attributable to Yesod. This plane would be consistent with Levi’s Ether.
So in order to learn the way of the Obeah, one has to obtain magickal power. In Vodun, this is accomplished by devotion and working with spirit entities called the ‘Loa’, perhaps attributable to the entities found in Liber CCXXXI. Special attention is given to appealing to the Loa called ‘Legba’ who is the most powerful of these spirits and acts as the guardian of the gate between the spiritual and material planes and perhaps corresponding with Choronzon. Legba’s symbol is a black cross, which should be especially noted for the Zelator practicing the first part of Liber HHH, Section MMM.”
As an example of the Obeah and the Wanga, Paul Joseph Rovelli says that the A.’.A.’. would be the Obeah and a letter to one’s instructor would be the Wanga or talisman. He says, “Naturally then, we are led to the Wanga, which is the physical manifestation and/or magickal link with the Obeah.”
Now let us look at the subject of mantras before we continue further:
“Mantras may be defined as sentences proper to concentration of the mind by virtue of their constant repetition. (See Book 4, Part I, Chapter II).
Spells are methods of communicating the will to other beings. (See Book 4, Part III).
The Obeah is the magick of the Secret Light with special reference to acts; the wanga is the verbal or mental correspondence of the same. The work of the wand is that of Union; of the sword, Division; these correspond to the two Phases of the Cosmic cycle described above. (See Book 4, Part II and Part III.
For the root OB (AVB = 9), see Appendix; {WEH NOTE: Appendix not yet recovered} it may be connected with the word "Obey".
The "obeah" being the acts, and the "Wanga" the words, proper to Magick, the two cover the whole world of external expression.”- The New Comment, Aleister Crowley
This is what Paul Joseph Rovelli writes on mantras:
“Thelema has two principal mantras; “Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law” and “Love is the law, love under will.” The fact that ‘Old English’ terms are used in these mantras becomes even more interesting when we consider the fact that the term ‘Thelema’ itself is an ‘Old Greek’ term. 'Thou' clearly indicates 'Not-I' to which we can easily attribute Nuit. And yet, through the medium of Aiwass, it is Nuit who is speaking to us. Together, there is a certain dualism; she is indicating that it is our will and by pronouncing the mantra, we are asserting it is her will. This is particularly poignant in light of the fact that she is the one that shall be known and not Hadit. -The Obeah and the Wanga, Paul Joseph Rovelli
After taking a moment to consider this, I move on to the rest:
“The second half of the Thelemic mantra then contrasts with the first in that it involves a present-tense verb: "Love is the law, love under will." This is what exists at this time in the present.
Regarding spells, Crowley’s notes that these are methods of communicating the will to other beings. As per his commentary to follow, he also notes in Magick in Theory and Practice that every act is a magickal act. In other words, every action we perform is its own spell.” -The Obeah and the Wanga, Paul Joseph Rovelli
We’ll end with this point, but read Rovelli’s full article to get the most out of it.
“Finally, as Crowley notes in his commentary to the verse we are examining here in Liber AL, the work of the Wand and Sword bear special meaning; indicated by the fact that these can’t be the elemental weapons or this would be the only part of Liber AL that is not in balance. And as per all the passages in this ‘Wanga’, this holy book, this verse contains multiple layers of meaning. On the one hand, the Wand and Sword are equated by Crowley to the Atus of the Fool and Adjustment. The Hebrew letter correspondences of these Atus spell out the ‘key’ to the work; AL. Additionally, they are the symbols of Love and War giving us a recursion in the verse and text when we consider the mantras discussed above. The Wand is additionally, as Crowley notes, the will to create with the Sword as a weapon of Mars, being the empowerment of that will.”-The Obeah and the Wanga, Paul Joseph Rovelli
Whether or not Crowley had a deep understanding of different Vodou traditions or not, I know I certainly don't have the least bit of exposure for myself, so I’m next going to explore a Sacred Clown image found here, as I felt it deserved appreciation. I found it fascinating. We can find great beauty in those who are different than us. And I’m hoping to treat this with respect and hope you forgive me if I don’t get it right.
First, we’ll look at Papa Ghede. His symbol is the cross upon the tomb and controls that crossroads. Though others spirits are said to fear and avoid him, he is known as the good side to Baron Samedi. Dressed in black, Baron Samedi talks through his nose. Jovial, yet cynical, he tells jokes. His tools include the pick, hoe and spade.
Loa of death and sexuality, he is keeper of the cemeteries. On November 2, one visits a cemetery and lights candles in honor of Baron Samedi. Upon being invoked, he appears mounting someone. He uses obscene words and dances. I imagine him like a Jester. He wears dark glasses and is said to knock out the right lens so he can watch those in the room and keep his food from being stolen. He also knows the intentions of the participants. Those whom he mounts are dressed in a black undertaker’s coat along with a top hat, and might stuff cotton in their ears. If they are mounted, they must perform the erotic banda dance. They are said to lose sense of any self and act and speak compulsively, though they awaken from the possession without knowing what they might have done or said.
Papa Ghede is usually the last to appear in a ceremony. He loves cigarettes and often smokes two at a time. Because his appearance brings joy and laughter, Papa Guede is considered a much loved loa, and there is lots of singing and dancing during the ceremony. Though neither good or evil, he enjoys joking with humans and clowning around. He is also the loa associated with the underworld and afterlife and resurrection, while Legba is associated with life. Ghede controls access to everything in the afterlife.
As humans have little understanding of death, and sometimes even about life and sexuality, Ghede jokes with people, obviously not ashamed and not seeing any good or evil associated with it It is suggested that his obscenity in eroticism is an affirmation of life in the midst of death. He might single out anyone who is uncomfortable about his sexual overtures and embarrass them. Interestingly, I feel that is what Crowley was doing during the Victorian Age, and he certainly wrote obscenity which shocked, embarrassed, and upset a society that couldn’t handle their own sexuality or human nature without shame or fear. Many people today still can’t.
Saturday, the day of Saturn, is his day and is associated with the color black. His favorite foods are listed as salt herring, hot peppers, roasted corn, and roasted bananas, which one would need to know for a ritual. He is known for stealing food and hiding it, and then demanding more.
Legba is contacted to cross over to the spirit world and Baron Samedi is solicited by those who wish to contact the dead. In return, he wants food and drink. Though in formal black attire with a silk hat and a cane, he can be crude. He also smokes and drinks rum. If he is pleased, he acts as a clown, but difficult to handle when angered. When he is clowning around or acting erotic, if you ask a serious question, he will reply with a reliable answer. It is said he knows what the dead had planned before they died, as well as their connections with family and friends and will share this information. Papa Ghede is a protector of children and is sought when a child is sick. Another of his powers is deciding whether or not people can change into an animal or for power over zombies. Black magick is done through Baron Samdei/Ghede’s help. And if you want to heal someone, Ghede is a last resort as he is the one who will decide whether to accept the death or to let a person recover.
If one worries about their deceased becoming zombies, then he is the one who ensures that they rot. But he will ask for something to return. He might ask you to wear a certain color, whether black, white or purple, and must present a gift such as black coffee, rum, or cigars.
I sometimes think writing my books exposes me to ideas I might have never considered before. It tries to open my eyes to what I might not have been comfortable with before or maybe had the wrong idea about. That’s all I’m trying to do. I admit I’m not the wisest and might not always get things right, even if I mean well, but that’s a step further in the journey. As I don’t know you, I realize that people find themselves on various points of the political spectrum of the right, in the middle, on the left, or wherever it weaves from topic to topic. Those lines are self-created and not concrete. They might even change over time, and people may hate people who vary from their particular stance. It helps to figure out why people side where they side; not that it makes sense or we have to agree with it or find it healthy. Each society makes its own rules and people decide which rules they agree with or don’t, and they vote or revolt in consequence. It is impossible to have everyone on the same side at any period because we do live in a world of opposites. We can always see what divides us. But we know what unites us. The Sacred Clown is here to remind us. And that Sacred Clown shows up in Most cultures, as I’m trying to show. We are all on this great journey together, and we need to find a way to meet in the middle or to that place where are differences end and our love begins.
To end this chapter, we will turn back to the Obeah and the Wanga as we continue our spiral:
“Obeah & the Wanga (Heaven & Earth connected)
“All the Holy Books of Thelema must find further expurgation for the deriving of our cultural paradigm. And to that end, we must find this working in context with a rich and multi-cultural community; that it speaks to all of them after the manner of their own evolving metaphysic.” - Thelemic Qabalah IV, Paul Joseph Rovelli