Jamaican Voodoo Doll: Jamaican voodoo dolls, also known as Poppets, are an essential part of Jamaican folk magic and spirituality. These dolls are an integral tool used by practitioners of Jamaican Obeah, a form of African diaspora religion that has merged with various other spiritual practices. The purpose of a Jamaican voodoo doll is to represent a specific individual and act as a conduit for magical intentions. The doll is often fashioned from various materials such as cloth, clay, or even roots and sticks. It is typically personalized with personal belongings or items that are somehow connected to the intended target. The concept of the voodoo doll in Jamaican culture stems from the belief that it can be used to channel energy and influence the person it represents.
Witch Cat is one of the better non-Uber options for stalling Red enemies - especially in 4-Crown stages, where iCat becomes unavailable. Stack enough Witch Cats and short-ranged Reds like Bore and Red Cyclone will barely be able to move at all. Even late in the game, she can stall a Bore while others take care of the enemies behind.
Faye recently earned an MFA in Creative Writing from Queens College in NYC, and her professional and academic life have been centered on journalism and creative writing. Faye Sakellaridis s interest in psychedelics and consciousness led her to become an managing editor at The Alchemists Kitchen and Reality Sandwich, where she enjoys the scope of visionary thought that she regularly encounters from the site s many contributors and the rich spectrum of intellectual essays on consciousness through a diverse lens of art, culture, and science.
The concept of the voodoo doll in Jamaican culture stems from the belief that it can be used to channel energy and influence the person it represents. Practitioners may perform various rituals, such as sticking pins into the doll in specific locations to inflict harm or discomfort upon the individual. However, it is important to note that the use of Jamaican voodoo dolls is not solely focused on negative intentions.
Cats and Witches: A Magical History
Cats are magical creatures. Since ancient times, their supernatural grace has been observed, revered (as well as demonized), and incorporated into art and mythology. Sleek, cunning, and a little detached, cats seem to have one foot in the spirit realm, their piercing eyes always gazing just beyond the veil. It’s no wonder, then, that cats are the number one animal associated with witches. There is something energetically similar about cats and witchy women, both so keenly aware of their surroundings while presiding in their own enigmatic worlds. And, like witches, cats know exactly what they want, and impossible to control. A cat can be the most loving companion, but don’t ever expect her to forsake her autonomy.
Both cats and witches embody the archetype of the feminine. They occupy the moonlit spaces, where intuition leads the way, and nimble, stealthy movements prevail over masculine aggression. Cats have been aligned with magic and the feminine since ancient times – sometimes for good, sometimes for worse.
Cats and Ancient Cultures
Of all the ancient civilizations that revered cats, Egypt is perhaps the most well known for it. Cats were held in such esteem that their souls were thought to encounter the same afterlife as human souls. Many tomb paintings feature cats alongside human families. While often portrayed as hunting companions, cats are also depicted as companions and housecats, residing comfortably besides their owners in domestic settings. There was no distinction between a wild or domestic cat – all cats were welcome in the home.
Cats were connected with feminine deities. Two widely venerated Egyptian goddesses, Bastet and Sekhmet, are feline deities. Bastet is quite literally the goddess of cats, depicted as a cat or a woman with the head of a cat, and presides over the home, fertility, and protection. To harm a cat was considered a crime against Bastet herself. Cats were considered incarnations of the goddess, and were kept by priests at her temple. And Sekhmet, depicted with the head of a lion, is the the fiercest hunter known to the Egyptians and protector of Pharoahs, leading them into warfare.
Both daughters of the Sun god Ra, Bastet and Sekhmet are associated with the Eye of Ra, also known as the All-Seeing Eye. It is regarded as a symbol of protection, but also associated with the destructive heat of the sun. Cats were viewed with a similarly dual nature: domestic companions that protected the home, and lethal predators.
In other mythologies, feline creatures are entwined with the narratives of magical women. Cats were associated with women of formidable stature, but also with danger and deception. In Greek mythology, Diana, goddess of the hunt and moon and teacher of magick and witchcraft, shapeshifts into Lucifer’s beloved pet cat to gain entrance into his chamber and seduce him. In Norse mythology, Freya, goddess of fertility, war, and death, would lead Valkyries into battle to collect fallen soldiers, riding on a chariot led by two formidable blue cats: Bygul and Trjegul. And according to Hebrew folklore, Lilith — notorious for being banished from the Garden of Eden for refusing to be subservient to Adam — shapeshifts into a black vampire cat named El Broosha, preying on newborn babies.
Cats in Medieval Times
Cats so much elicited a different reaction from medieval society. According to scholar of medieval and classical history Dr. Irina Metzler, it is their unapologetically autonomous and refusal to be tamed that made them symbol of heresy. In her article “ Heretical Cats: Animal Symbolism in Religious Discourse,” she writes:
Medieval people may have wanted to restrict cats to the function of animated mousetraps, for the very reason that the cat “stands at the threshold between the familiar and the wild.” “Cats were intruders into human society. They could not be owned. They entered the house by stealth, like mice, and were suffered because they kept the insufferable mice in check.” This causes a kind of conceptual tension. While the cat possesses the characteristics of a good hunter it is useful, “but as long as it does it remains incompletely domesticated.” Heretics, too, in a transferred sense, are not completely domesticated, since by challenging orthodox thought and roaming freely hither and thither in their interpretation of religious beliefs they resemble the bestiary definition of wildness. As symbolic animals, then, cats may be the heretical animal par excellence.
Like Lilith, who refused to be domesticated and forced into a life of subservience, cats were stigmatized for their unapologetic independence. They were seen as creatures aligned with the devil and all things evil. In 1233, Pope Gregory IX issued a public decree that officially associated cats with witchcraft, and more specifically, Satan. The decree, Vox in Rama , was a response to rumored satanic cults in Germany, and depicted black cats as part of their devil-worshipping rituals. Some say that this led to the mass extermination of cats in Europe, a correlation not necessarily agreed upon by historians.
Still, the stigma against cats – especially black cats – was real, and it accompanied the witch hunts of early modern Europe. From the 15th to 18th century, countless women accused of witchcraft were killed. One could be accused of witchcraft just for owning a cat. Witches were believed to take shapeshift into cats in order to kill babies and children, or to ride cats through the night to their Sabbat gatherings. Cats were killed along with witches – they were burned and thrown from towers. Black cats were especially feared. Even today, black cats are less likely to be adopted, and they run a higher risk of being tortured or killed due to backwards thinking.
Despite the lingering traces of black cat prejudice, cats have found their way back in the good graces of social opinion. Perhaps its no coincidence that the popularity of all things cat on the internet runs parallel to the rise of the witch, and the reclaiming of the divine feminine. Let us witches honor our feline counterparts, who have historically been revered and demonized for our spiritual powers and iron-clad independence.
Learn More
In addition to loving felines, the Witch represents an unbreakable connection to our wildness, an exploration of mysticism (and inner magic), a trusting of our intuition, and a declaration of our creative power. We encourage you to learn more about this incredible Archetype.
In Witch: Unleashed, Untamed, Unapologetic, hereditary witch Lisa Lister explains the history behind witchcraft, why identifying as a healer in past centuries led women to be burned at the stake, and why the witch is reawakening in women across the world today.
Witch on the go? Consider our Season of the Witch E-Zine: Volume II. Within these pages, we offer some explorations of the many manifestations and origins of what it means to be a witch. We hope to offer some empowerment, some magick, and some avenues to better understand the self, ancestry, and witchcraft in the many forms that it might take.
Tags: cats, witchesFaye Sakellaridis
Faye Sakellaridis’s interest in psychedelics and consciousness led her to become an managing editor at The Alchemists Kitchen and Reality Sandwich, where she enjoys the scope of visionary thought that she regularly encounters from the site’s many contributors and the “rich spectrum of intellectual essays on consciousness through a diverse lens of art, culture, and science.” Faye recently earned an MFA in Creative Writing from Queens College in NYC, and her professional and academic life have been centered on journalism and creative writing. However, Faye—a classically trained improvisational pianist—says that spiritually, she identifies herself first and foremost identify as a musician. “Music is my most intuitive language,” she says. “If it weren't for music I'm not sure I'd truly understand the concept of the sublime. Writing and music are two are elemental parts of me, and communicating through them is what I do.”
Still, the stigma against cats – especially black cats – was real, and it accompanied the witch hunts of early modern Europe. From the 15th to 18th century, countless women accused of witchcraft were killed. One could be accused of witchcraft just for owning a cat. Witches were believed to take shapeshift into cats in order to kill babies and children, or to ride cats through the night to their Sabbat gatherings. Cats were killed along with witches – they were burned and thrown from towers. Black cats were especially feared. Even today, black cats are less likely to be adopted, and they run a higher risk of being tortured or killed due to backwards thinking.
These dolls can also be used to bring about positive outcomes, such as healing or love. The practitioner infuses the doll with positive energy and uses it as a focal point for their intentions. In Jamaican folklore, it is believed that the effectiveness of a voodoo doll is dependent on the level of spiritual connection between the doll and its target. Therefore, it is common for practitioners to obtain personal items from the person they wish to influence, such as hair or nail clippings, to enhance the doll's connection to the individual. Overall, Jamaican voodoo dolls play a significant role in the practice of Obeah and Jamaican folk magic. They serve as a tangible representation of the spiritual connection between the practitioner and the person they seek to affect. Whether used for positive or negative intentions, these dolls hold a place of power and reverence within Jamaican spiritual traditions..
Reviews for "The Controversial Legend of Haitian Influence on Jamaican Voodoo Dolls"
1. John - 2/5 - I recently purchased the Jamaican voodoo doll and I must say, I am not impressed. The quality of the doll is extremely poor, with loose threads and uneven stitching. Additionally, the doll did not come with any instructions on how to properly use it, leaving me confused and frustrated. I attempted to contact customer service for assistance, but they were unresponsive. Overall, I would not recommend this product to anyone looking for a reliable and well-made voodoo doll.
2. Emily - 1/5 - This Jamaican voodoo doll was a complete waste of money. It arrived late, and when I opened the package, I was highly disappointed with the overall quality. The doll was flimsy and looked nothing like the pictures online. I tried using it, following my own understanding, but it had no effect whatsoever. It felt like I was just poking at a regular doll. I reached out to the customer service for a refund, but they seemed uninterested in helping. Save your money and look for a more reputable voodoo doll seller.
3. Sarah - 2/5 - The Jamaican voodoo doll I received was not at all what I expected. The size was much smaller than advertised, and the material used felt cheap and easily breakable. The pins that were included were bent and difficult to use effectively. I followed the instructions provided, but I didn't notice any outcomes or changes in my life. This product was a disappointment and I regret the purchase. I would advise anyone considering buying a voodoo doll to look elsewhere for a better quality and more reliable option.