Join the Goddess Full Moon Group for the first Spring Full Moon celebrating the Goddesses Erzulie Freda and Erzulie Dantor on Tuesday, May 9 at 8pm eastern, THE 9th is the RESCHEDULED DATE!! The Moon is Full in Scorpio at 542pm edt.
Brandi Auset and I lead the Goddess Full Moon Group every month, as well as some special Goddess Wheel celebrations, and it includes discussion of the featured Goddess, a guided meditation, and a chat with Q&A after the meditation. This is free to sign up!
Join us for a powerful evening on May 9th exploring the love and strength of Erzulie Freda and Dantor!
While Erzulie has many forms and is even considered a family of lwa, we will be discussing Freda and Dantor and meditating with Erzulie Freda for the Goddess Full Moon Group of May.
The Lwa are the Goddesses and Gods of Vodou and many have their roots in deities from Africa. They are called into rituals through sacred drawings (veves), symbols, songs, chants, and drums. While the Lwas may be approached devotionally, it is advisable to consult with a reputable practitioner for deeper work with them. Erzulie Freda’s veve is below:
Originally a Goddess of Africa, the Lwa Erzulie is now mainly worshiped in the Voudun cultures of the Afro-Caribbean. She is a Goddess of beauty, prosperity, and the performing arts – especially dance. Followers of Erzulie say once you are in Her favor, you will never want again; cross Her, and your remaining days will be spent suffering in Her wrath. She is a deity of love, passion, and hedonistic desires. Erzulie Freda is sometimes compared to the Orisha Oshun and may have originally been a Benin river deity called “Mommy Water”. She is also syncretized to Our Lady of Sorrows.
When working with Erzulie Freda, it is wise to tell her how beautiful she is- she loves flattery! Her generosity and kindness are also famous, but she does not like to be lumped in with other deities and prefers individual attentions.
According to the Sosyete du Marche, Inc. (an American Vodou House in Pennsylvania), “Erzulie Freda is the sister of Ezili Dantor, and Her opposite in every way. Where Dantor is a hard working single mother, Freda is a glamor girl. The mistress of three powerful spirits – Ogoun, Agwe and Danbala – She is said to be the most powerful sorceress in the pantheon. So pure and so good is Freda, that nothing malefic may happen in Her presence. She is purity – Her horses must be clean, dressed immaculately and scented with Her favorite Pompie lotion, before She will manifest in service.
Syncretized with Our Lady of Calvary, Freda is seen to have the wealth of the world at Her finger tips and yet, She weeps uncontrollably in service. There is never enough champagne (pink) or cakes (white with white frosting) or candies or clothing or jewelry to satisfy Her. Her desires must be met or She turns in upon herself and becomes Je Rouge (Red Eyed), the most fearsome of the Ezili group. Sister to Dantor, LaSiren and Clermizine, Freda is the most audacious, both in dress and behavior. She will typically greet the women with just Her pinkies, but will lavish hugs and kisses to the men present. She loves the colors pink and pale blue, Pompiea lotion, pink champagne and roses, frosted cakes, jewelry, makeup and gifts. Keep Her things clean or she will not arrive in the temple.”
Erzulie D’en Tort or Erzulie Dantor (Erzulie of the Wrongs) is from the Petro nation of the Erzulie family. She protects women and children and deals revenge against those who wrong them. She is also called Ezili Danto and Erzulie of the Red Eyes. Syncretizes to Our Lady of Czestochowa – the Black Madonna. She has scars on her face and scholars believe that this may indicate Congo origins for her prior to the diaspora. Danto is renowned for her strength and her temper.
Symbols and things you will find on Erzulie Dantor’s altar are: a dagger, red scarfs (sometimes blue or yellow), black dolls, a figure of La Madama, Mater Salvatoris (the Madonna – especially the Black Madonna) lithograph. Offerings that she likes: bottle of Barbancourt rum and another of Creme de Cacao, grilled pork with lots of pepper (griot), strong cigarettes, yellow yam, cakes with blue and gold icing. Her veve has a dagger piercing a heart, see below.
Erzulie Dantor’s veve (heart pierced with a dagger) that I purchased from a Haitian artisan hangs over the MotherHouse of the Goddess Altar – upper right:
Books and Resources for further study:
Voodoo and Afro-Caribbean Paganism by Lilith Dorsey
Vodou Visions by Sallie Ann Glassman (She is also vegan and offers vegan sacrifice options)
Divine Horsemen: The Living Gods of Haiti by Maya Deren
The Haitian Vodou Handbook by Kenaz Filan
Creole Religions of the Caribbean: An Introduction from Vodou and Santeria to Obeah and Espiritismo by Margarite Fernandez Olmos and Lizabeth Paravisini-Gebert
Voodoo Spiritual Temple New Orleans
Lilith Dorsey’s Blog – Voodoo Universe
Island of Salvation Botanica – run by Sallie Ann Glassman, Vodoun Priestess
See all forms and family of Erzulie (via wiki)
[…] Goddess Full Moon Group is celebrating the Goddess Erzulie,a vibrant Haitian Lwa with many emanations, and you can read more about her and join the monthly, free group. […]