New Orleans was a total blast! It’s the first time I’ve taken a vacation with no real work related to it in quite a while. Of course I visited with a few pagan friends while there, but all pleasure, no business and it was exactly what i needed. Steve, Adam and I spent a few days in the crescent city with two other friends from the Boston area. After a Mercury Retrograde filled travel with an unexpected stay in D.C. (couldn’t be helped as we were working around someone’s vacation time), we made it to NOLA.
We stayed at a fabulous gay owned and operated Bed & Breakfast called Sweet Olive (www.sweetolive.com), just a short walk outside of the French Quarter. We got lots of time shopping the French Quarter. We visited all the local voodoo shops and museums (http://www.voodoomuseum.com/). We got to spend some time with John T. Martin, the reader at the museum and a Voodoo priest. He showed us his baby pythons, which were somewhat snuggly and sleepy, as one was shedding. He was a fun guy and very genuine in promoting Voodoo and the esoteric in general. And he’s a friend to Cabot Witches, which was a nice benefit. We also got to try out Esoterica’s (www.onewitch.com) new line of skin products and learn the secrets of making corpse water. Though I don’t think I’ll have the opportunity to try it, it’s always nice to hear new funky esoteric practices and revel in forbidden knowledge! We also spent a lot of time in the more touristy Marie Laveau’s House of Voodoo and Reverend Zombie, but in some ways, when you look at them with a practitioner’s eye, there is more useful stuff there than you might think. I also found an amazing shop on Rampart St, Voodoo Spiritual Temple, that had a line of small Thelemic books. I’m in love with Nema’s The Priesthood: Parameters and Responsiblity. Must read for all HP/S in my opinion – Wicca/Witchcraft, Ceremonial or anything else. Very artistic, clear and inspiring. We visited St. Louis No 1. and over the week heard all sorts of conflicting information from seemingly reputable sources on whether that was really Marie Laveau’s tomb or not. We also made up Hoodoo names for each other and Steve got Papa Vaca, as he seemed to be in charge of the vacation details and I happily deferred to him.
Of course we ate well and had absinthe in the quarter which was fun for two of us. Lots of gelato and black russians at night, and several evenings of clubbing and gogo boys. We enjoyed the fabulous eye candy in the Quarter as only five gay men could, and wanted to take the FQ Mailman home with us. The dancing and gogo boys were fun, though one on the last night though I was his therapist and I was sympathetic until I realized that he didn’t really want any improvement, he just wanted to complain about his fellow dancers and lack of money, so I gave up after that. You don’t get more tips by complaining about how stingy people in the bar are being…! My traveling companions felt I pulled a “Julia Sugarbaker” if you know what I mean, as I gave him my expert advice on the matter in a very clear and direct way. I think I was very easy on him compared to Julia. R.I.P. Dixie Carter.
On Saturday night, we had the opportunity to go to a Voodoo ceremony with Sallie Ann Glassman (http://www.feyvodou.com) in a traditional Haitian style. Lots of song and dance. It was a ritual to honor Gede and very wonderful. While it was nice to be a guest, I realized that i don’t have the attention span for Haitian Voodoo. It was a “short” ceremony that night, which surprised me, as just when I thought they were ending, the dancing began! I loved the dancing, the blessings and the drawing of the veve’s in cornmeal. They always remind me of goetic seals or the sigils of planetary spirits, but more artistic and beautiful. Everyone was very welcoming, even the three dogs that happened to wander into the temple and celebrate with us. Sadly we did not make it to her botanica shop as it was closed when we could go.
We also were able to get last minute tickets for the very popular tours of Bloody Mary (http://www.bloodymarystours.com). I’ve been on a lot of Voodou & Cemetery Tours in NOLA, and some have been fun, most are okay, one was great and one was bad, and I realize the best ones have been by actual practitioners of Witchcraft, Voodoo, Hoodoo and the like. So when a friend recommended Mary, I got in touch and she graciously squeezed us in to the Monday tour. I loved how the whole night was a ritual, starting with Legba’s veve and a blessing, and how she feeds the spirits and uses oils with us. I found her attitude with the dead and otherworldly creatures very loving and respectful, very shamanic and partnering. We all felt and saw things while with her. And most importantly, she is a great story teller, bringing the figures to life and honoring them with her tellings… I highly recommend her tours.
We had lots of local color – the Queen of Burbon St, aka the Drag Queen of Burbon St., the Black Man with a Bucker who insists he was on Real World New Orleans (but I don’t remember him), the Soup Kitchen Hari Krishma Hat Guy, and the man with the bag who says he works at St. Louis Cemetery No 1 but doesn’t really. He gave us directions to desert places and acted as a little tour guide. We spent our last day in the Garden district antique stores, and right before we left, quite literally, I got to visit with Velvet Rieth of the Covenant of the Pentacle Wiccan Church (http://www.swampwitch.net). I’ll be back for her in October to speak at the now divided Goddess Con for the fall event! Can’t wait!
