Voodoo Spellbound: Trance Dancing, Ancestor Worship, Spirits, and Cloaks

http://photos4.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/5/e/6/c/600_348444172.jpeg

Voodoo, Santeria, Candomble, and American Hoodoo are all African-inspired religions practiced in the Americas whose origins predate Christianity and other monotheistic religions. Sometimes known for their ability to cloak themselves within ostensibly Christian forms, these religions are often (and wrongly) caricatured as mere witchcraft. The legitimacy of these religions has been established by anthropologists and other scholars.

Miguel Garrido Valdes, who grew up in Cuba and was exposed to customs and rituals that accompany these religious, will lead us in a talk about the syncretic qualities that come with these religions, which Valdes has studied in depth. This will definitely be a fascinating talk for all.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68zJfDc_pGc