If you didn’t know I am living in Ouidah, Benin (west Africa), it is my birth place, it is also the home of Vodoun. A lot of people are misinformed about Vodoun but this is not a post to correctt or give you a definition of Vodoun. Read on with the knowledge you have.
I recently found out that a young woman I know was not allowed in her house because she was on her period and that it was part of the Vodoun practice. So of course I asked her many questions and the information below is from our conversation.
In the practice of Vodoun a woman who is on her period is believed to be incredibly powerful.
She is not allowed to stay in the family house because she would over power the Vodoun (spirits/gods/powers) in the house, she would chase them away.
She can not step foot in the house. She cannot shout out at the house for someone to come out.
If she happens to need something from the family house, she waits outside, a good distance from the door, till she sees someone she can send to get whatever she needs. When the person gets it for her and they put it on the ground, where she can then pick it up and go.
She cannot touch hands with any one in the house or anyone else who practices Vodoun because again, her touch will over power the person’s Vodoun and possibly make them ill.
A woman on her moon is super powerful, imagine a walking tornado, to the naked eye she appears calm and normal as if from the perspective of the eye of the tornado but really her presence and spirit is powerfully affecting others on the spiritual level.
But she ís not kicked out to the streets, there is a separate family house specifically for women to go to during their menses. The house is empty and cleaned regularly so that women can be comfortable while there. Comfort is prioritized. She is there alone or her younger siblings may accompany her if they and she want. This time is also to be used to manifest for herself, her Vodoun’s power will grant her whatever is in her heart.
In my course on teachable we touch on Vodoun practices for the postpartum, you can learn more about that here.
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