7669: St. John the Baptist, from Mambo Racine for Mark Gill (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Racine125@aol.com

Mark Gill <doctorgill@clas.net> writes:

<<i have a question:  if the "spirit" of a supposed John the Baptist (who may, or may not have been a historical figure, according to the scholarship of
the last 200 years) possesses someone, is this possession with or without his head, considering the supposed decapitation that occured>>

You're being silly.  The spirit did not lose  it's "head", the *body* lost it's head and thus the spirit was separated from the body.  Works every time!   :-)

<<it would be most interesting to determine the validity of such a possession......one would have to assume that the "spirit" was telling the truth, while we know that many of them are wily, crafty and often tell whopping lies.....>>

I know they do, but you shouldn't talk about Protestant pastors that way, it's really not their fault, they
have so few good role models to follow.  Oh - you mean the lwa??  Sorry, I misunderstood you.  Well... come on down and I will try to introduce you to St. Jean Baptiste!  Why not?  You can see for yourself.  And Mark, imagine that you came to Haiti and met St. Jean Baptiste and he gave you something or said something or did something for you that convinced you in spite of yourself that this was really the spirit of the man who baptized Jesus, what would you do?  What would that mean to you?  And what would that mean for all of us?  And what would that mean for Haiti?
 
Hypothetically, let us suppose that the St. Jean Baptiste who appeared in the Vodou dance is indeed who he says he is.  Who would you rather talk to, him or the Pope?  Him or your church pastor?  I think it's clear that this is what makes Vodou such a challenge, however unintentionally, to clergy of religions that do not include possession in ceremonial context.  The lwa trumps the priest, you see. :-)  The lwa trumps the Houngan, the Mambo... and the lwa dances in the head of whomsoever it chooses.

Peace and love,

Bon Mambo Racine Sans Bout Sa Te La Daginen

"Se bon ki ra" - Good is rare
Haitian Proverb

The VODOU Page - http://members.aol.com/racine125/index.html

(Posting from Jacmel, Haiti)