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Gran Bwa

Gran Bwa is a lwa that helps you connect to ancestral roots or the spiritual home of Vodou. A friend of mine, who is an expert on Haitian Vodou, who has spent a lot of time in Haiti with the artists there, told me I had painted Gran Bwa when I made this spontaneous work out of walnut ink and sumi-ink on handmade paper. I had considered this painting a self-portrait. She now holds this piece in her private collection:


Quite a few people are afraid of Vodou but it is an awe-inspiring tradition of bringing together plant energy with divinity, spiritual and personal energy. My friend who is very involved with Vodou, especially the art that surrounds it, is from European ancestry. She is light in spirit and bubbly, with a close relationship to nature and her garden.  Vodou affirms the relationships between cycles of life, trees of knowledge and spirit.  The Vodou vision of lwa, understands them as the intelligence of energy present in humans, nature and thoughts. 
Mysteries can be understood through spirits like Gran Bwa, known in this religion as lwaLwa are intermediaries between Bondye, a very remote, omnipotent God, and humans.  The lwa were once mortals, and share some human characteristics, for better or worse, including strength, vision, ego, capriciousness and fickle emotions; they can be demanding, and sometimes tricky. 

      Offerings of basins of water, leaves, roots, branches or flowers are welcomed by Gran Bwa.  A drawing of trees, the forest or a study of a branch, as well as, exploring the “tree of life” motif is a good conduit to Gran Bwa.  A tree sapling can be planted on Gran Bwa’s behalf when it is the right time of the year for where you live.  Gran Bwa energy exists at each magical point of every tree. This is a very important lwa to the magickal herbalist. 


A to Z April Blogger's Challenge--G is for Gran Bwa

Comments

  1. Gran Bois is a very important loa for my spiritual house. As a Voodoo priestess here in Brooklyn, he holds a special connection to Prospect Park, and is invoked and honored to welcome joy and happiness into our lives. I love this rendition :)

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  2. Lilith, yes I have heard that about the park. I am so honored that you like my painting. As of late, your path is calling to me, more and more.

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  3. I love that painting! You did an amazing job. You're friend is lucky to have that hanging in her house. Thank you for telling us about the art of Vodou and Gran Bwa. Your posts are always fascinating! :)

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  4. Thank you so much Chrys. I enjoy your posts as well. They are very useful and already I have employed some of your suggestions, from your horror post, in my novel.

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  5. I accidentally read a great deal about root work and root doctors in the Southeastern United States. As a kid, I was cautioned to stay away from root doctors. I realize now that many people believed in their power. There is voodoo and hoodoo. Hoodoo is about power and to me it is fearsome. Voodoo is a religious practice.

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