Bloody Mary tours and investigates ghosts on urban explores in her teenage years. Tag along on her Fenwicks Paranormal Fourth of July outing.

​New Orleans Voodoo traditions have their mystic Voodoo Queens, as did Africa. In New Orleans they held many roles: Sisters, mothers, mediums, teachers and traiteurs. In other places they may be called Mambos, Mamalois and Mamaissis. The Voodoo Queens here are a mixture of all these things and more. They are tasked as keepers of the old traditions and priestess mothers to spirits here. New Orleans Voodoo has been this rich Creole gumbo for over 200 years; our Voodoo Queens are assigned many roles and come in many hues.  Even during the heavy nineteenth century Voodoo days of  the quintessential Voodoo Queen, Marie Laveau, there were known white Voodoo Queens and practitioners in this predominantly female religion. Because women are women, they shared some of the same plights and joys so their powers joined force to lift and overcome. Voodoo embraced the local Native American spirits and beliefs, blending with them. Our people blended, our customs blended and the Queens: they blended too. Everything together in this savory brew known as New Orleans Voodoo is held in place with a swamp magic base. The local Native American spirits met the African Voodoo spirits who came straight from their homeland with the slave trade. They blended not only with one another, but also with the Saints and ritual beliefs that were here in this Latin-Catholic society. These herbal healers and spirit walkers were hard working women from all strata of society. There were also some men, the Doctors and a few Kings, but it is the Voodoo Queens who hold it together.  It can be hard to shake the “Hollywood” visual of the big, scary Voodoo Queen. Old hags in the swamp, rocking in their rocking chairs, listening to the song of the cicada, echoed by a choir of frogs and the back beat splish-splash of the gator near. We also have that vision of the aged bitter voodoo queen stuck in our head from the voodoo character known as Julia Brown. She sang on her porch about taking her whole town with her when she died. She did. It really happened. Just a few miles out of the city proper where the town of Frenier once stood. The woman, Priestess Brown went down with the town and had predicted it in a song that her ghost still sings to this day. Did this Voodoo Queen simply prophecize that devastating hurricane? Or did she invite it as a guest to her funeral? You can guess which the way Hollywood re-wrote her character, the dark way of course. I have a full chapter and investigation into her spirit in my upcoming book: Swamp Magic Swamp Monsters coming out in 2019, but as to The other Voodoo Queens, Marie Laveau all the way to yours truly, they still talk about us- dead or alive... All the countless, and even the faceless, Voodoo Queens still exist and work right alongside those (in)famous ones. There is a whole line of queens which stretches back to Africa. A line still moving forward. I am one Queen, here, to ground it in the now, and there are others. You are passed the title of Queen and there are apprenticeship years. They (the Queens) sent that dream vision of initiation my way over a decade in advance. Then it was formally passed to me from the Voodoo Queen Margaret and she got it from Queen Rose before. (Neither had their own daughters, so mote it be.)  You are “passed” the title of queen, you are initiated as Mambo and you are called by the river to be Mamaissi. I am all three. But when you are the Queen you are the Queens. We are one. The New Orleans Voodoo Queens all have a touch of green. The green thumb of the swamp-witch traiteur. It goes deep to the root, vibrant with fertility of budding transformative power. She is the churner of spirits, the keeper of the old ways written on the winds and  is the wise crone of the deep river heart. These sweetwater sisters three of mud, moss and clay don’t have to be old or young. They don’t have to be rocking on their porch a singing a song but they can be. They can also be these creatures of allure and fecundity. Her swamp secrets are the base of New Orleans Voodoo, painted red with Native Americans pride who devoted themselves to protecting this spirit of place: The River maiden. I bow to thee. 

​Here is the power-couple to be remembered. They are one of the first power couples and definitely the last. They dance with the dead, they are the dead. They are also known as the Mother and Father of the bones. May I present to you the ever popular Baron Samedi & Maman Bridgette (his wife). The Baron and the Baroness. They are the composite wisdom of the ancestors. They can help you connect with the other side for they are psychopomps and honored watchers at Bloody Mary New Orleans Haunted Museum. Baron Samedi & Maman Bridgette are the history of all those that came before. They can heal you, they can bury you: both are in their domain. They are the Lord and Lady of the cemetery. Male or female first burials in cemeteries persuade the domination of who’s more in charge of that cemetery. Always seek the largest cross in the cemetery to check in with them, Maman will let you in. Salute both. Feed both. It is important to honor them, their kin and yours too. Do You Know How to Honor the Dead? Come take a class, join a tour, partake in a ritual or a psychic service to connect to it all. Come learn how to build your own ancestral altars, toast with the ghosts and break bread with the dead. Do so without fear. It is our job to help you learn how. There are many ways to connect with the ancestors, even make an ancestral voodoo doll to house their spirits when they come to pay call. Bloody Mary and the Voodoo Krewe at the Haunted museum are here to help. Maybe you can procure one of the rare skeleton keys to gain entrance to the from dusk till dark on October 31st with Bloody Mary New Orleans Voodoo Queen as your hostess. Bloody Mary is known as “the queen of the graveyards” and has different tours daily and nightly to escort you inside. Try many hands on ways to connect with Le Morte. Perhaps invite the Baron and Baroness to watch guard; maybe just learn to build ancestral altars with us in New Orleans with Bloody Mary... and the Barons  Who are Baron Samedi & Maman Bridgette  Barons are jovial, sexual, crass, sometimes rude, but also sincere and wise as an ascended master. They are known to heal and to have a fondness for protecting children. Baron Samedi is often seen with his top hat and his tailcoat: the undertakers clothes. Also add a pair of shades with one lens missing. The top hat is the dead giveaway for a Baron visit, that and dirty talk. Some confuse Papa Legba and Baron. They are the opposite ends of a spectrum. Baron is the trickster though many will still say Legba is as well, I have never found Legba so. He shoots straight to the heart of the matter as the divine messenger! Legba is the sun and Baron is the midnight sun. American Horror Story Coven did a good job at making things more confusing and conflated the two even further.  You can choose to remember Baron’s wisdom as a godlike, Egyptian guard of the dead, or you may look at him as a sexual grim reaper. He is an important spirit to be saluted, just laugh with his vulgar attempts for he will try hard to get your attention that way. Be warned that he will point out your dirty little secrets, so don’t dare to play high and mighty with him! He is also voraciously hungry. Feed him: he likes hot & fiery, peppered rum, bread, chicken and spicy foods. His day is Saturday. He also loves lewd pictures (so he is all over my new Voodoo book especially Justice Howard’s Voodoo photos part). In fact come to a book signing and Voodoo Q & A free event Oct 30. 2018  meet the author and see the Fabulous Voodoo pics from the book with us. Who knows, maybe some of the Barons will appear? The Voodoo Book is always available in Bloody Mary New Orleans Voodoo pharmacy  & Le spirit shop at the Haunted Museum. Maman Bridgette is all about justice. When you want a situation solved fairly, one not handled in the physical realm correctly, do plead sincerely to Bridgette in the graveyard. Pray. Love. Feed. She handles many court cases, balances marriages when one goes astray and delivers swift justice to those who are in the wrong. Bridgette also loves children. Do at least attend our 2018 All souls day free ritual: Name and claim the unborn and the stillborn-special ancestral ritual on NOV 2nd.   Bridgette listens intently but rarely speaks. Sometimes in ritual possession her chin will be tied up and her mouth is stuffed with cotton like the dead of ole. Sometimes she just sounds like it. She communicates more in visuals. Everyone’s experience with a mysterie is unique and you may well hear her audibly, but most do not. Bridgette also likes those spicy foods and chicken, preferably a black one. Maman Bridgette often has a pile of stones (a Cairn) as part of her offerings altar. She is a spirit of transformation, she makes things right in the world. In this way she is like the Smith part of the Celtic Goddess Bridgette, St Bridget, and she is evidence of Celtic-Afro connection in Voodoo. She is also synchronized with St. Francis Cabrini who has an important New Orleans connection as well. Baron Samedi & Maman Brigette are Dying to Meet You Their colors are black and purple, the colors of mourning. They like their clothes tattered and dusty. After all, they did just crawl out of the grave. There dance is the Banda, rather sexual dance in nature. The bone dance belongs to them.The Loas (mysteries, Voodoo saints), are always ready to mount a horse - especially the Ghede, Barons & Bridgette… Remember that there is no hurry to let any of the mysteries mount you, not until you are ready. This family usually comes at the end of a ceremony, can be disruptive and may not want to leave the party. They also can come uninvited. Trance & dance possession: the interchange of spirit is a welcome experience for most Voodoo practitioners, yet some are afraid. Do not be afraid, but do not be in a hurry for this experience, build a foundation first.  You should be aware that this is not a Linda Blair like possession. It is like a trance medium at a séance who is dancing. You become the spirit. The spirit steps in, you step out. The host becomes the Loa (that's you, the horse). This can be more literal for some than others. During many rituals we beckon the loa to come in by literally inviting them to dance with us.  This trance dance possession can manifest from many trigger sources and is a desired goal in Voodoo ritual. The poly-rhythmic beat of the voodoo drum, a visual stimulation or even smells can be the catalyst for this outcome. You usually lose memory of the entire possessed state but some partially remember. Most all “horses” can give prophecy, healing, divination to the ritual attendees while the mysterie speaks though them once in this state, even superhuman feats are also observed in the horse. The spirit feels the flesh and the flesh speaks as oracle. You can fight it or you can let it in. Be warned that your own will and fears can impede this possessed state. To intentionally block try a simple trick of tying Knots in your hair. This is done purposely for protection of the neophyte (bosale) or for those who are fearful. To let go of your guard, to let the ego slip away, can be a fearful thought at first. It is in this very “tipsy”state or the state in-between the worlds that psychic messages flow, spirits speak and the dead can dance. The priests and priestess at the ritual are waiting to ease the transition and hold the energies of the horse and or trained to pull spirits out or transfer, if need be. Communication occurs in many other ways: dream possession can occur and, of course, wide awake possession (vision) occurs too. They say: Never wake a mambo! It is best to experience this Voodoo crisis in a ritual situation where the trained priests or priestess can help you; so don’t try this alone or at home. By Voodoo Queen Bloody Mary July 2017, Updated October 2018

Voodoo Queen Mare Laveau Buried in St Louis cemetery number one still haunts New Orleans in legend, legacy and ethereal wonder. If You want to visit you need to resevre a tour to enter