Walking into the altar room, on the left side there is a waist high table. On this table the Houngan has two distinct
altars and under it he keeps a skull sitting in a chair. There is a variety of items on the table. On it's left
side, the Houngan serves the Gede Lwa, spirits of the dead, who he consults his clients with. Here there are sunglasses
(with only one lense), black metal crosses, cotton balls, a big white container of baby powder, paket kongo, a mirror, a govi
(spiritual clay pot) wrapped in black cloth and thread, and numerous liquor bottles.
A.G.- This must be the space you have for the Gede, what are all the things on his table?
H. H. - Yes, I serve Baron, Brijit and all the Gedes on this table. These family of Lwa live in the cemetary.
You see the St. Expedite? That is Baron. I do expeditions with Mesye Expedito here. I also do treatments.
A.G.- Treatments?
H.H.- Yeah, different works for problems people have. You know if someone is sick and the illness is spiritually
induced, I call on Papa Gede to heal them. If someone has a sick child, I make a bath for them with the help of Papa
Gede and the other Dead.
A.G.- What is this? (Pointing to a container wrapped in black cloth and thread)
H.H.- That is a zonbi. Obviously not the type that walks around. It is a zonbi astral, a zonbi spirit.
The zonbi can be sent to do different things for a person.
A. G.- What would you do with such a zonbi?
H.H.- If someone is having problems with his enemies, I may take the zonbi's pwen and do a work with it. If someone
wants a man to run back to him, I will send the zonbi to chase that person back. When someone wants to make another
person sick, I can send him to do that too. It all depends.
AG- I see you have cotton balls and baby powder, what is it for?
H.H.- It is for Baron and the Gede. They are dead, so when they come dance in the head (possess someone), some
of them may stuff their nostrils and eye sockets with cotton. Just like a dead person when they are buried in Haiti.
The Gede's face will be powdered so it can be white like a skull. That is when you face death, you know?
A.G.- hmmm. There are alot of crosses on the table, Im sure there is a reason, what is it?
H.H.- The cross is an important symbol for these spirits. You've seen graves that are crowned by crosses.
The first man buried in a cemetary in Haiti will have a cross mounted over his grave. He will then be served as a Baron,
the same with the first woman of a cemetary.
