Tuesday, May 22, 2018

Mambo Vye Zo is on Patreon!

Hey gang - having endured years of plagiarism, copying of photos and the final insult - having my very bio used for someone else, I've taken down the Sosyete du Marche web site. It's been fun I admit - and I enjoyed keeping you all up to date with posting, pics and such., But all things come to an end. I am using the web site to promote my Patreon page. It's there that I will posting my weekly essays, updates and what I am doing. I also am semi-retired: I've handed off my monthly fet duties to two of our very capable mambos, which frees me up to do more important things like teach, write and make art. It's a strange sensation when you realize that what you've been doing monthly for nearly 30 has come to a close. Its similar I suppose to folks who retire -- when you no longer have to answer the alarm clock, and don't have to be anywhere, where do you go?

Well, if you are an Asogwe, you don't go anywhere! You just keep on keepin' on - and that means I am currently juggling several projects. I have the next SdM missal in rough edit and I am hoping to put that one out by the end of the summer. I've gathered all the prayers, incantations and evocations I've collected over the years so students, godchildren and anyone serving the Lwa will have a valuable tome to keep handy for their service work.

I am also half way through my Vodou Herbal, a compendium of plants used in ritual services. I will be writing that one through the summer, as I add to my knowledge base. It is a comprehensive listing of plants that I have put through the US plant base so you can find actual herbs here in the US or their equivalent counterparts. There are also small notes for usage, actual prayers for the plants and sometimes, a bit of Vodou spellwork <wink>. Its been a labor of love, but I am hoping to release it next year.

And of course, I have five or six music projects lined up. I intend to release CDs of music for each Lwa, with words in English and Kreyol. I currently have three CDs available on Amazon - Petro songs, Rada songs and The Priye Ginen.  These are an on-going project for me that I work on in between other things when I get bored -- yes, it does happen, I do get bored on occasion!

And finally, the Vodou Tarot will be ready for order by end of October, just in time for Fet Ghede. The book that accompanies it will also be ready for order then, too.

So, lots of irons in the fire (as usual). All I've done is given myself more time to do a better job on all of this by letting go of the fets. Its doesn't mean I am not serving. In fact, I am probably serving more now than ever. Broken back be damned, asthma in check - ya can't keep a good mambo down! Ayibobo!