>>>Has anyone felt or done serious work on perhaps a connection between the vodou spirits and the goetia spirits?<<<

I have had some experience with both and there are similarities but I've never really focused on them so I can't really contribute anything much.

>>>I know Ifa is similar in some ways to I Ching,<<<

Yes, Ifa uses methods similar to the I Ching. A comparitive study would probably be helpful. I must confess, I am not that familiar with Ifa divination. But I'm a bit confused. The loa are particular to Voudun; the corresponding and very similar spirits in Santeria, Candomble, Shango, Palo Mayombe and other Ifa traditions used in the Americas are called orishas. Are you using Ifa to refer to the Nigerian shamanism or to the Congolese? The distinction is that Ifa originates from Nigeria and Voudun from the Congo, although both mix shamanism with Catholicism and their practices are very similar. I like to consider Voudun to have a Congolese origin and to use French as its language of choice, while the orishas are from the Ifa tradition of Nigeria and use primarily Spanish or Portuguese as its language, with a number of terms from the languages of Nigeria. And both traditions seem to have influenced each other to some degree, while often incorporating elements from other rites.

Sorry, I can't be more help, my own involvement with Ifa and Voudun has been slight, and more from Candomble than any of the other paths.


With love under will,

Bob, Adastra,
The Wizzard of Jacksonville