MARK OF VOODOO: Awakening to My African Spiritual Heritage

This book documents Caulder's pilgrimage to uncover Vodou's roots in the West African coastal areas of the Republic of Benin, and there to clarify her role as a Vodou (which she calls "Voodoo") leader. Raised in Brooklyn, until the age of 13 Caulder was a participant in Voodoo rituals conducted by her great-aunt. The book opens with an explicit, vivid and, for some, horrifying scene of Caulder as a five-year-old subjected to ritual abuse, climaxing with the torture and sacrifice of a cat. Until her early 40s, Caulder was repulsed by such powerful experiences, but when her memories returned as flashbacks, she left her family and her physical therapy practice, abruptly setting off for Benin. Within one day of her arrival, Caulder's "inner guide" provided her with the location, the identity and an introduction to the Benin "pope" of Voodoo, Supreme Chief Daagbo Hounon Houna. Over time, Caulder was initiated into Voodoo's spiritual hierarchy and came to appreciate that the "basic structure of Voodoo is a fine one," although she became increasingly troubled by animal sacrifice and spirit possession, illustrated in some of the 16 pages of color photos. To the extent that objectivity can be applied to spiritual pursuits, Caulder's seems strained by the fact that she fell in love with Daagbo, and by such offhand revelations as "I most often used my clairvoyant abilities" for translation during conversations and rituals. For those who can discern legitimacy and have a strong stomach for animal slaughter, Caulder's account is not without merit. (Jan.)