Two married couples who switch partners every night open up about their relationship

Benin in West Africa is probably most famous for being the home of the Vodun or Vodou (more commonly known in the West as Voodoo) religion, of which Haitian Voodoo is derived. 

Voodoo is one of the most complex, and therefore misunderstood religions in the world and is a far cry from the demonized version of Voodoo you see in the movies, however, there is some truth in the myth.

Voodoo is a life force, culture and way of life in sync with the natural world, something few people in the Western world can truly understand.

Yes, there is ‘bad’ voodoo (bad juju) and yes animals are sacrificed on a regular basis, but the majority of voodoo practices are used for good purposes.

Unusual things happen in Benin and for many of the Beninese people, magic is as real as you or I.

As a British person, I personally found Benin to be fascinating, weird, and wonderful. So if you’re looking for a truly ‘different’ kind of cultural adventure, then Benin is definitely the place to go.

Voodoo is More Than a Religion, It’s a Belief System and a Way of Life

Now the bit you’ve all been waiting for… Voodoo.

I’d go as far as to say that without learning about Voodoo, you’re missing out on a lot of the most interesting and important aspects of Beninese culture. 

We were very lucky, as our guide was a Voodoo Adept (practitioner), which meant that we got to experience the Voodoo religion in a very real, very authentic way. For the two weeks, we were with him, he let us into his world, so we got a behind-the-scenes view. And it was fascinating. He even took us to get a Fa reading with his priest.

The frustrating thing is, that the more I learn about Voodoo, the more I realise I don’t know about Voodoo. It’s one of the oldest religions in the world and incredibly complex.

The word ‘Voodoo’ means spirit in the local Fon language and it’s an animistic religion, meaning that practitioners believe objects, creatures and places all have a spiritual essence – they are all ‘alive’ and ‘connected’.