Hello!! I am new here and I wish to talk a bit
( The Bocio from the fon people can ensure health, well being and safety, they can also represent people who were sold into slavery )
It is a thing that I noticed a bit in spaces about witchcraft — how voodoo is misinterpreted. You can pratice voodoo and also witchcraft but voodoo isn’t inherently witchcraft, it is a religion. Voodoo is praticed in Louisiana and also the Caribbean, it blend Vodun, Yoruba, Christianity and bakongo religion, results of slavery. It being considered as inherently witchcraft is a colonial stereotype meant to demonise black people’s traditional religion. Fun fact, voodoo dolls aren’t actually supposed to thrown harm/spells at someone, they actually represent deities, protection and during Jim Crows laws, they were used as a healing method since black Americans didnt have access to healthcare. Voodoo dolls being harmful is actually a pop culture stereotype that come from Hollywood.
I am of Beninese ethnicity ( I am Fon more specifically ) and Vodun, which is considered the indigenous pratice, came from us but it also a mix of other gbe people and Yoruba pratices. Here is an example of deities from Vodun :
Mawu-Lisa : Mawu and Lisa are dualistic deities, they can also be represented as one androgynous/agender being. Mawu is the Vodun ( she is a goddess) of the Moon and Lisa ( he is a god ) is the vodun of the Moon. Mawu is the creator of earth and life, she is also created humans with clay. Lisa was tasked with civilising them.
Mami Dan/Wata : She is the Vodun of water and beaches. She also represent love and beauty. She can bring wealth and happiness and can solve infertility and infant mortality.
Dan Houedo : Also now as the Rainbow snake, Dan is the vodun of snakes, rainbow, wind, thunder and many other things. She represent continuity of life. Dan helped Mawu to create earth by trusting it into the sky.