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~ Voodoo Priestess Estate ~ ©
Aunt Nadiene's Thai Carved Ruby on Black Tourmaline Matrix HoTei Buddha
A LiDiex Shrine Find
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This is another of our very long listings with an abundant text and 7 photographs, so please sit back and read the write-up through.
If you have come this far, we feel you will find it was worth the wait.
Nearly twenty-four and a half years have now past (12/06/2001) since we were called to do an estate that had been closed up for seventeen years!
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The Voodoo Estate!
This type of call usually gets us excited as they are a treasure trove. Located here in Florida, there was no electricity or running water so we rigged our own lighting and in we went. If you have ever seen the Adams Family you will have some idea as to what we were greeted with! Then the attorney handling the liquidation gave us some background. The estate had belonged to an alleged powerful Voodoo Priestess/JooJoo Exorcist, grand daughter of a Marie Laveau, and favored daughter of a Marie Glapion.
These names meant nothing to us, but the late night talk of Voodoo and exorcism in the old mansion was enough to make us decide to spend the night in a hotel and return in the morning to assess the estate. The rest is history.
Our research has shown that this woman was what she claimed and was indeed descended from a long line of well known Vodoun family originating in New Orleans in the early 1800's.
We were pretty unnerved by this until we discovered they were also devout Catholics! Although I have to admit this was unlike any Catholic home we have ever been in and some of the items found inside were a little more than disturbing. There was no feeling of dread or unwelcome in the mansion, however there was quite a bit of contraband and other items we can or will not sell here.
This is one of a few pieces from this estate we will be listing this week, so check our other listings!
We will, upon the new guardian's request, issue a named Letter of Authenticity with each lot from this estate, complying with the terms set forth to us by the estate's attorney.
Some Back Story
Found and recovered from what was named, "The LiDiex Chapel Room." This was not the largest of the altar rooms but large nonetheless, as it measured 17 x 24 feet! But it certainly was an unusual room that in describing, we could just as well be describing an ancient Cabinet of Curiosities. It was indeed used as their chapel, "a place of solace and meditation where ancestors are revered," according to one of her journal entries.
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It is not clear if Aunt Nadiene was abandoned by her mother or if the mother died, orphaning the girl, but she was apparently treated and referred to as a family member, indoctrinated along with her "niece" and for many years she was her traveling companion and guardian. Her journals note of Aunt Nadiene's passing in 1966.Other journal entries allege incidents of Aunt Nadiene, "owl shape shifting," claiming the Great Horned Owl as being her spirit guide or token spirit animal, and because of this, her taking due care in the handling of owls in her bird and reptile ceremonies, not submitting them to the torturous ceremonial deaths many other species endured during these ceremonies.
She also notes of a number of dreams in which a Great Horned Owl wearing her aunt's jewelry would appear to her. They also go into detail of her gazing into her stones (sphere's), to draw upon Aunt Nadiene's power to help her in this life.
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HoTei Buddha
He is actually not a Buddha, but a Chinese Buddhist she nearly always referred to as, "Pu-Tai" in her journal entries. He is known as the Laughing Buddha or Happy Buddha, and is known as Hotei in Japan and Pu-Tai in China. He embodies the ideals of good life such as health, happiness, prosperity and longevity. This represents the later Buddhist notions that the good life was indeed attainable in this world. It consists of self-mastery, a happy demeanor, purposeful endeavor, a deep commitment to the welfare of others and enlightened awareness.
Experts believe the Laughing Buddha is a historical figure and refer to the fat wandering Zen monk named Pu-tai. He is described as obese with a wrinkled or protruding forehead and rotund protruding belly which he left uncovered. Wherever he went, he carried a pu-tai or cloth-bag. Thus he became known as Pu-tai Hoshang or hemp-bag monk.
Legend has it, the bag was full of candy for children. Over the centuries, Buddhist notions of happiness based on self-mastery and enlightened insight were fused with popular Chinese life-ideals of happiness through material prosperity, thus today the hemp sack may be interpreted as filled with gold, happiness, health, and other aspects of abundance.
This is a Happy Buddha known to be a perfect remedy to combat bad luck which comes in the form of financial losses and mishaps. In another entry she tells us, " He makes for a powerful charm which lends his spirit of abundance and wealth which is well suited to rootworked spirit bags."
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In a series of entries She writes; "nothing brings greater joy to this Buddha than to see worries, problems, and sadness transform into happiness. He symbolizes happiness, wealth, and joy. Simply gazing upon his imagery provokes joy. And, by rubbing his stomach or head, releases the abundance of wealth he contains."
"As it brings prosperity and luck and to such a wide area, due to his auspicious rotund tummy, he is ideal for use as a house shrine. He resides in nearly every Chinese household and business throughout the world. The Laughing Buddha of Wealth is a living embodiment of the spirit of all of the prayers he receives that we will embody in the root worked spirit bag, our Mojo Hands."
"An auspicious being whose presence in the home attracts wealth and luck."
"Light a candle and rub his belly, best is to light two and rub twice! Chant the 23rd. Psalm with a specific petition of prayer"
"I have been told it is odd to chant Christian prayer as spell mantra to a non Christian deity! But I beg to differ, like all prayers from the book, they contain magic they do not perceive, but they are no different than most. When uttering the 23rd. Psalm with devotional intent to this Buddha at money altar, he, in that instance is the Lord mentioned of the prayer."
"Many of us religious folk use Catholic Saint, Hindu, and Buddhist Deity imagery with root, candle-burning, prayer. Gather, develop and use the knowledge that, tantra puja, Kabbalistic, ritual, folk-magic, Santeria and spell-work offers."
"What I prescribe to you was gifted to me by my Mama, and Grand Mama before her. Mama was the first to use the Buddha on a money shrine, a practice she learned from a Buddhist Root Doctor and Spiritual Worker of the Carolina coast, who used these images on his Wealth and Prosperity Altars."
"He calls for the dressing of his candles, so dress them for your petitions. Whether this be prosperity, money-drawing, or stay with me. Use incense and oils as well. If you petition your needs will be addressed."
"the 23rd. Psalm is considered an all around basic prayer to many. Yet see the verses which contain the words that speak to prosperity and abundance. I shall not want, He maketh me to lie down in green pastures, My cup runneth over, Goodness and Mercy shall follow me all the days of my life."
"In addition to what I give you, place personal symbolization with which to visualize wealth. Cash or coin, a simple piggy bank, gemstone jewelry, whatever will help your visualization of your own to draw money and prosperity."
Money Draw MoJo Hand
She prescribes a series of, "Spirit Bags" or "Mojo Hands" as she alternately refers to what is known as Mojo Bags, of sorts, in Voodoo Root Work. Some of the journal entries in which she refers to their use read; "A flat top box which is known to you on which to sit him and contain one or both of a Money Drawing Mojo Hand when they are not being carried, or fed."
"Simple fruit and water offerings to the Buddha in thanks for his blessings, must be renewed daily."
"the candles and bags are fixed, this fixing is so much more than some stuff in a bag. It has been party to specific ritual that began with the assemblage of ingredients and grew during the filling of the bags and dressing of the candles. Awakened to life, it now sleeps and awaits you."
"To bring it to life and bind this presence to you, simply place a drop of whiskey and a drop of your urine or saliva to each of the bags and dry them with the candle or incense smoke. It is now, as you do this, that you repeat the 23rd. Psalm until the fluid has dried. It is upon this that all hinges."
"She goes on to tell us to keep these "Hands fed" this process must be repeated, "to keep the spirit alive."
"Here are Mojo Hands for widows who tend to need enhancement of their personal power which is easily achieved through the use of these charm amulets. So they have been prescribed through spelled ritual to bring favor to their endeavors."
"These are in short, flannel or market velour, color coded pouches, a staple amulet in many cultures. Yours contain nine magical items. These are your mojuba hands, your hands of magic, MoJo Hands, prayer bags offering homage and petition for use in candle burning magic."
These notes are a rare insight, and far too lengthy to publish here, but we will be more than happy to assist with them to the those, "who embody the spirit of these Mojo Hands."
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And that our friends concludes the listing for this unusual artifact with an extraordinary provenance that is much nicer than the photographs are able to depict.
We have been contacted and visited by a number of people who were interested in the items from this estate since our first batch was listed. Among the buyers have been known psychics and practitioners. More than one, after adorning themselves or handling their purchase, stated, "this is a woman of power!" Many of our customers, after receiving items from this estate have reported dream contacts and other unexplained phenomenon.
Unusual, authentic Voodoo Priestess Estate piece and at a bargain price!
This is truly a rare opportunity to own anything with attributes to this estate. The majority of this estate is now gone. Most of what we had left, and it was considerable, has been split up and sold to a couple of private, foreign collector practitioners and will never be available to the public again. We made the decision to do this as we have had some pretty strange visits from even stranger individuals and there have been enough unexplained phenomenon going on in the warehouse where her things were kept that many of our employees refused to go in there.
The pieces offered and sold here are some of the few remaining pieces that will ever be offered to the public.
Nice addition to any collection, altar, wardrobe or decor, displays really well.
Really doesn't get any better than this.
There are 7 photographs below to tell the rest of this tale.
Buyer to pay $0.00 for Insured Ground Shipping with Tracking, handling and lagniappe.
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International Buyer's, please email us for a shipping quote.
Payment is due at listing end.
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©Text and Photos Copyright 2001-2026 bushidobuce, all rights reserved.
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