Voodoo by Meryl PerloffNew Orleans Voodoo has roots in the ancestral religions of the African Diaspora. Its name means "spirit of God." Practitioners are believers in one god, below which are the powerful spirits or angels referred to as Loa who are responsible for the daily matters of life. Each Loa is represented by a symbol that serves as a beacon for that spirit. The symbols or "Veves" when drawn on the floor or ground, oblige the spirits to descend to earth. They are