Halloween Special! Living in the City of the Dead: Culture, Spirituality & Voodoo in New Orleans

In this podcast conversation we are joined by New Orleans native and historical cemetery/spooky tour guide Christian as we explore traditions of life and death in America's most haunted city. We explore how the blend of European, Native American, and West African cultures in New Orleans led to unique expressions of spirituality such as Voodoo and what popular culture gets wrong about it; scandals and respect in New Orleans cemeteries; and traditional ways of living in a city shaped by centuries of disaster. Proceeds for the month of November will be donated to RAINN. Comment your question for the 10k Subscriber Q&A! Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction, RAINN Support & Q&A 02:13 About Christian 04:56 Cultural & Religious Syncretism in New Orleans 15:53 Voodoo Queen Marie Laveau 21:22 Hollywood Misconceptions about Voodoo 26:36 New Orleans Cemetery Scandals 31:27 Respect as a Tourist 36:00 Living in the Shadow of Death 42:30 The Most Beautiful Part of New Orleans 44:15 Life and Death Traditions 49:17 Mardi Gras All images used are in the public domain, except the bicycle photo courtesy of Christian.