St. Louis Cemetery No. 1, New Orleans, Louisiana

It is fitting on Halloween night, that the post relate a tale about Marie Laveau, known as the Voodoo Queen and one of the most notorious practitioners of black magic.  Born in 1794 in Santo Domingo, Marie was well known thoughout her adopted city of New Orleans for the potions she concocted and the spells she cast.  Marie was a hairdresser by trade, the profession which was her link to the mysteries and the scandals of the city.  The job is intimate, with the stylist becoming close to her clients who open up and reveal their darkest secrets.

Marie lived a long life, giving birth to 15 children, including her daughter and namesake, Marie II, who took over for her mother when she died in 1881, casting spells for the denizens of the dark and believers in the cult.  For years after Marie died people claimed to see apparitions of Marie.  To this day, candles, coins, beads, and other gifts are still left at the crypt that is said to hold the remains of Marie and her daughter, Marie II.

For tales of haunted cemeteries, read, Beyond the Grave: The History of America’s Most Haunted Graveyards, written by Troy Taylor published by Whitechapel Productions Press.  The author promises to take the reader on a “journey to places where the dead still walk!”