Marie LaVeau Makes Voodoo Synonymous with the French Quarter (1820s and 1830s)
Marie LaVeau, with her society connections and ability to mesh her Catholic traditions with the voodoo practices, made the tradition more palatable to the mainstream New Orleans population. She dominated the ceremonies at Congo Square, along the northern section of the French Quarter. LaVeau supplemented these public events with quiet, private rituals at her home, where she would serve as an oracle, performed exorcisms, and offered sacrifices. When she decided it was time to retire from public life in the mid 1870s, she continued to practice until her death in the early 1880s. To this day, visitors to New Orleans visit a grave reported to be LaVeau’s, marking it with an ‘XXX’ in the hopes that LaVeau will look upon them favorable and to pay their respects (despite it beign vandalism and possibly not even her grave).