In Benin, Voodoo's birthplace, believers bemoan steady shrinkage of forests they revere as sacred

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In Benin, the birthplace of Voodoo, practitioners of the faith believe the country’s forests are home to the spirits they seek guidance from and pray to

For many people in Benin, the forests empowered them before they were born, or in the first months of their lives. Barren women performed Voodoo rituals by sacred trees to get pregnant. Others were brought as newborns by parents seeking to ward off evil spirits. Some entered at a crossroads as adults, asking for guidance. In the cradle of Voodoo, the forests were places of hope.

During an October visit to several sacred forests in southern Benin, The Associated Press heard what sounded like intense swirling wind emanating from two forests after Voodoo priests called to the spirits. It’s unclear what the sounds were, but religion experts say what matters is that people believe they can communicate with the forest.

 

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