Dɛxixò: the Vodún Way of Daily Worship

𞤣𞤹𞤿𞤭𞤿𞤮𞥊 Dɛxixò is the act of praising and giving offerings to the deities and ancestors. When we wish to communicate with the 𞤸𞤵𞥊𞤲 hùn, obtain favor/grace from them or the divine ancient ancestors, give thanks, and the like, we will need to use the appropriate language and approach. At the shrines, we begin by physically greeting the shrines, announcing ourselves to the spirits, praise them, and then we humbly state our purpose. One does not always have to be in trouble or need something to approach the shrines during Dɛxixò. Often, we want to insert phrases of confirmation about our supplications. For instance, one may wish to insert "𞤓𞤲 𞤣𞤽𞥇 𞤣𞤽 𞤱𞤫 Un ɖó ɖɔ̀ we. I am rooted". To say this is to imprint in the spirit world that you don't "believe in" the spirits, but that you indeed "know in" them. You know that they are real and that they deliver on their end of the reciprocity contract of the great 𞤩𞤯𞥇𞤧𞤵𞥊 gbɛ́sù -divine law.

What types of offerings we use for Dɛxixò?

On average, we offer cooked foods, fruits, vegetables, legumes, rice, kola nuts, kwk. We specifically offer foods suitable for the occasion. For instance, with ancestors, most often we offer foods to them that they ate here on earth. For the deities, there are specific foods for each one of them with overlaps here and there.

Finally, when done regularly in the home or wherever, Dɛxixò builds up 𞤢𞥈𞤷𞤯 àcɛ (power, energy) that can be utilized for peace and success of self and family.