Maman Brijit is a Vodou lwa or spirit who
is the protectress of cemeteries. She is one of the family of the
Gede or Guede, the Vodou death spirits whose numbers include Bawon
Samdi, Bawon Gede, and Gede Nimbo or Nibo, guardian of children.
The Gede, especially Bawon Samdi, Her husband, are tricksters who
are known for mocking authority and making fun of society. They
have terribly bad manners and very dirty minds.
Maman Brijit means "Momma Brijit", and
She is said to especially protect those graves marked with a cross.
Vodou has elements of both original African religion and the Christianity
that was overlaid onto it in the New World. Thus the cross in Vodou
not only recalls Jesus, but was already a fundamental symbol of
the crossroads. The crossroad or kalfou, which represents
the Universe of choices and paths, is where the human and the divine
intersect. Maman Brijit is said to be equivilant to the Yoruban
Orisha Oya,
who also guards cemeteries.
This card in a reading indicates a dark path and
a choice that lies ahead. This decision can be made easier using
the past as guidance, not just by drawing from your own experiences
but by remembering the lives of your ancestors.
Alternate names: Maman Brigitte, Grande Brigette