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Wednesday, February 10, 2021

Misrepresentation of Voodoo

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Voodoo is a religion rich in heritage and founded in faith and community. The religion has been villianized by western culture and has been wrongly portrayed as malignant and dangerous. The religion is not founded in any of the ¡§black magic¡¦s¡¨ or fear popularized by Hollywood films, but rather it is based on balance and tradition. The religion is not something which should be encountered with inhibition or fear induced from childhood horror stories, but embraced for its¡¦ strength and history. Voodun is commonly called Voodoo by the public and American society. The name is traceable to an African word for spirit. Voduns can be directly traced to the West African Yoruba people who lived in 18th and 1th century Dahomey. Its roots may go back 6,000 years in Africa. That country occupied parts of todays Togo, Benin and Nigeria. Slaves brought their religion with them when they were forcibly shipped to Haiti and other islands in the West Indies.


Voodoo (also known as Vodun, Vodou, Umbanda, Quimbanda, and Candomble) originated as an amalgam of African religions during the slave trade. As slaves were shipped from Africa to the Caribbean and America, groups of slaves sharing a similar heritage were broken apart to prevent any since of community or bond between them. With no connection beyond the tortures of slavery, the slaves had little chance to establish any relationship to their fellow captives. Hailing from lifestyles and cultures far removed from each other, the only opportunity for a common bond came from sharing their deep faiths. Though different religions, the intense faiths allowed an intellectual exchange and common bond. With several different religions present in any given group of slaves, the majority of slaves adapted by holding a service which accepted all lineages and respected all ancestral lines of faith, both aspects being of primary concerns in African religions. These services were effective in blending the rites and practices of many religions into one combination religion.


Vodun was actively suppressed during colonial times. Many Priests were either killed or


imprisoned, and their shrines destroyed, because of the threat they posed to Euro-Christian/Muslim dominion. This forced some of the Dahomeans to form Vodou Orders and to create underground societies, in order to continue the veneration of their ancestors, and the worship of their powerful gods. Vodun was again suppressed during the Marxist regime. However, it has been freely practiced in Benin since a democratic government was installed there in 18. Vodun was formally recognized as Benins official religion in 16-FEB. It is also followed by most of the adults in Haiti. It can be found in many of the large cities in North America, particularly in the American South. Today over 60 million people practice Vodun worldwide. Religions similar to Vodun can be found in South America where they are called Umbanda, Quimbanda or Candomble.


Today, there are two virtually unrelated forms of the religion the actual religion, Vodun practiced in Benin, Dominican Republic, Ghana, Haiti, Togo and various centers in the US - largely where Haitian refuges have settled. An evil, imaginary religion, which we will call Voodoo. It has been created for Hollywood movies, complete with voodoo dolls, violence, bizarre rituals, etc. It does not exist in reality, except in the minds of most non-Voduns.


The History of Vodun in the West


Slaves were baptized into the Roman Catholic Church upon their arrival in Haiti and other West Indian islands. However, there was little Christian infrastructure present during the early 1th century to maintain the faith. The result was that the slaves largely followed their original native faith. This they practiced in secret, even while attending Mass regularly. An inaccurate and sensational book (S. St. John, Haiti or the Black Republic) was written in 1884. It described Vodun as a profoundly evil religion, and included lurid descriptions of human sacrifice, cannibalism, etc., some of which had been extracted from Vodun priests by torture. This book caught the imagination of people outside the West Indies, and was responsible for much of the misunderstanding and fear that is present today. Hollywood found this a rich source for Voodoo screen plays. Horror movies began in the 10s and continue today to misrepresent Vodun. It is only since the late 150s that accurate studies by anthropologists have been published. Other religions (Macumba, Candomble, Umbanda and Santeria) bear many similarities to Vodun.


Vodun Beliefs


Vodun, like Christianity, is a religion of many traditions. Each group follows a different spiritual path and worships a slightly different pantheon of spirits, called Loa. The word means mystery in the Yoruba language. Yoruba traditional belief included a chief God Olorun, who is remote and unknowable. He authorized a lesser God Obatala to create the earth and all life forms. A battle between the two Gods led to Obatalas temporary banishment.


There are hundreds of minor spirits. Those, which originated from Dahomey are called Rada; those who were added later are often deceased leaders in the new world and are called Petro. Some of these are


„Agwe spirit of the sea


„Aida Wedo rainbow spirit


„Ayza protector


„Baka an evil spirit who takes the form of an animal


„Baron Samedi guardian of the grave


„Dambala (or Damballah-wedo) serpent spirit


„Erinle spirit of the forests


„Ezili (or Erzulie) female spirit of love


„Mawu Lisa spirit of creation


„Ogou Balanjo spirit of healing


„Ogun (or Ogu Bodagris) spirit of war


„Osun spirit of healing streams


„Sango (or Shango) spirit of storms


„Yemanja female spirit of waters


„Zaka (or Oko) spirit of agriculture


There are a number of points of similarity between Roman Catholicism and Vodun


„Both believe in a supreme being.


„The Loa resemble Christian Saints, in that they were once people who led exceptional lives, and are usually given a single responsibility or special attribute.


„Both believe in an afterlife.


„Both have, as the centerpiece of some of their ceremonies, a ritual sacrifice and consumption of flesh and blood.


„Both believe in the existence of invisible evil spirits or demons.


„Followers of Vodun believe that each person has a met tet (master of the head) which corresponds to a Christians patron saint.


Followers of Vodun also believe that each person has a soul, which is composed of two parts a gros bon ange or big guardian angel, and a ti bon ange or little guardian angel. The latter leaves the body during sleep and when the person is possessed by a Loa during a ritual. There is a concern that the ti bon ange can be damaged or captured by evil sorcery while it is free of the body.


Vodun Rituals


The purpose of rituals is to make contact with a spirit, to gain their favor by offering them animal sacrifices and gifts, to obtain help in the form of more abundant food, higher standard of living, and improved health. Human and Loa depend upon each other; humans provide food and other materials; the Loa provide health, protection from evil spirits and good fortune. Rituals are held to celebrate lucky events, to attempt to escape a run of bad fortune, to celebrate a seasonal day of celebration associated with a Loa, for healing, at birth, marriage and death. Vodun priests can be male (houngan or hungan), or female (mambo). A Vodun temple is called a hounfour (or humfort). At its center is a poteau-mitan a pole where the God and spirits communicate with the people. An altar will be elaborately decorated with candles, pictures of Christian saints, symbolic items related to the Loa, etc. Rituals consist of some of the following components


„a feast before the main ceremony


„creation of a veve, a pattern of flour or cornmeal on the floor which is unique to the Loa for whom the ritual is to be conducted shaking a rattle and beating drums which have been cleansed and purified chanting dancing by the houngan and/or mambo and the hounsis (students studying Vodun). The dancing will typically build in intensity until one of the dancers (usually a hounsis) becomes possessed by a Loa and falls. His or her ti bon ange has left their body and the spirit has taken control. The possessed dancer will behave as the Loa and is treated with respect and ceremony by the others present.


„animal sacrifice; this may be a goat, sheep, chicken, or dog. They are usually humanely killed by slitting their throat; blood is collected in a vessel. The possessed dancer may drink some of the blood. The hunger of the Loa is then believed to be satisfied. The animal is usually cooked and eaten. Animal sacrifice is a method of consecrating food for consumption by followers of Vodun, their gods and ancestors.


Evil Sorcery involved with Vodun (believed or imaginary)


The houngan and mambos confine their activities to white magic, which is used to bring good fortune and healing. However caplatas (also known as bokors) perform acts of evil sorcery or black magic, sometimes called left-handed Vodun. Rarely, a houngan will engage in such sorcery; a few alternate between white and dark magic.


One belief unique to Vodun is that a dead person can be revived after having been buried.


After resurrection, the zombie has no will of their own, but remains under the control of


other living souls. In reality, a zombie is a living person who has never died, but is under the influence of powerful drugs administered by an evil sorcerer. Although most Haitians believe in zombies, few have ever seen one. There are a few recorded instances of persons who have claimed to be zombies. Sticking pins in voodoo dolls was once used as a method of cursing an individual by some followers of Vodun in New Orleans; this practice continues occasionally in South America. The practice became closely associated with Voodoo in the public mind through the vehicle of horror movies.


This new religion gave the slaves a since of alliance with their neighboring slaves and, with that alliance, a since of community. This newfound unity was viewed as a threat to the French and British plantation owners of the newly settled colonies. As a means to quell the religious unity, the plantation owners forbid the practice of religion and punished slaves who attempted to pursue voodoo. Catholicism was presented as an alternative to the African-based but now independent and Caribbean religion. Instead of accepting the Catholic religion, many slaves only incorporated it into the establishing Voodoo religion. Catholicism remains an important aspect of Voodoo, and many of its methods and rituals are currently practiced as Voodoo (this is especially accurate in Santeria, a Cuban based Voodoo). The punishments of practicing voodoo forced voodoo to remain secretive until slavery itself died out. Voodoo became a myth among plantation owners and only to the surface once slaves or former slaves acquired a means to own property through the revolution of 1804. This revolution was spurred by Voodoo priest and priestesses who had worked in secrecy and organized the slaves into an army. When the slaves overcame there oppressors voodoo became a publicly accepted religion in the Caribbean.


In the three centuries of religious oppression, Voodoo became a symbol of pride and independence for the slaves. Any pride in a slave is of course regarded as a threat to the slave owner. Rumors of human sacrifice and devil worship became prevalent in the social circles of plantation owners and slave traders. These statements had no validity, but traveled quickly throughout Europe and America. The practices of Voodoo embraced this fear as means to frighten their former masters and gain some respect in a world where they were deprived of everything. Former slave owners quickly found themselves duped into the beliefs of Voodoo dolls and hexes. This early means of freedom through fear is a reason Voodoo is still treated as a sinister religion. It is not that the Voodoo practice was frightening, but that that image was adopted as a means to assure its existence. No historical evidence of human sacrifice or affiliation with western principles of Satan has been discovered. Any affiliation with the occult has occurred only recently with the ¡§Gothic¡¨ movement in pop culture, and is not related with any orthodox Voodoo practices.


Voodoo redeemed itself throughout the 1800¡¦s with peaceful practice throughout the Caribbean and Southern points in America. In 1884 S. St.James wrote the book Haiti or the Black Republic. This book possessed graphically described accounts of cannibalism, human sacrifice, and the structured teachings of ¡§bad¡¨ or ¡§black¡¨ magic. St. James sources were the testimonies of voodoo priests who were tortured into these false confessions given during the times of revolution. St. James also used the written statements from the deposed plantation masters as accurate accounts as to why voodoo practicers were being executed. Though exaggerated, and in some instances simply imagined, the book was widely distributed and read. As the American film industry emerged in the 10¡¦s, a wealth of horror stories pictured voodoo as a menacing culture. Voodoo, being practiced primarily by individuals without access to the American film society offered no resistance or information while these false portrayals were being made. It was not until the 150¡¦s that any information from legitimate studies emerged.


Primary religions involved in the African aspect of Voodoo are Macumba and Candomble of the Yoruba people of Nigeria, and several now extinct tribes from the Congos and Cameroon. These religions lay the ground work for the course of religious ceremonies and contain the origins for the deities worshipped in modern voodoo. Voodoo¡¦s principle deity, Olorun (also known as Oloddumare) is the voodoo equivalent to the Christian God. Though the name can be trace to the Yoruba tribe, it is unknown if he is a remnant of the Catholic involvement in voodoo. Obatala, is a composite of many tribes primary god. He is represented as the giver of life and creator of human kind. Obatala is subservient to Olorun, but is said to have created the other, lesser Gods. For instance Eleggua, goddess of opportunity and Oya, goddess of fire and wind were both created by Obatala for humanity. In addition to containing the gods of many African cultures, voodoo also expresses the belief in minor spirits who watch or protect specific objects or occurrences. Those who were created at the beginning of life are referred to as Rada, and are worshipped as members to the family of Gods. Individuals who lived great lives or led the voodoo followers are often praised and referred to as Petro. Many of the rulers who fought the slave traders in Africa and many of the priests who aided in the revolution have acquired this status. The voodoo culture has ordained the Catholic Saints in this way and acknowledge them as Petro.


As Voodoo was founded in necessity, it is one of the more lenient religions in terms of tolerance of relationship with other religions. Voodoo¡¦s belief that all things connect to ones soul stresses the importance to not cause harm. Voodooist, (those who practice voodoo) believe every act can be enjoyed, if not for the act itself, then for the pride or satisfaction one can take in the results of the act. For that fact no act can be considered unselfish and therefore it is most important to accept and spread happiness for the majority of mankind. Voodoo makes certain not to condemn those of other faiths, and does not attempt to disprove or replace any.


The relationship with Jesus, the primary aspect of western religions, varies with the denominations of Voodoo. Most Voodoo denominations acknowledge his divine stature as the son of God. Current Voodoo converts are encouraged to retain their pre-established religions and add Voodoo as a means to enhance ones spirituality. Voodoo does not see itself as the Sola Fida, rather as a corollary to the other religions. Those who practice voodoo are avid and devout in their religion, only they view the afterlife as centering more on ones ¡§inner light¡¨ than on ones external beliefs. The afterlife is believed to be one of learning and of understanding. Where the questions of the universe will finally rest. Voodoo also teaches that should one gain access here, their past life will not influence their Ti Bon Ange (little guardian angel) which is the human part of the soul (The other part, Gros Bon Ange, big guardian angel, being one¡¦s conscience and what allows corporeal life). Voodoo contains distinct denominations, but the root faith is constant. The most wide spread voodoo is Yoruban, of orthadox voodoo. The separations in voodoo varies in the importance of ceremony and the roles of their clergy. Makaya and Kongo Rite voodoos follow the same structure, but are less rigorous in ceremony and clergy do not possess such influence.


Santeria is an offshoot of voodoo, which has grown considerably in Cuba. The Santeria religion is structured tightly after Catholicism, while the objects of worship are the Dahomey, children of Obatala. They are worshipped in ways similar to the treatment of Catholic saints. The religion varies from traditional voodoo in the fact that it still remains secretive and prefers to remain separated from outside religions. Santeria has no defined structures and the role of priests or priestesses are small if even there in Santeria communities. This is most likely due to the restriction of religious freedom in Cuba. Santeria has recently spread significantly in Miami and New York. Though attempting to remain separate, there exposure and positive influence have shed great positive light on Voodoo.


The mystique of voodoo has remained though action to dispel the negative connotations has made great advancements. A common word association with voodoo yields; Haiti, voodoo dolls, zombies, and tools often associated with ¡§black magic.¡¨ Though orthodox voodoo does not practice the arts of voodoo dolls or evoking zombies, but the origins of both are quite intriguing. Voodoo dolls were used as a mean of cursing or hexing an individual, most commonly a plantation owner. No current Shango or Mambo (priest or priestess) condones this act or grants it validity. It was never practiced religious and is primarily a folklore that has been abandoned by legitimate voodoo. No cases of violence have been linked to voodoo dolls. The term zombie means an individual who is resurrected after death by a voodoo priest or priestess. This resurrected individual will possess typical superhuman traits often associated with the undead in folklore (superhuman strength, resistance to injury). The zombie will be bound to his resurrections will. In actuality, a zombie was a person gravely ill who were administered heavy narcotics as a means to keep them alive.


In the poorly industrialized areas where voodoo emerged, medical utilities were scarce and of poor quality. Often, individuals revived were believed dead. Once ¡§resurrected¡¨ by barely sub lethal amounts of strong drugs, the individual would possess enormous strength and resistance to injury equivalent to that of a man on PCP. The individual would also be dependant on the priest to supply their now life sustaining drug. This dependence is effectively being ¡§bound to a master¡¦s will.¡¨ In extreme cases the ¡§zombie¡¨ would go through physical effects of drug addiction, which leaves the individual looking corpse like.


I have found that Voodoo has been greatly misrepresented in American society and it is an honorable and thoughtful religion, which should be commended for its tenacity through history and its involvement in the lives of so many. Voodoo is not the stuff myths and horror movies, rather it is a peaceful and loving religion which can benefit many more than only those devout to Obatala. It can be beneficial to those who care about humanity.


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Monday, February 8, 2021

Three reasons my car is a piece of crap

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I have heard commented that a persons ride reflects his/her personality. Some would say this holds true only if everyone could afford to drive any car, or bike-if one prefers-of his/her choosing. I do not believe this to be so. And while everyone would drive a lexis or Lamborghini if they could, reality dictates that people buy cars they can afford. Therefore, in more cases than not people have gripes or, dare I say immense grievances with the cars they drive. I myself, have a few, to say the least. And while Im sure I could write a small book on all the things I hate about my car, I will --out of decency-- indulge you with only the three things I hate the most.


First off, let me say this. I could passionately invoke a heady rush of all the grandiose visions I have pertaining to my hope, wish, dreams, that someday Ill be blessed with a car worthy of a man greater than I. However, until that blessed day arrives, I will humbly drive the car I have been delt. And as I do this, I can not conceive of, nor conjure a way to hide the simple fact that my car, for lack of a better word, is a piece of crap. And as one might guess, I could add a whole subcategory (elaborating at great length) or appendix to this paper for that mater, listing all the ways this holds true. Be it, the busted head light,


the crappy engine, the bald tires, or the rag for a gas cap, dripping all the time. Yes, the car Im speaking of is unequivocally a piece of crap, This, Im sad to say is an evident and indisputable fact.


And while the premise of my assumptions in the previous statement holds true to a lot of people relating to the cars they drive, I have other issues worth delving in to concerning my manifested hate stemming from my car. One would be the hood -more appropriately- whats under it, or should I say what is not. To this day I wish I had purchased something with a bit more gusto, because I, admittedly, like (prepositional usage) most guys, like fast woman, fast music, and fast cars. Therefore, it pains me to say, the road is no place for a car like mine, whose response time is as slow as a PBS documentary on Millard Fillmore.Cheap Custom Essays on Three reasons my car is a piece of crap


Last but certainly not least, the one thing Id say I hate most about my car is the fact that it is just that, a car. Every time I drive it I wish Id had bought a bike in its stead. I say this for many reasons; for instance, I believe there is something to be said for those congenial things like the rev of an engine, an open road, and the wind in ones hair. I can conceptualize one of these days Ill go and trade it in for a bike, making me a much happier man.


As Ive already noted, I could write a small book, or large one for that matter, on all the things I hate about my car; however, this is not my intention. I will say this. What a person drives is their choice, more often than not. And while there are so many things I hate about my car, it is what I choose. Hopefully, some day Ill be able to drive something which gives me nothing to complain about.


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Friday, February 5, 2021

Madonna paper/ research paper

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Who is Madonna? She has played such different parts, such as the virgin, the vixen, a whore, a loving mother and wife, with all of these how do we know who Madonna really is. She has been described as a "post modern icon." But when asked she says you say I still dont know Madonna, and good, because you will never know the real me. Ever. She is the main pop diva, the queen of controversy and a mother of reinvention. She is far more than an average celebrity. She has established herself as a gigantic figure not only to the world of popular entertainment, but in modern culture.


I walked into the Four Seasons Hotel bar in Los Angeles, California and Madonna Louise Veronica Ciccone Richie was sitting waiting for me drinking a glass of Timothy Taylors real ale. She was exactly what I expected, she had a henna tattoo on her arm, a very non-hairdo look, minimal makeup and she was wearing a white sleeveless blouse and khaki capris. She was very welcoming to me with a big hug and friendly kiss on the cheek. I sat down and Madonna called the waitress over so I could order a drink and we started talking. I asked her how she started drinking ale. "Not many Americans drink it." I added. I didnt start drinking until I met Guy, hes been a wonderful influence on me." Madonna told me "I get drunk with him, Ive learned to love ale, its like Im one of those drunken English girls." She continued to tell me how nice it was actually be able to just sit down and have a drink. Guy and her life are now there children. They get up with them, eat breakfast, send Lourdes to school and plays with Rocco before he goes to daycare. One of them is always home with the kids for dinner. Has this "Material Girl" completely turned domestic?


It was such a beautiful day out, in Los Angeles, which got us talking about the weather that she doesnt miss from Michigan. Madonna was born in Bay City Michigan, but went to high school in Rochester, Michigan. She excelled in dance and drama throughout high school. "I missed the four seasons when I lived here, but now that I spend much time in England, Im reminded of the cold weather." Guy Richie and Madonna share a home in Beverly Hills and another in Dorset, England. She attended college at the University of Michigan, but then dropped out. "I used to copy dance from watching Shirley Temple on TV, then I used to offer dance lessons to my girlfriends. I remember the first boy I gave a lesson to, it was to the song "Honky Tonk Women" by the Stones, after that I decided that I needed to start to go pro about this" she told me. She then decided to move to New York City to study under a choreographer Alvin Ailey. I came to New York dreaming of becoming a professional dancer and somehow I fell into music. Everything following that was like, Oh my God! Whats happening to my life? You get caught up in that.Cheap College Papers on Madonna paper/ research paper


We left the Four Seasons and Madonna wanted to go do a little shopping on Melrose while we continued our conversation. I told her as I was growing up she was such an influence on me and to all my friends. So I asked if there was anyone that she looked up to as an icon, which Madonna is to many people now. Her answer was "I loved Carole Lombard, Judy Holliday and Marilyn Monroe. They were all just incredibly funny, they were silly, sweet, they were girls, and they were feminine and sexy. I just saw myself in then, my funniness and my need to boss people around and at the same time is taken care of. I remember Nancy Sinatra singing, "These Boots are Made for Walkin" and that made one hell of an impression on me. And when she said, "Are you ready boots, start walkin," it was like, yeah, give me some of those go-go boots. I want to walk on a few people." It didnt seem to Madonna that she agreed with how the public felt about her as an icon. She said I was never an icon, and I was also never a woman who acted in a political way, she states. Of course, I fought against the male domination, against a world ruled by men, but I never wanted to change the world and turn the male domination into a female domination. What I did, I did for myself. To free myself. I never really planned to be an idol for millions of women all over the planet, and I never saw men in general as the enemy. The enemies were people who tried to suppress me, oppressors in general. Im still fighting against them. I just do it in a different way. Way back when I was loud and I guess you could say I was obscene. Today I use the power of silence. The times have changed and the sexes are almost on equal footing now. That is another reason why I act different than 10 or 15 years ago. The times have changed and I have changed with them, obviously.


"What has kept you motivated throughout all these years?" I asked as we were walking into Mannequin (a clothing store on Melrose). "The biggest thing that keeps me going is continuing personal growth. With every album I release I make is new and I challenge myself more and more every time." She tells me "The parts that I play in movies, I want to show my improvements and each gets bigger. As I just said I am a very different person than I was 10 or 15 years ago and I think that is good because with every year I grow more. Everything that I done in those years is what has made me into the person I am today." Her family is also so important to her and she wants to keep succeeding for them. "My fans are also a major motivation. Without them I couldnt be where I am today. I have done some outrageous things in my life and my fans have supported me through it all and they still do in all the ways that I have changed."


I was really interested to find out what kind of image she thinks and wants to portray to the world. "I would say that my image to people is Im this brazen, aggressive women who has an OK voice with some pretty exciting songs, who wears what she wants and says what she wants to say and who has potential as an actress." She said. Madonna has always been someone who challenged the world, she recognized new trends and even made new trends before anybody else discovered or even thought about them. Its hard to imagine her quietly sitting back, but according to her, she has no desire to do so. I dont make plans anymore. Im a mother and wife, thats future enough for me, the rest will happen by itself, she says in a few words. However, I will always be somebody who rather acts than reacts. Maybe thats more exhausting and challenging, but its also more satisfying. I always was, and am still hungry for changes, for everything new, for the unknown. I dont want to stagnate, but I also dont want to force changes. I realized that I dont have limits, limits are always influences that come from outside, from people who dont believe in themselves and their abilities. I firmly believe in myself. I know that I can do whatever I want and that Ill always reach my goals!


We walked into a childrens clothing store where Madonna likes to get Lourdes and Rocco cute trendy kids clothes. Today Lourdes is spending the day with her father, Carlos Leon, "she is such a daddys girl". Madonna met Leon while she was on a walk in central park and they had a cup a coffee together. While Rocco is with his father and Madonnas "soul mate" as she puts it, Guy Richie. "It only took me 40 years to find my soul mate." She laughs while she says it. When I asked her if she knew that he was going to be the one for her at the beginning of the relationship she said "not at the beginning, I knew he was fearsome human being, and a great talent with a brilliant mind and all that stuff. But I just felt like there were too many problems. So I thought, well great, Ive just found a great friend." She finally saw beyond that because she didnt have the usual distractions of naive romance and lustful longings. The two met at a gathering hosted by Stings wife, Trudie Styler in 18. She says "The only reason that Guy came to the gathering was to meet her, so he defiantly had something on his mind." They were first seen together in 1 since she was still in a relationship with Andy Bird, who she never really liked. She has been connected with other men during her life; she was married to Sean Penn in 185 and ended because of his violent drinking behaviors three years later. On December , 000 Guy and Madonna got married at Skibo Castle in Scotland. My wedding was a great day, she says. A fairy tale. Last year Madonna and husband worked together on a remake of a 174 Italian classic Swept Away.


There are many other movies that she has been in during her life. "When I decided that I really wanted to establish myself as an actress the part of Eva Peron came about" This was a film version of Andrew Lloyd Webbers musical Evita. Madonna says "I saw myself in this part. We had so many parallels it was scary. We both were from big families; we both set off from small cities to large ones. I understood the courage it took to leave, when she left she was 15, when I left I was 17. I had two years on her. The struggle of trying to make something out of your life without help, without connections, without any real formal education or training, I can relate to those things, but if I never hear "Dont Cry for me Argentine" again, Ill be just fine." She laughs. Her movie career began with a minor role in a film called A Certain Sacrifice. Also, in 10, she starred with Warren Beatty in Dick Tracy.


Madonna told me as a 44-year old mother of two, she attributes much of her new attitude toward life to the study of ancient Jewish mysticism called Kabbalah, which is study of ancient texts, most notably the Zohar, a 1th-century commentary on the Torah. Kabbalah holds that God is made up of 10 emanations, which include compassion, strength, wisdom and grace. By studying them, humans can get closer to an unknowable God. She says "Its helped me to see that we are all extensions of each other, and that everything I say and do to people, Im doing to myself." Madonna is starting to send her daughter Lourdes at age 6 to learn the Kaballah.


Her newest project is she signed a deal with a publishing company to write five childrens book. The first is due out this September. When asked what started this decision to write these books, she says, "It is defiantly stemmed from having two children, Lourdes and Rocco, these are magical stories for children of all ages." The title of the first book will be "The English Roses." I was reminded that this is not her first venture to be an author in 1; she published "Sex" which was accompanied by great controversy because it featured X-rated photos of her and became a bestseller. "After the book came out there was a time when I could not open up a newspaper or magazine and not read something incredibly wounding about myself," she recalled


Madonna has obviously accomplished so much in her life and so many entertainers can only dream of doing what she has done and it is amazing to me that she isnt burned out or has decided to be done. She still has more that she wants to accomplish. She said, "Whenever Im around great works of art, whether thats a movie or a painting or some music just blows my mind, it just makes me want to do more. It fills me, and that is what we should all be doing for each other." She continued with other accomplishments that she wants to concur which are things such as directing, painting, doing more movies and never stop making music. "Im gonna get it all done. Believe me."


She starting telling me about her yoga obsession she says she finally easing up on her famed yoga intensity. I really pushed myself, she says of her seven-day-a-week obsession. (She now practices four days a week.) I couldve been a member of Cirque du Soleil. It got to the point where I didnt have a glass of wine and I had to go to bed early because everything was around my yoga. Which isnt to say that the she follows a macrobiotic diet, is any less disciplined. Toast is a splurge on a macrobiotic diet, she says. Since she at a guest appearance on NBCs Will and Grace this past April I was wondering what other TV shows she watches. "I never turned the show on before I agreed to appear on it. I dont have time for TV and surprise I have never seen American Idol." She surprised me with that, but even more surprising she told me that she is a fan of Eminem and Missy Elliot.


Speaking of music, Madonna has had eleven number 1s in the United States and she is still going. We stopped at The Coffee Bean on Melrose and Madonna got iced blended chai tea and we began to talk about her music. "How do you write your music? Do you sit in a studio or do you do it at home?" I asked. "I keep a pillow book, I jot things down, and dreams or poems or things Ive read in books. Or kind of diary-like entries, or Ill cut out articles from newspapers, anything that I want to remember. So, I keep this scrapbook, and a lot of times Ill go back and draw from an idea that Ive kept for a song. But generally, its music that kicks me into thinking a certain way or feeling a certain thing, and I rely heavily on the people that I collaborate with to inspire me lyrically. Believe it or not, Im at my most creative when Im standing at a microphone and the pressures on."


Madonnas first album was released in July of 18. She wasnt extremely happy with this album at first, she says "it seemed to be a rebound project for the producer Reggie Lucas, but in the end I was proud since I co-wrote five of the eight tracks on the album." The next album was "Like a virgin" which was released November 1, 184. She performed the song at the MTV music awards in 184 and this was everyones first taste of who Madonna was. "I remember I wore a knee length, white wedding dress, veil, bustier, a garter belt and plenty of clunky jewelry." She remembers "it was so fun, I crawled all over the stage seductively, playing right to the camera." This album became her first number 1 album. "At the beginning I was called everything from disco dolly to a one hit wonder." She said, "Everyone agreed that I was sexy, but no one would agree that I had talent, which really irritated me." I guess she really showed all those people. Her personal fortune is estimated at more than $00 million, she has changed her tune since her "Material Girl" years. Dont get me wrong. Its fabulous I have these beautiful homes and paintings, she says. But the most important thing in life is love. I know it sounds corny, but everybody knows its true.


Her newest video for her song "American Life" was suppose to be released and was delayed since "people saw the video as an anti-war statement and due to the volatile state of the world and out of sensitivity and respect to the armed forces, who I support and pray for, I do not want to risk offending anyone who might misinterpret the meaning of this video. It contained a strong anti-war theme and a finale showing me lobbing an explosive into the lap of a President Bush look-alike. She told me "I talked about the ideas for this video last November and had no idea wed be in the position were in right now. People have a bad habit of reviewing my work before theyve seen it, they also often misinterpret what I say and do." She believes that this is her most truthful record to day "I could say life put me on that path. I think I have had a number of revelations in the past few years. I think a lot of it has to do with studying of Kabbalah, which is essentially like cracking the codes of the universe it has to do with having family and growing up seeing life for what it is."


At 6 she was asked how she wants to see herself in thirty years and her answer was "Hopefully Ill be incredibly mellow and wise with age. Not mellow, but very wise and still just as mischievous and childlike and wondering as I am now" and I was wondering if she feels the that she is like that almost twenty years later. Her response was "I feel I have learned a lot throughout the years. I have defiantly mellowed out. I still try to be mischievous and childlike, but much of that comes out with my children."


As she said before there is still more that she wants to do and that she will get it all done so what is in store for us to see Madonna doing in the future? "Theres a


completely original musical I want to do, a bit of an extravaganza she told me "I still have more and more ideas for albums and we will see what else." "How about more children?" I asked since there has been a rumor that she is pregnant. Madonna has kept both her pregnancies till the sixth month. "I think that we both want another, but we have to see what is happening in our lives and what projects we are doing. We dont want to be to busy so we cant give another child the time that we get to give Lourdes and Rocco."


Madonna has changed so much since she started her career. We went into Tower records and were looking at some of her old album covers and they defiantly show these changes. "I often look back at old photographs and think someone should have arrested me, someone should have stopped me from doing my hair that way." So I asked her if she had any regrets and her answer was "Je ne regrette rien!" Translation I regret nothing. "In the beginning of my career, I just did whatever I wanted to do and if it made me feel good, if it was fun, that was cool. Now I feel like everything we do affects society in a potent way. I feel a sense of responsibility because my consciousness has been raised."


Madonna had her driver pick us up and we went back to the Four Seasons so I could be dropped off. We said goodbye and I told her I look forward to see what she will be doing next. "Dont worry Im sure there will be something big in the news about me soon." She said laughing. Madonna has accomplished the near impossible. For the past 0 years, she has managed to remain consistently compelling to her community. More than any other diva to which we have ever pledged loyalty, she has earned our unyielding affection and not merely because she wears hot clothes or has a larger-than-life presence. We connect with her apparent constant bravery as well as the fact that she openly infused happy sensibilities into her work long before it became a trendy or savvy mainstream move. We may occasionally crave for the familiarity and simplicity of early hits like "Like a Virgin or Express Yourself, but we have a wanting for everything that she offer. We cannot wait to see where she will go next.


A GEO Exclusive Interview with Madonna


Carly Leipsitz


News & Public Affairs (444)


Department of Communication


10 W. Michigan Ave.


Western Michigan University


Kalamazoo, MI 4008


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[Retrieved on May 7, 00]


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