Voodoo Dolls, Worry Dolls and 21st Century Gods of the Wire

Worry dolls and voodoo dolls come from quite different backgrounds, yet seem to have come together in providing a growing number of people with either a charming, quirky token of pagan, New Age thinking, or very real strength and confidence, depending upon their beliefs.

At Moonrust we supply a number of quite different, cheeky little voodoo dolls, and several sets of worry dolls, and although it’s not possible to know all the different reasons why our customers keep on coming back for these gifts, there are three reasons why they prove popular in general.

The first reason is that today’s voodoo dolls, about as remote from the macabre and sinister activities of the Caribbean witchdoctors of darker times as it’s possible to get, represent a wry acknowledgement of where we have come from. With our twenty first century gods of the wire, digital deities that seem to be omniscient to the point of predicting what we’re going to type next, more and more of us are feeling a deep need to acknowledge that our past contains magic, mystery and unknown powers which would make a mockery of our present day reliance on hard facts, scientific theories and dismissiveness of all things unproven.

Perhaps it’s simply the name, although this is unfair since the spiritual beliefs of Haiti, which included voodoo, were very much based upon the environment, natural and spiritual energies, and the intrinsic relationship between all people, and the natural world in which they live. But thanks chiefly to Hollywood, voodoo does stir up images of dark, mysterious magic and above all, the ability to control the actions and behaviours of other people. How appealing this is, especially when the tax man calls, or the bank writes to us!

The second reason why we feel that voodoo dolls and worry dolls have grown in popularity is that they have been designed so well, with such character and appeal, that as fascinating little curios or talking points, they engender humour and interest, harking back to dark and mysterious times but in a way which cannot be taken literally or seriously, knocking 21st century cynicism very slightly out of kilter.

But perhaps the biggest reason, and the least mentioned, is the fact that, deep down, most of us harbour superstitious beliefs in one way or another. A little voodoo doll, or a set of worry dolls might on the surface appear to be little more than harmless fun, a light-hearted bit of frivolity. But perhaps our needs run deeper than we like to admit, and small tokens or charms may hold more power than that for which they are given due credit.

We live in a world where silicon seems to be running the planet. Our love affair with silicon, the heart of every microchip, seems to have inspired us to take this compound into our own bodies in efforts to fabricate our natural bodies as we fabricate our own version of this world in place of our inheritance. Whether it is our blessing or our curse to be born into a world where scepticism is encouraged almost from the moment we learn to speak – don’t trust strangers, don’t believe all you see on TV – our life is a gift nonetheless, and it is up to us to take this gift to heart and go with it where our will takes us.

But as silicon and nuclear physics drives our world ever forwards, it seems to be becoming ever more important for us to look over our shoulders, and keep tight hold of our heritage for fear of losing it, and ourselves, in the maelstrom of modern gods of the wire over which we fool ourselves we still have control. Perhaps this is why so many of us are secretly stowing our worry dolls under our pillows each night, giving each the gift of a single worry, whilst keeping our chosen voodoo doll nearby to guard against our foes, seek out and disarm our fears, or weave their magic over those who inspire us, or whose hearts we earnestly wish to win!

It is a curious fact that as technology advances, the questions become ever more numerous, and as scientific research digs ever deeper into the fabric of our world, the more it seems to scratch its head in disbelief. Superstitions are often based on subconscious memories and knowledge inherited from our ancestors, perhaps misguided, but at least all of us alive today have been born of those who survived. Perhaps there may be something in it after all!

Above all, for many people, simply having one of our sets of worry dolls encourages the mental facing up to our fears, the acceptance of our concerns and the organisation of our troubles, and this in itself is a healthy and positive thing to do. Similarly, whilst we cannot guarantee our delightful little voodoo dolls will win over your boss, win the love of your life, or guard you from all possible harm, perhaps the mere acknowledgement of your fears, hopes and desires is really all it takes?