Quest for Oshun, The Voodoo Goddess of Love

Oshun is the Santeria goddess of love, art, and dance. She rules the rivers, brooks, and streams. Her greatest attribute is her ability to provide the emotions a solid foundation upon which to reside and grow. Oshun also provides gifts of money and material riches, sex, love, creativity, fertility, compassion, beauty, and laughter.

Clues
This box is in the same general area as my Voodoo Queen box located here http://www.atlasquest.com/lboxes/clue/index.html?gBoxId=68663

It was getting late and I was in a hurry to plant this box. It could be camouflaged a little better so if you find some large branches, leaves, or rocks around to cover the box, I would appreciate it.

You will need to bring your own ink pad in any color you choose.

Park at the Fisherman’s Parking Lot located on Rt. 332 aka Richboro Rd. This lot is across the street from The Spring Garden Mill where the Langhorne Players Theater resides. On the right side, in the direction toward Neshaminy Creek, there is a horse trail with a marker. Follow along this route. This trail runs along the creek and is also used by fishing enthusiasts. During trout season it has a little more traffic.

As you follow this trail, a tree with a “Safety Zone” sign will be on your right. Stay on this trail a few more yards and you will see a large downed tree to the right. The box is hidden around the roots.

This is not a geocache. Please do not take any of the contents of the box with you.Be careful as there are thorns in the area.

Quest For The Voodoo Queen

This letterbox is located at Tyler State Park in Newtown, Pennsylvania.

Marie Laveau was born in New Orleans in 1794 and was considered a free woman of color. Everyone knew Marie Laveaux used the Voodoo religion’s magical powers to control one’s lovers, acquaintances, enemies, and sex. Hence, women confided in her their concerns and fears about their husbands, their lovers, their estates, their husbands’ mistresses, their business affairs, and their fears of insanity and of anyone discovering a trace of Negro blood in their ancestry. Stories prevailed about secret rituals being held deep in the bayous, that included the worship of Mam'zelle Laveau's snake named Zombi, and celebratory dancing and drinking. Nearly a third of the worshippers were white, coveting the "power" to regain a lost lover, to take a new lover, to eliminate a business partner, or to destroy an enemy.

The consummate business woman, Mam'zelle Laveau used the sensationalism associated with the Voodoo ceremonies to advance the purposes of the Voodoo movement in New Orleans. She opened the ceremonies up to the public, allowing the press, police, the New Orleans roués, and anyone curious about the forbidden religion to attend.

Eventually, Marie Laveau, with all of her secret knowledge, became the most powerful woman in New Orleans. Whites of every class sought her help in their various affairs and amours while blacks saw her as their leader. Judges paid her as much as $1000 to win an election, other whites paid $10 for an insignificant love powder. She freely helped most blacks. To visit her for a reading became fashionable.(Source: http://www.mysticvoodoo.com/)

You will need to bring your own ink pad in any color you choose.

1. Park at the Fisherman’s Parking Lot located on Rt. 332 aka Richboro Rd. This lot is across the street from The Spring Garden Mill where the Langhorne Players Theater resides. The box is less than 5 minutes from this point.

2. Take the paved trail until you see a fork where Mill Trail and Mill Dairy Trail meet.

3. Stay to the right following Mill Dairy Trail.If you are out of shape, you can follow along on the exercise course. If you are in a hurry or hate working out, stay on Mill Dairy Trail until you find that lucky number 13 on your left.

4. To the right of the exercise course 13 sign is a rock and a downed log. Beyond the log and passed the mess of branches lying limp on the ground, you will see what looks like a conjoined tree slightly to the right. The box is hidden there.

This is not a geocache. Please do not take the Marie Laveau voodoo doll or any of the contents of the box with you.

Beware: This box is hidden close enough to a busy paved trail but passerby’s may just think you’re doing some side stretches. The White-tail deer love that location as I stepped in some of the “evidence” of this while hiding the box.