Papa Legba

Papa Legba ~ Keeper of the Crossroads

Papa Legba is a loa in Haitian Vodou, who serves as the intermediary between the loa and mundane world. Known as the 'Keeper of the crossroads' he and gives (or denies) permission to speak with the spirits, and is believed to speak all human languages. Papa Legba facilitates communication, speech, and understanding...and usually appears as an old man on a crutch or with a cane, wearing a broad brimmed straw hat and smoking a pipe. He is known to be a 'trickster' and can appear in many forms. Be respectful when calling on Papa Legba...he's a kindly spirit with a bit of a mischievous streak and would happily lead astray the ungrounded, vulnerable folk, as well as those who are full of themselves and might need to be taught a lesson. 

Papa Legba is considered the equivalent of St. Peter in Catholicism. His colors are black and red, and his number is 3. Some popular offerings for him are black coffee, rum, coconut, cigars, pipe tobacco, peanuts, pennies, seashells, small toys and candy.

We wanted to celebrate Papa Legba by creating a red, black and white layered soy candle, scented with Rum, Tobacco, Vanilla, and Sugar, then crowned with Amethyst, Black Onyx, Garnet, dried tobacco, 3 pennies and a Cowrie Shell.