Around the 1820s, New Orleans residents whispered of a mesmerizing hairdresser turned Voodoo Queen named Marie Laveau. Legends claim she bewitched judges to halt convictions, performed love spells from her candlelit altar, and healed the sick with her mystical powers. And some say, Marie never truly died – as she still haunts the French Quarter, today.
Portrait of Marie Laveau. Courtesy of Britannica
Allegedly, Marie’s daughter who shared her same name. Courtesy of Farewell Fellowship
Offerings made at one of Marie Laveau’s tombs. Courtesy of CityDays.com
Plaque at one of Marie Laveau’s tombs. Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons and New Orleans Historical
Episode Source Material
BOOKS
- A New Orleans Voodoo Priestess by Carolyn Morrow Long
- Witch Queens, Voodoo Spirits, and Hoodoo Saints (Overdrive edition) by Denise Alvarado. 2022. Weiser Books.
- Haunted New Orleans (Overdrive edition) by Troy Taylor. 2011. The History Press.
- The Magic of Marie Laveau (Overdrive edition) by Denise Alvarado and Morrow Long. 2020. Weiser Books.
WEB/SOCIAL MEDIA/MESSAGE BOARDS
- Marie Laveau’s tomb. (website).
- Marie Laveau. (website).
- Marie Laveau. (online encyclopedia entry).
- Marie Laveau. (blog post).
- Marie Laveau. (website).
- The magic of Marie Laveau. (blog post).
- Study: the best cities in the world for spas in 2025. (blog post).
- History of the French Quarter. (website).
- Yellow fever. (website).
- Downriver to New Orleans, 1820-1890. (website).
- The power of the placebo effect. (website).
- Inside the history of Voodoo Queen Marie Laveau’s tomb – and why it’s constantly vandalized. (online article).