Voodoo dolls, also known as effigy dolls, are used in various magical traditions and cultures for different purposes
. They are typically small, soft dolls representing a person, with varying degrees of physical detail
. The dolls are often used for healing, communicating with deceased loved ones, and influencing the actions of others
. In Haitian Vodou, there is a specific type of voodoo doll called a pwen doll, which is reserved for houngans, mambos, and bokos in the religion
. These dolls are not meant to be used by anyone other than those who have been initiated into the religion. Voodoo dolls are sometimes used in rituals and ceremonies, with pins inserted into the doll's body to represent the person being targeted
. The person handling the doll has complete control over the doll and can push the pins into its entirety, attaching strands of hair or the name of the subject to the doll
. While voodoo dolls are not prominent in Haitian Vodou and have been denounced as irrelevant to the religion by some practitioners
, they continue to be used in various cultural contexts for both positive and negative purposes
. It is essential to note that using voodoo dolls for harm or evil intentions may lead to karmic backlash
