Meet Bloody Mary

This born-and-raised Bloody Mary (me) grew up to be a profound priestess, historian, author, and guide who serves New Orleans as a culture bearer, a “griot,” ghost whisperer, storyteller, and psychopomp (“guide of souls”). Mary is a fearless enthusiast about her hometown and all of its history, heritage, and mysticism. Her Voodoo house, or Cabildo, is primarily rooted in New Orleans Voodoo, which came here in the eighteenth century directly from its African sources, combined with Latin Catholic and local Indigenous influences. Later, other African diasporic traditions arrived from Haiti and Cuba, joining forces with the local practice. She is initiated into those traditions, alongside Irish and French magic from her bloodlines, with spiritualism and swamp magic in her veins.

Mary is a consanguineal descendant of the Laveau-Trudeau line, making her bloodline kin to Marie Laveau and sharing common great-grandparents from Normandy, France, with roots here since 1699. Fast forward to the 20th century, 10 generations later: Mary’s mother was born in the Témé neighborhood and attended St. Joseph Convent School there before she quit, left the convent, and married Mary’s father, who was stationed at Fort Leroy Johnson during World War II before being shipped to Africa for four years. He poured gypsy blood from the Carpathian mountain region of Hungary and Poland into the family—and she later out-sourced her husband, as did I! Upon his return, they raised a Catholic family in the 7th Ward of Orleans Parish, and Mary was born in Hotel Dieu.

“I saw visions of Mary, the saints, and ghosts as a child. I was kicked out of Frances Cabrini Catholic School in the 8th grade by a hunchbacked midget nun by the name of Sr. Kathleen, mainly for hanging out with protestant boys and having ‘dreams that weren’t normal’—they were, however, paranormal! By the time high school was in full swing, the massive suburban exodus occurred, but only for a moment, because I graduated early and brought back my 7th Ward swagger to the then-UNO in Orleans Parish, bouncing from the French Quarter to the lake!”

Sharing her experiences with others got her into trouble (though now she does it for a living). A lifetime of psychic and supernatural behavior, alongside a close relationship with saints, sinners, and spirits, started her on her journey. Many ghosts had already gone bump in the night, so she set out on an early adventure to find out why. Now, she teaches why!

You will also find her on TV and in cinema, featured in over 2,000 international documentaries, reality shows, radio programs, and podcasts about the other side of her hometown. See her introduce you to our spirit legends, fabulous graveyards, and share her occult expertise on the supernatural aspects of her hometown and its famous haunted houses—both personal and business! She has four published books and is working on her fifth. Look for her shows on Nat Geo, Discovery, Travel, History, and Syfy channels, as well as YouTube: Buzzfeed Unsolved, Haunted History, Paranormal Files, Paranormal Lockdown, and Ghost Adventures, where her personal home is featured in the top 10 scariest episodes! Check her out on TikTok and her YouTube channel.

Bloody Mary is a 10th-generation Creole whose family came to New Orleans before there was a New Orleans, arriving in 1699 with a founding expedition to fortify the Gulf Coast for France. Literally, she shares the first French footsteps with her French ancestor Claude Trepanier near Ocean Springs with Pierre Le Moyne d’Iberville. There, they built the first settlement, Fort Maurepas. Then they moved closer to build Fort St. John in 1701 to protect the Lake Pontchartrain entrance into what is now New Orleans, followed by Fort St. Charles and St. Louis, and the Vieux Carré (French Quarter) by 1718 as La Nouvelle-Orléans. Those same ancestors set sail from Normandy, France, to claim territory here in a pre-colonial expedition.

Claude was given a land grant as a reward in the not-yet-built New Orleans, built his house near what is now Place d’Armes (Jackson Square) on the lot where the famous Muriel’s Restaurant stands today, and married an actual “Casket Girl.” It is from these French roots that I am consanguineal issue, connected by blood from France to many founding Creoles, including Voodoo Queen Marie Catherine Laveau and the beloved Mother Henriette Delille, who is currently up for sainthood! As a first-founding family here, the Trepaniers share these common ancestors with many in town. Claude Trepanier is my 1st cousin, marking where our Creole roots begin and our bloodline connections lie. We are both consanguineal descendants and cousins to Claude; as blood kin, we share great-grandparents from France and New France, Robert Drouin and Anne Cloutier, with the actual Casket Girl Genevieve Burrell married into the crew! I’m related to many of our ghosts and a few vampires.

After many challenges of worthiness as a Voodoo Queen, Bloody Mary is both an initiated and bloodline Voodoo Queen in the New Orleans Voodoo tradition, an initiated Mambo Asogwe in Haitian Voodoo, and a YaYa Nkisi in Palo Reglas de Congo. Her dedication to the culture, New Orleans history, and mysticism is shared alongside her spirit ancestors. She is also a Mami Wata priestess (Mamiissi).

Spiritism holds a large place in her heart, which she shares with you through séances and mediumship. As a true mystic, she combines her abilities as a shaman, mambo, queen, yaia, and spiritism psychic into all aspects of her life. She was born and raised New Orleans Catholic within a Latin Catholic culture, and visions and visits from spirits have surrounded her since childhood.

As an artist, Mary designs her work with an empath’s heart, a historian’s detail, and a researcher’s mind. Her psychic abilities have always lent second sight to all aspects of her work. Her rootwork and Hoodoo help heal lives and afterlives, as well as the actual land and waters all around. Bloody Mary is an expert spiritual healer, called in to heal the living and the dead—people, places, and things. She cleanses people of unclean entities (even on movie sets!). Though exorcisms are sometimes necessary, she prefers to be an advocate for spirits’ rights, so she tries to instill methods of cooperation first.

Add impeccable storytelling, ritual execution, and, of course, paranormal investigations with spirit connections, and these gifts magnify a well-rounded technique that she shares with visitors as “Voodoo Paranormal.” Her house has 32+ years of professional paranormal investigations to draw from and a lifetime of connection; she learned directly from the spirits and elders. Each blessing guides her to unearth old knowledge that enhances her scholarly pursuits. This psychic knowledge works in tandem with avid research, creating a unique and holistic approach to understanding her hometown of New Orleans and the unseen worlds. She gladly shares it all with you!