For those of you who are making it down to New Orleans this month, either for formal or Mardi Gras, you’re probably focused on Bourbon Street, beignets and making sure your cooler makes it through the weekend. However, Louisiana culture is a lot more than grenades and bead competitions. It’s home to one of the country’s oldest and strangest religions, Voodoo. And who better tell it’s history, then the cast of "American Horror Story: Coven."

Voodoo originated in Africa and likely came to the U.S. from Haiti during the times of the slave trade. It was in New Orleans that their African religious practices were combined with practices from the Catholic church, which formed modern-day voodoo.

Around the time that voodoo was arising in the US, another New Orleans staple was born. Marie Laveau was born in the late 1700s, and was believed to have Creole ancestors that practiced voodoo. She was a local hairdresser, who convinced several of her wealthy clients that she had mystical powers. She then opened a voodoo shop (still open in New Orleans) that sells all the voodoo paraphernalia you could want.

So what’s so cool about voodoo? Well for starters, there’s the voodoo doll. Basically it represents the person the user associates with, and however you treat the doll, the person is affected by. So you better hope anyone who knows voodoo, doesn’t have a problem with you.

The religion also has a heavy emphasis on spells and magic, that range from helping the sick to love to turning people into zombies. Seriously.

Snakes are also hugely important, as believers hold that the serpent god is the one that created the world. It is said that when priests and priestesses are possessed by him, they don’t speak, they hiss.

Also legend has it, that you can sell your soul to the devil in order to make quick gains in this life (i.e. money). But you can imagine how well that goes well for people (just ask Papa Legba).

So if you’re interested in curses, ailments or spells, hit up Marie Laveau’s House of Voodoo this trip.