Vodoo Cont.

The Mysteres

Also called the Loa or Mystere, an Orisha is a particularly powerful spirit of a type called "the Incarna", who all live in a Far Realm called the Dark Kingdom of Ivory, a spirit-kingdom outside of the reach of most mages and werewolves. In Voodoo, the place where the spirits reside is Ife, a land in Africa from where all things in Voodoo are traced back to. In Haiti, the place where the ancestral spirits dwell is called La Ville Aux Camps.
They have magical ties to certain parts of the Earth, ties that wax and wane depending on the area, the time of year, and the phase of the Moon. They are natural spirits for the most part, and very ancient: they were old when humanity was new. These magical ties allow them to freely travel back and forth between their Kingdom and the realm of Earth.
The Orisha aren't immortal, but they are extremely long-lived. They're not omnipotent, but they are extremely powerful. They're not omniscient, but they can fake the illusion of omnipresence, especially in areas where they are established as powers. They are not infinitely divisible, but they do divide themselves without diminishing their power and show certain facets to some, and other facets to others. They're very discerning. They're incredibly intelligent, very wise, and very knowledgeable.
Each Orisha has several areas of influence in which they can affect everyday life and existence on Earth. These areas are not very specific, and occasionally overlap. For example, Oshun could be called upon for a divination on romance in someone's life, but so could Obatala, the Orisha of divination. Yemaya could be asked to help lost sailors on the sea, as she is the Mother of Oceans, but so could Legba, who is the patron of directions and the lost.
What is important is that the Orisha are not mindless, heartless, or thoughtless entities. They're characters in and of themselves - they have feelings, thoughts, plans, strategies, agendas, and quirks. They're quite human in many ways. Whether this is because they were once human beings, or because their interactions with humans have forced them to be so remains to be seen. A Divine Motivation What is it that the Orisha want? Well, first and foremost, like all of us, they want to survive. The prevailing rule of reality these days being counter to the survival of the Loa, they have endeavored to imbed themselves deeper in the consciousness of the world - with varying levels of success.
They also wish to thrive. They have managed to create a few places in the world where their power can still be felt. New Orleans is still one of them. Some parts of Africa in the deep jungle and the island of Haiti are another. Their power is spreading throughout Miami with the rise of Santeria, which is a similar but different religion.
Although in recent years they have become much more cooperative with each other, the old rivalries do flare up. Sometimes it's Oya versus Chango. Sometimes its Ogoun versus Chango, or Yemaya. Sometimes Oshun makes Legba jealous of Chango, or Chango unwisely bans Legba, or Baron Samedi shows up to try and take one of them to Death. It's all an integral part of their personality. Everything is so contrary that each Orisha isn't always sure where their true allies are - and often don't know for certain who's what until they take a stand and see how the chips fall.
Finally, they can't help but play Deity where they have power. They pursue their old spheres of influence, and through their Voodoun, try to learn more about the state of the world around them. Slowly, but surely, they're entering into the 20th century, just in time for the 21st.
Keeping it simple.... The character cannot make an Orisha Ride them. It's that simple. The Voodoun can beg and plead, but it's purely up to the whims of the Orisha/Storyteller. When the Voodoun is actually Ridden, he will take on the personality traits and habits of the Orisha. The Voodoun is pretty much helpless. A Willpower roll vs. 10 minus Knowing for that Orisha will allow the Voodoun to make one action per success. This, however, may anger the Orisha. Keep that in mind.
Essentially, the Orisha are Incarna-level spirits who create a kind of spirit bond with a normal mortal. Through that bond, they filter a kind of specially flavored Quintessence (Mojo) that allows those mortals to have an effect on the world. What is actually happening is that the Mojo itself forges a brief spirit link with the Voodoun, and the Orisha himself is the one who actually does "the magic." The spirit bond is totally up to the Orisha, but technically, if a Voodoun wished to escape his bond, he could be cleansed of it by someone sufficiently knowledgeable in spirit magic.
The reason no Paradox is involved is because the effects tend to be coincidental in nature, and when they're not, they're explainable as "voodoo" - the mythic thread that the Orisha exploit just to exist.
In Mage Terms: A Voodoun could be temporarily crippled by a Spirit 4 Ward which cut him off from his Orisha. Spirit Mages can use their sphere to undo some effects from a Working, but not always all. Unweaving a Working requires knowledge of, at the very least, Spirit 2.
During chargen, you will select an Orisha to be your primary. This is usually the one who first Touched you and brought you into the Voodoun life. With this in mind, your character's lifestyle and Nature should closely match the goals of the Orisha who have chosen him. For example, Oshun wouldn't have any real interest in a street gang assassin with Bravo or Monster Nature. She would, however, grow close to a doctor (mental or physical) with a Caregiver or Visionary Nature. Only under extreme circumstances (usually involving a change of Nature and lifestyle), can you have more Knowing in any Orisha higher than the knowing in the primary you chose in chargen. Such a change is very difficult and may anger the Orisha have just turned your back on. Not wise.
It has been known to happen that an Ancestor Orisha has 'transcended' in the Shadowlands and actually become reborn in a human body. Some believe that Marie Laveau, the one-time Voodoo Queen of New Orleans, will do this one day. Although the reincarnated Ancestor must begin her relationship over with the Orisha, she is born a Mambo, already Initiated.