Dreaming of keys in Haitian Vodou: meaning
In Haitian Vodou Papa Legba is the keeper of the gate between the world of people and that of the lwa. In Haiti he is often connected with Saint Peter, who carries the keys of heaven. Keys, doors and gates in a dream are therefore often connected with Legba in a Vodou reading.
Within this tradition
No ceremony begins without Papa Legba. He is greeted first, with the song asking him to open the gate, for without his permission no other lwa can come. He is depicted as an old man leaning on a cane, sometimes with a pipe and a straw hat, and he governs crossroads, doors, roads and communication. His connection with Saint Peter and his keys makes him a natural figure in dreams about keys.
Along those lines a dream in which you receive a key, open a door or may pass through a gate is often read by practitioners as an opening: a path clearing, an opportunity, or permission to go on. An old man giving you a key or showing you the way strongly recalls Legba. A door that will not open or a key that does not fit can be read as a time not yet ripe, or as the question of whether you are seeking the right path.
Losing keys can be about the feeling of no longer having access in a Vodou reading: to an opportunity, a relationship or your own spiritual path. A crossroads where you must choose is a typical Legba image: which direction will you take?
Dreamkin does not establish that a dream comes from Legba, and does not prescribe ceremonies. Whoever finds such a dream weighs heavily discusses it with a houngan or manbo.
Common variations
Receiving a key or opening a door
An opening: an opportunity or permission to go on.
An old man giving you a key
Strongly recalls Papa Legba.
A door that will not open
A time not yet ripe, or the question of whether you seek the right path.
A crossroads
A choice: which direction will you take?
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Write your dream in the appFrequently asked questions
Who is Papa Legba?
The lwa of the gate and the crossroads, greeted first in every ceremony, who opens the way to the other lwa.
Why is Legba connected with Saint Peter?
Because Peter carries the keys of heaven, as Legba governs the gate between the worlds.
Should I do something after such a dream?
Dreamkin does not prescribe ceremonies or offerings. Whoever finds a dream weighs heavily discusses it with a houngan or manbo who knows them. Lighting a candle or remembering an ancestor is always possible.