Can a complete beginner start working ritual and spells (without initiation into Voodoo)?
Yes, if the Spirit calls you to do so. I don’t think one should practice Voodoo because it’s the “in thing”, but only because there feel compelled to do so. Then of course, there are no rules that forbid anyone from making offerings. In particular, offerings can be made to the Ancestors who may include one’s own biological ancestors of course but also archetypal Ancestors. One can work with the Saints and Angels and Archangels, who are after all an inherent part of the Voodoo pantheon. And one could make offerings to the Loa if one is fairly assured of their relationship to those. Formal initiation into Voodoo is a formal beginning: a way of opening oneself up more completely and accepting one’s place as a servant to the Loa. It entails responsibilities to the Loa and the community, as well as to oneself. It is not to be taken lightly and should never just be obtained on a whim or for a fee. Only after extensive divination can a priest or priestess establish the possibility of one beco
