hoodoo.. voodoo.. african magic

[misschief]

i've been kind of dabbling in hoodoo lately... seems very good for me and really not much different than what i've always done. wondering if anyone else has any knowledge or experience with it??

[mucgwyrt]

nope, but I know that dolly-voodoo isn't limited to africa.
What kind of thing is Hoodoo about? :smile:

[HorseCrow]

I do not know of specific voodoo, and have never herad of hoodoo (what's hoodoo?), but I have had experience with African shamans/medicine (wo)men, though a never heard a term put on their path... they're just called by the local word for medicine men.

[misschief]

well.. silly as it sounds i dont know a whole lot of the actual history.. although i have been doing much of the same things as hoodoo forever... lol. anyway hoodoo is an african derived medical/magical system that was primarily practiced by (i guess) slaves back in the day. a lady named stephanie rose bird wrote a book on it... she says "hoodoo was practiced by gullah people of georgia and the carolinas, 'black folk in major metro. areas' (thats what she said.. lol ), white folk of the appalachians, and native americans." since i found her book i've been researching more and more and doing more and more..... it's very similar to the things i've done since i was very young. maybe because a lot of my family is appalachian? but... not so much knowledge i am looking for in this thread, maybe more like views.. opinions... or even hard facts on the history. as far as the 'operational' i guess you could say, aspect... i'm well aquainted. it fits very well with my life and my personality.. more so than anything has before. leaves me wondering if the family path i've been on all this time and was so protective of just isnt right for me. anyway... this wasnt meant to be too specific... whatever goes i guess. i just havent seen anything on any kind of african based magic on this website... so why not start? :)

[Wolffang]

Oh my mom has this book about hoodoo...it has alot of information about it....I read it aswell though my mom needs the book back...but my parents mostly study about voodoo alot...

[misschief]

how long have they been doing that?? just curious

[Wolffang]

oh a very long time I guess for more than 15 years or maybe more than that...

[misschief]

thats cool. my interest in it is fairly recent... but when i got started with it i noticed that its very similar to what i had been doing all along. i wouldnt say i 'officially' practice it.... but it's a strong influence on almost everything i do. probably even more so than the things i've been taught since childhood. but... i suppose it's only the natural course to grow and let your magic evolve :)

[Avalon]

A great website for info is http://www.luckymojo.com

I go there quite often. :)

[Felidae]

I've always been fascinated with these practices, but as of yet I only have a book on Santaria that I purchased in New Orleans, the lady at the shop told us that the practices and beliefs were somewhat similar.

I'd really love to learn more and have also recently wondered about the lack of practitioners around the forum.

[misschief]

the latest book i read on the topic was called Sticks, Stones, Roots & Bones by Stephanie Rose Bird. it has a little background info and some recipes.. if you want to call them that.. lol. but it was a pretty good book. it's interesting stuff, i've run into a few people who are biased against it... but i dont really see why. i like it *shrug*

[Felidae]

the latest book i read on the topic was called Sticks, Stones, Roots & Bones by Stephanie Rose Bird. it has a little background info and some recipes.. if you want to call them that.. lol. but it was a pretty good book. it's interesting stuff, i've run into a few people who are biased against it... but i dont really see why. i like it *shrug*
I'll have to check that one out on Amazon - thanks! :)

[misschief]

np... i liked it. i think the author did a wonderful job.

[LadyTrinity]

I've used voodoo before. I casted a spell on my fiancee's ex because she is a nut bar and we wanted her to be tied down away from us so what we did was tied the doll down and buried it. I found that it worked for a bit.. now she moved down the street! ugh.. what is a mom to do?

[misschief]

lol.. stay away mojo would work well :D

[Wolffang]

in the near future I wanted to practice voodoo more and I have a chance but there is some other things I wanna learn too...But I grown up to voodoo alot since I was little and I see my parents do this too...so whatever I have question I ask my mom or dad and very happy to help...Funny though just today I learned that there are other gods and goddesses in voodoo...which I didn't think so...but they still believe in only one divine being...but they are likt the helpers though...

[misschief]

i'm not into the whole one divine being thing... but the actual spell work is awesome for me. its cool that they'll talk to you about it.

[Wolffang]

i'm not into the whole one divine being thing... but the actual spell work is awesome for me. its cool that they'll talk to you about it. I have to study a whole lot to be able to even do spells... :jawdrop: but hey I just go on with stuying :)

[Felidae]

For anyone who's interested, I stumbled on this site today:

http://www.luckymojo.com/hoodoo.html

It's got a lot of really cool info on history, practical applications, product background and uses, etc.

I was skim-searching the contents, and noticed a link titled "Sonny Boy Products". It caught my eye because I took guitar lessons from '87 to '89 in a music store that was right next door to the Birmingham outlet! :lol:

[Wiccan Princess]

I think more magickal people are becoming more interested in the practices of Hoodoo, and just the other day I was reading one of my New Worlds: Body, Mind, and Spirit magazines (Llewellyn publications) and there was an article about Hoodoo and I found it really interesting. I also think Santeria sounds pretty interesting too. I'd love to go to one of their stores one day lol. Now I'm going to check out that http://www.luckymojo.com site.

[semi]

I practice an African religion called Ifa. This belief system evolved into Santeria, Voodoo, Palo, Macumbe, etc. during the slave trade. The purpose of the path is spiritual transformation. This is achieved by following a code of ethics and by communion with the spirits. Despite the code of ethics the system is very flexible in the ways in which it may be practiced. There is a lot of room for personalization and improvisation.
An effect of following this path is an expansion of awareness and personal power. You gain the ability to affect change in the world and in yourself. The spirits and various tools are used to cause these changes.
Ifa is a beautiful belief system, as are its many branches, and worth reading about even if you choose to follow another path. Some of the best books I have found are these little $5 chapbooks by Awo Fa'lokun Fatunmbi. You can probably find them online. There are also some good websites on line but I can't think of any right now. The best way to learn about Ifa is to practice it.

[morrigen]

If you come across books by Migene Gonzalez-Whippler, they'd be worth picking up...particulaly "The Santeria Experience" which gives a great account of the author's introduction to Santeria, and alot of practical info as well.

[Felidae]

Thanks for the info, guys!

[Felidae]

I was Googleing at lunch today and came across this gem:

http://www.thejukejoint.com/index.html

Music store, book store, Botanika... They just about have it ALL!

[Ben Gruagach]

Another webpage with a huge amount of info: http://www.sacred-texts.com/afr/index.htm

The whole http://www.sacred-texts.com/ site is excellent. All the material there is public-domain so it tends to be older stuff. They have info on many religions and cultures from all over the world.

[SacredWithin]

nope, but I know that dolly-voodoo isn't limited to africa.
What kind of thing is Hoodoo about? :smile:

I thought the whole doll thing was just a Hollywood thing.
:sick:

[Ben Gruagach]

I thought the whole doll thing was just a Hollywood thing.
:sick:

It's got a long history of use in a variety of cultures. They're also called "poppets."

[Felidae]

I thought the whole doll thing was just a Hollywood thing.
:sick:Not exactly, though Hollywood has overblown it, of course.

In some instances it's much like a poppet, in others it's much like an Altar Image.

Though in the poppet aspect a paquet or trick bag is oftimes more convenient.

Aha - I see Ben beat me to it!!! :lol: BTW: Thanks for the link, Ben!

[-Ember]

I'm afraid all I know about hoodoo in a practical way are the bits that wandered in via my coven's HP (from his upbringing in the Appalachian area.) Interesting stuff however... I know I've a couple collections of folklore that focuses on hoodoo... If I run into them soon I'll post it.

[kitsch]

i was seriously just going to post something about hoodoo before i saw your post, ladyleo. creepy.

it's been my obsession as of late, mostly fuelled by the luckymojo site. i've got zero in the way of experience with it (as "hoodoo", anyway), but have become so fascinated. it's exciting to see others are interested as well. i like it, personally, because it's similar to kitchen witchery in many, many ways...at least the way i practice kitchen, anyway.

i've thought of taking the course cat offers, but don't know anyone who's done it. i want to be sure it's worth it as it's gonna run me around $75-80 cdn.

[kitsch]

i'm just checking out the jukejoint site...the woman with the skull (scully elly?) was on a television special i saw about new orleans voodoo....dang, i wish i could find that tape..


holy crap, her shrines are gorgeous. swoon.

[kitsch]

okay, i promise to stop dominating the thread after i post this ;)

you can hear recordings of a hoodoo-themed show featuring cat yronwode of the lucky mojo site here:

http://drkioni.com/48301.html

[Felidae]

okay, i promise to stop dominating the thread after i post this ;)

you can hear recordings of a hoodoo-themed show featuring cat yronwode of the lucky mojo site here:

http://drkioni.com/48301.html
And you can order them on CD, too! Very cool!

Thanks so much for the link! :)

[Felidae]

For those that might be interested, another good site I've been prowling through lately is Mambo Racine's:

http://members.aol.com/racine125/index1.html#lessons

[kitsch]

For those that might be interested, another good site I've been prowling through lately is Mambo Racine's:

http://members.aol.com/racine125/index1.html#lessons




thank you for that link. :thumbsup:

[TheTownWitch]

I just stumbled across this thread. I know it is old but is anyone interested in Hoodoo/Rootwork and/or Voodoo out there?

I have been doing Hoodoo and Rootwork for a couple of years now. I find it is much like the Witchcraft that I have been practicing for over 12 years. Currently I am taking the Hoodoo/Rootwork course with Catherine Yronwode.

Recently, I have become interested in New Orleans Voodoo. Still learning about that.

Lisa

[BrigidMoon]

I used to have a voodoo tarot card deck. It was very useful.

[Bix]

I remember there was a foreign film I watched in High school called Black Morpheus. It's a Brazilian film with a Romeo and Juliet theme. There is a small party in the film where they tape an actual Voodoo religious ritual. It was pretty interesting if a bit short. :)

[semi]

I've been into Voodoo for almost a decade, not exactly sure how long.

[Sage Rainsong]

My best friend and her mother practice hoodoo. It is very interesting. Even when I was a hardcore wiccan my spells we much more like hoodoo. a good book is called Rootwork by Rootwork: Using the Folk Magick of Black America for Love, Money and Success by Tayannah Lee McQuillar.

[Teresa]

Before I read up on this and voodoo I never realized how similar it is to my practices and things I was taught growing up.I am of Cherokee decent so I am wondering if they influenced Native Americans or vice versa or is it a coincidence etc.It is definitely something I plan to read more on. Thanks for bumping this old thread up.BB,Shalaye

[semi]

Voodoo developed from a style of ritual that was a part of many tribes in Africa. These tribes were scattered and mixed together during the slave trade, but one of the similarities among them was this style of worship. It became a way of bonding and unification and a way of maintaining some of their traditions in the New World. Rather than exclude as many religions do, Voodoo practitioners sought to include foreign ideas into their religion to keep it dynamic and alive and growing. Voodoo practitioners, especially in New Orleans, readily accepted other displaced people such as Native Americans and lower class European immigrants. So Native American and European religious elements were absorbed into Voodoo.

Today Voodoo is still a wildly dynamic religion, constantly growing and evolving. The style of Voodoo in Haiti is very different from that in New Orleans and the style in New Orleans is very different from the style in New York City. Every Voodoo house has it's own unique style because of what those particular practitoners have brought to the religion.

In Santeria there is an orisha named Ochosi who is known as the Divine Tracker. He is often represented in form as a Native American. The bow and arrow is his symbol. This is a good example of how much the enslaved Africans bonded with the Native Americans.

[TheTownWitch]

a good book is called Rootwork by Rootwork: Using the Folk Magick of Black America for Love, Money and Success by Tayannah Lee McQuillar.

I will have to check the book out. I think I have seen it before.

Lisa

[Teresa]

Voodoo developed from a style of ritual that was a part of many tribes in Africa. These tribes were scattered and mixed together during the slave trade, but one of the similarities among them was this style of worship. It became a way of bonding and unification and a way of maintaining some of their traditions in the New World. Rather than exclude as many religions do, Voodoo practitioners sought to include foreign ideas into their religion to keep it dynamic and alive and growing. Voodoo practitioners, especially in New Orleans, readily accepted other displaced people such as Native Americans and lower class European immigrants. So Native American and European religious elements were absorbed into Voodoo.

Today Voodoo is still a wildly dynamic religion, constantly growing and evolving. The style of Voodoo in Haiti is very different from that in New Orleans and the style in New Orleans is very different from the style in New York City. Every Voodoo house has it's own unique style because of what those particular practitoners have brought to the religion.

In Santeria there is an orisha named Ochosi who is known as the Divine Tracker. He is often represented in form as a Native American. The bow and arrow is his symbol. This is a good example of how much the enslaved Africans bonded with the Native Americans.
Wow thanks for this information! I was very curious because of the similarities and how they seem to have blended some of my diverse culture together.I plan on reading more about it.:hugz:

[TheTownWitch]

Before I read up on this and voodoo I never realized how similar it is to my practices and things I was taught growing up.I am of Cherokee decent so I am wondering if they influenced Native Americans or vice versa or is it a coincidence etc.It is definitely something I plan to read more on. Thanks for bumping this old thread up.BB,Shalaye

There is a lot of Native American magickal influence in Hoodoo. The slaves brought their African magick here and mixed in some of what they learned from the Native Americans.

LuckyMojo.com is a great resource for all things Hoodoo!

[Teresa]

There is a lot of Native American magickal influence in Hoodoo. The slaves brought their African magick here and mixed in some of what they learned from the Native Americans.

LuckyMojo.com is a great resource for all things Hoodoo!
Thanks for the additional information! You guys are great! I am begining to think maybe I am not alone in my beliefs and practices!

[TheTownWitch]

I am begining to think maybe I am not alone in my beliefs and practices!

I have been there....then you find there are others out there just like you thinking the same thing! :)

[Teresa]

I have been there....then you find there are others out there just like you thinking the same thing! :)
It is nice to actually feel like I do fit in somewhere.( There has always been a stigma I have attached unconciously perhaps from being a halfbreed.)