Dare's journey to Rootwork!
Posted: Thu Jun 01, 2017 3:26 pm
Hello, everyone!
I found the Lucky Mojo Curio Co. by researching rootwork independently and seeing catherine yronwode 's name repeatedly show itself on just about any book or website that appeared knowledgable. I've since purchased "The Black Folder," "Paper in my Shoe," "Herb & Root Magic," and a few other books. I followed that thread of knowledge to this site and decided to create an account once I realized that conjure is a practice that speaks to me. I have a lot of reading and thinking to do before I have much to contribute, but I wanted to introduce myself.
I have read the rules of this forum, as well as the posting guidelines, and introductory threads that Miss Aida has helpfully provided to most of us newcomers.
With that said, and for those interested, here is a long winded rundown on myself, my background, and how I've come to hoodoo:
My mother is black, my father white and native. Both of them were adopted, with no connections to their biological families - though I have been tracing my mother's roots to discover more about my black ancestry. I am very close to my mother and younger sister, with no contact with my father.
My mother was adopted by a very large Jewish (mostly secular) family, but never converted to Judaism. She was raised in Humboldt County, California, in the 70's in a "colorblind" white family, leaving her feeling incredibly isolated and desperate to find a community. She left, for a time, for more urban environments, but returned after my sister and I were born.
Raising my sister and I, it was very important to her that we understand our black heritage. The older I become, the more grateful I am that she made sure we were surrounded by black mentors, history, culture, and "cousins" that grounded us in our identities.
Humboldt County, where I spent my youth, is predominantly white, christian (yet non-religious), and a strange mix of idealistic liberals who don't notice the lack of diversity around them (even as they appropriate and perform the rituals and narratives of other cultures) and ignorant "good ol' boys," that spit in public, wear camouflage baseball caps, and drive trucks with confederate flags, despite having no ties to the South. The county produces milk and marijuana and an amazing Kinetic Sculpture Race. Some of my favorite people in the world came from this environment.
It is one of the most beautiful places in the world. Ocean, rivers, mountains, redwood forest, and fog all coming together to create something that is steeped in timeless magic and old wonder.
The history of the land is dark. The original inhabitants were First Nation peoples - The Wiyot, Hupa, Yurok, Mattole (and several more) were there first, until they were slaughtered - their murderers are commemorated as local heroes in the names of historical buildings throughout the county. Now, there are eight reservations in the county, where I spent a lot of time as a teenager. Chinese people also lived there, after building railroads, until all of them (minus a few small families outside of town) where expelled in the night and forced onto ships to San Francisco.
It's a past that isn't discussed often, not in school, and definitely not when asking how or when white families that have been in Humboldt for centuries got their land.
My mother always gave us alternate histories, anthologies of the experiences of people of color in this country. I've learned to always look at the other side of a shiny coin, and my fascination and love of history and mythology have persisted into my adulthood. I have a particular interest in the American Old West, namely the role that people of color, women, and queer people had to play in it, and love to discuss it with whomever will give me the time of day. I am also fascinated by the ways in which traditions and ritual have changed and evolved between mixed communities of color throughout American history.
As I grew up, I struggled to find some sort of spiritual practice I identified with. I loved our reform synagogue, with Rabbi Naomi, because she gathered us outside and we sang and ate, and laughed together, but Yahweh didn't speak to me. My mother's boyfriend was Catholic - apparently religious, but not in a way that felt real - we celebrated Christmas and Passover, and I felt invariably more in tune with the latter. An oppressed people fighting for their freedom with whatever they had.
I've always felt like a witch - in the sense of a woman that doesn't do as society asks, that values sisterhood, nature, those that have come before us and those that will follow, ritual, and a force that connects us all, but the blended Paganism- the Wicca of Northern California - didn't feel like a home to me. Too many white pagans, thoughtlessly blending aspects from any ritual or religious practice they liked. I didn't find the understanding and respect for tradition that I wanted.
None of this is to deny someone else their own journey, but simply to say that those gatherings weren't for me. I looked to my latinx and afro-cuban friends, who found a home in Brujeria & Santeria and saw something that resonated - but I've never had a desire to take something that wasn't mine. While I appreciate and value those cultures and traditions, they aren't truly mine.
What calls to me is something as mixed as I am, in heritage and history, but undeniably black, and I keep coming back to hoodoo. It feels like a settling in my bones, like when you first come home and take a deep breath and can finally begin to relax.
I'm very excited to learn from all of you, here, and see where this path takes me. I didn't know exactly what I would write when I opened this forum window, but here we are, and if you've taken the time to read all of this - Thank you.
Best,
Dare
I found the Lucky Mojo Curio Co. by researching rootwork independently and seeing catherine yronwode 's name repeatedly show itself on just about any book or website that appeared knowledgable. I've since purchased "The Black Folder," "Paper in my Shoe," "Herb & Root Magic," and a few other books. I followed that thread of knowledge to this site and decided to create an account once I realized that conjure is a practice that speaks to me. I have a lot of reading and thinking to do before I have much to contribute, but I wanted to introduce myself.
I have read the rules of this forum, as well as the posting guidelines, and introductory threads that Miss Aida has helpfully provided to most of us newcomers.
With that said, and for those interested, here is a long winded rundown on myself, my background, and how I've come to hoodoo:
My mother is black, my father white and native. Both of them were adopted, with no connections to their biological families - though I have been tracing my mother's roots to discover more about my black ancestry. I am very close to my mother and younger sister, with no contact with my father.
My mother was adopted by a very large Jewish (mostly secular) family, but never converted to Judaism. She was raised in Humboldt County, California, in the 70's in a "colorblind" white family, leaving her feeling incredibly isolated and desperate to find a community. She left, for a time, for more urban environments, but returned after my sister and I were born.
Raising my sister and I, it was very important to her that we understand our black heritage. The older I become, the more grateful I am that she made sure we were surrounded by black mentors, history, culture, and "cousins" that grounded us in our identities.
Humboldt County, where I spent my youth, is predominantly white, christian (yet non-religious), and a strange mix of idealistic liberals who don't notice the lack of diversity around them (even as they appropriate and perform the rituals and narratives of other cultures) and ignorant "good ol' boys," that spit in public, wear camouflage baseball caps, and drive trucks with confederate flags, despite having no ties to the South. The county produces milk and marijuana and an amazing Kinetic Sculpture Race. Some of my favorite people in the world came from this environment.
It is one of the most beautiful places in the world. Ocean, rivers, mountains, redwood forest, and fog all coming together to create something that is steeped in timeless magic and old wonder.
The history of the land is dark. The original inhabitants were First Nation peoples - The Wiyot, Hupa, Yurok, Mattole (and several more) were there first, until they were slaughtered - their murderers are commemorated as local heroes in the names of historical buildings throughout the county. Now, there are eight reservations in the county, where I spent a lot of time as a teenager. Chinese people also lived there, after building railroads, until all of them (minus a few small families outside of town) where expelled in the night and forced onto ships to San Francisco.
It's a past that isn't discussed often, not in school, and definitely not when asking how or when white families that have been in Humboldt for centuries got their land.
My mother always gave us alternate histories, anthologies of the experiences of people of color in this country. I've learned to always look at the other side of a shiny coin, and my fascination and love of history and mythology have persisted into my adulthood. I have a particular interest in the American Old West, namely the role that people of color, women, and queer people had to play in it, and love to discuss it with whomever will give me the time of day. I am also fascinated by the ways in which traditions and ritual have changed and evolved between mixed communities of color throughout American history.
As I grew up, I struggled to find some sort of spiritual practice I identified with. I loved our reform synagogue, with Rabbi Naomi, because she gathered us outside and we sang and ate, and laughed together, but Yahweh didn't speak to me. My mother's boyfriend was Catholic - apparently religious, but not in a way that felt real - we celebrated Christmas and Passover, and I felt invariably more in tune with the latter. An oppressed people fighting for their freedom with whatever they had.
I've always felt like a witch - in the sense of a woman that doesn't do as society asks, that values sisterhood, nature, those that have come before us and those that will follow, ritual, and a force that connects us all, but the blended Paganism- the Wicca of Northern California - didn't feel like a home to me. Too many white pagans, thoughtlessly blending aspects from any ritual or religious practice they liked. I didn't find the understanding and respect for tradition that I wanted.
None of this is to deny someone else their own journey, but simply to say that those gatherings weren't for me. I looked to my latinx and afro-cuban friends, who found a home in Brujeria & Santeria and saw something that resonated - but I've never had a desire to take something that wasn't mine. While I appreciate and value those cultures and traditions, they aren't truly mine.
What calls to me is something as mixed as I am, in heritage and history, but undeniably black, and I keep coming back to hoodoo. It feels like a settling in my bones, like when you first come home and take a deep breath and can finally begin to relax.
I'm very excited to learn from all of you, here, and see where this path takes me. I didn't know exactly what I would write when I opened this forum window, but here we are, and if you've taken the time to read all of this - Thank you.
Best,
Dare
