Basic Understanding of Traditional African American Hoodoo

Unread post by **Mama Micki** » Tue May 08, 2012 5:06 pm

It really depends on your situation and interests, and of course your budget. Here's a list to start:
1. Cleansing: 13 herb bath and Chinese Wash
2. Six inch candles in assorted colors
3. Money: Money Drawing or Wealthy Way oil
4. Clearing the Way and Turning Bad Luck into Good: Van Van oil
5. Any positive work: Special Oil #20
6. Love: Follow Me Boy Oil, Chupparosa oil, Bewitching Oil, Love Me oil
7. Bath crystals that go with the above oils
8. Other products for specific types of work

Temont · Unread post by **Temont** » Tue May 08, 2012 6:06 pm

Thank you two so much! I have not been doing this long at all, I really need to sharpen my skills. Thank you

Unread post by **starsinthesky7** » Wed May 09, 2012 5:06 am

I think its always good to have uncrossing AND protection products. I would get the oil or bath crystals. You can put the oil in your bath too Chinese wash is another good one.

Love oils I like follow me boy, come to me, and reconcilaiton

Road opener is another must for me along with van van

Money drawing, or even attraction as it could be used for multiple things

Temont · Unread post by **Temont** » Wed May 09, 2012 6:03 am

I ordered a 12 pack of oils and crystals, a candle and some herbs last night... My first order DIRECTLY through LM

I'm excited! I have a lot of herbs and oils already here, so this will further my knowledge and skills. Thank you!

Unread post by **Joseph Magnuson** » Wed May 09, 2012 11:24 am

Temont: Best of luck on your continued studies. Let us know what you think when they arrive!

Temont · Unread post by **Temont** » Wed May 09, 2012 11:32 am

THANK YOU! And I most certainly will!

Unread post by **Miss Tammie Lee** » Wed May 09, 2012 5:07 pm

Great

:)!!!

Temont · Unread post by **Temont** » Mon May 14, 2012 6:58 am

I was raised with some family members who practiced different forms of magic but I am training myself all alone. I have a reading scheduled with Ms. Cat (Yipee!!!) and I have done quite a few spells alone, so far all have worked well--very well. I have just begun to buy more products for my work but I live too far from Cali to actually train with LM.

I was wondering about the energy that I have to put out for spell work. For example... before I found LM website, my ex was slandering me horribly for no reason at all, very cruel things. I was so upset that I lit a candle and chanted my own written desire along with burning some of his hair, I asked that it come back on him--the next day he was in a horrible accident....

I tried other things after that--mostly positive, including reconciliation between he and I. All have worked very fast, with obvious signs to link the results.

1) There have been a couple of times when I know something else was with me, I can't explain--I was in a trance... Is this supposed to happen, am I going too far?

2) I noticed that it takes a lot of energy from me too and I was wondering what kind of energy is supposed to go into my spellwork (mental and emotional), or if the ritual is more important?

3) I've also noticed that my dreams have become more vivid and memorable--I haven't had dreams like this in almost ten years....Does this have meaning?

I'm not sure if this post belongs here, I have a lot of questions but my reading is not until the middle of next month so I'm wondering if anyone else might be able to give me some more insight.

Unread post by **MissMichaele** » Mon May 14, 2012 8:47 am

Temont wrote:but I live too far from Cali to actually train with LM.

Wait, what? You do realize that Miss Cat teaches a correspondence course, right?

Hoodoo Magic Correspondence Course
with Catherine Yronwode
http://www.luckymojo.com/mojocourse.html

Miss Michaele

Unread post by **catherineyronwode** » Mon May 14, 2012 9:06 am

Temont,

1) If you work with spirits or are a natural spiritualist, you will no doubt feel or sense the precense of spirits.

2) The degree to which you expend energy in a spell will vary with the kind of spell work, the estimated resistance of the target(s), and your own personal investment in the situation and its outcome.

3) The ability to receive messages through dreams is independent of doing spell work. Some people who dream true never perform spell work. Some people who perform spell work have no gift for dreaming true.

I have moved this post out of the "Ethics of Magic" and into the "Questions about Magic and Divination / Basic Understanding of Traditional African American Hoodoo" area, because it is not about ethics, but about simple spiritual issues encountered by all spirit workers.

Good luck, and i look forward to our reading together.

Temont · Unread post by **Temont** » Mon May 14, 2012 12:42 pm

Miss M! Thank you for bringing that to my attention! I didn't catch on to that... I will look into it further. I graduate with my bachelors at the beginning of the year and I was thinking that when I finished, I would see about going. I have my first large order of LM coming soon

I will be checking in... This is awesome. Miss Cat, I am aware that some people who do not practice have the dreams. Up until 20, almost all of my dreams were vivid and informative... until 25, they were occasionally vivid and 'telling'. I don't know how to 'control' my visions or premonitions--they have always kept me safe, up until the end of '10 when I was actually drawn into a negative person's spirit without knowing it... Long story, but I now have a five month old with this man who has been giving me a hard time. I am soooo happy and grateful that I found you all! I would love to learn so that I could share and teach also (in this area, we have to be a little bit 'quiet'). I know several people out this way who are very 'gifted' and we don't really have an outlet or direction... this site and forum has been a blessing to me and my family already, thank you all!

phonehappy · Unread post by **phonehappy** » Tue Jun 05, 2012 8:52 pm

Sorry if this has been asked before

Can we work on spells together? I'm not just talking about spells that effect us... I'm asking if we can collaborate on something for someone else. For instance maybe something for healing of illness for someone else or even revenge on a friends husband who sleeps with every other women he can.

I'm a.d.d and he has the best concentration and focus and even spirituality.
I'm just so interested in this walk of life but I can't focus that well during ritual.. I will keep practicing Haha that should be another question in itself..

Unread post by **starsinthesky7** » Wed Jun 06, 2012 4:04 pm

Yes. A friend of mine collaborate all the time. The key is this has to be someone you trust, and know that they arent going to have ill intentions towards your work.

Clients collaborate with professional rootworkers all the time as well.

Also, an exercise for you is to just concentrate as long as you can. You dont have to concentrate for hours or even more than 10 minutes. Something you can simply do is say"come to me john doe" and repeat that statement at 3 times, or 7 if you can.

I dont have ADD but I know i could never sit and concentrate on something for a long time either so do what you can do. Feel confident about your work and move on.

Unread post by **Lord SP** » Wed Jun 06, 2012 7:56 pm

starsinthesky7 wrote:Yes. A friend of mine collaborate all the time. The key is this has to be someone you trust, and know that they arent going to have ill intentions towards your work.

Clients collaborate with professional rootworkers all the time as well.

Also, an exercise for you is to just concentrate as long as you can. You dont have to concentrate for hours or even more than 10 minutes. Something you can simply do is say"come to me john doe" and repeat that statement at 3 times, or 7 if you can.

I dont have ADD but I know i could never sit and concentrate on something for a long time either so do what you can do. Feel confident about your work and move on.

@Stars I love your wisdom.Best Wishes to All

Unread post by **Joseph Magnuson** » Thu Jun 07, 2012 11:37 am

My wife and I constantly work things together. Go for it! Also, feel blessed that you have a partner that you can share with. Many on here, it seems, do not!

phonehappy · Unread post by **phonehappy** » Thu Jun 07, 2012 12:24 pm

I can share anything with him

He feels my excitement and gets excited too!
Thanks for responding Stars. & Joseph Mag.

Unread post by **starsinthesky7** » Thu Jun 07, 2012 1:20 pm

Great! That is a good relationship to have. Its always great to work with someone or collaborate because you can bounce ideas off of each other. Many clients come to me and are upset because they dont have someone they can connect with and share their knowledge with.

Temont · Unread post by **Temont** » Thu Jun 07, 2012 2:30 pm

I got most of my stuff in the mail today! I'm soooo excited! I cannot wait to work with these, thank you all so much for the suggestions!

Temont · Unread post by **Temont** » Sat Jun 09, 2012 10:51 am

I got the biggest part of my order on Thursday, I LOVE it! Sooo excited! Right now, I am waiting to have my reading with Ms. Cat so I can see which direction to go in with this situation I'm in. Thank you so much!

Unread post by **aura** » Sat Jun 09, 2012 4:23 pm

Congrats Temont! You'll never get tired of opening up an order when it get to you, nor working with the products

Unread post by **jwmcclin** » Sat Jun 09, 2012 5:27 pm

I agree aura!

Unread post by **Papa Newt** » Sat Jun 09, 2012 6:53 pm

Amen to that Aura!

Unread post by **jwmcclin** » Sun Jun 10, 2012 6:11 pm

I like Mama Micki's list

Definitely start ith Cleansing, Protection, followed by drawing work

So...lets see, if you are looking for more bang for your buck (so to speak), consider spell kits, they include more than enough to complete a spell with items left to continue the work...just add individual items as needed and most come with a mojo bag to keep your work going and going.

more_mojo · Unread post by **more_mojo** » Wed Jun 27, 2012 4:06 pm

My wife is fairly weirded out by anything occult, which limits me on exploring hoodoo. I have been very reluctant to even bring it up directly. I don't have anything particularly "scary" on mind, mostly protection and success workings. I don't need anything to controlling, just persuasive enough to get her on board.Any advice would be appreciated.

Unread post by **Doctor Hob** » Wed Jun 27, 2012 9:21 pm

Before trying any work on her, I would suggest starting simply. Gradually introduce things into the house, without making a big deal about it, and be willing to answer any questions she has in a calm, simple manner. Something like an ancestor altar can be a good start. Just make a small space for pictures of a few respected ancestors, and give them candles and glasses of cool water. Don't do any work, at first, but slowly acclimate your wife to the idea of it, and ease into it from there.

Unread post by **catherineyronwode** » Wed Jun 27, 2012 11:50 pm

ANother good intro into magical work is to buy her one or more of the "Hoodoo Food!" booklets about cooking with magical herbs. Tell her this looks like fun -- that the herbs and spices have certain meanings and people who use this old-fashioned way of working can make love cookies, or money-drawing pies, even salads to protect a marriage! Show her how this is not "occult" (secret) knowledge but rather part of old Southern family traditions.

Good luck!

Here are the booklets. Each one contains 17 or 18 recipes. You can order from right here in the Forum by clicking the blue Add To Cart buttons.

BOO-GRI-HF10
Hoodoo Food! The 2010 Conjure Cook-Off and Rootwork Recipe Round-Up
$4.00

BOO-GRI-HF11
Hoodoo Food! The 2011 Conjure Cook-Off and Rootwork Recipe Round-Up
$4.00

BOO-GRI-HF12
Hoodoo Food! The 2012 Conjure Cook-Off and Rootwork Recipe Round-Up
$4.00

Good luck!

more_mojo · Unread post by **more_mojo** » Thu Jun 28, 2012 4:10 pm

Great ideas, thanks!

Unread post by **MissMichaele** » Sat Jun 30, 2012 1:26 pm

If she's wary of "the occult," she might be more comfortable with the Christian aspects of hoodoo, such as the use of Psalms, and addressing prayers and petitions to God and Jesus. Even if she doesn't want to see anything else in the house, you can still do a lot of good work that way.

You can also present candles and honey jars and such as "three-dimensional prayers that keep working even after I'm done talking to God."

My healing and justice altars have pictures of Jesus on them. I always welcome his support for my work. You can too, and it'll assure your wife that any "nasty" power is kept out of your home.

I also have pictures of powerful folks who have passed on, whose spirits I work with: Dr. Martin Luther King, Aunt Caroline Dye, Bayard Rustin, Rev. Howard Thurman, Frederick Douglass -- Christians all!

Hope this helps,

Miss Michaele

Unread post by **catherineyronwode** » Sun Sep 30, 2012 6:18 pm

A specialized list of basic supplies and hoodoo must haves for spell-casting on academic success issues can be found here:

spell-casting-do-you-have-all-of-your-s ... 14820.html

Unread post by **catherineyronwode** » Tue Nov 20, 2012 8:51 pm

Here is a link to where you can purchase seeds for the Hearts of Gold a.k.a. Hoodoo Melon, first offered for sale in 1890:

http://rareseeds.com/hearts-of-gold-melon-hoodoo.html

And yes, Miss Michaele -- this one's for you!

nana664 · Unread post by **nana664** » Tue Nov 20, 2012 10:10 pm

The Hoodoo Melon looks just like a cantaloupe

Unread post by **catherineyronwode** » Tue Nov 20, 2012 11:45 pm

nana664 --

Yes, that's right -- The Hoodoo Melon is a variety of muskmelon, also known as rockmelon, cantaloupe, or Persian melon.

Unread post by **MissMichaele** » Thu Nov 22, 2012 11:25 am

The Hoodoo Melon. Yet another reason to go ahead with our little greenhouse project -- thanks, Miss Cat

Miss Michaele

Unread post by **Joseph Magnuson** » Sat Nov 24, 2012 2:07 pm

The Hoodoo Melon -- One of my all time favorite melons. Too delicious....and that link is too cool! Thank you!

Draconis13 · Unread post by **Draconis13** » Sun Dec 09, 2012 7:47 am

Hi everyone,
Empresselene here, I am sure this has been posted sometime and somewhere before on this forum but I can't seem to find it. There are so many oils at the Lucky Mojo that I want them all...

But I would like to know what would be a good selection of oils to have to cover most situations. I travel a great deal and wanted to carry certain oils with me. My family always asks me for help and I can't carry all my oils. The root worker bag actually gave me an idea for a toiletry bag version for personal uses. Any suggestions

Unread post by **Mama Micki** » Sun Dec 09, 2012 2:24 pm

You could get a bottle of Special Oil #20, which is good for any positive purpose. It is a four ounce bottle, so it will last a long time.

Draconis13 · Unread post by **Draconis13** » Sun Dec 09, 2012 5:31 pm

OOOhh Thank you so much, I have to agree with all of the folks that have posted before me that getting a box or shipment from Lucky Mojo, is like getting a much wanted Christmas gift. And thank you.

I gave you thanks and praise, St. Expedite.

Unread post by **Mama Micki** » Mon Dec 10, 2012 7:15 am

You can also get a 4 ounce bottle with a blend of one to four oils. Order from the Full Inventory page.

indian_conjure · Unread post by **indian_conjure** » Mon Feb 04, 2013 2:02 pm

I was wondering what are the important roots and herbs that a beginner in Hoodoo should possess ? or should I say are Quintessential to the practice?

Unread post by **Mary Bee** » Mon Feb 04, 2013 3:03 pm

I would suggest:
High John
Queen Elizabeth Root
Sandalwood
Frankincense
Myrrh
Cinnamon
Master Root

That would be where I'd start

Mary Bee

Unread post by **MissMichaele** » Mon Feb 04, 2013 4:12 pm

Don't forget ammonia, vinegar, salt, red pepper and black pepper -- valuable and easily available for protection and cleansing work.

Miss Michaele

Unread post by **catherineyronwode** » Sun Mar 03, 2013 5:36 pm

For a definitive quick-list of herbs, roots, mineral curious, and spiritual supplies grouped by purpose, with links to more information and ordering buttons enabling immediate purchase, see

Hoodoo at a Glance
http://luckymojo.com/hoodooataglance.html

Unread post by **Laila** » Sun Mar 03, 2013 7:06 pm

This is all great advice. With regard to the candles, I also order the little candle holders that LM sells. The ones for 4-inch candles are only 50 cents each, so you can get 10 for $5. I recycle the holders and keep each of them with the candles in ziploc bags and write the candle color and purpose on the bag with a sharpie, so I have bags for luck (green), love (pink), power (purple), protection, healing, success, etc. It just doesn't feel right to me to mix holders with candles of different purposes.

TwoOfCups · Unread post by **TwoOfCups** » Sun May 26, 2013 6:18 pm

Couldn't help but make the connection that in Hoodoo spells are called 'tricks' and customers of prostitutes, who often used Hoodoo to gain customers and money back in the depression era, are also called 'tricks'. Could the two be related?

Unread post by **catherineyronwode** » Sun May 26, 2013 6:53 pm

TwoOfCups --

No.

I mean sure, Louise Bogan composed and recorded a song called "Tricks Ain't Walking" (which her record label released under the bowdlerized title "They Ain't Walking") -- but she was a prostitute when she sang it. It's not about hoodoo, either -- it's a lament for the demise of street walking as a profession, now that "the Cadillac squad" had replaced pedestrian traffic.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1QOr805dgDM

But that would not explain why the Black / Native slaves of Mary Alicia Owen's family called their mojo hands "tricker bags" in the pre-Civil War era in Missouri. I mean, they were not in any way, shape, or form street walkers.

http://www.southern-spirits.com/owen-ho ... balls.html

And it would not explain Earl King's 1961 song "trick bag" either.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJ7IkhdXb7U

Nor would it explain why stage magicians, circus ponies, and acrobats all perform tricks and no one ever confuses them with sex workers:

You never turned around to see the frowns on the jugglers and the clowns
When they all come down and did tricks for you

-- Bob Dylan

So, no, i think this is your misconception, and it may derive from a less than accurate image of Black American social mores. That is, unless you seriously believe that African Americans are all engaged in the sex trade.

I think it comes from literal translations of Native American language -- trickster, trick, tricking.

Unread post by **Doctor Hob** » Sun May 26, 2013 7:02 pm

Miss cat --

Bonus for the Dylan quote...

Brian Kennedy · Unread post by **Brian Kennedy** » Sat Jun 15, 2013 10:04 am

If I understand it correctly Hoodoo did evolve over its history; it added practices and ideas from various sources. But on the face of it it seems as if Hoodoo has stopped its evolution and became kind of "frozen in time" circa 1940 or so. Is that true or are new things being added, new beliefs and practices being brought in?

On a kind of related historical/ethnic note; is Hoodoo still mostly a black cultural thing? I hope in this age of political correctness that I phrased that question correctly.

What prompts the question is I was telling my cousin about me carrying a mojo bag (from Lucky Mojo!). He commented that back when we were kids (late 1950s in the Florida panhandle) that no white person would get caught carrying a mojo bag, that was a black thing. (I realize that is not completely true, some white folks, either openly or covertly, relied on Hoodoo to solve problems, but my cousin is basically correct in saying that Hoodoo was largely a black thing).

He went on to comment that he thought Hoodoo had died out among the blacks, with newer generations having less or no interest in it. He added that whatever interest there still was in Hoodoo was most likely "white New Agers" (his words, not mine).

Has Hoodoo become a kind of historical artifact that no longer is part of its original culture? I would be curious to see what other folks think. It is hard for me to get a feel for it as I have not lived in the south since the late 1960s.

take care,
Brian

MoonBreath · Unread post by **MoonBreath** » Sat Jun 15, 2013 10:35 am

HI Brian,

I'm sure lots of Black folk still do conjure, but I live in a mostly white area, so I don't have much of a chance to interact with them.

(Edited to remove speculation.)

Unread post by **Mama Micki** » Sat Jun 15, 2013 1:28 pm

Carrying roots, herbs, and other objects in a bag goes back to prehistoric times and was practiced by every culture around the world.

Unread post by **catherineyronwode** » Sat Jun 15, 2013 6:41 pm

Brian Kennedy wrote:

1) It seems as if Hoodoo has stopped its evolution and became kind of "frozen in time" circa 1940 or so. Is that true?

No, not in my experience.

New items enter all the time. For instance, silk-screened glass vigil candles, now so popular, were only introduced into hoodoo circa 1976. The use of digital images only entered hoodoo in the 1990s. Glass coaster petition covers are new as of 2012 and are gaining popularity rapidly.

Likewise, dangerous things are continually being subtracted from hoodoo practice by practitioners themselves: No one i know still uses tar oil (creosote), blue vitriol (copperas, bluestone), or liquid mercury (quicksilver) in rootwork. These were still in use in the 1970s and 1980s but have gradually faded away due to folks reading and heeding the information currently supplied on FDA warning labels.

2. Are new things being added, new beliefs and practices being brought in?

Yes. See above, and also please see the essay "High-Tech Hoodoo: Conjuring Through New Technologies" by Kast Excelsior in "The Black Folder" book. Kast is an African American practitioner. You may read about him here:

http://readersandrootworkers.org/wiki/Kast_Excelsior

He has also discussed the topic of High-Tech (evolving) hoodoo on the Lucky Mojo Hoodoo Rootwork Hour Radio Show.

3. Is Hoodoo still mostly a black cultural thing?

Yes, in my experience it is. However, we must also acknowledge issues of copy-cat faddism and cultural appropriation.

4. [My cousin] commented that back when we were kids (late 1950s in the Florida panhandle) that no white person would get caught carrying a mojo bag, that was a black thing. (I realize that is not completely true, some white folks, either openly or covertly, relied on Hoodoo to solve problems, but my cousin is basically correct in saying that Hoodoo was largely a black thing).

I agree. When i began to study and practice hoodoo in Oakland, California in 1964, i was the only White person i ever saw in the Black-owned candle shop that i frequented. Then, when i moved to Chicago in the Autumn of 1964, i was the only White person in the shop i went to there. I later met other Whites who practiced hoodoo, including a White man with an African-American wife.

5. He went on to comment that he thought Hoodoo had died out among the blacks, with newer generations having less or no interest in it.

I do not find this to be true at all. I just spent the afternoon with an African American family who drove 100 miles to come to my shop -- a grandmother and her two adult children, one in her 30s and the other in his 40s. I have known the grandmother at least 20 years (she is about my age) and i first met her in a candle shop in Oakland. Considering that this family had to make a 1 1/2 hour drive each way to see me and could have shopped in Oakland, and that the two adult children wanted readings from me, i would say that hoodoo has not died out in their families.

Likewise, if you are any good at parsing accents by sound alone, you could listen on the Lucky Mojo Rootwork Hour on Blog Talk Radio and keep a running count of people by accent, dialect, and ethnicity. Black people, especially from the South, are regular participants.

6. He added that whatever interest there still was in Hoodoo was most likely "white New Agers" (his words, not mine).

I have operated a candle shop for 20 years now and found very little White New Age interest in hoodoo.

In the past 5 years there has come upon us a wave of White Pagans (not New Agers) using the term "conjure" who have some strange idea that "hoodoo isn't a Black thing," but they stand out by their conspicuous oddities -- like making Oil of Brighid and calling it a hoodoo oil, for instance.

Meanwhile, there is actually much more interest in hoodoo from Hispanics who are attempting to designate hoodoo as a form of Hispanic influenced African-Catholic religion along the lines of Santeria, Lukumi, Palo, Voodoo, or Ocha.

Some of my customers are Asians as well. They are generally looking for solid folk-magical supplies and, just as hoodoo long ago accepted Lucky Buddha and Oriental Garden oils, they easily accept Follow Me Boy and Money Drawing supplies.

Racial issues are not at an end yet, by the way -- and they still prevent many White students of hoodoo from ever actually understanding it. I teach a year-long course in hoodoo and find it quite common that my White students cannot complete their homework assignments because they are unable to meet with and befriend Black people (one of their class assignments) and when they fail at this, they drop out of the course and we never see them again.

7. Has Hoodoo become a kind of historical artifact that no longer is part of its original culture?

Not in my experience -- but of course, i run a large spiritual supply shop specializing in African-American products, so of course i see a lot of Black customers.

8. I would be curious to see what other folks think.

Well, this forum is a free-for-all in a way, but it is also the customer outreach branch of the Lucky Mojo Curio Co., and you have just heard from the owner of the shop.

9. It is hard for me to get a feel for it as I have not lived in the south since the late 1960s.

From the time of the Great Northern Migration onward, hoodoo has been practiced in the North and Midwest as well as the South. I learned a lot of solid information in Oakland, Chicago, Detroit, and Harlem. There are still old-school hoodoo shops in Atlanta, Baltimore, Kansas City, Washington D.C., Detroit, Oakland, Chicago, Philadelphia, and so forth.

Unread post by **Miss Tammie Lee** » Sat Jun 15, 2013 8:07 pm

I live in Florida. I have lived all over Florida from the Panhandle to Miami/ Ft .Lauderdale and back again to to the Panhandle. Hoodoo is alive and well where I am from.

Be Blessed,

Miss Tammie Lee

Unread post by **Joseph Magnuson** » Sun Jun 16, 2013 6:58 am

Miss Cat's above post is one of the most knowledgeable things on "modern" hoodoo I have read in a long time. Re-read it and commit it to memory.

Brian Kennedy · Unread post by **Brian Kennedy** » Sun Jun 16, 2013 11:32 am

Thanks for information. I appreciate folks taking the time to write.
Brian

wanting2develop · Unread post by **wanting2develop** » Wed Jul 10, 2013 11:47 pm

Well, I'm getting ready to order afew things from the Lucky Mojo Curio, and I'm excited yet nervous. If any of you have read my previous posts, my main concern is road opening as well as at least getting money/jobs in order to start out. I guess I have several questions

1) I'm sort of dependent as of now on parents, so I don't want to spend too much. But are oils a good starting place for hoodoo? I'm studying the other aspects of it, but it seems like oils are a good start to testing and foraying into this endeavor.

2) Right now, there is a mix of things. I want to explore for a year before making a commitment to law school and I think I might have found individuals who can help me. My overall things are, which oils can be used to make me more clear in my decisions, have opportunities more open (paid or unpaid).

3) I also am concerned with parents. I hope to come to terms with my sexuality and my plans to explore. Is there a way for my parents to become more accustomed? I'm not asking for them to totally agree, but to be sympathetic and more likely to help me out if I need it. I've kind of dependent on them, and I don't want to be left totally in the wind...at least not yet.

What would be 3 or 4 good oils for this approach and how best could i use them?

IF any other product could help, I'd be happy to hear it.

Unread post by **Power** » Thu Jul 11, 2013 6:47 am

Hello,

Yes, oils are a very good place to start. Dressing oils have been apart of hoodoo for a very very long time. You can read all about hoodoo oils, and how to use them here:
http://www.luckymojo.com/oils.html

which oils can be used to make me more clear in my decisions, have opportunities more open (paid or unpaid).

You can try Clarity Oil:
http://www.luckymojo.com/clarity.html

Crown of Success:
http://www.luckymojo.com/crownofsuccess.html

King Solomon Wisdom:
http://www.luckymojo.com/kingsolomonwisdom.html

Road Openner:
http://www.luckymojo.com/roadopener.html

Money Drawing:
http://www.luckymojo.com/moneydrawing.html

I hope to come to terms with my sexuality and my plans to explore. Is there away for my parents to become mroe accustomed?

You can try a honey jar to sweeten them to you.
http://www.luckymojo.com/honeyjar.html

Hope this helps!

Unread post by **catherineyronwode** » Thu Jul 11, 2013 10:16 am

Good advice!

I am adding this to the "basic Lucky Mojo shopping list" thread as it covers so many topics from the point of view of someone new to this way of working and wanting to try a few things on a budget

Oils can be used in so many ways --- to dress plain candles, to wear on the body, to dress petition papers, to mix with body-care products such as lotions or shampoo, to dress mojos, to dress jewelry, to dress furniture, door and window frames, and more.

Another way to sweeten the parents would be to use a sugar bowl rather than a honey jar, with a photo of you all as a loving family, and pray over it once a day, then use the sugar in cooking for the family so that they will come to realize that your sexuality is not going to cause them to lose you as a family member. For really good, super-detailed instructions on this kind of work, see Deacon Mllett's book "Hoodoo Honey and Sugar Spells":

http://luckymojo.com/hoodoohoneyandsugarspells.html

Good luck.

CuriousKate · Unread post by **CuriousKate** » Fri Nov 01, 2013 8:40 pm

I'm not entirely sure if this goes here. I'm new to hoodoo and I was wondering if you actually wrote spell incantations, words that rhyme set towards a certain goal, in this path.

I know this may sound somewhat odd but I'm trying to switch my personality from my sun sign, Sagittarius, to my moon sign, Gemini. As I'm guessing that everyone's personality is made up of a bit of both.

I would also like to ask your opinion on this spell.

What tools you would use, how you would use them and how you would improve the spell itself.

As I said I'm new to hoodoo.

Forever trapped in the shadows of Sagittarius,
I search for a way to break free,
To find my place among the Gemini,
To become the woman I seek to be!
Mighty Mercury, hear my cry!
Help me flip the coin on it’s head,
No longer shall I follow the sun,
But the beautiful moon instead,

What once was fire now dies to embers,
Leaving behind a lonesome howl,
The stirrings of a new beginning,
As wind sweeps forth from the South,

Unread post by **MissMichaele** » Fri Nov 01, 2013 10:03 pm

Welcome, CuriousKate!

Hoodoo being an African-American (mostly) Protestant magical tradition, we use free-form prayers rather than incantations. This is a beautiful poem that may even have magical power,

but if this were my spell, I would be taking baths with King Solomon Wisdom and Cast Off Evil, drinking teas of bay leaves and five-finger grass and borage, lavishly sweetened ...

...which puts me in mind of the Jewish custom of giving children a taste of honey right on the slate when they learn the alphabet, so they experience sweetness as they learn to read.

You could decorate cookies with the symbol of Gemini to have with your wisdom teas.

And while you're doing all that, you can be reading the psalms aloud. There are several possibilities -- Psalms 69 if you view the Sagittarius way as a collection of unhealthy habits, or Psalm 62 if you feel that your Sagittarian way of life needs forgiveness. You'll find many other possibilities here:

http://readersandrootworkers.org/wiki/C ... _of_Psalms

Do this, or something like this, regularly, and you'll soon find you have memorized your Psalms well enough to start riffing on them in free-form prayer.

If you do use the poem you found -- it's too pretty not to use for something -- I would be very wary of that line about the "lonesome howl." You sure don't want that in your new life.

Best of luck,

Miss Michaele

CuriousKate · Unread post by **CuriousKate** » Fri Nov 01, 2013 10:58 pm

Well the reason that I included the word howl is that that's mostly what winds do. They howl. Also fire is associated with Sagittarius and air is associated with Gemini. Also it's not that I'm ashamed of being a Sagittarius or that I have the view that it's bad for me, it's simply that Gemini are known to be much more creative. And since that's my moon sign anyway, I want to bring that ability into my life.

Unread post by **Colette** » Sat Nov 02, 2013 3:25 am

Miss Michaele has given some beautiful suggestions. I think the key issue here is that if you're asking us about Hoodoo, we'd be sharing Hoodoo tips along the line of how something is traditionally done - a spell and a prayer/psalm that would be in line with your intention (e.g. King of Solomon & Psalm 62) and, for the petition paper, clear formulation of your goals ("Success in ..." "Personality change from ... to ...", something like that).

If I was to add an item of personal significance to me - e.g. if I associated a particular object, image or poem with psychic vision and I was working that spell - then I'd put it on the altar, but I wouldn't use it as my main focus/prayer/petition.