Basic Understanding of Traditional African American Hoodoo

CuriousKate · Unread post by **CuriousKate** » Sat Nov 02, 2013 4:15 am

Well I know that I've read somewhere that hoodoo is a mixture of other magical practices. So I don't know why I wouldn't be able to incorporate a incantation into my spell?

Unread post by **aura** » Sat Nov 02, 2013 4:40 am

Hi CuriousKate,

Hoodoo is not simply "a mixture of other magical practices." It is its own tradition.

As has been said many times on this forum, there is no hoodoo-police that will stop you from using an incantation - or practicing any which way you like; nor will it prevent your work from being effective, but don't expect what you do to be traditional hoodoo. Although it is true that there are influences from a number of different practices that are included in rootwork (particularly Native American with some Jewish and a bit of European as well), it also doesn't mean that it's a magical ''free-for-all''.

Like you said in your first post, you're new to hoodoo. We've all told you that working with passages of Scripture or Psalm is more traditional (by far) than incantation which is not a part of the traditional practice which belongs to the heritage of Black, mostly Protestand (Baptist being predominant) African Americans. A good article to read with respect to that history (if you haven't already!) is the following: http://www.luckymojo.com/hoodoohistory.html

Unread post by **Mary Bee** » Sat Nov 02, 2013 7:56 am

Some rootworkers involve astrology in their work; you could always read Psalms and take baths during the moon phases or astrological signs that you wish to emphasize in your life.

Mary Bee

Unread post by **catherineyronwode** » Sat Nov 02, 2013 11:08 am

CuriousKate,

Although you write, "I am new to hoodoo," you have been a member of this forum for almost two years now (you joined us on December 13, 2011), so this comes as a bit of a surprise to me.

About one year ago, in December 2012, you wrote in a thread about crossroads rituals, "I am considering doing the crossroads ritual to become a better writer. I write mostly fiction." You were seeking to improve your writing skills and were willing at that time to undergo one of the more arduous hoodoo rituals known.

Shortly after that, in January, 2013, you wrote, in a thread about the use of menstrual blood in hoodoo: "I'm guessing none of you have ever heard of blood magic? I'm an eclectic witch and use many different types of magic from many different places." You thought that African Americans knew nothing about blood magic? Huh? I folded your post into the long-long thread on menstrual blood spells, hoping to give you a free clue, and i hope you picked up on it.

Now, in November 2013, after posting a bardic incantation, and being told that this form of poetry is not traditional to the practice of rootwork, you write, "Well I know that I've read somewhere that hoodoo is a mixture of other magical practices. So I don't know why I wouldn't be able to incorporate a incantation into my spell?"

The answer to your question is simple. Hoodoo is not yours to make or remake. It is not the provenance of "eclectic witches." It is African American folk magic. Until you understand that, you will go around and around with us in circles. Two years you have been here -- look it in the face: Hoodoo is African American folk magic. Absorb that.

Yes, like African American people, who are generally of mixed races and cultures, hoodoo is a mixture of magical beliefs, knowledge, and practice from several cultures (African, Native American, Anglo-Saxon, Gaelic, Jewish, etc.) but it is a SPECIFIC MIXTURE. It is not a random mixture. It is a mixture created by and perpetuated by and developed by African American people, and although it is mixed, and there are regional and chronological variations in the mix, it is always recognizable as what it is.

It is not is not a mixture that you, or anyone who does not claim African American culture as his or her own, can simply appropriate and pretend to possess and rewrite. You may join in -- black American society is not a closed or formally initiatic society -- but if you do so, you need to start with the understanding that you will begin as a guest.

Imagine being invited over to your black school friend's house for dinner, and the family sits at table and the father says to the older brother, "Son, please say grace." If you are a good guest, you will bow your head and listen. It may be the same as the grace said in your house, and it may not be the same -- you might be Jewish, for instance, or Hindu -- or you might not even have ever heard the word "grace" used before in the context of eating dinner, because in your family it is called the "blessing" or because such a thing is never done in your house at all. But ... if you are a good guest, you will listen, and learn.

And the next time you eat at that home, you will listen again.

Is the "grace" always the same, or does the wording vary?

Is it always the older son who says it, or do the children and parents take turns?

If you come to dinner often enough, will YOU be asked to say grace?

If you are asked to say grace -- can you do so appropriately, without saying it in Hebrew or Hindi, or stumbling in your words out of embarrassment and fear?

This is how i learned to say grace, and this is how i learned hoodoo as well. I listened.

You, curiouskate, need to listen.

People are being very patient with you, trying to educate you, trying to tell the truth, but you are not listening.

There is no rule-set that governs hoodoo. There are no hoodoo police who will say that your incantatory poem is not allowed in hoodoo. But, truly, although recitation of Psalms is traditional in hoodoo, the poetic or bardic form of spell-casting you are representing is not authentic to this tradition, and you cannot expect us to welcome it as part of the texture of African American folk magic just on your mistaken say-so.

If you are really interested in hoodoo -- where it came from, what it is, who are its culture-bearers, and how it is practiced -- you might enjoy reading these web pages about it. Perhaps then you will understand the viewpoints of those who are explaining to you that incantations, bardic poems, and "writing spells" are simply outside the cultural provenance of conjure and rootwork:

Hoodoo History from "Hoodoo in Theory and Practice" by catherine yronwode
http://luckymojo.com/hoodoohistory.html

Hoodoo and Religion from "Hoodoo in Theory and Practice" by catherine yronwode
http://luckymojo.com/hoodooandreligion.html

Good luck!

CuriousKate · Unread post by **CuriousKate** » Sat Nov 02, 2013 3:58 pm

So you're saying that hoodoo isn't for an Electic witch who wants to learn all forms of magic?

Unread post by **catherineyronwode** » Sat Nov 02, 2013 4:51 pm

CuriousKate,

I'm not in charge of hoodoo. I don't claim to define who should or should not practice it. But i am saying that you are not making a very good job of understanding it or working with it.

If you had any respect for the tradition, you would learn and absorb its precepts. In two years here, you have not done so.

The fact that you want to add poetic chants to your work and still call your work "hoodoo" just shows how out of touch you are with this well-loved and long-treasured flower of African American culture.

I am not trying to send you away. I am trying to invite you in. Please leave your European-style rhymed incantations at the door. Thank you.

CuriousKate · Unread post by **CuriousKate** » Thu Nov 14, 2013 2:56 am

Well to be fair, as I've learned there are two forms of Hoodoo. The African American one and one that was developed in the Appalachian Mountains. That one is a mixture of Celtic and other forms of magic.

Unread post by **aura** » Thu Nov 14, 2013 6:02 am

Hi CuriousKate,

One of the many books that influenced hoodoo is ''The Long Lost Friend'' that was carried by many mail-order houses that supplied products to the African-American community. But it is German, not Celtic. You can read about that influence here: http://www.luckymojo.com/powwows.html. Other books that provided influence include ''The Black Pullet'' and ''The Key of Solomon'' which were also available.

That said, the practices described in these tomes are their own - NOT HOODOO. They are from European magical influences and as you can read in the information provided on ''The Long Lost Friend'', ''first published in German for Pennsylvania Dutch hex-meisters, after the translation of 1846 it had a tremendous influence on the Anglo-Saxon folk magicians of the Appalachians.''

So keep in mind that the folk magic of the Appalachians is the folk magic of the Appalachians - it is also not hoodoo.

There is cross-over between many folk magical practices and so many do become confused as to what belongs to who. For example, as a practitioner of Catholic folk-magic I work with certain Saints - I am also aware that when I do so I am not practicing traditional Hoodoo, I am practicing Catholic folk-magic. I also do practice old-fashioned Conjure, but it does not include the portions of my practice that are directly informed by my Catholic back-ground and study of the work of Albertus Magnus!

In the same way, you can be an eclectic witch - but out of respect for the cultures and practices you borrow from - it is preferable to be aware of what is and is not a part of each respective belief system. Those systems exist for a reason, have grown out of a culture and a context, and practice is much richer when we can recognize that and get to know it rather than white-washing it with our own socio-cultural bias.

But then, that's just my own 2c on the subject.

Blessings and may you find your way.

CuriousKate · Unread post by **CuriousKate** » Thu Nov 14, 2013 11:10 am

I'm just going by what Bryon Ballard said. She's the one that called Appalachian Folk Magic "Hooodoo".

Unread post by **catherineyronwode** » Fri Nov 15, 2013 12:23 pm

Curious Kate,

Well, Byron Ballard is not dealing with historical truth, alas. The idea that "There are two forms of Hoodoo [...] the African American one and one that was developed in the Appalachian Mountains" is simply NOT TRUE.

I will not go so far as to call it an deliberate bald-faced lie, falsehood, or fabrication, but i will state, clearly and for the record, that there is no historical or reality-based substantiation of the culturally appropriative fantasy that Byron Ballard is promoting.

Look at some simple logic:

Thousands of songs by Appalachian white (European-American) rural folk musicians were recorded during the 1920s -- ballads, reels, jigs, novelty pieces, courting songs, dance tunes, gospel songs, comedy songs, children's play-party songs, old 19th century (and earlier) songs, and contemporary social and political commentary songs.

Among all these recorded pieces by Appalachian white (European-American) rural folk musician, I have not found a single one that mentions the word hoodoo.

Meanwhile, thousands of songs by Southern black (African American) rural folk musicians were recorded during the 1920s -- rags, blues, work songs, reels, jigs, novelty pieces, dance tunes, gospel songs, comedy songs, children's play-party songs, old 19th century (and earlier) songs, and contemporary social and political commentary songs.

Among all these recorded pieces by Southern black (African American) rural folk musicians, I have found more than 100 that mention the word hoodoo.

A term for magic so common in one culture that it is recorded over and over and over again in that culture's songs obviously originated with and belongs to the people who used that term.

A term so UNcommon in a culture that it never appeared in that culture's recorded songs is obviously not a term known to that culture -- at least not at that time.

Without the word "hoodoo" to describe the practice, it becomes obvious that Appalachian folk magicians were not practicing "hoodoo." They have their own form of magic, and folklorists have studied and described it for about a hundred years now -- but hoodoo was not a word they used, nor did their magical practices closely resemble what the same generations of folklorists have known and published accounts of as "hoodoo" during a century of observation of and contact with Southern black folks.

Mosey on over to the Hoodoo and Blues Lyrics sub-site of my Lucky Mojo web pages and read the lyrics.

http://luckymojo.com/blues.html

These songs are all -- every one -- written and performed by black Americans. Each song in the archive was selected because it contains words such as hoodoo, goofer dust, candles, graveyard dirt, mojo, jomo, toby, trick, black cat bone, spider dumpling, and jinx, and/or describes common hoodoo concepts such as being hoodooed, being fixed, poisoning through the feet, crawling on all fours, sweeping the feet with a broom, and selling your soul to the Devil at a crossroads. These are common words, terms, concepts, and practices in African American hoodoo culture.

None of these words or phrases appear in Appalachian folk song of the equivalent era. They are absent from Appalachian folk musical culture because the practice of hoodoo is not found among Appalachian folk magicians.

Some of the pages at "Blues Lyrics and Hoodoo" contain mp3 files. PLAY THEM. Listen and learn, my friend ... listen and learn.

Unread post by **jpbollma** » Sun Nov 24, 2013 5:51 pm

Good evening,

As a practitioner of hoodoo are certain people more gifted in certain areas of work such as love magic, crossing, healing? If so, are there ways to determine what your strong suit is other than just trial and error? Would a reading be in order? As I read through the Canfle Magic and Black Folder books, I have kept most of my work related to home blessing/ happy home, and attraction work.

Unread post by **catherineyronwode** » Sun Nov 24, 2013 7:13 pm

Yes, people often have specialties -- and just as often, may find themselves unsuites for certain types of work.

Think of a baseball team -- some are pitchers, some are catchers, some play outfield. How do they choose which position to play -- well, usually they keep track of their successes and failures, and in addition a coach helps guide their path.

In hoodoo we do not simply learn from books -- we learn by observing our own successes and failures and by being guided by and working alongside those with more experience who are willing to teach us.

Unread post by **jpbollma** » Mon Nov 25, 2013 5:23 am

Thank you, Catherine. I have been working with several products each week from the shop in order to become more familiar with them. I have also been reading quite a bit from Theory and Practice because I want to make sure I understand the true historical nature of the practice. I currently reside in Downtown Detroit, and it has been a bit difficult for me to find others to learn directly from. I know of one shop in the area that sells Hoodoo material, but I really don't have a way of knowing if the shop is authentic.

From my understanding, many African Americans had moved north for economic reasons during the early-mid 20th century so I am sure that living in a city that is majority African American there must be other practitioners here as well to learn from. Anyhow, I really appreciate that you provide so much information free of charge on your site in addition to the great products I have purchased. This site seems to be a great way for people such as myself to find historical information for a true understanding of Hoodoo.

Unread post by **catherineyronwode** » Wed Nov 27, 2013 7:09 pm

jpbollma --

Thanks for the kind words. We do our best to be of service!

Unread post by **catherineyronwode** » Wed Nov 27, 2013 7:13 pm

Tonight a former customer of mine who lives in the South and posts regularly in Facebook groups devoted to the subject of African American folk magic wrote a status update about cutting another car off in a parking lot and being followed into the Post Office and verbally "attacked by" the other driver, a "black woman" who "clawed at" her. (Yes, the ex-customer is white, and the skin colour of her attacker came before the gender).

She noted that the woman's mother was there too and that the mother called on the name of Jesus and pronounced the word Lord as "Lort." (For non-Americans, i would like to note that it is a very common African American pronunciation to use a final soft "t" sound instead of a hard "d" sound in words like "good" ("goot") and "had" ("hat").)

The former customer called out the attacker as "a black woman" twice, mocked the old mother's "Lort" pronunciation twice, and also mocked Christianity twice.

Well, i felt very strange about it. This nice white woman supposedly practices conjure, after all, and while i did understand and sympathize with the fact that she was upset by the assault of the angry and irrational woman after the parking lot imbroglio, i did not understand why she was going on about the woman's skin colour, or the woman's mother's accent, or the pair's religion.Taken in context, her words sounded racist and mockingly anti-Christian. So, being me, i spoke my feelings -- and, well, no surprise, she blocked me.

I am not calling this person out by name. I have no need to embarrass her, as she is already embarrassing herself. But i do feel heart-sick at this sort of ungracious activity on Facebook -- and make no mistake, this is not the first time i have seen racist remarks and photos on Facebook among white would-be hoodoo practitioners -- and i am left wondering what disconnect leads some white folks who claim to be interested in conjure to think that it is okay to mock the accents and the religion of exactly those black people who best could teach them this work.

Unread post by **Mama Rue** » Thu Nov 28, 2013 4:02 am

That is just sad. I could call that a whole bunch of other things but I'll just mash them all into this tiny, three-letter word, S-A-D. Miss cat, you mentioned that the wretched woman practiced hoodoo. The spirits she needs to call upon for her works, I reckon they abandoned her long ago, if they ever graced her to begin with.

I thank you for underscoring, stressing and reiterating the need for the connection to the spirit of conjure in your work to those outside of the tradition by race, ethnicity or culture. Your outreach arms are very long, but sadly, some are still going to slip on through, untouched by the truth, taking their prejudices and ignorance with them... Bless their hearts.

Unread post by **catherineyronwode** » Thu Nov 28, 2013 9:44 am

Mama Rue,

Thanks for the comment. Lest my words be misunderstood (not by you, but by some theoretical future reader), i want to add that i am not in any way saying that white people who study hoodoo need to put up with crazy-angry black people, nor am i saying that crazy-angry black people should get some sort of free pass for bad behaviour for any reason.

I don't like to see folks mock random crazy-angry people by race, regional accent, and religion at any time, because, as we all know, crazy-angry behaviour knows no racial, regional, or religious boundaries -- but i think that it is especially sad, to use your good term, when, out of frustration at a random crazy-angry encounter, an ostensible seeker after spirit immediately jumps to reflexive mockery of the race, regional accent, and religion of those whose culture she is studying.

Well, i'm ready to let it go. Enough hand-wringing.

Unread post by **Vypermojo** » Sun Jan 19, 2014 12:13 pm

Hello !!

My typical use of this site so far has been to study African American folk magick and culture. However, a friend of mine is going through some unimaginable crap, and seeing it first hand has me saying enough is enough. I think he should pay for what he has done. In my opinion, anyone that can hit a child has it coming.

I'm looking to lay down a Quincunx over his front porch. I'm curious:

1. Do I have to lay all four sides and the "X" pattern or do I just lay down the four corners and the center spot ?

2. If I use chalk to outline it and it rains or snows, will this lessen or remove the effect ?

3. I have no way to hide this as they do not have a door mat, so I was thinking of using stones, or a mix of graveyard dirt, goofer dust and crossing powder, possibly adding some DUME powder.

I'm open to suggestions, or ideas.

Thanks for any help !!
Vyper Mojo

Unread post by **Miss Aida** » Sun Jan 19, 2014 9:16 pm

Hello, Vipermojo,
Have you looked at this page? www.luckymojo.com/layingtricks.html#quincunx
If this page hasn't answered your questions, please let us know.
Take care

Unread post by **Vypermojo** » Mon Jan 20, 2014 3:10 am

Hello !!

Yes I have gone over that link several times. I even tried calling the shop. I was hoping for some more insight.
The questions I asked, did not appear to be on the page you linked over to me.

The shop suggested I post here, as whomever answered did not know about this
particular subject. Thanks for any extra insight!

Vypermojo

Unread post by **aura** » Mon Jan 20, 2014 5:00 am

Hi Vypermojo,

1. Usually in a geographical location just the four corners and center spot are laid out although you can do the full perimeter and x if you so desire. When working in an altar set-up, then often a circle or square with an x is made with herbs or sachet powders.

2. I'd repeat if the work gets washed away, or at semi-regular intervals regardles, until you get results.

3. You can lay out the trick with the powders (rather than chalk) if so desired. These can be mixed in with the native dirt around their front area in order to hide the work.

Unread post by **Vypermojo** » Mon Jan 20, 2014 12:54 pm

Would snow count as a form of hiding it? If I lay it while it is snowing, then when he wakes it would be covered with a sheet of snow? Thanks

Unread post by **Miss Aida** » Tue Jan 21, 2014 8:45 pm

Hello, Vypermojo,
I think it would still work but it would be weakened. Especially if you're using something that the snow could easily wash away (once it turns into slush)
Take care

Unread post by **Vypermojo** » Wed Jan 22, 2014 2:33 am

Okay just to be certain I understand this. You would lay your curse, then after you are finished you would place the Quincunx at that point to seal in your spell? Is this right?

Thanks for the tips on the snow or rain. I will make sure to watch for favorable weather.

Unread post by **Miss Aida** » Fri Jan 24, 2014 8:47 pm

Hello, Vypermojo,
Yes. You've got it !
Good luck with everything!

Dragonfly72 · Unread post by **Dragonfly72** » Tue Jun 17, 2014 1:39 pm

Question (I hope that I'm in the right thread!): can any magic system be used on any target or it should be adapted to the target i.e., if the target is Russian, then the folk-magic system ti be used should be a Russian folk-magic? I believe it's not the case, but have to ask...

Unread post by **MissMichaele** » Tue Jun 17, 2014 6:06 pm

Dragonfly72 wrote:Question (I hope that I'm in the right thread!): can any magic system be used on any target or it should be adapted to the target i.e., if the target is Russian, then the folk-magic system ti be used should be a Russian folk-magic? I believe it's not the case, but have to ask...

I'm an umpteenth-generation Euro-American. I've done successful hoodoo work on South Americans, Europeans living overseas, African-Americans and Native Americans ... so far. I think it's more to the point to adapt the system of magic to the WORKER's gifts and training.

Good luck,

Miss Michaele

Samirakat · Unread post by **Samirakat** » Tue Jul 01, 2014 2:31 am

Is there such a thing as a hoodoo initiation? Do you need to be initiated to practice hoodoo effectively? Thank you!

Unread post by **natstein** » Tue Jul 01, 2014 11:53 am

HEllo Samirakat,

Nope, no initiation is needed to become a hoodoo practitioner. You just need to have a gift for the work. Other traditions with their roots in Africa that have similarities to hoodoo, such as voodoo, candomble, Palo ect... do require initiation.

Peace~

Nathen

Unread post by **Christian Hanson** » Tue Jul 01, 2014 12:01 pm

Greetings Samirakat,

Initiation is not needed or necessary to practice hoodoo. Many times, tricks may be passed down along a family line, but if you feel called to the work and gifted for it, begin studying and applying what you know.
be well,
Christian

Unread post by **MissMichaele** » Tue Jul 01, 2014 5:25 pm

natstein wrote:HEllo Samirakat,

Nope, no initiation is needed to become a hoodoo practitioner. You just need to have a gift for the work. Other traditions with their roots in Africa that have similarities to hoodoo, such as voodoo, candomble, Palo ect... do require initiation.

Peace~

Nathen

Just to clarify, Samirakat: Vodou, Candomble, Palo, etc., are Afro-Caribbean religions with deep African roots. They hold worship services in honor of African spirits, and they also do folk magic which might look something like hoodoo -- not necessarily at the same time.

Hoodoo is a folk-magic tradition practiced mostly by Protestant Christians; African-American Baptists in particular, but there are others. When they hold or attend worship services, they go to a Baptist or other Christian church.

Miss Michaele

Unread post by **natstein** » Wed Jul 02, 2014 11:12 am

Thank you for Clarifying that Miss Michaele! I didn't really explain the difference at all! I just wanted to make sure it was understood that there are traditions that can have a similar appearance to some hoodoo practice because of their shared origins but they typically require some initiation. I always love how you are able to explain things so clearly.

Peace~

Nathen

elsie · Unread post by **elsie** » Wed Aug 06, 2014 2:46 pm

Hello,
I've been reading the forums as much as possible since I've joined and have noticed that some stress the importance of anointing oils on a clean body. That made me wonder if this was always the case since daily bathing as a norm is fairly modern.
If anyone could offer any insight, I would be very grateful.

Unread post by **catherineyronwode** » Mon Aug 11, 2014 3:58 pm

Hi, elsie,

I would not say that any practice is "always the case" in hoodoo. Its origins are too diverse, both regionally and culturally, for it to form a monolithic practice. Rather, it is a set of copacetic and complimentary practices. I think most people feel more comfortable putting oils (or powders, which you did not mention) on their bodies when they are freshly clean, but there are times when that is not possible, and yet one still wishes to put on something.

For instance, if you were leaving work to go to a casual dinner date with a lover, you would not always be able to bathe, but you might "freshen up" your makeup and perfume. That would be the time to apply love oils or powders as well.

Good luck!

elsie · Unread post by **elsie** » Mon Aug 11, 2014 7:26 pm

I see. Thank you Miss Catherine.

Spider47 · Unread post by **Spider47** » Wed Dec 03, 2014 6:56 am

I've practice ceremonial magick for 7 years now and I've come to like the simple gestures provided in hoodoo. I also got obsessed with the aesthetic of the oil bottles and charms.

In my view, a lot of power seems to derive from the natural energy in a gesture. There is a certain grace and naturalness when you make a knot to close a mojo bag, for example. Oils seem to give off a vibration. But what are the rudimentary skills of Hoodoo?

Unread post by **aura** » Wed Dec 03, 2014 7:13 am

Hi Spider47,

by reading through the different posts and assembled information in this thread, you'll probably get a good idea of what hoodoo is and isn't along with the basic skills it involves. Another good resource which anwers your question with a compilation of historical information and practical techniques is Miss Cat's on-line book on Hoodoo in Theory and Practice you'll find here: http://www.luckymojo.com/hoodoo.html

Another interesting forum thread which also looks at some of the basic life and magical skills necessary to practice hoodoo professionally can be found here: recommendations-on-becoming-a-professio ... 14292.html

Luckbewithme876 · Unread post by **Luckbewithme876** » Sat Jan 17, 2015 7:34 am

Is there a way to do this? I know cinnamon can be used to heat up love and lust spells? But what about others, like friendship, commanding, influence, etc.? Would Master Key or Power products be useful in this?

Unread post by **natstein** » Sat Jan 17, 2015 4:03 pm

Hello Luckbewithme876,

Power is always a good product. You can also use John the conqueror products to increase your power.

Peace~

Nathen

Unread post by **MissMichaele** » Sat Jan 17, 2015 5:11 pm

Frankincense is a good intensifier, too. Mix it with whatever incense you are using in your work.

Miss Michaele

Luckbewithme876 · Unread post by **Luckbewithme876** » Mon Jan 19, 2015 3:49 pm

Thank you for the reply, Natstein. I did think of Power products, but not of JTC.

Thank you, Miss Michaele. I forgot about that about frankincense. Hoodoo Herb and Root Magic says to "mix" it with your current incense. Is it okay to just burn it at the same time? I have stick frankincense incense, so is it okay if I just burn that at the same time as whatever other incense I'm using?

Unread post by **aura** » Tue Jan 20, 2015 4:38 am

Hi Luckbewithme876, you can burn the stick alongside if you have no other choice, but I've found it works best if the resin is ground finely and then mixed with powdered incense or herbs. If you have no resin for the moment though, better stick frankincense than no frankincense.

Lightning struck wood is another great intensifier and gunpowder has also historically been used that way although I wouldn't recommend that last one for health and safety reasons that are quite obvious. You'll find more on the lightning struck wood here: lightning-struck-wood-questions-and-answers-t7293.html

Unread post by **MissMichaele** » Wed Jan 21, 2015 12:50 am

How could I forget about lightning-struck wood, Aura! Thank you for mentioning it!

LuckBeWithMe, perhaps you could break up your frankincense incense sticks into little bits and mix it with your powdered incense. Try it as an experiment.

Good luck,

Miss Michaele

Unread post by **catherineyronwode** » Sat Feb 21, 2015 6:33 pm

Luckbewithme876,

Adding other products to make a tailor-made combination is definitely one way to "add" to a spell, but products alone do not supply all of what you call "oomph." In hoodoo, we also time our work to take advantage of nature's movements (tides, Moon changes, menstrual cycles, etc.) and we pray into our work, and focus our minds or concentrate on our desires.

ginjer29 · Unread post by **ginjer29** » Sun Mar 08, 2015 10:01 am

Hello,

I have read through many postings and articles here. I'm confused and think I've done things incorrectly.

I've been in a relationship with a man for a little over a year now. We've been a little off and on but for the most part we have spent quite some time together. I noticed a waning in his attentions/affection. I started a honey jar using a picture of him and myself with our full names and birth dates. I did not have any personal concerns as I had never collected any and we were "off" around that time. I noticed he did reach out more frequently after I started the honey jar. I've been working it for 3 months now.

About a month ago, I started 3 vinegar jars. My understanding is they are to turn a situation around. So, I wrote "X doesn't contact me daily" in one, "X doesn't love me" in another" and " X doesn't want to see me" I used a petition only in the jars. they are in small dresser I have in my closet. Should I shake them? I never have. Do they need that?

The ammonia has dried in one of them. There's only a little left and the paper looks bloated in the jar. It has not leaked. All of the jars are on glass "coasters" (for lack of a better name) so I could tell if they were leaking. It's the one I wrote "X doesn't love me" on. The rest are fine.

The situation has become worse. He barely contact me now and has taken to respond to me hours later or not at all.

this is making me very unhappy. I am in love with this man. He's exactly want I need and want at this point in my life. I'm growing more and more upset about this and I think I've done something wrong.

I have ordered some candles be set with MISC and I'm told I should have a candle report by next week.

1) Does the vinegar cancel out the honey jar?

2) Am I doing something wrong? Have I done this incorrectly?

3) Please advise on what you think about the steps I've taken.

4) Do things get worse before they get better?

SavannahConjureBoy · Unread post by **SavannahConjureBoy** » Sun Mar 08, 2015 10:58 am

Hello sweetheart I hate your goin through this situation. The honey jar is a good idea, and it seemed to be working based on what you posted so I would keep working it. Maybe add some candle work for love to rein form the jar work. Now as for the vinager/amonia jars, I was taught by my teachers that vinager sours situations, and that amonia is a strong cleanser. The amonia jar seems like it would work to me to cleanse off the "x doesn't love me sitiuation" I have never used it in that way but I don't see why it couldn't be made to work in that way. But the vinager jar I, personally, would stop. Justy personally opinion and way of working.

Unread post by **catherineyronwode** » Sun Mar 08, 2015 11:03 am

Dear ginjer29,

First, i know that you think this is a simple question about a home-made love spell gone wrong, but because of the content, i am moving it to the section on BASIC QUESTIONS ABOUT HOODOO, because it indicates a need for more understanding of the principles upon which our work is founded.

Next, i am very sorry, but your questions tell me that you are an exemplar of the old adage that "a little learning can be a dangerous thing." You have confused three types of spells together, simply based on the fact that they are worked inside containers. But the spells are not similar in any other way. In other words, the FORM of the spells may be similar, but the INTENTIONS are widely different.

I will begin with an explanation of the INTENTIONS of the spells you mentioned

Honey and sugar spells are to SWEETEN those whose names are in the jar. They bring about loving relationships. A petition like "X loves me" in a sugar or or jam jar will bring about sweet love. You may eat from the jar or use the contents in cooking for the one you love. Not all sweetening spells are worked in containers.

Vinegar is SOUR. It is to make things unpleasant. Putting names together in a vinegar jar causes the people to dislike one another. A petition like "X doesn't love me" in a vinegar jar will sour and kill the relationship for sure. It is a common practice to shake such jars to encourage fighting and fussing. Not all vinegar spells are worked inside containers.

Ammonia is an intense CLEANER and can be used to wipe out old conditions, or turn a situation upside down -- either for good or ill. When using ammonia to flip a scene over, you would turn the jar upside down, which you do not indicate that you did. Ammonia may be added to cleaning scrubs and, as such, not all ammonia spells need be worked inside containers.

The title of your post is "Doing both the honey and ammonia jars together?" but you also mention "3 vinegar jars" in which "the ammonia has dried up." Vinegar and ammonia are two entirely different things.

Now, to your questions:

1) Vinegar and honey don't "cancel" each other out, as magic is not a mathematics problem, but each one does completely OPPOSE the other. You are thumb-wrestling yourself.

2) Yes, you are doing something VERY wrong. You have THREE types of container spells going -- honey, vinegar, and ammonia -- and each has a different goal, which means that you are not thinking this thing through and you have a very unclear concept of why people do magic and how magic works.

3) I think you need to respectfully disassemble ALL of your jars -- vinegar, ammonia, and honey -- and then start all over again. Wash them out by hand and release the contents. You have made a real mess of things and you should next take a bath of Hyssop herb brewed in Van Van bath crystals, then strained. This bath is to take off any negative ideation and crossed conditions that have resulted from your crossed-up work.

4) No -- you have created crossed conditions by your form of work, and nothing will get better until you undo and fix this mess.

However, before you start any new work, you need to really learn about this art and how we work container spells. I want you to read these THREE web pages, in the order i have set them forth here. The articles start with the most general forms of container spells, continue to specific forms of bottles and jars as containers, and finish with sugar and honey spells (both inside contains and not).

Read about all types of container spells (bottle, jar, potted plant, box) here: http://www.readersandrootworkers.org/wi ... Containers

Read about all types of bottle and jar spells (vinegar, ammonia, and honey) here: http://luckymojo.com/bottlespells.html

Read about sugar and honey spells (both in contains and not) here: http://luckymojo.com/honeyjar.html

I wish you all the luck in the world, and i know you are going to need it, because this is one MESS you have created.

ginjer29 · Unread post by **ginjer29** » Sun Mar 08, 2015 12:47 pm

Thank you for your prompt response.

I got myself mixed up.

I have NOT done any vinegar jars. I have only done honey jar and ammonia spells.

My understanding is this:

The honey jar is to sweeten him toward me. It did this.

The ammonia jar is to turn a situation around. I did it in a jar as that was the most stealthy way I could do it and it just felt right to me.

I like container spells. I might move on to mojos at some point for other things...I like for things to be kept together

I taped my petition to the top portion of the jar with the present situation written on it, added ammonia, covered it and turned it over. I made three of them. There is one that seems to have dried up. The paper is bloated but I know it hasn't leaked.

What should I do with that? Is it ok if I wash it out under a running tap in my sink? It's going to be hard to find a river where I live in Texas. but I can do it if need be. the other two are just fine. Do I need to shake them every now and again? Or trash all of them?

I figured using both methods toward essentially the same goals would have them work together from different angles. So, they are "clashing" instead?

My honey jar has worked. It did sweeten him to me. I have loved and hugged on my honey jar for three months. I have to get rid of it, too?

I got my first candle report back today. I ordered, Love ME, Follow Me, and Stay with me, I think for 3 runs.

[reports deleted -- cat]

I've also ordered the Intranquilty spell as a very last resort. I haven't received it yet, so that's fine.

I did order a money spell as well. I'm going to need that soon as this is getting expensive. ;> It is well worth it to me. He's worth it and I will get it back ten-fold.

Hopefully this has clarified some things. Now that I have, do you still advise I do the same as you said before? I"ll do it I just want to be sure... I do love that honey jar.

I appreciate your time and help.

Unread post by **catherineyronwode** » Sun Mar 08, 2015 3:55 pm

ginjer29,

You confusion is leading you into conflicting and irrational choices. You did THREE Ammonia jars? That's what messed you up. Wash them out. Stop them. They are harsh and inapproiate for sweet love. Keep the honey jar if it is still working for you.

Now you want to do an Intranquil Spirit spell? Really? Do you love this guy or hate him?

Apparently i am not getting through to you here. I wish you could see how unfocussed and chaotic your work looks to me, an old, experienced root doctor. You are attempting to post your candle reports in public, for all to see! I had to delete that mess. Lord, please learn more about how conjure works, how to be a client, how to focus your work on one intention.

You would do well to have someone coaching you. Coaching is far cheaper than hiring a conjure worker and it will, hopefully, keep you from buying spells you do not need and should not use. It may also lead you to decide, once and for all, what you really want.

Did you read the links i posted?

ginjer29 · Unread post by **ginjer29** » Sun Mar 08, 2015 7:41 pm

Yes, Ma'am. I have read the links you posted. I rinsed out the jars under running water. You have gotten through to me that you are appalled at what I've done and it's so bad, your experience tells you this is one hot, hot mess.

I don't hate him at all. I'm am not confused about my intent. I obviously confused as to what to do focus it and work with the right spells. I need PATIENCE. . I will re-read the links a few times...

I ordered the Intranquil Spirit spell. I have not received it and I will not use it when I do. I will order the baths. It's pretty clear I need to cleanse myself. ... the candles are being lit so they may help as well.

I posted the reports because I've seen others posted and I wanted to give you the full picture. I won't do that again either.

I am keeping my honey jar. That is the one spell I have always been clear on and I think I've done well. I saw results and it is easy for me to focus with it.

I had noticed how angry I've been for the last week or so. Angry, tense, crying and unfocused in other a....the honey jar had not made me feel anything like that. On the contrary... I always felt..love and could feel myself projecting love with it...

Can I call someone for coaching? Do I seek coaching on these forums?

I am now afraid I've ruined any chance I had. Do you think if I just keep working my honey jar and let the candles run their course it will help? What would you suggest I do next? How do I fix it? can it be fixed? I can do the spells, I need to know which ones and when. I am willing to purchase the items needed to work with and to put in the effort required. I dont want to give up.

Unread post by **Miss Aida** » Sun Mar 08, 2015 10:27 pm

Hello, ginjer29,

I can't answer all of your questions but I doubt that you have "ruined your chances". You probably just have to start all over again from the very beginning in a calculated mannner.

Most of the AIRR members give magical coaching.

Find then here:

http://readersandrootworkers.org

Wishing you the very best

Unread post by **catherineyronwode** » Sun Apr 19, 2015 5:55 pm

Learn more about traditional ways to work in this new book:

BOO-FLS-HSAA
Hoodoo Shrines and Altars by Miss Phoenix LeFae
$12.00

You can order right here in the Forum by clicking on the blue Add To Cart button.

Ruby74 · Unread post by **Ruby74** » Mon Apr 20, 2015 10:11 am

Hi Everyone,

I had trouble choosing the most appropriate topic for this question so please bare with me.

What does it mean when a stranger shakes smoke at you? That is, if it means anything at all.

I was walking around the city, I think I was going to CVS, and a woman sitting on the front steps of a building waved something smokey at me. It wasn't tobacco and didn't have much of an odor at all. It was the middle of the day during the work week and other people were passing by, mostly dressed in business attire. I was afraid to turn around & look so I just peeked out of the corner of my eye. This was last autumn & it's probably nothing but for some reason today it's suddenly burning on my mind. I don't remember what the woman looked like, other than she was older & either wearing shorts or a dress because her legs were exposed, and she spoke with an accent as she talked to someone nearby. I do not remember which building it was either. I didn't notice her do this with anyone walking in front of me & I don't know about after. Whatever it was she shook had a handle or something that she held on to and it was brown.

This is no big deal, right? And I don't know why I'm suddenly thinking about this so many months later but I'm trying to heal myself after spending a year in the abyss of the bell jar.

Unread post by **Miss Aida** » Mon Apr 20, 2015 10:32 pm

Hello, Ruby74,

I am sorry but I don't know what that could have been. I don't know if it was an incense, tobacco, something she was brewing (such as a tea), anything. It just depends what the smoke came from.

She seems to have had no reason to cross you if this is what you suspect), but if you think you're crossed, just do an uncrossing: http://www.luckymojo.com/uncrossing.html

If she "spoke with an accent" it is unlikely that this event had anything to do with the hoodoo tradition, because hoodoo is African American and we consider regional American ways of speaking to be dialects, not accents.

Sorry that I don't have a definitive answer for you.

Take care

Ruby74 · Unread post by **Ruby74** » Tue Apr 21, 2015 8:38 pm

Thank you, Miss Aida. She had no reason to cross me and I am probably just thinking about it too much, but I am going to do an uncrossing bath just to be safe.

Unread post by **bast78** » Tue Apr 19, 2016 3:25 pm

I would plan out one or two spells and then buy only what you need for those specific spells, and maybe frankincense to help with focus. See how it goes. Get advice if you need it. If you're using spells made up by experienced people with clear instructions you'll see whether or not its the spell or its you. That gives you time to troubleshoot before you buy anything else. And your money is spent efficiently.

Things that are staples for me:

Candles: Tea lights, votive candles, several 4 inch and vigil candles in colors I anticipate needing, Some figural candles.
Chinese wash
Charcoal & incense burner
Lodestones & food
High John the Conqueror root
LM product lines:
Money- money draw/Love:reconciliation/Cursing: Crossing/Empowerment: King solomon wisdom and crown of success/Protection-protection/All purpose-Van Van/Archangel Micheal things/Blessing products
For herbs: Just go by what you need using the hoodoo root and herb magic book. It has instructions on how to concoct formulas. If nothing else, I always have a bunch of cleansing, protection, psychic and focus enhancing herbs or resin incense.
Books: The black folder, paper in my shoe, hoodoo candle magic, Hoodoo root and herb magic

Unread post by **Miss Aida** » Wed Apr 20, 2016 8:15 pm

Thank you, bast78 !!!

Unread post by **catherineyronwode** » Sat Oct 15, 2016 11:05 am

This book is a reprint of one of the earliest treatises on hoodoo that was written by a candle shop owner for the benefit of practitioners. It first came out in 1936. The new edition has been reformatted and re-edited, and it includes both textual material and illustrations that were omitted after the publication of the first edition, making it the most complete available edition ever.

If you want to look at hoodoo as it was practiced 80 years ago -- and STILL is practiced by traditional workers -- check out "Legends of Incense, Herb, and Oil Magic."

BOO-GRI-LIHO
Legends of Incense, Herb, and Oil Magic by Lewis de Claremont, ed. cat yronwode
$12.00

You can order right here in the Forum by clicking on the blue Add To Cart button.

LEGENDS OF INCENSE, HERB, AND OIL MAGIC: Esoteric Students' Handbook of Legendary Formulas and Facts
by LEWIS de CLAREMONT

Author of

Secrets of Attraction
The Ten Lost Books of the Prophets
The Master's Course of Lessons in Hypnotism
The Ancient’s Book of Magic; The Ancient’s Book of Formulas
The Seven Keys to Power; The Seven Steps to Power
Legends of Incense, Herb, and Oil Magic
How to Get Your Winning Number
The Home Herb Doctor

Inventor of Hypnopoule

Illustrated by
Charles M. Quinlan

Restored, Revised, and Edited by
Catherine Yronwode

PREFACE 3

INTRODUCTION 6
General Principles 7
Magic As a Definite Religion 8
Magical Secrets of Compounds 8

CHAPTER ONE:
LEGENDS OF OILS 10
Occult and Psychic Anointing 11
Understanding the Trinities 12
How to Anoint 15
How to Dress a Candle 16
Oils Used in Magic 18

CHAPTER TWO:
HOW TO USE OILS 20
Altar Oil 20
Angel Oil 20
Attraction Oil 21
Bat's Blood Brand Oil 21
Bible Bouquet Oil 22
Black Art Oil 23
Buddha Oil 23
Chinese Oil 23
Cleopatra Oil 23
Commanding Oil 24
Compelling Oil 24
Concentration Oil 25
Dove's Blood Brand Oil 25
Exodus Oil 25
Five Circle Oil 26
High Conquering Oil 26
Hindu Grass Oil 27
Indian Guide Oil 27
King Solomon Oil 28
Kyphi Oil 28
Lovers Oil 30
Magnet Oil 30
Mecca Oil 31
Planet and Planetary Oils 31
Power Oil 31
Rose of Crucifixion Oil 32
Spirit Oil 32
Success Oil 33
Temple Oil 33
Ten Commandments Oil 33

CHAPTER THREE:
LEGENDS OF INCENSE 35
Reasons for Using Incense 35
Incense in Divine Worship 35
Incense Used in Magic 37
How to Make Liquid Incense Oil 38
Formulas for Making Incense 38

CHAPTER FOUR:
HOW TO USE INCENSE 40
Abtina Incense 40
Attraction Incense 40
Black Incense 40
Ceremonial Incense 40
Cleopatra Incense 41
Commanding Incense 41
Compelling Incense 41
Lovers Incense 41
Lucky Planet Incense 42
Magnet Incense 42
Mystic Rites Incense 43
Oriental Incense 43
Power Incense 43
Psychic Vision Incense 43
Spirit Guide Incense 44
Success Incense 44
Temple Incense 44

CHAPTER FIVE:
SACHET POWDERS 46
Sachet Powders 46
How to Make Sachet Powders 46

CHAPTER SIX:
WASHES AND BATHS
Baume Tranquille 47
Modern Baume Tranquille 47
Bush, Herb, and Condition Baths 47
White Lavender 47
Red Lavender 47
Chinese Wash 48
Seven Holy Spirit Baths 48

CHAPTER SEVEN:
LEGENDS OF HERBS 50
The Doctrine of Signatures 50
The Tree of Life 50
Herbs of the Classical Gods 51
Poisonsous Botanicals 51
Flowers and Herbs of the Virgin 52
Flowers of the Nativity 53
Herbs of the Crucifixion 55

CHAPTER EIGHT:
HOW TO USE HERBS 58
Adam and Eve Root 58
Alkanet Tree 58
Belladonna 58
Bethel Nut 59
Buckeye 59
Cactus 59
Clover 59
Devil's Shoestring 59
Dragon's Blood 59
Elder 59
Fern 60
Five Finger Grass 62
Frankincense 62
Fungi 62
Good Luck Herbs Mixture 63
Grains of Paradise 63
Graveyard Dust 64
Hawthorn 64
Hellebore 64
Henbane 65
Holy Herb (Yerba Santa) 65
Jack-in-the-Pulpit 65
John the Conqueror. High 65
John the Conqueror, Low 65
John the Conqueror, Southern 65
Juniper 66
Kalmia 66
Life Everlasting 66
Lodestone 66
Loving Herbs Mixture 66
Lucky Hand Root 66
Marjoram 66
Master of the Woods 66
Milkwort 66
Mistletoe 67
Myrrh 67
Myrtle 68
Oriental Gum Resin 68
Periwinkle 68
Poke 68
Queen Elizabeth Root 68
Queen's Root 68
Rattlesnake Master 68
Rosemary 69
Rue 69
Sacred Bark 69
Saint Johns Wort 69
Sandalwood 69
Sang Root 69
Sea Spirit 69
Smellage Root 69
Star Fish 70
Sumbul Root 70
Tonka Beans 70
Waahoo Bark 70
Walnut 70
Wormwood 70

CHAPTER NINE:
LOVE MAGIC 72
Love Powders 72
Classical Love Philtres 72
Classical Aphrodisiacs 73
African Love Beliefs 73
Hindu Love Beliefs 73
Persian Love Beliefs 74
Asian Love Beliefs 74
European Love Beliefs 74
American Love Beliefs 75
Midsummer Herbs for Love 75
Curious Water of Myrtle Flowers 75 Angel Water 76
The Spring Nosegay 76
Hippomanes for Lust 76
Dill for Love 77
Coriander, Violet Valerian 77
Sea Holly (Eryngoes) 77
Making the True Love Powder 77
Ambergris as an Aphrodisiac 78
Amulets for Love 78
To Continue Love Once Obtained 79
To Reduce Love 79
Turtle Dove Powder 80
Water of Magnaminity 80
Famous Love Poisons 81
Truffles for Seduction 81
Mandrake for Lust 82
Knapweed for the Future Husband 82
Basil and Women 83
Dragon’s Blood for a Lost Lover 83
Heliotrope for Fidelity 83
Lemon Peels for Truth in Love 83
Wecker’s Secrets 84
Cubebs, Opium, and Spices 84
The Notary Art of Solomon 85
Alcohol and Sugar for Lust 86
Herbs for Quenching Love 86
Water of Chastity 86
Wax Effigy Doll for Love Revenge 87
Untying and Tying the Knot 87
Three Impossible Tasks of Love 88

CHAPTER TEN:
TALISMAN MAGIC 89
Making Metallic Talismans 89
Table of Affinities 90
Talismanic Secrets 90
Seals from the 6th Book of Moses 91
Seals from the 7th Book of Moses 92
How Talismans Are Used 94

AFTERWORD 95

root · Unread post by **root** » Wed Nov 02, 2016 4:22 am

Hello friends!

My question today is: how do I call spirits upon my work not changing Hoodoo original tradition...

People told me I should call JC and ask him to open the gateways to my angels, guiding spirits, ancestors and any spirits willing to help in my spell casting.... Is this really how traditional Hoodoo practitioners work?

How should I proceed, as I don't wanna change the original way to do it.

Thanks a lot guys!!

Unread post by **catherineyronwode** » Wed Nov 02, 2016 10:31 am

root,

That's a good question. To begin with, in looking at the history and tradition of hoodoo, you first need to examine your own beliefs and requests.

Consider first who told you that some, any, or all hoodoo practitioners "call spirits upon [our] work."

The person or persons who told you this comes to hoodoo with a religious beliefs expressed in the form of embedded premises.

The overt embedded premise is that "spirits are called into the work."

Beneath that is a secondary and covert embedded premise, namely that there are "spirits" (plural) exist who can somehow be "called."

This brings into focus a third embedded premise that takes the form of a belief set or cosmology (a theory of the universe) in which "angels, guiding spirits, ancestors and any spirits willing to help" are accessible and can be approached through the agency of Jesus Christ.

Now, in truth, many, many hoodoo practitioners would agree with all that is proposed in this cosmology -- but that is by no means the delimiting or defining characteristic of hoodoo practitioners.

Remember that hoodoo is folk magic. Not all folks are religious in orientation. Religiousity is a matter of inclination and home training. It functions to a certain extent independently of one's orientation to and home training in folk magic.

* Some folks are raised religiously and also learn hoodoo at home and then they break with religion but still practice hoodoo.

* Some folks are raised non-religiously and also learn hoodoo at home and never consider hoodoo as connected to religion.

* Some folks are raised religiously and never learn hoodoo at home, then find hoodoo and add it to their religious concepts.

* Some folks are raised non-religiously, never learn hoodoo at home, then find hoodoo and practice it without a religious context.

And all of the above are "traditions" within African American culture. That is, you will find people from all four of those groups in a historical sweep of the professional practitioners whose lives we know about, going back to the 19th century.

However, to grant history its due, in earlier times, most people were raised with some religious training and thus their practice of hoodoo is intertwined to a certain extent with the religious expressions in which they were raised.

Among Black Americans, the Baptist Church is the predominant denominational group, with other Protestant denominations, like the Methodists and African Methodist Episcopalians, having some strength as well, along with the Holiness, Pentecostal, and Sanctified churches, followed by the Roman Catholics and the varied "new" religions such as Spiritualism, New Thought, and the Black Cultural Nationalism groups of the 19th century and beyond.

So ... who carried the tradition of hoodoo? Who developed the tradition? Who maintained the tradition? Mostly Baptists, truth to tell, and therefore, Jesus Christ is definitely a strong figure of spiritual focus. But the Baptists are also known for their love of the so-called "Old Testament" (the Jewish Bible) and, unlike the Catholics, who are all up in their Apostles and Saints, the Baptists often refer in their magical work to figures such as Moses, King David, King Solomon, Daniel, and the Hebrew Children in the Fiery Furnace.

(As a side-note, this is why the Baptists were such strong political leaders during the abolitionist era and the civil rights era -- they melded both Black freedom from enslavement and Black achievement of social equality to the Bible's accounts of the struggles of the
Jewish people in the Old Testament. And this is why Jews were so freely willing to give their support and even their lives to help the Black causes of abolition and civil rights -- because they too saw the parallels between the two cultures.)

So, if you want to follow traditional patterns of a cultural folk magic in which you yourself were not home-taught, the first thing is to align your beliefs with a traditional cosmology of the people whose culture sustains that form of folk magic, to whatever extent you can -- knowing that, as in the four examples i gave above, religious connectivity to folk magic is fluid and variable.

Next, honestly asses how much the culture's religious principles will be informing your understanding of the folk magic of the culture. In other words, if you were raised as a Chinese Taoist, to what extent will you invite the Psalms of David or the shedding of Christ's blood to affect your practice of hoodoo? You cant fake it, you know. You have to own it.

So ... long story short: My advice is that in order to understand the role of spirits in hoodoo culture (in contradistinction to the role of roots and herbs in hoodoo culture, the role of economic transactionality in hoodoo culture, the role of the divinatory arts in hoodoo culture, et cetera), you will do well to join into mainstream Black American spiritual culture. That's where hoodoo's spirituality originated and that's where its strongest spiritual practitioners still abide.

Here's a contemporary video to get you started:

OL SCHOOL GOSPEL MEDLEY - JESUS IS ON THE MAINLINE, TROUBLE IN MY WAY - HATTIESBURG, MS.
Uploaded on Apr 21, 2009
REV. TIMOTHY HOLLINGSWORTH SERVICE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vI3mfKBCsOM

Good luck!