Historical and Contemporary Hoodoo Root Doctors, Practitioners, Fortune Tellers, and Shop Owners

Unread post by **catherineyronwode** » Sun Nov 21, 2021 5:09 pm

Conjure Doctoring and the Walking Boy: From the Southern Workman and Hampton School Record, Vol. 28 August 1899

Tier 3 NOVEMBER 21st, 2021

Hello, everyone, and thank you for supporting "It's All Ephemera"! This week in "Where the Southern Cross the Yellow Dog," i take a look at how African-Americans were documenting hoodoo and conjure practices in the 19th century.

1) "Conjure Doctoring and the Walking Boy: From the Southern Workman and Hampton School Record, Vol. 28 August 1899" presents three personal anecdotes of root doctoring experienced by a young student-teacher between 1885 and 1895. Not only are her recollections a rare example of black Americans collecting and publishing their own folklore prior to 1900, the forms of divination used by the root doctors are very old and obscure today. In particular, the secret of diagnosing hoodoo with a walking boy is almost unknown at the present time, and is described here in detail.

[PATRONS GET THE SECRET URL IN EMAIL ONE YEAR BEFORE IT OPENS TO THE PUBLIC]

Thanks to my wonderfully supportive Patrons -- you have made this web page possible.

2) The Public Southern Spirits web site:

http://www.southernspirits.org

Southern Spirits is one of my nicest, but least-known web sites. Online since 1994, Southern Spirits brings the ghost-voices of our magical past into the modern age. These are our spiritual ancestors speaking -- both as others heard them and as they told the world about themselves. Listen!

The material at Southern Spirits was gathered from a variety of sources, including old books, magazine articles, newspapers, and even fragments extracted from novels and short stories. It is heavily annotated with interpretive and comparative notes, especially distinguishing between narratives told *by* practitioners and narratives *about* them, particularly when the latter are recounted by derogatory or "amused" white observers.

3) "Where the Southern Cross the Yellow Dog" Private Forum for Patrons only:

private-patreon-forum-f237.html

As a Patron, you have access to our exclusive threads at the Lucky Mojo Forum! Signing up takes a few seconds, and each thread allows you to participate in discussions with me about the ongoing Patreon page publications. To comment on this week's new pages, or any of the previous posts, please go to my private Patreon forum at the web address above.

4) If you want to support me on Patreon, please go to "It's All Ephemera," where you can read my update posts and sign on as Patrons:

http://patreon.com/catherineyronwode

5) Please follow me on Facebook at

https://www.facebook.com/catyronwode

Patrons at Tiers 4, 5, and 6 can expect their packages of books and ephemera to go out on December 1st, 2021.

Cordially,

cat yronwode

Unread post by **catherineyronwode** » Tue Dec 07, 2021 9:17 pm

Where the Southern Cross the Yellow Dog: THE CONJURE DOCTORS

Tier 1 DECEMBER 7th, 2021

Hello, everyone, and thank you for supporting "It's All Ephemera"! This week in "Where the Southern Cross the Yellow Dog," we dive deeper into African-American documentation of hoodoo and conjure in the 19th century.

1) "The Conjure Doctors: From the Southern Workman and Hampton School Record, Vol. 24 August 1895" by Leonora Herron presents personal accounts of root doctors collected in 1878. These rare examples of 19th century black Americans publishing their own folklore tell us what Conjure Doctors did, where their powers came from, and what they looked like ... more than 140 years ago!

[PATRONS GET THE SECRET URL IN EMAIL ONE YEAR BEFORE IT OPENS TO THE PUBLIC]

Thanks to my wonderfully supportive Patrons -- you have made this web page possible.

2) The Public Southern Spirits web site:

http://www.southernspirits.org

Southern Spirits is one of my nicest, but least-known web sites. Online since 1994, Southern Spirits brings the ghost-voices of our magical past into the modern age. These are our spiritual ancestors speaking -- both as others heard them and as they told the world about themselves. Listen!

The material at Southern Spirits was gathered from a variety of sources, including old books, magazine articles, newspapers, and even fragments extracted from novels and short stories. It is heavily annotated with interpretive and comparative notes.

3) "Where the Southern Cross the Yellow Dog" Private Forum for Patrons only:

private-patreon-forum-f237.html

As a Patron, you have access to our exclusive threads at the Lucky Mojo Forum! Signing up takes a few seconds, and each thread allows you to participate in discussions with me about the ongoing Patreon page publications.

4) If you want to support me on Patreon, please go to "It's All Ephemera," where you can read my update posts and sign on as Patrons:

http://patreon.com/catherineyronwode

5) Please follow me on Facebook at

https://www.facebook.com/catyronwode

Patrons at Tiers 4, 5, and 6 can expect their packages of books and ephemera to go out on December 1st, 2021.

Cordially,

cat yronwode

#psychic #psychicreading #psychicreaders #hoodoo #hoodoospells #spiritualadvice #conjure #conjurespells #spellcasting #fortunetelling #divination #readersandrootworkers #rootworkers #folklore #folkmagic

Unread post by **catherineyronwode** » Tue Dec 14, 2021 12:01 am

Where the Southern Cross the Yellow Dog: The Conjure Doctors of Virginia

Tier 2 DECEMBER 14th, 2021

Hello, everyone, and thank you for supporting "It's All Ephemera"!

This week in "Where the Southern Cross the Yellow Dog," i present a 19th century black educator's perspective on African-American folk magic and folk medicine.

1) "THE CONJURE DOCTORS OF VIRGINIA" by Rev. Daniel Webster Davis, from the Southern Workman and Hampton School Record, Vol. 27, December 1898.

[PATRONS GET THE SECRET URL IN EMAIL ONE YEAR BEFORE IT OPENS TO THE PUBLIC]

This illustrated page brings us a memoir written in 1898 by Rev. Daniel Webster Davis, in which he describes the Virginia conjure doctors of his youth. Born into slavery during the Civil War, Davis became a public school teacher, a poet, and a teacher to other black educators. An upwardly aspirational man who played an active role in the progressive politics of the 19th century, he also documented a recipe for a buried bottle spell that is virtually identical to those still found in 21st century hoodoo.

Thanks to my wonderfully supportive Patrons -- you have made this web page possible.

2) "Southern Spirits" Web Site

http://southernspirits.org

The Southern Spirits web site includes material about hoodoo gathered from old books, magazine articles, newspapers, and fragments extracted from novels and short stories. It is heavily annotated with interpretive and comparative notes, especially distinguishing between narratives told *by* practitioners and narratives *about* them. If you are not yet familiar with the public portion of the site, check it out!

3) "Where the Southern Cross the Yellow Dog" Private Forum:

private-patreon-forum-f237.html

Patrons have access to exclusive threads at the Lucky Mojo Forum! Signing up takes a few seconds, and each thread allows you to participate in discussions with me about the ongoing Patreon page publications.

4) To support me on Patreon, please go to "It's All Ephemera," where you can read my update posts and sign on as Patrons for as little as $2.00 per week:

http://patreon.com/catherineyronwode

5) Please follow me on Facebook at

https://www.facebook.com/catyronwode

Patrons at Tiers 4, 5, and 6 can expect their packages of books and ephemera to go out on December 15th, 2021.

Cordially,

cat yronwode

#conjure #folkmedicine #folklore #herbalism #hoodoo #rootwork

Unread post by **catherineyronwode** » Tue Dec 21, 2021 12:02 am

Where the Southern Cross the Yellow Dog: 19th Century Kentucky Hoodoo (Patreon Tier 3, December 21st, 2021)

Hello, everyone, and thank you for supporting "It's All Ephemera"! This week in "Where the Southern Cross the Yellow Dog," i present a black Kentucky woman's first-hand memories of 19th century folk magic and folk medicine.

1) "19th CENTURY CONJURE DOCTORS OF KENTUCKY" by Mrs. Duncan, from "A Folk History of Slavery in the United States, From Interviews with Former Slaves, 1936-1938."

[PATRONS GET THE SECRET URL IN EMAIL ONE YEAR BEFORE IT OPENS TO THE PUBLIC]

This fully illustrated page brings us an interview from 1937 with Mrs. Duncan, in which she describes the Kentucky conjure doctors of her youth. Born into slavery prior to 1855, she documents the use of silver dimes, horseshoes, herbs, and a glass pistol in hoodoo spells of protection and curing.

Thanks to my wonderfully supportive Patrons -- you have made this web page possible.

2) "Southern Spirits" Web Site

http://southernspirits.org

The Southern Spirits web site includes material about hoodoo gathered from old books, magazine articles, newspapers, and fragments extracted from novels and short stories, heavily annotated with interpretive and comparative notes. If you are not yet familiar with the public portion of the site, check it out!

3) "Where the Southern Cross the Yellow Dog" Private Forum:

private-patreon-forum-f237.html

My Patrons have access to exclusive threads at the Lucky Mojo Forum! Signing up takes a few seconds, and each thread allows you to participate in discussions with me about the ongoing Patreon page publications.

4) To support me on Patreon, please go to "It's All Ephemera," where you can read my update posts and sign on as Patrons for as little as $2.00 per week:

http://patreon.com/catherineyronwode

5) Please follow me on Facebook at

https://www.facebook.com/catyronwode

and on Instagram at

https://www.instagram.com/catherineyronwode

Cordially,

cat yronwode

#conjure #folkmedicine #folklore #herbalism #hoodoo #rootwork

Unread post by **catherineyronwode** » Tue Dec 28, 2021 9:03 pm

HARLEM CONJURE MEN, 1938

Where the Southern Cross the Yellow Dog: Conjure Doctors of Harlem (Patreon Tier 3, December 28th, 2021)

Hello, everyone, and thank you for supporting "It's All Ephemera"! This week in "Where the Southern Cross the Yellow Dog," i present --

HARLEM ROOT DOCTORS: "SAGWA" and WILLIAM WEINER, THE JUPITER MAN

Interviewed in New York City in 1938 by Vivian Morris [Thelma Berlack-Boozer]

[PATRONS GET THE SECRET URL IN EMAIL ONE YEAR BEFORE IT OPENS TO THE PUBLIC]

This illustrated and heavily annotated page brings us two interviews conducted by an African-American journalist in 1938 in which a professional conjure doctor and an herbal pharmacist present a wide range of magical spells and folkloric health remedies as practiced in the early 20th century hoodoo tradition.

Thanks to my wonderfully supportive Patrons -- you have made this web page possible.

"Southern Spirits" Web Site

http://southernspirits.org

The Southern Spirits web site includes material about hoodoo gathered from old books, magazine articles, newspapers, and fragments extracted from novels and short stories, heavily annotated with interpretive and comparative notes. If you are not yet familiar with the public portion of the site, check it out!

"Where the Southern Cross the Yellow Dog" Private Forum:

private-patreon-forum-f237.html

My Patrons have access to exclusive threads at the Lucky Mojo Forum which enable discussions with me about the ongoing Patreon page publications.

To support me on Patreon, please go to "It's All Ephemera," where you can read my update posts and sign on as Patrons for as little as $2.00 per week:

http://patreon.com/catherineyronwode

Please follow me on Facebook at

https://www.facebook.com/catyronwode

and on Instagram at

https://www.instagram.com/catherineyronwode

Cordially,

cat yronwode

Unread post by **catherineyronwode** » Tue Jan 04, 2022 5:19 pm

I have been having a lot of fun placing historical material about hoodoo online, with my annotations and links to related pages. I want to thank my Patrons, whose financial support for me at Patreon.com has made this work possible.

One year after each of my new web pages is shown to my paying Patrons, it is released free of charge to the public. My Patreon series on conjure history started on January 7th, 2021, so look for new pages to go public soon. Not all of them are about hoodoo history, but quite a few are, and when they open up to the public, i will announce them here.

Unread post by **catherineyronwode** » Tue Jan 04, 2022 5:21 pm

Hello, all,

Over on Facebook, i received the following question from an African-American person, addressing me as a Jew. I have removed the sender's name and slightly reworded the text to preserve the author's anonymity:

I have a question and it’s a serious one. How can you practice Hoodoo? Hoodoo is a closed practice. It was developed by my ancestors and is to be only used by their descendants.

I responded to this common misconception, but the querent had already pre-blocked me. My reply was as follows:

Well, that is your opinion, and you got it somewhere, but it not historically true. There is a lot of divisiveness and gate-keeping and shaming in this world that is not factual.

If you want to discuss this at the Lucky Mojo Forum, i would be glad to. I also have a Patreon stream that explores the history of hoodoo as found in material published by African-American folklorists going back to the 19th century. You don't have to subscribe to my Patreon feed (it's $8.00 per month for 4 new articles, one per week), because after one year, each page opens up to the public for free. Stay tuned for the articles opening up in 2022. They will prove to you that hoodoo has never been a "closed practice" or limited to people of one genetic lineage. It is definitely African American, but that is a much wider genetic field than you might think, and a much more open sociological phenomenon than you might know.

I am hopeful that your will take time to learn the true history of hoodoo. It is much, much more friendly, welcoming, and cosmopolitan than modern "gatekeepers" try to pretend -- and luckily for us, many black folklorists have left a record of the truth.

Good luck to you, and may your New Year be healthy and filled with magic.

Messages like these started showing up at my Facebook page in 2012, mostly in response to the completely unfounded, ungrounded, and offensive statements by a number of racist so-called "magicians" and "witches" who falsely claimed that hoodoo was originally "Scottish" or "Appalachian," and that black people had "stolen" it. The person most closely associated with this racist rant is " Rev. Wendy C Allen aka EelKat of Laughing Gnome Hollow," of "The Church of the Holy Rhinnestone," whose article "So sick of people calling Hoodoo an African American Folk Magic! Hoodoo is Scottish NOT African! Get with the program people!" caused a lot of controversy and called me out by name for having written that hoodoo African-American folk magic.

"Eelkat's" unsound racist scenario was quickly countered by a number of black people claiming that hoodoo is "hereditary" or even "initiatic" and is "not open to white people." That is not true either, but at least i understand the impulse behind defending one's family traditions from racist haters like "Eelkat." The argument that conjure is "for black folks only" may contain wording like, "white folks have no authority of the spirits." This idea would make sense if hoodoo were a religion in which one has to receive "license" or approval by an authority-figure in order to seek the help of exclusively African spirits -- but since the spirits consulted by both historical and modern hoodoo doctors range from God, Biblical angels, and deceased human beings to family ancestors and the life-force of plants and animals, there is no logical basis for the contention that people of non-African genetic backgrounds would be unable to connect with the spirits. The anti-white messages i received at Facebook hit a high peak in 2017. They are now on the downswing, as more historical material is being put on the web.

The funny thing is that had this querent joined our Forum, the information would have been easily available. More material is coming along, too. For instance, in the advance notice for one of my Patreon-sponsored web pages, cited immediately above, mention is made of an article by an African American journalist who interviewed two conjure doctors in Harlem, New York in 1938. In one year this web page, with my extensive annotations, will be free to the public and will add another piece of evidence, bolstered by census records, that demonstrates how cross-cultural sharing adds texture to the African warp and weft of conjure.

Hoodoo has been and remains primarily part of black culture -- but it is high time that uninformed gatekeepers step back from their embattled and bitterly hostile positions and realize that there is no fight here ... and that by learning about historical hoodoo root doctors, practitioners, and shop owners and their long-standing practice of cultural sharing, nothing will be lost, and the beautiful originality of African-American folklore and folk magic will be even more apparent.

Unread post by **catherineyronwode** » Fri Jan 07, 2022 3:29 pm

Hello, everyone, and welcome to the second year of "It's All Ephemera"!

1/07/2022

A "Hoodoo Doctor" Con-Artist in 1885, as reported by the Washington Post newspaper

[PATRONS GET THE SECRET URL IN EMAIL ONE YEAR BEFORE IT OPENS TO THE PUBLIC]

This illustrated and annotated web page presents a sad but true story of how, more than 135 years ago, a black criminal posing as a "hoodoo doctor" defrauded an innocent old man. The more things change, the more they remain the same, and we still see this kind of fraud in the conjure community today, truth to tell.

The Southern Spirits web site includes material about hoodoo gathered from old books, magazine articles, newspapers, and fragments extracted from novels and short stories, annotated with interpretive and comparative notes. If you are not yet familiar with the public portion of the site, check it out!

http://southernspirits.org

My Patrons have access to exclusive threads at the Lucky Mojo Forum which enable discussions with me about the ongoing Patreon page publications. If you are a Patron, come on over to the Private Forum for "Where the Southern Cross the Yellow Dog" and we can talk about the project:

http://forum.luckymojo.com/private-patr ... -f237.html

To support me on Patreon, please go to "It's All Ephemera," where you can read my update posts and sign on as Patrons for as little as $2.00 per week:

http://patreon.com/catherineyronwode

Please follow me on Facebook at

https://www.facebook.com/catyronwode

and on Instagram at

https://www.instagram.com/catherineyronwode

Thanks to my wonderfully supportive Patrons -- you have made these pages possible.

cat yronwode

#conjure #folkmedicine #folklore #herbalism #hoodoo #rootwork

coastwitch · Unread post by **coastwitch** » Sun Jan 09, 2022 5:34 pm

I just read the AIRR web page on Dr. Jim Jordan, written by Miss Michaele and Miss Cat. You folks are doing wonderful work preserving the history of this craft. The biographies are part of the tradition almost as much as the spells are and we are lucky to learn about these people.

Unread post by **catherineyronwode** » Sat Jan 15, 2022 1:30 am

Where the Southern Cross the Yellow Dog: Her Mother Was Conjured (Patreon Tier 2, January 14th, 2022)

Hello, everyone, and welcome to "It's All Ephemera"! This week i am opening a one-year-old Patreon page to the public and creating a new page in "Where the Southern Cross the Yellow Dog" as a one-year Patreon exclusive for those who are financially supporting my writing.

Lula Taylor, born in slavery, tells how her mother ws conjured in the days before Emancipation.

[PATRONS GET THE SECRET URL IN EMAIL ONE YEAR BEFORE IT OPENS TO THE PUBLIC]

This illustrated and annotated web page gives an account of a black husband and wife team of conjure doctors who stole a slave from her white owner and forced her to work for them, then fed her a concoction of herbs that caused her to marry the suitor they chose for her.

The Southern Spirits web site includes material about hoodoo gathered from old books, magazine articles, newspapers, and fragments extracted from novels and short stories, annotated with interpretive and comparative notes. If you are not yet familiar with the public portion of the site, check it out!

http://southernspirits.org

My Patrons have access to exclusive threads at the Lucky Mojo Forum which enable discussions with me about the ongoing Patreon page publications. If you are a Patron, come on over to the Private Forum for "Where the Southern Cross the Yellow Dog" and we can talk about the project:

private-patreon-forum-f237.html

To support me on Patreon, please go to "It's All Ephemera," where you can read my update posts and sign on as Patrons for as little as $2.00 per week:

http://patreon.com/catherineyronwode

Please follow me on Facebook at

https://www.facebook.com/catyronwode

and on Instagram at

https://www.instagram.com/catherineyronwode

Thanks to my wonderfully supportive Patrons -- you have made these pages possible.

cat yronwode

#conjure #folkmedicine #folklore #herbalism #hoodoo #rootwork

Unread post by **catherineyronwode** » Fri Jan 21, 2022 3:31 pm

Hello, everyone, and welcome to "It's All Ephemera"!

This week i am opening a one-year-old Patreon page to the public -- "Luniolatry" by Gerald Massey. I am also creating a new page in "Where the Southern Cross the Yellow Dog" as a one-year Patreon exclusive for those who financially support my writing.

WITCHCRAFT AND DIVINATION IN SOUTH CAROLINA DURING THE ERA OF SLAVERY by Jacob Stroyer, from "Sketches of My Life in the South" (1879)

[PATRONS GET THE SECRET URL IN EMAIL ONE YEAR BEFORE IT OPENS TO THE PUBLIC]

This illustrated and annotated web page describes the belief in witchcraft and the practices of divination among enslaved people of African descent before Emancipation. The author, Jacob Stroyer, lived these events at first hand as a slave, and his memoir provides priceless insights into the folkloric beliefs of African-American witchcraft practitioners of the mid-19th century.

The Southern Spirits web site includes material about hoodoo gathered from old books, magazine articles, newspapers, and fragments extracted from novels and short stories, annotated with interpretive and comparative notes. If you are not yet familiar with the public portion of the site, check it out!

http://southernspirits.org

My Patrons have access to exclusive threads at the Lucky Mojo Forum which enable discussions with me about the ongoing Patreon page publications. If you are a Patron, come on over to the Private Forum for "Where the Southern Cross the Yellow Dog" and we can talk about the project:

http://forum.luckymojo.com/private-patr ... -f237.html

To support me on Patreon, please go to "It's All Ephemera," where you can read my update posts and sign on as Patrons for as little as $2.00 per week:

http://patreon.com/catherineyronwode

Please follow me on Facebook at

https://www.facebook.com/catyronwode

and on Instagram at

https://www.instagram.com/catherineyronwode

Thanks to my wonderfully supportive Patrons -- you have made these pages possible.

cat yronwode

#hoodoo #conjure #witchcraft #rootwork #divination #folklore

Unread post by **catherineyronwode** » Sat Jan 22, 2022 3:32 pm

Thanks to my Patrons, who contribute as little as $2.00 per week for an exclusive one-year sneak-peek behind the scenes, i am able to write a new web page every week on the history of folk magic and divination. This week, as my husband and i continue our second year at Patreon, one of last year's private Patreon pages has gone public. THANK YOU, Patrons, for making this possible. Go to https://SouthernSpirits.org to find the newly public page, and please consider supporting me on Patreon so i can keep on working on "It's All Ephemera!"

http://www.southernspirits.org/massey-luniolatry.html

#conjure #luckycharms #folklore #herbalism #hoodoo #rootwork

Unread post by **catherineyronwode** » Mon Jan 24, 2022 3:33 pm

Hello, everyone, and welcome to "It's All Ephemera"!

This week i am opening a one-year-old Patreon page to the public -- "Wheels and Spinners" at Your Wate and Fate. I am also creating a new page in "Where the Southern Cross the Yellow Dog" as a one-year Patreon exclusive for those who financially support my writing.

PATSY MOSES: CONJURE DOCTORS OF TENNESSEE AND TEXAS Before and After Freedom, from Texas Slave Narratives (Collected in 1937)

[PATRONS GET THE SECRET URL IN EMAIL ONE YEAR BEFORE IT OPENS TO THE PUBLIC]

This illustrated and annotated web page describes conjure, root doctoring, and witchcraft among enslaved and emancipated people of African descent in Knoxville Tennessee and rural Texas. The narrator, Patsy Moses, was born into slavery and was interviewed by a member of the Federal Writer's Project in 1937, when she was 74 years old. She was a gifted story-teller, and her memories of the conjure remedies told to her by her grandfather Ned Butler are beautifully recounted. Her mythological tale of the origins of the Barred Owl, as well her tales of Hallowe'en games and the interpretations of dreams, provide rare and wonderful glimpses into the folkloric beliefs of African-American conjure in the mid-to late 19th century.

The Southern Spirits web site includes material about hoodoo gathered from old books, magazine articles, newspapers, and fragments extracted from novels and short stories, annotated with interpretive and comparative notes. If you are not yet familiar with the public portion of the site, check it out!

http://southernspirits.org

My Patrons have access to exclusive threads at the Lucky Mojo Forum which enable discussions with me about the ongoing Patreon page publications. If you are a Patron, come on over to the Private Forum for "Where the Southern Cross the Yellow Dog" and we can talk about the project:

http://forum.luckymojo.com/private-patr ... -f237.html

To support me on Patreon, please go to "It's All Ephemera," where you can read my update posts and sign on as Patrons for as little as $2.00 per week:

http://patreon.com/catherineyronwode

Please follow me on Facebook at

https://www.facebook.com/catyronwode

and on Instagram at

https://www.instagram.com/catherineyronwode

Thanks to my wonderfully supportive Patrons -- you have made these pages possible.

cat yronwode

#hoodoo #conjure #witchcraft #rootwork #divination #folklore

MysticAurora · Unread post by **MysticAurora** » Wed Feb 02, 2022 2:30 pm

Wow! Went through these posts and it is so amazing to be able to learn this information and really be able to understand different perspectives of some issues that were touched on.

Unread post by **catherineyronwode** » Fri Feb 04, 2022 12:38 pm

MysticAurora,

I'm glad you enjoyed the posts. As my Patreon pages beome open to the public one year after i write them, i will be announcing them and linking to their pages in this thread.

Unread post by **catherineyronwode** » Wed Feb 09, 2022 7:51 pm

Thanks to my Patrons, who contribute as little as $2.00 per week for an exclusive one-year sneak-peek behind the scenes, i am able to write a new web page every week on the history of folk magic and divination. This week, as my husband and i continue our second year at Patreon, two of last year's private Patreon pages have gone public. THANK YOU, Patrons, for making this possible. Go to http://SouthernSpirits.org to find the newly public pages, and please consider supporting me on Patreon so i can keep on working on "It's All Ephemera!"

Dr. E. P. Read
http://southernspirits.org/wiki/index.p ... E._P._Read

#hoodoo #folkmagic #conjure #imadethis #blackhistory

Follow us on Instagram @catherineyronwode and @luckymojocurioco

Unread post by **fredburke** » Mon Mar 07, 2022 11:37 am

I think these are the Patreon posts I've most enjoyed, and I look forward to a lot more history articles!

Unread post by **catherineyronwode** » Mon Mar 07, 2022 3:34 pm

Thanks to my Patrons, who contribute as little as $2.00 per week for an exclusive one-year sneak-peek behind the scenes, i am able to write a new web page every week on the history of folk magic and divination. This week, as my husband and i continue our second year at Patreon, one of last year's private Patreon pages has gone public. THANK YOU, Patrons, for making this possible. Go to http://HerbMagic.com/Joseph-E.-Meyer.html to find the newly public page, and please consider supporting me on Patreon so i can keep on working on "It's All Ephemera!"

#hoodoo #folkmagic #conjure #imadethis #herbmagic #herbalism

Follow us on Instagram @catherineyronwode and @luckymojocurioco

Unread post by **catherineyronwode** » Mon May 16, 2022 2:57 pm

While bot about conjure per se, thi announcement about an extended exhibit of antique black dolls may be of interest to those who practice magic with dolls.

New-York Historical Society Exhibition Explores Handmade Black Dolls Through the Lens of Race, Gender, and History

Black Dolls on view February 25 – June 5, 2022

https://www.nyhistory.org/press/black-d ... ace-gender

Unread post by **catherineyronwode** » Sat May 21, 2022 3:36 pm

Hello, everyone, and welcome to "It's All Ephemera"!

This week in "Where the Southern Cross the Yellow Dog," i present a rare look at hard-core methods of cursing and killing with conjure, as collected and published by black folklorists in the 19th century. This unique perspective on African-American magic is unmediated by white academic theorizing, and consists of two dozen spells to bring about illness and loss of life.

ALICE M. BACON: CONJURING FOR SICKNESS AND DEATH, from The Southern Workman, November 1895 (Collected in 1875)

[PATRONS GET THE SECRET URL IN EMAIL ONE YEAR BEFORE IT OPENS TO THE PUBLIC]

This illustrated and annotated web page describes conjure, root doctoring, and witchcraft as practiced among formerly enslaved and recently emancipated people of African descent in the state of Virginia in 1875. Techniques consist of direct consumption of spiritual poisons as well as contact magic through the feet and hands.

The Southern Spirits web site includes material about hoodoo gathered from old books, magazine articles, newspapers, and fragments extracted from novels and short stories, annotated with interpretive and comparative notes. If you are not yet familiar with the public portion of the site, check it out!

http://southernspirits.org

My Patrons have access to exclusive threads at the Lucky Mojo Forum which enable discussions with me about the ongoing Patreon page publications. If you are a Patron, come on over to the Private Forum for "Where the Southern Cross the Yellow Dog" and we can talk about the project:

http://forum.luckymojo.com/private-patr ... -f237.html

To support me on Patreon, please go to "It's All Ephemera," where you can read my update posts and sign on as Patrons for as little as $2.00 per week:

http://patreon.com/catherineyronwode

Please follow me on Facebook at

https://www.facebook.com/catyronwode

and on Instagram at

https://www.instagram.com/catherineyronwode

Thanks to my wonderfully supportive Patrons -- you have made these pages possible.

cat yronwode

#hoodoo #conjure #witchcraft #rootwork #divination #folklore

Unread post by **catherineyronwode** » Tue Jun 28, 2022 3:37 pm

Hello, everyone, and welcome to "It's All Ephemera"!

This week in "Where the Southern Cross the Yellow Dog," we journey to Georgia to witness the Cunjer Wars of the late 19th century, as reported by the white archaeologist and folklorist Roland Steiner. His perspective on African-American magic is influenced by his years as an enslaver and Confederate soldier, but his reportage is precise and accurate, and not influenced in any way by academic theorizing.

ROLAND STEINER: OBSERVATIONS ON CONJURING IN GEORGIA, 1901, from The Journal of American Folk-Lore, 1901 (Collected from 1878 - 1899)

[PATRONS GET THE SECRET URL IN EMAIL ONE YEAR BEFORE IT OPENS TO THE PUBLIC]

This illustrated and annotated web page describes conjure, root doctoring, and witchcraft as practiced among formerly enslaved and recently emancipated people of African descent in the state of Georgia prior to 1900. Detailed accounts of several cunjer doctors personally known to the author are given, including their names and locations, making this a valuable research document for genealogists. The accounts of several cunjer wars comprise most of the text, but there are dozens of cursing, protective, and curing spells included as well. Techniques involve making cunjer bags, scattering herbs and graveyard dirt, laying tricks in a person's path, and crafting spiritual poisons.

The Southern Spirits web site includes material about hoodoo gathered from old books, magazine articles, newspapers, and fragments extracted from novels and short stories, annotated with interpretive and comparative notes. If you are not yet familiar with the public portion of the site, check it out!

http://southernspirits.org

My Patrons have access to exclusive threads at the Lucky Mojo Forum which enable discussions with me about the ongoing Patreon page publications. If you are a Patron, come on over to the Private Forum for "Where the Southern Cross the Yellow Dog" and we can talk about the project:

http://forum.luckymojo.com/private-patr ... -f237.html

To support me on Patreon, please go to "It's All Ephemera," where you can read my update posts and sign on as Patrons for as little as $2.00 per week:

http://patreon.com/catherineyronwode

Please follow me on Facebook at

https://www.facebook.com/catyronwode

and on Instagram at

https://www.instagram.com/catherineyronwode

Thanks to my wonderfully supportive Patrons -- you have made these pages possible.

cat yronwode

#hoodoo #conjure #witchcraft #rootwork #divination #folklore

Unread post by **catherineyronwode** » Thu Jul 14, 2022 3:38 pm

Hello, folks! I've got a surprise for you in "It's All Ephemera"!

Back in 1994 i started an online project i called "Blues Lyrics and Hoodoo." Its purpose was to document African-American hoodoo folk magic through evidence found in early 20th century blues lyrics, and, conversely, to use the provenance of the songs to establish that the practice of hoodoo, including its characteristic spiritual supplies, spell methods, and foundational concepts, is African-American.

The site is here:

http://luckymojo.com/blues.html

-- and when you get there, you will see a placard announcing a new page ...
but you can't click on it, because it is for Patrons only.

[THE SECRET URL IS SENT TO PATRONS VIA EMAIL]

After a year for my Patrons to enjoy, this material will be linked from the public-facing pages of the Blues Lyrics and Hoodoo site. In the meantime, my Patrons also have access to exclusive threads at the Lucky Mojo Forum and participate in discussions with me about my ongoing publications.

To support me on Patreon, please go to "It's All Ephemera," where you can read my update posts and sign on as Patrons:

http://patreon.com/catherineyronwode

Follow me on Facebook at

https://www.facebook.com/catyronwode

and on Instagram at

https://www.instagram.com/catherineyronwode

Thanks to my wonderfully supportive Patrons -- you have made this project possible.

Cordially,

cat yronwode

#blueslyrics #blueslyricsandhoodoo #divination #folkmagic #rootwork #conjure #folkmagic

Unread post by **catherineyronwode** » Thu Jul 21, 2022 3:39 pm

Hello, folks! More song lyrics in "It's All Ephemera"!

I am getting farther into "Blues Lyrics and Hoodoo," documenting African-American hoodoo folk magic through evidence found in early 20th century blues lyrics. This week we go back almost 100 years, to hear what kind of spells were being used -- and sung about -- back then. And, to make it even better, a playable audio file is included so you can sing along as the curses are thrown.

The site is here:

http://luckymojo.com/blues.html

-- and when you get there, you will see a placard announcing this week's new page ... but you can't click on it unless you are a Patron, because it is for Patrons only.

[THE SECRET URL IS SENT TO PATRONS VIA EMAIL]

After a year for my Patrons to enjoy, this material will be linked from the public-facing pages of the Blues Lyrics and Hoodoo site. In the meantime, my Patrons also have access to exclusive threads at the Lucky Mojo Forum and participate in discussions with me about my ongoing publications.

To support me on Patreon, please go to "It's All Ephemera," where you can read my update posts and sign on as Patrons:

http://patreon.com/catherineyronwode

Follow me on Facebook at

https://www.facebook.com/catyronwode

and on Instagram at

https://www.instagram.com/catherineyronwode

Thanks to my wonderfully supportive Patrons -- you have made this project possible.

Cordially,

cat yronwode

#blueslyrics #blueslyricsandhoodoo #divination #folkmagic #rootwork #conjure #spellcasting

Unread post by **catherineyronwode** » Thu Jul 28, 2022 3:40 pm

Hello, folks! I am down to the deadline on my workshop for the 2022 Virtual Hoodoo Heritage Festival, with just enough time for the Blues in "It's All Ephemera"!

This week i am bringing you another song transcription for the "Blues Lyrics and Hoodoo" collection, in which i document African-American hoodoo folk magic through evidence found in early 20th century blues lyrics. This week we travel back to 1935, to hear what kind of spells were being used -- and sung about -- in Alabama. And, to make it more fun, an MP3 audio file is included so you can sing along with the great piano player Walter Roland.

The site is here:

http://luckymojo.com/blues.html

-- and when you get there, you will see a placard announcing this week's new page ... but you can't click on it unless you are a Patron, because it is for Patrons only.

[THE SECRET URL IS SENT TO PATRONS VIA EMAIL]

After a year for my Patrons to enjoy, this material will be linked from the public-facing pages of the Blues Lyrics and Hoodoo site. In the meantime, my Patrons also have access to exclusive threads at the Lucky Mojo Forum and participate in discussions with me about my ongoing publications.

To support me on Patreon, please go to "It's All Ephemera," where you can read my update posts and sign on as Patrons:

http://patreon.com/catherineyronwode

Follow me on Facebook at

https://www.facebook.com/catyronwode

and on Instagram at

https://www.instagram.com/catherineyronwode

Thanks to my wonderfully supportive Patrons -- you have made this project possible.

Cordially,

cat yronwode

#blueslyrics #blueslyricsandhoodoo #divination #folkmagic #rootwork #conjure

Unread post by **catherineyronwode** » Sat Jul 30, 2022 5:06 pm

Old-school hoodoo supplies from my collection: Peppermint, Sage, Frank-Incense Compound, 5-6 Lucky Horseshoe Incense, and Araby Incense, all circa 1928-1938.

#hoodoo #conjure #witchcraft #rootwork #luckymojocurioco #artdecostyle #spiritualsupplies

Unread post by **catherineyronwode** » Sun Aug 07, 2022 3:41 pm

Thanks to my Patrons, who contribute as little as $2.00 per week for an exclusive one-year sneak-peek behind the scenes, i am able to write a new web page every week on the history of folk magic and divination. Thank you, Patrons, for making this possible. Go to

http://yourwateandfate.com/In_the_Realm_of_the_Readers

to find the newly public pages, and please consider supporting me on Patreon so i can keep on working on "It's All Ephemera!"

#divination #tealeafreading #hoodoo #folkmagic #conjure #imadethis #themystictearoom #intherealmofthereaders

Follow us on Instagram @catherineyronwode and @luckymojocurioco

Unread post by **catherineyronwode** » Sun Aug 07, 2022 3:42 pm

Thanks to my Patrons, who contribute as little as $2.00 per week for an exclusive one-year sneak-peek behind the scenes, i am able to write a new web page every week on the history of folk magic and divination. Thank you, Patrons, for making this possible. Go to

Released! http://yourwateandfate.com/Madam_Stonar

to find the newly public pages, and please consider supporting me on Patreon so i can keep on working on "It's All Ephemera!"

#divination #tealeafreading #hoodoo #folkmagic #conjure #imadethis #themystictearoom #intherealmofthereaders

Follow us on Instagram @catherineyronwode and @luckymojocurioco

Unread post by **catherineyronwode** » Sun Aug 14, 2022 3:43 pm

Thanks to my Patrons, who contribute as little as $2.00 per week for an exclusive one-year sneak-peek behind the scenes, i am able to write a new web page every week on the history of folk magic and divination. Thank you, Patrons, for making this possible. Go to

http://yourwateandfate.com/Josephine_De ... _of_Dayton

to read about the mysterious and marvelous diviners of Dayton, Ohio — and please consider supporting me on Patreon so i can keep on working on "It's All Ephemera!"

#divination #tealeafreading #hoodoo #folkmagic #conjure #imadethis #themystictearoom #intherealmofthereaders

Follow us on Instagram @catherineyronwode and @luckymojocurioco

Mr Christopher · Unread post by **Mr Christopher** » Wed Sep 14, 2022 1:44 pm

News from Miss cat:

Thanks to my Patrons, who contribute as little as $2.00 per week for an exclusive one-year sneak-peek behind the scenes, i am able to write a new web page every week on the history of folk magic and divination. Thank you, Patrons, for making this possible. Go to

http://southernspirits.org/wiki/index.p ... _Co.,_1959

to find the newly public pages, and please consider supporting me on Patreon so i can keep on working on "It's All Ephemera!"

#divination #tealeafreading #hoodoo #folkmagic #conjure #imadethis #whenhoodoowasillegal #southernspirits

Follow us on Instagram @catherineyronwode and @luckymojocurioco

Unread post by **catherineyronwode** » Fri Sep 16, 2022 7:13 pm

A portion of my collection of antique and contemporary hoodoo supplies -- including brand-new vintage-look conjure oils from my own shop, the Lucky Mojo Curio Co. in Forestville, California. All of our products are hand-made and contain real herbs, roots, and minerals. We honour and support traditional African-American folk magic by providing practitioners with the finest of freshly-made spiritual oils, incense, perfumes, floor washes, candles, spell kits, and sachet powders, plus the widest selection of magical herbs and roots under one roof. We are open 7 days a week, 9:00 - 5:00.

Our catalogue is online at luckymojo.com/catalogue — and we sell by mail order, too, both retail and wholesale.

Visit the free Lucky Mojo Forum to ask questions about folk magic and receive helpful responses from knowledgeable practitioners at forum.luckymojo.com

(Photo by nagasiva yronwode.)

#luckymojocurioco #spiritualsupplies #hoodoocandles #conjureoils #spellkits #hoodooherbs #magicbooks #rootsandherbs #spellwork #esotericknowledge #hoodoospells #candleservices #candlespells
#handcrafted #spiritualservices #candlemagic #magicbooks

Follow us on Instagram @catherineyronwode @luckymojocurioco

Unread post by **catherineyronwode** » Sat May 27, 2023 6:53 pm

Thanks to my Patrons, who contribute as little as $2.00 per week for an exclusive one-year sneak-peek behind the scenes, i am able to write new web pages every week on the history of folk magic and divination. Read the page below for a rare look at hard-core methods of cursing and killing with conjure, as collected and published by black folklorists in the 19th century. This unique perspective on African-American magic is unmediated by white academic theorizing, and consists of two dozen spells to bring about illness and loss of life.

https://southernspirits.org/wiki/index. ... _from_1875

And, once again, thank you, my Patrons, for making this possible.

#hoodoo #folkmagic #conjure #imadethis #southernspirits #conjure #folkmedicine #folklore #herbalism

Follow us on Instagram
@catherineyronwode
and
@luckymojocurioco

Unread post by **catherineyronwode** » Sat Jul 01, 2023 6:52 pm

Thanks to the support of my Patrons, there is a new public web page online at SouthernSpirits.org that describes conjure, root doctoring, and witchcraft among enslaved and emancipated people of African descent in Georgia. This illustrated and annotated web page describes conjure, root doctoring, and witchcraft as practiced among formerly enslaved and recently emancipated people of African descent in the state of Georgia prior to 1900. Detailed accounts of several cunjer doctors personally known to the author are given, including their names and locations, making this a valuable research document for genealogists as well as rootworkers. The accounts of several cunjer wars comprise most of the text, but there are dozens of cursing, protective, and curing spells included as well. Techniques involve making cunjer bags, scattering herbs and graveyard dirt, laying tricks in a person's path, and crafting spiritual poisons. Find it at:

http://southernspirits.org/wiki/Roland_ ... rgia,_1901

Please consider supporting me on Patreon for as little as $2.00 per week for an exclusive one-year sneak-peek behind the scenes, so i can keep on working on "It's All Ephemera!"

#hoodoo #folkmagic #conjure #imadethis #southernspirits #conjure #folkmedicine #folklore #dreaminterpretation

Follow us on Instagram
@catherineyronwode
and
@luckymojocurioco

Unread post by **Theredqueen911** » Sun Jul 23, 2023 12:30 pm

I wasn't sure where to put this post so I put it here... It's kind of a history question more or less/ looking for a list also of white hoodoo practitioners that were famous back in the day....

I got into a serious debate with a Gullah Geechee person who claims that Hoodoo is from the Gullah people... And that hoodoo has initiations... And bloodlines... And that if you aren't from their bloodlines, you may not practice hoodoo.

Is there any truth to the bloodlines or hoodoo's origin into the Gullah Geechee people?

Of all my years of studying Hoodoo from teachers as well as books but mostly teachers I have never heard of hoodoo bloodlines nor legit hoodoo initiations...

Idk I'm coming here to ask this question because Miss Cat... Is one of the greatest hoodoo historians since Henry Hyatt.

@catherineyronwode... If you have any thoughts on this I would greatly appreciate it...

The people I was arguing with got a little nasty. I left the conversation and I'm not going back to it. This is more for just my education... If I am wrong please correct me...

Sincerely,
The Red Queen

Unread post by **JayDee** » Sun Jul 23, 2023 5:03 pm

Theredqueen911 ,

You may have people make claims that state, "hoodoo is...." they are mostly exclusionary, meaning only they and a small group can practice due to some rule they made up. The easiest way to answer that question is then to look at Hoodoo as it was practiced and recorded by Newbell Niles Puckett, Harry M. Hyatt, Zora Neal Hurston, and other anthropologists like Miss Cat.

"The Gullah/Geechee people of today are descendants of enslaved Africans from several tribal groups of west and central Africa forced to work on the plantations of coastal North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida." So says the Library of Congress.

Was and is Hoodoo practiced in Alabama, Arkansas, Kansas, Oklahoma, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas, Michigan, Louisiana, Mississippi, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Virginia, Tennessee, Kentucky, and California? Yes.

Is there evidence of it being worked by African-Americans who had no connection to the Gullah? The answer is clearly yes.

Let's move on then to the practices of Hoodoo. If it is an exclusionary practice, why is there no initiations initiations in all of Hyatt's works? He interviewed 1,600 practitioners in 15 states. Did every single person leave that out?

If the work is only for Gullah people:

* How do we explain the northern and southern African roots such as foot track magic?
* How did the Jewish Psalms, or Seals of Moses and Solomon enter the work?
* When did the Bible become an important tool and why do hoodoo practitioners work with holy water, and mention baptism?
* How can we explain non-religious Jewish, Arabic, North African, and Mediterranean traditions, such as belief in the evil eye, the use of basil and rue, and the use of spices like cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg?
* How does one explain the influence of Native American traditions such as American herbs, sage, sassafras, tobacco, Indian Spirit Guide, Black Hawk?
* How can we explain the European aspects such as herbalism from European sources, German Braucherei or Pow Wow magic?
* How did the classical planetary influences and western astrology enter in?
* How did candles get included?
* How do we reconcile the adaption of Asian work in Hoodoo, Chinese Wash, bat nuts, the color red, hell money, Oriental Grasses, Lucky Buddha?

Has this person read the works of Henri Gamache, or Hohman's Pow Wows or the Long Lost Friend? Have they read the Key of Solomon or the 6th and 7th Books of Moses or Secrets of the Psalms? Likely not. But these books and others like them have been sold in African American candle, herb, and incense shops for 100 years and more.

Of course this is not an exclusive list, I would be here all night pointing out the inconsistencies and errors in this person's logic. You can argue with them, or do as I was taught by Miss Cat when people bring these claims to make something exclusively their own, agree to disagree and move on. History is on your side.

Hoodoo in Theory and Practice: https://www.luckymojo.com/hoodoo.html

JayDee

Unread post by **catherineyronwode** » Sun Jul 23, 2023 6:59 pm

Thank you, JayDee. You nailed it.

It is logically impossible to disprove a claim by asserting that no evidence of it exists, because the claimant can always allude to "secret evidence." of some sort. But the evidence of widespread non-Gullah conjure is overwhelming, and actually forms the preponderance of specific interviews with practitioners in the 19th and 20th centuries.

Of course the Gullah and Geechee people certainly did and do practice hoodoo, but you will also find hoodoo spells from non Gullah people in the states where Gullah people live, and in states where African Americans don't have historical ties to Gullah people.

Hoodoo spells have been collected by Black folklorists as far back as the 19th century. No mentions of bloodlines or initiations appear in these Black accounts of conjure -- in publications by Black people FOR Black people.

For more evidence from the 19th and 20th centuries, go to my historical site, Southern Spirits, and read the entries.

https://www.southernspirits.org

For evidence of conjure practices documented in the 20th century through popular Black music, with no references to exclusivity of bloodlines or initiations, check out my Blues Lyrics and Hoodoo collection:

https://www.luckymojo.com/blues.html

As for White hoodoo practitioners of the 19th and 20th centuries, i know of many, but i do not have time to compile a list for you. The Black practitioners interviewed by Harry Hyatt between 1936 and 1940 did mention White readers and rootworkers. Hyatt did not interview candle shop owners, but i personally knew of some who were White or Jewish or Latino back from the 1960s through 2000. You can find a list of more recent ones in the back of Carolyn Morrow Long's book, "Spiritual Merchants."

Unread post by **Theredqueen911** » Mon Jul 24, 2023 12:48 pm

@JayDee @Catherineyronwode

Thanks for your informative responses. I will def ck out all of those links....especially that southernspirits...I've been meaning to ck that page...for a while now. Thank You Very Much to the Both of You!!!

Sincerely,
Theredqueen911

Unread post by **catherineyronwode** » Tue Sep 05, 2023 11:50 am

AIRR Tech Team Report 8/22/2023 Black Herman!

The AIRR Tech Team joined hands and created a new web page on Black Herman. Born Benjamin Rucker, he was a stage magician, herb doctor, spiritual teacher, and social activist. Jon Saint Germain wrote the page, Catherine Yronwode edited it, Nagasiva Yronwode provided the graphic, Papa Newt did proofreading and site-wide linking, and Nagasiva created the graphic announcement. Check out our prestidigital page on Black Herman!

The Black Herman page is here:

http://readersandrootworkers.org/wiki/Black_Herman

We shall now move to social media, to share the the Black Herman page at the AIRR page on Facebook, here:

https://www.facebook.com/ReadersandRootworkers

#psychic #psychicreading #psychicreaders #psychicreadingsonline #tarotreading #tarotcardreading #hoodoo #hoodoospells #spiritualadvice #conjure #conjurespells #spellcasting #fortunetelling #divination #pendulumdowsing #pendulumreading #readersandrootworkers #rootworkers #stagemagicians #politicalactivist #spiritualteacher #blackherman

ain sophist · Unread post by **ain sophist** » Wed Oct 25, 2023 1:44 pm

Found this one on Youtube
A Black Women’s History of Hoodoo, Conjure, & Witchcraft
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJuxww4DgRY

I thought y'all might enjoy it.

Unread post by **catherineyronwode** » Thu Oct 26, 2023 11:17 am

Thanks!

Unread post by **TBanks91** » Sat Oct 28, 2023 7:19 pm

Hey everyone!

I was very curious if anybody knew, roughly how many people are estimated to be practicing Hoodoo in the US?

I also was curious to see the population of people practicing other types of magic and the popularity behind it?

TBanks91

Unread post by **catherineyronwode** » Mon Oct 30, 2023 11:26 am

Hi, TBanks91 -- nice to see you here!

I know of no such survey, but i can tell you my own method of estimation.

The folklorist Harry Hyatt interviewed 1,600 Black Americans about hoodoo between 1936 and 1940 -- and he estimated then that 60% of Black people knew about or outright practiced hoodoo at that time. That was 75 to 80 years ago, and i will return to this number in a moment.

A demographic study conducted back in the late 1990s and another from the early 2000s noted that either 1 in 10 or 1 in 11 United States citizens -- not sorted by ethnic or cultural backgrounds -- had consulted a psychic during the past year. Of course, some do so only once in their life and others do so every month -- and consulting a psychic is not the same as practicing folk magic ... but let me use these studies to make some speculations.

* There are about 330 million people in the USA at the present time.
* If 1 in 10 US residents on average go to a psychic once a year, that would be a total of 33 million people per year who get a reading.
* If 1 out of 10 Americans is Black, that would be a total of 3 million Black people in any given year who get at least one psychic reading.

Now let's look at those who go to readers versus those who practice domestic folk magic. Here i have no studies to back me up -- just my own sense of proportions after almost 60 years as a reader and practitioner. Considering only my Black reading clients --

* I deal with people who only get readings and never do any magic spells nor work with any prayers.
* I deal with people who get readings and also want lights to be set for them but do not practice any rootwork nor hire any rootworkers.
* I deal with people who get readings and want to hire rootworkers to cast spells for them, but do no work themselves.
* I deal with people who get readings and want spell-casting consultations because they do their own rootwork -- and these folks may either buy spiritual supplies or only work with kitchen herbs.
* I deal with people who rarely get readings but buy hoodoo and other magical supplies regularly and are presumably doing their own rootwork.

Given these variations, i would say that about half of the Black clients who come to me for a psychic reading never express any interest in prayer-work, spell-casting, having candles set, hiring a root doctor, or purchasing spiritual supplies. They just want readings.

That cuts our estimate in half -- of the 3 million Black people who get readings in any given year, i would guess that about 1.5 million are also interested in prayers, spells, or root doctoring. Of that 1.5 million -- well, probably half of my Black clients tell me that they will want to passively hire a root doctor or have lights set for them, and the other half will actively either (or additionally) say prayers with magical intent or perform spells in their own homes -- say about 750,000 passive and 750,000 active.

But remember, not all of the Black people who actively practice magic in their own homes also get readings in any given year, so i will add a guess as to their number back in -- maybe 250,000 active Black practitioners who do not seek out a reading in any given year but who are practitioners nonetheless.

That brings me to about 1 million Black people in the USA who actively practice some form of domestic magic, be it prayers, spell-casting, lighting their own candles, working with kitchen herbs, or all-out rootwork -- with or without getting a reading in any given year. They may not practice rootwork every year, and they may consider it old grandmother stuff until they need it, but they know what it is and they can hold a conversation about it.

I am thus estimating that about 33% of the Black population in American know about or outright practice hoodoo at the present time. This is just over half of Harry Hyatt's estimate in 1936 - 1940 when he stated that 60% of Black people knew of or outright practiced hoodoo during his era. Given the increased skepticism and secularization of all demographic niches in American society, and the rise of evangelical and sternly anti-magical Christian denominations since the late 1970s, that revised figure seems a fair estimate.

I also think, based on my experience, that the same general proportions and numbers hold true in the Latino community.

Of course this is all just speculation, but at least you can see how i got there...

Unread post by **TBanks91** » Wed Nov 01, 2023 1:42 pm

Thank You Ms. Cat! This is amazing because I find a lot of these newer generations don’t fully understand folk magic let alone their ancestry and where they come from. So I wanted to get a general poll just to understand how many cultures are out there who still practice and how long they’ve been practicing. It’s like all of us are a dying breed and these newer generations aren’t getting taught properly from their ancestors or getting false information from unreliable sources who deliver half baked information about santeria, hoodoo, voodoo and other spiritual practices.

Unread post by **catherineyronwode** » Thu Nov 02, 2023 11:39 am

TBanks91 --

You bring up an interesting point that i overlooked -- the ages of the practitioners. Neither the studies on how many people get a psychic reading in a given year, nor Harry Hyatt's estimate that 60% of Black people knew about or practiced hoodoo from 1936-1940 take into account the ages of those surveyed.

We know from internal evidence in his documents that Hyatt interviewed people as young as 25 and as old as 85 to 90 -- with the average known ages for professional root doctors (whose ages he was more likely to note) being around 55 to 65. (One exception, the 25 year old professional rootworker known as the "Boy-Girl" of New Orleans, was very young, but his grandmother, Madame Populous, who had trained him, was also a professional root doctor.)

In looking at my Black reading clients, i note that they range in age from in their early 20s to 85 years old. The majority are 35 to 65 -- following a bell-curve skewed slightly to the older age ranges. This may be because of my own age -- i am 76 at this writing and many of the Black reading clients whom i serve have been coming to me for 25 years or more. (I first got on the internet in 1994.)

Due to the sample distortion caused by my own age and length of service, i cannot tell whether "these newer generations," as you call them are still taking up the practice of traditional hoodoo. If they are, folks like you and me are still here to help.

Unread post by **nagasiva** » Mon Dec 11, 2023 10:16 am

Today i came across this article from 1995 on metaphysical supply stories in Los Angeles (Donald R. Blyth, and his Ram Religious Center; and Sharon Viedma Aguilar and Panpipes Magickal Marketplace):

"Museum Too Weird, County Says : Hollywood: Coroner’s officials want to seize its dried corpses, severed heads and other human remains. Owner says the exhibits are harmless"

by Eric Malnic
June 9, 1995 12 AM PT

https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm ... story.html

-----

Here's a 2013 followup on the subsequent owners of Panpipes from a humorist:

"Panpipes Magickal Marketplace: Where pagans shop and stop for a spell"

By Chris Erskine
Oct. 25, 2013 12 AM PT

https://www.latimes.com/home/la-xpm-201 ... story.html

Unread post by **catherineyronwode** » Sun Dec 24, 2023 5:20 pm

Sheriff Warns Tarot Card Reader Could Be Subject to Arrest
Steve Lehto (455K subscribers)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kpe3ADXlpzA

A religious prophesy ... or for entertainment purposes only? You decide!

Unread post by **catherineyronwode** » Tue Nov 19, 2024 3:27 pm

For those interested in the history of hoodoo (and you are, or else you wouldn't be reading this thread), i want to recommend the article "The Candle Shops of Baltimore" by Lukianos. He's a well-known reader, astrologer, and talisman-maker, and he wrote this more than a decade ago, so it is definitely pre-COVID "history" now. Check it out --

The Candle Shops of Balitimore
https://lukianos.com/the-candle-shops-of-baltimore/