Formal Introduction by Lucius

[Luciusferre]

Hello everyone,

I wanted to take a moment to formally introduce myself within the forum. My name is Lucius, and I am here because I am deeply interested in learning about Hoodoo practices. I am following the instructions provided by Catherine as a prerequisite prior to enrolling in the Hoodoo Rootwork Correspondence Course.

I have been a subscriber to The Lucky Mojo Hoodoo Rootwork Hour on YouTube for some time and am familiar with a number of works published by Lucky Mojo. Several of those texts are already part of my personal library, and I have read them to enrich my understanding of Hoodoo.

Professionally, I am a history instructor, so I have a strong appreciation for primary source material. Much of my study has included Harry M. Hyatt’s Hoodoo, Witchcraft, Rootwork, and Conjuration, along with additional scholarship exploring African Traditional Religions more broadly, particularly Haitian Vodou, Kimbanda, Santería, and Candomblé.

My interest in Hoodoo comes from a deep reverence for African Religious Traditions and the cultural foundations from which Hoodoo emerges. Although I am an initiate within a traditional witchcraft practice, I approach the study of Hoodoo with the same care, seriousness, and respect. I hope to better understand Hoodoo as a living-culturally rooted tradition with its history, its community, and its practice. Therefore, in order to enrich my own spiritual path and, where appropriate, to serve others with integrity.

I look forward to learning and engaging respectfully with everyone here.

Blessings,
Lucius

[Luciusferre]

Hello conjure community,

I am always deeply intrigued by the stories and heritage passed down through family and elders, often preserved through oral tradition. These narratives carry more than memory. They hold wisdom that guide spiritual practice and keep us connected to our ancestral past in ways that written sources alone cannot fully capture. With that spirit of respect, I have a few questions I would be grateful to discuss, should anyone be willing to share their experiences:

-How were you first introduced to Hoodoo, and who taught you?
-What role did family, community, or region play in shaping your practice?
-Were there particular sayings or practices passed down in your family that shaped your understanding of Hoodoo?
-What lessons were emphasized about working with ancestors or the spirits?

I ask these questions from a place of genuine interest and reverence for lived experience. Thank you in advance to anyone who feels comfortable sharing.

Blessings,
Lucius

[Luciusferre]

Hello Conjure Community,

Cultural relationship is integral to understanding Hoodoo and, I would argue, to understanding any African Traditional Religion when it is studied with care. It is difficult, if not impossible, to truly grasp a traditional or culturally rooted path where knowledge is transmitted through community and embodied in lived spiritual practice without engaging that community in some meaningful way.

For me, learning Hoodoo is not merely technical, though I recognize that there are specific methods and skills involved. It is fundamentally relational. As we work with its materials and practices, we enter into proximity with living people and a living tradition. Hoodoo is approached not only through technique, but through history, culture, mentorship, and community.

Engagement, in my understanding, means listening to Black voices, both historical and contemporary. It means reading primary sources and historic documents related to Hoodoo. It also means cultivating genuine friendships and connections, including with those whose Black heritage carries cultural memory and insight.

For these reasons, I do not view Hoodoo as eclectic. Rather, it is a rooted tradition grounded in cultural practice and shaped within the framework of African American spiritual life.

For those who did not grow up within Black American culture, but who seek to study Hoodoo with integrity, what does genuine cultural relationship look like in practice beyond reading and coursework?

Blessings,
Lucius

[catherineyronwode]

Hello, Lucius, and welcome to the Lucky Mojo Forum.

I see that we have many interests in common, particularly history. My specialty seems to have become post-Civil-War American hoodoo, with particular reference to popular culture, perfumery, folk magic, and graphic design of the 20th century. I am always glad to share what i know, and to answer any question put to me, if i know the answer.

Thanks for introducing yourself, and i hope to see more of you here.

cat

[catherineyronwode]

"What does genuine cultural relationship look like in practice beyond reading and coursework?"

Making friends in the Black community!

[catherineyronwode]

-How were you first introduced to Hoodoo, and who taught you?

I walked into a hoodoo candle shop and came back to learn more over the course of weeks, months, and years. The owner and good customers, older women mostly, gave me tips.

-What role did family, community, or region play in shaping your practice?

My own family members were hobby folklorists as well as botanists, librarians, and the like. They supported my interests.

My community was mixed in race and national origin.

My region was a place where many African American shipyard workers had migrated for jobs during World War Two from the South.

-Were there particular sayings or practices passed down in your family that shaped your understanding of Hoodoo?

My family's practices were those of scholarly research. My mother was a research librarian who co-owned an antiquarian book store, so when i expressed interest in hoodoo, she told me to "look it up in the card catalogue." I did so and was immediately supplied with a copy of "Mules and Men" by Zora Neale Hurston and "Folk Beliefs of the Southern Negro" by Newbell Niles Puckett, which gave me leads on what to ask the candle shop owner about. .

-What lessons were emphasized about working with ancestors or the spirits?

"Working with ancestors" and "working with spirits" as i experienced them were well within the Spiritual Church Movement, specifically Mount Zion Spiritual Church in Oakland, California. People freely shared stories of parents, grandparents, and ancestors, including dreams of the dead.

Here is what i have written about my experiences:

Hoodoo and Religion:
Is Hoodoo a Religion?
Who are the "Spirits" in Hoodoo?
But ... What About the Hoodoo Saints?
Can Catholics Practice Hoodoo?
Can Wiccans Practice Hoodoo?
Can Members of ATRs Practice Hoodoo?
https://www.luckymojo.com/hoodooandreligion.html

I hope this helps.

[Luciusferre]

Hello,

I could not agree with you more, Catherine. Celebrating diversity is essential, and for me that includes not only surrounding myself with Black friends, but also cultivating friendships across generations and communities. I have noticed that many, in my own generation, such as those in their 30s and younger, can sometimes feel more detached from folk culture and traditional magical practices, unless they are practitioners themselves. In contrast, some of my older Black friends seem to carry a living connection to the folkways, holding stories that feel rooted from their own family traditions. Those relationships with older adults have become meaningful to me.

Blessings,
Lucius

[Luciusferre]

Hello Catherine,

I have my notebook and a pen ready, for your website offers quite the layers of information, and am taking my time moving through it thoughtfully. Thank you for such a detailed and generous response. I truly appreciate you sharing your story and history. I was especially intrigued to learn that your mother was a research librarian. I am currently pursuing a second MA in librarianship, and I find the field deeply rewarding. I have always loved books, but more than that, I believe in the important task of preserving knowledge. I recently finished Zora Neale Hurston’s Tell My Horse, and this week I began Mules and Men since I have had some extra time this week. Thank you again for the link. You have given me much to reflect on.

-Lucius

[catherineyronwode]

Hi, Luucius --

I merged your three topic threads into one and i also edited my previous responses a bit (adding Newbell Niles Puckett).

Thanks for taking the time to rummage through my 30 years of web pages at various domains. I hope it all forms a coherent mass of texts.