Howdy y'all!!
This week we'll be covering the dark, mystical and mysterious Hoodoo!! We often see Hoodoo in movies, books and other media, linked with mystical practitioners with strange ornaments and talismans. Disney even included it in their movie The Princess and The Frog where the villain is a Hoodoo man who changed Prince Naveen into a frog.
So what is Hoodoo exactly? It goes by various names such as "Rootwork" "Conjure" and "Juju. Hoodoo is the practice of obtaining success and luck in areas of life such as love, money, health, career etc. Use of candles, bodily fluids, herbs, stones, minerals and dirt are often used as part of the rituals. As Hoodoo is believed to change the outcome of situations through spiritual intention and ritual, it is akin to "Grey Magick".
Hoodoo is often confused with Voo Doo, although the two are similar, they are also very different. Voo Doo is a religion that a mixture of the old West African traditions originating from Nigeria, Congo and Benin. It was bought to America during the transatlantic slave trade. Voo Doo is more synchronised and closer to Catholicism, where the Loa are akin to saints. Hoodoo has a central creator spirit (God) that made the universe and lesser Gods. The Creator spirit is neither good or bad and everything that happens to a person is from God. The Creator is considered the highest HooDoo doctor and figures from the bible, such as Moses are also considered Hoodoo doctors. The bible is also considered a powerful talisman and conjuring book.
Hoodoo focuses heavily on the individual spirituality therefore there is no need to have a designated faith or priest to practice it. Different objects have different uses, for example a black candle will take away negative energies and a white candle will attract good energies. It is used to attract more wealth, love, banish any evil energy, healing and divination. Hoodoo supplies can be made at home or bought at spiritual shops.
So, although sometimes portrayed at evil, Hoodoo is just another belief system, another way of seeing the world around us and connecting spiritually. I hope that was interesting and demystifying the ancient practice of Hoodoo!! Y'all come back now!!