Buckeye Conjure

12/17/2024

One may ask do Hoodoos celebrate Christmas? The answer is yes, although some may not like it today.

As Hoodoo is African American culture and
an expression of survival, based on experiences in the Bible Belt of North America, through the lens of enslaved Africans and their descendants who were forcibly migrated via the transatlantic and intracontinental slave trades, Hoodoo itself has indicative customs, taboos, and omens connected to the holiday seasons, including Christmas. This is based on the experiences of those once enslaved and their post-enslavement lives. I have compiled a list of control signs and slave narrative testimonies surrounding the beliefs and understandings of Christmas according to Hoodoo and African American culture in the United States.

My focus is to embrace the cultural understandings of Hoodoo in order to holistically practice its nature.
Christmas omens, taboos, and customs:

A warm Christmas means a cold Easter.
• A white Christmas means a green Easter.
• A green Christmas indicates a white Easter.
• Nail or tie a head of cabbage to the ceiling on Christmas Day; sticking nails in it brings luck for the next year.
• If it snows on Christmas, it is good luck.
• Animals, especially cows, kneel to pray on Christmas night or Christmas Eve.
• Animals talk to spirits on Christmas Eve at midnight (technically Christmas, but not daytime).
• A baby born on Christmas can talk to animals.
• A baby born on Christmas is lucky.
• If you do not sew between Christmas and the fourth day of New Year's, you will have luck.
• Hang a wishbone between Christmas and New Year's Day for luck.
• When there is snow on the ground during Christmas, there will be fewer deaths; or, as they say, a light graveyard.
• A green Christmas is a fat graveyard.
• Spirits walk freely on Christmas Eve.
• The first person to say "Merry Christmas" on Christmas will be lucky. The same applies to the New Year.
• Keep holly berries from Christmas decorations for luck throughout the year.
• Keep mistletoe hanging around the house around Christmas for luck.
• Eat greens, black-eyed peas, and pork on Christmas for luck.

Slave narrative:

Madison, Florida November 13, 1936 AMANDA MCCRAY

Children on the Pamell plantation led a carefree existence until they were about 12 years of age, when they were put to light chores like carrying water and food, picking seed from cotton lint (there were no cotton gins), and minding the smaller children. They were duly schooled in all the current superstitions and listened to the tales of ghosts and animals that talked and reasoned, tales common to the Negro today. Little Mandy believes to this day that hogs can see the wind and that all animals talk like men on Christmas morning at a certain time. Children wore moles feet and pearl buttons around their necks to insure easy teething and had their legs bathed in a concoction of wasp nest and vinegar if they were slow about learning to walk. This was supposed to strengthen the weak limbs. It was a common occurence to see a child of two or three years still nursing at the mother's breast. Their masters encouraged the slaves to do this, thinking it made strong bones and teeth. At Christmas time the slave children all trouped to "de big house" and stood outside crying "Christmas gift" to their master and mistress. They were never disappointed. Gifts consisted mostly of candies, nuts and fruits but there was always some useful article of clothing included, something they were not accustomed to having. Once little Mandy received a beautiful silk dress from her young mistress, who knew how much she liked beautiful clothes. She was a very happy child and loved the dress so much that she never wore it except on some special occasion.

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12/09/2024

12/09/2024

Hoodoo and Initiations

Some may say you can initiate into Hoodoo others disagree. But what is for sure are rites of passages and inititory rites that do exist through those who practice Hoodoo that works Hoodoo.
See, there is a difference between someone who lives Hoodoo culturally and someone who also works Hoodoo as an addition to living it culturally.

These people are community-appointed spiritual practitioners. Their title and recognition were given to them by the community or by someone who was their mentor and spiritual parent. No title can be self-proclaimed in Hoodoo you're chosen by others to represent, and one ultimately can not pass down authority that one doesn't have.
The titles may include Doctor, Professor, Mother, Father, Mama, Papa, Uncle, Wangateureuses, Loi, Sister, Conjurer, Bishop, and Reverend.

As many people who hold these titles in Hoodoo may have received ordaination such as the professors of secret societies and the Reverends of the church, or their spiritual gifts are recognized to be authentic and true therefore the people of the community give blessing to them to preside and run spiritual rituals.
In Hoodoo one may initiate into a temple or under a well-known worker to learn the secrets of the worker. So, technically the person isn't initiating into Hoodoo but into the secrets of the lineage of that person. However, others may see it differently and state that is initiating into Hoodoo.
In almost every instance from what I've observed the initiate has to go through a series of rituals to connect them to the power in which the initiator has and see or have a spiritual vision of the primary spirit of the source that gives the initiator power. No two Initiations between initiators are alike because of this reason, unless its through the same lineage. Each is unique on its own as the initiators may not have the same spirit that helps to give them power and are from different lineages.

Here are some examples of Initiation that have taken place under sectors in Hoodoo. Just to have an idea...

-Zora Neale Hurstons Initiation under Rev. Father Sims aka Frizzly Rooster who made her "Boss of Candles".

- Mother Leafy Anderson gives Mother Cathern Seals the title of Mother and brings the spirit of Black Hawk.

- Zora Neale Hurston under Father Alfred Frechard who gave her the spirit of the great Moccasin to call on for all kinds of power.

- Church Initiations where one must go into the woods and can not be accepted until they see the spirit of God and the messages from God.

- Afro Spiritualist churches and temples Initiations from Big Chiefs to children to allow them to be accepted by the Native American spirit and to be "less hard".

For a deeper context:
Zora Neal Hurston records three days laying on a mat of snakeskin, fasting with no food, bathed in spiritual waters, her body was then painted with yellow and red paint of one stripe of a lightning bolt. Then she was dressed in white with a white veil. She could not speak while the veil was over her face. Her finger was cut and she had to drink her blood and the blood of others that was placed in a cup.

This is a rough summary of Zora Neale Hurstons under Mr. Turner

In other Initiations blood covenants were made as well. But the commonality is that the spirit recognized the initiate and the initiate recognized the spirit. Some included the initiate to soak or submerge in bathtubs of their spiritual bath, and some received their bath poured over their body, some were submerged in a river, but always bathed by an initiate or the initiator.

There are other ritualistic processes but not considered an initiation that's been physically recorded such as the process held by Doctor Burns to call upon the forces of the crossroads, but described as the devil at midnight for about an hour. This process allowed for his pupils to study under him.

Some of these rights are done by groups or only between the initiator and initiated. Some would be with a few people and some would be with nine or more.

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12/03/2024

Herbs with apparent names that are used for apparent reasons.

Smartw**d (water pepper) - clears the mind and helps with financial decisions.

Lady's slipper orchid - worn in a woman's shoe or slippers to attract a partner.

Shameface (shame w**d) - to make someone feel ashamed.

Heal self (woundwort) - for healing and aids in health.

Lungwort - to heal the lungs.

Devil's shoestring - trips the devil up or malevolent forces. Provides protection against evil.

Forget-me-not - used to encourage friendship, reconnect, and reconcile.

Deer's tongue - persuasion, empowers speech and communication.

Rattlesnake root - helps uncross curses, hexes, or jinxes. Protects against enemies and snakes.

Passion flower - passion, love, peace.

Motherwort - used for protection over family and to encourage peace within the home.

Mojo Bean aka African wishing bean - used for wishes, money, and gambling.

Adder's tongue aka serpent's tongue - stops gossip and slander.

Master root - to master all things and for strength.

Love wishing bean aka Tonka Bean - for love, wishes, and sweet things in life.

Life everlasting - longevity, life, healing.

Wormwood - removes parasites, snakes, protection, calls spirits, and prevents accidents.

Lovage - to attract a lover and sexual power.

11/28/2024

A few tips to help you have the best gathering today.

If your hosting and it's gonna be stressful put a glass of water behind your door or in the highest place in the room to absorb that built up funk an help cool guests heads.

Also go ahead and pray peace in to some olive oil and lightly dress the chairs and the table praying for peace. Tape proverbs 17:1 under table.

Dress your head wit the oil an pray for your peace and cool thinking.

Remember to pause before you speak and that boundaries are powerful.

Pray over that good. Even if there isn't any witchcraft in it,it could protect from food poisoning and will help to break any unintentionally psychic/emotional contamination in the food. There's more then one reason the Elders said don't eat out of just any kitchen and it wasn't just because they where dirty.

Take you a good cleansing bath like a 3 salt bath or lemon balm tea bath afterwards and dress yourself with coconut oil.

I hope you have a great time.
God bless you.

11/24/2024

Hoodoo Bottle Trees captures Evil Spirits:

The Bakongo people, whose homeland is near the mouth of the Congo River, brought the tradition of bottle trees to the United States during the slave trade in the 17th century. According to tradition, legend has it that a malevolent spirit can be captured in the bottles during the night, and in the morning, the sunlight would destroy the spirit. African Americans use the tradition to protect their land or personal area by placing bottles on trees outside their homes, etc. Bottles are believed to capture spirits. A bottle can be used to capture a spirit and house it, or in the case of the bottle tree, negative spirits are caught in the bottle and destroyed in the morning by the sunlight, seeing as it's believed negative spirits like the dark.

Bottle trees are considered to be spirit catchers.
They can be made with living or nonliving trees. The bottles are either placed on the branches of the tree or hung with a string from the tree.
One could then if they choose to take further action, cork the bottles and dispose of them in a river to eliminate the evil spirits. In some cases, materials such as nails, foil (aka silver paper), stones, reflective objects, graveyard dirt, or bones are placed in the bottles. These things placed in the bottle are meant to attract wandering evil spirits so that the spirits can be destroyed the next day. Think of the bottle like a trap for evil spirits. The bottle tree works the same way as a bug catcher.

The mouths of the bottles are sometimes greased, or a substance is placed on the mouth of the bottle to also attract or draw in the spirit.
These trees were placed outside the home or near the home. They are also placed in gardens or fields to scare away thieves too. This is because thieves believed that if they entered the property where a bottle tree was, they would be cursed.

Disclaimer: The image used is a Metaverse generated Ai image. My post is tagged Ai info because I used their image generator to show what a bottle tree looks like if the bottles are hanging from a tree. I however, wrote the post. No, Ai tools was used to write this post.

11/22/2024

Hoodoo and Snow:

Areas of influence:
• Wisdom
• Dreams
• Intuition
• Healing
• Purification
• Cleansing
• Harmony
• Prosperity
• Visions

Although it may not snow or snow sparingly or rarely in some states, snow is indeed a part of Hoodoo and because of the rarity in some areas, snow water is considered sacred. Some may say as sacred as May Water (the first rainfall of May water). Snow is very much seasonal and can not be collected all year round in most cases in the U.S. which is another reason why it's considered sacred.

Uses for snow water include physical, spiritual, and psychological healing and renewal. Take snow water and use it as an ingredient to wash your head. Doing so provides relief from worry, doubt, and anxiety. Washing the head in sacred waters or ingredients can empower a person or rejuvenate a person. A great ingredient to add with snow water for any purification wash is hyssop. Recite, "Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow." Psalms 51:7

Snow is considered gentle, it falls like soft pillows hence why the water is used in purification and cleansing baths. Even the most aggressive snowfall floats through the air. Add snow water to your bath with rosemary to help purify yourself. It is snow that covers the peak of a mountain so snow is also associated with wisdom, evolution, and growth as well.

Snow water is also used in prosperity work because it's said when the sun shines on fresh snow it looks like diamonds. Snow water is added to mint and cinnamon, then bathed in.

Snow water is used as a healing agent for the eyes. According to Hoodoo the first snow in March is good for sore eyes. However, the snow must be collected before the sun shines on it. Light reflects on snow and can be blinding but in the dark its a soothing sight to see. In some areas, it's said to be the first snow of winter to be as sacred.

In Hoodoo there are also weather omens regarding snow. Some examples are, if a fire is crackling consistently or singing fire then it's a sign of snow. Or if it snows in March after the trees have budded then the next winter will be harsh.

11/20/2024

We all know that it is taboo for the purse to be placed on the floor or the ground because your money will hit the ground (be without). It is also taboo for the purse to be on the doorknob because as the doorknow allows people to come and go so will your money.

11/17/2024

Potlikkah- leftover juice or broth from cooking collard greens, turnip greens, beet greens, or mustard greens. The broth is typically very green and full of nutrients which makes it a delicacy and valuable in Hoodoo.

Potlikkah is seen as a very beneficial broth that contains everything needed to cure a multitude of things including poverty, health-related problems, and even physical deficiencies. To throw away or waste potlikkah was considered sinful in most African American households. This is the broth has the essence of long-simmered leafy greens and would be preserved to cure stomach aches, heart problems, bad skin, people even bathed their babies in it to prevent bow-leg or to encourage a child to walk.

Potlikkah was a common ingredient prescribed by conjuers, rootworkers, and hoodoos alike. Prescribed to get rid of troubles such as certain ailments like poison or headaches. At times the prescription would be to eat cornbread and greens and follow up by drinking the pitlikkah from the greens. Many times the juice must be completed even if it took days.
Its also a common ingredient in floor scrubs to bring in success or wealth or you can add a bit of potlikkah to the floor wash.

In Hoodoo, potlikkah holds significance beyond its culinary traditions. It is believed to be a powerful ingredient for rootwork, thanks to its association with fertility, prosperity, and luck in Southern "folklore" and traditions. In Hoodoo practices, potlikkah can be used in various rituals to attract good fortune, abundance, and blessings. Some practitioners use potlikkah as a base for creating a medicinal brew or potion and as an offering to ancestors and spirits. Its properties are thought to help with various intentions, from attracting wealth and success to protecting the home from negative energies.

"Folklore is the boiled-down juice, or potlikker, of human living.” — Zora Neale Hurston

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