African American Spirituality has taken diverse forms over the years. Much has been written about Black Churches and the African religious traditions of the diaspora. Less, however, is available on the subject of Black magical spirituality, as exemplified in Hoodoo, Conjure, Rootwork, and Candle Burning.
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 this site 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.
These texts are intended to function as a factual resource for scholars and students, and to serve as an adjunct to my online books "Hoodoo in Theory and Practice" and "Hoodoo and Blues Lyrics," as well as my in-print book "Hoodoo Herb and Root Magic, a Materia Magica of African-American Conjure." They are also recommended reading for students taking my practical Correspondence Course in Hoodoo Rootwork Magic Course.
WARNING: Some material at this web site was written by
European-Americans who were describing African-American
spirituality as outsiders. Some of these authors were racist
or race-derogatory and the conclusions they drew while
writing their eye-witness accounts are grossly offensive.
However, their texts are included in full because they
accurately describe practices and customs of the
African-American South during the 19th century (albeit not
always with complete understanding) -- and they also serve as
a political reminder of how far we have some in our struggle
for race equality and respect in the ensuing years. Read
with caution and compassion. All pages that are potentially
offensive will contain this WARNING NOTICE.
ON AFRICAN-AMERICAN MAGIC AND SPIRITUALITY
Hag-Riding and Witchcraft
from "Life of William Grimes, the Runaway Slave", 1825.
Uncle Frank, a Fortune Teller Slave in Missouri
from "Narrative of William W. Brown, An American Slave", 1847.
On the Use of Roots and Powders Among the Slaves
from "Narrative of the Life and Adventures of Henry Bibb, An American Slave", 1849.
A 19th century African-American Spiritualist and Rosicrucian describes Hoodoo and Voodoo
from "Seership! The Magnetic Mirror", 1870.
"Voudooism -- African Fetich Worship Among The Memphis Negroes"
from "The Memphis Appeal" [newspaper], circa 1865 - 1867, cited by P. B. Randolph, 1870.
"Negro Superstitions"
from "Lippincott's Magazine" #6, 1870.
"Witchcraft and Divination in South Carolina During the Era of Slavery"
from "Sketches of My Life in the South", 1879
Dinkie The Goopher King, a Conjure Doctor and Slave in Missouri in 1840
from "My Southern Home: or, The South and Its People", 1880.
"A Negro and a Hoodoo Doctor: Mr. Williams Loses His Money Through His Superstition"
from "The Washington Post", September 6, 1885.
A Hoodoo Charm From Baltimore
from "Catholic World" [magazine], June 1886.
"Luniolatry"
from "Lucifer: A Theosophical Magazine", February 1888.
"New Orleans Superstitions"
from "The Journal of American Folklore", April - June, 1889.
"Voodooism in Philadelphia"
from "The Journal of American Folklore", April - June, 1889.
"Voodooism in Tennessee"
from "The Atlantic Monthly", September 1889.
Biography of the Pioneering Black Pharmacist, Conjure Doctor, and Astrologer, 1868-1944.
from collected ephemera of 1890-1944.
"Negro Superstitions"
from "Lippincott's Monthly Magazine", December 1891.
"Luck-Balls" (Jack Balls)
from "Voodoo Tales as Told Among the Negroes of the Southwest,
Collected from Original Sources", 1893.
"Ignorance, Superstition, and Voodooism of the Colored People"
from "The New Man: Twenty-Nine Years a Slave, Twenty-Nine Years a Free Man", 1895.
"Folk-Lore and Ethnology": Conjure Doctors: Collected in 1878
from "Southern Workman and Hampton School Record", July 1895.
"Dr. Sam"
from "Songs and Other Verse", 1896.
"Folk-Lore and Ethnology": Conjure Doctors of Virginia in the Era of Slavery
from "Southern Workman and Hampton School Record", December 1898.
"Folk-Lore and Ethnology": Folk-Tales and Conjure, March 1899
from "Southern Workman and Hampton School Record", March 1899.
"Folk-Lore and Ethnology": Conjure Doctoring and the Walking Boy, August 1899
from "Southern Workman and Hampton School Record", August 1899.
"Church Aroused over Hoodoo"
from "The New York Times" [newspaper], April 2, 1900.
ON AFRICAN-AMERICAN MAGIC AND SPIRITUALITY
"Observations on Conjuring in Georgia, 1901
from The Journal of American Folk-Lore, 1901 (Collected from 1878 - 1899).
"Seize Price Lists Of Voodoo Doctor": List of Spiritual Supplies sold by D. Alexander of Brooklyn, NY
from "The New York Times" [newspaper], August 14, 1925.
"Medicine: Illicit": List of Spiritual Supplies sold by D. Alexander of Brooklyn, NY
from "Time" [magazine], August 24, 1925.
"Medicine Man": An Account of Dr. Pearce of St. Louis, Moissouri
from "Time" [magazine], July 11, 1927
Silver Dime For Protection, from "Oklahoma Slave Narratives"
Interview conducted for the Federal Writers Project of the Works Progress Administration, circa 1936.
How a Black Conjure Doctor and His Wife Enslaved a Slave in Arkansas in 1865, from "Arkansas Slave Narratives,"
Interview conducted Miss Irene Robertson for the Federal Writers Project of the Works Progress Administration, circa 1936.
Tales of Conjure and Luck, from "Georgia Slave Narratives"
Two interviews conducted by Minnie B. Ross for the Federal Writers Project of the Works Progress Administration, 1936, 1937.
Live Things In You, from "Arkansas Slave Narratives"
Two interviews conducted by S. S. Taylow for the Federal Writers Project of the Works Progress Administration, 1937.
Conjure Doctors of Tennessee and Texas Before and After Freedom
From Texas Slave Narratives (Collected in 1937).
Live Things in You, from "Indiana Slave Narratives"
Interview conducted by Lauana Creel for the Federal Writers Project of the Works Progress Administration, 1937.
Part One: Hoodoo in New Orleans, Court Case Spell, Madame Papaloose
Interview conducted by Alan Lomax for the Library of Congress, 1938.
Part Two: Hoodoo in New York, Cursing Powders, Madame Elise
Interview conducted by Alan Lomax for the Library of Congress, 1938.
Hoodoo Herbal Magic in New York City
Two interviews conducted by Vivian Morris [Thelma Berlack-Boozer] for the Federal Writers Project of the Works Progress Administration, 1938.
Silver Dime, Life Everlasting, Glass Pistol, and a Horseshoe, from "Kentucky Slave Narratives"
Interview conducted for the Federal Writers Project of the Works Progress Administration, circa 1939.
Live Things in You and Seeing Ghosts, from "Texas Slave Narratives"
Interview conducted for the Federal Writers Project of the Works Progress Administration, circa 1939.
Hoodoo in Southwestern Tennessee, from "Mississippi Slave Narratives"
Interview conducted for the Federal Writers Project of the Works Progress Administration, circa 1939.
"Not Irresistible": List of Spiritual Supplies sold by Keystone Laboratories of Memphis, TN
From "Time" [magazine], April 17, 1939.
The "Joe Mow" in Florida
Interviews conducted by Stetson Kennedy for the Works Progress Administration, August 19, 1939.
"Holy Oil": List of Spiritual Supplies sold by Rev. Charles P. Colbert of Detroit, MI
From "Time" [magazine], September 25, 1939.
A Black and Choctaw "Indian Herb Doctor" in Illinois
Interview by Beulah M. DeVard for the unpublished book "The Negro in Illinois," 1941
I would like to thank the following people for their help in locating, loaning,
photocopying, and/or typing material for this archive:
Jeff Anderson, Eoghan Ballard, Ilya Davidovich, C. L. Green, Jon Hughett,
Chris "Out Skerries" Smith, nagasiva yronwode --
-- and the keepers of other internet archives, credited on their respective pages,
who have allowed me to copy material from their general-purpose electronic files
and annotate it here for the present specialized purposes
ON AFRICAN-AMERICAN MAGIC AND SPIRITUALITY
"Hoodoo Highway": Bottle Spells to Reverse Witchcraft in Lafayette, LA.
From "The [Baton Rouge, LA] Advocate" [newspaper], Friday, September 3, 2004.
Illustrated with a photo by Bryan Tuck.
"An Annotated Bibliography of Hoodoo Source Material"
From "Hoodoo Herb and Root Magic" (Lucky Mojo Curio Co., 2002)
Hundreds of song lyrics deomstrating the use of conjure in African American music.
by catherine yronwode
Slave Narratives and other old texts describing hoodoo rootwork and conjure.
"Ghostly Voices from Dixie Land"
How to use roots, herbs, flowers, and minerals in magic spells, plus a mail-order retail shop.
by catherine yronwode.
A collection of amulets, talismans, and lucky charms from all eras and all nations.
by catherine yronwode.
Hoodoo is a living craft; this shop supplies spiritual workers around the world.
mail-order retail and wholesale. 6632 Covey Road, Forestville, CA 95436. (707) 887-1521.
Usenet articles about African-American folk magic.
collected by nagasiva yronwode
The World's Smallest Church
and Interfaith Candle Ministry:
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visit our Gift Shop and Book Store.
The Yronwode Institution for the Preservation and Popularization of Indigenous Ethnomagicology
a non-profit membership organization for the study of folk-magic;
visit our Gift Shop and Book Store.
The archivist of Southern Spirits;
writer for Lucky Mojo,
Lucky W,
and Herb Magic.
author, teacher, graphic artist, card reader, minister of
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Bibliography of Occultism.
monk, writer, graphic artist, networker, director of
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Rootworkers, Hoodoo Doctors, and Conjures offering free information and service referrals to the public.
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Hoodoo in Theory and Practice by cat yronwode: an introduction to African-American rootwork
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Lucky W Amulet Archive by cat yronwode: an online museum of worldwide talismans and charms
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Hoodoo and Blues Lyrics: transcriptions of blues songs about African-American folk magic
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The Lesser Book of the Vishanti: Dr. Strange Comics as a magical system, by cat yronwode
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Satan Service: an archive presenting the theory, practice, and history of Satanism and Satanists
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Yronwode Home: personal pages of catherine yronwode and nagasiva yronwode, magical archivists
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