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introduction | 19th century hoodoo | 20th century hoodoo | 21st century hoodoo

Lucky-Mojo-Pookline

Where-the-Southern-Cross-the-Yellow-Dog-at-Moorhead-Mississippi

"Where the Southern Cross the Yellow Dog"

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.

THE SOUTHERN SPIRITS COLLECTION OF 19th CENTURY TEXTS
ON AFRICAN-AMERICAN MAGIC AND SPIRITUALITY

  • WILLIAM GRIMES:
    Hag-Riding and Witchcraft

    from "Life of William Grimes, the Runaway Slave", 1825.

  • WILLIAM WELLS BROWN:
    Uncle Frank, a Fortune Teller Slave in Missouri

    from "Narrative of William W. Brown, An American Slave", 1847.

  • HENRY BIBB:
    On the Use of Roots and Powders Among the Slaves

    from "Narrative of the Life and Adventures of Henry Bibb, An American Slave", 1849.

  • PASCHAL BEVERLY RANDOLPH:
    A 19th century African-American Spiritualist and Rosicrucian describes Hoodoo and Voodoo

    from "Seership! The Magnetic Mirror", 1870.

  • ANONYMOUS:
    "Voudooism -- African Fetich Worship Among The Memphis Negroes"

    from "The Memphis Appeal" [newspaper], circa 1865 - 1867, cited by P. B. Randolph, 1870.

  • THADDEUS NORRIS:
    "Negro Superstitions"

    from "Lippincott's Magazine" #6, 1870.

  • JACOB STROYER:
    "Witchcraft and Divination in South Carolina During the Era of Slavery"

    from "Sketches of My Life in the South", 1879

  • WILLIAM WELLS BROWN:
    Dinkie The Goopher King, a Conjure Doctor and Slave in Missouri in 1840

    from "My Southern Home: or, The South and Its People", 1880.

  • ANONYMOUS:
    "A Negro and a Hoodoo Doctor: Mr. Williams Loses His Money Through His Superstition"

    from "The Washington Post", September 6, 1885.

  • MRS. L. D. MORGAN:
    A Hoodoo Charm From Baltimore

    from "Catholic World" [magazine], June 1886.

  • GERALD MASSEY:
    "Luniolatry"

    from "Lucifer: A Theosophical Magazine", February 1888.

  • LAFCADIO HEARN:
    "New Orleans Superstitions"

    from "The Journal of American Folklore", April - June, 1889.

  • STEWART CULIN (and DR. H. N. BRYAN):
    "Voodooism in Philadelphia"

    from "The Journal of American Folklore", April - June, 1889.

  • SALLIE M. PARK:
    "Voodooism in Tennessee"

    from "The Atlantic Monthly", September 1889.

  • DR. E. P. READ:
    Biography of the Pioneering Black Pharmacist, Conjure Doctor, and Astrologer
    , 1868-1944.
    from collected ephemera of 1890-1944.

  • MARY ALICIA OWEN:
    "Luck-Balls" (Jack Balls)

    from "Voodoo Tales as Told Among the Negroes of the Southwest, Collected from Original Sources", 1893.

  • HENRY CLAY BRUCE:
    "Ignorance, Superstition, and Voodooism of the Colored People"

    from "The New Man: Twenty-Nine Years a Slave, Twenty-Nine Years a Free Man", 1895.

  • LEONORA HERRON:
    "Folk-Lore and Ethnology": Conjure Doctors: Collected in 1878

    from "Southern Workman and Hampton School Record", July 1895.

  • EUGENE FIELD:
    "Dr. Sam"

    from "Songs and Other Verse", 1896.

  • DANIEL WEBSTER DAVIS:
    "Folk-Lore and Ethnology": Conjure Doctors of Virginia in the Era of Slavery

    from "Southern Workman and Hampton School Record", December 1898.

  • ANONYMOUS:
    "Folk-Lore and Ethnology": Folk-Tales and Conjure, March 1899

    from "Southern Workman and Hampton School Record", March 1899.

  • ANONYMOUS:
    "Folk-Lore and Ethnology": Conjure Doctoring and the Walking Boy, August 1899

    from "Southern Workman and Hampton School Record", August 1899.

  • ANONYMOUS:
    "Church Aroused over Hoodoo"

    from "The New York Times" [newspaper], April 2, 1900.

  • THE SOUTHERN SPIRITS COLLECTION OF 20th CENTURY TEXTS
    ON AFRICAN-AMERICAN MAGIC AND SPIRITUALITY

  • ROLAND STEINER:
    "Observations on Conjuring in Georgia, 1901

    from The Journal of American Folk-Lore, 1901 (Collected from 1878 - 1899).

  • ANONYMOUS:
    "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.

  • ANONYMOUS:
    "Medicine: Illicit": List of Spiritual Supplies sold by D. Alexander of Brooklyn, NY

    from "Time" [magazine], August 24, 1925.

  • ANONYMOUS:
    "Medicine Man": An Account of Dr. Pearce of St. Louis, Moissouri

    from "Time" [magazine], July 11, 1927

  • SAM JORDAN:
    Silver Dime For Protection, from "Oklahoma Slave Narratives"

    Interview conducted for the Federal Writers Project of the Works Progress Administration, circa 1936.

  • LULA TAYLOR:
    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.

  • CELESTIA AVERY:
    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.

  • H. B. HOLLOWAY:
    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.

  • PATSY MOSES:
    Conjure Doctors of Tennessee and Texas Before and After Freedom

    From Texas Slave Narratives (Collected in 1937).

  • JOSEPH WILLIAM CARTER:
    Live Things in You, from "Indiana Slave Narratives"

    Interview conducted by Lauana Creel for the Federal Writers Project of the Works Progress Administration, 1937.

  • FERDINAND "JELLY ROLL" MORTON:
    Part One: Hoodoo in New Orleans, Court Case Spell, Madame Papaloose

    Interview conducted by Alan Lomax for the Library of Congress, 1938.

  • FERDINAND "JELLY ROLL" MORTON:
    Part Two: Hoodoo in New York, Cursing Powders, Madame Elise

    Interview conducted by Alan Lomax for the Library of Congress, 1938.

  • HARLEM ROOT DOCTOR "SAGWA" AND HARLEM HERBAL PHARMACIST WILLIAM WEINER:
    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.

  • MRS. DUNCAN:
    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.

  • LOUIS EVANS:
    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.

  • JULIUS JONES:
    Hoodoo in Southwestern Tennessee, from "Mississippi Slave Narratives"

    Interview conducted for the Federal Writers Project of the Works Progress Administration, circa 1939.

  • ANONYMOUS:
    "Not Irresistible": List of Spiritual Supplies sold by Keystone Laboratories of Memphis, TN

    From "Time" [magazine], April 17, 1939.

  • JAMES BYRD, ALBERT SPAULDING, BERRY JOHNSON:
    The "Joe Mow" in Florida

    Interviews conducted by Stetson Kennedy for the Works Progress Administration, August 19, 1939.

  • ANONYMOUS:
    "Holy Oil": List of Spiritual Supplies sold by Rev. Charles P. Colbert of Detroit, MI

    From "Time" [magazine], September 25, 1939.

  • MACK CLEVE CHAVOUS:
    A Black and Choctaw "Indian Herb Doctor" in Illinois

    Interview by Beulah M. DeVard for the unpublished book "The Negro in Illinois," 1941

  • ANONYMOUS:
    "Diamond Brooch is Sold for 75 Cents in Negro District": Dr. Rabo in Palm Beach, Florida

    From "The Palm Beach Post" [newspaper], September 23, 1942.

  • ALPHONSE L. MACHRIS:
    "When Hoodoo Was Illegal: The United States of America versus the Old Chief Medicine Co."

    From "Indiana Botanic Gardens Old Chief Seized Formulas." 1952.

  • HENRY B. GOTTLIEB:
    "When Hoodoo Was Illegal: Henry B. Gottlieb and Twinz Co. versus The United States Post Office"

    From "141 F.Supp. 7 (1956) United States District Court S. D. New York." May 21, 1956.

  • SIGMAN BYRD:
    "Catfish Reef": Bichon's Drug Store in Houston, TX

    From "Sig Byrd's Houston" [book], 1955.

  • LEONARD BROUDY:
    "When Hoodoo Was Illegal: The United States Post Office versus Leonard Broudy, Marie Laveau, and the Afro-India Co."

    from "P.O.D. Docket No. 1/121," July 27, 1959.

  • RONALD SULLIVAN:
    "Putting a Hex on Voodoo": City Markets Ban All Hoodoo Vendors in New York City

    From "The Emporia [KS] Gazette" [newspaper], Friday, November 16, 1962.

  • MARY ALICE FONTENOT:
    "Local 'Traiteur', Dr. Jack, Is Dead": Dr. Jack Kerry Obituary

    From the "Opelousas [LA] Daily World" [newspaper], August 22, 1965.

  • DON SCHANCHE JR:
    "Ancient Beliefs Still Alive In Georgia": Rootworkers and Candle Shops in the Macon Area

    From "The Macon [GA] Telegraph" [newspaper], circa 2000.
  • THE SOUTHERN SPIRITS COLLECTION OF 21st CENTURY TEXTS
    ON AFRICAN-AMERICAN MAGIC AND SPIRITUALITY

  • KEVIN BLANCHARD:
    "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.

  • CATHERINE YRONWODE:
    "An Annotated Bibliography of Hoodoo Source Material"

    From "Hoodoo Herb and Root Magic" (Lucky Mojo Curio Co., 2002)
  • ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

    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

    RELATED WEB SITES

  • HOODOO AND BLUES LYRICS
    Hundreds of song lyrics deomstrating the use of conjure in African American music.

    by catherine yronwode

  • SOUTHERN SPIRITS
    Slave Narratives and other old texts describing hoodoo rootwork and conjure.

    "Ghostly Voices from Dixie Land"

  • HERB MAGIC
    How to use roots, herbs, flowers, and minerals in magic spells, plus a mail-order retail shop.

    by catherine yronwode.

  • LUCKY W Amulet Archive
    A collection of amulets, talismans, and lucky charms from all eras and all nations.

    by catherine yronwode.

  • LUCKY MOJO CURIO CO. OCCULT SHOP
    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.

  • THE ARCANE ARCHIVE: HOODOO
    Usenet articles about African-American folk magic.

    collected by nagasiva yronwode

  • MISSIONARY INDEPENDENT SPIRITUAL CHURCH:
    The World's Smallest Church and Interfaith Candle Ministry:
    divinatory reading services offered by affiliated practitioners; visit our Gift Shop and Book Store.

  • Y.I.P.P.I.E.:
    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.

  • CATHERINE YRONWODE
    The archivist of Southern Spirits; writer for Lucky Mojo, Lucky W, and Herb Magic.
    author, teacher, graphic artist, card reader, minister of Missionary Independent Spiritual Church.

  • NAGASIVA YRONWODE
    The archivist of The Arcane Archive; author of The Gospel of Satan and Bibliography of Occultism.
    monk, writer, graphic artist, networker, director of Y.I.P.P.I.E.

  • AIRR: ASSOCIATION OF INDEPNDENT READERS AND ROOTWORKERS:
    A non-profit membership organization of accredited professional Spiritual Practioners, Readers, Diviners,
    Rootworkers, Hoodoo Doctors, and Conjures offering free information and service referrals to the public.

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    Hoodoo and Blues Lyrics: transcriptions of blues songs about African-American folk magic
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    OTHER SITES OF INTEREST
    Arcane Archive: thousands of archived Usenet posts on religion, magic, spell-casting, mysticism, and spirituality
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    Candles and Curios: essays and articles on traditional African American conjure and folk magic, plus shopping
    Crystal Silence League: a non-denominational site; post your prayers; pray for others; let others pray for you
    Gospel of Satan: the story of Jesus and the angels, from the perspective of the God of this World
    Hoodoo Psychics: connect online or call 1-888-4-HOODOO for instant readings now from a member of AIRR
    Missionary Independent Spiritual Church: spirit-led, inter-faith; prayer-light services; Smallest Church in the World
    Mystic Tea Room: tea leaf reading, teacup divination, and a museum of antique fortune telling cups
    Satan Service: an archive presenting the theory, practice, and history of Satanism and Satanists
    Southern Spirits: 19th and 20th century accounts of hoodoo, including ex-slave narratives & interviews
    Spiritual Spells: lessons in folk magic and spell casting from an eclectic Wiccan perspective, plus shopping
    Yronwode Home: personal pages of catherine yronwode and nagasiva yronwode, magical archivists
    Yronwode Institution: the Yronwode Institution for the Preservation and Popularization of Indigenous Ethnomagicology


    Southern-Spirits-Pookline