Originally a pejorative used by non-Africans, especially slave holders, to refer to all African religious systems, it is today a term used to describe the African-based system, heavily influenced by Western thought, that includes magic, healing, and hexing, especially using herbs and roots.
The traditional folk magic of African-American culture, also known as conjure magic and rootwork. (The origin of the word "hoodoo" itself is uncertain, although it may derive from a West African source.) Hoodoo is to occultism what the blues are to music: rooted in African culture, transformed and ...
Readers, please enjoy this guest blog post by Sandra Kynes, author of several books, including The Herb Gardener's Essential Guide, Plant Magic, and the new Witches' Encyclopedia of Magical Plants, among many others.
Although a few old books...