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Mojo Workin': The Old African American Hoodoo System — Folk Magic

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Mojo Workin': The Old African American Hoodoo System

Name: Mojo Workin': The Old African American Hoodoo System
Price: 110.00 USD
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ISBN: 9780252037290

✍️ Hazzard-Donald, Katrina

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4.6

(1 review)

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📚 WHAT THE BOOK IS ABOUT

Katrina Hazzard-Donald meticulously re-examines the historical trajectory and cultural significance of Hoodoo, the venerable African American folk magic tradition. Moving past simplistic interpretations, she posits that Hoodoo first solidified in distinct regional enclaves before expanding nationwide through the unifying force of the 'African Religion Complex.' This groundbreaking interdisciplinary study not only charts Hoodoo's evolution across the American landscape but also illuminates its material culture, offering a comprehensive glossary for deeper understanding of this resilient spiritual system.

Hazzard-Donald, Katrina

📚 all books by this author (2) →

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Folk Magic

Praise for this book

“A powerful reinterpretation of African American Hoodoo. This comprehensive volume will be an important tool for anyone interested in African American folk belief and the supernatural.”

— Jerrilyn McGregory

🏛 University of Illinois Press 📅 2012 📖 248 pages 📔 Hardcover ISBN: 9780252037290

Fun Fact

Katrina Hazzard-Donald's 'Mojo Workin'' is an indispensable, rigorously researched contribution to the study of African American folk traditions. It masterfully dissects Hoodoo's complex history, offering a refreshing academic perspective that challenges prior assumptions. While not a practical guide for practitioners, its meticulous scholarship, detailed glossary, and compelling arguments make it essential reading for anyone serious about understanding this vital spiritual system. Those seeking immediate magical instruction will be disappointed, but scholars and culturally curious readers will find it profoundly illuminating and a cornerstone work in its field.

📝 Description: Mojo Workin': The Old African American Hoodoo System

A bold reconsideration of Hoodoo belief and practice Katrina Hazzard-Donald explores African Americans' experience and practice of the herbal, healing folk belief tradition known as Hoodoo. She examines Hoodoo culture and history by tracing its emergence from African traditions to religious practices in the Americas. Working against conventional scholarship, Hazzard-Donald argues that Hoodoo emerged first in three distinct regions she calls "regional Hoodoo clusters" and that after the turn of the nineteenth century, Hoodoo took on a national rather than regional profile. The spread came about through the mechanism of the "African Religion Complex," eight distinct cultural characteristics familiar to all the African ethnic groups in the United States. The first interdisciplinary examination to incorporate a full glossary of Hoodoo culture, Mojo Workin' The Old African American Hoodoo System lays out the movement of Hoodoo against a series of watershed changes in the American cultural landscape. Hazzard-Donald examines Hoodoo material culture, particularly the "High John the Conquer" root, which practitioners employ for a variety of spiritual uses. She also examines other facets of Hoodoo, including rituals of divination such as the "walking boy" and the "Ring Shout," a sacred dance of Hoodoo tradition that bears its corollaries today in the American Baptist churches. Throughout, Hazzard-Donald distinguishes between "Old tradition Black Belt Hoodoo" and commercially marketed forms that have been controlled, modified, and often fabricated by outsiders; this study focuses on the hidden system operating almost exclusively among African Americans in the Black spiritual underground.

📑 What's inside

Acknowledgments
Prescript
1. Traditional Religion in West Africa and in the New World: A Thematic Overview
2. Disruptive Intersection: Slavery and the African Background in the Making of Hoodoo
3. The Search for High John the Conquer
4. Crisis at the Crossroads: Sustaining and Transforming Hoodoo's Black Belt Tradition from Emancipation to World War II
5. The Demise of Dr. Buzzard: Black Belt Hoodoo between the Two World Wars
6. Healin' da Sick, Raisin' da Daid: Hoodoo as Health Care, Root Doctors, Midwives, Treaters
7. Black Belt Hoodoo in the Post-World War II Cultural Environment
Postscript
Notes
Glossary
Bibliography
Index

💎 Expert review

“

💎

Esoterica Books editorial team

Occult literature desk

This interdisciplinary study offers a vital, scholarly correction to prevailing misconceptions about Hoodoo’s origins and spread. While its meticulous examination of regional enclaves and material culture is impressive, it is not for casual readers seeking practical spell-casting instructions or quick, esoteric tips. The academic tone and dense historical analysis may alienate those looking for accessible, immediate magical application. It is best suited for historians, anthropologists, and dedicated practitioners willing to engage with complex theoretical frameworks rather than simple ritual guides.

✓ EDITOR'S REVIEW

📖 Why choose it

📖

Why this book is worth reading

Scholars and serious practitioners of Hoodoo will find this text indispensable for its rigorous dismantling of common myths surrounding the tradition. By exploring the 'African Religion Complex' and regional enclaves, Hazzard-Donald provides a nuanced understanding of how this resilient spiritual system evolved across America. The inclusion of a comprehensive glossary and focus on material culture offers deep insight into the tangible aspects of the practice. It is essential for anyone seeking to move beyond superficial stereotypes and grasp the true historical and cultural significance of African American folk magic.

⭐ Reader reviews

The starting rating comes from the team Esoterica Books —

⭐ Esoterica editorial review Editorial rating 4.6/5

★★★★★

If you're seeking a rigorous, academically informed exploration of Hoodoo's history and cultural evolution, rather than a spellbook, this is your definitive guide. It's essential for anyone interested in African American spiritual traditions or the sociology of religion.

Reader rating

4.6

Based on 1 reviews

Esoterica Books editorial team

This interdisciplinary study offers a vital, scholarly correction to prevailing misconceptions about Hoodoo’s origins and spread. While its meticulous examination of regional enclaves and material culture is impressive, it is not for casual readers seeking practical spell-casting instructions or quick, esoteric tips. The academic tone and dense historical analysis may alienate those looking for accessible, immediate magical application. It is best suited for historians, anthropologists, and dedicated practitioners willing to engage with complex theoretical frameworks rather than simple ritual guides.

❓ Frequently asked questions

No, 'Mojo Workin'' is a scholarly examination of Hoodoo's history, culture, and sociological impact. While it discusses practices and material culture, it is not a 'how-to' guide for practitioners.

Hazzard-Donald's work distinguishes itself through its interdisciplinary approach, challenging conventional scholarship by proposing a unique 'regional cluster' theory for Hoodoo's emergence and emphasizing the 'African Religion Complex' in its national spread, all supported by extensive historical and cultural analysis.

📖 Who should read this

🎯 Key themes and symbolism

Hoodoo's Evolving Roots

This work traces Hoodoo's lineage from its diverse African spiritual foundations to its development within the Americas. It uniquely argues for an initial emergence in specific regional clusters before a broader, national consolidation, offering a nuanced perspective on its historical genesis and transformation over time.

Challenging Conventional Wisdom

Hazzard-Donald directly confronts established academic views on Hoodoo, proposing an alternative framework for understanding its origins and spread. Her research provides a compelling re-evaluation, supported by a novel theory of regional development and the influence of shared African cultural characteristics, pushing scholarly discourse forward.

Material Culture & Practice

Beyond historical analysis, the book delves into the tangible aspects of Hoodoo, such as the venerated High John the Conquer root and its various applications. It also features an extensive glossary, making it an invaluable resource for comprehending the specific terminologies and ritual components central to Hoodoo practice.

📜 Historical context

Hoodoo, an indigenous African American folk spirituality, has deep roots in ancestral African practices, adapted and preserved under the challenging conditions of enslavement and its aftermath. This book situates its development within the broader context of American cultural history, highlighting how it maintained continuity and adapted through various societal shifts, offering a vital counter-narrative to colonial perspectives.

📚 Glossary

Hoodoo
African Religion Complex
High John the Conquer

📔 Questions to reflect on

How does understanding Hoodoo's regional development change your perception of its historical resilience and adaptation?
Consider the 'African Religion Complex.' What role do you think shared cultural traits play in the preservation and evolution of spiritual practices amidst diaspora?
Reflect on the importance of interdisciplinary approaches, like Hazzard-Donald's, in shedding new light on subjects often misunderstood or misrepresented by singular academic fields.