Hi I was wondering if there were any books on Hoodoo that you would recommend a beginner look into?
Hey there! Iâve definitely got some for you (: Explore these how youâd like, but I do recommend starting with the history and development of hoodoo before jumping into the instructional books because it may give you a deeper appreciation for the rituals and where they come from.
Historical Origins & Development of Hoodoo
Dr. Hazzard-Donald is an African American Ogun Olorisha and sociologist who was inspired to research more about rootwork to understand some of its parallels to and origins in ATRs. She brings an Afrocentric perspective to her studies of hoodoo that is fairly unique in academic literature.
This book covers the folk magicâs origins in the South up through the Great Migration and its development across the US, touching on its relationship to other aspects of black culture from churches to ring shouts. Itâs a great read for getting a very in-depth and broad grasp on hoodooâs history.
Dr. Young, another African American professor, researches and teaches about African American history and the African Diaspora. Think of this book as the prequel in hoodoo history to Mojo Workinâ. Rituals of Resistance is about the relationship between the religious traditions of precolonial Kongolese and the enslaved people of the Lowcountry South, which have been linked by the transatlantic slave trade for almost two centuries.Â
The Lowcountry, also a part of the Gullah Geechee Corridor, is one of the primary birthplaces of hoodoo in the whole country. Dr. Young focuses on, as the title suggests, how the Kongolese enslaved peoples of the Lowcountry and their descendants modified the theology and practice of Christianity to resist slavery. These cultural processes played a huge role in the formation of hoodoo and its early history.Â
Hoodoo How-To Books: Recipes, Rituals, & More
Stephanie Rose Bird is an African American scholar of anthropology, an artist, five-time published author, and a rootworker. I highly recommend checking out some of her other books on Africana spirituality, but this book is my own personal go-to hoodoo guidebook for all the basics and beyond.Â
She dives into the African roots and African American history of every single practice, ritual, recipe, and spell that she includes in this book. Bird explains the crucial aspects of nature spirit work, ancestor work, and concepts like juju or ashe that are part of the foundations of the practice. While maintaining an Afrocentric focus, she also acknowledges and explains the many other cultural influences on hoodoo as well.
Tayannah Lee McQuillar is an African American researcher of religion and mysticism, a rootworker, and the creator of the Oracle of the Black Doves, a system of divination inspired by the Libyan Sibyls, the African prophetesses of the classical world.Â
Her book is a little lighter and less in depth about the history behind hoodoo techniques and spells, but very clear and precise about methodology, correspondences, and more. This is a great book for beginners that covers some less seen topics elsewhere such as hoodoo divination methods and working with the spirits of the dead.
Dr. Mitchell is an African American scholar of medical anthropology and the CEO of Grantmakers In Health. She went to the Sea Islands to study traditional Gullah medicine, an important aspect of Gullah hoodoo from the Lowcountry. This book is short, simple, and too the point with a little bit of history and background about the Gullah people and culture. It then has a catalog of herbs used in Gullah rootwork and explanation of the uses and folklore surrounding these herbs for various physical and spiritual ailments.
I recommend this book primarily as a reference for very traditional hoodoo correspondences and herbal remedies, but also as a window into one of many specific traditions of hoodoo as it can vary so much by region and depend so much specifically on the land and herbs available.
The Classic Hoodoo Folklore Series
Hoodoo - Conjuration - Witchcraft - Rootwork by Harry Middleton Hyatt
Lastly, I wouldnât recommend this series for beginners as its very dense and difficult to read even if you are very familiar with hoodoo already, but itâs a must-have for every hoodoo book collection! Iâd suggest that as you read more about hoodoo history and after youâve familiarized yourself with some basic technique, try reading bits and pieces of these books over time.
Unlike all the authors Iâve recommended so far, Hyatt is white. However, heâs a folklorist who traveled around the United States and interviewed a huge number of black rootworkers and others who had experiences with hoodoo magic. So these books contain tons of authentic, valuable information from legitimate practitioners. @afrocentric-divination made a great post about it with more information and the links to download them for free!
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