The Roots of Hoodoo Herbology.

The word hoodoo was originally documented in American English in the mid-1800's. Back then

it meant one would “intentionally” cause harm to others for self-gain, translating into “I hoodoo

you” in spell work. The meaning now a day has changed dramatically in the areas it is practiced

in but unfortunately it still has a negative undertone to it, largely due to the strict beliefs of our

Christian based society.

Hoodoo spiritualism practices and principles began evolving in the early 1930's in America with a large concentration near the Mississippi Delta. It began spreading rapidly throughout the southern states with its largest population of practitioners in New Orleans.

Hoodoo in American terms is known as Conjure or Rootwork. 

This type of practice originated as African American folk magic. It is mainly compromised of a mixture of cultures like Haitian, Cuban and Jamaican; this is largely due to the fact that the original practitioners were slaves brought here from those countries.In some areas of world there is still a strong prejudice against these types of practices.

Hoodoo is not the same as Voodoo or Santeria, it was created to protect and heal the indigenous people of the land. 

Unlike some religious practices that hold on to idols and iconic beliefs even if

they are outdated, Hoodoo practice takes into consideration the folks of each tribe and adapts

the practice to fit the culture of those people, creating a flexible and fluid like belief system. 

One of the main reasons it is shunned by religions is because it incorporated the Christian icon figures into its practice; this creates a sense of blasphemy amongst those believers. Hoodoo remains

progressive and ever evolving without all the formal rituals that structure our other religions of

today.

Most of the herbs and roots that are used in hoodoo practice have names that are not so appealing

to the common man, like “Snake Root” for instance. This plant is found growing on prairies and

in woodlands all around the world. All of the roots and herbs are mainly found in the natural

landscaping and not known to be found in common everyday herb gardens. 

Often practitioners must grow their supply or buy them from reputable companies. Many of them prefer to go out and gather straight from the land, that way they can choose the most magical part of the plant they want to harvest and can be sure of what they are getting. Since most of these types of plants are not grow in common herb gardens, it is wise to look them up before using them. Many of

these plants come with some type of warning or could cause grave harm in some way to the

person using the spell or remedy. Some of the warnings seen include emetic (causing vomiting),

laxative (causing diarrhea) or pruritus (itching). They can also cause allergic reactions to a

person to the point of death but this is a rare occasion. 

Over all, if you’re going to use the herbs and roots of the world then it is best to know something about them. I will share a few of my favorites that a paranormal specialist or researcher might want to know about.

Acacia, also called Cassie flower, can be used to create Arabic gum, which is a type of binding
agent. Only two types of these plants are used for this specific purpose. They look like a small
shrub or tree and often have many thorns plus sweet smelling flowers. There are about 1200
types all in all but the most famous ones were used as the “crown of thorns” on Jesus Christ and
used in Egyptian funeral wreaths or placed on graves in other cultures. They are also burned to
contact the dead and used to increase one’s psychic vision.

Five-Finger Grass is otherwise known as Cinquefoil and can be found creeping around yards
and in places like meadows or pastures. It has large yellow flowers and distinctive leaves that
resemble fingers with fine hairs on the surface. The reason for a number five is because each
stem has five leaves on it, pointing out like an open hand. Five finger grass is commonly used in
washes to clear energy and change someone’s luck.

Devil Pod has a few names it is known as - Bat Nut, Bull Nut, Buffalo Nut or Goat Head.
Depending on how you interpret the pod’s look you may see a flying bat, raging bull, goat or
buffalo’s head, each symbolizing something different. This exotic looking seed pod is an aquatic
Asian plant. It’s mainly used to turn away evil and is considered to be a good luck charm in some
cultures. They can be carried in your pocket like a protective guardian or hung in the doorway
facing outward casting its glare.

Lucky Hand Root is the root of a few specific types of orchids. These root formations look like
hands with fingers. It’s offering the holder a hand, per say and gives you just the lift you need.
The fingers of the hand encourage you to move things out of your way like a swooshing motion,
chasing away bad energy connections and clearing up the energy channels of the wearer/holder.
This forces you to ground and allows good fortune to come streaming in.

Angelica also called Dong Quai or Master Root, comes highly revered as a Yerba Santa,
meaning “sacred herb”. This blessed herb has powerful female energy and is used in healing
women and children. It is part of the Parsley family, making it completely edible. It is known for
some of it medical cures as well as its spiritual powers. It can be made into wine, flavored
liquors, or even served candied in sugar. On a spiritual level this herb is called Holy Ghost Root
because it decreases anger and calms the savage beast in raging spirits. This herb can help to
quiet the knocking or trickery of ghosts.