Hoodoo is similar to Voodoo in several aspects. First, both terms are coined in the West. Second, both concepts originated from Africa. Third, both systems are folkloric practices associated with magical spells and rituals.
Nevertheless, one should never interchange Hoodoo from Voodoo or vice versa. They are different because Voodoo (originally, Vodun) is a religion in West Africa, whereas, Hoodoo is a system of magical beliefs and practices from Central Africa. Indeed, Hoodoo is neither a religion nor a denomination of religion.
Hoodoo is common to black community particularly the African Americans, who, they say, started the system of Hoodoo. White Americans practice Hoodoo system too. The African Americans call such system in many terms such as conjuration, conjure, witchcraft, rootwork, and tricking. Worth noting is that conjuration, conjure, tricking, and witchcraft are colloquial words in classifying Hoodoo Rootwork, on one hand, signifies a different meaning. Rootwork is used to recognize the significance of dried roots in making charms and casting spells.
Hoodoo is used in referring to both the system of magical beliefs and the practitioner. However, a practitioner who practices on behalf of clients is called a Hoodoo doctor. Not only there are African-American Hoodoo doctors, there are Latinos and Americans too.
The African American communities refer to Hoodoo differently from African in Europe. Since witchcraft is usually synonymous to Hoodoo, the former refers to Hoodoo as both alternative healing remedy and a harmful activity, whereas, the Europeans refer to it mainly as harmful activity.
Hoodoo allows its believers to access supernatural forces to improve their living by gaining luck, money, love, health, as well as employing revenge and bad luck onto other people. Fundamental to a Hoodoo tradition is communication with the spirits of the dead and the focus on magical powers on individuals. Such belief actually made non-believers think Hoodoo practices are done mainly because of human desires and inclinations.
Some areas consider Hoodoo as harmful magic or spiritual work and things that include spells and protection spells. Hoodoo spells may increase luck in love, money, good health, and happiness.
Its practices and traditions involve magical components of herbs, roots, minerals, animal parts, personal possessions, and bodily fluids such as menstrual blood, semen, and urine. A ritual also involves the use of ritual candles, conjure oils, incense, and sachet powders. The latter was an addition because of the African emphasis on footprint magic and spiritual cleansing, floor washing and bathing.
Notable aspects of African Hoodoo are foot track magic, crossroads magic, laying down tricks, ritual sweeping and floor washing, and ritual bathing.
A Hoodoo spell called foot track magic puts magical essence to footprints. A practitioner may bury the footprint dirt of his enemy in a bottle spell with other magical items. When the enemy walks over the buried bottle spell, the result will be poisoning, unnatural illness, or bad luck. The acquisition of power at two intersecting roads is called the crossroad magic. This belief evolved in both African-American Hoodoo system and European folk magic.
Attested to by even the most primitive of tribes since ancient times, the power of the spoken word was never questioned ever. These powerful spoken words are now called spells, hexes, or curses.
The power of the word is further amplified if the spell-giver is known to be well-versed in his conjuring craft. Adding terror to the spell is the use of alien words from an unheard-of language known only to the magic man.
Making a spell or a curse with dramatic displays of strange words and smoke and potions or even by a simple use of the hand was prevalent ever since the medieval times. The intended person under a curse was believed to be totally powerless over his fate.
The ultimate curse is, of course, death.
Spells
Developed over the centuries by ancient priests and shamans, the spells created became established formulas. Because they were proven to be effective, they were written down for future use.
In Egypt, the prescriptions in using these spells became more detailed. Aside from having them written down, there were specific directions on how to use voice and all other exacting accoutrements related to spell-giving.
Those in the know in the occult arts readily concede that the power of a spell stays enforced until such time when that spell’s energy is neutralized. Also contributing to the spell’s effectiveness is in the maker’s strong belief.
The famous voodoo in the Caribbean involves hexing, cursing and projecting spells. The spells are phrased from an established format, including the rituals, and delivered with strong emotions and body movements by the witch doctor.
Hexes
Just like spells, hexes are powerful negative thoughts expressed in strong emotional outbursts from the hex-giver. It is said that the more energy expended in the hexing ritual, the more effective it will be.
From the receiver, it is the fearful emotions in the subconscious mind that helps convince the victim of the effectiveness of the hex.
A curse or a hex could not affect anybody unless there were still people who are using an energetic band that influence other people. If a spell given out 100 years or more ago, and there was nobody to fuel it with energy, that hex would have been dissolved and would no longer exist in our present energy fields.
Vibrations
If a spell or a curse is discovered today, then there is a group that actively uses that kind of energy. Whatever negative energies these are – hate, pain, hurt, or suffering – the group is using the vibrations to create a vortex to attract that kind of energy into their circle.
These groups commonly use a circle to amplify their desired energy. In the circle would be objects (pentagrams, triangles, snakes, bones, etc.) to attract and hold the desired vibrations. They perform ceremonies using this energy for whatever purpose they have in mind.
The circles are set up on the earth’s natural grid, amplifying their energies. These groups have knowledge on the power of these grids, and they know how to run them and project energy.
So far, these kinds of spells have not been detected of late. Either the groups responsible for them are inactive or that they might have disbanded for the time being.
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