THE VOODOO HOODOO SPELLBOOK

The term "voodoo hoodoo" is a term used by Louisiana locals to describe the unique variety of Creole Voodoo found in New Orleans. It is NOT a term I made up, contrary to some ignorant, self-proclaimed experts on New Orleans traditions. In this book, you will find a plethora of authentic Voodoo and hoodoo rituals for love, justice, gambling luck, luck in court, prosperity, health, crossing, hexes, curse removal, and much more. The author has stripped the shroud of secrecy that has always surrounded Voodoo, and provides detailed instructions on everything from making gris-gris, magickal oils, talismans, and powders, to casting hexes.

This book is the real stuff ... the “Secret” of the Law of Attraction revolution, the B.B. King of the music industry. This, my friend, is the Real Mojo of the metaphysical industry!

“Voodoo Hoodoo” is the unique variety of Creole Voodoo found in New Orleans. The Voodoo Hoodoo Spellbook is a rich compendium of more than 300 authentic Voodoo and Hoodoo recipes, rituals, and spells for love, justice, gambling luck, prosperity, health, and success.

With a clinical and academic background in both cultural psychology and anthropology, root worker Denise Alvarado, who grew up in New Orleans, draws from a lifetime of recipes and spells learned from family, friends, and local practitioners. She traces the history of the African-based folk magic brought by slaves to New Orleans, and shows how it evolved over time to include influences from Native American spirituality, Catholicism, and Pentecostalism. She shares her research into folklore collections and 19th- and 20th- century formularies along with her own magical arts.

The Voodoo Hoodoo Spellbook includes more than 100 spells for Banishing, Binding, Fertility, Luck, Protection, Money, and more. Alvarado introduces readers to the Pantheon of Voodoo Spirits, the Seven African Powers, important Loas, Prayers, Novenas, and Psalms, and much, much more, including:

• Oils and Potions: Attraction Love Oil, Dream Potion, Gambler’s
• Luck Oil, Blessing Oil
• Hoodoo Powders and Gris Gris: Algier’s Fast Luck Powder, Controlling Powder, Money Drawing Powder
• Talismans and Candle Magic
• Curses and Hexes

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The Voodoo Hoodoo Spellbook is a work of considerable value to anyone interested in the workings of magic as performed in New Orleans...a serious compilation of authentic rituals, spells, and instructions gathered by a rootworker who grew up in the area." -- Raymond Buckland, author of Buckland's Book of Gypsy Magic"

Presented in a down-to-earth, easy to understand style -  and jam-packed with a wealth of practical information -  The Voodoo Hoodoo Spellbook is, without a doubt, a practitioner's fondest dream cone true. No magical workspace is complete without it!" --Dorothy Morrison, author of Utterly Wicked and Everyday Magic"

A triumph of painstaking and meticulous research. A brilliant and all-encompassing work and an invaluable source of recorded oral tradition." --Dr. Ann Nyland, author/translator of Complete Books of Enoch"

You could not ask for a better introduction to Voodoo, hoodoo, gris gris or conjure than Denise Alvarado's The Voodoo Hoodoo Spellbook." -- Aaron Leitch, author of Secrets of the Magickal Grimoires"

Here you will find spells, rituals, formulas and prayers for virtually any conceivable purpose along with correspondence charts arranged by use or purpose for easy reference to assist you in crafting your own spells and formulas." -- Carolina Dean Associate Editor and Contributor to Hoodoo and Conjure Quarterly

 

From the Author

This book represents  a lifetime of learning and living New Orleans Voodoo hoodoo. I have never before written down so much of my personal knowledge and experience for public consumption. I admit, I was hesitant to share much of it; but, ultimately I felt it was important to preserve the cultural knowledge that was passed on to me through multiple channels. Many of the old ways have been lost or forgotten. Many of the old ways have been diluted through the commercialization of Hoodoo. I know that much of what I learned was impacted by this phenomenon as a child born in 1960, thirty years into the commercial Hoodoo heyday.  Like so many things, however, the New Orleans tradition adapted to the changes. As an adult, I have come to understand those things that were "created" by marketeers and those that are pure Hoodoo and conjure. In the end, Hoodoo is about what works.

One of my goals in writing the Voodoo Hoodoo Spellbook was to emphasize the many influences that are found in the New Orleans tradition. Voodoo and Hoodoo as it is expressed in New Orleans does not look the same as it does in other areas of the country in some very significant ways. A major hallmark is the fusion of Voodoo and Hoodoo - or lack of separation of the two. Voodoo is not just a religion and Hoodoo is not just a magickal system in New Orleans. It never was. And, gris gris is not just a mojo bag.  For many of us, Voodoo, Hoodoo, and gris gris are each a part of a whole Creole tradition. Just like the merging of my indigenous, Spanish and French ancestors makes me a whole Creole woman, the merging of multiple cultures makes New Orleans Voodoo and Hoodoo a whole Creole tradition.

Whether or not you agree with what you read in these pages is not important. What I write is my experience and is my understanding. I am but one person. But, I am one person for whom the tradition lives on in my blood and in the blood of my children and my children's children. I am not writing as an outsider looking in. I write as an insider looking out, and there is a big difference in the two perspectives.

           
May the blessings of our beloved Voodoo Spirits be with you always!
Denise Alvarado
June 7, 2011

From the Back Cover

Like the vibrant streets of New Orleans where author Denise Alvarado was raised, the Voodoo Hoodoo Spellbook will enchant you with its abundance of magical incantations, spells and remedies. It brings love, prosperity, luck, fertility, health, protection and revenge from the traditions of New Orleans Voodoo and hoodoo culture directly to your doorstep.

Order your copy now!


Voodoo Hoodoo Spellbook

A Stepford Wife's Review of the Voodoo Hoodoo Spellbook

OMG, is all I can say when I stumbled upon this review of my book. Okay, maybe I could say a little more...okay a lot more...but I won't. Truly, we are living in a digital age. 

Okay, I lied...I just have to say a little something about this review. First, are you kidding me? I mean, I appreciate the exposure but damn, someone please teach that narrating stepford wife how to say "gris gris"! I've said it before and I'll say it again and again and again until everyone hears me - the "s" is silent! It is not pronounced like it looks when viewed from the English language. It sounds like "gree gree." Is that too much to ask? I think the only thing worse than watching some tutorial by the various "experienced" rootworkers in the New Orleans tradition found on You Tube who also mispronounce the word while attempting to show viewers how to "authentically" create "gris gris," is hearing some computerized female voice make the same glaring mistake - in a book review! Uggh, can we not program our computers more intelligently? More...cultural specific?

I thought I spoke to this bionic woman today on the phone when I was paying my electric bill. And then again when talking to Sallie Mae about my student loans. My, she sure gets around.

Clearly, the mispronunciation of the phrase "gris gris" is a pet peeve of mine and I've owned it before. Maybe I'm being a bit of a New Orleans Voodoo Hoodoo Gris Gris Ju Ju Rootworkin' Spiritualist snob, but I don't care. Just call me honey badger. LOL (I really am laughing at myself here).

Thank you www.spiritualbookmix.com, I do appreciate the review. I don't mean to sound ungrateful (although it really isn't a book review; rather, it is more like a book description). But maybe, if you wouldn't mind, could you erase that pronunciation of the word from the computer's word bank and insert the correct pronunciation? I would be ever so grateful.

Copyright 2013 Denise Alvarado www.planetvoodoo.com, All rights reserved worldwide.

How to Make a Gris Gris Bag

Before you attempt to make a gris gris bag, whether you are a seasoned conjuror or a newbie, be sure to read the page on Gris Gris first. This will give you some insight and deeper knowledge about what gris gris actually is, the many forms it takes, and most importantly, the history of how it came to be such a significant and unique part of New Orleans Voodoo.

What I am going to describe here is how to make a gris gris bag, because that is the most common thing people associate gris gris with, and most people are not making them correctly. Hopefully, after reading this article and the page on Gris Gris, the next time you attempt to make a gris gris bag will be a different experience, and one you will find much more powerful and effective.

Gris gris is a system of magick that is on a continuum of intent and purpose. As in the past, gris gris continues to be used to assist in all matters of living and as charms of empowerment, whatever the intent. What follows is just a short primer on the basics of fixing a gris gris bag. Once you know the basics, the rest is up to you.

Traditionally, a gris gris bag is a 2-inch by 3-inch drawstring bag made out of red flannel, chamois, or leather. Special herbs, stones, personal effects, roots, bones, coins, metal lucky charms, crystals, good luck tokens, carved stones, and European seals and sigils that have been written with magickal ink on parchment paper are placed inside the bag. Other colors can also be used, according to their magickal symbolism. You should only put an odd number of items into your gris gris bag; never less than three and never more than thirteen. The items are blessed as they are placed into the bag and the whole bag is dressed with anointing oil or holy water. It is then smudged in incense of some kind, words of power are spoken into it, and it is breathed upon. These rituals are said to activate the magick of the gris gris.

In New Orleans, gris gris is often hidden from public view. It is always ritually prepared in front of an altar and consecrated to the four elements: earth, fire, water, and air. Here are a few rules of thumb to remember when “fixing” a gris gris bag:

1. Gris gris are created on the cardinal points of the Kongo cosmogram, or on the point of a specific spirit. For the sake of this tutorial, I am focusing on the cosmogram.
2. Color symbolism is important. Choose a color specific to your need.
3. Gris gris must contain an odd number of items: more than three, never more than thirteen.
4. It must be filled with items that are specific to the desired purpose. 
5. It must be dressed with a liquid of some kind.
6. Be very careful of the words you speak when making gris gris. Your words create energy that will become a part of the gris gris itself.
7. Each ingredient can be smudged or smoked in incense, and so can the final bag.
8. A petition written in a magickal alphabet or a magickal seal or sigil drawn on a piece of parchment paper with a magickal ink is placed or sewn into the bag. Magick squares and other talismans can also be added to gris gris bags.
9. Words of power are spoken over the bag as a means of activating the divine energy.
10. The final act is to breathe upon the gris gris to give it life.

To create a gris gris, you should set up a basic gris gris altar or working space. This altar should contain the four elements already mentioned: a bowl of water to represent the element water, incense to represent the element air, a bowl of graveyard dirt to represent the element earth, and a candle flame to represent the element fire. These elements should be arranged according to the Kongo cosmogram, a powerful symbol in Kongo cosmology. The cross pattern represents the crossroads; the division of the spiritual world from the earthly world at a sacred point which is the center. It is a circular cosmology, reflecting the belief that the journey of life is a continuous process as opposed to a beginning (birth) and an end (death). The four cardinal points of the Kongo cosmogram are read counterclockwise, starting at the bottom or southern point and going east, north, and west. Place the graveyard dirt at the bottom or southern point, which is where birth occurs and also where the container of our ancestors resides; the candle is placed in the east where the transformation of the individual begins as a full member of society; the incense is placed in the northern direction, the point of intellectual power; and the bowl of water is placed in the west, where comprehension, understanding, and the point of departure takes place. The gris gris itself should be placed in the center of the crossroads design and created on the center point of the cosmogram. Note that there are other interpretations of the cardinal points and the one I have given is the one of my understanding.

Gris Gris Charms

Following are a couple of examples of gris gris charms that you can make for a variety of purposes. Because gris gris is a highly intuitive magickal system, you should try a few of these and get the feel for how it is done. Then, use your intuition, along with your knowledge of the plants, herbs, and minerals, for making your own gris gris. Remember, gris gris is not confined to a bag. Some gris gris is merely a powder or a potion. Sometimes it can be made into a doll. Gris gris should be assembled in the middle of your gris gris altar, the ingredients asperged with incense and if made as a bag, tied shut using hemp string, wax thread, or leather cording.

Get Even Gris Gris Doll

This is an example of how to make and use a gris gris doll. It is a creepy little revenge spell from my book, The Voodoo Doll Spellbook: A Compendium of Ancient and Contemporary Spells and Rituals, Vol. I.,  which by the way, I am very happy to report has been picked up by Weiser books and will be republished with additional spells in 2013.

Create a small doll baby out of black fabric. Stuff the doll with saffron, salt, gunpowder, graveyard dirt, powdered dog manure, and crumpled newspaper from the obituary section. You can also write your target’s name in the Theban alphabet and put it inside the doll. Place the doll near your enemy—under their front porch, in their dresser drawer, in their purse, in the kitchen cabinets. Be sure to be discreet. Your target will surely suffer three times the anguish they have caused you.

Gris Gris Powder to Remove an Enemy

I am quite confident that the practice of throwing down powders in hoodoo is historically related to the practice of gris gris. Here’s a powerful gris gris for taking down enemies: grind up some snake sheds, dirt dauber nests, powdered blue glass, and a little cayenne pepper (oh hell, make it a lot of cayenne pepper), and mix it up real good. Sprinkle it where your target will be walking. If you are not near them, sprinkle some on a photo of your target and wrap everything up in a neat little package, folding the paper away from you, and bind with black thread. Bury it in a cemetery or throw it away in the trash.

Protection Gris Gris

And last but not least, here is an example of a gris gris bag. Combine the following ingredients in a 2 x 3 red flannel bag to create a powerful protection gris gris.

• Dried toadstool top
• Camphor
• Piece of High John the Conqueror root
• Powdered jellyfish
• A hand drawn protection talisman

 Recite this traditional gris gris prayer of protection from the Koran:

In the name of Allah, by (the help of) Allah, and all Praise is due to Allah Who has taken neither a wife nor a son, and for Whom there is no partner in (His) Kingdom, and there is not for Him any helper against any humility; and all praise is due to Allah, Who describes but (He) cannot be described, Who knows. Who knows the treacherous look of the eyes, and what the breasts conceal; and I seek refuge by the Gracious face of Allah and by the name of Allah, the Great from the evil which created and spread and from the evil of what is beneath the lowest of the low beneath the earth, and from the evil which is hidden and manifest, and from the evil of what I have described and what I did not describe, and all praise is due to Allah the Lord of the worlds.

O Allah! Send Your blessings on Muhammad and his progeny. Aameen.

Alternately, you can say Psalm 44:

Hear my voice, O God, in my prayer: preserve my life from fear of the enemy. Hide me from the secret counsel of the wicked; from the insurrection of the workers of iniquity: Who whet their tongue like a sword, and bend their bows to shoot their arrows, even bitter words: That they may shoot in secret at the perfect: suddenly do they shoot at him, and fear not. They encourage themselves in an evil matter: they commune of laying snares privily; they say, Who shall see them? They search out iniquities; they accomplish a diligent search: both the inward thought of every one of them, and the heart, is deep. But God shall shoot at them with an arrow; suddenly shall they be wounded. So they shall make their own tongue to fall upon themselves: all that see them shall flee away. And all men shall fear, and shall declare the work of God; for they shall wisely consider of his doing. The righteous shall be glad in the LORD, and shall trust in him; and all the upright in heart shall glory.

Or you can simply say a heartfelt prayer of your own. Hold the bag in the palm of your hands with both hands closed together, bring the gris gris up to your mouth, and gently blow into the bag to activate it with your breath. Soak the gris gris bag in whiskey every Friday to recharge it. Hang the gris gris above the doorway to keep evil from entering your home. Alternately, you can wear it around your neck from a leather cord, or in your pocket, on the right side if a man and on the left side if a woman.

References

Alvarado, D. (2011). The Voodoo Hoodoo Spellbook. San Fransisco: Weiser Books.

Alvarado, D. (2010). The Voodoo Doll Spellbook: A Compendium of Ancient and Contemporary Spells and Rituals, Part 1. Prescott Valley, AZ: Creole Moon Publications.

__________________________________________________________________

All text, images and graphics Copyright 2012 Denise Alvarado, All rights reserved worldwide. Do not copy without my express permission.

The New Revision of the Voodoo Hoodoo Spellbook

So you may have heard about my new contract with Weiser and Conari Press for a revision of the Voodoo Hoodoo Spellbook. It is true, I am revising it. But the question is, would it be worth buying the revised version if you already have the first one?

My answer to you is a resounding YES! And let me tell you why.

When I first wrote the Voodoo Hoodoo Spellbook, I put a lot of information together but did not share as much as I could have about my experience with New Orleans Voodoo. I was born and raised in New Orleans and I learned a lot from a variety of people while growing up, but my first and most memorable were the lessons from my aunt on the bayous of the Deep South. We used to visit my mamaw every weekend when I was young.  She had a couple of buildings on her property, she raised chickens and was downright country in every sense of the word. Her property butted up against the bayou, and back near there was a building with a long table and a lot of chairs in it. My aunt and I would go back there and she taught me about candle magick, how to read the flames and how to do basic spells. I was about 5 at the time...at least that is my earliest memory. She also taught me how to conduct seances, so from an early age I learned about the spirits to petition and how to tell if they were listening.

My mother taught me a lot about herbs and gardening. She bought me my first divination deck which was the Gypsy Witch Fortune telling cards. She taught me about making dolls, and she would tell me stories about being Cherokee and about my grandmother and grandfather. But this was all done in secrecy at the time. I never understood why it had to be secret but I went along with it, until I got older, and then experienced some very hateful and hurtful experiences for being open about my beliefs. After that, I suppressed much of it and went about my life a "closet" rootworker and voodooist. Because even in New Orleans, the virtual birthplace of hoodoo in the United States, racism was and is still prevalent, even for Creoles such as myself.

I have always kept written journals of my workings and life in general, and at this point in my life, it is paying off big time. I am able to refer to those journals and uncover recipes and works that had been hidden for a long time. Unfortunately, there were a lot of my spiritual books and tools thrown away, once by someone I still don't know who or why to this day, when I was about 13. The second time it happened when my first husband tossed it all in the name of Jesus. I should also day he also abused me and my daughter in the name of G-O-D. He was and is a sick pedaphile and freak, and he will get his one day, because if he doesn't, then there is no God.

So, I have been touched by the blessings of Voodoo and I have suffered the discrimination and oppression from people who don't understand. These experiences have kept me from sharing a lot of information openly in the past. But no more will I be silent.

In the new revision of the Voodoo Hoodoo Spellbook, I delve a bit more into the history of Voodoo as it arrived in Louisiana and in my hometown of New Orleans. I have attempted to trace where the practices of today originated and provide a much better contextual background into New Orleans Voodoo. It is not a long dissertation; simply a beefed up one and more accurate one. I have realized since the first publication that there is so much misunderstanding about the religion and the various characteristics that make New Orleans Voodoo  unique. I discuss how its unique characteristics are not "watered down" or impure, the service to the loas and Spirits never disappeared, it simply went underground. Just as it did with my own personal life, so it did with the majority of people who practiced it. The major change was that it went from a community and shared experience to a more individual one which was then redefined and labeled as hoodoo by the marketeers. The white researchers and marketeers all had a hand in redefining, incorrectly, what New Orleans Voodoo is all about. They separated the religion from the magick. But I can tell you that it was not separate when it first came to New Orleans in 1719, and it was not separate when I learned it as a child in the 1960s, and for many today, it still is not separate.

It is true that many bought the separation hook, line and sinker. Especially as the marketeers spread it from New Orleans to other areas of the country, selling the magick and sensationalizing those aspects of the religion that they could profit from. In most discussions about hoodoo, it is always defined as separate from Voodoo, the religion. But in New Orleans, the separation is not that cut and dry. That is why I call the book the Voodoo Hoodoo Spellbook, because it refers to New Orleans Voodoo and hoodoo as a combined spiritual and religious tradition, as I know it and experienced in many many years ago. That said, the term "Voodoo Hoodoo" is not one I made up. Anyone who is familiar with New Orleans culture knows it is a common term - along with the term "Hoodoo Voodoo" -  that is used by locals to describe the unique magickal tradition that is indigenous to the region.

I am not concerned with the works of Hyatt and Tallant for legitimization of my tradition. Frankly, much of their interpretation is wrong. Most of the academic works written about Voodoo and hoodoo are by outsiders in great need of cultural fluency training. Ninety-five percent of the information found on the internet by the new school of internet hoodoo-ers is a redefinition of the tradition by outsiders, well-schooled in the works of Hyatt and Ironwood, but because they are not from the South, nor were they raised in the tradition, nor are they people of color, their perspective is flawed when it comes to an authentic representative narrative. The same can be said about popular works. There are people who are not indigenous to the religion or to New Orleans who will argue with people who are, and discredit and disrespect the voice of those who have authentic knowledge. This is tragic on so many levels.

My book is not an academic book, though I am an academic. However, I have referenced my sources like an academic so that folks can do further research on their own. And, I know that my audience wants to know the magickal aspects of New Orleans Voodoo and Hoodoo; they want to know the formulas, and they are hungry for the real thing. I am tired of seeing people being mislead. So, I have provided a very beefed up formulary that is from the New Orleans tradition. I have included information about some of the ingredients used that I did not provide before, and I have added some very nice spells to the collection. The section on candle magick has been expanded, there is a whole section with a large list of saints and psalms and their correspondences, and I have added more of the New Orleans specific loas in the chapter on Voodoo Spirits. I have greatly expanded the section on gris gris, because it is a big part of New Orleans Voodoo that has remained relatively unchanged since it was first brought here from Senegambia by the Bamabarans. Gris gris is not the same as mojo...it is so much more that a bag of curios, roots and herbs. I have combined the Voodoo and the hoodoo in part to reflect the original combination of African Diasporic religions and in part to protest the marketeers and colonizers' successful attempts at appropriating and organizing the religion in a manner that makes their pockets full and their worldviews comfortable.

I am very happy with the way the revision has turned out, and I know that anyone who is seeking knowledge about New Orleans Voodoo and Hoodoo will be satisfied with the new version. While some of it is the same, there is much of it that is not. 

The Voodoo Hoodoo Spellbook

___________________________

A triumph of painstaking and meticulous research. A brilliant and all-encompassing work and an invaluable source of recorded oral tradition." --Dr. Ann Nyland, author/translator of Complete Books of Enoch"

Hoodoo Talismans

Talismanic seals and sigils are among the many tools used by hoodoos to produce powerful mojo. Talismans are derived from a variety of sources, the least of which are the European grimoires. In hoodoo, rootworkers will draw the seals from the Greater Key of Solomon and The 6th and 7th Books of Moses on parchment paper and put them in their mojo bags as talismans, using the properties assigned to them from the respective books. These works are among the 19 included on the Voodoo Hoodoo Spellbook Companion CD.
If interested in getting a copy of the CD, email me at voodoomama@planetvoodoo.com and I'll fix you up.

Once a talisman is drawn, it should be consecrated before being placed in a mojo bag or used in a candle spell. Here is an excerpt from the Voodoo Hoodoo Spellbook that describes how to consecrate a talisman. The same technique can be used to consecrate amulets, voodoo dolls, or any kind of ritual item, as well.

A talisman or amulet is a piece of jewelry, a trinket, charm, picture or collage that is used to protect one or attract that which one desires such as love, money or whatever it may be. According to some traditions, amulets are charged when the moon is waning, while talismans are charged when the moon is waxing.

To consecrate or ritually charge an amulet or talisman, light some incense as an offering to the Divine. Place the object on your altar.Sprinkle the object with salt and say:

"I consecrate you with the element of Earth."
Pass the object through the incense and say:
"I consecrate you with the element of Air."

Pass the object through candle flame and say:

"I consecrate you with the element of Fire."
Sprinkle the object with water and say:
"I consecrate you with the element of Water."

Place the object on the altar and hold your hand over it. Visualize a beam of light coming from the Divine through your hands into the object. Say: I hereby declare this object charged with the powers of earth, air, fire, water, and spirit. That it shall be used only for good, according to my will and divine law. May it serve me well in this world, between worlds, in all the worlds. Let it be so.

Your talisman or amulet can now be used.

Here is an example of a Solomonic seal and how it can be used in hoodoo.

According to the 6th book of Moses, this secret of this seal is this: If a man carries this Seal with him, it will bring him great fortune and blessing; it is therefore called the truest and highest Seal of Fortune.

Given the properties assigned to this seal, you can use this seal in mojo hands and gris gris bags for money drawing. Combine with lucky hand root, black eyed peas, five finger grass, High John the Conqueror root, and a piece of pyrite and dress daily with Crown of Success Oil. Wrap in green flannel for gris gris and red flannel for mojo.

See What Customers are Saying About the Voodoo Hoodoo Spellbook

Rating: - Exactly what I wanted to write myself, but...
...Denise Alvarado beat me to it!

I bought this book from Denise's website "The Mystic Voodoo" along with the companion CD (which has extra occult texts and material not in the book), and couldn't be happier with my purchase. While the term "Voodoo Hoodoo" might throw off some viewers, the writer is clear in the proper definitions of both Voodoo AND Hoodoo early on in the book. This is chocked full of information regarding the Loa, Catholic saints, magic, folk remedies, superstitions, recipes for occult oils, rootwork and just about everything else. A great introduction to both New Orleans Voodoo and Hoodoo, a must-buy for those interested in these paths.

I would also recommend the following as companion purchases: Hoodoo Herb and Root Magic: A Materia Magica of African-American Conjure,Dr. Snake's Voodoo Spellbook,and Jambalaya: The Natural Woman's Book of Personal Charms and Practical Rituals.


Rating: - DJ Parhams,author

I recently purchased this book, and I found it too be extremely informative. It's more than apparent that Ms. Alvarado is extremely knowledgeable when it comes to the arts of voodoo/hoodoo. I especially enjoyed her recipes for root work and oils.

Legend of the Crossroads

"If you want to learn how to make songs yourself, you take your guitar and your go to where the road crosses that way, where a crossroads is. Get there be sure to get there just a little ' fore 12 that night so you know you'll be there. You have your guitar and be playing a piece there by yourself ... A big black man will walk up there and take your guitar and he'll tune it. And then he'll play a piece and hand it back to you. That's the way I learned to play anything I want."

Tommy Johnson

A deal with the Devil, pact with the Devil, or Faustian bargain is a cultural motif widespread wherever the Devil is vividly present, most familiar in the legend of Faust and the figure of Mephistopheles, but elemental to many Christian folktales. According to traditional Christian belief in witchcraft, the pact is between a person and Satan or any other demon (or demons); the person offers his or her soul in exchange for diabolical favours. Those favours vary by the tale, but tend to include youth, knowledge, wealth, or power. It was also believed that some persons made this type of pact just as a sign of recognizing the Devil as their master, in exchange for nothing. Regardless, the bargain is a dangerous one, for the price of the Fiend's service is the wagerer's soul. The tale may have a moralizing end, with eternal damnation for the foolhardy venturer. Conversely it may have a comic twist, in which a wily peasant outwits the Devil, characteristically on a technical point.

Well, that's the Christian version of the crossroads legend. In Voodoo, the legend involves the Guardian of the Crossroads, Papa Legba who is petitioned for favors. Papa Legba is not the devil.

There are many versions of the Crossroads legend. Crossroads magic is particularly pronounced in conjure, rootwork, and hoodoo. In conjure practice, it is said that in order to acquire talent in a particular skill such as playing a musical instrument, throwing dice, or dancing, one may go to a crossroads a certain number of times, either at midnight or just before dawn, and one will meet a "black man," presumably Legba though often mistaken for the Devil, who will bestow upon one the desired skills.

In the folk magic of many cultures, the crossroads is a location where two realms touch and thus represent a place "between worlds" or “neither her nor there” As such, the crossroads is a site where supernatural spirits can be contacted and paranormal events can take place.

In the African-derived traditions, Papa Legba, Ellegua, Elegba, Eshu, Pomba Gira and Exu are the spirits of the crossroads. All of these manifestations of the crossroads spirits serve a similar role in that they act as intermediaries between the divine spirits and humans. They stand at the spiritual crossroads and give or deny permission to speak with the spirits of Guinee, and are believed to speak all human languages.

The crossroads play a prominent role in Voodoo and hoodoo. Not only is it the place where one can petition Legba and interact with the various loas, it is the place where ritual remains are left, the place where leftover water from spiritual baths are disposed of, the place where cursed objects can be nullified, and where any number of spells can be performed. In the Voodoo Hoodoo Spellbook, I have provided a few of these spells where you can see some common characteristics between them and eventually create your own crossroads magick. Here is one of those spells.

Crossroads Spell

Get three shiny pennies. Hold them in your right hand and tell them (Legba) your problem. Put them in your left hand and vision the solutions you have to your problems. Now cup both hands together, placing the pennies on the seam line between them and ask Legba to help you decide.

Walk three blocks from your house in either direction. Stop at a crossroads; walk in a square, stopping at each corner. Then, walk diagonally through the crossroads. When you reach the center, toss the pennies over your left shoulder.

Go home and do not worry about your problem anymore. Legba will influence people and situations in such a way that the best option will become clear to you (Teish, 1985).

You can learn more about Crossroads Legends from a variety of cultures here.

Candle Magick

The following is an excerpt from chapter 5 of the Voodoo Hoodoo Spellbook.

The practice of using candles, oil lamps, or a flame of some sort to accompany prayer is universally accepted by most religions. There is a false assumption, however, that the use of candles is a form of Satanism, witchcraft, or Voodoo. While candles are used in these other traditions, the act of burning a candle as a focusing tool in prayer is nothing more than an act of devotion.

Candle magick is a primary activity in hoodoo. Hoodoo candles are available in all sorts of types and shapes. The most popular of the hoodoo candles are the glass encased seven-day candles with pictures of saints and angels on the fronts and prayers on the backs.

The practice of candle magick in hoodoo is fairly simple. First, a candle is chosen of a color that matches the specific need, such as green for money, black for repelling, etc. Then, it is then anointed with appropriate dressing oil (Money Drawing Oil, Fast Luck Oil, etc). The final step is lighting the candle while reciting the appropriate psalm or statement of intent.

Below is a short list of candle types and what they are used for:

• Black Cat – gambling luck
• Crucifix Altar - For divine assistance.
• Devil – For commanding lust and sex
• 7 Knob - For 7 day workings - adds power.
• Male/Female Image - To work a person.
• Gender - To affect the sexual nature.
• Skull - To invoke help of deceased spirits, meditating on death, or
gambling luck.
• Marriage - To work a marriage or lover pair.
• Coiled Snake - To bind or control.

For an in depth read on working the candles, the reader is encouraged to refer once again to The Magical Power of the Saints: Evocation and Candle Rituals by Ray Malbrough.

Get Rid of a Troublesome Neighbor

Oral tradition is the cornerstone of indigenous knowledge. It is the means by which our ancestors pass on their wisdom and ways of life so that we may benefit and carry them to generations to come. Today, much oral tradition is finding its way to print and paper. The Voodoo Hoodoo Spellbook represents one effort to preserve the wisdom of our ancestors by writing it down so that it can be enjoyed by all who care to read about it.

Voodoo is a fluid, adaptable, syncretic, and inclusive spiritual and religious practice that embraces the hearts of all people, no matter their race, creed, or origin. The loa, spirits, or mysteries, all terms used to describe the Divine archetypal spiritual forces of Voodoo, are everchanging, manifesting in infinite ways according to the filter of a given culture and geographic location. Because New Orleans was a major port where multiple cultures converged, the influences on New Orleans Voodoo are very diverse and different. For example, there are Cuban-inspired Santeros, Haitian-initiated Mambos and Hougans, Obean rootworkers from the West Indian islands (i.e. Belize, the Bahamas, Dominican Republic), followers of the Spiritualists Churches, Hoodoos who incorporate spells and superstitions, and followers of the Yoruba tradition of Nigeria. New Orleans Voodoo is also influenced by Native American spirituality and herbalism. For example, the famous Indian Chief Black Hawk is considered a Voodoo Saint and is often included in ritual work.

The Voodoo Hoodoo Spellbook is meant to provide authentic formulas that are southern in origin. My personal influences are Louisiana (New Orleans in particular) and Mississippi in origin and this work reflects those influences. It is not meant to be a complete course, as African-based folk magic is much larger than New Orleans. And, I doubt much of what it means to be a hoodoo can be accomplished through reading and coursework alone. Voodoo and hoodoo as it is experienced in New Orleans is a living, breathing culture. In the Voodoo Hoodoo Spellbook however, I have provided some of the basic information to get you started. It is up to you to put it into practice…or not.

Today's sample spell from the Voodoo Hoodoo Spellbook:

To Get Rid of a Troublesome Neighbor

1. Light a black candle and dress with castor oil.
2. Write the neighbor’s name on a piece of paper and the word “goodbye”. Place the paper under the candle.
3. Mix powdered mud daubers nest with graveyard dirt and throw it at the neighbor’s front door.
4. Recite psalms 74, 101, and 109 three times each and let the candle burn out.

Enemy Be Gone Voodoo Doll Spell Kit

Enemy Be Gone Banishing Spells! Remove negative influences and obstacles from your path while protecting you from any further harassment with this ritualized magical spell kit. This powerful Voodoo ritual will get rid of your enemies once and for all. This Enemy Be Gone Voodoo Doll Spell Kit comes complete with: a Voodoo doll, small bottle of hand blended Enemy Be Gone Dust, parchment paper, an evil eye bead to ward off negativity, special oil, anointed candle, and detailed instructions to perform your own ancient and authentic Voodoo banishing and protection ritual! Everything comes nested in Spanish moss and tucked away in a neat little handcrafted magickal box.

As with all of Planet Voodoo's Magickal Voodoo Doll Ritual Kits, you will receive outstanding customer support by email or phone should you have any questions or concerns when performing your Voodoo ritual.


As with all of Planet Voodoo's Magickal Voodoo Doll Ritual Kits, you will receive outstanding customer support by email or phone should you have any questions or concerns when performing your Voodoo ritual


$120.00

THE VOODOO HOODOO SPELLBOOK

The term "voodoo hoodoo" is a term used by Louisiana locals to describe the unique variety of Creole Voodoo found in New Orleans. It is NOT a term I made up, contrary to some ignorant, self-proclaimed experts on New Orleans traditions. In this book, you will find a plethora of authentic Voodoo and hoodoo rituals for love, justice, gambling luck, luck in court, prosperity, health, crossing, hexes, curse removal, and much more. The author has stripped the shroud of secrecy that has always surrounded Voodoo, and provides detailed instructions on everything from making gris-gris, magickal oils, talismans, and powders, to casting hexes.

This book is the real stuff ... the “Secret” of the Law of Attraction revolution, the B.B. King of the music industry. This, my friend, is the Real Mojo of the metaphysical industry!

“Voodoo Hoodoo” is the unique variety of Creole Voodoo found in New Orleans. The Voodoo Hoodoo Spellbook is a rich compendium of more than 300 authentic Voodoo and Hoodoo recipes, rituals, and spells for love, justice, gambling luck, prosperity, health, and success.

Cultural psychologist and root worker Denise Alvarado, who grew up in New Orleans, draws from a lifetime of recipes and spells learned from family, friends, and local practitioners. She traces the history of the African-based folk magic brought by slaves to New Orleans, and shows how it evolved over time to include influences from Native American spirituality, Catholicism, and Pentecostalism. She shares her research into folklore collections and 19th- and 20th- century formularies along with her own magical arts.

The Voodoo Hoodoo Spellbook includes more than 100 spells for Banishing, Binding, Fertility, Luck, Protection, Money, and more. Alvarado introduces readers to the Pantheon of Voodoo Spirits, the Seven African Powers, important Loas, Prayers, Novenas, and Psalms, and much, much more, including:

• Oils and Potions: Attraction Love Oil, Dream Potion, Gambler’s
• Luck Oil, Blessing Oil
• Hoodoo Powders and Gris Gris: Algier’s Fast Luck Powder, Controlling Powder, Money Drawing Powder
• Talismans and Candle Magic
• Curses and Hexes

5.0 out of 5 stars

April 8, 2009
By Sara M. Kay "pagan bookworm" (Newport, OR)

Exactly what I wanted to write myself, but...Denise Alvarado beat me to it!

I bought this book from Denise's website "The Mystic Voodoo" along with the companion CD (which has extra occult texts and material not in the book), and couldn't be happier with my purchase. While the term "Voodoo Hoodoo" might throw off some viewers, the writer is clear in the proper definitions of both Voodoo AND Hoodoo early on in the book. This is chocked full of information regarding the Loa, Catholic saints, magic, folk remedies, superstitions, recipes for occult oils, rootwork and just about everything else. A great introduction to both New Orleans Voodoo and Hoodoo, a must-buy for those interested in these paths.


Order your copy now!


Voodoo Hoodoo Spellbook


"The Voodoo Hoodoo Spellbook is a work of considerable value to anyone interested in the workings of magic as performed in New Orleans...a serious compilation of authentic rituals, spells, and instructions gathered by a rootworker who grew up in the area." -- Raymond Buckland, author of Buckland's Book of Gypsy Magic"