All things food and pastel!

Meanwhile, corn (maize) is a crop native to the Americas. It features in the white cultural imagination in a very different way. Corn is a motif seen not in our ancestral myths, but in a much newer genre: the American Gothic. With its focus on the tensions between man and nature and—perhaps more importantly—the United States’s history of genocide against its indigenous population and trade in enslaved Africans, the American Gothic is VERY preoccupied with agriculture. Our monsters come out of corn fields because corn is a symbol for not only what we did to the Native Americans (who were the first to grow the crop), but of what we are doing to the very land itself. Corn is a monument to our cultural sins.

Meanwhile, I suspect that corn features very differently in the imaginations of people of color. If you asked a Native American person or a Latinx person what sort of mysticism they associate with corn fields, I imagine their answer would be very different than ours.

[sits on my throne of ship content like an evil overlord]

None of it makes sense or really adds anything to the story except ‘ooh! A twist!’

She took the The Boy Who Lived To Idolize His Parents, and made him into a terrible father, who told his son he wishes he wasn’t born.

Made lycanthropy an allegory for HIV/AIDS, AFTER Lupin was turned as a child, by an adult. Not only does this tick the box for pedophilia, but painting homosexuals as predatory by nature.

Delphi. Everything about her. Including that she exists.

During the actual series, wandless magic was incredibly difficult to do, and only harnessed by very dedicated, powerful witches and wizards. Then, when writing about it in reference to Native American witches and wizards, suddenly, they needed Europeans to come along and teach them how to use wands.

Dumbledore being gay, whilst having none of his romantic relationships touched on in the series, even when his adolescence is delved into.

Taking from other cultures (Indian and Native American, for example) to add things to the series, with no credit due to those cultures, and no mention of even a character from those cultures.

Nagini somehow being a human originally, when it was previously never even alluded to, despite J.K. apparently ‘sitting on this for the last 20 years’.

Nagini, the literal PET of a white supremacist, was a woman of color.

Outside of the series, JK Rowling is a known TERF.

You’ve heard of hoodoo and “voodoo,” but what can you do? Everything you’ve ever wanted to know or ask about cultural appropriation and the various magic traditions, cultures, and religions that have their roots in Africa. I’ve featured a number of different posts that cover a range of topics and perspectives from various sources and bloggers. Updates and additions will be made over time!

So, what is cultural appropriation, and why does it matter?

An explanation of what it is and why it’s harmful

What the idea of cultural appropriation isn’t implying

Why it won’t work even if you try anyway

Santeria Church on Cultural Appropriation by Non-Initiates

The Impact of Cultural Appropriation on Hoodoo

How can I avoid racism and cultural appropriation of Africana traditions?

What do “Afrocentric” and “Africana” mean?

What are “ATRs” and which ones are open/closed/semi-closed?

List of non-Kemetic African deities who are closed/semi-closed

Is it okay to purchase Africana magic and/or spiritual services?

Is it okay to wear African clothes from Africa and other cultural items?

Which tarot decks to buy (or not) for supporting diviners of color

Understanding Eurocentricity in mainstream witchcraft and magic

Eurocentric standards & racist criticisms of magic

Racist stereotypes in the magic community

What are hoodoo, rootwork, and voodoo?

The definitions of and differences between each of those terms

An overview of Haitian Vodou

Hoodoo has nothing to do with Satanism

Is hoodoo really open or closed? What’s the real story here?

Why are there many different opinions about this topic?

Why do so many black rootworkers feel it’s closed?

If no one can stop me from practicing, then why not do it anyway?

How do I know if I can practice hoodoo or what I can/can’t borrow from it?

Can I practice hoodoo and/or is it okay to be interested in it?

If I can’t practice hoodoo, what are the boundaries of what I can borrow?

Can I practice ancestor work?

Is it okay to use voodoo dolls? [x][x]

Can I mix hoodoo with other types of magic and/or witchcraft?

Can I incorporate hoodoo into brujeria and practice hoodoo as an Afro-Latine person?

What if I have recent black ancestry, but don’t identify as black?

I have reasons why as a white person I still want to practice hoodoo. Heard those other arguments before, please tackle the REAL questions?

Why can’t I practice hoodoo if black people practice white traditions?

What about if I’m Irish because the Irish were slaves too?

What if my white ancestors had nothing to do with slavery, and they weren’t oppressors at all? (About Vodou, still relevant to hoodoo)

What if I am white but from an African country?

At the end of the day, what about my personal opinion?

If I’m already a rootworker, how do I avoid appropriation in the craft?

What about all the cultural appropriation I see in botanicas?

Is it okay to burn ancestor money?

Hoodoo has Jewish influences, how can I avoid appropriation?

Books to avoid due to cultural appropriation & misinformation

Why Cat Yronwode & Lucky Mojo are extremely problematic [x][x]

♡ / ♡ / ♡ / ♡ - archive moodboard for @dreamirene