I loveeee coffee in the morning, but my ancestors have popped up during Obi readings to guide me towards healthier alternatives as a part of better caring for my body. That’s how I discovered this delicious caffeine free, all natural, and nutrient-rich coffee replacement: dandelion and chicory root tea.

It’s easy to make, better for your body, and full of fiber and antioxidants that are good for your digestive system. It has a distinctive taste that’s rich and flavorful like coffee, but also smoother and less bitter than your average cup of joe.

For 16 oz. of this herbal drink: - 4 cups water - 2 tablespoons dandelion root - 2 tablespoons chicory root

After weeks of continuous writing, research, and all-nighters, the original Hoodoo Masterpost has officially evolved into the Spirit Roots Hoodoo Library!

The Hoodoo Library is a growing collection of tutorials, traditional recipes, directories, and databases of information on everything from traditional Southern black belt hoodoo to modern urban rootwork. All content within the Library is created by and for black rootworkers, which means that all sources of information about hoodoo come from black rootworkers only.

The Library mostly contains original content written by me, but it also features quotes and posts from other black authors, scholars, and rootworkers that are fully credited as a shareable/rebloggable embedded post or via a citation.

>>> 🌿 JUJU BABY ZONE

A space dedicated to answering the age-old question, “How do I get started with practicing hoodoo?” These articles and guides are specifically for those new to the traditions of rootworking.

Hoodoo Dictionary: A guide to terminology and concepts

Hoodoo History: An overview of the tradition’s origins and development

Hoodoo vs. Witchcraft: The key differences (and overlap!)

Ancestral Foundations: The important role that our ancestors play

Basic Hoodoo Skills: A summary of key skills for rootworking

Petition & Prayers: Understanding how we communicate with Spirit

Crossroads & Road Opening: The role of the crossroads

Mojos, Hands, & Spirit Bottles: A deep dive into one of the most powerful hoodoo practices

Psalms in Hoodoo: The complex history behind the usage of Psalms

>>> 💫 HOW TO HOODOO

A gallery of tutorials and walkthroughs on rootworking techniques, skills, and methods. You’ll find step-by-step instructions for different traditional techniques and in-depth explanations of hoodoo methodology.

How to Contact Ancestors: A simple guide to making and building a relationship with your ancestors

How to Set Up Altars: Step-by-step through the process of constructing your own altar whether it’s for prosperity, love, or to honor your ancestors

How to Time Workings: A walkthrough of the hoodoo perspective on using times of the day, days of the week, and lunar cycles

How to Work the Crossroads: Tips, tricks, and traditions for working the crossroads, road opening, and meeting crossroads spirits

How to Read Playing Cards: Background on the role of divination in hoodoo and how to use this traditional rootworker’s divination tool

How to Write Petition Papers: Tutorial for writing and working petitions

How to Use Florida Water: An overview of the many different ways to use this popular cologne

How to Work Candles: An in-depth guide through the process of shaping, dressing, and working a candle the hoodoo way

How to Work Mojos & Spirit Bottles: Working mojos and spirit bottles, including awakening and feed their spirits

How to Dominate: Essential tips and tricks for putting the roots on someone to be under your control

>>> 📖 BOOK OF ROOTS

Recipes and instructions for working the roots, including a wide range from traditional Southern black belt methods to many of Yejide’s personal recipes as well as from other modern black rootworkers!

Altar Designs: Layouts and suggestions for ancestor altars, shrines for saints or spirits, or working altars for prosperity and love

Types of Dirt: Traditional uses of dirt in hoodoo and how to collect them

Cologne & Perfume Recipes: How to make your own Florida Water, Hoyt’s Cologne, and Kananga Water

Honey & Sugar Workings: Recipes and instructions for sweetening work

Spiritual Bath Recipes: Traditional and modern spiritual bath recipes

Mojo Bag Recipes: Southern black belt recipes for making mojos

Oil Recipes: YYejide’s classic oil recipes including Van Van, Fiery Wall of Protection, and “Come to Me”

Powder & Dust Recipes: How to make both traditional and modern varieties of hoodoo powders and types of dust

Hoodoo Psalms: Correspondences for the Psalms

Symbols & Sigils: An overview of different symbols across African traditions and a list of Afrocentric sigils

Card Spreads & Decks: Cartomancy spreads designed for rootworkers

>>> 🌳 HOODOO HERB DATABASE

The Hoodoo Herb Database currently includes over 70 different species of plants and natural materials traditionally used by black rootworkers.

Master List: All the entries in the whole database listed out in alphabetical order

Usage List: For entries where potential or traditional hoodoo usages are known, they are listed by type of working or properties

>>> 🗺️ ROOTWORK DIRECTORY

As a rootworker, it’s invaluable to know where you can safely learn more about the traditions and where to purchase supplies or readings. In this curated directory, you’ll only find black-owned blogs, websites, and businesses!

Books: Well-known works on hoodoo with commentary and information about the sources to uplift black authors and encourage critical reading

Websites & Blogs: Black rootworkers who share tutorials and information on hoodoo through their websites and blogs

Shops: Black-owned businesses and diviners

>>> ☕ THE NOOK

The Library is maintained and hosted by Yejide, but it will always be created for, inspired by, and guided by the needs, interests, and requests of the broader black rootworking community. The Nook is a space dedicated to Library subscribers for getting involved by sharing feedback and submitting content.

Feedback Surveys: The Library will continue to grow and evolve in the directions that the community wants to see

Content Submission: There are ways both big and small where subscribers can contribute (and be fully credited for the help!)

PROTECTED ACCESS

The Library is protected in order to keep all this content in the hands of those who truly can practice hoodoo. Only people of African descent have the ancestral link to rootworking traditions that is necessary to practice them (see more on this here).

To get access to the Library, please create an account on the Library main page here. You will see further instructions there, but feel free to reach out if you have any questions. I’m happy to help (:

Do you consider hoodoo a closed ethnic tradition? How do you feel about white people using or taking inspiration from elements of hoodoo in their magick?

I’ve been looking for ways to incorporate my Catholic upbringing into my witchy life, specifically working with saints and angels. Most of my resources on witchcraft and magick are Wiccan, so obviously they don’t include any tips for building spells around saint worship. The only sources I can find online or in books for doing magick with saints are from Hoodoo practitioners.

Here’s my thoughts on it! I have a whole page of my website devoted to answering this question (see here), and if you check it out you’ll find links to posts from other black rootworkers in the community who feel similarly that this is a very closed tradition only for black folks.

Sweetgrass Basket Artist Mary Jackson

Went to some cute shops with a friend today🖤

I’ve compiled a list of types of herbal remedies, with brief instructions on how to make them. Choose your herbs carefully, as some are poisonous, some will interfere with health problems and medications, and some can cause allergic reactions.

If you are concerned about any health issue you have, or worried about herbs reacting with your medications, go talk to your doctor. This post is not intended as medical advice.

Compress

This is usually cloth that has been soaked in a herbal infusion so that it can be applied topically. Useful for skin issues, muscle pain, joint pain, and general aches.

You can make one by soaking cotton wool in a warm infusion of your choice, wrapping the balls in a piece of clean cloth, and applying to the affected area. Once the cloth cools down you can soak it again in the warm tea and reapply.

Infusion

This is basically the herbalist term for tea. The herbs are usually dried and ground before being steeped in very hot water and then strained out. If you use a bag then you can skip the straining.

Tincture

This is similar to an infusion but much stronger, and with alcohol instead of water, which helps to preserve it.

Put your herbs in a jar. Cover them with alcohol (most people I know use vodka). Put the lid on the jar and shake it daily for a month or so, then strain the herbs out. I tend to keep mine in the little dropper bottles, as you normally don’t need to take much at once.

Decoction

I like to think of these as a stronger infusion. You need four times as much boiling water as dried herb, and you want to simmer the mixture for about half an hour before straining.

Syrup

These are herbs mixed with a sugary substance, which makes them easier to consume and helps to preserve them a little. They’re a good way to get your herbs in if you have a sore throat, as they are often quite soothing.

You’ll need a couple ounces of fresh herb per pint of water. Put them on the stove and heat until about half of the water has evaporated. Then you need to add about five tablespoons of sugar/honey/maple syrup per pint of water you used originally (so if you put two pints in the pan, you need ten tablespoons). Keep stirring for about twenty minutes, then take it off the heat and bottle it up. You need to keep syrups in the fridge, preferably in a dark coloured jar or bottle.

Balm

Essential oils and beeswax, basically. Add about twenty drops of essential oil to a cup of melted beeswax, stick it in a jar, let it cool, and there you go! You can mix in juiced herbs if you like, but that’s optional.

Salve

A salve is basically essential oils mixed with beeswax, oils and herbs. I have seen them made with coconut oil, though if you live in a warmer environment then coconut oil won’t work for you as it melts. You need about fifty/fifty dried herbs and beeswax (if you live somewhere warm) or use a mixture of beeswax and an oil like olive or safflower if you live somewhere colder, just so it’s soft enough to use. Use about twenty drops of oil per cup of beeswax. You’ll need to melt the wax in a double boiler, and let the herbs infuse in the molten wax for about half an hour. Then you add your essential oils, and pour the molten salve into the containers and let it cool.

Ointment

This is basically a liquid balm or salve. Follow the methods above, but use oil instead of beeswax.

Bath

When taking a herbal bath, you are basically making a giant cup of tea! Fill an organza bag with your chosen herbs, and put it in the bath while you run the water, then remove it before you get in. You can reuse the bag of herbs, but they lose potency with each use, so I try to avoid doing this.

Poultice