African American Hoodoo also known as “conjure”, “rootworking” or “working the root” is a traditional African American folk spirituality that developed from a number of West African spiritual traditions and beliefs. The purpose of hoodoo was to allow people access supernatural forces to improve their lives. Hoodoo is purported to help people attain power or success & luck in many areas of life including money, love, health, business, fame, employment etc.

Since earliest times, people have used ritual and magic to influence the world. The principle is that similar things create similar effects–In black magic a human being could be cursed to death by spearing a skull with a metal point bearing the name of the victim. This imitation of effects to influence events is called sympathetic magic. Magic also holds that things that have once been in contact with each other continue to act on each other at a distance even after the physical contact has been severed.

Many ancient magical beliefs may be used for good or ill. Coming back to the using of vodou dolls, puppet healing is the reverse of effigy burning. Instead of desiring to kill or injure the person whom the puppet represents, the practitioner wishes to help them. Healing given to the puppet is transmitted to the person represented.

In many ancient cultures including that of India, Babylon, Egypt, Greece, and Rome. Little wooden images of an enemy were made and burnt while chanting magic spells called “the burning of the soul,” this ritual was believed to bring about the enemy’s death. Then, of course, we have all heard of the voodoo doll, into which pins would be inserted to cause an enemy harm. Vodou is still largely practiced all over the world to cause harm while we help in setting up altars to protect against Black magic. Hoodoo & Vodou a primarily healing-based practice based on sympathetic magic.

Sympathetic magic is still with us today in our superstitions and beliefs. How often do we see the Flags of Nations burning during Mob Attacks? or effigies of People being burnt in protests? Burning an effigy is pure sympathetic magic: just as the image suffers, so does the man or nation.

Hoodoo & Vodou have some interesting methods to protect the soul from harm. There are a number of remedies that we can use to negate the harm. They may feel that this energy has become an “entity” that is causing bad luck or illness. A curse, spell, or “crossing” can only be removed using specific rituals and techniques. Remaining with the hoodoo theme, the belief is that curses should be “sent back” to the person who have sender.

Many believe that the soul can be harmed by a jealous stare or envious glance. The eyes are considered “the gateway to the soul” and, in many cultures, the “evil eye” is believed to harm the soul. It is one of the oldest and most culturally prevalent magical beliefs in the world.The evil eye is believed to cause miscarriage, illness, business failure, bad luck, and a great many misfortunes. In addition, anyone, including those who have no special powers, can give the evil eye. Since it happens involuntarily, no one can be certain who or where the evil came from, making this one of the most feared of all magical powers.

Contact with ancestors or other spirits of the dead is an important practice within the Hoodoo, Vodou & Conjure tradition.Due to hoodoo’s great emphasis on an individual’s spiritual power to effect desired change in the course of events, hoodoo’s principles are believed to be accessible for use by any individual of faith. Hoodoo practice does not require a formally designated minister.

Sometimes we can talk ourselves into being ill, we can frighten ourselves into believing that bad luck and illness will befall us. If we believe we are unlucky, we may inevitably attract bad luck into our lives and curses may only succeed because the victim believes in their power. Most people find out that they are jinxed through word of mouth or when a “friend” tells them that a spell has been put upon them. Let’s face it, people love to gossip and soon the belief in the jinx is reinforced by the community at large. Inevitably, as soon as something untoward happens to the victim, the jinx is to blame. They may lose their keys or a credit card and immediately they remember what the friend told them. And so the cycle of fear begins.

There are plenty of spiritual supplies and rituals available , which include mojo hands, mojo bags, energised herbs, roots, minerals, candles, incense, oils, floor washes, sachet powders, bath crystals, icons etc which can protect and remove the evil eye or curses so that one can attract good fortune and luck to their lives.