Hoodoo is a form of predominantly African American traditional folk magic. Also known as conjure, it is a rich magical tradition that developed from the merging of a number of separate cultures and magical traditions. Hoodoo incorporates well established practices from African and Native American traditions, as well as some European magical practices and grimoires. While folk practices like hoodoo are trans-cultural phenomena, what is particularly innovative in this tradition is the "remarkably efficacious use of biblical figures" in its practices and in the lives of its practitioners.
The word hoodoo first appears documented in American English in 1875 and is listed as a noun or a transitive verb. In AAVE, it is often used to describe a magic spell or potion, but it may also be used as an adjective for a practitioner (e.g. hoodoo doctor, hoodoo man, or hoodoo woman). Regional synonyms for hoodoo include conjuration, conjure, witchcraft, or rootwork. However, they do not all imply one another. For example, witchcraft is problematic as a synonym in that it can imply a moral judgment regarding the practice of hoodoo (i.e. it is evil), or it can be confused with contemporary Wicca. Moreover, a hoodoo practitioner is not always understood as a rootworker if they do not use roots and herbs in their magical practices. Thus, rootwork can be understood as a subcategory or a "type" of hoodoo practice.
♥==Social Context==♥ Historically, most practitioners of hoodoo have been African Americans, but there have been some notable white root doctors. Latinos , and Native Americans have also been practitioners. The origins of hoodoo are thought to begin with the African slaves, particularly in the American southeast, and historically, its existence has been documented in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. However, today hoodoo practitioners, like African Americans themseles, can be found in many other parts of the country, including the west coast and the northeast.
Unlike formal religions, hoodoo does not have a structured hierarchy. It also does not have an established theology, clergy, laity, or order of liturgical services of its own. Instead, practitioners are often lay people within a Christian community who possess specific knowledge of magic and hoodoo tradition. A traditional hoodoo doctor was often a nomadic sort who traveled from town to town peddling his services, but many also set up shop in their communities. However, hoodoo is not reserved solely for the specialist. Many of the spells and practices are within the realm of "folk remedies" and are well known in some African American and/or Southern socio-cultural contexts.
The traditional manner for passing on this folk knowledge was from person to person. For example, noted African American anthropologist Zora Neale Hurston worked extensively as an apprentice for various hoodoo doctors and wrote about her experiences. Since many hoodoo practices are passed on as folk remedies that can loosely be described as "common knowledge," hoodoo is also passed on through families and social contacts. However, with the growth of technological communication, learning the ways of hoodoo can now be accomplished through online sources and various books that preserve the tradition.
