<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=36MnN7_0wImBkDk00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=36MnN7_0wImBkDk00" width="1920" height="1080" ><figcaption>Hoodoo is a spiritual practice created by enslaved Africans as a means of resistance. </figcaption></figure> Born on her grandmother’s lap in Memphis, Tenn., Lisa Jones was immediately called to heal through Hoodoo. Hints of her connection to the spiritual tradition hovered all around her as a child. Her grandmother, Bernice Strickland, was a well-known root worker and prayer warrior on Beale Street, home of the Blues and a hub of Hoodoo. Prior to medical advancement, Strickland embraced the pharmacy of the land. She would ask Jones and the rest of the kids to pluck dandelions from her yard and she made a special tea meant to cleanse the blood and build immunity. Jones didn’t think about all things being considered Hoodoo, but those moments with her grandmother and mother became lessons that Jones later learned had been passed down her bloodline. “Roots are medicine in a way,” Jones said. “They already knew from generations before them what roots did. So you’re exposed to it all the time. You just don’t know why. You don’t know that they’re making an antibiotic in the kitchen on the stove because our culture didn’t have access to medical services like other people did. It comes from survival and from knowledge being passed down. That’s how it’s been for a very long time – physical healing, emotional healing, spiritual healing. It’s always been here.” Hoodoo was born out of the resilience of enslaved Black Southerners who pushed back against white supremacy by refusing to give up their West African traditions. It’s a spiritual practice combining the medicinal properties of nature with the divination of ancestral reverence. October is <a href="https://www.reckon.news/black-joy/2023/10/mama-rue-on-hoodoo-heritage-month-and-our-familial-spiritual-traditions.html" rel="nofollow"> Hoodoo Heritage Month </a> , which was founded in 2019 to honor the richness of a tradition that’s been demonized both in the past and present. According to Dr. Yvonne Chireau, author of “ <a href="https://bookshop.org/p/books/black-magic-religion-and-the-african-american-conjuring-tradition-yvonne-p-chireau/6560135?ean=9780520249882" rel="nofollow"> Black Magic: Religion and the African American Conjuring Tradition </a> ,” communal African practices were perceived as <a href="https://cswr.hds.harvard.edu/news/magic-matters/2021/11/10" rel="nofollow"> demonic and strange </a> . Jones said today’s media portrayals of Hoodoo distorts the practice in a negative way. “Hoodoo does not resort to anything evil by default. If it’s evil to protect yourself, then I imagine that would be a true statement,” Jones said. “Anything that originated in Africa and practiced by brown people – it’s ‘dark.’ I don’t know why, but my best guess is that if you spook-ify it enough, it will scare enough people from it. Whereas we’ve always known that it’s the very thing that carries us to fight our enemy. So it has to be made ugly.” Jones’ own entrance into Hoodoo was an act of communal love and care. She was about 30 years old – an age where many people find themselves navigating the tides of adulthood. Job loss, divorce and other challenges can throw anyone off in life. There are many ways one can stabilize themselves again, Jones said. Some find peace in the sanctuary of a church. Others may seek counseling. “I just so happened to have a grandma, a mom and a couple of aunts who explained to me that, ‘It’s time for you to learn some things,’” Jones said. “They were ready to show me how to cope with all of the things that were not falling in place for me and to help me spiritually grow and not be so frustrated because the power is that I can do something about all of these situations. I have the power to do that. I have the right to do that.” In 1992, Jones made a vow to her grandmother. Together they stood in the flow of the Mississippi River, where Strickland asked an important question. “She said, ‘Lisa, what are you going to do with your Hoodoo as you progress in it?’” Jones recalled. “I made a simple promise: I will never harm my creator’s creations. I will continue with elevating everything that I can touch.” Now 59, Jones has spent the past 37 years sowing seeds of wisdom and healing as a Hoodoo practitioner in her hometown. In 2017, she opened Memphis Conjure Spiritual Supply located on 5963 Summer Avenue. It’s become a one-stop shop where the community can find handmade oils, candles, powders and other spiritual tools. The shop is also a sacred space where people can book <a href="https://memphisconjure.com/meet-our-tarot-readers/" rel="nofollow"> tarot readings </a> and purge their traumas during <a href="https://memphisconjure.com/spiritual-cleansing/" rel="nofollow"> cleansing ceremonies </a> . Enrollment is open for those seeking to deepen their spiritual practice through <a href="https://memphisconjure.org/our-course-offer" rel="nofollow"> Memphis Conjure’s courses </a> , which start next spring. Jones has educated more than 200 students and earlier this summer, she was featured on the Starz show “ <a href="https://www.memorabletv.com/news/down-in-the-valley-hoodoo-woman-starz-26-july-2024/" rel="nofollow"> Down in the Valley </a> .” During the episode, she guides a woman whose son was killed during a shooting through a “ritual of mourning.” Jones believes Hoodoo possesses multiple ways for people to elevate and soothe themselves through life. She shared some of those methods with Black Joy. “My interpretation of hoodoo would be that it’s a spiritual coping system,” Jones said. “It is simply a spiritual, earthbound practice where you use the elements of air, fire, water, the earth and your àshe to overcome what has happened.” Amplify your ‘àshe’ In West Africa , àshe is more than just a Yoruba word that means “command” or “energy.” It’s also a concept referring to the power one has to create the change and action they want to see in their life. “I refer to it as an absolute faith that yes, this is going to happen for me. Àshe!’ Jones said. “In other words, it’s like a confirmation.” <figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=0yas05_0wImBkDk00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0yas05_0wImBkDk00" width="1920" height="1080" ><figcaption>Lisa Jones Owner of Memphis Conjure </figcaption></figure> Jones considers a person’s àshe as the fifth element that needs to be present on one’s altar along with the rest of the earthly elements. Faith without works is dead, Jones said. And it’s hard to make an intention come to life if the willpower isn’t there. Àshe also makes someone less vulnerable to other’s opinions. “Let’s say you make a determination, ‘I’m going to be a doctor one day,’” Jones said. “Everybody’s giggling at you, trying to cut it down and say, ‘Oh no, you’re not.’ Guess what? That very thing in the back of your head that said, ‘Oh, my God. Let me prove them wrong.’ That is àshe, and five years from now, you’ll be a doctor.” Many things can cause someone to have low àshe. The death of a loved one, an abusive relationship and other misfortunes of life can wear a soul down. So they go hunting for solutions. “A lot of people come to Hoodoo because they feel their hopes moving away from them,” Jones said. “They’re questioning themselves. So that means their essence is all over the place. They’re unsure of life. They’re unsure of their job. So you want to help put it back together and say, ‘Yeah, we can start from scratch again.’” Building it back up is a practice that varies from person to person. Meditation, crystals, prayer, chanting and reiki are some ways a person can heal their àshe. Jones said sometimes it can be as simple as crafting or connecting with nature. Any calming, grounding activity can lead to improvement. “I don’t care what you use to get it back together. That’s not my business,” Jones said. “My business as you build it back up is I can see you smile and breathe better. The cadence of your voice changes, and you’re calmer on the inside. Then you can figure out, ‘Well, this is the direction I’m going to go because I get me now. I know what my needs are.” Tap into your discernment A <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2021/02/16/faith-among-black-americans/" rel="nofollow"> 2021 Pew Research </a> study shows that young Black Americans are not attending church as often as their elders. About 28 percent of Black Gen Zers and 33 percent of Black Millenials are not religiously affiliated. Some <a href="https://www.detroitpbs.org/news-media/american-black-journal/some-young-african-americans-are-moving-away-from-the-church-toward-individualized-faith-black-church-in-detroit/" rel="nofollow"> religious leaders </a> and <a href="https://www.splinter.com/why-more-young-black-people-are-trading-in-church-for-a-1821316608" rel="nofollow"> former churchgoers </a> point to the harm conducted in churches as the cause for people leaving organized religion. Instead many of them are <a href="https://www.reckon.news/black-joy/2023/01/black-spiritual-and-free-a-conversation-with-cherise-morris.html" rel="nofollow"> finding connection within African spiritual traditions </a> . Jones has noticed a pattern while talking to those who were raised in the church when it comes to scripture. “We have a lot of people who don’t even know if they’re Christians,” Jones said. “There’s something missing in every other person that we speak to that says they’re Christian. I think what’s missing is the actual spiritual understanding of the words that they’re reading. They’re not being told what the words mean. They’re not given the opportunity to feel what the words might mean for them.” Scriptures were another resource Jones’ family members shared with her when she first started practicing Hoodoo. The understanding of Biblical text was something that was passed down from elder to elder in Jones’ family. “What Hoodoo has taught me is that as a Christian, which I choose to be, I need to pay attention to the words in this book that I’m reading and apply them actually according to my discernment,” Jones said. “But I can’t force the understanding of them onto anybody and I shouldn’t.” Jones mentions Proverbs 18:21, which states that life and death lie in the power of the tongue. In Hoodoo it is important to know how to observe people and the environment around you. “My discernment is one of my most valuable assets,” Jones said. “Silence has to be golden in Hoodoo. Sometimes I can’t speak what I think, and sometimes I absolutely have to. But I have to determine when to speak and how to say it. If you speak and don’t don’t need to speak, it could just mean more trouble.” She also extends this wisdom to her students. She conducts exercises with them where they are required to be still and not talk. “In Hoodoo, I’m taught that adversarial energy does not always need a response,” Jones said. “I teach all of my students that anytime someone makes you feel a way, just look at them and make sure they’re making you feel a way based on what you’re doing, or is that how they’re feeling and they’re projecting on.” Connect with an ancestor – whether they are blood or not Hoodoo is such a community-centered practice, that even those who have passed are still participants. Photos of deceased family members decorate ancestral altars. Their herbal recipes and tried-and-true traditions are passed down from one generation to the next. Ancestral veneration isn’t just a Hoodoo thing. Jones mentioned <a href="https://www.reckon.news/black-joy/2022/11/ya-ancestors-dont-play-about-you-black-joy-november-11-2022.html" rel="nofollow"> Dia de los Muertos </a> , a Mexican holiday that welcomes home deceased loved ones through food, celebration and altars dripping in golden cempasúchil. Honoring ancestors is a vital part of Hoodoo, Jones said. “These were your teachers from generations back. Their existence is your existence. Without them, you would not be here. Period. That is what a veneration of an ancestor is,” Jones said. “These are the people who insisted that we elevate as human beings. These are the people that kept us from losing any shred of humanity that everybody else was trying to take away from you.” But not every ancestor has to be a blood relative. Jones said it would be hard to track down every Black ancestor anyway. Before the Civil War, the U.S. Census didn’t record Black people by name. They were under their enslaver. It’s an obstacle many genealogists refer to as the “ <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbtAd_7I-xQ" rel="nofollow"> 1870 brick wall </a> ,” which refers to the year the Census started recording Black Americans as people. In the Black community, <a href="https://www.reckon.news/black-joy/2024/06/is-blood-thicker-than-water-stories-on-black-kinship-and-legacy-in-frederick-county.html" rel="nofollow"> there are many ways to become kin </a> . Neighbors and friends are welcomed into families because they are in need of care and the village leaves no one behind. There’s the chosen family of childhood. The church family that prays together. The bonds built with coworkers who keep each other laughing and sane during their 9-5s. These folks are still members of your ancestral council. “Here’s a spiritual definition of an ancestor: Any human being that took it upon themselves to say that I love you. You’re mine. I will bend over backwards for your existence. I am here for you. There is nothing I would not do for you,” Jones said. “The ancestral connection is nothing but love essence. Your existence matters to them.” Jones shows great gratitude to her ancestors through the work she does and in her personal life. Without them she wouldn’t have the tools to share with the community today. That passing on – that spiritual inheritance – is what keeps the Hoodoo lineage going. “That’s part of the principle of Hoodoo,” she said. “We will always be the wind beneath each other’s wings. We’re not here to clip your wings ever. We’re here to help you fly.” Want to learn more about Hoodoo? Here are more stories by Black Joy: <a href="https://www.reckon.news/black-joy/2024/03/get-your-spirit-right-with-podcast-host-and-osun-priestess-juju-bae.html" rel="nofollow" target="_self" title="https://www.reckon.news/black-joy/2024/03/get-your-spirit-right-with-podcast-host-and-osun-priestess-juju-bae.html"> Get your spirit right with podcast host and Osun Priestess Juju Bae </a><a href="https://www.reckon.news/black-joy/2024/03/get-your-spirit-right-with-podcast-host-and-osun-priestess-juju-bae.html" rel="nofollow" target="_self" title="https://www.reckon.news/black-joy/2024/03/get-your-spirit-right-with-podcast-host-and-osun-priestess-juju-bae.html"> The Magnificence of Country Hoodoos with Sirene Martin </a><a href="https://www.reckon.news/black-joy/2024/03/get-your-spirit-right-with-podcast-host-and-osun-priestess-juju-bae.html" rel="nofollow" target="_self" title="https://www.reckon.news/black-joy/2024/03/get-your-spirit-right-with-podcast-host-and-osun-priestess-juju-bae.html"> The magical science of Hoodoo with Hess Love </a><a href="https://www.reckon.news/black-joy/2023/10/the-freedom-doctor-on-the-elders-who-showed-him-the-way.html" rel="nofollow"> The Freedom Doctor and the elders who showed him the way </a><a href="https://www.reckon.news/black-joy/2024/03/5-books-on-the-enduring-power-of-black-healing-traditions.html" rel="nofollow" target="_self" title="https://www.reckon.news/black-joy/2024/03/5-books-on-the-enduring-power-of-black-healing-traditions.html"> 5 Books on the enduring power of Black healing traditions </a><a href="https://www.reckon.news/black-joy/2024/03/5-books-on-the-enduring-power-of-black-healing-traditions.html" rel="nofollow" target="_self" title="https://www.reckon.news/black-joy/2024/03/5-books-on-the-enduring-power-of-black-healing-traditions.html"> “African American Herbalism” is both history and healing </a></div></body>

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Hoodoo heals: A Memphis woman’s guide to empowering yourself through spirituality

Lisa Jones, founder of Memphis Conjure, talks about the ancestral healing power of Hoodoo.