Five Hoodoo Hacks for Modern Witches

By Devin Hunter

Devin Hunter is a professional Psychic Medium and modern witch and is the resident House Medium at The Mystic Dream in Walnut Creek, Ca. He holds third-degree initiations in both the Northern Star Tradition of Wicca as well as the Dianic Tradition of Witchcraft (the Cult of Diana) and is the founder of his own tradition, Sacred Fires. His AV Club favorited podcast, the Modern Witch, has helped thousands of people from all over the world discover and develop their magical abilities. He is a blogger for Witches & Pagans magazine and is the creator of Modern Witch Magazine. Devin is currently teaching with the Black Rose School of Witchcraft and is the reigning Master of Ceremonies at the New Orleans Witches’ Ball.

Hoodoo has become increasingly popular amongst pagans and the magically minded. Perhaps it’s down to earth nature and recipes that come with a discernible past are what entice us or perhaps we have fallen in love with hoodoo because it doesn’t come with the same rules many of our European magical traditions come with. Many practitioners don’t know this but Hoodoo has been shaping the magical frontier in the US since before the 80’s and has a history here since before the revolutionary war. In today’s post we explore five Hoodoo Hacks that will take your magic to the next level.

1)    Sweeten up anyone

Have you ever felt like someone didn’t like you and no matter what you do they just wouldn't play nice?  In Hoodoo there is an entire classification of spell work that deals with these sticky situations known as the Honey Jar or Sugar Spell. These spells use the power of sweetness to slowly turn otherwise uncomfortable relations into partnerships. The key here with these spells is that they are slow and take some time to kick in and must be maintained as part of a regular practice.  Find out more about Honey Jar and Sweetening Spells Here.

2) Candle remnants will reveal all

Don’t just throw those glass encased candles away after you have used them! As a glass encased candle spell burns it will leave herbs, wax, and curio pieces stuck to the sides of the glass that can be read like tea-leaves and can give you insight into how the spell worked. A candle that burns clear with no residual matter on the sides means that you have a successful spell, a foggy candle can mean that you need to refocus and seek clarity on the matter, and a candle that leaves lots of remnants or leaves soot can mean that your spell is not going to be effective. This practice is called Ceromancy and is used by many Hoodoo practitioners to keep tabs on the effectiveness of their spell work.

3) Reuse that brown bag

Hoodoo comes from the slaves and immigrants who made their way to our shores and many of them didn’t have money for expensive parchment. In spells thatrequire petition papers, name papers, or sigils Hoodooists use recycled brown paper lunch or store bags. Cut a square out from the bag and use the side that hasn’t been printed on. Brown paper bags soak up oils better than standard white paper and won't cost you a thing.

4) Household products are perfect in magic

In Hoodoo it is understood that if something has the ability to clean the dirt from your floors it also has the ability to clear the spiritual dirt away. Household products like lemon scented oil soap, blueing balls, and ammonia are used in Hoodoo to get rid of unwanted energy. When you are preparing your household cleaners activate them like you would an herb or stone and ask for the beneficial cleansing properties of the product to also aide you magically as you clear away unwanted juju.Check out this Hoodoo floor wash spell.

5) Uncross yourself

It isn’t always easy to tell if you have been cursed or if you are just tripping yourself up. In Hoodoo there is a perfect way to take care of both with one shot. An uncrossing involves the untangling of energy and allows for us to smooth out the road ahead. This practice is primarily done as a magical bath or a candle spell and can be done for both general and specific needs. If you have been feeling off-base and confused, especially about the things that matter most to you an uncrossing can take the edge off and provided much needed clarity.Check out this Uncrossing spell from The Mystic Dream