as we continue this conversation about Conjure (aka hoodoo, African American folk magic, and root work), i'm noticing that Conjure is ubiquitous, i.e., everywhere present around us. it's in our conversations, food, music, dance, visual art, and of course literature. Conjure is an inextricable part of our expression and culture. it's in us. but not everyone is eager to embrace that reality.
it's a two-headed creature, for sure. one side practices Conjure to heal, for protection, to understand dreams, and to receive the blessings of good luck and fortune. lucky number and dream books, candle shops, herbal products, charms, talismans, and home remedies abound. i was out in the boondocks the other day, and in the middle of corn fields and gas stations and little road side restaurants, there was a house with a neon PALM READER sign in the window. even the smallest communities have their own conjure womens and mens.
the other side, however, exists for darker purposes, typically to harm, injure, and manipulate. i'm not interested in that stuff. it's whacked.
and yet i can't ignore or disregard those classic tributes to Conjure's mirky side like Junior Wells' "Hoodoo Man," and Santana's "Black Magic Woman" and Alice Smith's cover of "I Put a Spell on You" that just wears me out! like i said, Conjure is ubiquitous.
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