Defining the Conjure Tradition

over the years i have attended many gatherings where religions, spiritual traditions, and practices of people from different cultures have been celebrated.  i cherish these interfaith experiences that have given me such rich opportunities to learn, expand my consciousness, fellowship with like minds, build bridges of faith, and be of service to the vision of a global beloved community. what a blessing.

yet, there were many times while attending these gatherings when i would feel something was missing for me. and after a while i began to question why the African American spiritual heritage and culture was not represented or even explored to any extent? while participating as an original member of the Trail of Dreams in a walk of remembrance to retrace our ancestors' footsteps along the parts of the Underground Railroad that parallel and cross the Appalachian Trail, i came to understand that our ancestors were working with something outside of Christianity, something that was spiritually unique and powerful.

it bothered me for many years that the voice of that reality was always absent within the circle of gurus, ministers, priests, priestesses, et al. representing Christianity, different African religions, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Wicca, Judaism, various indigenous spiritual traditions, and so on, although African Americans could be counted among those faith traditions. of course, i was thrilled when my sista-friend-guru Audri Scott Williams began to bring Harriett Tubman into those circles, represented by her walking staff, and to tell the stories of our ancestors spiritual legacy and triumphs.

and there is even more to tell and learn and celebrate by exploring 
the history and herstory of the Conjure tradition, also known as hoodoo, rootwork  and African American folk magic. according to several sources, Conjure--not to be confused with voodoo--is a gumbo of African, European, and Native American spiritual practices and botanical wisdom teachings that intersects with Christianity at debatable intervals. Yvonne P. Chireau, author of Black Magic: Religion and the African American Conjuring Tradition, further defines Conjure as "a magical tradition in which spiritual power is invoked for various purposes, such as healing, protection, and self defense," to serve individual and collective needs.

throughout the rest of this month, i will share some of my research on Conjure with the intention to give voice to this often misunderstood but fascinating spiritual culture that is as an art form in and of itself. meantime, check out my Facebook page (Lenett Nef'fahtiti Partlow-Myrick) for daily posts on this topic