"A powerful reclamation of spiritual sovereignty, transforming the very tools once used to oppress us into instruments of liberation, healing, and protection."
—Abiola Abrams, author of African Goddess Initiation and creatrix of the Faces of Oshun Oracle deck

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"[This book] opened my eyes to the abundant ways in which Hoodoo is not only deeply intertwined with my spiritual DNA but is in fact the power that fuels it."
—Christena Cleveland, PhD, author of God Is a Black Woman

"A fierce and necessary volume that honors Black resistance and the power of conjure as a form of spiritual survival and political defiance. Bomani doesn't just write about resistance—she embodies it."
—Denise Alvarado, author of the Marie Laveau Voodoo Grimoire

"A vital work of remembrance and resistance. In Root Warriors and Hoodoo Saints, Mawiyah Kai EL-Jamah Bomani honors the magick, resilience, and ancestral wisdom that have sustained Black and Brown communities for generations. Mawiyah Kai EL-Jamah Bomani brings to life the histories of Hoodoo Saints with reverence, reminding us that healing is not separate from resistance and that survival often depends on the deep remembering of who we are."

~Emely Rumble, LICSW, author of Bibliotherapy in the Bronx

Conjuring the Calabash: Empowering Women with Hoodoo Spells & Magick

Conjuring the Calabash: Empowering Women with Hoodoo Spells & Magick
By Mawiyah Kai EL-Jamah Bomani
Published in November 2023 by Lewellyn Publications
Reviewed by Erzebet Barthold

We received Conjuring the Calabash from the publisher for review. The Calabash tree is central to Yoruba cosmology. It is described by the author as being representative of male and female energies, with the male at the top and the female at the bottom, ‘sky meeting earth in an eternal yet sacred kiss’ (page 1). She takes this further, however; for her the Calabash is the ‘womb of womankind’ and wherever women gather, that is their own calabash, a space made sacred by their joining. Conjuring the Calabash, while obviously being a book about the practice of Hoodoo, is more importantly about the healing and liberation of the black feminine. What this reader finds most welcome is the author’s clearly stated inclusivity: women here means any person who ‘identifies within the realm of the divine feminine’, be they transgender, nonbinary, etc.

The first chapter opens with a brief biography of the author, centring not only her lineage but also her experiences of growing up in a house filled with spirits, and a mother who taught her to accept their purpose in choosing her to be their intermediary. Her stories of this period in her life may sound fantastic to some, but anyone who has spent a life with magic will nod in recognition. Hoodoo, of course, played a small part in those early years, notably in the dabbling of a woman who, vengeful in life, had naturally become a vengeful spirit.

Vengeance will play a part in this book, but only because that is one of the uses to which Hoodoo can be put. We tend to cringe at that word and its connotations, but there is also a such a thing as righteous vengeance; in the first chapter the author touches upon the ‘psychological and physical violence of the New World’ (page 11), and briefly describes how Hoodoo was employed for protection, and more importantly, justice. Indeed, Hoodoo evolved in the United States as a means of fighting against the persecution faced by black and indigenous people at the hands of the colonial conquerors. For these people, righteous vengeance, or retribution, was a matter of survival.

As with most spiritual practices aimed specifically at people of colour, there must be a discussion about whether white people are welcome to practice, too. Hoodoo is no different. The author clearly states that this book ‘is for all women of color’ (page 5), but then addresses the question of whether Hoodoo is an open practice and rightly states that while people should ‘enter at their own risk’. This isn’t to dissuade anyone or to set a boundary, it is simply because of the nature of Hoodoo itself, which, as stated above, was born out of a need for people of colour to survive in a white world. The author handles this gracefully and offers the very best advice for anyone seeking to engage in a spirit-based practice: the first step is to feed the spirits with a homecooked meal. She follows with a recipe for just this purpose.

For this reader, the first chapter is the heart of this book. It sets the scene for the chapters that follow which engage with the practical aspects of Hoodoo, such as the tools required, assorted workings for achieving orgasm, healing from relationship trauma, to attract money, spells for protection, and even how to deal with workplace or internet trolls. This is only a small taste of what’s inside the book, and each chapter delves into the working fully, with recipes and explanations and a sharing of the author’s own experiences. The thread that runs through this book is one of empowerment, of taking control of one’s life with the help and guidance of the spirits that inhabit the Hoodoo cosmology and ecology.

An esteemed Tata I follow on Facebook described this book as an instant classic, and after reading it, I must heartily agree. All around the world, and in the United States in particular, people of colour, and especially women of colour, must still fight for control of their lives, their bodies, and for a place in a society which works so hard to destroy them. Conjuring the Calabash is not just a manual for those women who are seeking a magical practice, it is a beacon of hope that reveals the power accessible to the oppressed.