About the Book
"This book is about Black girl magick, queer girl magick, straight girl magick, trans magick, bisexual magick. It's about giving yourself the power to be fierce...Black women are Hierophants, Magicians, Empresses, and High Priestesses."—Mawiyah Kai El-Jamah Bomani
Authentic and unapologetic, this guide to magical spirituality empowers you to take back the power to heal and shine under your own strength. Written by an accomplished Hoodoo practitioner, Conjuring the Calabash features spells, recipes, and rituals that help you rise out of the constrictions around you.
Mawiyah Kai El-Jamah Bomani shows you how to bless your calabash (sacred womb) with love and reawaken your fullest potential through folk traditions, personal stories, and her favorite songs and pop stars. An inclusive and intersectional voice in contemporary Hoodoo, Mawiyah will help you become your fiercest self.
Table of Contents:
Contents
Foreword xv
Introduction 1
One: Crescent City Hoodoo 7
Two: Tools of the Trade 21
Three: Sexual Evolutions 43
Four: Love Me or Leave Me Alone 75
Five: Cold Hard Cash 101
Six: Goofer Dust in Your Eye 135
Seven: Mother Earth Sustains Me 159
Eight: Just for the Men 181
Nine: Goddess Bless the Child 199
Ten: Crossing Over 217
Eleven: Lagniappe 239
Conclusion 257
Acknowledgments 261
Bibliography 263
About the Author :
Mawiyah Kai EL-Jamah Bomani is an award-winning writer, educator, and spirit woman. Mawiyah is an eighth-generation Witch, Egun Medium, and Priestess of OYA in the Yoruba system of spirituality. She is also editor in chief of the culture and Afrikan Traditional Spirituality e-zine, Oya N'Soro. Mawiyah is the host of FishHeadsinRedGravy, a podcast dedicated to celebrating marginalized people of the esoteric/occult world. Her writings have appeared in numerous magazines, including The Crab Orchard Review, Dark Eros, and Catch the Fire. She has written several plays, including Spring Chickens, which won her the Southern Black Theatre Festival's 2012-2013 Playwright of the Year Award. She is also the Critical Mass 8 Literary Award winner and a KAT Artist Residency recipient. Mawiyah currently lives, writes, and conducts Orisa rituals, spiritual consultations, workshops, house cleansings, and divinations in both northern and southern Louisiana. Visit her at www.MawiyahKaiELJamahBomani.com.
~
Review :
"One of the most authentic books on Hoodoo that I have read...Speaking directly to people of color not only makes this book a must-have to help navigate the hardships we face in this world, but also inspires a rekindling of magic that lives deep within our bones...A powerful weaving of magic, empowerment, and a deeper understanding of rootwork that many books on this practice lack."
—Juliet Diaz, author The Altar Within
"Bomani does not disappoint...She shares the ancestral wisdom and culture held fiercely in the hearts of those who live it. Though written for women, there is something in the book for anyone looking for empowerment."
—Denise Alvarado, author of The Magic of Marie Laveau
"Conjuring The Calabash is not derivative nor is it tethered to tradition. This book is bold in its contemporary, eclectic, and visionary outlook...Bomani is a gifted Hoodoo and a modern-day wise woman."
—Stephanie Rose Bird, author of Sticks, Stones, Roots & Bones and 365 Days of Hoodoo
"A well-written and insightful book...It is much needed information on folk magicks of the Caribbean, working with the calabash. It is a book I will be recommending to my students and colleagues alike."
—Starr RavenHawk, HPs Founder of WFT Academy Of Pagan Studies
"A call to all levels of magickal practitioners to embrace the enormity of the powers that lie within us and to enliven and express that power through magick, spellcraft, and ritual...Bomani has created a rich and searingly honest go-to resource."
—Rhonda Alin, founder of Black Women of Magick & Conjure
"Bomani writes with a spirit and passion that will make you want to know more and keep reading. Conjuring the Calabash is full of practical advice, tips, tricks, recipes, and folklore. Mawiyah truly understands and shares her lineage and vast knowledge."
—Yvette Wyatt, owner of The Motown Witch
"Bomani is the first to concretely compile the religious practices surrounding the use of the calabash as a sacred vessel and symbol of femininity, fertility, and ancestry...Conjuring the Calabash will become the ultimate guide for the modern sorceress, the enchantress, la bruja, and the urban witch."
—Elhoim Leafar, author of Dream Witchery
"This is more than a wonderful read; it is an encyclopedia for any practitioner who is ready to experience the depth of rootwork...It's loaded with magickal workings for spiritual and practical livelihood."
—Granddaughter Crow (Navajo Nation), author of Belief, Being, and Beyond
"Conjuring the Calabash fills a blank space in American Witchcraft literature. This book reveals the mysteries of Hoodoo, making it accessible to understand, practice, and incorporate magic in our everyday lives with plenty of exercises, spells, and rituals."
—Laura Gonzalez, CSNP Station Manager, host of Lunatic Mondays
"Bomani is why women of color are finally leading the conversation surrounding sex magic. She makes the world a better place through her thrilling yet relatable writing."
—Sophie Saint Thomas, author of Sex Witch
"With clear, step-by-step instructions and practical examples, Mawiyah guides readers through the intricacies of hoodoo spellcasting and helps them unlock their full potential."
—Mat Auryn, bestselling author of Psychic Witch
"Conjuring the Calabash is destined to become a classic."
—Patricia Snodgrass for Facing North.com
