Rootwork: Using the Folk Magick of Black America for Love, Money and Success: McQuillar, Tayannah Lee: 9780743235341: Amazon.com: Books

Love books like these so insightful

Far too often the very mention of the word hoodoo or voodoo conjures up grotesque images of half-dead grayish people stumbling around mumbling. Finally, here's a book that tells it how it is, that African American hoodoo is nothing more than a form of shamanism. In this simple little, plain speech book, the author explains how the tradition came about and what just about caused its extinction.Like the author, I was born and raised in urban North America and I was told this practice was called Rootwork. When I talked to people in Chicago and other Midwestern states they called it Rootwork as well. And, I remembered hearing when I was a youngster on the old AM radio dial in between church broadcasting, the late Reverend Ike advertisement, in which someone says, "Somebody people a root on me!" So, Rootwork is what we called hoodoo.Anyway, I like this book mainly because it focuses upon the core understandings of the tradition. Most authors that claim to write about this subject simply copy formulas and recipes from older books and sell it as their own, because they have no familiarity with African American culture. As a result, for instance these authors would copy a recipe that has raccoon penis in it and have people going around looking for a raccoon to cut off its genitalia. This is how animals and other things in nature become extinct if one looks at history. These authors that write from this perspective also do our tradition a disservice by making practitioners appear to be inhumane.In truth, it is only when it is understood that raccoons were one of the animals that was hunted in the African American community that it begins to make sense why and how the raccoons' genitals were used. It was simple, because every part of the animal was used, after skinning the animal, not having anything else to do with the genitals it was made into a charm and the rest of the animal was used for meat, because this pesky rodent tastes like roast beef. I am not sure if it tastes like jutia (the Cuban rodent) but one could sure see the cultural similarities. By the way, this same practice is done for turtles and is also exist in other Afro-Diaspora traditions. People don't just kill animals for a magickal bone, that's pure fictional nonsense! Animals for the most part have always been killed for food and like most people that live close to nature. The remaining parts (bones, skins, etc.) are used for spiritual/magical practices.So, this is why I liked this book, because the author gives enough clues and hints for people to make their own substitution, without dishonoring and discrediting the tradition of old.

Great book! Educational and heartwarming. I have such a better insight of the ones before me who gave me life and have with me before I had any idea. I will continue to honor them I will continue to give them offerings I will continue to pray to them our continued to go to them for guidance clarity etc. By this book it's great!

Ok so usually I don’t write reviews right away for books and certain items that you need to give time for so you can give an honest review.I have Native American and African Roots but never witnessed any practicing of “hoodoo” or anything like it on either side. If anything it was grouped into a lump of things deemed wicked and not if god. However I have this connection with the universe (too much to get into) that has pulled me into this direction.After doing some research I decided I was ready to read more in depth about it. I ordered 2 books 1. Sticks, Stones, Roots and Bones. And this book Root Work. I started reading the sticks and stones book first and it felt like watching paint dry. I don’t want to be rude about that book because it was written with care by her he author I’m sure, however as someone with no experience in hoodoo..... that was not the beginners book for me. It was just too much to try to absorb and in my opinion the recipes for tricks where also too much for a beginner. (I will leave my review on that book soon so I will stop here and just reiterate I don’t feel it was good for a beginner).The same day that I finished reading Sticks, Stones Roots and Bones I felt like “Shrug-Meh” wish I didn’t buy this. Because I felt unsatisfied I decided to just grab the next book and get that over with too.....hell I bought it so I should read it right lol!Into reading Root Work it gave a good introduction to hoodoo and it’s history. It was at page 22 I threw my hand up in the air and jerked my neck back and yelled “ Yessssss that’s what I need ta know”!!!!!! By page 31 I was nodding my head in pure satisfaction! This is a GREAT BOOK FOR BEGINNERS. It’s easy to read, clear and the break down for the things you need to know and understand is on point. This book was full of the knowledge my soul was craving in the form that my beginners mind could digest! I was mad I had to put it down and tend the my errands. I have not read all of the book yet.....(though I imagine I’ll be done in a day or two because I’m enjoying it!) I was so impressed with it I had to share now! I’ll be back to add more, but I’m so glad I purchased this book. Kudos to Tayannah Lee McQuillar and thank you sis, well done!