Integrity in the Modern Era of Hoodoo Practice

 Introduction

    Growing up, I got the earliest teachings of what I now know to be understood as hoodoo through "what the grown folks used to say", family lore stories, and traditions I had observed in my occasional visits to church and at a Christian daycare center. As I got older, I began to teach myself through trial and error, research, and many long nights of deep intense prayer to whomever's ears were turned in my direction. I had never thought of my spiritual practice as something that could become mainstream on the internet. In fact, I had never seen anyone online uttering the word hoodoo (be them right or wrong because unfortunately hoodoo tends to be lumped into other African Traditional religions) up until around 2019. I also saw this robust digital world of spiritually unfold even more online during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, where the world was locked down and all we had for social interaction was social media. Man, what a time to be alive!

    As with most social media "booms", the spiritual community was (and still is) filled with drama, scandal, scammers, culture vultures, and blatant misinformation. When I reflect on what it means to share my journey, and become a source point of information and guidance online, I can genuinely say that I am still as disgusted with social media as I was then. Every time I open up IG or Tiktok, there's someone being scammed, misled, or even racist! Over the years, I have received countless DMs from brave people sharing their stories from large and popular creators about half assed "spiritual products", overly expensive services that disappoint, or these people using fear tactics and the threat of curses to extort money from the people that believed they could trust in them. I believe that it is my responsibility to address this. and set the record straight, regarding my thoughts, feelings, and encouragement to those trying to navigate these spaces and start, or continue, your spiritual journey.  

Finding your way

    In my social media posts, my number one saying is that everyone needs to develop their discernment and learn how to pour into themselves so that they can use their gifts. I am also a big advocate for healing, as well as, doing research as opposed to just taking someone's word for it. One thing that I have observed is the fact that a lot of the social media platforms push content that is loud, entertaining, and promises some form of instant gratification for the viewer. For example, people are pulled towards spell work and candle work, and while it may not seem like a negative thing, the issue is that many people do not have the knowledge, skill, patience, or time to really devote to seeing a working through to the end. Another example is when people rush to devote themselves to certain deities and spirits, or decide to self initiate into closed practices. The instant gratification factor is the illusion of advancement and tenure amongst other spiritual practitioners, and that one will simply reap the rewards of being a devotee without any real confirmation, initiation. and investments into their service of whichever deity or spirit they chose.

    So, what does all that have to do with discernment, healing, and developing your own gifts? A LOT! First off, your strongest source of connection to all within you and around you will come from the connection you have with your mind, body, and spirit. You need to develop the capacity for deeply intense levels of self-awareness because you need clarity about yourself in order to start to decode the world, the spiritual realm, and your place in it. I will always scream about healing because when you work on your trauma, its causes, and how to integrate you will become more connected to yourself, and your gifts. As human beings, we cannot access higher levels of consciousness when we are in survival mode, or stuck in a painful past. With that being said, one of the biggest blockages those of you who go on this journey will encounter is yourself. At that point, discernment is like a muscle and over time the more you are able to sort your experiences, behaviors, and thoughts, the easier it is to access foresight, and your intuition. 

    Trusting your gut, or intuition, always starts with self-trust. (Hopefully as you continue to read you start to see how everything is interconnected in a web.) The internet is full of lies, illusions, drama, and gore, all of which can be disorienting especially for under-developed individuals that fall for the many landmines and traps. Remember, nothing you see on an app is by chance. It is all a result of  the systematic tracking of what you consume, or would be willing to consume, being thrown back at you. For example, if you consume content that revolves around tarot readings, whether you follow someone or not, whether they use hashtags or not, and etc. the algorithm thought that you were the perfect audience for that creator. In turn, that skews your viewpoint and ability to really relate to these broad, general energy readings that the creator posts. By the time you know it, more content that matches the theme of that video has lined up a whole host of other creators' videos.

Final Thoughts

    As I bring this post to a close, I want to give encouragement because I know that this topic in particular is very nuanced and complex, and so are the things that I suggested! Developing your gifts, healing, using discernment, finding your place spiritually and in the physical realm are all things that take time.  Don't feel discouraged by any blips and failures along the way, try to learn from them and carry that experience with you in a constructive way. This journey is not a linear one so, be patient with yourself and take breaks as needed. I would say that the most beautiful part of going through your journey and learning bit by bit is that though it may be a life-long journey, the time will pass anyways! Ask yourself  if you'd rather change for the better, or live and die mediocre and undeveloped.

     You are more than capable of exceeding your own expectations! I appreciate you being here and sharing space with these words. If this spoke to you, feel free to support by sharing, engaging, or connecting with me for readings and spiritual work when aligned (my booking site and contact information can be found underneath services and offerings). Everything I offer is done with intention, care, and respect. Thank you for allowing me to do what I love.