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Ashe,
Mojo, everyday Hoodoo
You
describe Ashe as the power of nature. Can you elaborate?
Ashe is
a Yoruban term; Yoruba are a group of people who originated in and around
Nigeria. Ashe is the invisible power of nature represented in all natural
products and organic objects.
When used
in power objects such as sculptural figures, hunters shirts or medicine
bags ashe is particularly strong as it is a combination of various aspects
and objects from nature--for example a tree branch brought down by lightning;
tears from a dying animal; herbs, fruits and vegetables; a river rock,
rainwater, a piece of driftwood, a found feather, sweat from a healing
ceremony and so forth.
How can
people use Hoodoo in their lives? Hoodoo is indeed a very useful art
designed with practical concerns in mind. Hoodoo tricks (spells or rituals)
are concerned with everyday issues such as love, fidelity, health, prosperity,
the home, jobs, friendship and family. If those issues are a concern
then you can use Hoodoo in your life.
What
is a mojo bag, and what is it used for?
There have
been several interpretations of the word mojo, mostly formulated by
cultural orientation. Most people can look at the bag physically and
spiritually and see bits and pieces of their own cultural folklore inside.
I support Robert Farris Thomas' definition and history of the mojo bag,
which is African. Following is a short excerpt from my article Conjur
Craft for the 21st Century in Llewellyn Journal with an African historical
overview of the mojo bag:
The Yaka,
Kongo, Teke, Suku, and Songhai people pack a cavity in the belly of
their sculptures with a wide range or organic materials: bones, fur,
claws, dirt from animal footprints; scales, sexual organs, lightning
excreta, fingernails, animal skins, and more. Kongo, Suku, and Yaka
people of Central Africa create some excellent examples of these sculptures.
These groups of people prepare sachets made from shells, baskets, pots,
bottles or food tins, plastic bags, or leather bags. These medicine
bags are charged with natural and manmade materials like gunpowder or
glass.
The Kongo
power figures are called minkisi or nkisi (plural). Nkisi incorporate
the elements and they are considered to be charms powered by nature.
They help people heal and provide a safe spot or hiding place for the
soul. They sometimes contain seashells, feathers, nuts, berries, stones,
bones, leaves, roots, or twigs.
The Bamana
of the Western Sudan use power objects such as medicine bags that are
imbued with ashe for addressing various ills. These objects are used
to express prowess as a warrior, to fight supernatural malaise, and
to foil evil intentions. The bags contain bilongo (medicine) and a mooyo
(soul).
I support
the assertion that mojo bags have a conceptual or linguistic relationship
to bilongo and mooyo and that their African predecessors are most likely,
Kongo power figures such as Nkisi.
Can
Hoodoo practices be incorporated into other spiritual paths?
Absolutely.
Readers
might be surprised to know how many familiar objects are related to
hoodoo practice. Can you describe a few of these?
Horse
shoes for luck, nails for spiritual binding and fixing, magnetic stones
such as lodestones for drawing and attraction magic, clovers for luck,
salt for purification, holy water for blessings, a variety of western
herbs: chamomile, roses, lavender, limes and mint come immediately to
mind, though there is a plethora, semiprecious stones, brooms, poppets,
coins, eggs, the list goes on and on. Indigenous people are vary adaptable.
ATR's have been able to adapt, flourish and incorporate aspects of neighboring
systems in order to survive in distant lands.
Stephanie
Rose Bird is the author of Sticks, Stones, Roots and Bones: Hoodoo,
Mojo and Conjuring with Herbs, due out next year from Lewellyn
Publications, and A Walkabout Home. She writes a regular column, Star
Child, a fusion of multicultural divination techniques, for ePregnancy.com,
and writes regularly for Llewellyn's Magical Almanac, Llewellyn's
Herbal Almanac, and Sage Woman
magazine.
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interview with Stephanie Rose Bird
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