Is Hoodoo a Religion?

Happy Hoodoo Heritage Month!

This morning during my meditation, I found myself thinking about a conversation I had with an elder some years ago about Hoodoo. This elder was a little despondent because, while she had spent many years studying and even writing about Hoodoo and deeply respected the practice, she was looking for something more “spiritual,” something that provided “rules of living.” She stated that religions like Christianity and Ifa had rules for living and provided a sense of dedication to something higher, and that Hoodoo essentially lacked both of these.

Working Altar

I think these are some of the sentiments folks wrestle with when trying to figure out if Hoodoo is a “religion.” For some, Hoodoo is not a religion because they feel it lacks a centralized text, deity or pantheon, and clergy. If you add the idea that it also lacks cohesive teachings that provide guidance on how to live and serve God and others, Hoodoo is reduced to just magic - putting people in jars, working candles to attract money, and hexing and unhexing when needed.

In my opinion, the reason this is even a discussion or debate is because we’re centering a Eurocentric view of religion. Europeans have created a dichotomy between “spiritual” and “secular” that generally does not exist in African cultures where indigenous spirituality is practiced. In many African cultures, the spiritual aspect of life - the rituals that support a harmonious relationship between the self, the ancestors, the spirits, and the community - was part of the culture and the people, not separate from it.

Moving away from Hoodoo for a bit, and reflecting on Ifa/Orisa tradition (another spiritual tradition I practice), Ifa/Orisa tradition in the West focuses on iwa-pele - the practice of gentle character. Many Ifa/Orisa teachers will teach the importance of iwa-pele to their students in a way that is similar to a Christian Sunday School format. However, in traditional Yoruba culture, these concepts are taught in the household, not as a class. Gentle character, the importance of honoring elders and ancestors, and the basic rituals that support reciprocity between the living and the dead are modeled and taught to children and reinforced as they grow up and move into adulthood.

Many indigenous cultures are similar in this way. Some may have a text, even an oral text like the Ifa/Orisa odus, but even the one’s without a “spiritual” text have the cultural text that teaches them how to live in harmony. Even though there may not be a clergy responsible for delivering a message once a week, there are often medicine people responsible for supporting the well-being of individuals and the community as a whole by serving as an intermediary between the living and the dead. And even if a Creator God is not the primary focus of spiritual connection and more attention is on ancestors or spirits of nature, most indigenous spiritual cosmologies reflect a belief these ancestors and/or spirits of nature or connected to an ultimate source/Creator.

Flowing River

If we consider Hoodoo in this light, we can appreciate the depth of this powerful tradition developed and perserved by our ancestors instead of focusiong on what we think it lacks or reducing it down to mere magical workings.

If a Hoodoo practitioner is dedicated to the elevation of their ancestral line through ancestral veneration, why is that not dedication to something "higher" or of service? Hoodoos who work as root doctors, root workers, etc. serve their communities by providing guidance, healing work, etc. Why is this not considered "service"?

Someone who grows up in a Hoodoo household where ancestors are venerated will naturally learn the importance of family, respecting elders, the circular nature of time, etc. I grew up hearing my elders say "God don't like ugly," or "Cleanliness is next to godliness." I think we all know these sayings are not in the Bible. These are Black folk sayings that transmit the value of good behavior and being clean in body, mind, and spirit. Why is this part of our “religion” even though it’s also part of our culture?

An Ifa babalawo chanting over a charm to activate it is similar to a Hoodoo praying over a candle or a mojo bag. Both are calling on "something higher." Also, good Ifa and Orisha priests, just like good Hoodoos and Spiritualists, know what they are held accountable by their spirits to serve and do good work.

Let’s let go of the need to compare our ancestral heritage with European concepts of religion and embrace the fullness of what our ancestors have handed down to us.