The exotic cultural terrain of New Orleans is enriched by the Spiritual churches. Combining elements from Roman Catholicism, Afro-Caribbean rituals, and down-home black religion, some one hundred of these houses of worship, most of them small, are scattered throughout the Crescent City. Their founder, Mother Leafy Anderson, was a faith healer and medium of African and Native American ancestry, who summoned spirits of the dead to commune with the living. In 1920 she came from Chicago to establish her denomination led by women and gladdened by jazz bands. Despite segregation laws, her congregations were integrated. At the center of her church Mother Anderson enshrined the spirit of Black Hawk, the rebellious Indian leader who in the 1830s waged a valiant rear-guard war against white pioneers and federal troops during the settling of the Midwest. Passionate present-day followers of Mother Anderson sing praises to him, "He'll fight your battles. He's on the wall." Why Black Hawk? Why is a Midwestern Indian at the heart of an African-American faith in the Deep South? Jason Berry, one of America's finest investigative nonfiction writers, explores the intriguing mystery of Black Hawk's place in the canon of Spiritual saints. In doing so he recounts the fascinating story of the church and the latterday followers of Mother Anderson in contemporary New Orleans. His haunting narrative is a historical detective story that encompasses the biography of Black Hawk, Leafy Anderson, and the remarkable circle of disciples around her, such as the benevolent Mother Catherine Seals, whose haven for illegitimate children and unwed mothers was called the Temple of the Innocent Blood.

Presents seventy-six images Black Hawk drew in the 1880s, detailing the culture and religion of the Lakota Sioux.

Conjure, hoodoo, rootwork - these are all names for southern American folk magic. Conjure first emerged in the days of slavery and plantations and is widely considered among the most potent forms of magic. Its popularity continues to increase, both in the United States and worldwide. This book is a guide to using conjure to achieve love, success, safety, prosperity, and spiritual fulfillment. Author Starr Casas, a hereditary master of the art, introduces readers to the history and philosophy of conjure and provides practical information for using it. Featuring Casas's own rituals, spells, and home recipes, the book provides useful information suitable for novices and seasoned practitioners alike. In its pages, you'll learn about: Bone reading Candle burning Conjure bags Building your own conjure altar At last, a book that answers every questions you had about Conjure but were afraid to ask! Old Style Conjure is an absolute treasure. It?s a must-read for every practitioner of the ancient arts and a must-have for every magical library! - Dorothy Morrison, author of Everyday Magic, The Craft and Utterly Wicked.

The name Black Hawk permeates the built environment in the upper midwestern United States. It has been appropriated for everything from fitness clubs to used car dealerships. Makataimeshekiakiak, the Sauk Indian war leader whose name loosely translates to “Black Hawk,” surrendered in 1832 after hundreds of his fellow tribal members were slaughtered at the Bad Axe Massacre. Re-Collecting Black Hawk examines the phenomena of this appropriation in the physical landscape, and the deeply rooted sentiments it evokes among Native Americans and descendants of European settlers. Nearly 170 original photographs are presented and juxtaposed with texts that reveal and complicate the significance of the imagery. Contributors include tribal officials, scholars, activists, and others including George Thurman, the principal chief of the Sac and Fox Nation and a direct descendant of Black Hawk. These image-text encounters offer visions of both the past and present and the shaping of memory through landscapes that reach beyond their material presence into spaces of cultural and political power. As we witness, the evocation of Black Hawk serves as a painful reminder, a forced deference, and a veiled attempt to wipe away the guilt of past atrocities. Re-Collecting Black Hawk also points toward the future. By simultaneously unsettling and reconstructing the midwestern landscape, it envisions new modes of peaceful and just coexistence and suggests alternative ways of inhabiting the landscape.

“Voodoo Hoodoo” is the unique variety of Creole Voodoo found in New Orleans. The Voodoo Hoodoo Spellbook is a rich compendium of more than 300 authentic Voodoo and Hoodoo recipes, rituals, and spells for love, justice, gambling luck, prosperity, health, and success. Cultural psychologist and root worker Denise Alvarado, who grew up in New Orleans, draws from a lifetime of recipes and spells learned from family, friends, and local practitioners. She traces the history of the African-based folk magic brought by slaves to New Orleans, and shows how it evolved over time to include influences from Native American spirituality, Catholicism, and Pentecostalism. She shares her research into folklore collections and 19th- and 20th- century formularies along with her own magical arts. The Voodoo Hoodoo Spellbook includes more than 100 spells for Banishing, Binding, Fertility, Luck, Protection, Money, and more. Alvarado introduces readers to the Pantheon of Voodoo Spirits, the Seven African Powers, important Loas, Prayers, Novenas, and Psalms, and much, much more, including:Oils and Potions: Attraction Love Oil, Dream Potion, Gambler’s Luck Oil, Blessing OilHoodoo Powders and Gris Gris: Algier’s Fast Luck Powder, Controlling Powder, Money Drawing PowderTalismans and Candle MagicCurses and Hexes