Hoodoo Herbal is a wonderful book absolutely full to the brim with information that is of use to beginners, as well as to those more seasoned. I really enjoyed how conversational the book is. Starr begins in the introduction writing about Conjure and the culture it grew in. She also explains how important the bible is in Conjure - "If you are going to do conjure then work with the Bible. The power of the work is hidden within the pages. Forget about man-made churches and all the hogwash so-called Christians have spewed out that have turned you away." An excellent example of the connection between the bible and conjure is shown here: "Psalm 51 V 7 says, "cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be white as snow." Reading this it is easy to see hyssop would obviously be good for "...cleaning, uncrossing, blockbuster works or even jinx removing."
Starr, or Mama Starr as her clients call her out of respect, gives some overview regarding; altars, prayers, petitions, ancestors, candles, spiritual discernment, and various spirits. Later in the book she explains how to bless and awaken herbs, and shares her knowledge of herbal remedies, curios and tools, and prayers and petitions.
This isn’t just a herbal that list plants and their uses, Mama Starr also explains how herbs are split into groups of hot, cold or dual, which is important to know when choosing herbs for particular results. She also shares a great tip on how you can be sure you have chosen the right herbs for the job by using a pendulum,(just a simple cotton string with a ring will do). A large section of the book deals with conjuring houseplants which I found incredibly interesting as well as useful. This book feels very much like sitting on a porch with your southern auntie while she shares her common sense and down to earth wisdom with you!
Thank you Starr Casas for this wonderful book, and thank you Weiser for sending me a copy!
Weiser Books 2022
Instagram: @starrcasas
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