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 | | Four Seasons of Mojo: An Herbal Guide to Natural Living by Stephanie Rose Bird ISBN-10: 9780738706283 ISBN-10: 0-7387-0628-0 ISBN-13: 9780738706283 ISBN-13: 978-0-7387-0628-3 Paperback 2006-03-01 Llewellyn Publications Find Lowest Price |
Editorials | ||
Product Description The changing of the seasons can feel magical-greens changing to browns and golds, snow melting to show fresh buds. We all recognize these tell-tale signs, but few are aware of the powerful impact each season has on our spiritual lives. Four Seasons of Mojo infuses ancient techniques, rituals, and methods from around the world to use each season's inherent energies to supplement body, mind, and soul. Designed to further spiritual practices by learning from neighboring cultures, this book provides readers with useful ideas unrestricted by geographic borders, ethnicity, religion, or magical path. Included are recipes and concepts from the Caribbean, African American soul food, Buddhist Meditation practices, sacred Hindu rites, Old European traditions, Australian Aboriginal dreaming lessons, and Native American wisdom. | ||
Reviews | ||
Ignore the title. This isn't Hoodoo A friend of mine picked up this book and asked me to looked it over and let her know whether or not this is real Hoodoo. Let me say that from the start this book is confusing. In the opening chapters the author discusses Hoodoo leading the reader to believe that what she includes somehow relates to Hoodoo when it is mostly a hodge-podge of ideas that the author threw together. Based on the majority of the contents of the book there is no real reason to discuss Hoodoo at all since so little of the book actually relates to it. That is not to say that what she's written won't work only that it isn't Hoodoo and if you are a Hoodoo purist you will not like this book. A few very non-Hoodoo inclusions: * Bird talks about the celebration of Pagan holidays and working with Pagan Deities or ATR spirits such as the Lwa and the Orisha. Although Hoodoo does contain deeply spiritual elements, God(s) play almost no part so there is no reason to invoke any Deity to do anything. Overall, there is too much focus on Pagan elements and when considering the fact that 90% of Hoodoo practitioners are some flavor of Christian, this book should focus on Christian holidays, not Pagan. * The use of herbs in Hoodoo is heavily based on Native American herbology and herblore, although, there is some cross-over use of European botanicals. The author seems to have used European herbal information for 90% of this book. * She includes terminology from the ATRs such as ashe, which are never used in Hoodoo. Hoodoo, while rooted in African magic and beliefs, is an American system of magic and uses American terminology. * She gives definitions for words like "mojo" that not only contradict each other from one page to the next, but seem to be completely made up. She defines "mojo" as power or prowess when mojo is neither of these things. A mojo is simply a spell contained in a bag, nothing more or less. * Hoodoo places a great deal of emphasis on numbers with 3,7,9, and 13 being highly favored. It is rarer for a practitioner to use even numbers as these are considered to be stable and stagnant and will reduce the effectiveness of the spell. In reviewing many of the spells given in this book, even numbers are often used. It doesn't necessarily mean the spell will fail, but it may not be as strong or successful as a spell that uses traditionally favored numbers. * Despite these, and other, problems with the book there is one inclusion that is just bad all the way around due to a lack of information on the part of the author. In one of the chapters Ms. Bird has the reader sprinkling Goofer Dust to protect the home from spirits and "bad vibrations", but fails to tell the reader that Goofer Dust can mean two different things. In some regions of the country goofer dust is another term for graveyard dirt that had been gathered and paid for in a specfic manner from a specific type of grave and can be used to protect the home. Bird also fails to tell the reader how to gather and pay for it. In other regions of the country Goofer Dust (proper) is a compounded powder used in harmful spells up to, and including, death spells and has absolutely no protective qualities. Unless the reader knows the difference between Goofer Dust and goofer dust, they run the risk of getting Goofer Dust proper from a supplier. Sprinkling this type of Goofer Dust around one's home would have disasterous results for those living in that home. Overall, this book reminds me very much of Ray Malborough's "Hoodoo Mysteries", and contains about as much real Hoodoo as that book. Btw, "Hoodoo Mysteries" is the book that destroyed Malborough's reputation amongst Hoodoo practitioners, and Ms. Bird is fast on her way to doing the very same thing. If you are looking for real Hoodoo you will not find it in this book; if you are looking for Llwelleyn New Age feel-good nonsense masquerading as Hoodoo then by all means pick this one up. Cavaet Emptor! | ||
Fascinating! I really enjoyed this follow-up to STICKS, STONES, ROOTS AND BONES! I'm not a hoodoo, but the suggestions for celebrating each of the seasons, tips for being healthy in body, mind, and spirit, and for keeping your home (cleansings and blessings) are ones anybody can follow. The recipes for teas, bath salts and floor washes alone are worth checking out this book.Orange Mint and Honey: A Novel | ||
Wonderful second volume!!!! I've really appreciated this book and would recommend it to anyone who enjoyed the first book. I hope there is a third coming out soon. These suggestions really work and the book is written to be enjoyed as a good read as well. Highly recommend! | ||
Got My Mojo Working... "Got my mo-jo workin' but it just won't work on you. Got my mo-jo workin', but it just won't work on you I wan-na love you so bad I don't know what to do Got my mo-jo workin'..." -- By McKinley Morganfield, Blues Composer/Singer Blues songwriters in the African-American culture coined the term mojo, it means casting spells to gain someone's affection. In McKinley Morganfield's song, he used a love potion to obtain love from a particular woman, but it didn't work. According to Stephanie Rose Bird, writer, educator, visionary artist and contemporary root worker, by working roots on that woman he should have had her in his arms that night. I love the style in which FOUR SEASONS OF MOJO is written. Bird divides each section by season and highlights specific holidays of several cultures. She illustrates the time of the season and the affect it has on our mood and behavior. Respective holidays require certain herbs coupled with specific tools and equipment to communicate definition, significance and continuity with society-at-large. She shares an eclectic wealth of information that is sometimes overwhelming to a neophyte, yet people still derive a connection with other cultures. Her approach to the world of mojo is like taking a Home Economics class. One does not start cooking a meal without first choosing the appropriate meal for the occasion, the exact tools and an awareness of their purpose in preparing the meal to get the desired results. The author provides stories and recipes from other cultures to enlighten the reader and to promote research of the new recipes. I applaud Bird for acknowledging the validity of "nature's prescriptions" in contemporary society. She has joined the ranks of others to remove the shame of being "natural" by educating herself in the art of being an herbalist. Her guide has shown that in the African-American culture, as other cultures, we share a bond with the earth and nature. Lana Hooks for The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers | ||
Gathering A real root worker, a wise woman, has written a book that all wise women can share and see and learn from. There are enough textbooks out there with mechanical lists of sterilized ingredients; here is a story from the old religion. A combination of folklore, practical spells, humble steps, and a reverance for the simple joys we experience and adore in everyday lives, this is the knowledge being passed, once again, from one woman to another. Anyone can begin working her magic today; planting seeds is part of the great circle. Stephanie, well done girlfriend! | ||