What is de Witchdokta?

The witch doctor is an occult jack-of-all-trades skilled at not only simply brewing potions, creating talismans and crafting spiritual goods, but at enlisting the help of spirits from nature(shamanic), demonic spirits(occult), and the dead(necromancy). A witch doctor at work can be unsettling, for he is voice matches the mood of his rituals, and can mystify and hypnotize. The witch doctor's system is formed from the ability to conduct nature and beings from other realms through a crude yet effective art called Juju.

Juju follows a shamanic perspective, with the inclusion of spirits born from the minds of men and those who have never walked this world. Juju used for positive means or enlisting the help of positive beings is called Mojo. Juju used for negative means or enlisting the help of negative entities is called Jomo. Juju as expressed as an omen from the spirit world can be either "Good Juju" or "Bad Juju," depending on the omen. The witchdoctor knows all things are made of energy, and all can range from positive and negative. The witchdoctor can make his Juju even more powerful by shifting Juju around him, using good to fuel good and bad to fuel bad through mask, costume, voice, atmosphere, visualization, and ritual.

Witch doctors are a mixture between the Hoodoo's jinx's, curses and healing abilities; shamanism's power totems and ability to commune with spirits; and any other traditions or symbols the individual witchdoctor might see fit to use. They work not only for themselves but for their community or tribe, for the spirits of the dead and never dead, along with anything else in all of creation that need their skills. Creating curses and jinx's is a specialty of the witch doctor. The witch doctor can make a deadly doll of wax or tallow containing a specific person's hair, skin or blood and is knowledgeable in The Doctrine of Signatures. The Witch Doctor is open to spells, talismans, and spirits from other traditions, times, and paradigms, knowing everything exists and that truth is based on results.

Time of Medicine and Mojo Draws Near

I have begun to figure out exactly what will go into my Mojo Medicine Bag, and I must say, as I read each ingredient I almost feel the power of the items coursing through my body. Soon my powers will increase even further, and I will be able to help more people then ever before. I have asked the spirits, and they applaud me for my use of Hoodoo. It gives me great comfort and joy to know this.

I have begun debating what to do next after my Mojo Medicine Bag. Some friends would like me to craft similar items for them, and of course I cannot turn them down. But what will my first act of Hoodoo "rootwork" be. I have toyed with the idea of putting a jinx on the local police, and Hoodoo is quite capable when it comes to dispelling the law. Look no further then Lucky Mojo to provide the evidence:

A highly unusual, but obviously authentic spell using Goofer Dust was brought to my attention in April 1998 by Carol Barber, who wrote about what seems to be a very old recipe for a mojo hand:

"[Here's] something I've been trying to figure out [...] Someone was looking for a spell to help a friend get out of jail. This person received a spell that I'm not quite sure what to make of [...] It called for a "guffa bag" to be made from yellow silk, in which is placed a yellow feather, a sprinkling of powder (not defined as to what type), and a shiny new penny. It was then to be tied closed with a yellow ribbon."

The word "guffa" in this mojo bag recipe stumped me at first because in my mind i pronounced it with a short "u" (as in "guff") but in discussing it in usenet, William S. Aronstein set me straight by asking if "guffa" was not the same as "goofer," and then the composition of the bag fell into place:

Here is a brief analysis of the ingredients of the Goofer Dust mojo:

YELLOW SILK
Yellow silk tends to be associated with charms for wealth (yellow stands for golden coins) and, in older times, for court cases, especially when paying a fine was necessary. Yellow silk is the 2nd most common cloth used in making conjure bags (after red flannel). Its use dates back to the 19th century or earlier when yellow Chinese silk was very popular for ladies' fancy dresses and undergarments and seamstresses had lots of scraps of yellow silk and silk ribbon ready to hand.

YELLOW FEATHER
The inclusion of a feather in a mojo hand is very common, a practice that has roots in both African (Congo) and Native American custom. By the 1900s, the colour-coding of dyed chicken feathers included in such hands had been brought into line with the Western Esoteric Tradition of magical colour symbolism, as modified in America. In this system, yellow usually stands for gold and wealth.

SHINY NEW PENNY
Coins are often found in African-American conjure bags and they appear in many Congolese magic bags as well. The American coin most often encountered in mojo hands is the silver dime, followed by the nickel and then the penny, always specified as "shiny new." A silver dime cannot be placed in contact with Goofer Dust, however, for the sulphur will discolour it. The symbolism of coins is obvious -- acquisition and mastery of money -- but because this is a "get out of jail" bag, the coin may symbolize paying a fine, bribing an official or, more likely, the penny may stand for a "copper" that is, a cop or policeman. (Copper pennies often appear in Law Keep Away spells.)

POWDER
The name of the bag identifies the mysterious unspecified powder it should contain. It's a Goofer Bag, so the powder must of necessity be Goofer Dust. The inclusion of a powder is another pointer to the 19th century origin of this magical recipe, for although sachet powders are very popular in hoodoo work, they have become less and less common ingredients in conjure hands in the years since WW II. Goofer Dust is usually a fine yellowish-grey, so the colour makes it all of a coherent piece with the yellow silk, yellow feather, and yellow ribbon. Since it is there to mess up someone's life and the bag includes a penny, the implication is that a "copper" will suffer if the bearer is jailed. Alternatively, if the graveyard dirt that went into the bag came from the grave of a police officer, the criminal may actually asking for his spirit's protection from the harrassments of the law.

This old-fashioned Goofer Bag does not contain the elements one would expect to find in a "court case" mojo hand intended to influence a trial or parole hearing. (Those items would likely include Chewing John root (a.k.a. Court Case root or Little John to Chew), poppy seeds (confusion to an enemy), white mustard seeds (faith in deliverance), oregano (keeping the law away), and so forth.) Rather, this bag is intended to protect against arrest, get a fine or bribe paid, or destroy any policeman who interferes with the activities of the bearer. Only a real criminal would carry a Goofer Bag like this. It is not an innocent victim's petition for legal aid; it is a law-breaker's bag, meant to put the jinx on the cops.

My Tribe, My People

They are invisible, a face you pass by everyday without a care. Society simply isn't designed for their existence, and so they make a society of their own. Some catch trains, some hitchhike, others get around in their own way. Each one has a story and each one is a walking conduit of wisdom gained through experiance. These are my people, my tribe, and they will always be dear to my heart. But who are these people you ask? Allow me to explain.

The ranks of the homeless are filled with four different and unique classes, each commanding a respective amount of respect. A Hobo works and wanders, a Tramp dreams and wanders, a Yegg steals and wanders, and a Bum drinks and stays put. In the old days the Hobo was king, though as their numbers dry up it is the Tramp who takes their place. My own class, the Yegg, are very rare indeed, but are respected by all other classes as never bowing down to authority.

I have always practically lived as a tramp, smoking dope and squatting in abandoned houses every weekend with my friends, creating almost magical memories of what life is supposed to be. I was a skilled Yegg already, and kept the houses we occupied that still had their electricity stocked up with stolen food. Fried chicken, Gatorade, chips, fish, candy, liquor, black and milds, fruity pebbles, bowls, plates....we had it all.

For some reason I always figured I would eventually run away, so i kept a fully stocked "Hobo bag" filled with stolen supplies. I was fully loaded, and my supplies were culled directly from the survival tips of other homeless. I had even begun hanging out with a few, partying and hearing their tales, and I must say I was drawn to the culture. I learned the ancient hobo hieroglyphs, a dead language, but terribly fascinating nonetheless.

When I was kicked out of my house I lived on the street as a Yegg for about three days, and I have to say it took some convincing from my friends to leave that lifestyle. After that, anytime I ran into any other homeless I made sure to give whatever I could: money, black and milds, food. I knew their hardships, and if I had a place of my own I would have boarded them.

I cannot wait for my motorcycle, and the call of the asphalt does beckon my soul. But I also hear the train whistle, the stirring of mulligan stew, and the warm cackle of a jungle fire. One day I think I might just join their ranks if I get disgusted enough with the society I live in now.

After all, every jungle camp could use a Shaman and a little Mojo.

(Homeless Survival Guide 1)
(Homeless Survival Guide 2)