"Root work" is a derivative of eighteenth and nineteenth century voodoo. The special meaning of "roots" is uncertain. It does not seem to be related to the mandrake root. Perhaps it has to do with the preparation of potions from roots". The rootwork system combines a belief in the magical causation of illness with cures by sorcery and an empiric tradition stressing the natural causation of illness with cures by herbs and medicines. Adherents of rootwork are medically pluralistic and seek help from a variety of practitioners when faced with illness. Adherents enter the clinical setting for the treatment of natural illnesses and present symptoms in accordance with traditional beliefs about the blood and "folk" categories of disease. Adherents may also consult magical practitioners, known as root doctors, for treatment of a variety of psychosocial problems.
Root work is mainly a rural Southern practice. The Northern migration of Negroes has brought it to every Northern industrial center. In the South some of the white rural population also practice root work. The central belief is that illness or death may come to someone through a hex. Root workers or root doctors who assist in putting a hex on someone are equally proficient at removing such a hex. The hex is usually administered through powders placed in food or drink. In addition, one may have a root worker "dress" his hand so that merely touching the victim will bring on the hex. It is likely that a hex can also be administered at a distance by acting on the victim's clothing, a piece of his hair, or some other personal belonging or even image. The evil eye might also be invoked. The most common belief, however, is that something has been done to the victim's food or drink.
Voodoo, Root Work, and Medicine DAVID C. TINLING, M.D. http://www.psychosomaticmedicine.org/cgi/reprint/29/5/483.pdf
Most often people of the south, most often African Americans and some white beleive in one person putting a "hex" or curse on another by placing something in one's food, drink or by using one's hair, or article of clothing.
"Root work is a derivative of eighteenth and nineteenth century voodoo. The special meaning of "roots" is uncertain. It does not seem to be related to the mandrake root. Perhaps it has to do with the preparation of potions from roots".Rootwork is a form of folk magick that uses the elements of nature to create change in ourselves, others, or our environment. It is an African-American form of shamanism that makes use of herbs, stones, rocks, and other organic material to heal the body or the mind, or to solve a problem. Like all other forms of shamanism, Rootworkers believe that we can use the unseen forces of nature to manipulate the tangible world.
In order to understand just what rootwork entails, we first need to understand the tremology of this pharase. Rootwork first involves a "worker: One who practices a form of southern Sorcery." This could be a person who gathers all necessary items in order to put a "hex" or "curse" on someone. The different items includes but are not limited to is hair, clipped off fingernails, dead skin, dolls, red pepper, candles, pictures, etc. Many of these items can be used alone, or with a mixture of several items. Root work has a long history in the African American community. The root worker also charges several dollars to cast a spell on someone.
Rootwork is also known as "Hoodoo" in the southern part of the United States. The word Hoodoo is probably derived from the word juju, an African word meaning "magic," or from Voodoo, a corrupted version of the Fon word Vodun, meaning "spirit" or "god." But unlike Vodun, Lukumi, Candomble, Shango, Batque, etc., Rootwork is not a religion. It has no pantheon or priesthood. It refers only to a set of healing and spell practices, and the practitioner can be whatever religion they wish. The theology behind the spells has been lost, thus there are no formal initiations to become a Rootworker. However, a good practitioner is traditionally referred to as Doctor, Mother, Uncle, or Aunt out of respect for their vast problem-solving knowledge.
The next form of rootwork has the name of "hoodoo", which means the same thing,: "1) Possible corruption of the term Voodoo (Vodu, Vudu, Voudou, etc.); 2) A Sorcerous practice whose origins has roots in the Congo; 3) A folk practice using folklore, charms, and varying degrees of pseudo-spiritual goods such as sold by mail order curio houses from the early 20th century; 4) A practice that borrows elements from Necromancy, Spiritualism, Root-working, Christianity and Native American Shamanism, among other sources." Sometimes the term "voodoo" is used. "1) A Fon magico-religious practice rooted in Haiti and the surrounding Caribbean isles. 2) A magico-religion coupled with Root-Conjure work as practiced in New Orleans during the mid to late 19th century. Next is the term of "root-conjure": "1) A practice of Neo-African Sorcery that utilizes the roots of various flora and fauna native to the practitioner's home. 2) A Worker who engages in the art and practice of evoking Spirits for practical ends. 3) A Worker who uses the Christian Bible as a source of Mystical folklore and Magical instruction which is primarily gleaned from the Psalms and the vrious books of the Prophets". And last is the "obeah: A tradition of Caribbean Witchcraft [1] that has origins among the Ashanti tribes of Africa. These Africans were deposited as slaves in Trinidad and Jamaica durign the slave trade days".
Other terms for a professional hoodoo practitioner are "root doctor," "root worker," "two-headed doctor," "two-head woman," and "two-head man." The first two refer to rootwork -- the use of herbs for medical and magical purposes; the latter three are African survivals, referring to the worker's contact with spirits who reside in the cunjure doctor's head and may guide him or her. Prior to the great migration of blacks to urban cities, these shamans were equally feared and respected, and usually lived away from the "regular folks" and made a profitable business off people who would sneak to see them under the cloak of darkness for help in resolving their issues. Most people lived by the saying "You want salvation, go to church. You want something done, go to the Rootworker."
Descriptive verbs for performing harmful hoodoo spell work include to "hurt," "jinx" "trick," "cross", "put that stuff (or thing or jinx) on [someone]," "throw for [someone]" (when powders are utilized), and "poison" (which can refer to contacted as well as ingested substances). Curative magic to counteract these operations may be called "uncrossing", "jinx-breaking," "turning the trick" (sending it back to the sender), "reversing the jinx" (sending it back), or "taking off those crossed conditions."
The ambiguous verb "fix" can refer to either harmful or benign magical operations. Generally speaking, when "fix" is applied to an inanimate object -- as in "fixing up a mojo," or "he makes fixed candles," or "she fixed some baths for him" -- the intention is helpful and the word is synonymous with "prepare," anoint," or "dress." But when the verb "fix" is applied to a person rather than an object -- "she fixed him," "she got him fixed," or "I'm going to use Boss Fix powder on my supervisor," -- the subtextual implication is that the intention is to either manipulate or harm the client's enemies. The only exception to this is in the phrase "she fixed her pussy," where the woman dresses or prepares her own genital organs in such a way that any man coming into contact will be magically captured. In this case the intention is helpful to the woman who fixes her pussy, but manipulative to the man who thus finds that "she hoodood his nature."
Prior to the great migration of blacks to urban cities, these shamans were equally feared and respected, and usually lived away from the "regular folks" and made a profitable business off people who would sneak to see them under the cloak of darkness for help in resolving their issues. Most people lived by the saying "You want salvation, go to church. You want something done, go to the Rootworker."
Rootwork also served a practical purpose in the black community. Many Africans had experience working with herbs in their homeland and transmitted their botanical knowledge to their children. This information was passed on orally and was used to cure the sick and ailing. The most common afflictions Rootworkers treated were smallpox and digestive disorders, by boiling down the roots of certain herbs like the spikenard (hyptis suaveolens) or the sensitive plant (mimosa pudica) and making a tonic for their clients to drink.
All blacks in the South had to know basic healing techniques because traditional health care was too expensive for slaves to afford. In fact, many whites couldn't afford a traditional doctor either, and would often turn to their slaves' botanical knowledge for cures.
Native Americans and Rootwork
African slaves would often seek refuge among Native Americans because they had a similar worldview and they were willing to teach them how to survive in the New World. Although Africans were knowledgeable about African plants and their uses, they had no idea what to do with the herbs found in this strange land. Native Americans taught them the properties of local herbs and roots. The depiction of Native American chiefs and warriors on the packages of many "luck drawing" floor washes are testimony to the impact Native Americans had on rootwork. These floor washes are simply a combination of water mixed with different perfumes and contain no herbs or roots at all. Most people don't read the ingredients in these products but just assume their effectiveness because of the clever packaging. Certainly if there is an image of a Native American on it, the product must be "magical," right? When, in fact, it's about as magical as Mop-n-Glow.
Rootwork Today
When African Americans migrated north, many left Rootwork behind. They were seeking better opportunities and a more sophisticated way of living, and Rootwork was considered "backward" or "country" and was frowned upon. This theme was dealt with in Julie Dash's cinematic masterpiece, Daughters of the Dust.
As standard medical care became more available, fewer people had need for the Rootworkers. But many still consulted them to perform divination or spell work.
Today, because of miseducation and the media's negative portrayal of any spiritual system based in Africa, most people avoid Rootwork. Everything that is African is feared, ignored, and rejected because of a deep and painful history of erasure of Africa as a major contributor to world culture. Even with the vast knowledge accumulated in the last century, when most people think of African spirituality and its practices in the New World, the mind usually conjures up images of spooky witchdoctors, bloody cannibalistic rituals, and evil curses. The media still transmits this propaganda through cartoons and movies, especially in the horror genre such as The Serpent and the Rainbow, Child's Play, Voodoo Dawn, and Tales from the Crypt to name a few. A case in point is Webster's dictionary definition of Hoodoo:
Hoodoo: 1. voodoo 2. bad luck 3. A person or thing that brings bad luck.
Inaccuracies such as this pervade our culture, resulting not only in a negative psychological effect on African Americans and others in the Diaspora, but also in preventing others from understanding the true nature of these practices. This book is an attempt to correct these inaccuracies by placing Rootwork in its proper historical, cultural, and spiritual context.
— Preceding unsigned comment added by Meekone2 (talk • contribs) 07:54, 11 April 2011 (UTC)
References:
1.RootWork-Conjure Sorcery (no date) Accessed April 10,2011 from Molochsorcery. [1]
2.Yronwode, Catherine (1995-2003). HooDoo African American Magic. Accessed April 10, 2011 from Lucky Mojo Curio Co.[2]
3.McQuillar, Tatannah Lee Rootwork. Accesssed April 10, 2011 from DailyOM. [3]
4.Schanche, Don Jr. (2004). Ancient Beliefs Still Anive in Georgia. Accessed April 10, 2011 from Southern-Spirits. [4]
5.Matthews, Holly F. (1987). Rootwork: Description of an Ethnomedical System in the American South. Accessed April 10, 2011 from Southern Medical Journal. [5] — Preceding unsigned comment added by Meekone2 (talk • contribs) 05:53, 11 April 2011 (UTC)