Magickal Correspondence

Voodoo is a religion, while hoodoo is a magickal system. The word voodoo means the “spirit of God.” Voodoo believers accept the existence of one god, below which are the powerful spirits often referred to as Loa. These powerful spirits are responsible for daily matters in life in the areas of family, love, money, happiness, wealth, and revenge. Contrary to popular belief, however, Voodoo is first and foremost about healing. The loa are petitioned in rituals and spellwork frequently, but not always.

Hoodoo, on the other hand, is southern African American folk

magic. The goal of hoodoo is to tap into supernatural forces to improve daily life by gaining power in areas such as luck, money, love, divination, revenge, health, employment, and necromancy. As in many other folk religious, magical, and medical practices, extensive use is made of herbs, minerals, parts of animals’ bodies, an individual’s possessions, and bodily fluids, especially

menstrual blood, urine, and semen. Contact with ancestors or other spirits of the dead is an important practice within the conjure tradition, and the recitation of Psalms from the Bible is also considered magically effective in hoodoo.

The word hoodoo is used in a multitude of ways. For example, it is

used as a noun to refer to the system of magic (“hoodoo”), as well as the practitioner (“he’s a hoodoo man”). It is also used as a verb (“he has done hoodooed her”), and an adjective (“that’s a hoodoo trick”). Popular names for hoodoo in the local community include “conjuration,” “conjure,” “witchcraft,” “rootwork,” and “tricking” (which has nothing to do with prostitution!). Many blues musicians have referred to hoodoo in their songs.

New Orleans Voodoo is known for several unique characteristics,

such as Voodoo dolls, gris gris, and zombies. The use of Voodoo dolls in New Orleans reportedly peaked during the reign of the infamous Marie Laveau, the Voodoo Queen of New Orleans. Voodoo dolls are created as gris gris (pronounced gree gree), a form of talismanic magick. The word gris means grey, denoting that which lies between black and white. Gris gris is both a

noun and a verb, referring to a ritually prepared object such as a doll or a small cloth bag filled with magickal ingredients, as well as the act of working the gris gris (i.e. spell or charm). Traditionally, Voodoo dolls are created to represent a deity or to house a spirit. Although they are most commonly depicted as objects of revenge, most practitioners of Voodoo make a concerted effort to disassociate from the malevolent use of Voodoo dolls.

Approximately 90% of the use of Voodoo dolls in New Orleans is centered on healing, finding true love, spiritual guidance. In New Orleans, Voodoo dolls are largely sold as souvenirs, curios, and novelty items.

also known as Creole Voodoo, originated

from the ancestral religions of the African Diaspora, and is one of many incarnations of African-based religions rooted in the West African Dahomean Vodou tradition and the Central African traditions found in Haitian Vodou. It became syncretized with the Catholic religion as a result of the massive forced migrations and displacements of the slave trade. Slave owners forbade the

Africans from practicing Vodou under penalty of death and, in areas controlled by Catholics, forced many of them to convert to Catholicism. The result was a creolization of the names and aspects of the Voodoo spirits to those of the Christian saints who most closely resembled their particular areas of expertise or power. Under the guise of Catholicism, Voodoo as a religion

survived.

I left this one for last, as it is a word very

rarely used in the Magickal community. This old

term of insult comes from Old English waer-loga:

“traitor” or “liar.” It once described a Witch who

betrayed others to the Witch hunters, and it is often

used erroneously by Mundanes to refer to male

Witches. Today, some Wiccans may use the term

for an initiated Witch who turns against the Craft.

A man or woman dedicated to the

service of the Gods—often concentrating on a single

manifestation or aspect (such as a Priest of Apollo,

or a Priestess of Aphrodite). They may also serve a

community of worshippers. Priestly tasks can include maintenance of temples and altars, administering of sacraments, conducting and presiding over

rites and rituals, pastoral counseling, etc. They may

also serve as a direct channel for the spirit and voice

of their chosen Deities.

Paganism (meaning “of the country”) is a collection of diverse spiritual paths which are rooted in

or inspired by indigenous (native) and Classical

(ancient Egyptian, Greek, Roman, etc.) traditions

worldwide. Paganism is often referred to as “The Old Religion” meaning preChristian. Pagans believe in the

interconnectedness of all life, animism (everything is alive), pantheism (everything is Divine), polytheism (there are many gods and spirits), and immanent divinity (divinity is within everyone—expressed by some as “Thou art God/dess”). Pagans value diversity, good works, living lightly on the

Earth, individual freedom, personal responsibility, and equality between men and women. Many (but not all)

magickal folk identify their spiritual practice as “Pagan.”

In Medieval Europe and Britain,“Cunning

Women” were often called Wicce—an Anglo-Saxon

word meaning “shaper”—from which we get our

term “Witch.” This word, in turn, comes from Middle

High German wicken (“to conjure”). Modern Witches include both men and women, and much of their magick is directed towards healing, of people and the Earth. Many

Witches also practice divination and magickal techniques for the evolution of consciousness.

“Cunning” comes from the Old Norse cunna (“to know”) and the Old English kenning (“wise”). This term was applied to the resident magicians and healers of small English towns and villages ever since the late Middle

Ages. They were also called wise man or woman, Wizard, conjurer, sorcerer, charmer, blesser, peller (“expeller”), white Witch, and recently, hedge Witch. Like traditional tribal Shamans, these country “White Witches” possess magickal healing powers and provide cures, remedies,

charms, spells, and divination—usually for a modest fee. Most were old people, who claimed their

title by heredity or through supernatural encounters.

The spiritual leaders in traditional tribal cultures are the Shamans, or medicine men and women,

who are both gifted and learned in talents and skills

of divination, herbalism, hypnosis, psychic work,

and sorcery. In some places, these may be called

“Witch Doctors.” They are the village teachers, magicians, spirit guides, healers, and midwives. In particular, the Shaman uses altered states of consciousness (often aided by certain sacred medicine plants) to control psychic phenomena and travel to and from the spirit realm. The term originates with Siberian shamans, and specifically refers to Tibetan, Siberian, Mongolian, Inuit, and others.

From the earliest beginnings in ancient
Greece, Philosophers have sought to understand the
underlying principles and nature of “life, the universe, and everything.” They seek to apply wisdom,
knowledge, and reason to every aspect of life and
society, and they are particularly known for being
great teachers. Since philosophy includes metaphysics (the nature of reality and the origins of everything), Wizards are often also referred to as “Natural Philosophers.”

Prophets are usually divinely inspired

preachers, who often speak on behalf of the Gods

and Goddesses themselves. They are great teachers, known for compelling religious visions and

revelations—often completely transforming their

societies. Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and Mohammed

are considered the great Prophets of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

Someone who conjures up the spirits

of the dead to speak with them and learn hidden

knowledge and secret information, and to foretell

the future. Today people who do this are usually

called Mediums or Channels. Necromancy is a form

of divination

This term dates from the 14th century and means

“one who sees.” A Seer is a person credited with

extraordinary moral and spiritual insight, who predicts events or developments. The term may be used for anyone who practices divination (magickal techniques for finding lost information or predicting the future) especially by concentrating on a glass or crystal globe (scrying). Other words for Seer are Sibyl and Oracle.

Literally, “truth sayer.” An old word for

prophets, visionaries, seers, and fortunetellers. The

word could be used for anyone who predicts the

future. Another word meaning the same thing is

Mantis (“Diviner”), as in the insect known as the

Praying Mantis. The many techniques of divination are called “The Mantic Arts,” and practitioners are called “-mancers.”

Unlike sorcery, enchantment has very positive connotations. Enchantresses

are “bewitching,” fascinating, charming, sexy

women whose magick brings delight and pleasure

to others. The word is often used as a compliment

for particularly attractive and charismatic Witches

and Gypsies. A man who embodies those characteristics may be known as an Enchanter, though this

term is rarely used for men.

Sorcery implies some sort of

supernatural power over people and their affairs.

People who wield such magickal charm or influence are called Sorcerers (or Sorceresses in the case

of women). This term has a generally negative connotation, implying evil or “black” magick. The most

famous Sorceress of legend was Circe (SUR-see).

In Homer’s Odyssey, she turned Odysseus’s men

into pigs.

Alchemy was the forerunner of modern

chemistry, blending Egyptian metallurgy with

Greek philosophy and Middle Eastern mysticism.

The goals of Alchemists were the discovery of the

“Philosopher’s Stone” that would transform “base

metals” into gold and the “Elixir of Life” that would

heal all ills and allow one to live forever

Simply, any practitioner of the magickal

arts. There are performance Magicians who create

seemingly “impossible” illusions and feats with

sleight-of-hand (“prestidigitation”) and special effects. And there are Ceremonial Magicians who

create elaborate rituals designed to alter and transform the consciousness of themselves and others.

In ancient Celtic tradition, Bards were part of

the Orders that were headed by the Druids. Bards

were the poets, musicians, and singers of the epic

songs and tales that conveyed the history and lore

of the people. At a time when very little was written down, a Bard was expected to memorize enormous amounts of poetry, songs, and stories.

A Mystic (from Greek mystai, meaning someone who has been initiated into secret Mysteries) is

a person whose profound spiritual or “otherworldly”

experiences have given them a deep intuitive comprehension or vision of hidden truths and awareness. Such experiences are usually indescribable

and therefore beyond rational human understanding and explanation.