Protective rites
Hoodoo mojo bag
A small cloth bag carried for luck or protection, central to African American conjure and hoodoo.
Presented by ClearTrust Customs described as customs, free to read.
In hoodoo, the African American tradition of folk magic also called conjure and rootwork, a mojo bag is a small flannel or cloth bag holding roots, herbs, stones, coins and personal items. It is carried or kept for luck, love, protection or work. The name hand and toby are other names in different regions.
This is an outline of a custom, said as belief and practice. It is not instruction, it does not say that the rite works, and it is not medical advice.
What goes into it
- Flannel bagObjectRed is common for love and luck.
- Roots and herbsPlantChosen for the aim.
- Stone or coinObjectAdded for luck or strength.
- A personal itemObjectTies the bag to its owner.
- Whiskey or oilOfferingUsed to feed the bag.
- Object
- Plant
- Offering
Each part has an equal wedge. The ring shows what goes into the rite, not how much. Colour is the part's role.
The steps, drawn
Each drawing shows the kind of act in that step. Details differ from place to place, family to family and practitioner to practitioner.
Step 1: Gather The maker decides the aim and collects the contents. Step 2: Speak The aim is spoken over the items, often with a psalm. Step 3: Bind The bag is tied or sewn shut. Step 4: Gather It is fed and kept near the body or in a safe place. Step 5: Close The owner carries it without letting others handle it.
What is in it
Practitioners hold that what goes in depends on the aim and is a matter of the practitioner's judgment. The bag is often fed with a little oil or whiskey to keep it active. It is considered private and is not shown, handled by others or described in public.
Roots and history
Hoodoo draws on West and Central African ideas such as nkisi bundles, on European folk magic and on Native American plant knowledge. Enslaved people practised it in secret and Black rootworkers still pass it down in families and through shops and catalogues.
Commerce
Mojo bags are sold widely and sold fraudulently by people who claim to guarantee results. A bag is a small object of faith and no guarantee of anything. Appropriation of hoodoo by outsiders is a real concern for Black practitioners.
What it is for
- Luck and money
- Protection
- Love
Who does it
Related entries
Also part of it, and being written: Hoodoo (The tradition.), Mojo (The bag.), Conjure (Another name.).
Sources and further reading
Original text and drawings by the EveryJaadu desk, written with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Closed or sacred detail is left out. If we have something wrong, tell us.