Protecting the Home Hoodoo Style

Protection for the home is a fundamental magical working that just about everyone should do. Of course, these aren't replacements for common-sense things like locking your doors and getting a house alarm if needed, but they certainly support those mundane solutions.

Railroad Spikes and Indian Head Cent Lookouts

A traditional way to protect the home employs the use of railroad spikes and Indian Head Cents. This requires the use of four of each. One railroad spike is pounded into the ground at all four corners to "tie down" the property and protect it. Atop each of the spikes, an Indian Head Cent was placed (as pictured above) to act as scouts against any that would seek to harm you. The spikes would be dressed with a protective blend (like Fiery Wall of Protection Oil) and the pennies would be dressed with the same blend or perhaps an Indian Spirit Guide blend prior to putting them in place.

This tradition pulls together several uniquely African-American magical concepts. First, the use of metals. This hearkens back to the African metal-smith gods (The Yoruban Ogún or the Congo Zarabanda) that were seen as the crafters of civilization, fierce warriors and protectors of their followers. The Railroads were seen not only as a manifestation of technology and tools (thereby associating them as the greatest evolution of these Gods' gifts to humanity) but also as huge aggregations of iron - a metal sacred to these Gods. By staking the four corners of the property with railroad spikes not only were the rootworkers calling upon magical traditions of their Ancestors, they were also unknowingly calling in the protection of the Gods of their ancestry.

The incorporation of Indian Head Cents to act as watchers also draws upon the long-standing associations between African Slaves and the Native Americans - both oppressed people in the South in American history - who often worked together, sharing magical traditions and intermarrying thus crossing bloodlines and sharing ancestors. The "Indian Spirit Guide" is an evolution of this shared ancestry. The most prominent of these Native American ancestral guides was Blackhawk. He was honored and worshipped in "Black Spiritualist" churches often in the form of "Blackhawk in a bucket" (an aggregation of ancestral earths, a statue of blackhawk and the tears of the oppressed people as a magical-religious icon.) Thus, he became a powerful ancestral spirit that rootworkers could call upon to keep them safe. This tradition of calling up on Native Spirit Guides for protection is an unique phenomenon of Native American, African American and Spiritualist practices found in hoodoo.

The addition of the Indian Head Cent helps to give the resident a warning system if danger draws near. If the occupant is visited by the image of a Native either in dreams or in waking life, he knows that it is a warning and that his Indian Spirit Protector is looking out for him.

Protection Against Foot-Track Magic

Concerned about someone throwing powders in your track? Maybe someone is trying to Hot Foot you out of the home, or throwing curses at your doorstep? One of the simplest ways to protect against foottrack magic is to put a little salt and black pepper in your shoe! It's simple as can be, and fights fire with fire. The Hot Foot Powder will not affect you, and the Goofer Dust will be driven away. Of course, it's still a good idea to clean up those messes with some Chinese Floor Wash or with Evil BEGONE! Powder once you've discovered it, but the salt and pepper in your shoe will be a good protection against it affecting you.

Protective House Blessings

A very simple way to protect the home is to anoint the doors and windows with Fiery Wall of Protection Oil in a five-spot pattern. (Like the 5 dot pattern on a die.) Put a little oil on your fingers, touch each corner of the door and the middle while praying Psalm 23 or praying in your own words. This will literally drive your enemies away from your home and reflect anything they throw at you back with a vengeance.

These are just a few simple ideas, and there are many more out there.