The Mojo in My Mind
Your mind is a mojo bag. Whatever idea you place inside it and feed with your thoughts, you will manifest!
--- Rev. Carolina Dean
When people think of Hoodoo, they often think of candles, doll babies, mojo bags, condition oils, herbs, roots, etc... but these really are a physical symbol of an internal process that goes on within the conjuror or root doctor along with his spirit and the spirit with whom he or she communes. We don't talk about this internal process a great deal in rootwork although many wise and powerful workers do what I am going to teach you within this article. And what exactly am I going to teach you, you say? I am going to teach you how to magnetize your mind for success! How to control your thoughts instead of your thoughts controlling you, how to harness the power of your mind and get it to work for you rather than against you!
--- Rev. Carolina Dean
When people think of Hoodoo, they often think of candles, doll babies, mojo bags, condition oils, herbs, roots, etc... but these really are a physical symbol of an internal process that goes on within the conjuror or root doctor along with his spirit and the spirit with whom he or she communes. We don't talk about this internal process a great deal in rootwork although many wise and powerful workers do what I am going to teach you within this article. And what exactly am I going to teach you, you say? I am going to teach you how to magnetize your mind for success! How to control your thoughts instead of your thoughts controlling you, how to harness the power of your mind and get it to work for you rather than against you!
The Power of Thought
In the Bible it states that God spoke the universe into creation. In Genesis 3:1 God said, Let there be light: and there was light. However the ancient scribes, whether by accident or design, left out a very important step in the story of creation. You see, people (and Gods) don't typically create something without some thought beforehand. Our words, therefore, have their origin in our thoughts...so God thought the universe into creation.
Why do you think that it took God a whole day to create light and dark, and then another to create Heaven, and another to bring forth Earth, and another for the Sun and Moon and another for the fish of the sea and the animals that walk the Earth and finally on the 6th day he created man? Why did it take so long when he could simply speak his desire into being? You see, God was (and still is) an artist, craftsman, the architect of the Universe and he used that time to consider his creation(s) with much thought before he spoke all these things into being. And just like God, thought up the universe you can create a world for yourself; and what you make of that world is completely up to you.
You don't believe me? People create things with their thoughts everyday. Look at the cell phone, your watch, your clothes, your car.....anything man made. All these things existed as a thought or idea in someone's mind before that idea was channeled into reality. The same process that allows a person to conceive of an idea and channel it into reality work on intangible things such as wealth, love, health, and success just as it does on tangible things like watches, cell phones, and clothing.
Why do you think that it took God a whole day to create light and dark, and then another to create Heaven, and another to bring forth Earth, and another for the Sun and Moon and another for the fish of the sea and the animals that walk the Earth and finally on the 6th day he created man? Why did it take so long when he could simply speak his desire into being? You see, God was (and still is) an artist, craftsman, the architect of the Universe and he used that time to consider his creation(s) with much thought before he spoke all these things into being. And just like God, thought up the universe you can create a world for yourself; and what you make of that world is completely up to you.
You don't believe me? People create things with their thoughts everyday. Look at the cell phone, your watch, your clothes, your car.....anything man made. All these things existed as a thought or idea in someone's mind before that idea was channeled into reality. The same process that allows a person to conceive of an idea and channel it into reality work on intangible things such as wealth, love, health, and success just as it does on tangible things like watches, cell phones, and clothing.
Proof of the Power
The Doctrine of Signatures is a concept which can be found in many cultures, magical systems, and religions which accept magic as part of its belief system. Simply stated the Doctrine of Signatures states that God marked everything he created with a sign or symbol which indicates its use or purpose. A few examples of this belief include, but are not limited to, the following:
In Genesis 1:27 it states that God created man "in his own I image, in his own image created he them, male and female". Therefore, I say to you that because we are made in the image of God, our purpose is to be as Gods ourselves. Now people get hung up on concepts of male/female, black/white, gay/straight but what they fail to realize is that it is not our bodies that were made in the image of God, not this weak, impermanent flesh. It is actually what is inside of us that is made in the image of God.
What this thing is inside of us has many names in different cultures. Some call it our soul, our spirit, our chi, our aura, our chakras, our Higher Self, or Holy Guardian Angel. Whatever you call it, it all boils down to energy. I call this energy the Divine Spark and it is that part of ourselves that is God and is of God and because we are made in the image of God and have a portion of God's spirit within us, we also have the power to create and destroy just as God himself does. Simple stated are Gods.
- A cross section of a carrot looks like an eye and many folks believe that eating carrots will improve one's eyesight.
- Walnuts look like the human brain, so it is believed that eating them will help make a person smarter by allowing them to retain knowledge. Scientist recently discovered a chemical in walnuts that they believe will help Alzheimer patients retain their memories.
- The juice of beets resemble blood and it is now know that beet juice helps reduce blood pressure.
- The active ingredient in Viagra comes from peanuts and we all know that many men refer to their testicles as "nuts".
- Violet leaves resemble little hearts and they used in magic to attract love by placing them in one's shoe.
In Genesis 1:27 it states that God created man "in his own I image, in his own image created he them, male and female". Therefore, I say to you that because we are made in the image of God, our purpose is to be as Gods ourselves. Now people get hung up on concepts of male/female, black/white, gay/straight but what they fail to realize is that it is not our bodies that were made in the image of God, not this weak, impermanent flesh. It is actually what is inside of us that is made in the image of God.
What this thing is inside of us has many names in different cultures. Some call it our soul, our spirit, our chi, our aura, our chakras, our Higher Self, or Holy Guardian Angel. Whatever you call it, it all boils down to energy. I call this energy the Divine Spark and it is that part of ourselves that is God and is of God and because we are made in the image of God and have a portion of God's spirit within us, we also have the power to create and destroy just as God himself does. Simple stated are Gods.
Three Biblical Principles for Manifesting Anything
Remember earlier when I said that we are made of energy? Well the truth is that everything....everything.....is made of energy. We see colors because color is just energy vibrating at different speeds.
It's like taking a pot of water and placing it on the stove with some heat under it and those molecules in that water will speed up, and bubble and pop so that the water will become steam; but you take that pot off the stove and place it in the freezer and those molecules will slow down and solidify becoming ice. So whether you speed up the molecules that make up that water or slow them down they change their form but the water is still there right? That ice can be melted and that steam can be condensed and return to water. And just like you manipulated the molecules (or energy) in that water to change its form, you can manipulate your own energy to change your life in similar ways.
Following God's example in the book of Genesis, we have three Biblical Principles of Manifestation. They are:
- Thinking. God conceived the Universe.
- Speaking. God spoke the universe into existence.
- Doing. God fashion man from mud and breathed into him the breath of life.
Thinking: The Power of I AM
When God appeared to Moses in the form of a burning bush, he announced himself as "Yahweh" which in Hebrew means "I am who I am", or simply "I am." Because of the nature of the Hebrew language, when God says Yahweh it means "I am" when humans say Yahweh it means "He is". When God introduced himself as "I am", he was not only introducing himself, he was proclaiming his power. "I am" are the two most powerful words in our language. Due to your God-like power to manifest your will, any words that you place after "I am" will become manifest.
So when you find yourself thinking I'm poor. I’m sick. I’m alone. I’m lonely. I'm depressed. You will manifest poverty, disease, depression, and loneliness. However, when you shift your thoughts and begin thinking I am blessed. I am rich. I am healthy. I am loved and loving...then you will manifest more of the same. You see your thoughts are like a dial on the radio, they allow you to tune yourself to certain frequencies.
So when you find yourself thinking I'm poor. I’m sick. I’m alone. I’m lonely. I'm depressed. You will manifest poverty, disease, depression, and loneliness. However, when you shift your thoughts and begin thinking I am blessed. I am rich. I am healthy. I am loved and loving...then you will manifest more of the same. You see your thoughts are like a dial on the radio, they allow you to tune yourself to certain frequencies.
Speaking: I Create What I Speak
Your thoughts often find expression through your words, so it is just as important that as you are thinking positively you are also speaking positively. Expressing our thoughts with words, by speaking them out loud make them more real and brings our desires out in the open.
Speaking our desires out loud also represents their transition from the realm of thought to the realm of being. Remember words have meaning, they vibrate when we speak them, that vibration is energy, our breath with which we speak them is the same breath with which God gave Adam life. So when we speak, we are giving life to our words and so we want to use words that are in accordance with our will. Some of the way we can do this is include:
Many believe that this form of prayer is what Jesus taught when he said “So I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours” (Mark 11:24). Remember when you are praying to God, you are not only speaking directly to the God outside of yourself but also to the Divine Spark or God within you, cheering yourself on and motivating yourself not to give up and keep working towards your dreams.
Speaking our desires out loud also represents their transition from the realm of thought to the realm of being. Remember words have meaning, they vibrate when we speak them, that vibration is energy, our breath with which we speak them is the same breath with which God gave Adam life. So when we speak, we are giving life to our words and so we want to use words that are in accordance with our will. Some of the way we can do this is include:
- Mantras: Mantras are brief sentences which describe something that you affirm to be true. Examples include: I am a money magnet. I am loved and loving. Etc...
- Affirmative Prayer: Like a mantra, an affirmative prayer is a prayer which focuses on a positive outcome rather than an existing negative condition. For example, instead of saying something such as "God please help me pay these bills." You might say something like "I know recognize and acknowledge the Divine Spark in me as that part of myself that is God and is of God. I see and I feel the divine spark in me manifesting wealth and prosperity in accordance with my thoughts, words, and deeds; making me an example of and inspiration for others to encourage and uplift them. I desire only that which is good for all. Thank you God in me for wealth and prosperity. Amen."
Many believe that this form of prayer is what Jesus taught when he said “So I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours” (Mark 11:24). Remember when you are praying to God, you are not only speaking directly to the God outside of yourself but also to the Divine Spark or God within you, cheering yourself on and motivating yourself not to give up and keep working towards your dreams.
Doing: Conscious Gratitude
Zig Ziglar is quoted as saying that "the more you are grateful the more you will have to be grateful for." This concept in and of itself is nothing new. The scriptures are filled with endless verses regarding the concept of gratitude. For the Christian and the Jew alike, it is believed that all things come from God and so gratitude is an essential part of worship and praise. If we look to the Bible we know that Jesus gave thanks before he fed the multitude of 4000 with only a few loaves and fishes (Matthew 15: 35-37); he gave thanks before raising Lazarus from the dead (John 11:39).
In like fashion, Islamic teachings states that the first to enter paradise will be those who praised God in all things and that those who are grateful will be given more (Sura 14). In the spiritual path of Buddhism, kindness and gratitude are two practices that the adherent are encouraged to develop together. Gratitude for a kindness is more that a general appreciation but rather a special kind of appreciation in which one honor the effort put forth by the one who extended the kindness.
As you can see, gratitude is about more than saying "thank you" it is a practice, something that you do, a way of expressing your thankfulness. How can you practice conscious gratitude? Here are three ways:
In like fashion, Islamic teachings states that the first to enter paradise will be those who praised God in all things and that those who are grateful will be given more (Sura 14). In the spiritual path of Buddhism, kindness and gratitude are two practices that the adherent are encouraged to develop together. Gratitude for a kindness is more that a general appreciation but rather a special kind of appreciation in which one honor the effort put forth by the one who extended the kindness.
As you can see, gratitude is about more than saying "thank you" it is a practice, something that you do, a way of expressing your thankfulness. How can you practice conscious gratitude? Here are three ways:
- Be kind to others, because God has been kind to you. This is really another form of the "Golden Rule" which states that you should "do unto others as you would have them do unto you." (Matthew 7:12) and the Silver Rule which states "do not do unto others as you would have them not do unto you." However, it is a little more than this because people who are grateful for what they have, who have been helped in times of need are more likely to help others in need because they have done through a similar experience themselves. The second part of this practice is not to expect anything in return for your kindness, not even a thank you; because anything that is given with an expectation of something in return from that person is not truly given freely.
- Find the Spiritual lesson in a negative experience or situation. It is often been said that we learn more from our mistakes than from our successes and so I learned to be thankful for my enemies because they taught me the value of my own strength; I am thankful for false-friends because they taught me the value of independence; I am thankful for being sick because it taught me to appreciate good health; I am thankful for losing a job because it forced me to get out of a negative, unhealthy situation and opened the way for something better.
- Be satisfied with enough. So many of us get caught up in the rat-race. We accumulate things because we think it will bring us happiness and satisfaction but its never enough. Whether its a bigger house to replace your current one, the newest cell phone model, gaming system, etc.... its a never-ending quest that fails to bring contentment. When you are not satisfied with what you have, you are not showing the universe that you are grateful for what you have been given in the first place.Imagine that you got up early one morning and decided to buy your co-workers coffee and donuts; and when you gave your co-workers these gifts they complained that the donuts are stale or the coffee is too cold, too sweet, too bitter, etc... How likely would you be to buy them coffee and donuts again? I imagine not very likely. So how likely do you think God is to improve your situation if you are not grateful when he has given you enough?
The Hoodoo Connection
Having read this far you're probably thinking, what does this have to do with Hoodoo? The answer is everything and nothing. You see, everything that I have shared up to this point can be used by anyone whether they are a Rootworker, a Christian, a Wiccan, a Buddhist, a Vodoist, or even a Satanist! What this article boils down to is recognizing how your thoughts are the building blocks of your life and how they shape your life and future and learning how to control your thoughts to shape the life that you want to have and to live.
You can choose to incorporate into your practices or not. It is not my intention here to change your beliefs or to change how you serve your spirits but rather to introduce you to a new perspective and help you to attain a deeper understanding of how magic works when we take the responsibility and power out of the hands of someone or something outside of ourselves, and reclaim your power by recognizing and acknowledging your own Godhood.
When folks hear me talk on this subject the number one question I get is "if we can manifest our desires with our thoughts, why don't we just use our thoughts all the time? Why do we need dolls, mojos, oils, and candles?" There are a few reasons for this.
First, God could have easily said let there be man and woman, but no he didn't. He gathered up some dirt, spit in it and shaped it into a man. He breathed life into this man and later he took a rib out of this man and made woman. So the candles, dolls, mojos, herbs, roots, and oils are just another tool at our disposal. We use these tools to manipulate the energy that they are made up of. Remember, everything is made up of energy. So when we want to manifest something we choose items that vibrate at the same frequency. These are often called correspondences. This term refers to the relationships that can be used for magical workings. They make use of the connectedness of things. It is helpful to think of correspondences as a list of possible ingredients from which you can make selections. There are three types of correspondences, they are:
The second reason we use dolls, mojos, herbs, oils and such is because they can help us to attune to the frequency of our desires. If you put a spoon in the freezer it will get cold, place an egg in red dye and it will turn red. Soak a piece of cloth in rosewater and it will come out smelling like roses. So by exposing us to items that resonate at the same frequency of our desire it can and does have the effect of helping us to get on the same wavelength. This happens because the items used in Hoodoo engage our senses. We see the redness of a candle, the flame fascinates the mind, we smell the burning smoke of incense and the aroma of the condition oil, we feel the doll in our hands, we feel the oil on our bodies, we hold the herbs and roots as we pray, we may taste the sweetness of honey on our tongue, the music we play, sing, or hum during our ritual evokes powerful feelings and emotions.
So our thoughts initiate change by beginning inside of us, deep within the mind and working their way outside ourselves through our words and deeds, while the tools of conjure initiate change beginning outside of ourselves and working inward. This is the beauty of God's creation (the kingdom of heaven is in your midst) that everything works together.
You can choose to incorporate into your practices or not. It is not my intention here to change your beliefs or to change how you serve your spirits but rather to introduce you to a new perspective and help you to attain a deeper understanding of how magic works when we take the responsibility and power out of the hands of someone or something outside of ourselves, and reclaim your power by recognizing and acknowledging your own Godhood.
When folks hear me talk on this subject the number one question I get is "if we can manifest our desires with our thoughts, why don't we just use our thoughts all the time? Why do we need dolls, mojos, oils, and candles?" There are a few reasons for this.
First, God could have easily said let there be man and woman, but no he didn't. He gathered up some dirt, spit in it and shaped it into a man. He breathed life into this man and later he took a rib out of this man and made woman. So the candles, dolls, mojos, herbs, roots, and oils are just another tool at our disposal. We use these tools to manipulate the energy that they are made up of. Remember, everything is made up of energy. So when we want to manifest something we choose items that vibrate at the same frequency. These are often called correspondences. This term refers to the relationships that can be used for magical workings. They make use of the connectedness of things. It is helpful to think of correspondences as a list of possible ingredients from which you can make selections. There are three types of correspondences, they are:
- Astrological Correspondences- This term refers to the energies of the Moon Phases, Days of the Week, Hours of the Day, and the position of the Moon in the Zodiac, as they pertain to the timing of casting your spells.
- Natural Correspondences- This term refers to those things occurring in nature which relate to our goals in a direct manner. These correspondences include color, shape, sound, numbers, herbs, scent, gems, elements, animal energies, deity energy, the energy of the cardinal points, the winds, etc….
- Personal Correspondences- This term refers to those correspondences which resonate with us on a deeply personal level, and which empowers us more than any other correspondence.
The second reason we use dolls, mojos, herbs, oils and such is because they can help us to attune to the frequency of our desires. If you put a spoon in the freezer it will get cold, place an egg in red dye and it will turn red. Soak a piece of cloth in rosewater and it will come out smelling like roses. So by exposing us to items that resonate at the same frequency of our desire it can and does have the effect of helping us to get on the same wavelength. This happens because the items used in Hoodoo engage our senses. We see the redness of a candle, the flame fascinates the mind, we smell the burning smoke of incense and the aroma of the condition oil, we feel the doll in our hands, we feel the oil on our bodies, we hold the herbs and roots as we pray, we may taste the sweetness of honey on our tongue, the music we play, sing, or hum during our ritual evokes powerful feelings and emotions.
So our thoughts initiate change by beginning inside of us, deep within the mind and working their way outside ourselves through our words and deeds, while the tools of conjure initiate change beginning outside of ourselves and working inward. This is the beauty of God's creation (the kingdom of heaven is in your midst) that everything works together.
Conclusion
Our thoughts are the building blocks of our lives. By controlling our thoughts and expressing them in accordance with our will through our words and deeds we can make our desire manifest. We, as humans, have this ability due to our Divine Spark which is that part of ourselves that is God and is of God. We recognize and acknowledge that everything, including ourselves, is made up of energy. We attract that energy to which we are attuned. By focusing our thoughts on what we desire, we change our personal frequency to match our desires and manifest what we want.
Additionally, by engaging our five senses in ritual acts and making use of tools such as doll babies, roots, herbs, condition oils, candles, etc.... that also vibrate at the frequency of our desire we bring ourselves into harmony with our desire. While our thoughts work from inside ourselves and move outwardly into the universe, our use of tools such as doll babies, roots, herbs, conditions oils, etc.... work from outside ourselves and moves inwardly. The axis where these two paths meet (our own internal crossroads) is where magic occurs.