The gate to the magic land
Photo credit: Shelby O'Connelly / Coastside Conjure  

Well, friends, the 10th Annual Hoodoo Heritage Festival, sponsored by MISC and Miss Robin Presents, has finally come and gone. The tents have been put up, the festival bags given out, and all of the hoodoo practitioners who attended have scattered like sachet powders to the wind. So long, folks. That's a wrap!

For those of you who joined us for the event, thank you for being a part of this magical tradition. We had an amazing time and appreciated seeing friends from as far away as Quebec, Hong Kong, and Brisbane, Australia. We wish we could see you more often! For those of you who couldn't attend this year, we've got a little recap lined up for your viewing pleasure. So sit back, enjoy, and be transported through time and space to Forestville, California, with photos courtesy of Shelby O'Connolly / Coastside Conjure, Rowan Rivers, Miss Aida, Beverley Smith, and Paul Haskins. 

On Saturday morning at 8:30 am, t he crowd begins to gather amidst the rose bushes and trees, buzzing like so many bees before the Opening Ceremony begins. Fingers dart in and out of festival bags, paging through books and playing with pendulums. Smiles breaks out between bites of breakfast and sips of coffee as the crowd continues to filter in. After an hour, the sounding of a large conch shell, blown like Neptune by the expert nagasiva yronwode, annou nces to the attendees that it is time for the festival to officially begin, and we make our  way to the grass for this year's Saturday Opening Ceremony. 

Storm Faerywolf leads the Opening Ceremony
Photo credit: Shelby O'Connelly / Coastside Conjure  

  A quixotic, queer witch nam ed Storm Faerywolf takes the stage. He boasts a flamboyant, spiky peacock pin on his left breast, a symbol of the Blue God whom we will soon invoke. Reinforcing that the Faery (or Feri) tradition of witchcraft and the African-American hoodoo both draw power by recognizing the innate spirit alive inside all things, he helps to build a bridge between these two worlds. Offerings are made to the spirits of the land and a candle is lit to honour all the queer ancestors who came before us.  Accompanied lightly by the drum and the tinkling bells of our own fairy wands, Storm and fellow Feri Grandmaster Anaar guide us one by one to "Look, how beautiful you are!" 

Ritual items from the Feri Opening Ceremony Photo credit: Shelby O'Connelly / Coastside Conjure

The first presentation of the day is on catherine yronwode's "This Amazing Book: Hoodoo Herb and Root Medicine Opens the Door to Better Health." Miss cat carefully walks us back in time to 1947 Ogema, Wisconsin, the home of Sunrae Products Co., the original publishers of "This Amazing Book." With a soft but commanding voice, she deftly guides us through the connections between plants' physical and magical properties, focussing on plant families and how certain spiritual gifts run through certain related species. Not too different from human families, if you think about it.

catherine yronwode teaches the Hoodoo Medicine workshop
Photo credit: Shelby O'Connelly / Coastside Conjure  

Muffin tins containing bits of labelled herbs are passed around and she describes them, then those herbs are stuffed into muslin bags by workshop attendees, making teas to take home to improve a variety of physical conditions, including a blend to relieve coughs and a blend to aid digestion.

Attendees assemble herb teas from recipes in "This Amazing Book" Photo credit: Shelby O'Connelly / Coastside Conjure

Inspired by our renewed connection the the plant world, we break for lunch. Madame Pamita and special guest Jon Nelson regale us with song and showmanship, divining fortunes and serenading the audience with tunes such as "Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden" and "Cocaine Habit Blues." It is as whimsical as it is magical, and the audience cheers in approval.

Madame Pamita blessing us with her glorious vocals Photo credit: Rowan Rivers

 

Hunger satisfied, we dive into the Law of Attraction with Madame Nadia and Jaiye Dania. With our tummies ever so much fuller, we begin by saying, loudly, "I am beautiful. I am sexy. I have lots and lots of energy in my bank." Our two presenters, who are of unearthly beauty, walk us through the tenets of magical attraction and how it applies to everything from creating the body type we desire, to having the right kind of lover and an income that delights us. Lots of valuable magical and psychoanalytical information is shared, and soon we all find ourselves quite quite smitten by the power of attraction. 

Madame Nadia and Jaiye demonstrating the power of attraction
Photo credit: Shelby O'Connelly / Coastside Conjure  

 

After a quick break for readings, we regroup and are led through the mysterious history of the phenomenon known as the spirit board. Catapulted into popular culture infamy by "The Exorcist" in 1973, the history of talking boards is far longer and more dynamic than its current reputation as a necromantic tool. With skill and pizzazz, Chas Bogan deftly guides us like a planchette across the myths and legends enshrouding these Spiritualistic divinatory tools, decoding their mysteries and offering expert instruction on how to work with these magical devices. It is recommended that you wear the Ouija socks included in the festival bags for best results. 

 

Chas Bogan next to some of his personally-designed spirit boards Photo credit: Shelby O'Connelly / Coastside Conjure

Things continue to get darker following our descent into the spirit world. Miss Aida takes the stage to walk us through her new book, "Cursing and Crossing: Hoodoo Spells to Torment, Jinx, and Take Revenge On Your Enemies" Cheerfully hurling bars of chocolate to audience participants, Miss Aida instructs us on the importance of patience and making sure our work is justified when taking on the prospect of cursing. As she guides us through the complexities of torturing a skull candle with a soldering iron, a doll-baby stuffed with dog shit, and a package of Coffin Nails are passed amongst the audience. Attendees are encouraged to spit upon, defile, stomp, badger, and desecrate the poppet to their wrath's extent. Shoes are slandered, tarantulas are described as killed, and Professor Porterfield postures a veritable witch war with Miss Aida -- all for the satisfaction of the delighted audience. By the time her presentation is over, everyone is trying to get on her good side. 

She may look sweet and cuddly, but Miss Aida will curse a bitch Photo credit: Miss Aida

Dowsing her way to the stage comes gold dust woman, Susan Diamond. Susan possesses a natural charm and flair that would be eye-catching even without the dazzling array of dowsing tools she presents, which range from a Queen Elizabeth Root hanging from a piece of string to the striking gold Cameron Aurameter that bobs in the air like a spring-loaded mythical branch. With good humour, she outlines the uses and history of these diviner's tools, and how they may be employed to commune with the dead, enhance spell work, cleanse a house, or find objects, depending on the need and use. Throughout the audience, people can be seen studying their hanging pieces of amethyst, copper, and wood, measuring their movements and discerning results. Eventually, we all conclude: it is time for dinner. 

Susan Diamond's dazzling smile Photo credit: Shelby O'Connelly / Coastside Conjure

Making our way just a short few blocks down to the Backyard Restaurant, we enjoy a lovely outdoor atmosphere as we mingle, laugh, and get to know one another. Finally, nearly twelve hours after we began, we part ways and head back to our respective lodgings so that we can rest up and repeat the experience tomorrow.

Presenters Banquet at the Backyard Restaurant
Photo credit: Shelby O'Connelly / Coastside Conjure 

The Mesa Blanca at Sunday's Opening Ceremony. Photo credit: Shelby O'Connelly / Coastside Conjure

From here the gorgeous Beverley Smith heats things up with her fabulous presentation of "The Moving Flame: Moving Candle Spells in Hoodoo." She is dressed for the gods, draped in a majestic ruby red sari that would put the brightest pirate's gem to shame. Doc Bev, the newest member of AIRR, ignites our interest and lights our way for us like a candle through her spells for social justice and money drawing. She introduces an enchanting array of candles, from homemade mason jar oil lamps, to seven knob candles, 4" altar candles, and floating tea lights. A marvelous hand-painted board is brought out for an epic 28 day moving candle spell, leading us through Sin City from Caesar's Palace to the Paris Casino. 

Doc Bev and Professor Porterfield beneath the bottle tree

Photo credit: Doctor Beverley

While we break for lunch, however, we are greeted by two celebrity guests: Miss Loretta and Count Goulash! With the larger than life personalities and riotous good humor for which they have come to be known, these two keep us in stitches until Professor Porterfield of the Now You Know Show arrives to change the tone. One by one, the hosts and presenters of the LMC Radio Network's shows are brought to the stage and bestowed with a gift of recognition and gratitude a coffee mug emblazoned with the network iconic microphone logo, always "shure" to please. 

Papa Newt showing off his shiny new LMC Radio Network mug 
Photo credit: Shelby O'Connelly / Coastside Conjure 

As the afternoon progresses, one of the most intriguing and anticipated talks of the weekend begins: Vulvamancy, by Dr. Jeremy Weiss. Dressed in his radiologist's lab coat and flourishing a puppet vulva, he elucidates the lost art and modern reconstruction of "lip reading." From vajazzled vaginas and scent profiles to tampon dowsing and panty reading, we make our way through the folds of this fascinating form of character analysis and fortune telling.

Dr. Jeremy Weiss lectures on vulvamancy
Photo credit: Shelby O'Connelly / Coastside Conjure  

It is announced that miss cat is looking for an author to write a companion volume on the subject of phallomancy and several gay men immediately volunteer to start researching the subject. I learn several things about female anatomy that I didn't know. Dr. Weiss's lavish vulva puppet is passed around the crowd. Giggles and gasps punctuate the presentation and we all leave a little more educated on this fascinating form of divination.

The flowering puppet vulva
Photo credit: Shelby O'Connelly / Coastside Conjure  

nagasiva yronwode blows the conch for the last time this festival
Photo credit: Shelby O'Connelly / Coastside Conjure