What Are Hoodoo Mojo Bags?
Mojo bags, (originally called gris gris bags by African Islamic cultures) are essentially amulets that provide protection, healing, and communication with spirits for the wearer. They originated in Central and West Africa, and came to America with the rise of slavery in the South. While there are many different types of mojo bags under different names throughout Native American and South American cultures, this Black History Month we will be diving into the history and cultural importance of mojo bags on the plantations.
As the Gullah-Geechee culture grew in American plantations, so did the use of mojo bags. Rootworkers in both plantations and freed black communities created these bags for others in their time of need. Red flannel was commonly used to make the bag when available, as the color red is used in Gullah culture to protect its wearer from evil and spiritual power. Many mojo bags were used to protect the enslaved from their enslavers. Others used them to draw love or luck into their life. Different ingredients were used for different purposes by the conjurer; however each bag contained a selection of roots, herbs, and animal parts.
Before a bag could be “awakened”, it needed to be fed and prayed over by a priest or the conjurer. Mojo bags were not used by folks of one religion; its use spanned across Christianity, Catholicism, Islam, and atheism alike. The prayer said over the bag usually coincided with the religion of the conjurer or the wearer. After the bag had been prayed over, it would be “fed”. Feeding a bag usually consisted of anointing it in a liquid such as alcohol, holy water, or perfume. Occasionally, incense or herbs would be burned over the bag to feed it as well. Before rootworkers sent their clients on their way, they would instruct them to regularly “feed” their bag with herbs or roots to keep it active.
Some of the different ingredients used in the bags were herbs, roots, nails, needles, animal parts, and grave dirt. Each ingredient was given a different purpose, and no mojo is the same for everyone. Many times, people in need of a mojo bag would consult a rootworker or priest to see exactly what they needed. Needles and nails were often used for protection bags, alligator teeth and claws were used for luck in life and gambling, and cinnamon and flower petals were used to draw love into the wearer’s life. Grave dirt was also used in some bags to strengthen them, or give them spiritual power to protect the wearer.
The most important piece of a successful mojo bag depended on the wearer. The wearer must keep it close to their person at all times, and it must be hidden away from the eyes of others. If anyone knows you are wearing a mojo bag, it puts the success and safety of the wearer at risk. Most men would pin their bags into their pants pockets, while women pinned it to their bras or undergarments. Some people also tied it around their thighs.
While people still use mojo bags today, it is much more difficult to find a trustworthy rootworker to assist you in its creation. The use of mojo bags has migrated to most of the eastern coast, as well as Louisiana, though methods differ in each diaspora. If you’re looking for a little “good mojo” in your life; good luck!