Who is Dr. Darnise C. Martin?

I am a practitioner of African American traditional hoodoo, and I teach African American and American religions at a university in Los Angeles. There is an increase in the number of African American women who are exploring these traditions. My students are fascinated with exploring it, and Beyoncé has made it “trendy.”

What is witchcraft?

Witchcraft is technically a European tradition, the practice of Wicca. But, those of us practicing hoodoo and conjure are also known as witches, more generally speaking. I like the title hoodoo practitioner better for myself, as it is more accurate description of the southern African American tradition that evolved during slavery and continues today.

Is witchcraft real?

Definitely. Witchcraft is a term that is broadly used for people (men and women) who understand how to use their environment to change circumstances. For example, how to use herbs to heal the sick. Just like our medications (from the earth by the way, reproduced chemically in labs), can become toxic in excessive doses, witches understand how to heal or harm. Witches understand the law of correspondence, meaning knowing what natural elements have the natural power to do what, colors, candles, crystals, herbs, bodily fluids, etc.

It was typically the women in ancient Pre-Christian societies all over the world that were labeled as witches because they had knowledge and power that the average person did not have. The Christian church and doctrine spread and grew, stamping out nature based/pagan practices as heresy and demonic.

Is all witchcraft evil?

Definitely not. Witches typically have the idea that energy and nature are neutral. It is the intention of the user, the witch or the person consulting the witch, which determines the end use. Again, it is the institutional churches that tell us that witchcraft is evil. They mean that it is uncontrollable, and allows people to remain empowered on their own.

For their own purposes then, witchcraft is to be shunned, dismissed, eliminated. What better way than to scare people away from it, and in so doing, get people to give their own personal power away. We are all intuitive, it’s just that some people are not in touch with themselves in that way. Witches proudly proclaim their own power.

How does one become a witch?

Some are born into and raised in “pagan” households and so they grow up learning these ways. As they understand and use “the craft”, they are witches.

Other times, people decide that they want to enter a tradition, and then they can be mentored by someone and learn as an apprentice. Of course, one can read and study on one’s own, but at some point mentorship is important and safest.

There are always those who become intrigued by witchcraft as a trendy thing, either from popular culture or maybe YouTube videos, but that does not make one a real witch. A lot of those people are just dabbling and will likely move on to something else that doesn’t require so much study and apprenticeship.

As Black people, we have a tradition of conjure and hoodoo that comes from life in the American south where we used the natural elements plus our understanding from African religions to create something new. These are forms of magic, and it is the way that I fit into the overall category of magic or witchcraft personally.

Connect with Darnise C. Martin, PhD:
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