Correspondence By Astrological Signs ~ Filipino Conjure & Rootwork

Aries
Alignment: Masculine/Positive
Crystal: Coral, diamond
Compatibility: Aries, Leo, Sagittarius
Dates: March 21-April 20
Element: Fire
Energy: Action, new beginnings, leadership
Planet: Mars, Pluto
Quality: Cardinal
Symbol: Ram

Taurus
Alignment: Feminine/Negative
Crystal: Carnelian, emerald
Compatibility: Capricorn, Taurus, Virgo
Dates: April 21-May 21
Element: Earth
Energy: Manifestation, material things, physical comfort
Planet: Venus
Quality: Fixed
Symbol: Bull

Gemini
Alignment: Masculine/Positive
Crystal: Agate, alexandrite
Compatibility: Aquarius,
Gemini, Libra
Dates: May 22-June 20
Element: Air
Energy: Communication, intellectual work
Planet: Mercury
Quality: Mutable
Symbol: Twins

Cancer
Alignment: Feminine/Negative
Crystal: Moonstone, pearl
Compatibility: Cancer, Pisces, Scorpio
Dates: June 21-July 22
Element: Water
Energy: Family, nurturing, the home
Planet: Moon
Quality: Cardinal
Symbol: Crab

Leo
Alignment: Masculine/Positive
Crystal: Amber, ruby, tiger’s eye
Compatibility: Aries,
Leo, Sagittarius
Dates: July 23-August 23
Element: Fire
Energy: Leadership, luxury, success, popularity
Planet: Sun
Quality: Fixed
Symbol: Lion

Virgo
Alignment:
Feminine/Negative
Crystal: Sapphire, sardonyx
Compatibility: Capricorn,
Taurus, Virgo
Dates: August 24-September 23
Element: Earth
Energy: Organization, practicality
Planet: Mercury
Quality: Mutable
Symbol: Virgin, Maiden

Libra
Alignment: Masculine/Positive
Crystal: Opal, tourmaline
Compatibility: Aquarius,
Gemini, Libra
Dates: September 24-October 23
Element: Air
Energy: People, society, community
Planet: Venus
Quality: Cardinal
Symbol: Scales

Scorpio
Alignment: Feminine/Negative
Crystal: Topaz
Compatibility: Cancer, Pisces, Scorpio
Dates: October 24-November 22
Element: Water
Energy: Justice, passion
Planet: Mars, Pluto
Quality: Fixed
Symbol: Scorpion

Sagittarius
Alignment: Masculine/Positive
Crystal: Turquoise, zircon
Compatibility: Aries, Leo, Sagittarius
Dates: November 23-December 21
Element: Fire
Energy: Exploration, study
Planet: Jupiter
Quality: Mutable
Symbol: Archer, Centaur

Capricorn
Alignment: Feminine/Negative
Crystal: Garnet, lapis lazuli, jet, obsidian
Compatibility: Capricorn, Taurus, Virgo
Dates: December 22-January 19
Element: Earth
Energy: Business, foundation
Planet: Saturn
Quality: Cardinal
Symbol: Goat, mermaid

Aquarius
Alignment: Masculine/Positive
Crystal: Amethyst, jacinth
Compatibility: Aquarius, Gemini, Libra
Dates: January 20-February 19
Element: Air
Energy: Innovation, invention, education
Planet: Uranus
Quality: Fixed
Symbol: Water-Bearer

Pieces
Alignment: Feminine/Negative
Crystal: Aquamarine, bloodstone
Compatibility: Cancer, Pisces, Scorpio
Dates: February 20-March 20
Element: Water
Energy: Mysticism, spirituality
Planet: Jupiter, Neptune
Quality: Mutable
Symbol: Fish

See, What Our Path Is

Being immensely interested in African diaspora religions and Folk Catholicism, we primarily honor our ancestors, Church saints, angels, folk saints, and Afro-Caribbean spirits such as loas and orishas. If we absolutely have to put a label on ourselves, we prefer the label of “Folk Judeo-Christian” as we live according to the customs and traditions of conjure workers and root doctors from the Deep South and syncretic followers of Christ in various nations of the Caribbean and Latin America.

Our spirituality includes West African-based Caribbean-style tradition as well as Esoteric Christianity and Yoruba religion. Generally, we practice Gullah folk magic popularly known in the Deep South as Hoodoo or Lowcountry Voodoo; the ancient wisdom founded by Orunmila in Ile-Ife called Ifa, and a bit of Lihim na Karunungan (Filipino Esotericism or Philippine Mystery Tradition).

Respect, What Hoodoo Is

Despite visible evidence of Central West African, Islamic/Moorish, Native American, Judeo-Christian, European, and even a few East Indian/Hindu, Chinese, and Latino/Caribbean retentions, influences, and admixtures, this does not mean that Hoodoo is an open and unrestricted system of eclectic magic.

Conjure, and Rootwork is rooted in African-American culture and Folk Protestant Christianity. Any practitioners of Hoodoo who did not grow up within African-American culture should still have a fuller understanding and high regard for its origin.

In the beginning, the early conjure doctors were entirely Black. The students were all Black, the elders were Black, the teaching was Black, and they focused only on Blacks as their audience. But other races were accepted when they had also been brought into the Hoodoo community and learned the tradition. Even so, we should still acknowledge that Hoodoo, Conjure, or Rootwork is not ours but only belongs to the Black community. We are just believers who are grafted into their rich yet humble tradition and, by word and deed, embrace genuine African-American folk spirituality and magic. This is all we can do for all the blessings we received from God and our Black ancestors.

Hoodoo's lack of religious structure and hierarchical authority do not mean that any person or group can appropriate or redefine it. If one cannot respect Hoodoo as it is and for what it is, then please, do not play with it.

Learn, How Conjure Is Worked On

Authentic Conjure is not all about blending and selling oils and casting spells online to make money. Hoodoo has its own spiritual philosophy, theology, and a wide range of African-American folkways, customs, and practices which include, but are not limited to, veneration of the ancestors, Holy Ghost shouting, snake reverence, spirit possession, graveyard conjure, nkisi practices, Black hermeneutics, African-American church traditions, the ring shout, the Kongo cosmogram, ritual water immersions, crossroads magic, making conjure canes, animal sacrifices, Jewish scriptural magic, enemy works, Seekin' ritual, magical incorporation of bodily fluids, etc.

Unfortunately, they are currently missing in marketeered or commercial Hoodoo, as they are being removed, disregarded, or ignored by unknowing merchants who simply want to profit from an African-American spiritual tradition, thus reducing Hoodoo to just a plethora of recipes, spells, and tricks.

Tim and I are completely aware that we are not African-Americans, so we are doing our best to retain and preserve the customs and traditions of the slave ancestors to avoid unnecessary conflict with the larger Black-Belt Hoodoo community and prevent them from labeling us inauthentic outsiders and our practice as mere 'cultural misappropriation.'

Accept, Who We Are

The byproduct of eons of slave history, Black supremacists believe that only people with African or African-American blood are real Hoodoo practitioners and are often inclined to consider themselves as the elite of the Hoodoo community; a place in which they believed that Whites, Latinos, Asians or any other races who do not have Black ancestry do not belong. Black supremacists are prone to be very hostile towards both “outsiders” and those accepting of them, fearing that their promotion and acceptance would dilute or even negate the Black identity of Hoodoo.

Although we do understand why some Blacks hold this stance, since a lot of people nowadays are misappropriating many aspects of Hoodoo and teaching the spiritual path even without proper education and training (for purely monetary purposes), we would, however, want to say that not all non-Black Hoodoo practitioners are the same.

WE respect what Hoodoo is, and we never try to change it, claim it as our own, disregard its history, take unfair advantage of it, speak against the people who preserve it, and mix it with other cultures (like our own) and call it Filipino/Pinoy Hoodoo, Gypsy Hoodoo or Wiccan Hoodoo because there are no such things.