Secret magical traditions have long been prevalent in America, offering a hidden world of mystical practices and beliefs. These traditions are often rooted in ancient wisdom and esoteric teachings, passed down through generations. While widely overlooked or dismissed by mainstream society, these secret traditions have continued to thrive throughout American history. One of the most well-known secret magical traditions in America is Hoodoo, which has its roots in African spiritual practices. Hoodoo is a unique blend of African folk magic, Native American herbalism, and European witchcraft. Practitioners of Hoodoo believe in the power of charms, spells, and rituals to influence and manifest desired outcomes in the physical world.
Practitioners of Hoodoo believe in the power of charms, spells, and rituals to influence and manifest desired outcomes in the physical world. This magical tradition has been preserved and practiced by African-Americans, particularly in the southern states, and has become an integral part of their cultural and spiritual heritage. Aside from Hoodoo, another mystical tradition in America is Appalachian Folk Magic, which has its origins in the Appalachian region of the eastern United States.
Native Americans to J.K. Rowling: We’re Not Magical
The author has come under fire for equating Navajo religious beliefs with the world of her fictional Harry Potter characters.
By Becky Little Published March 11, 2016 • 4 min read Share Tweet EmailIn Peter Pan, Tiger Lilly and her tribe are part of the magical landscape of Neverland. In Twilight, some Quileute people are born with the ability to turn into wolves (just ask anyone on “Team Jacob”). Now, in J.K. Rowling’s new digital story collection, History of Magic in North America, Navajo traditions are placed in the same fictional world as Harry Potter.
Rowling’s new collection equates “skin walkers”—a Navajo term for people who turn into animals—with Animagi, the type of witches and wizards who morph into animals in her Harry Potter series. These details were first revealed when Rowling released a promotional trailer this week; the entire story collection is now available online.
Immediately, many scholars and fans responded with criticism, just as people did three years ago when Johnny Depp played Tonto in The Lone Ranger, and in past instances when white writers and actors have employed stereotypes of Native Americans in storytelling.
The first issue, says Leanne Howe, a Choctaw Nation citizen and co-editor of Seeing Red—Hollywood's Pixeled Skins, is that Rowling attributes the tradition of skin walkers to all Native Americans of the pre-Columbian era, as though they were a monolithic group with one set of beliefs.
The second problem is that Native American traditions are equated with magic. This is part of a long history of white Americans and Europeans trivializing native beliefs. (Rowling’s publisher, Pottermore, told National Geographic that it has no comment on the controversy.)
“I would never, never use the term ‘magic’ in relation to native practices and belief,” Howe says. Native people “simply cannot be respected and given respect in the 21st century” when their history and traditions are trivialized.
Fantasy is an important part of children’s literature, but problems arise when a race of people is constantly portrayed as magical, and therefore fictional.
“We are … fighting everyday for the protection of our sacred sites from being destroyed,” scholar Adrienne Keene writes on her blog Native Appropriations. “If Indigenous spirituality becomes conflated with fantasy ‘magic’—how can we expect lawmakers and the public to be allies in the protection of these spaces?”
There is another, more subtle, layer to the depiction of Native Americans as magical, fictional beings—they end up being portrayed as though they don’t exist. Howe refers to this as “the trope of the vanishing Indian.”
“The vanishing American Indian is in art, it’s in stories—we’re the so-called Last of the Mohicans,” she says. “We exist in the minds of mainstream America as dead and forgotten because the white Americans won the American West.”
When native traditions are constantly depicted as relics, it gives the impression that those traditions—and the more than 5 million native people in the United States—don’t exist anymore. Think of the Native American characters you’ve encountered in books and movies. How many of them were portrayed as characters from the past, and how many of them were depicted as people in the modern world? (Modern characters that are also magical don’t count—I’m still looking at you, Twilight.)
On a more basic level, the stereotypes of the “vanishing Indian,” the magical medicine man, or even the noble savage dehumanize the people they profess to represent. Children read books to learn, but also to identify with the characters. For native children, this presents a problem if most of the images they see of themselves are otherworldly, long gone, or sports mascots.
“These stereotypes hurt us in terms of our human rights,” says Howe. “You cannot have civil rights, you can’t really have human rights or be thought of in a significant way, if you are invisible and you’re dead. So the trope of the vanishing American Indian is in a way undermining the humanity of native people because the assumption is we’re dead, or there’s just a few of us left.”
During slavery, the words “conjure” and “Voudoo” were used to describe the conjure practices of enslaved and free blacks. Hoodoo practices documented by former slaves will describe Hoodoo as either conjure or Voudoo. The earliest known use of the word Hoodoo to describe African American conjure was around 1870 in a book titled Seership the Magnetic Mirror, written by Black American occultist Paschal Beverly Randolph. Randolph believed the word Hoodoo derived from an African dialect, because he traveled to Africa and studied African religions. Today in the African American community, Hoodoo is known by other names such as root work and conjure.
This traditional magical system combines elements of European folk magic, Native American spirituality, and Christianity. Appalachian Folk Magic practitioners, known as "granny witches" or "powwow doctors," work with herbs, charms, and rituals to heal, ward off evil, and bring good luck. This secretive tradition has been passed down through families and remains rooted in the rural communities of the Appalachian region. Furthermore, Native American tribes across America have their own secret magical traditions, often kept within their respective communities. These traditions vary greatly among the different tribes but share common elements such as spirit communication, shamanism, and connection to nature. Native American magical practices focus on maintaining harmony with the natural world and seeking spiritual guidance through rituals, ceremonies, and visions. While much of this tradition has remained hidden from mainstream society, there has been a growing interest in Native American spirituality and magical practices in recent years. The existence of secret magical traditions in America serves as a testament to the human desire for connection with the unseen realms and the search for meaning and empowerment. These traditions offer alternative perspectives and approaches to spirituality, often providing solace and guidance for those seeking something beyond the conventional. While often misunderstood or belittled, secret magical traditions in America continue to inspire and empower individuals who seek to explore the depths of the unseen world, and they play an important role in preserving cultural heritage and ancestral wisdom..
Reviews for "Native American Shamanism: The Secret Magical Traditions of the Tribes"
1. Jennifer - 1/5 stars - "I was extremely disappointed with 'Secret magical traditions in America'. The book promised to unveil hidden and fascinating magical practices unique to America, but instead, it was filled with generic information that I could find with a simple Google search. The author barely scratched the surface of the subject and provided no substantial insights or depth. It felt like a rush job, hastily put together to cash in on the popularity of magic-related books. Save your money and look elsewhere for a more in-depth exploration of magical traditions."
2. Michael - 2/5 stars - "I had high expectations for 'Secret magical traditions in America' but was ultimately let down. The book seemed promising but lacked any real substance or originality. The author presented well-known facts and recycled information that is already widely available. I was hoping for a deeper dive into lesser-known magical traditions and practices that originated in America, but instead, I got a rehashed version of what has already been covered in numerous other books. It's definitely not worth the price tag, and I would recommend exploring other books if you're genuinely interested in learning about magical traditions in America."
3. Sarah - 2/5 stars - "As an avid reader of books on magical traditions, I was excited to get my hands on 'Secret magical traditions in America'. Unfortunately, the book fell short of my expectations. It lacked the depth and thorough research I was anticipating, feeling more like a surface-level overview. Additionally, the author's writing style was dry and lacked the engaging storytelling that could have made this book more enjoyable. Overall, I found the book to be rather underwhelming and would suggest seeking out other resources for a more comprehensive understanding of magical traditions in America."