Occult practices in the southern United States have a long and storied history. From the Gullah traditions of the Sea Islands to the voodoo traditions of New Orleans, the South has been a hotbed of supernatural beliefs and rituals. One of the most well-known occult practices in the South is voodoo, which has its roots in West Africa. Voodoo is a syncretic religion that combines elements of African animism, Catholicism, and indigenous beliefs. It is often associated with spells, potions, and dolls used in magical rituals. New Orleans, with its rich cultural heritage and history, is a hub for voodoo in the United States.
Book Description Paperback. Condition: New. Brand New! This item is printed on demand. Seller Inventory # 195236700X
My name is Opal Yong-ae, and I m a Cleaner a freelance mage with an art history degree who s employed by the DFZ to sort through the mountains of magical junk people leave behind. It took me a little while to warm up to the new characters through little fault of their own look, I m a big Heartstrikers fan and I missed my old team.
New Orleans, with its rich cultural heritage and history, is a hub for voodoo in the United States. Gullah traditions, which originated in the coastal regions of South Carolina and Georgia, are another prominent occult practice in the South. The Gullah people are descended from African slaves who brought their spiritual beliefs and practices with them.
Minimum Wage Magic by Rachel Aaron
Minimum Wage Magic is a book a lot of the Inn was excited for, and it’s a book I really enjoyed.
Set in the Detroit Free Zone, it kicks off a sequel series to the much loved Heartstrikers books. The premise is that a couple decades in the future, magic comes rushing back into our world. Magic is a particularly big deal in the DFZ, the only city on Earth run by its very own goddess. Opal Yong-ae works in the city as a Cleaner: she buys old flats and storage units whose owners haven’t paid their rent, sells the junk (often magical) left behind at a profit, and cleans them up for their next owner. She’s also very, very deeply in debt with a dangerous person and can’t afford to be picky when it comes to jobs. Unfortunately, Opal’s latest buy comes with a corpse and heaps of trouble.
As the first book in a sequel series, Minimum Wage Magic has to pull off a pretty fine balancing act. It’s set roughly 20 years after Last Dragon Standing ended and I think it’s perfectly fine for new readers to jump straight in here. Spoilers for the world-changing events of the past series are unavoidable but vague. There are a couple characters who overlap, but Opal’s perspective on them is very different from the first series’ characters. Their introduction should work well for newcomers, while being highly amusing for those of us who loved the past series. As a fan of Heartstrikers, to be honest I wish we’d gotten even more overlap! At the same time, it’s good that we had a chance to settle in with the new characters and the new DFZ before being overwhelmed with cameos.
The DFZ remains as vivid and exciting a place as ever. It’s a true city of opportunity, boasting both the best magical arts institute in the world as well as gun-selling vending machines. It feels like everybody who lives there has to be a little bit crazy, or at least very passionate, whether about the history of alchemy or about installing enough metal hardware into their body to repel bullets. There are a couple more laws in place than there were 20 years ago: straight-up murder is illegal now, for example. On the other hand, the new goddess of the DFZ likes to move whole city blocks around and sprout skyscrapers out of the earth like trees. Aaron could set any number of adventure stories here in an “expanded” DFZ universe and I’d gobble them all up.
It took me a little while to warm up to the new characters (through little fault of their own — look, I’m a big Heartstrikers fan and I missed my old team). Opal is a great mix of hard and soft. She’s stubborn and fiercely independent, ready to do whatever it takes to protect that independence. She also tries to have a good heart and has an MA in art history. For fans of the first series: I think Opal’s messed-up family relations may give Julius a run for his money. Her new partner Nik keeps his own heart more deeply hidden, and remains more mysterious to Opal and to the reader: old-fashioned in one way (he still drives a gasoline car!) and very modern in another (you won’t believe what he has up his sleeve…). Most of the other characters remain a lot less central for now, but I’m already excited to fall in love with everyone over the next few books.
One final thing I’d like to mention is oh my god the audiobook!! The Heartstrikers audiobooks, narrated by Vikas Adam, were amazing. Lightning has struck twice and the new narrator for Minimum Wage Magic, Emily Woo Zeller, is equally fantastic. For whatever reason, I wasn’t quite clicking with the ebook version, then put on the audio and devoured the whole thing in two days! If you listen to audiobooks at all, definitely check it out.
In short, Minimum Wage Magic is a fun read that I heartily recommend to both old fans and new. Especially for:
- Urban fantasy fans
- Audiobook fans
- Fans of adventure stories
- Fans of veeery slow-burn romance
- Fans of magic + advanced technology mixtures
- Fans of Shadowrun
- People who really love characters from the Heartstrikers series and are desperate for one more glimpse of them, any glimpse, please
The DFZ, the metropolis formerly known as Detroit, is the world's most magical city with a population of nine million and zero public safety laws. That's a lot of mages, cybernetically enhanced chrome heads, and mythical beasties who die, get into debt, and otherwise fail to pay their rent. When they can't pay their bills, their stuff gets sold to the highest bidder to cover the tab. That's when they call me. My name is Opal Yong-ae, and I'm a Cleaner: a freelance mage with an art history degree who's employed by the DFZ to sort through the mountains of magical junk people leave behind. It's not a pretty job, or a safe one - there's a reason I wear bite-proof gloves - but when you're deep in debt in a lawless city where gods are real, dragons are traffic hazards, and buildings move around on their own, you don't get to be picky about where your money comes from. You just have to make it work, even when the only thing of value in your latest repossessed apartment is the dead body of the mage who used to live there. Author's note: This is the first in a new series set in the same universe as my Heartstrikers books, but you don't need to have heard those stories to enjoy this one. Minimum Wage Magic was written to stand by itself, so if you haven't listened to the others, don't worry! I wrote this book with you in mind. Thank you so much for listening!
Their traditions include rootwork, or the use of herbs and natural remedies for healing and protection, as well as conjure, or the use of spells and charms for various purposes. Other occult practices in the South include hoodoo, which is similar to conjure but has a distinct African-American influence, and folk magic, which encompasses a wide range of practices such as divination, spellcasting, and folk healing. These practices are often passed down through generations and are deeply rooted in the cultural fabric of the region. While occult practices in the southern United States are often misunderstood and stigmatized, they are an important part of the region's history and culture. They provide a unique insight into the beliefs and traditions of the people who call the South their home. Whether through voodoo, Gullah traditions, or other forms of magic, the occult continues to thrive and intrigue in the southern United States..
Reviews for "The Influence of Christianity on Southern Folk Magic and Occult Beliefs"
1. John - 2/5 stars
As someone who has a fascination with the occult, I was really looking forward to reading "Occult practices in the southern United States." However, I found the book to be quite disappointing. The author's writing style was dry and lacked any sort of excitement or engagement. Additionally, the content of the book felt very surface-level and lacked depth. I was expecting to learn about the history and intricacies of occult practices in the southern United States, but instead, I felt like I was just reading a basic overview. Overall, I would not recommend this book to anyone looking for a comprehensive exploration of occult practices in the southern United States.
2. Sarah - 1/5 stars
"Occult practices in the southern United States" was a complete letdown. The book failed to provide any substantial information or insights into the topic. It felt more like a collection of random facts loosely tied together, without any cohesive narrative or analysis. The author also relied heavily on personal anecdotes and assumptions, rather than presenting well-researched and reliable information. Overall, I found this book to be a waste of time and would not recommend it to anyone interested in studying the occult practices of the southern United States.
3. Robert - 2/5 stars
I had high hopes for "Occult practices in the southern United States," but unfortunately, it fell short of my expectations. The author seemed more interested in sensationalizing the subject matter rather than providing a well-rounded and informative exploration. The writing style was mediocre at best, and the lack of concrete evidence or sources made it hard to take the book seriously. While it did touch on a few interesting topics, they were overshadowed by the overall lackluster content. I would recommend looking for alternative sources if you are genuinely interested in studying occult practices in the southern United States.