Hoodoo Cleansing and Protection Magic: Banish Negative Energy and Ward Off Unpleasant People

Hoodoo Cleansing and Protection Magick by Miss Aida covers a variety of topics from general cleansing and protection to how to deal with different spiritual entities and how to find authentic professional help.

There is a TON of information packed into the book. Everything about protection magic in the hoodoo tradition seems to be covered: from taking care of your aura, how to know if you’ve been cursed, how to protect your home, to many methods for cleansing like baths and washes and incense. Everything in this book is usable and useful in your regular daily life and could easily be worked into a regular practice, like spiritually cleansing your home using common cleaning ingredients like ammonia and Pine Sol.

This is classic hoodoo -- full of prayers and psalms. Miss Aida shares this traditional practice, but mentions other religious paths that she admires several times in the book, reminding you that if this doesn’t align with your values, find something that does. All throughout are her personal stories, information that deepens the readers' knowledge and bring the practices to life.

Her section on how to find a professional, legitimate, spiritual worker -- and when you should seek professional help -- was some of the most useful information I have read all this year. Too many people seeking magickal help are duped into paying a lot of money and resources for shoddy or duplicitous practices. Miss Aida emphasizes personal accountability and awareness to avoid scammers and cults; urging readers to contact the authorities in more serious scenarios, such as domestic abuse or sexual predation.

Note that I am not a practitioner of Hoodoo, and so do not have extensive knowledge of the practice apart from what I have read or been told about by the few people I know who do work within that system. I cannot speak to the accuracy of her writings, but Miss Aida, a Cuban-born practitioner with Santeros and Paleros in her immediate family (as well as being Catholic), speaks with authority and from experience.

Highly recommended!

~review by Lisa Mc Sherry

Author: Miss Aida
Red Wheel Weiser, 2020
pp. 240, 16.95