Our mini season has come to a close. In this episode, we recognize Black Speculative Fiction Month and the contributions Black creatives have made to the speculative fiction genre. We get into how Black horror reflects our deepest fears and how sci-fi is both pessimistic and optimistic about Black futures. Create your podcast today! #madeonzencastr…

What happens when divination leads you astray? In this episode, we discuss our relationship to divination tools, how Tarot is an ever changing forecast and how the Bible is not law. We also get into the life and work of Fannie Lou Hamer and how the discourse surrounding this year's election disrespects her legacy. RESOURCES "Does Everyone Have a So…

CONTENT WARNING // STORIES OF CHILDHOOD SEXUAL HARASSMENT AND ASSAULT In this episode, Dani and Leah discuss their journey of coming into their sensual selves. We talk about how traumatic puberty was for us as Black girls living in the Bible Belt, separating compulsory heterosexuality from desire, and having to stitch together our sexuality in our …

Hey y'all. We're back with our season 8 premiere. This season we're planning on dropping a new episode every week of Hoodoo Heritage Month discussing a theme and a historical Hoodoo that you may not know about. In this episode, we discuss the violent effects of colonialism on our bodies, imagination, and relationships. We touch on the current polit…

For this very special season finale, Dani interviews Leah about her latest book, Apocalypse Still. We discuss themes, inspiration, and her writing process. We also get into the myth of the Black superhero, the difficult decisions we make to survive, and how Black folks deserve alternate endings. Leah Nicole Whitcomb is a community storyteller from …

In this episode we're joined by Austen Smith of ImaginationDoulas. We discuss the imagination as a colonial construct as well as the need to integrate dreaming into our spiritual and liberation practices. We go over the principles of their project, ImaginationDoulas, and talk about how to work with the Spirit of Creativity. This is a must-listen fo…

Is your spirituality rooted in a genuine desire to connect with the Divine or is it rooted in a sense of superiority over other spiritual traditions? In this episode we answer this as well as discuss spiritual insecurity, performing spirituality for others, and seeing ourselves as divine beings. RESOURCES Apocalypse Still by Leah Nicole Whitcomb Je…

In this episode, we discuss what happens when your spiritual practice changes. We get into struggling with your purpose when the world has gone to shit, integrating Hoodoo in all aspects of our lives, and the need to tap into local plant medicine. RESOURCES Apocalypse Still by Leah Nicole Whitcomb "Get your spirit right with podcast host and Osun P…

In this episode, we tackle US propaganda and how it's causing spiritual warfare. We get into the illusion of choice, media censorship, increased militarism, and how all of our oppression is interconnected. RESOURCES Apocalypse Still by Leah Nicole Whitcomb "Meta is limiting how much political content users see. Here's how to opt out of that" by Rac…

In this episode, we're joined by Ghrey Mbenza, a neurodivergent occupational therapist who works with marginalized communities. Ghrey talks with us about neurodiversity, what it means to be Black and neurodivergent, as well as the trauma and necessary healing work from growing up as undiagnosed Black neurodivergent kids. Tasha “Ghrey” Mbenza (they/…

After an extended hiatus, we're back. While Dani moved away from Mississippi, Leah moved back so we talk about loving, leaving, and returning to Mississippi. Dani visited Senegal, and Leah is publishing a book. RESOURCES SeaSalted Honey Residency "A Night at Fontaine's" by Leah Nicole Whitcomb Pre-order Apocalypse Still by Leah Nicole Whitcomb "Epi…

//SPOILERS FOR LONG DIVISION// Mississippi author Kiese Laymon joins us for our season finale. We discuss the revised version of his novel Long Division, explore themes of freedom, language, and timelessness, and talk about creating art separate from the white imagination. Kiese Laymon is a Black southern writer from Jackson, Mississippi. Laymon is…

We're joined by Starr, founder of Reckon's Black Joy. In this episode, we discuss the highs and lows of healing, leading when you feel unqualified, and Black joy as our birthright. Jonece Starr Dunigan (She/her/hers) is a journalist who gives the microphone to communities that are often ignored by mainstream media. Guided by empathy, her reporting …

In this episode, we're joined by Veronica Agard as she discusses her educational project, Ancestors in Training. We think about what how to honor our ancestors, what we want to leave our future descendants, and how to best utilize our time here on Earth. Veronica Agard (Ifáṣadùn Fásanmí) (she/her) is a poet, writer, community educator, and conn…

Are you ready to feel more energized, focused, and supported? Go to zen.ai/hoodoo and add nourishing, plant-based foods to fuel you from sunrise to sunset. In this episode, Leah needs a literary agent, and Dani needs help finding affordable housing in DC. We discuss our experiences with Black excellence and how it's overrated, steeped in capitalism…

In this episode we're joined by Nancey B. Price of the Dreaming in Color Podcast. We discuss her work, Black people's relationships to dreams, our childhood nightmares, and how daydreaming influences our creative process. Nancey B. Price is a self-taught collage artist, writer and storyteller with an appreciation for all things Black, Southern and …

We're back y'all! For our Season 6 premiere, we're talking about how we conjure alternate realities in our writing. We discuss the documented gaps in the historical lives of Black people, our resistance to writing about the past, as well as how to honor our ancestor's stories. We think about the timelessness of the South, the optimism in current af…

In this episode, we go over our Spotify Wrapped, recap our personal highs and lows of 2022, and discuss our hopes for 2023. RESOURCES Levar Burton Reads podcast WNBA Authentic Voices Fellowship Courage to Write Grant "Sometimes It Works Out but Sometimes It Don't" Leah's newsletter. "These Black Witches Are More Magical Than Halloween Myths Would H…

Let's get real about therapy! Dr. Money joins us to discuss "Ep 27 When Therapy is Not Enough." We get into Black Femininst Narrative Therapy, what it is, and how Dr. Money uses it in her practice. We discuss systemic suffering masquerading as mental illness, the ethics of involuntary hospitalization, and how everyone thinks they're sicker than the…

It's the end of the world...as we know it. We talk with Cherise Morris about her work, our anxieties and frustrations around the end of the world, and the hope we need to build a better future. Cherise Morris is an award-winning writer, interdisciplinary performance artist, ritualist, spirit worker and healer born and raised in rural Virginia and l…

In this episode we're joined by the lovely Sirene Wata. We discuss African water spirits and deities, water as a tool of enslavement and liberation, and the many ways water has showed up in our lives, writing and work. CONTENT WARNING: Mention of Suicidal Ideation 19:25-21:22 Sirene Martin is a multimedia artist hailing from south central Kentucky.…

In this epsiode, we discuss non-traditional, community, and personal altars. We get into how our relationships with our altars have changed over time as well as the offerings we can give to our ancestors and to our community. RESOURCES Hess Love's Altar Tweet "Divinity in Disability with Jade T. Perry" A Little Juju Podcast "Ancestor Demons?" Hoodo…

CONTENT WARNNING // SEXUAL ASSAULT Hey y'all! For our Season 5 premiere, we tackle sex, relationships, and romance under capitalism. We get into how capitalism ruins everything, how romance should be fulfilled by communities instead of individuals., and how our friends are our lovers. References "Nine Ways That Capitalism Is Ruining Sex" by Breanne…

It's our season finale and we wanted to end it by talking about our inner child/teen healing. We get into what initiated our healing, what our inner child/teen needs from us, and the fact that this work is lifelong. Visions of the Evolution: The Revolution Will Be Magical is a film and a ritual! It’s a prayer, a spell and an invocation that opens u…

In this episode, we discuss call-out culture on social media and whether it's effective in holding people accountable for their words and actions. We also tackle Black leaders, elitism among Black academics, tussling with Gen Z, and how to hold space for young people who are still learning. SPONSOR: Let's Make Art Let’s Make Art is a crafting compa…

TRIGGER WARNING // SUICIDE & SELF-HARM What do we do when therapy is not enough? We discuss our therapy journeys, which types of therapy we've done, as well as the success and limitations of therapy. We also get into some alternative forms of healing because help should be accessible to all of us. SPONSOR: Let's Make Art Let’s Make Art is a craftin…

Life is full of suffering. Why would we take on more suffering when we don't have to? Today, we discuss, religious propaganda, capitalist mentality, and relationship norms around suffering. We also get into obnoxious confidence, what it is, and how we can use it to live our best lives. Resources "Letting Go of Unnecessary Suffering" Leah's Newslett…

Let's talk about plants, baby! We discuss our houseplant journey, the lessons we've learned from taking care of houseplants, and the mental health benefits of green spaces. BE A PATRON! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/hoodooplantmamas SOCIAL MEDIA Twitter: @hoodooplants Instagram: @hoodooplantmamas EMAIL & SPONSOR INQUIRIES hoodooplantmamas@gmail.…

In this episode, we discuss the act of dreaming and how it showed up in our childhood. Using Toni Morrison's 1988 Sarah Lawrence College's commencement speech, we discuss dreaming as an act of liberation, the role dreaming plays in abolition work, and how we've dreamed our lives into existence. Resources Divining Poets: Clifton: A Quotable Deck fro…

We're starting season four talking all about love. This episode is dedicated to the late bell hooks. We discuss her book: All About Love: New Visions as well as exploring the very normal need for romantic love. This episode is sponsored by Bitcaftbotanica.com. Bitcraftbotanica.com is a female, Black-owned online botanica for all your spiritual need…

It's our season finale, and we're joined by writer and performance artist, Junauda Petrus-Nasah. We discuss the spiritual elements, pleasure politics, queerness, and family dynamics of her young adult novel, The Stars and the Blackness Between Them. We also get into our love of Whitney Houston, abolition work, and the need to deprogram our internal…

In this episode, we're talking about spirit writing with JujuBae! We discuss showing up as our full selves, writing as a healing tool and releasing ritual, and the role media plays in African Traditional and Diasporic Religions. This episode is sponsored by Biddie's Baby Cakes. Biddie's Baby Cakes is a family-owned business that creates an assortme…

In this episode, we're joined by poet and photographer Nadia Alexis. We discuss how writing and photography can fight erasure, the need to reclaim natural spaces for ourselves, and the impact Lucille Clifton's writing has on Black women. Nadia Alexis is a poet and photographer born in Harlem, NYC to Haitian immigrants and she is currently based in …

For the one-year anniversary episode of Hoodoo Plant Mamas, we talk with fellow Aquarius, Shayla Lawz about her upcoming poetry collection "speculation, n." We dive into the difficulty of witnessing state-sanctioned violence against Black people as well as the music that helps us process it all. Shayla Lawz is a writer and interdisciplinary artist …

In this episode, we're joined by Hari Ziyad to discuss finding ourselves in Hoodoo, dismantling misafropedia, and using inner child work for our liberation. Hari Ziyad is a screenwriter, the editor-in-chief of RaceBaitr, and the bestselling author of Black Boy Out of Time (Little A). Previously, they were the managing editor of Black Youth Project …

We're joined by Hoodoo and writer Hess Love to discuss writing, spiritual bypassing, unpacking religious beliefs, and finding a spiritual teacher. Hess is a family advocate, co-found of the Chesapeake Conjure Society, and community-appointed Hoodoo Historian/Griot. They write about intimate politics, you can find their work on RaceBaitr, Black Yout…

Today we're talking with Crystal Wilkinson to discuss her latest book, Perfect Black. We discuss Black girlhood, being country, food, the rural South, and our ancestors. Crystal Wilkinson, Kentucky’s Poet Laureate, is the award-winning author of Perfect Black, The Birds of Opulence , Water Street and Blackberries, Blackberries. She is the recipient…

We cannot avoid our grief and be free. We talk with Julia Mallory about her latest book Survivor's Guilt and how to work through our generational grief. Julia Mallory is the author of six books, including two children’s books. Her latest book Survivor's Guilt is an archive of survivorship that chronicles generational grief through photographs, poet…

Welcome back to Season 3 of Hoodoo Plant Mamas! This season we're doing things a little differently and are focusing on writing in the Hoodoo tradition. Each episode will feature a different Black writer who utilizes or discusses Spirit in their work. In this episode, we discuss Lucille Clifton's spiritual writing and get into some other Black wome…

It's our season finale, and we're joined by Kentucky writer and dating columnist Minda Honey. We answer all your dating questions so you can start your hot girl summer right. Minda Honey Website Newsletter "A Farewell to Fuckboys in the Age of Consent Culture" "Politics as a Defense Against Heartbreak" BE A PATRON! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/…

In this episode, we talk about our childhood experiences with spirits and death. We get into The People's Oracle, holding space for Black children, and acknowledging the harm many of our parents have done to us. EPISODE SPONSOR Sun In Twelfth is a Black Woman/LGTB owned business that hosts courses curated exclusively for Black people by Hoodoo and …

We're joined by the founders of Fennigan's Farms: Claire and Amanda. This week, we're discussing the need for food sovereignty for Black and indigenous people, food injustices in the United States, and how to start growing your own food at home. FENNIGAN'S FARMS Instagram & Twitter: @fennigansfarms Spring Plant Pop-Up Shop Tees Episode Resources Ra…

In this episode, we're breaking down celebrity activism. Should activists become celebrities from the state-sanctioned murders of Black people? Why our liberation depends on centering women like Samaria Rice. And what's the line between art and activism? Resources We Mentioned: Samaria Rice's Facebook post "The Sha*n K*ing Episode with Ashley Ray-H…

This week, we're joined by the lovely Tasha Mac as we share the stories from our foremothers. For Women's History Month, we uplift Black women who have influenced our lives and share the lessons they taught us. We also get into how Tabitha Brown may be a Hoodoo. Resources "Jackson’s Water Crisis Lingers into March" by Julian Mills "Jackson's water …

This week, we're discussing decolonization, what it is and why it's important. We also discuss Tessica Brown and the need to decolonize our perceptions around type 4 hair. Content Warning: From 26:00-36:00, we used ableist language to discuss the conversation surrounding Tessica Brown. While we acknowledged that much of this conversation was ableis…

It's only right that we talk about love during February. In this episode, Dani and Leah discuss how our female ancestors used love spells and binding in Hoodoo, how women today are obsessed with love, and what dating issues plague Black women today. Resources Mama Rue's Ancestral Musings "Female Labor Force Participation: The Origin of Black and Wh…

Welcome to season 2 of Hoodoo Plant Mamas! In this episode, we're discussing if we need to keep our religious practices off the internet, how much of our practice should be done in secret, and how to honor the sacred aspects of African traditional religions. We also get into Azealia Banks and the queer Bali couple who got themselves deported by run…

It's our last episode of 2020. Dani and Leah are discussing the need for discernment when navigating celebrity culture and African Traditional Religions (ATRs) online. Since it's our last episode of this season, we rant about the Aquarius slander (we're both Aquarius suns), the writing community devaluing young writers, and the need to MIND YA BUSI…

In this episode, Dani and Leah discuss finding God in nature. Looking at a conversation between Celie and Shug in The Color Purple, we contrast the image of God that we believed in growing up with the image that we hold of God now. We discuss our own experiences with nature and how we found God, life, and beauty in it. ***Content Warning*** Suicide…

Since y'all can't keep Mississippi name out your mouth, this week we're tackling common myths and misconceptions about our home state. We're joined by Mississippi journalist Brittany Brown who helps us answer if Mississippians wear shoes and whether Mississippi is the most racist state in the union? We share our frustrations, our hopes, and our dre…