Quick Specs
- Type: Paperback book on hoodoo herbalism
- Size: 6.04″ x 8.02″
- Size/Quantity: Single volume, approx. 0.8 lbs
- Best for: Rootworkers, hoodoo practitioners, botanical conjure study
Hoodoo Herbal: Starr Casas on Conjure Plants and Roots
Hoodoo Herbal by Starr Casas is a practitioner-written reference on the plant kingdom as it functions within traditional Southern hoodoo. Casas, known widely in the conjure community as Mama Starr, draws on decades of lived practice in New Orleans-rooted folk magic to document dozens of roots, herbs, and botanical curios used in hoodoo workings. The book covers not only individual plant profiles but also the critical distinction between hot, cold, and dual herbs, a framework that shapes how experienced practitioners select botanicals for specific results.
Beyond the plant index, Casas integrates foundational hoodoo context throughout: altar setup, prayers and petitions, working with ancestors, and the spiritual awakening of herbs before use. This positions Hoodoo Herbal as more than a glossary. It is a working manual that shows how botanical knowledge fits into the broader structure of conjure practice. Published by Weiser Books in 2022, it is pitched at intermediate and advanced practitioners. Beginners will benefit more after building a foundation through other conjure texts first.
What This Herbal Covers
Hoodoo Herbal stays rooted specifically in the hoodoo tradition, naming how particular herbs function in mojo bags, floor washes, candle dressings, and spiritual baths as they are practiced. Casas also covers conjure houseplants. Browse my hoodoo and conjure books for related titles in this tradition.
The book addresses spiritual discernment and working with plant spirits, treating herbs as active participants in ritual rather than passive ingredients. This perspective is consistent with traditional hoodoo epistemology, where curios and botanicals carry their own power that practitioners learn to engage. Casas includes prayers and petition work woven alongside herbal content, giving the reader a coherent sense of how plant work fits into a complete conjure practice.
How to Use Hoodoo Herbal
Three practical ways to put Hoodoo Herbal to work in your conjure practice.
- Study the Hot, Cold, and Dual Herb Framework
Begin by reading Casas’s explanation of hot, cold, and dual herbs before the plant profiles. This classification determines which herbs combine well and which actions they serve, making it foundational to herb selection in hoodoo work.
- Cross-Reference Plant Profiles with Your Work
Identify the ritual goal you are working toward, then locate the corresponding herbs in the plant profiles. Note the specific applications Casas describes, including mojo bags, floor washes, candle dressings, and spiritual baths, per working.
- Use the Pendulum Method to Confirm Herb Choices
Casas shares a pendulum technique for verifying herbs are right for your situation. Hold a simple pendulum over each candidate herb and observe the response before finalizing your botanical selection for any given ritual task.
The Tarot Fellow Standard
I stock Hoodoo Herbal because it is written by a practitioner who works in the tradition she documents. Casas’s book is entirely rooted in that one tradition, which makes it a focused reference for anyone building a conjure practice. Hoodoo is a living tradition, and I offer this book as an entry point, not a substitute for learning from practitioners and community. It pairs naturally with the botanicals I carry in my herbs and accessories collection for practitioners who want to connect botanical text with hands-on material.
Frequently Asked Questions
Hoodoo Herbal works best for intermediate and advanced practitioners with basic conjure context. Beginners will benefit, but they’ll get more from it after building a hoodoo foundation through other introductory texts first.
Casas covers a wide range of roots, herbs, and botanical curios used in Southern hoodoo, from well-known conjure staples like High John and Adam and Eve root to common houseplants that carry spiritual significance in the tradition.
Yes. Casas integrates practical workings throughout the text, including how to bless and awaken herbs, formulate mojo bags, prepare floor washes, and construct candle workings, all within the hoodoo framework she has practiced for decades.
Hoodoo Herbal was published by Weiser Books in 2022. The Weiser catalog spans hoodoo, Wicca, ceremonial magic, and related traditions.
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