Browse:Jomo (Volume 1, entries 2039–2040)
Jomo
Volume 1, entries 2039–2040. Source context: THE DOCTORS AT WORK: REPORTS FROM LAYMEN → HANDS: MAGIC HELPERS. Entries listed under this heading in the source volume.
Entries
Entry 2039
Dey goes out dere long about twelve. (Where do they go?) To de fo'ks of de road 'bout twelve or one a'clock in de night an' git some sand right out de fo'ks of de road an' carry it an' put it in a bag an' wrop it up an' put it ovah yore mantlepiece. Go tuh de graveyard an' run yore arm in de cemetery to yo' elbows an' git some dirt an' sew it up wit dat. An' dat'ud [that would] make yo' lucky - good a jomo as yo' want.
(That's luck for anything - luck in the home.)
Yes, sir - yes sir.
Entry 2040
[Here is a hand which bears a price and also a moral - perhaps I should say magic - obligation.] Yo' kin take graveyard dirt for gamblin'. Yo' go to a grave at twelve a'clock at night - when de clock strikin' twelve yo' go an' git some dirt at de front, right 'long about de breast. Yo' bring it back home an' drop nine drops of vine- gar on dat graveyard dirt, but let it be a fresh [new] grave - use apple vinegar. Jes' drop nine drops on dere when yo bring it back home. Den yo' take a lil bit of sulphur, jes' pinch of sulphur an' put it in dere. Take it den an' put it in a papah an' tie - yo' can't work wit dat dirt right away, yo' ties it tight an' lays it up somewhere an' let it stay till dat dirt dry out real good. Well, when it dry out good, den yo' kin rub dat to a powder. Den take it an' jes' keep it an' ever' time yo' go tuh fix up anything, or tuh give a person a joomoo, jes' take some of dat an' put in it. But let it be not as a person dat chew know as a christian - let it be a real gambler or some wicked man, where yo' gittin' dis dirt off de person. An' ever' time yo' fix up a joomoo for a person, put some of dat in it - dat's whut chew call de Conker, High John de Conker.
(In fixing this joomoo for gambling...what else would you put in this thing?)
Well, yo' goes in de woods an' yo' gits some stuff called Eve an' Adam, an' dere 'nothah root dey call High John de Conker, and lodestone.
(Lodestone?)
Yeah. Yo' take jes' a pinch of dat an' put in it, dat's good fo' he'p [help]. Dat's jes' nuthin but lodestone, no joomoo atall - jes' a piece of lodestone. Yo' take a piece of dat an' put in it, an' dis stuff dey call Eve an' Adam, jes' a piece of hit, an' a piece of High John de Conker an' dis graveyard dirt.
(You take those things all mixed up?)
Dat's right, an' yo' sew it up in a piece of red flannel an' give it to a person, an' tell 'em tuh go 'head on an' ever' time dey makes $500 - be sho' an' give 'em de understandin' ever' time dey make $500 - to give some ole person dat unable tuh work fo' deyself, $5. Jes' give it to dem or buy 'em anothah present. Only it works best if yo' give 'em $5.