Subject:Moon
Entries
Entry 3912
[There is a fair amount of material about woman and de change of de moon (HOODOO p.946, line 40; p.359, Nos.956-957; also FACI, 2nd ed., p.220, No.4985, etc.).] Yo' take a woman, if yo' wanta change her periodic time, yo' kin change dat on 'er against de moon. Yo' kin take somepin [some of her blood], if yo' vanta put 'er in bad health on account of 'er periodic time. De firs' time yo' git one of 'er pieces, when she's menistratin' on de change of de moon, yo' bury it. De las' piece dat yo' got from 'er, from 'er las' ministration, bury it on de change of de moon - when de moon is fading away.
(When the moon is fading away.)
De moon is about to make its descent, yo' [can] see dat. Dey has got to de full moon an' dey come on down to de las' quartah. When de moon is about to make its nex' change, den yo' bury dis piece when de moon is changin'. Yo' bury dat pahtic'lah piece from 'er las' menstration an' she'll nevah menstrate propahly aftah dat long as she live. When dat's buried.
Entry 4127
A woman kin take her chamber lye an' put it in coffee fo' her man or fo' her hus- ban', de regular - dey says anyhow three times a week, an' in de new moon - wit de new moon assistance. Yo' always work in de moon becuz de moon governs de seasons. It controls from heaven to New York or any othah place, becuz where de moon is got dominion, why so in dis pow- ah it kin carry. So she takes dat an' she give him it in coffee say, three times a week, an' if she continue to do lak dat, HE'LL BECOME TO BE A COMPLETE SLAVE AN' SHE KIN DO HIM AS SHE PLEASE. He'll believe evahthin' she says is true an' evahbody else may be true, but what she says goes wit him. He don't believe whut nobody else says.
Entry 4721
If yuh kin git holt of 'is photograph or anythin', yuh kin git 'im back ag'in.
(Do you know just how they do that?)
Well, yuh git holt a piece of 'is clothin'. Now, if it's a woman dat wants 'im back ag'in, yuh git aholt of a piece of 'is clothes an' yuh dress it in cologne. Yuh take it an' fold it de way [direction] he is. If he is east, no'th, west, or south, yuh take dat piece of clothin', a small piece of it, an' fold it [demonstrates] an' make yore wishes.
(Fold it toward you.)
Towards yuh evah time. Points it de way he is an' fold it back evah time. An' yuh git yuh a couple of needles an' pin it each way, bottom an' top, an yuh split dat needle. Lets 'er wear one in 'er right shoe here, an' give her de othah one an' let 'er hold it in 'er han'. An' she kin walk - an' let 'er go straight tuh runnin' watah an' drop it ovahbo'd. Ketch de wind - she has tuh do dis on de grown [growing] of de moon an' ketch de wind blowin' towards de way she wants 'im tuh come. If she is in New York, ketch de wind blowin' disaway.
(Blowing south?)
Dat's right. Drop dis ovahbo'd an' walk backwards from it about nine steps, turn tuh left an' go on. Make her wishes an' he'll come right - in nine days he'll be dere.
(I didn't quite understand you about putting these needles?)
Yuh see, if yuh fold de clothes, prob'ly fold it dis way. Well aftah yuh git a little pad of it made, git yuh a needle on each side of it. Git chew a pair of keen - anythin' dat's sharp an' split dem needles in two.
(Oh, I see! You cut the whole package in half.)
De needles den will be on each side of it.
(Two halves of the needles will be in each side of the package.)
An' have dem needles so dey won't injure her foot an' let 'er wear it right in 'er shoe. Fasten it in dere in a way dat it won't slide backwards an' for- wards. Take dis half an' fold it in yore han' an' when it gits warm, when yuh go tuh de watah wit it - an' throw it ovahbo'd. Ketch de wind blowin' from de Way dat yuh want 'im tuh come home.
Entry 5555
Dey take chure track up, jis' lak if dey would do sompin tuh yuh tuh set yuh down an' make yuh suffah, an' cain't do nut'in tuh he'p yuhself. Dey take yuh track lak dis, see [demonstrates] - lak dat right from in de middle ["hollow" of track]. An' take up jis' about - ah know dat is de truth - take up de dirt, yuh know, an' dey put 'em on a piece of papah. Dey take de othah one disaway [demonstrates]. (They take one track - they pull it towards them and one they pull away from them.) Dat's de way de' do. An' dey take dat an' dey put it tuhgethah. An' den dey git tuh put it tuhgethah, dey goes tuh work an' dey take a little pot salt [com- Ron name for ordinary salt in a pot before salt-shaker days] an' dey put in dere. Dey sew it up in a piece of red flannel or new homespun. An' dey take dat on de young moon, now. On de' young moon de' do dat. An' dey take dat t'in' an' dey'll bury it in de earth. Well, yuh is punished. Yuh go an' cain't do nut'in. It'll git chew in hard luck. Well, den dey kin take dat an' when de tide comin' up, t'row 'em down in de watah - jis' toss 'em in de rivah. An' de rivah runnin' lak dat, go right dere an' t'row it lak dat. Dey cain't stop. T'row it in de rivah an' den yuh wheel aroun' lak dat, an' turn [your] back an' say, "Go on." Yuh kin be all right fer days. Dis mont' yuh'll have sompin, de nex' mont' yuh go 'long an' have headache an' evaht'in'. Yuh'll take dat an' dis an' dis [medicine] till it become....
Entry 5981
She disliked me.
(Who disliked you?)
This woman.
(I see. All right.)
She disliked me an' ah tole 'er [told her] ah had de headache, an' she couldn't give it to me herself, see. By me bein' young, she wus gon'a fool me. She tole me, she said, "Yo' git yo' some salt- petah an' sprinkle it in yore hair, an' evah mawnin' fer nine mawnin's aftah de new moon, " she say, "yo' git up an' meet de risin' sun an' comb yore hair fo'wards."
(Comb your hair what?)
Comb yore hair fo'wards.
(Comb your hair forwards, I see.)
An' ah say, "Ah nevah did comb mah hair dat way." She say, "It's not goin' hurtcha [hurt you]." An' ah went to anothah woman an' de othah woman tole me dat she wuz tryin' to run me crazy; said it wuz goin' make me go crazy if ah put dat saltpetah in mah hair an' combed it to de moon - [I mean] to de sun lak she done tell me.
(That would make you go crazy, you say? I see.)
Yes.
Entry 5982
Well, yo' kin take de hair outa de mole of a person's haid an' run 'em crazy. Yo' kin do dat. (How would you do that?) Well, yo' take de hair outa de mole of dere haid an' yo' takes an' yo' puts it in a bottle, an' yo' buries it in a bottle, an' yo' buries it on de da'k of de moon. See, dat's mah experience 'bout dat.
(And that runs them crazy?)
Yes, sir.
(I see.)
Entry 6226
Now a person kin take yore hair out of yore haid an' dey kin go tuh a tree an' cut a hole outa dat tree an' den put chure hair inside dat tree on de quartah of de moon [see later] an' after dey put chure hair in dat tree - dey puts a peg in dat tree [hole] an' dey drive dat peg fo' nine mawnin's. See evah mawnin' fo' nine mawnin's dey go out an' hit it fo' nine mawnin's. Now, dat peg, aftah dat peg be tapped fo' de nine mawnin's, dat's fo' tuh run yo' Crazy. Dat's tuh run yo' outa yore senses. Yo' don't have no senses atall - yo' be stone crazy.
(What do you mean, the quarter of the moon?)
Jis' lak when de moon firs' came out. Dat's whut ah call quartah, when it firs' come out. [PRESUMABLY THE VICTIM WILL SWELL UP WITH THE MOON, THEN BEGIN TO PALE AWAY ITH THE MOON, AND FINALLY DISAPPEAR WITH THE MOON.]
Entry 6469
[The two rites following explain each other:]
They say, kin get your fingernails. If you kin get a man's fingernails, or his toenails, or a piece of hair, you know, say, you get a piece of red flannen, I think, an' sew that up. An' you get chew a bottle of Hearts Cologne. An' I think you get that on the day when the moon's on the last quarter, I think. An' you fix that up and sew that up between nine and ten, an' make your wishes. An' then I think they wear that somewheres near the body, near the heart.
[Informant starts another hair rite:]
(I see. And what do they put in that bag? What would they put in that?)
Well, they's put in that a bag, it's some kind where they got their finger- nails and toenails or some of the hair where they - it's a kind of root they get dey call de Eve-and-Adam. See, those roots are twin roots together. They name one the man and the other one the woman. And then they keep it saturated, I think, in Hearts Cologne. They wear that near the body and make a wish for every stitch they make, sewing up that bag. They makes a wish. They make a bag an sews on it. They make a wish an' puts nine stitches each way [demonstrates]. (Nine stitches in the bag. This is a square bag, nine stitches on each side, nine stitches on each of the four sides of the square bag. I see. And that wish would get them, or something of that sort?) Yes, then they wear that near the heart. (That's different from the - adding that root? That's different from the first thing you told me?) Yes.
Entry 6676
She [a woman living in Wilmington] has been hurt fo' 'bout twelve yeahs an' right now ven [when] de moon is young dey's [there is] somepin lak a coottah [= cooter, any of sev- eral turtles or tortoisesl, she calls it, somepin lak dese ali- gatah coottahs. She say it spluttahs [splutter = sputter or spatter from here- demonstrates on her side] an' goes up nex' tuh 'er heart, an' goes back down. An' she says ven it spluttahs lak dat, she kin heah it spluttahin' in watah [water], jis' lak if it runs up an' she cud [could] feel de li'le feets of it, yuh know, ven it's open-lak, lak it's scrattin' [scratching?]. It goes up from 'er right side crossways [right to left] up through 'er laig. [Does this symp- tom signify anything in scientific medicine? In any case, we have here again one of those psychology-and-time rites, see Pp.350-356, v.1.]
Entry 6856
Evah new moon yo' have a spell. Dey do dis trick on de new moon. [You must] turn it back on de new moon.
Entry 6857
Folks always have a convulsion, as yo' know, [at that time] an' if yo' boil a aig, a hen aig - now, ah've proved dat mahself. Yo' BOIL A HEN AIG ON DE SILVAH MooN, de time dat de moon is young, on de firs' change of de moon. Yo' git a fresh-laid aig an' boil it an' crack a li'le hole in dis aig aftah it's boiled. An' take it tuh a ant heap, an' whenevah de ant eat all dat aig up, why it's no mo' convulsion or whatevah dose folks have. Ah've proved dat.
(Well, don't you do anything to those people who have the convulsions? At all? Don't they get any medicine or anything?) chamber lye. (In whose chamber lye?)
De one dat have de convulsions.
Entry 7954
I've heard them say that they can take coffin nails and then take an individual's, some parts of his clothes, and go way out in the forest somewhere where the sun shines on a tree and nail that, use those nails in driving, and maybe some un- derwear or coat or something or a part of a coat, on that tree and fix it so it can't fall off. And as long as it stays there, on every change of the moon the individual will weaken down, and then finally he gits so he can't have any activity of his limbs atall.
Entry 8202
Well, dere's a certain type of people dat believe in de wanishin' [van- ishing], dat yo' kin do away wit a person through an' by a photograph. Yo' could git de actual photograph of a person. Yo' take it an' on de first of de new moon, yo' carry it anywheres where dere's a tree or a stone, anything dat choo kin mark an' know it won't be moved. An' plant it face downward in de soil. An' dey claim dat when dat moon passes away, de nex' new moon will cuz some kinda affliction tuh ovahtake de person, an' dey will grajly [gradually] drift away tuh nuthin. Nuthin will relieve 'em. It impossible tuh cure 'em, until dey will fine'ly
[finally] jis' waste away de same way de photograph do.
Entry 8424
If yo' wan' tuh make a boy love yuh, yo' take a glass of watah, a glass dat choo're not gon'a evah use ag'in, an' turn dat pitchure down ovah dat glass an' put nine drops of Hearts Cologne or Blue Moon perfume, eithah one is jis' as good, in dat glass of watah. An' let dat pitchure stay ovah dat glass of watah until yo' see some results of dat boy comin' towards yuh. If de boy has turn ag'in [against] sho [you] all tuhgethah an' yo' kin git 'is pit- chure, why dat'll bring 'im back. Put de glass under de haid of yuh bed.
Entry 8526
(With the coconut, how do you do that?) Well, you take this coconut - get a fresh coconut with the Water in it and you punch out one of them eyes, and.you takes the name and you push it in there. If you want 'em to come to you, why you rolls, take and kick it and roll it to you, thataway. And you call this person name three times. You do's that for three morning on the full of the moon. If you want 'em to go from you, you put the name in there and you kicks it from you thataway. That's what you use the coconut for.
Entry 10747
Like when a woman is ministratin' by the light of the moon or ube dark of the moon. All that work [is] done with the moon. You get one of ber clothes [cloths] and bury it behind the [outside] toilet or in the [drainage] ditch [along the street or road]. jis' anywhere there is water stays at, somewhere itmiwl rot fast, and that will cause her to go crazy.
Entry 10915
Like if I got a woman and she living with another man and I want her to break up with him. Well, I take some hair from a dog and from a cat and I gets me a lemon. I cuts this lemon open and I put them two party's names in there - this woman and this man - names down in this lemon and this dog [and cat] hair. And I takes a candle and I light it, and I close it back up [see later] you know, so they won't fall from it. Close it right up and I bury it. On the dark of the moon, I do that. And they won't get along.
(Where do you bury that?)
I just take and bury it anywhere in my yard.
(I see. You seal that lemon back up with this wax from the candle?)
Yes, sir.
Entry 11285
Yeah, a goiture [goitre]. You kin go to a spring [running water] an' if it's [goitre] is bad, it might care [carry] you away [you could die]. You kin take - now, you go to a spring an' get choo some watah an' ever' momin', well, you'll jes' take that spring watah an' put it in a pan. Well, when you put it in a pan, you put a piece of ice about so big [demonstrates] in this watah an' wait till it git real col'. You kin put it on ice that night, if you wan'ta. Then in the mornin' pour it in a pan, then put a piece of ice on it an' you know it be plenty col'. Well, then you jes' take that like this here, look [demonstrates] put it right on that goijure [goitre]. Well, put it on there as the moon hit [it] waste away. But choo got ta do it when it [goitre] first begins. You can't let it git large on you. If you do, tain't no cure for you.
Entry 12154
Now, if a man's stayin' on a place an' yo' want him move'd from dere, yo' cut chew a growin' hickory stick an' carry it an' bury it down at his do'. If dat man has a mule, yo' kin always notice dere's a certain corner dat mule go tuh pee. Bury it right down somewheres near dere an' let it dere fo' nine days. Take it out. Let dat be on de young moon. An' go on to de cemetery an' bury it, but bury it wit de big end [of the stick] towards de sunset. An you' ll be right dere till dat house burnt down. (You have to bury this stick right where this mule waters on.)
Entry 12459
Now, dat works wit de moon. Now, when it's de new moon an' if he's gone an' she wants him tuh come back, she'll go tuh dat moon three times a week an' bow. Now, when dis moon gits full, she'll bow, an' every time she bow tuh de moon, dat is fer de moon tuh come down. She bows three times. An' wherever he is he is tuh come back. (Now she bows three times during the new moon?) Yes, sir, an' three times tuh de full moon, an' every time she bows, she wave her hands three times. Dat's fo' him tuh come back.
(She waves her hand at what, the moon?)
Yes, sir [demonstrates].
(Wave down like that?)
Yes.
(Does she go out three different nights to the new moon, or just once?)
Three fo' de new an' three for de full.
(And each time she goes out to the new moon she bows three times?)
Yes, sir, an' makes a wish an' say, "Will you please come back."
Entry 12460
I works with the moon. Now anything that choo start on the dark of the moon is not successful, see? Anything you wan'a be successful at is not successful. You starts on the third day of the new moon - see, on the third. Anything you want to be success- ful in, you start on the third day of the new moon. [Another excellent hoodoo woman.]
Entry 12461
Wit silver money dey have good luck. An' show it to de moon, an' he Walk back fo' so many - 'bout nine steps backwards; an' then yo' turn roun' an' hit those steps wit dat money, an' say de moon give yo' good luck. [This is a tricky rite to perform in moonlight. I suggest it could be come as follows: facing moon and holding silver coin in right hand, if you are right-handed, step backward with right foot, kneel down, touch track made with coin. Now step back with left foot, kneel down, touching this track with coin. Continue for the 9 steps and tracks.]
Entry 12462
If you want a woman, there's two or three ways that you can bring people to you. Just - the question you've asked me - there's two or three ways that you can do these things. It's always worked on the dark of the moon. See, just like if you want to do good, you do it on the new moon - of course, it be on the new moon and on the Balance. And if you want to do bad to them, you do that on the dark of the moon, work under the signs, the twelve signs. See.
(The twelve signs of the zodiac?)
Yes. See, just like if you want to make love or friendship, you set candles on a person that get the tendence[?] the two little Twins, at least. See. And if you want to do earth work, say, if you want to bury anything, you do that on the Balance. If you want to use any water from any river or anything, you use that on the Balance [surely the Waterman]. Just like if I want to break up a man and a woman. She done left me and I want her to come back to me. Well, I takes a linen sheet and I has it on the bed, after I done set my work[?] for her to come there, and I get morris [myrrh], aloes and cinnamon. [Preceding vord tendance = attention?]
(This myrrh, and what else?)
Aloes and cinnamon.
(Cinnamon?)
Yes, mixed in together. And I makes a powder and perfumes my bed with that. And she come there and [lay on] my bed, I ain't got to worry about her no more. See. She ain't going nowhere.
(She is going to stay right with you?)
Yes.
Entry 940
Well, the people who do that work look like they use it on a Friday. Suppose a fellow comes to you and says he wants to do some work, he generally start on a Friday. Now, why they pick out that particular day, I don't know, but that's the day they generally start on. But the weaker the moon is, the more the work taken effect; and the party that you working against, that's the time they get in the red. You see. If it's anything or headache or pain in the leg, that's the time it taken effect - when the moon is weak.
Entry 942
De sign dat dey's bo'n undah - jis' lak ah or yo' wus bo'n undah a sign lak, dat's de way yo' work dese things.
(Give me an example.)
Fo' yore luck yo' gota work yore problems on time dat yo' wus born - yo' know, on de month an' de day an' lak dat. Den yo' kin go [to the] almanac an' yo' kin see whut - ah cain't call it plain lak some people [can't say Zodiac] but anyhow each one of those - see, lak those fishes an' de woman an' those things. Well, yo' kin go to that an' yo' kin tell whut sign yo's bo'n undah. An' it show yo' in de almanac whut days to do that on. (In other words if you were doing this work for somebody, you do it according to the sign he was born in.) Dat's de best time tuh do it in - de time dey is bo'n in.
(The sign of Zodiac you were born in. What about the moon?)
Well, de moon - it's de time dat de moon rises befo' day or somethin' lak dat. Yo' always ketch a full moon for stillness on a yellah moon see that's growin'. A growin' moon is fo' prospects an' when de moon's 'bout on de waste away, dat's de time den dat yo' do fo' not a good success, yo' understan'.
Entry 943
You do that on the last quarter of the moon and then you see results for it on the growing of the next moon or the new moon. That's for someone doing something for you, you know, like when you want to make a person do like you want them to do. Of course, now, they say if you want to, you know, like running a person away or hurt a person or killing a person, you want to begin on the new moon and they'll go away as the moon get older. See, like when you're running a person away. Now, like I want to move you from this house. Whatsomever I do, I do it right on the new moon and the first quarter, and then, see, by the time the moon gets to the last quarter I'll leave this home or I'll waste away or die on the last of the moon.
Entry 946
Mah grandmother used to tell me dat on a moonlight night dat a witch doctor he kin do mo' then - on a moonlight night than he could on any other dark night, because de moon helps him along With a lot of other witches and they goes out and it seem like dese witches dey jes' raise from de grave to come and help him do a lot of evil - on a moonlight night it re'lly is a evil night fer anyone.
Entry 947
On the 13th of the month - that's befo' de new moon, yo' go out an' kill a frog and place him in de sun and let him dry and if any affected part about chew, why dat's poisoned or anything like dat, yo' lay dat frog on it and it'll ease it. That's a sure cure.
Entry 948
Jis' lak if yo' wanted somethin' tuh work good, see - yo' work on de new moon. Start on de new moon. Jis' lak dis mawnin' - as soon as yo' git up this mawnin' if ah wanta have success, see, start wit de new moon. If ah want yo' back soon, bring yo' back or leave, yo' start yo' work den. It's bettah tuh work on de moon, yo' see - he'll come back. Yore work will take effect quicker den - waitin' till de middle of de month till it git off, cain't do nuthin den.
Entry 950
He was living at a place called Bearfield just outside of Baltimore [Maryland]. He was a very great singer. All the women folks loved him for his singing. His brother-in-law's girl got attached to him and he couldn't do any- thing with her, so he decided to disfigure him. It was his wife's brother. So he got a chicken and put something on this chicken. After he ate this chicken he came nauseated. At last, at a certain time of the moon, he would get on the bed and put his feet up in the air and keep running his two fingers down his throat. They got a hoodoo doctor and he gave him some medicine but he wouldn't take it.
Entry 953
Take and watch the moon to see what - when the moon - a full moon - if the moon a full moon, well, there's nothing. They have to wait until the moon is on a waste. See, when the moon is on the waste, well that's the way they waste you off - they Work with the moon.
Entry 954
I say, they say when you wan'a do somebody somepin - jis' like you wants to have me jis' draggin' an' wastin' away - fat as I am I could git small as I don't know what. They say you do it on the waste of the moon - an' as de moon wases away, you wases away until that's all of you.
Entry 956
An' de - fo' a woman - yo' kin take dis period fo' de woman on de young moon, it will work swell; but after dat it don't do no good. Dese woman, yo' know, know how to use dey period - give it to a man to eat. All right, but if dey don't git it on de young moon it can't do no good.
Entry 958
It's a bad sign to play numbers on a new moon - it brings somethin' yo' wouldn't have on yore mind, it's low number. Full moon brings a high number, like 80's or 90's.
Entry 1563
Take de snail an' put it on a corn, an' jes' rub it on de corn when de moon's a shrinkin', an' dat corn will leave dat foot.
Entry 1918
You go back to the graveyard, walk to the third grave and you get some of that graveyard dust. Now, you got'a use it when the moon is full. When the moon is weak, you can't do nuthin' with it. And just get round that job there. He goin' to hold it awhile, maybe not long. Might be in the time of the moon failing when you get it when you going for the job. And you sprinkle that dust down there where the boss goin' to walk. He got'a walk out there to see you where you is. Well, you sprinkle it just where he walks and you goin' to get that job. [See margin-title Three Graves, later.]
Entry 2137
At a certain time of de moon - new moon dey call it, three days befo' an' three after, they git up ever' mornin' befo' sunrise an' look towards de east, an' they will speak a few words in prayer an' their luck will come to 'em that way. Now I tried that once on a numbah ah wanted tuh play an' it came lak ah said.
Entry 774
"I'm going to chew a root for you." That means he's going to give it to you. He going to fix you. "I'll do that on a dark night - when the moon changes you'll be changed too, when I fix my root for you; it's just as well to make peace with your God."
Entry 142
Dat whirlwind is a daid spirit - jes' somebody jes' wandering around or some daid spirit somebody send to yo'. An' that spirit jes' wandering roun', he Wandering roun' where yo' at. He come to yo' from de grave to where yo' at; but dat wind, see it ain't de wind. An' hit come down dat way - yo' kin tell it de minute yo' see, don't care whut time a day it is; but it coming to yo"cording to whut time a person send it to yo', cause yo' see dey works on de moon wit it. It's always jes' a bad spirit. If hit comin' tuh harm yo', yo' goin' know it. If it comin' tuh harm yo', it goin' git direct in yore way where yo' kin see an' yo' can't he'p from seein' it tuh save yore life. But if it ain't tuh harm yo hit goin' work clean 'way round yo' an' it gwine to somebody's else path. (Suppose it is coming toward you, is there anything you can do to stop it or break that up - you know, to protect yourself against it?) No suh, ah nevah heard whut dey do to stop it. But dey tells me when yo' see one, if yo' usin' a hammer - yo' see, it ain't got [to be] a natch'ral nail, but den dey got de nail in view, an' den jes' so many time a day dat hammer nail, dat gain yo' so many days from bad luck or good - it's always mostly fo' bad. I don' nevah hear talk dat it was fo' good. [If you have a hammer in your hand or near- by when you see a whirlwind, as many times as you hit a nail or an imaginary nail that day will be the number of days you will be free from bad luck.]
Entry 616
The pins and needles - well, that's when someone hurts yeh and you're trying to turn it back on them. You buy a new paper of needles and a new paper of pins. And you take nine needles and nine pins, and you put on a quart of water, and you put a fifty cents or a dollar or a dime - any silver piece of money in there - and then let it come to a boil. And if you're hurt, why this money will turn over. Well then, if the water boil, it'll turn with the boiling water. You do that when the moon's on the last quarter or right on the full moon as the moon's going away. That's when you boil this money, they say. And that tells whether you're hurt. This money'll boil and turn over, just continue to turn over and just rattle. And then you drop these needles and pins in there and make your wish, you see, that whatsomever they do to you may return back on the ones that put it on you., See? Well then, after it boiling, you boil it down. You take a quart, say for a instant [instance], you boil it to a half a pint. Then you make this same wish again. And you go on back down then until it gets to a half a pint. You never boil it clean completely away. You drink this water, you see, when you take this spell off. And then you take those needles and pins and put them in something that you doesn't care for, something about your person, put 'em in paper or, if you found you anything around there where it's been put down, why you put all this together and throw that in running Water between nine and twelve o'clock, anytime after sunset. And make your wish just whatever way that chew goin'. (While wishing, stand facing the direction that you will take after the article has been thrown into the river.) You see, you can turn around [backwards] on your way [to the river]. Don't never turn around [after reaching the river]. Be in the position that chew goin' when you throw them away. And never look back. Well, you see, if you do it right on the full moon, see, then by the time it changes and goes completely away, see, why this spell is off of you; then, see, and those needles and pins, they've done and washed on away.
Entry 1919
Now when yo' go to de graveyard, yo' go dere on de full of de moon or de first quarter. Yo' hear anybody talkin' 'bout gwine tuh de graveyard, gittin' dirt, dere ain't nobody knows whut tuh do wit it, it don't do's em good. Go down at de full of de moon or de first quarter. Go down dere. Yo' ain't comin' in dere dis way, understand - yo' see, yo' don't wanta go tuh de right, de right's always good; yo' wanta go tuh de left all de time. Yo' see, dere's nuthin good in de devil's work - always go tuh de left. Yo' go tuh de left, yo' walk in dere, in de cemetery on de left side as yo' enter lak dat, an' if yo' know anybody, yore friend or nuthin lak dat, dat'a bad fellah or something lak dat, yo' know where he's buried an' dat, yo' walk in tuh de left of yo', an' jes' go right on ovah, don't say a word. Take yo' five cents or ten cents - well, de ten cents is bestes', it's silver. Take yo' ten cents an' sit down an' dig down as fur as yore arm will go down in dat grave up to heah. Go on down as fur as it is, keep plowin' down in dere wit yore arm till yo' git down dat deep - way down. Yo' says dese words, says, "Ah didn't come tuh steal, ah didn't come tuh walk [I am not out here for exercise], but ah come honest an' wit faith an' truth, tellin' yo' de truth" - talkin' to de dead man - "tellin' yo' de truth, dog-gone it, an' ah wan'a git some of yore earth dat's yo's buried undah. Ah'm not stealin' it, ah wan'a borrow it, an' ah m leavin' ten cents heah. Ah'm not gittin' but a han'ful, an' ah don' disturb yo' an' ah know yo ain't goin 'sturb me." Take a han'ful. Dat's all. An' yo put de ten cents down dere. Take it an' kiver it up an' pack it back. Turns right around an' don't say anothah word an' walk off - don't look back, go home. Well, if ah want one of mah neighbahs where ah'm livia'.ah don't want 'em livin' dere togethah, ah goes - when ah go out de path, walk a ways with it, an' take some of that dust dere, an' when ah come in dis house, ah come in on which- ever de left side is. Lak ah stands dere on de left side an' ah go ahead up to de do'step - any night dey sleep, not in de daytime. Ah ease down an' ah takes some in mah han' an' ah sprinkles it undah dat do'step, right along, right along out ah go till ah hit de road, jes' sprinklin' dis sand. Ah wouldn't leave off till ah hit de road, till ah git off dat path leadin' outa de house, right 'long dere. Now, dey got'a walk ovah dat. Dey goin' walk ovah dat. All right, in a week or so, dat man an' his wife, all of 'em will git dissatisfied, fights be goin' on an' dey won't stay dere no mo' - jes' move.
Entry 3100
Yo' know when ah first gone [to him], he say ah wus poisoned. An' mah mother an' father befo' dey died, ah wus ovah 27 yeahs, dey had worked on me - dey had got a doctor yo' know tuh cure me. De first doctor dey got, dis doctor dey say wus de one. He didn't do me no good - yo' know, he worked on me. So dey let dat un go an' dey got another one. An' de doctor whut dey got fo' me, dey say dat's de one had fixed it - had deviled me inside. An' he seemed lak he wus goin' he'p me an' ah stayed up, yo' know, round de home - git so ah could be up an' down. An' after ah got sick, yo' see, dey had tuh go an' git another doctor. But ah saw dis doctor in de spirit on a Wednesday night. De Lawd show me where a man come tuh me an' he pull out some of mah hair heah [demonstrates], some heah, an' ah wus.
(From the top of the head and from side of the temples.)
Dat's whut in one of mah dreams - on a Wednesday night ah dreamed it. An' he come dat Sunday. Mah cousin brought him unbeknowst tuh papa dere - jes' lak ah dreamed it on a Wednesday night. So he [doctor] came an' he axt him [father]. He [father] say, "Yes," he had a very sick girl heah. An' he tole, say, "Yes." [Doctor] say, "Well, do yo' care fo' me tuh do anything fo' yo' daughter?" He say, "Yes. So he went on back tuh Jacksonville. He wus runnin' a bar - a barroom, but dis man is daid now but he help me. He come on back an' one Sunday he pull out some hair - yo' know, Jes' lak ah dream it, an' tole me tuh hole mahself right ovah de fire-hearth. He tole mah mother tuh give me some sulphur an' some gun- powder an' one mo' stuff [three ingredients], but ah forgot. An' jes' hol' mah haid ovah it like dat chew know, an' he say it wus a spell on me. Seemed lak somepin wus talkin' tuh me lak ah wus dyin', yo' know, all de time - be scarry an' hot, chew know. Well, ah wus bein' pregnant, see. Two weeks after dis baby born, den dat turn out on me. So dey thought ah had heart trouble, an' so de doctors all examine me. Dr. Kidd, he's buried an' gone, he tole me, says, "Yo' ain't got no heart trouble." He had look everywheres. It wus a spell on me. An' so it went an' went. An' sometimes ah couldn't raise dis arm. Sometime ah couldn't raise dis one. Sometime ah look at cha an' ah couldn't talk. Some- time mah feet chew know would turn in de back an' ah jes' drag: An' sometime ah couldn't eat, an' sometime ah could eat. Sometime nature couldn't hold me tuh save her life - ah'd eat so much yo' know. An' it jes' keep on like dat chew know for about a yeah, jes' right down till dis man, yo' know, worked on me an' got be bettah. So he went tuh de no'th an' he tole mah father dat he'd tried whut all tuh cure me. But, after he got me up he nevah did come back. He tole me he'll send de money but he's de one dat worked on me - Mr. Robinson. He's daid. So ah keep on an' ah come on tuh Brunswick, yo' see, an' ah stay ovah heah an' ah went in business an' ah got married den. So dis woman - ah wus ovah on Bay Street an' this woman come an' hit me on de shoulder. An' when she hit me - mah husband sent me after dat meat yo' see. An' when ah went back an' she hit me on de shoulder - when ah come back ah wus down in de shoulder like dat, an' ah went on an' ah tole him. So he tole mah mother an' dem were. An' so every place ah moved he [first doctor?] send dem wit dis poison. She always claimed it wus a spell agin. Dey had it where it could [come to life] every once in a while. An' every Place ah go, dis thing worries me but hit moves, see, in mah stomach an' wiggles an' come up all in mah throat sometime. Sometime in mah face yo' kin see it. An' it jes' make me feel sick. But on de young moon an' de full moon dat de time it worries me. An' den it goes into dis left foot. Yo' see, it will wiggle under dere sometime an' crawl. An' when it time fo' me tuh work, it'll stop me from workin'.
(That thing is still bothering you?)
Yassuh.
(You weren't cured then?)
Dat's whut dey say. Every once in awhile ah kin feel it.
(Didn't anybody cure you?)
De man say - he he'ped me up though.
Entry 6201
I've heard people say dat yo' kin take when de sap rise, at a certain change of de moon, an' yo' kin take a live frog an' put in dat. Yo' bo' three holes in dere wit a brace an' bit: one De Father, an' one De Son, an' one De Holy Ghost. Un- dahstan'? (The sap rises in what?) De sap rise in a tree, yo' know. What I mean, by de sap risin' in de spring of de year. Say, an' take an' bo' three holes in dat tree. Undahstan' me: Dat's one De Father, one De Son, an' one De Holy Ghost. An' yo' kin hollah dose holes out in- to one, an' put a live frog in dere, an' dey kin git some of yore hair an' put in dere. An' dey Say, WHEN DAT SAP BEGIN TO COME DOWN AG'IN, SAY DAT DE HEAT FROM DAT SAP WILL RUN DIS FROG CRAZY DERE; AN' DEY SAY, AN' AFTAH DEY RUN 'IM CRAZY IN DAT [HOLE] ALIVE, WHY HE BEGINS TO EAT DAT HAIR. Why yo' kin take a frog anywhere an' he see somepin - roll a ball or...
(JUST A LITTLE BIT SLOWER.)
Yo' kin take a frog an' put 'im on de flo' here an' roll a ball [gunshell shot]. He'll eat de shot fast as yo' rolls it to 'im. [This belief is wide- spread in the South, though I did not always record it.]
(He what?)
Yo' kin take a frog an' put 'im on yore flo' dere, an' yo' roll dat ball - little shot dere. Yo' know, little ball, some kinda gunshell, any kind - yeah. He'll eat 'em fast as yo' git 'em to 'im dere.
(Oh, I see - eating shot.)
Well, I done said, aftah yo' git dat hair when dat sap begin to come down again in dat tree, yo' undahstan', to de epiderma of de tree here - dat epiderma here. De epiderma is de outside linin' of de tree here. [And the word epiderma is also rare in Hoodoo!] He will go crazy. De heat from dat sap will run 'im crazy an' he eat dat hair. An' when he eat dat hair, say yo' will go [crazy] yourself.
(Which hole do you put him in?)
No, yo' bo' three into de tree wit a brace an' bit. Dere yo' are. Den yo' hollah dem three out an' into one dere.
(Oh, these three holes you make into one.)
Dere yo' are.
(And put the frog into the one hole, and then you stop it up some way?)
Yes, stop it up dere wit a piece of galvanized tin here - see, put a piece of galvanized tin ovah dat hole an' stop it up.
Entry 13
It's jes' lak [like] if ah'm runnin' a place of business an' ah has some enemies - yo' know yo' has enemies ever'where yo' go. If yo' large 'nuff to bother 'bout yo'll have enemies. Ah kin have some enemies an' ah kin be runnin' a place of business - jes' sellin' fish san'wishes an' all dat kinda junk. Well, a lot'a people would hate me on dis - yo' see, ah'm makin' mo' money den dey can an' dey'll hate me. Well, all right. Dey'll go, prob'bly uptown an' tell a false' on me an' have me put in jail. Yo' see, ah done lock up an' ah'm got'a pay out a bunch of money den an' come out if ah got it or prob'bly make time on it. Well, whensomevah ah git out - well, ah may go back to mah business agin. Well, now heah dey come agin after me. Understan' - heah dey come agin after me. Well, now, I kin go tuh de graveyard zactly twelve a'clock at night. Now, ah'm goin' to mah peoples - where dey's buried. An' after ah git dere ah walks five feet into de graveyard. Then - if' yo'll 'low [allow] ma ah'll show yo' axely [actually] whut ah mean [his voice turned from me while he demonstrates]. Ah walks dis way [he walks]. Now, heah's de gate chere. Well, ah walks [he walks] five feet from de gate an' when ah git inside [that near] de gate ah turns round [he turns] an' backs up five feet [he backs up] till ah git inside de ceme- tery. Ah wheel round right quick an' de first grave ah'll put mah eyes on, ah'll go to dat grave an' ah makes me a big round ring at de head of dat grave. [He acts out everything.] An' after ah make me a big round ring at de head of dat grave [as a protection against spirits], ah take me a solid fifty-cent piece an' put it jes' as fur down in dat grave as ah kin git it. An' after ah put it down dere mah hand would come up wit all de dirt-cover ovah dere [the dirt sticking to the half dollar]. Den ah takes a eatin' fo'k [table fork] an' ah sticks it in dat grave. Well, ah went to mah mother [her grave] to control her mind of might to dash dese peoples' mind from me an' keep dem from botherin' me, but dose [his people] are daid. Now, dose folks are daid - like dey say hants an' spirit an' all like dat. Well, dey come to form - to skel'ton, see. Well, now heah about three yeahs ago ah had a sister - she came down heah an' dere peoples in dis town will tell yo' dis very day, white and colored. Well, dey 'rest her two-three time of drunk'. She could take jis' dat much of whiskey [demonstrates] an' jes' go to her haid, an' she start to call anything come ovah her. Well, now, she was fixed, dey tell me in Jacksonville ~ now, dat's whut she tole me some other [person] did to her. [Alcoholism is usually caused by someone putting a spell on you - see Drinking-spell in Index.] An' ah could go an' git her sometime two an' three a'clock in de morning - bring her back. An' ah have went round to diff'rent people I knowed dat give 'er dat stuff an' tell 'em don't let her have none. Well, she got to find dis stuff but hit don't be until de change of de moon. When dat moon come to be a quarterfull, den dat's de time she commence goin' on, commence goin' on. Well, now, when dat moon done vanish 'way an' gone, she jes' as good, jes' as pleasant an' happy as she kin be. Well, she wus told to go to de graveyard - she lives in Jacksonville - an' when she git to de graveyard - now, our mother's daid - our mother died of witch- craft - whut chew call roots. She died of dat an' ah kin splain it tuh yo' how, whut caused her to die [he explains this later]. An' dey tole her to go to de graveyard an' after she got to de graveyard, tuh Walk five feet inside the graveyard an' wheel round right quick, an' de first grave she saw, she take a solid fifty-cent piece an' push it jis' as fur down in de grave as she kin git it an' take her han's out, an' in takin' her han's out befo' her han' git to de top, git jis' a lettle bit dat dirt - see, root [dig] fo' it [with the coin]. Well, now, dere's nuthin' dey put wit dat dirt. An jis' stick dat eatin' fo'k in dere an' leave it, chew see. Dat eatin' fo'k yo' wanta leave. Well, now, she got de dirt - dat's whut chew call buying dirt from de daid. [We shall meet many examples of the spirit of the dead being paid off with coins, but here the fork - silver-plated or steel, is both payment and protective device.]
(What did she do with that dirt then?)
She jis' take it an' put it on her an' tote it, jes' tote it - she didn't put anything in de worl' wit it. [Usually, this graveyard dirt would be wrapped in a piece of paper and worn sewed up in a very small cloth bag and called a hand or toby or mojo - these of great variety and purpose - many examples of them being given later.]
(How was your mother hurt did you say?)
Now, mah mother - dat wus in 1919 in Tallahasse, Florida. We lived in 362 Caldwell [?] Avenue. Well, during dat den de street wus name No'th McCommins [?] Avenue. Mah mother she wus poisoned with whut ah may call dung - it's a bottle of your dung. Jes' lak if ah go to de bathroom right dere an' use de - well, her stuff was taken an' it was placed into a bottle. An' after it was placed into dis bottle, jes' nuthin' but hit - an' it wus a cork stopper wus placed in de top of dis bottle, whut chew call to stop it up airtight dat no air in de worl' couldn't git in it, an' it wus buried to de no'th corner of our house. Mah mother lived an' suffered - lived an' suffered fo' [four] yeahs. But we tried doctors from Thomasville, Florida - Dr. McClintook supposed to be as good a doctor as evah walked out - a medical doctor de horsepital - we tried him. We tried all other doctors an' none couldn't do her no good. Mah grandmother went to a place you call Quincy, Florida - out in de country to a fellah by de name of Mr. McClain. She went dere to him.
(White or colored?)
White - he wus white - went out dere tuh him. An' he tole mah grandmother, he said, "Ah been layin' heah lookin' at de condition of yore daughter." [He was a forseer or foreknower.] Dat's whut he tole mah grandmother. He said, "Ah been laying heah lookin' at de condition of yore daughter," he say, "fo' [for] munts an' munts an' she been sufferin' fo' othah people." He said, "De people dat's doin' her dis dirt is comin' in her house eve' other mawnin', bahrin' [borrowing] a match or bahrin' some salt or bahrin' some peppah an' stuff." He said, "Dat is to he'p [help] build dis stuff whut dey got in de ground." Now, he tole her, said, "Yo' go back home." She said - but now dis man wouldn't take no money out chure han' - he didn't take a dime - but chew owed him whut he charged to do. Yo' didn't pay him what- somevah he git fo' doin' yore 'mount of work. When he git done wit his - whut yo' want to have him tuh do - yo' goes back home. He given yo' a piece of some- thin' look like a five-dollar gold piece in a black cloth an' he got dis money by de air. Dat's de way he worked it, by de air - he re'lly did it hisself. [See in Index, Doctor, payment of.] Well, he tole mah grandmother - she go back to de house an' look up on de south corner of yore house, an' he say, "Yo'll find a quart bottle wit some dung in it." An' he say, "Yo' take dat quart bottle an' unstop it," an' he say, "po dat stuff out of it." He say, "When yo' po' it out of it," he say, "then yo' come back to me." Well, mah grandmother po'd it out an' mah mother then commence tuh - her bowels den commence movin'; her bowels wus locked den [before that], yo' see. Well, she went back to him an' he give her some kind of medicine - ah don't know whut it wus. But she give him somepin - she had a twenty-dollah bill dressed, mah grandmother did fo' mah mother. Now, dis man tole her, said, "Now, let her tote dis on her as long as she live, an' nobody won't hurt her no mo'." Well, leastways, she died from it - she lived 'bout a couple of months afterwards, after dis stuff was po' out de bottle, but she died. [How the twenty-dollar bill was dressed (prepared magically) by the doctor I do not know, but my skeptical nature refuses to believe he returned it to grandmother. One of many ways of dressing money for oneself will be found in margin-title Cast It Into Oblivion. The medicine given to grandmother could have been black draft or Epsom salts both commonly used by doctors in such situations. The woman had been dying - constipation was not the cause. For a similar hopeless case, a poignant one, see margin-title Doctor Assists Death.] (Well, how did the man get his money when you paid him - how did he get that money?) He tole mah aunt an' mah grandmother to - he give dem somepin look like a five-dollah gold piece an' [also] it was a black rag; seemed to me [when I saw it later] that it was a han'chief. He tole her, said, "Yo' take dis an' go back home an' leave dis on de table - dis five-dollah piece yo' see - on de table." Well, it looked like to me it was five dollahs, but he didn't tell her no five dollahs, but ah called it five-dollah gold piece. [The coin was a fake. I comment here while checking transcription with cylinder - "speaks very rapidly."] But he tole her, when she give it [his fee] to him, say, "Lay dis [piece] on de table an' spread dis black rag ovah it - jes' spread it [rag] ovah it [piece] an put chure money [fee] on top of dat an' tie it up, an' walk out chure room." He say, "Ah'll git it, don't chew worry," he say, "because mah working is de air, star an' de moon." He say, "Ah don't work jes' natch'al comin' to a person." He say, "Ah kin do mah work an' not even go to you. Yo' kin jes' only write me an' yo' got to tell me whut chew want done - jes'write me an'ah'll come to yuh [in the spirit]." Dat's whut he tole mah grandmother and aunt. But anyway de money didn't leave out de house an' he didn't come an' git it - but didn't nobody carry it to him. But when we went back in de room de next morning, de money wus gone, an' most all de three of us wus in de house - mah aunt, mah grandmother an' me, 'scusin' mah mother whut wus sick. He re'lly got dat money.
Entry 69
I was a girl about seven years old and my mother had let me go to these people - their name was Kane - to rock the baby. And after this baby Went to sleep, her little sister and I went outdoors - it was in the summertime - to play. And the moon Was shining as bright as day. You could see from one end of the field and woods to the other. She [the other girl's mother] was in the kitchen making light bread. And all at once I look towards the barn and I said, "Oh, look Mary! What's coming?" And she turned around and looked and she said to me, 'Oh, Lucy! What is that?" I said, "I don't know." And at that time it was something looked like Jesus. He had a white robe throwed around Him and He wasn't touching the earth. He came from the sunrise and kept rising higher and higher and went to the sunset. Then we got frighten and run in the house and hollered. So the madam says, "What is the matter with you?" And we told her what we seen. And she said, "It is a story. You didn't see anything. It's just a lamp setting in the window." So next night we tried it again, and the next night we tried it again. And I have never seen it since.
Entry 541
I was about ten years old. Well, mah grandmother used to tell me if ah wouldn't be good that a hag. she would come at night an' ride me. Well, ah never did believe it tull - when ah'd go to bed, jis' about ev'ry mawnin' jis' about fo' 'clock, it would always be some dark woman would come an' git right on mah bed an' seemed if she tried to choke me. An' she'd be chokin' me an' chokin' me an' it seemed like always jis' de time ah'd be tryin' tuh holler she'd choke me all de tighter. Well, she kept doin' dat fer about a week - she never would choke me to death but she always would choke me where ah really would be stran- gled. She did dat about two weeks out of ev'ry month an' it wus jes' like dat fer about six months. De doctor he said ah was nervous. So my mother she kept on tryin' ev'rythin' an' so a ole lady [doctor] tole her to take straws an' put 'em in de center of bed at night when ah go to bed, like a cross, an' dat would stop it. Well, she tried dat - two crosses dere fer a while an' fer a while de woman she'd always come an' bother me but she never would come near to choke me, she'd stand off with one of her hands up in front of her face. So mah mother she started to put mah brother in de bed to sleep with me. Well, instead of bothering me de woman would go to mah brother an' bother him, an' she did him de same way she did me fer a long time until she had him where he Was gittin' pore - losin' weight all de time. She tried de straws on mah brother but dey wouldn't help him at all. So she would take him an' put him in bed with her an she could wake up an' really see him choking at night. But de woman never did come bother me long as: de straws was in mah bed. So de ole lady tole my mother that it wasn't but one thing fer her to do, that Was to burn this heah sulphur in all de rooms at night befo' we go to bed - shut de windahs tight down an' wouldn't open up de windahs no mo' atall at night to let air in - let her in - fer at least a month. So mah mother she did dat for at least a month. Well, grad'lly - we'd always hear a noise lak somebody scratchin' on de side of de windahpane tryin' to git in. So purty soon it stopped an' mah mother she could raise de windahs again. But always, along about around de full of de moon, dis woman she'd come back. She always would come back an' yo' could hear her laugh - a funny laugh at night.
(But she never bothered you any more?)
Nevah bothered us any more but she always jes' come back an' laughed.
Entry 712
This girl had two snakes in huh.
(Did she get them out?)
Yes, sir.
(What did they do to get them out?)
Give huh some silvah - jis' take silvah an' scrape it an' give huh five doses of silvah on de young moon. An' 'en, aft' she done dat, she took asafitadee on some whiskey an' give 'er some asafitadee nine mawnin's befo' de sun rise. Well, you see, aftah she do dat, dat'll make dis snake turn down [in the body so that it can be passed through the bowels]. He can't stand asafitadee. [Wilmington, N. Car., (196), 101:4; near Darlington, S. Car.,1921.]
Entry 952
You can take their shoes and carry them down to the river at noontime and let the water run over them. Take them back and let them dry. On a full moon go down to this river, call, and keep calling them. And when they have them shoes on they'll walk into the river and drown themselves.
Entry 957
When the moon is on the wane, a person can take a woman's minstrational cloth and wash 'em and take that water and put 'em in a tree - you know, make a hole in the root of the tree and pour that down in that hole and stop that hole up. On the waste of the moon that person will jest waste away, they'll jest ministrate too much, jest flood to death. And they can take it on the full of the moon and do the same thing - well, the person will be ill from the idea that they don't ministrate at all. That's done wit the moon.
Entry 959
Well, as fur as ah kin learn, that's whut got me - it was given tuh me in some whiskey.
(What did they give you?)
Hit was graveyard dirt - it was in whiskey. Well, ah had a spell - all right, ah talked outen mah haid. Well, but ah don't do it only at certain times - an' ah does it now, too - an' ah kin go fo' a certain time till de moon changes - when de moon changes, well, ah gitten dat drinkin' spirit in me an' ah go an drink. Well, dey went an' dey digged dis graveyard [dirt] an' wheresomevah ah got dis whiskey at - [doctor] said dey sprinkle it in dey whiskey an' ah would drink it. Well, ah didn't know it. [For drinking spell & moon, see also No.13.]
(What makes you talk that way?)
Ah don't know - ah guess ah'm been like dat ever since I wus fixed like dat. See, ah had two spells - ah like tuh went crazy. (You said something about the spirit when you first told me - what about the spirit?) Well, it's de graveyard dirt - see, dat's de spirit from dere - yo' go to dat grave an' git dat dirt. Well, dat spirit is gon'a follow dat, yo' know. Well, ah already got some of it in me, an' ah kin heah mah insides always talkin' - jest, yo' know - dey talks to me jest like yo' talkin' - all kinda talks - curses me an' everything.
(These spirits inside of you talk to you all the time?)
Talk to me an' then ah kin heah ord'nary people like dat. (And you say this only happens to you on certain times of the moon. Well, when is that?) That's right - when de moon change - ev'ry time de moon change.
(Then you hear these voices.)
Entry 1825
Dey build whut chew call a dead man. Dey usually goes an' dey gits clay from a fresh grave dat's someone yo' know, an' dey take dat clay an' dey mixes it up wit sulphur an' red peppah an' puts it undah de step - round de front step. Dat usually brings in people or either carries 'em out - jes' whichsomevah yo' wish. Yo' have tuh wish fo' dat.
(What did you say about making a dead man?)
Yo' use clay an' red peppah an' sulphur.
(Well, what do you mean by making a dead man?)
Well, because it's a person yo' know an' dey jes' died yo' understand, an' yo' use it because it's fresh. Yo' gits it at de full of de moon.
Entry 2743
Set it eleven 'clock at night and you dress the candles. You get seven candles fer that purpose and you dress them with a certain kind of perfume. But chew have to do these things on the new moon. Anything that's good has to be done on the new moon; the bad thing they do on the waste of the moon. But now, if you wanted a person to come back, you dress the candles and you set 'em at eleven 'clock at night so it work on the new moon. And then you have to set the candles to burn and pray. [Pray while candles are burning.] And burn the High John Conker Incense. An' you do that from about eleven to half-past eleven. And then sometimes you set and concentrate. You know, concentration means a whole lot. Set and concentrate - hold your thoughts on him and you say while you talking to the candles, "John - Mary Louise," what- ever the name is, "In the Name of God the Father, let you be upset and let chew have no rest or peace wherever you are." Then you read a prayer in the book and - but you keep it up and finally they can't stay away. They will have to come back.
(What do you mean by that book? Do you mean the Bible? Or do you mean?)
Or the Bible.
(Do you have to buy these candles specially or just any kind of candle?)
Oh, no, you have to buy them specially. Sometimes you kin git them already dressed. You git them in New York on Lennox Avenue. You gits them there and you kin git them from Lawrence. Dressed candles. (Have you ever heard of people having little altars and burning candles? On little altars like in a Catholic Church?) Yes, ah do that myself. (I am rather interested in that for a special reason. Can you tell me just how you do that?) Well, we have our altar and we have the holy oil because everything must be holy. And because it's a place, people coming and cursing and that, and some- times they'll fergit and so the place is full of evil and dirty. But everything must be clean. We have holy oils - we have holy candles and you light them. You have seven holy candles, large ones, but chew have 'em in the form of a cross.
(Will you tell me again about burning those candles?)
You know you have them in the form of a cross. You see, you have those little candles. If you don't have those candlesticks that have the form of a cross, why you can jest sit your candles in a row there in that cross, you see.
(Two rows crossed.)
No, see. That's one row of candles across, that's 1,2,3,4,5,6, and then you have some here. That's a cross, you see. Then you have seven small candles like they have on birthday cakes. You have those and you burn those too. And you have those little votive lights sitting around.
(Well, now where would you put those little candles?)
You set them right in front of the seven cross like.
(Well now, how do you make a cross out of those seven candles?)
Those seven little ones you don't have to make a cross of them. Jest let them burn there.
(That other cross, how many do you put in that one row?)
Well, you jest - it don't make any difference how many, jest so you have a cross. Make a cross, you see.
(Then you use those little candles.)
Yes, but chew must burn yore incense. We call it holy incense. And then you use holy water. Yo' sprinkle yore place down with holy water and bless your place - must pray and read the 23 Psalms. Course you read the 23rd Psalms when you git up in the morning and you face the east and you say - you read so many verses until you get to, "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want, he makes me to lie down in green pastures, he leads me to the side of still waters." Then when you say that, and after you turn your face to the east, then to the west, and then you say a couple of more verses. And then when you say those other two verses, turn to the north and say the other two, and when you finish with them, make the last verse to the south. And that will keep your place holy and blest in the form of the cross, you see. And use the 9lst Psalms, if you wanta read, you wanta read a person to be able to git the very best results, to keep out the evil, you read the 9lst Psalm - jest a few verses you want of it. And use the holy candles with holy oil - that keeps the evil out and you aIways be able to get a good message and good vibration. You work better. (Now, you go through this ceremony before you go into this special room. That the idea?) Yes, you do that.
(Before you go in to work for someone.)
Before you start to work. Now if you was goin' tuh have a meetin' heah, a spiritual meetin', you'd come in round about six 'clock and then you'd do all that, and have your place all set up. And then you would git on your knees and you would pray and you jest set your candles all there and you pray and burn the incense.] Burn the incense while you on your knees praying, asking God to bless you and send you in a good crowd and success and let no one be evil, and sprinkle around the holy water and then you set and you concentrate, and you set and you hold your thoughts on success and prosperity and draw the people to you. That's all you do.
(Now do you have meetings? How often do you have meetings?)
Ah have been having meetings three nights a week, but I haven't been very well and not doin' so much now. (I thought if you were going to have a meeting while I am here in Washington, my man and I would come around to be at one of the meetings.) Well, you might come down Sunday - think ah'll probably have a meeting Sunday night.
(Sunday night?)
Yes, 'cause ah'm in kind of a small place now. Ah used to have a big place but ah'm jest having it in my house in mah rooms.
(Well, what time does the meeting begin as a rule?)
Round about nine 'clock. People don't git out until that time. (If a person wanted to get into this work, must he be initiated into it or what.) You would have to be born psychic and after you born psychic why then as you grow older it comes to you but then you have to have some one to instruct you, teach you.
(Then there is no form of initiation or anything of that sort?)
Then after a meeting, after you accepted in a class, course there's certain kind of instruction telling you what to do, and if you say you seen anything - sometimes you see things and don't know 'em. But they will tell you, explain to you. Then you get so - you get so then that you kin jest talk - jest open your mouth and the words will come right out. Then sometimes you see things - you see symbols, you see signs and you see jest the words. You get the words mostly in this ear sometimes [demonstrates] and you walk along.
(Your right ear?)
No, the left ear. This is the left ear. You kin hear it in the left ear, but you have to be born psychic. You were born psychic yourself.
(I'm born psychic? I suppose I am. Never have been sceptical about it.)
[We are talking about different things - see comment later.]
(About the people who are called Holy Rollers or the First Dominical Penta- costal Church. Do you think they have a spiritual gift?) Well, ah think they have a spiritual gift, but ah think that they don't quite understand the Bible. Now for instance, this Holy Roller, ah don't know anything about that, but this - what did you say the word there, The Holy Sanctified?
(This is something different from The Holy Sanctified.)
Well, ah think The Holy Sanctified has a gift of tongues - course it's in the Bible [1 Cor.12, and 14]. You see, if you pray enough and live close to God, the spirit will git on you so will talk in tongues. Your mouth will jest thuth, thuth, till the spirit got on yuh. But as far as being sanctified, ah don't think anybody is really all sanctified. Cause when you sanctified, ah think God takes you away from here when you get so holy. (If a person thinks he's hurt or anything of that sort, could you give him help in any way? Tell him anything about it?) Yes, if they was hurt and the spirit would show it tuh me, and I would see it and tell them about it.
(Then you could describe how they were hurt or something of that sort?)
If I see so. Most generally I see jest how it's done.
(Would you prescribe any remedy for them?)
Well, depends upon how they were hurt. Sometimes if people - lots of people comes to me and say that they are hurt and they are not. You know some people, the southern people, are very superstitious. And if they get a pain in their laig they think they are hoodooed or hurt. Not all the time it isn't that. If you don't tell 'em that, they'll go round and pay somebody else and give em the money. But lots of times they're not hurt. Sometimes people do's has things in them, but I have nevah seen anybody yet that had anything in 'em. Cause when I was a child somebody said that a person had something in them, but I don't - any that talk - I never seen any of it.
(Weren't you born in the south?)
Ah was born right in Washington, but ah lived in New York quite a while. (Well now suppose a person has this pain in his leg, what would you advise ordinarily?) Well, ah would give 'em a treatment with mah hands and pray over him. Or if I wanted, if the place was swollen I would get some herbs and mix a solution and bath it down. See. (But you don't believe that there is any spell? I mean, you don't think that he is hoodooed or anything of the sort?) Ah don't know really. They tell me they kin do it, but ah don't know. Ah never heard or seen. [My comment about being psychic merely means being aware and having a sense of direction (see Introduction). What little I have of this came from training; it was not a gift.]
Entry 3914
(What do they say about that?)
Dey say dey kin take de dirt out from undah yore toenails, an' de dirt out from undah yore fingahnails, some hair outa yore haid, an' wit de lady people, yo' know, wit de changes of de moon. An' put all togethah an' put hit in a bottle an' stop it up, an' as hit grow old as dey fade away. (As it grows old they fade away. I see. Do you mean, get hold of a woman's monthly cloth?)
[I am asking for the meaning of his de changes of de moon.]
Yes, sir.
Entry 3915
I hears dis here now, on de change of de moon - accordin' to de moon change. Dey say if yo' wan'a woman to con [continue] stay wit choo, yo' git 'er nachure [nature, here her menstrual blood but some- time potency, sexual feeling, etc.] an' git 'er shimmy. An' when she minestratin' - she minastrate by de moon, see. An' dey take dis all an' work it up in boilin'-hot watah, an' make 'er sleep on it fah' five days - whut I mean, five nights - wit salt, table salt [not cattle salt] an' it conkers 'er in 'er minastrate. She don't wan'a bothah wit nobody. [This is a cause of sexual impotence but I have placed it here for the moon belief.]
Entry 4615
Dey kin take de bow outa yore hat, dose bows in yore hat, an' run yuh crazy. Dey take de bow in de hat an' run yuh blind, jes' make yuh blind. Take de bow outa de hat - inside of dat band, take dat bow. An' it's tied. An' un- tie dat bow, stretch dat bow out. Aftah yuh stretch dat bow, den yuh git chew some cologne. An' yuh take Heaxts Cologne, it's a powahful thing, an' put in dere, dat little ole flask - in dere wit dat bow of dat hat. An' aftah yuh put- tin' dat bow outa dat hat, den yuh takes - now dat's tuh be worn. Now, dat's fo' wimmin tuh do. Yuh takes mens, dey don't have nuthin like outa a hat fo' a man tuh do anythin' wit 'em. But dat's wimmins do dat. Yuh take - ah kin go wit a woman an' ah left 'er, ah quit her. Well, she take dat bow. Dat's tuh run me crazy or tuh drive mah love tuh 'er. Yuh undahstan'. Now, she'll take dat bow outa mah hat an' she'll untie dat bow an' she'll put dat bow in a little ole flask - little small flask. Dat's tuh wear on 'er. An' aftah she do dat, den she go uptown an' she git 'er some Hearts Cologne. Now, WHENSOMEVAH DAT AH GOES TUH INTAHCO'SE WIT 'ER, yuh see, den SHE'LL TAKE DE CLOTH DAT AH USE. AN' SHE'LL NUSE DAT CLOTH ERSELF, BUT SHE WON'T USE IT IN DE SAME MANNAH DAT AH USE IT AN' DE SAME PLACE DAT AH USE IT. See, jes' lak now she take de cloth heah [demonstrates with handkerchief]. Well, if ah nuse it heah, she ain't gonna use it dere. Yuh undahstan', she gonna move off furthah. SHE GOIN' TAKE DIS PART CHERE [used by man] AN' PUT IT IN DAT BOTTLE. See, wit dis boW off mah hat. Now, when she put dat in dat bottle wit de bow out de hat, she wear dat fo' nine mawnin's. An' aftah she wear dat fo' nine mawnin's, she goin' take dat an' she goin' tie her nine knots in dat bow. Den she bury dat on de young moon - when de moon jes is young. An' aftah she bury dat, it stay buried dere until ah comes 'er way. NOW, de ONLIEST WAY DAT YUH KIN REMOVE DIS, YUH HAVE TUH GO DERE AN' GIT IT UP YORESELF. [First you must know where to look! This means a doctor or fortune- teller who has many methods for a problem like this.]
Entry 4681
Dis little bow here [demonstrates] dat ah've got 'im mah hat chere, a woman kin take dis bow an' - an' take it an' put some peppah in it an' salt an' some incense, an' take it an' bury it, yuh see. An' bury dis bow accordin' tuh de moon. But she gotta bury de bow when de moon is young. An' as de moon go down, de old- ah it git, de more it take effect on me. Ah'd git a misery in mah head, yuh see, until de moon go down. When de moon go down in darkness, well ah'm certain tuh lose mah memory. Do yuh hear? [My hearing is supposed to be weak.]
(I see.)
Entry 6142
[Later during interview informant gives another version of the four- strands-of-hair rite:] Dat's wus'ah [worse-er] den de fo' strands of hair, undahstan'. Den yo' kin take - go git dat fo' stran's of hair. Take dat needle dat de lady sews wit an' wrap it up an' put it wit dat fo' stran's of hair, an' put it in de mouth [informant means toe] of yore shoe, an' wear it dere, yo' undahstan'. An' IF SHE LEAVE YO', DEN DE SUN AIN'T SHININ' OUT DERE - can't leaVe yo'.
(Put four strands of her hair in your shoe?)
Wear it in de toe of yore shoe, way up in de toe, put it up dere where it won't git lost when yo' pull off yore shoe or yore sock - jes' pack it in dere. Let it stay in dere. But it's de quickest way tuh git 'em - dat's it, yo' undah- Stan'. But now YO' MUST KEEP DAT UP ONCE A MONTH. DON'T DO IT JES' ONE TIME, IT DIE DOWN. DAT MEANS, SEE, DAT ONCE A MONTH DE MOON CHANGES. Do it OnCe eVah month.
(On the change.of the moon.)
Entry 7164
Take dat an' put 'em undahneat' chore house in de midnight, but yo got'a do dat on de young moon. An' take one of dem headbo'ds an' bring 'em an' put 'em, right jis' lak it wus yore bed here, an' shove 'em undahneat' dere. If yo' wanted tuh git up in de maw- nin' on time, YO' WOULD SLEEP AN' SLEEP UNLESSEN SOMEBODY WOULD WAKE YO'. Yo' can't - yo' wanta git up but choo can't. Yo' go back tuh sleep.
Entry 7589
At twelve a'clock at night yuh git graveyard dirt, yuh see. An' git graveyard dirt. Dat's mos'ly [mostly] fer harmin', dat's fer nuthin good. Yuh go dere at twelve a'clock at night, but not when de moon's shinin'. Yuh go dere on a dark night. An' yuh take dat graveyard dirt. If yuh jis' wan' a person in bad luck, yuh jis' take graveyard dirt an' throw it at a person - strictly wit'out anythin' else. It's strictly bad luck. Dey'll nevah be successful in nuthin dey undahtake tuh do. Anythin' dey undahtake tuh do, dey won't be suc- cessful - be disappointed.
Entry 7590
Git dat dirt - go tuh de graveyard. Well, yuh takes a new grave, kinda new, about say a week old. An' dey goes - goes down tuh de haidbo'd, de haidbo'd of de grave, an' dey get dat dirt. Well, dey gits some of yore hair an' some of yore gar- ments [3 ingredients] an' dey take dat an' put it where yuh have tuh walk over it. An' by changin' - do's dat, do it jis' befo' de moon change. When de moon changes, de spell be comin' on yuh. Well, den it come tuh gittin' wuse [worse] an' wuse, an' yuh'll git so cain't no- body do anythin' wit chew an' yuh jis go crazy - die off from it.
Entry 7593
(To bring in customers.)
Yo' use de dead man an' de way dey mix it, yo' mix it wit de clay taken from a fresh grave at de full of de moon. Mix de clay an' sulphur an' red peppah an' bury it undah de foot of de step, an' it use'ly brings in per- sons.
Entry 10496
Dey says thet if yo' goes tuh de fork of de road an' kneel down an' Oarse God fo' everything possible thet chew'll be transformed intuh some kin'a being called a witch, an' yo' kin do anything dat's in yo' power. (Do you go out to the fork of the road at any particular time?) [Time is important for moon and sun.] Yes, on a young moon.
(In the daytime?)
No, midnight - on a young moon.
Entry 9587
[My informant gives the complete rite first and then much later during the interview adds a note about it.l And then they say you kin take and put salt and pepper in your shoe, if you wmta git a fellow. You know, take salt and pepper and put it in and wear it in ygmr shoes.
(In both shoes?)
Yes, in both shoes - yes.
(That's to get him?)
You know, they have a little saying about: If you want a fellow, I'll tell you what to do Just get some salt and pepper And wear it in your shoe Just red pepper, you know. Not black pepper, but red pepper you know.
(That's a little song, you say?)
Yes, but you wanta get a box of salt that ain't even been used out of, you see. Go to the store and buy you a brand-new box of salt. Then you wanta get you a strand of [red] pepper: [pep- per pods] where's never any been used off it. See, if there's any been used off it, it's not any good. See, get you a strand of pepper where there's none ever ben used off it. And then you get a pod - you get you three pods of pepper in your shoe. And you cut one up in one shoe and you cut the other up. You cut half a one [pod] in this one [shoe] and half in the other [shoe]. And each time you cut the pepper you sprinkle some of that salt, you see, and make your wish.
(In doing that you use three pods of pepper?)
Yes, you use three pods.
(You put half in one shoe and half in the other?)
Half in one and half in the other.
(And you cut the second pepper in half?)
Yeah, you... (I [you] cut the first pepper in half, then you put some salt on top of that in the shoe and make your wish?) And make your wish. (Then you take another pepper and cut it in half and put it in the shoe, and then put salt and make the wish, that way?) Yes, three times.
(I see.)
That makes just three times cuttin' [3 peppers or cut] and you make your wish co see him. And then you wait three days to see him. An' he doesn't do like you want him to do in those three days, why you do that again, you see. But you use tree pods of pepper then. Well, probably see, he might come but not up to like yoa'd like for him to come. Well, you'd use three more, see. That makes nine pods, see, and then that makes nine days. See, everything works at nine days. And you know, they say for the right conjuration and for it to do right like you wmt it to do, you wants to work it on the last quarter of the moon, when it's dark nights, and then you see the results on the growing of the new moon. You see, as the new moon grows, why he'll come to you. [This is often called a put- ting-together rite. In the following subsection see onion cut into 4 parts, No.9596.]
Entry 10663
Write names of 12 Apost- les, pin them on you, and also write Psalm 70. Write them every time the moon changes. Take off the old one and put on the new ones for protection. [Since the moon is new, the charm must be renewed.]
Entry 11944
On the growing of the moon is the proper time to bore a hole into a tree and to put into it victim's hair and 9 tenpenny nails. This will run victim crazy in 9 days. [Norfolk 491:6.]
Entry 116
I was going through a piece of pines one night - as usually in the summertime, I was tired and throwed myself down by the path by a tree. So this night I started out and I heard a stamping on the ground just as though it were a horse right by the tree I was going to. And I advanced a little more. It didn't only stamp and go like a horse, but it seems as though there was a quick flash around the tree. It seems though it jarred de ground. So I stopped. By and by I started again - the same noise. I started again - the same noise. Then I got out of there pretty quick. My hair was all standing up like that [demonstrates]. It was real. I didn't see anything. The moon Was shining so bright - like this electric light [in my study - late after- noon, March,1936]. I went to the nearest house I could get to. I told the old man about it and stayed there all night. He said, "How Pres, don't you know that place is ha'nted?" I said, "No, I didn't know." So I stayed all night. I don't know why that tree was ha'nted.
Moonlight describes the reported setting; the informant says they did not see anything.
Entries from source headings
These entries are listed under the following headings in the source volume:
- MOON - TRICKS ON NEW — Volume 4, entries 6856. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → FOLK MEDICINE → CURES FOR AND PROTECTION AGAINST AILMENT AND DISEASE.
- MOON AND MENSTRUATION — Volume 5, entries 10747. Source context: "CHANNEL DE WORLD".
- MOON - FOR SUCCESS - START ON THIRD DAY OF NEW — Volume 5, entries 12460. Source context: "CHANNEL DE WORLD".
Source passage
continuous interview or recording context · Source-local attribution; no resolved person identity is asserted.
informant · Current unnamed interviewee; context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 1389
The nature of me picking it on out
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 1389
[how I learned hoodoo]
informant · Current unnamed interviewee; context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 1389
- I was holding a position and to the position I was holding there was an old man, and my sisters, all of 'em, was scared of him. Well, I did all his readin' and writin' fer him.
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 1389
[Compare this with how Zorro began his career with Mysterious Parker - p.1166, line 38f.]
informant · Current unnamed interviewee; context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 1389
So, during the period of time he
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 1389
[did so many things]
informant · Current unnamed interviewee; context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 1389
like that I didn't know, the old man he had so much diff'rent magic he could
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 1389
[do]
informant · Current unnamed interviewee; context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 1389
. So the first thing he would do, he would take my hat - take my hat and spit in it and tell me to go out on de corner. I'd go out on de corner and I'd tip to some young girl. Now, the girl may be going to the store for her people or some- thing. When she come back I could have an interview with her. And when I'd have my interview, her people could never keep her away from me. As in a period of time - he died somewheres in 1918.
interviewer · Interviewer; context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 1389
(What do you mean by interview with a lady?)
informant · Current unnamed interviewee; context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 1389
Had to go right home to do conversation with her - never seed her before.
interviewer · Interviewer; context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 1390
(At her home?)
informant · Current unnamed interviewee; context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 1390
To her home - right dere at her home. She would invite me. The way she talked - I'd tell her - she'd tell me to come in in the presence of her people. I met her just like that - meet her on the corner there and tipped my hat. Then off from that time she'd never be satisfied. This old man - his name was - I never learned any more - his name was Uncle Charlie Jackson.
interviewer · Interviewer; context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 1390
(Where did he come from by the way? What part of the country did he come from?)
informant · Current unnamed interviewee; context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 1390
Oh, he was down in Alabama. And he had three very large snakes. And if a person would come to him for to kill a person, the largest snake what he had would come out and crawl up in de door. That was his magic - that was the agree- ment what he made, you see, with the devil in selling hisself to the devil. Then he had another one what would remove evil spirits from a person. If you came in- to his place, while sittin' down into the chair, this snake would crawl all around you, all through the chair. You get up, you go by God. If you come for a gambling hand - his gambling hand was guaranteed fer one year.
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 1390
[See HAND, TIME LIMIT FOR, p.577.]
informant · Current unnamed interviewee; context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 1390
He would take you into a little room and set you in there and when he get ready fer you, he would tell you - he would send fer yuh. Well, if he couldn't stand - the same way, if a person would come by for to kill a person. If you could jump over de snake what would coil up into the door, when you git back home he would be done kilt - this person. If you wanted a gambting hand - if you wanted to get that from him, when he get ready, then he send this other medium-sized snake in there. If you could stand fer him to come there and crawl around and you follow him back into the room, he would give you the gambling hand.
interviewer · Interviewer; context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 1390
(How did he make his gambling hand? Did he ever tell you?)
informant · Current unnamed interviewee; context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 1390
Oh, he - makes 'em very diff'rent simple ways.
interviewer · Interviewer; context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 1390
(What was his way? Did he tell you that way?)
informant · Current unnamed interviewee; context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 1390
The way he made 'em, he did. They was made out of little children's finger.
interviewer · Interviewer; context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 1390
(Oh, the baby fingers?)
informant · Current unnamed interviewee; context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 1390
Baby finger j'ints - the j'ints of baby fingers and what we call the corime, the red corime seed.
interviewer · Interviewer; context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 1390
(Red corimee seed.)
informant · Current unnamed interviewee; supporting excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 1390
The red corimee seed. And he would use this here devil's-shoestring, and he would use this here Sampson snakeroot. Into these fixin' - when he would fix them - would be under the new moon. After he would fix them then, he would give them to you on the 15th of the month of the full moon. He would either wait till the moon be in full expanse of the earth, then he would give that to you.
locally coherent printed subpassage
The current speaker remains unnamed. Statements about Charlie Jackson, his alleged acts and the death date are reported in the source.
The printed account does not establish the identity of the unnamed speaker.
Snake behavior, agreement with the devil and contents of hands remain that speaker’s account.
Zorro and time-limit cross-references are editorial; they do not establish that the narrated people or practices are the same.
Bounded passage retrieval, not complete corpus coverage or practitioner consensus.
Read the full source context: Vol. 2, p. 1387 · Vol. 2, p. 1388 · Vol. 2, p. 1389 · Vol. 2, p. 1390 · Vol. 2, p. 1391