Subject:Picture
Entries
Entry 2897
The black candle is fo' evil. That black candle does all the harm in the world. Well, yo' jest - say, if yo' wanted to do someone harm, in the day at twelve a'clock, make it no later, yo' go into yore room, pull yore blinds down, set chew a dark candle behin' yo'. An' yo' set wit chure face pointin', say to the east an' yo' set there. Yo' set there until - if yo' haven't got their picture, yo' set there until yore mind jest kinda picture them. An' yo' take that picture, say if yo' wanta cause them to git killed some way - by running into a car, by running into a train, or land somewhere where de train kin run ovah them. Well, jest whut chew want, that one particular thing to do, why yo' jest call dat an' dat black candle will be burning behind yo', see. All right, chew call dat persons name nine times. Den yo' crosses - take yore fingers an' cross it like dat. Pull it, see like dat - pull the fingers together. (Pull your fingers together like that - these big index fingers.) [Crook index fingers and pull.] Uhmm. Say, "To hell, to hell, yo go. Drift forever. No content. There's no rest for the weary." And then turn, blow the candle out an' then kneel in front of the candle an' say, ask for six feet. Then that gives that candle time to cool off. See, ask for it slowly - s i x f e e t. Why den all de smoke from dat candle an' everything will go off. Take yore candle an' go on back about yore business.
Entry 3688
Take a snail an' mark a cross, make a horse's pitchure on a woman's stomick, an' she cain't deal wit no othah man but jes' dat one. (Make what kind of a picture?) A horse's picture - a horse whut chew rides. (You have to draw a picture of a horse on a woman's stomach, but you have to use a snail - this thick stuff from the snail - and then she won't be able to have another man?) No, no man but jes' 'im. [An old note of mine reads: "I do not understand the picture, unless the per- son who draws the picture is the rider!"]
Entry 3839
[Ah] heah 'em say, if yo' got a man, someone yo' love an' he leave yo', yo' haven't got 'is pichure, why yo' take a needle an' pick till yo' git de blood out de little fingah heah [demonstrates].
(That's the little finger of the left hand.)
Yes, an' yo' git de blood out of it an' yo' have a pen, yo' know a ink pen, an' a piece of papah. An' yo' write it jis' like yo' would be writin', an' write his name, an' denwrite yores undah it; an' draw 'is pichure, if yo' haven't nary one of 'is pichure. An' nine a'clock at night yo'll put it undahneat' de chimley, de no't [north] cornah, de no't side of de chimley. Put 'is pichure dere an' 'is name an' yore name. An' put it - life up de foot of yore baid an' put it undahneat' dere nine days. He comin' back.
Entry 5042
Den dey take de worn stockin' - change de stockin's an' den dey take de stockin's an' put 'em in a bundle in de mattress, yuh know. An' yuh put dem stockin's an' tie it tight dataway - tie two stockin's tuhgethah an' yuh put it in de middle of yore bed, undah de sheet of de bed. De stock- in' will be up heah. An' den dey'll have ah - dey'll put some strings in dere. Dey'll have a string tied. An' dey draws a pitchure of dereself wit a pencil. Ah seed [saw] a woman do dat mahself. Ah know she done dis. She takes a pencil an' she draws. Ah don' know what pitchure she did draw, but she'll take dat sock an' she'll put it down dere. An' she'll take dat thing dat she draws an' she'll put undah dat same place. An' dat man cain't leave her.
(You don't know what she draws on there?)
No, she won't let me see dat.
Entry 6087
Take his hair [from his head], de hair undah his nose, an' de hair from down dere, an' den wear his picture, an he'll come back.
[I do not recall nose hair elsewhere in HOODOO.]
(What would you do with that hair?)
Jes' wear it, wear it all de time.
(From his head, his nose, and down there. Wear it and he'll come back.)
Entry 7234
Ah wus goin' wit a girl about six yeahs ago an' ah quit dis girl. An aftah ah quit dis girl, ah started goin' wit anothah girl. An' dis othah [first] girl got acquainted wit dis othah [second] girl. An' so she [first girl] got acquainted wit de girl ah wus goin' wit, dis othah [second] girl. Co'se [Of course] ah didn't tell 'er dat ah had evah been wit dis girl. An' so dis [first] girl had a party one Satiday night an' she got me dis girl dat ah didn't wan' 'er tuh know of. Quite natchel ah wen' tuh de party. So she had a Victrola, wusn't no radio den. In fac' [fact] she didn't [would- n't?] have one no way. An' she had a li'le whiskey fer de party dat night. An' so, all de while ah wus goin' wit 'er de ole Victrola, de spring 'ud [spring would] jump off sometimes an' ah used tuh fix it fer 'er, while ah wus goin' wit 'er. So she, aftah de music stopped, she tole dem dat ah could fix de Victrola. An' she'd [she had] taken de Victrola in de kitchen an' put it on de table. An ah went in dere an' see zactly [exactly] whut wus de mattah wit it an' fixed it. An' she put a pint of whiskey on de table up dere. Well AH DIDN'T PAY NO 'TEN- TION 'CUZ AH NEVAH DID BELIEVE IN DIS STUFF [HOODOO]. SO AH DRINK SOME OF DIS WHISKEY. MATTAH OF FACT AH'D TAKEN SEV'RAL DRINKS OF DIS WHISKEY. An' so, aftah ah got de Victrola completed an' evahbody got tuh dancin', an' den ah started takin' a couple a dances mahself. Well, when ah started takin' dese few dances mahself, ah got dizzy; got a li'le dizzy an' got a haidache an' got out mah haid some. An' de girl frien' ah wus goin' wit den, she'd taken me tuh 'er apartment. Aftah she'd taken me tuh 'er apartment, ah woke up nex' mawn- in' an' found mahself dere. So ah kinda come tuh mah haid a li'le bit. An' den she rent de cah [car] tuh take me home. So dey'd taken me home. An' when ah got home - ah don' remembah when ah got home or nuthin of de kin' lak dat. So 'bout nine o'clock Sunday mawnin', well ah started havin' fits, one right behin' de othah. So dey tell me, ah don' know anythin' about it. Ah fell unconscious den. So dey spent dat Sunday. DEY HAD ALL KINDA DOCTORS. DEY SPENT $74 ON ME DAT SUNDAY ON DIFF'REN' DOCTORS AN' NOBODY WOULD TAKE DE CASE. SOME DOCTORS WOULD COME IN AN' TREAT ME FER SOMPIN - DIABETES AN' DIFF'REN' THIN'S - AN' MAH REG'- LAH FAMILY DOCTOR, HE COULDN'T TAKE DE CASE. So he tole mah uncle an' evahbody dat he didn't know whut wus de mattah. It wus a case tuh 'im. So den ah stayed unconscious from dat Sunday mawnin' at nine o'clock until dat Monday night at half past eleven. Well a frien' of mine - didn't tell me - ah wus still unconscious, but he tole mah uncle. "WE DONE TRIED EVAHBODY ELSE CHERE [HERE], SUPPOSE WE TRY A HOODOO DOCTOR. IF HE DON' DO NO GOOD, WE JIS' WON' PAY 'IM. He [this doctor] run worms out mah mothah, but she [mother] said, "Ah know anothah good lady [but she is too far away], but anyway, by he bein' so bad off, we'll go up an' see dis one firs'." So dis fellah came in - so dey tell me, see ah wus still unconscious - said, "Yes, " S SAID AH WUS POISONED, AN' HE WOULD HAVE ME ON MAH FEET IN 45 MINUTES. Well, it wus about eleven-thirty den.
(In the morning or night?)
In de night. An' dis wus on a Monday night. Ah had been unconscious since Sunday mawnin' nine o'clock till ovah dat Monday night at eleven. SO HE COME IN AN' COMMENCES TUH WORKIN' ON ME. SAYS MY BOWELS WAS LOCKED AN' DIFF'REN' THIN'S. HE GIVE ME SOAP AN' BITTAH ALOES...
[I interrupt.]
(How did he give you the soap?)
He taken de soap an' he jis' mixed it up in a glass; yo' know, jis' watah enough tuh make de soap dissolve. Yo' know, Octagon soap, an' made somepin lak a pill outa it an' jis' held mah mouth an' rubbed mah throat - so dey tell me - until ah swallah dat. An' den dey give me bittah aloes an' dat unlocked mah bowels. AN' SOON AS IT UNLOCKED MAH BOWELS, AH COME TO. When ah cOme to, ah knows mahself. When ah wus on de party ah wusn't able tuh go tuh de bathroom. AN' [AFTER MY BOWELS MOVED] DEY SHOED ME A ANIMAL COME OUTA ME 'BOUT - AH GUESS ABOUT DAT LONG [DEMONSTRATES].
(As long as your little finger.)
YEAH AN IT LOOKED SOMEPIN LAK DE COLAH OF A ORANGE PEELIN', AN' IT RAN UP ON DE MEDICINE GLASS TRYIN' TUH GIT OUT. Ah [had] come tuh, den. Co'se ah wuS weak aplenty. Ah wus weak aplenty from havin' dose fits. Ah wusn't any good. De fact is, he tole me it would take aroun' a couple a yeahs tuh git so ah wus well ag'in. In fact it did. So ah commence tuh askin' question Who did it. HE'D TAKEN A NEWSPAPAH AN' PLACED IT IN A PAN OF WATAH AN' LET IT SET IN DIS PAN A WATAH SOMEWHEAH ROUN' ABOUT AH THINK - IT WUS NINE MINUTES AH THINK, AN' DIS WOMAN'S PICHURE COME ON DAT NECKED [NAKED] JIS' LAK SHE WORN NUTHIN ON 'ER - NECKED ABSOLUTELY.
(The woman that did this to you?)
Yeah. So he ast me did ah know dat woman. Ah say, "Yes." He say, "Well do yo' wan' tuh have her tuh come here an' confess tuh yo'?" DE PICHURE APPEAHED ON DE NEWSPAPAH RIGHT LAK DAT AN' HE TOLE ME TUH LOOK AT IT QUICK. AN' AH LOOKED AT. IT QUICK AN' AH RECOGNIZED IT AN' IT JIS' FADED AWAY AN' JIS' STAYED LAK DAT. [Before proceeding to the doctor's magic-mirror trick, let me pause in an attempt to explain his pan-of-water trick, the latter an excellent example of hydromancy. The doctor had brought in his usual medical kit a newspaper folded into folds about 3 inches wide; the top fold containing type only, the bottom fold also the picture of a scantily dressed woman. He then holds the newspaper several inches under the Water, type side up and picture side down. Patient is instructed to free his mind of all thought except the identity of the spellcaster soon to be revealed. Gaze at the water constantly without blinking. After a long period, as much as 9 minutes, the doctor begins to rotate the newspaper so that the picture suddenly appears and disappears. He tole me tuh look at it quick an' ah looked at it quick an' ah recognized it an' it faded away.] So he said, now ah'll have her tuh come here an' confess tuh yo' dat she did it, if yo' want me tuh. Ah tole him, ah said, "Yeah, ah'll be glad tuh." He'd taken a mirrah an' turn it bottom upwards; taken a mirrah an' turn de face up lak dat [demonstrates].
(The face of the mirror up.)
Lak dat. An' he said - ast me whut wus 'er name. An' ah tole 'im 'er name. Ast me whut wus mah name, an' ah tole him mah name. He wrote mah name at de top an' 'er name at de bottom.
(On this mirror?)
On a piece of papah an' placed it on topa dis mirrah. An' den he'd taken a clock an' turned it face down, almos' right on topa de mirrah, an' let dat stay dere fo' five minutes. An' he'd taken it up in fo' an' a half minutes, an' put it down fō' a few seconds, den picked it up. He tole me she would be dere in five minutes. Ah don' know where she wus. She wus away cross town, somewhere. But he tole me tuh watch out fer 'er, she would be dere in five minutes. Ah Wus wondahin' how she goin' tuh git dere. She lived on Marshall Avenue 'bout fō' or five blocks from dere. Well in fō' an' a half minutes from de clock she wus dere. She come up on - man had a automobile, a taxi. Ah don' know whethah she wus on 'er way dere or whut, but in fō' an' a half minutes she wus dere. She tole me dat she did it an' she wus sorry. She says she didn't do it 'erself, said she got somebody else tuh do it, an' tole me his name an' evahthin'. (Do you know what they put in the whiskey to hurt you that Way? What she put into the whiskey?) Yes, dis fellah had taken two grains of snake dust an' put in de whiskey. But dat wasn't did dat Satiday night. Had it been did dat Satiday night, it wouldn't a worked so fast, see. She had did it somewhere roun' about three months agO, an' DAT LIVE ANIMAL HAD BEEN PERFORMED FROM DAT SNAKE DUST. An' den ah had been away from 'er fō' fō' or five months, an' had been goin' wit anothah girl an' had passed 'er up. Well dis girl wus teachin' school. Well ah wouldn't let dis girl know dat ah had evah been wit 'er, cuz ah thought dere would be a lot a jealouSy dere. WELL, WHEN AH WENT BACK DAT NIGHT, DEY STIRRED IT UP, YO' SEE, AN' DAT MADE DIS LIVE ANIMAL LOCK MAH BOWELS. AN' IT HAD TUH PASS THROUGH OR ELSE AH'D A LIVED SO MANY HOURS HAVIN' DOSE FITS AN' DIED.
Entry 7235
Dat would be whut de root man, dis hoodoo doctor - dat would be whut he would do.
(What will he do? Will you tell me that again? What would he do?)
Now in case dat yo' wus hurted by anyone an' yo' would go tuh a root doctor. Well, dis doctor, he would draw dis pichure of de individual who did dat tuh yo' an' den, aftah dat, he would build a fire an' in front of de smoke, yo' see, he'll hold de pichure up yo' undahstan'. Put it, yo' know, on a stick or somepin an' den yo' shoot [the picture drawn by the root doctor].
(Who does the shooting, you or he?)
Yo' do it. Yo' will do it yuhself.
(That keeps away trouble.)
Entry 7508
I have often times hear, that if you kill a man and it is not proven that you killed him, and you really did kill him, and you go in his presence, and his eyes being shut and he is dead, you take an eye prop and open this man's eyes with the eye prop. And the last man that was in his presence of the dead man, his picture will be in the eyes of the dead man. [This belief known everywhere, see Fayetteville, N. Car., No.94, p.37.]
Entry 7708
Dey kin draw yo' on a tombstone [or headboard] an' long as dem lines [remain] where dey draws yo' at; dey molt away, [I mean], yo' molt away wit dem. See?
(As that person in the grave molts away, you will molt away?)
Yo' molt away.
(Well, how would they draw you on that tombstone?)
Maybe have - dey done took yuh photo from somewhere. See, yo' [theyl done took yuh photo. Well, dey kin take yuh photo an' give it tuh somebody who know how tuh retrace it an' draw it, an' dey kin draw yo' lak dat. [An easier method would be to draw a circle adding ears, eyes, mouth and initials or call name. Informant good, has the right idea but complicates it.]
Entry 7983
Take a new board an' draw a person yo' dislike an' yo' want 'em tuh die. Jis' take a new board an' yo' draw dere pitchure on dat new board. An' git a box of sulphuh dat have nevah been opened, an' a box of saltpetah dat have nevah been opened, an' put on dere. An' take dat pitchure an' bury it an' dem peo- ple take sick, an' jis' lingah an' lingah an' de firs' thing yo' know dey'll be daid.
Entry 7984
Jes' lak if yo' wan' tuh do 'way wit a person, lak if yo' wan' tuh draw a person, well yo' jes' make it out chure mind, but choo draw dat person's pitchure. Well yo' draw 'is pitchure an' yo' put a coffin [put it in a coffin]. (You draw the figure in the coffin?) Yes sir, dat's right. An' den yo' take hit an' bury it at dere steps, see. Den draw it also....
[Here is the information given while machine was stopped:]
(You draw this person's picture on a piece of paper, and then you drav a coffin around it?) Dat's right. An' den yo' draw anothah one an' put it at de do' where dey kin see dat, an' tell 'em whut will become of 'em, see. Well, aftah yo' draw dis - yo' done buried de one, de firs' one - let me see, well, now dey begin tuh read dat lettah an' dey see dat. Well, dat gits dere spirit tuhgethah an' it begin tuh grieve dem den, an' dey worry ovah it an' finely [finally] dey come tuh perish away.
(You do that to let them know you are doing the work against them?)
Dat's right.
Entry 8105
Dey could take yore photograph lak if yo's a long Way off. Dey kin take it an' put it at de front do' where yo' live at an' read de 18th Psalm. In nine days yo'll come from where yo' is, ah don't care where yo' is. (How do they put that photograph at the front door? Just what do they do with that?) Dey will put it right at de front do' an' dey will cut dat, yo' know, jis' de size of yo' photograph - cut dat out, see. An' den would put dat piece right back ovah dat, dat same piece, an' put dat 18th Psalm, yo' know, written on a piece of papah, an' place it ovah dat. An' den dey Would read dat 18th Psalm in de Bible. An' den in nine days yo'll surely return.
Entry 8116
They kin take a egg, draw their pitchure on dis egg, bury it with the face to the sun, an' it will cause 'em to be in trouble.
Entry 8209
An' den yo' would take an' write a person's - draw a person's pitsture am'write dere name on a tree.
(Do you draw their picture on the tree?)
Yo' draw dere pitsture on a tree, jis' lak yo' would take an' go dere an' draw a pitsture on de tree. If yo' don' wanta skin it where anybody would take notice, yo' would draw a pitsture on de tree, namin' it him, an' den write undah it dat it him. An' take a nail, a fo'-penny nail, an' drive right in de centah of 'is haid. An' says yo' nail dat fo' nine mawnin's, yo' go dere an' tap it, an' de ninth mawnin' yo' drive it plumb in. An' dis person will die.
(You write his name and just say It's him on it?)
[He may have said It's him before recording began. He now says person must not be plainly identified.1 Yo' write his name, yo' make it kinda a sign. Don't make it plain where peo- ple kin read it an' all lak dat, don't chew know, but jis' lak imitatin' writin'. Well, yo' name it. Dat's 'is name. An' yo' draw dat pitsture, jis' - yo' know. An' den yo' take an' drive dat nail in dere an' - fo' nine mawnin's yo' would go dere an' tap dat nail an' de ninth mawnin' yo'd drive it in.
Entry 8223
If it's a man dat's got a woman or a woman got a man, dey take de photograph [of himself or herself] an' git chew a white pocket han'ke'ch'ef [new] an' spread it out. Well, yo' put [stick] nine needles in dat han'ke'ch'ef in a row an' point all of 'ems [to the] name [of the person to be held] jis' lak dis [demonstrates]. Take nine needles an' point 'em, point tuh dat - write yore name first [if a man] an' 'er name. Write her name first [if writer a woman] an' 'is name down at de bottom. [Write on the handker- chief.] Well, yo' point dem nine needles right tuh de end of 'is name, all de Way, evah lettah of 'is name. Den yo' [the woman] take it an' take her pichure [photo of herself] an' put it in a [framed] photograph [or wall picture] an' take dat pocket han'ke'ch'ef an' dem nine needles an' fasten it up in dere [framed Wall picture] an' hang [rehang] it on de wall. Dat will hold 'im an' he'll nevah go until she lose dem needles. If she lose dat pocket han'ke'ch'ef an' [or] dat photograph [framed picture] den he'll be gone. [How confusing the preceding statement was can be learned from my first com- ment, all wrong!] (Here's your handkerchief and he takes a piece of paper and writes his name and her name, and she puts these nine needles in it pointing toward his name. Then she wraps that piece of paper either in the photograph or this handkerchief. Wraps them all up in the handkerchief?) Dat's right - no suh, takes dis photograph - [I mean] an' take dis han'ke' ch'ef an' spread it out in de back of dat [framed] photograph.
(This is the frame - in the photograph frame?)
Yessuh, an' den put 'er pichure in dat wit de frame. [Is this a framed photo of herself hanging on the wall, or does she put her photo and other articles inside the back of the wall picture?]
(She doesn't use his picture?)
Doesn't use his picture. (She puts her picture in this frame and then puts this handkerchief and needles [and 2 names] in the back of it. Takes off the back of the frame and puts that in there?) Yessuh.
Entry 8307
Yo' could take a pichure. Now, if yo' wanta do good, if yo' wanted de person tuh love yo' or somepin an' - yo' put dat pichure tuh de haid of yore bed, an' call de person's name nine mawnin's. An' wit a pin dat's nevah been used, a new pin, yo' put nine holes intuh dis pichure fo' nine mawnin's. An' while yo' punch dose holes, yo' talk tuh de pichure jis' lak yo' talkin' tuh de person. An' aftah de nine mawnin's, jis' whatevah de statements were dat chew made, dat person will do jis' lak yo' ast dem tuh do, but chew must keep dat pichure dere.
(You punch one hole each morning or nine holes?)
Nine holes for nine mawnin's.
(That's nine times nine?)
Eighty-one.
(And you keep it at the head of the bed?)
Yo' keep it dere tuh de haid of yore bed.
(Now you do harm you say with the photograph. Tell me about that.)
Well, if yo' wanta do harm wit de pichure, yo' could take dat pichure an' yo' take dat tuh de graveyard, an' yo' go an' yo' call de spirits of de dead. When yo' think dat de spirit is dere, yo' take out nine han'fuls of dirt out of dat grave. Den yo' place dis pichure down dere an' yo' explain tuh de spirit jis' whut yo' want 'em tuh do tuh dat pahticlah [particular] person, see. An' what- evah yo' say, den yo' pay dat spirit.
(Well, now. What do you usually pay the spirit?)
Well, it goes - Well, NOW DE FIRST DEGREE IS THREE PENNIES. DE SECOND IS NINE AN' DE THIRD IS THIRTEEN. [I do not recall that these sums of money paid the spirit are called degree elsewhere in Hoodoo.]
(Then you cover that picture up in there?)
Let it stay dere. An' yo' have tuh explain tuh dis spirit whut tuh do tuh dat pahticlah person, an' pay dem tuh do dat. Dey'll do it jis' lak yo' ast dem tuh do.
Entry 8474
When yo' call a person's spirit, twelve 'clock at night, yo' draws on a person.
(Draw her picture?)
Draw his pichure. Git 'is name an' address. Yo' set [in] a dark room by yo'- self. Yo' take a sheet an' put it ovah yo' haid, wit chure eyes out so yo' kin see. Yo' set a li'le bit of whiskey in a glass [to draw his spirit back, spirits lov- ing whiskey, see ALCOHOL FOR an' yo' gotta memorize de person name, an' yo' call 'is name three times. Durin' de time yo's callin' 'is name, take a needle wit chure lef' han' an' punch nine holes in it. (Nine holes in what?) Nine holes in de pichure, in de form what chew draws. An' when yo' done cut de nine holes in it an' yo' watch de pichure an' blow on it. An' durin' de time aftah yo' done blowin' on it, an' if yo' hit it again tuh [do something] den chew light yo' lamp. Aftah dat, den yo' set a match tuh it. See what side she [match] bendin'; if she bend going, if she bend comin' back. She'll [match will] fall back in yuh hands. If she [match] bend goin', goin' de direc- tion she [or hel was [had departedl. she'll [match'll] fall dat way; an' if she [match leans to] dis side, she'll fall dat side; an' if she's [woman's] comin' back, she'll [match'll] fall right up in de woman form. [She] come right on back tuh you. [Informant alternating the sexes is confusing.] An' durin' de time dat dey bring 'er back, yo' git up an' yo' take yo' dishrag an' wring it ovah de do' an' call 'er name. Dat's cases if she gone an' leave yo'. If she gone an' leave yuh, if she leave any she [not her] clothes in dere lak a dress or pettycoat, lak dat, jes' take an' ball it up an' put it 'neat' chure pillah an' she will come back less dan three day's time, if she's able tuh, if she's in de city.
(That's to bring the woman back. You are calling her spirit back that way.)
Yes sir.
Entry 9340
At a certain time of de yeah - ah tell yo' 'bout de hen aigs. Dey say yo' kin take de aigs an' draw peoples pitchures on 'em. Dat's whut ah hear'd. An' yo' know, put de person's 'nitials undah de aig. An' dey say yo' go where dat person walk an' put de aig dere, an' say whut chew wanta say an' throw it down. When dat person walk ovah it, it'll happen lak yo' wanted it tuh happen. Dat de only [thing] ah hear'd about de aig.
Entry 9341
Dey can do a lot of things with chicken eggs.
(Well, for instance?)
Ah saw a woman once with a chicken egg. She had 'im - her man an' her was mad an' she wanted him tuh, yo' know, die, bump him off. She had his pitchure drawed on dat egg, an' she taken dat egg an' she had hulled a lemon out, a large lemon, an' she put it in dere. An' she went back an' buried it in de cornah of de yard, undah de steps at de cornah of de yard.
(What happened?)
Well, he died.
(It killed him?)
Killed him.
(Was that all she had to do?)
Yes, dat was all she had tuh do.
Entry 10163
You kin make a table [altar] with that [rite] you see. You understand, that's if it's something that choo want, well you kin make a table with that. You kin, that is, if it's for you to make a sacrifice, something that you want. Well, git choo three candles, you put the picture - you fold the picture up you under- stand.
(This picture of the Lord?)
This picture of the Lord. That's right.
(On the table?)
On the table. That's right. An' then you make it like a rainbow [a semi- circle]. You put one candle - you git three candles. You make [place] one right here, an' one right around here, an' let it [candles] come aroun like a rainbow. An' you make you a wish fo' wha' choo want, an' you say a prayer. You say, The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want, the 23rd Psalm. You say that Psalm an' then you get 'down an' repeat the Lord's Prayer for what you want. Yo' make a wish with these three candles. Then you let them burn plumb on out... right in front of the Lord's picture... You do this about 6 o'clock in the morn- ing or 6 o'clock in the evening or 9 o'clock at night.
Entry 10170
A friend of mine wanted tuh git rid of her husband an' she wuz in love with anothah man at de same time, an' so she took his picture, her husban's picture, an' she had some bergamot an' vinegah, salt an' peppah - jes' ordinary black peppah. And she kept it undah his bed.
(What did she do with these ingredients?)
Had them all together, folded togethah, an' even a piece of his hair. An' she folded that together an' she lighted a candle an' kept that burnin' undah his bed.
(The candle burning under his bed?)
Yessuh, little small tapers - white ones, very small. As soon as one would go out, she'd light the othah one. She kept a boxful, yo' know, continually. An' finally he left. [Some of the small tapers or candles are about the size of an old-fashioned wooden match.]
Entry 10832
And then you take a card, playing cards, you see; you know, like you [picture of man: jack or king].
(Playing cards?)
Yes. Well, you take him out and you'll turn him up behind your bed, you understand.
(Behind your bed, yes.)
Behind de head of your bed on de same side that you [man] sleeps. Now, this is a woman fer a man, and then on de other side, he kin do de woman de same way, you see [he uses female card]. And you'll put it there and then you'll take a broom what you have never swept with. I mean a new broom. You git nine straws out of that. And then you'll talk to him every morning. Everything you eat, you feed him and says good things about him. Don't say anything harsh. And he'll be compelled to come home to you.
(What card do you take out of that deck?)
Take de card that run for you.
(Oh, you have to run the cards?)
Yeah, now like you might run a spade. You might run a diamond. You might run a heart. You might run in a jack and you might run in a king, you see.
(I see.)
Well, you take de card that run for you.
(And you put that up behind your bed - upside down, you say?)
Oh, no! Don't turn dat upside down. You nail it behind your bed. Like I lays on de right side of de bed, well, you nail it on de right side of de bed.
(Behind the bed?)
Yeah, behind de bed, out of search from everyone. No one knows it but you. You do that to yourself. No one sees it.
(Is the face against the bed or the face out?)
The face is out. No, the face is out. The back of de card is against de bed. And you feed that with everything that you eat. Even now, like you would get water - just like you was really feeding him sure enuff. And you talks sweet things - like you 'pologizing, you know.
(I see, to this card?)
Yeah, to that card, for ninr mornings and he will be forced to come back. As to the woman [if a man is working this rite] she'll be forced to come back.
Entry 11119
You kin take an' draw a coffin, you understand, see, an' make you a wish on it, an' cross it up so many times - put about 3 crosses on it, an' make you a wish. An' bare [bury] it under their doorsteps or either you kin put it in front of their door. See, you kin jis' throw it in there. Wrap it up, fold it up, write it [name of person on]. An' throw it in the front of their door. An' put the [word] devil on top of it, write the devil on top of it, see right up on top. Either [instead of writing devil] you kin draw one you know, you understand, see like that. They'll die.