In this episode we sit down with rootworker, healer, author and teacher Denise Alvarado about her new book "Marie Laveau's Voodoo Grimoire", talk about rootwork, New Orleans Voodoo, hoodoo, and dispel myths about who Marie Laveau was.
"Having grown up steeped in the rich cultural milieu of New Orleans, Louisiana, I've dedicated over four decades of my life to exploring indigenous healing traditions both personally and academically. My passion continues to be the preservation of the folkways of my culture of origin, and to the documentation of African, Black, and indigenous resistance fighters, and the study of quality of life in Native American populations.
My journey as a tradition keeper and healer began when I was five years old on a Mississippi bayou where my aunt introduced me to the mysteries of Spiritualism. In addition, my Catholic Creole culture of origin informs my work. To be Creole in New Orleans means our blood derives from Spanish, French, Indigenous, and African ancestry, or some admixture within, and with that comes the traditions of our ancestors. From their rich mélange of food, music, culture, and religions, we can find healing modalities and magickal works designed for empowered, resilient, and resourceful living. My goal has been to bring these forms of healing and empowerment to others for the benefit of our planetary family.
I am a proud member of the American Anthropological Association, the Association of Indigenous Anthropologists, and the Association of Latina/o & Latinx Anthropologists. After serving on the editorial board for the Journal for Social and Behavioral Sciences, I brought those academic skills and experience to Hoodoo & Conjure Quarterly, The Journal of American Rootwork, Gumbo Ya Ya, and the Hoodoo Almanacs. My journey has led me to pen over twenty books, including "Witch Queens, Voodoo Spirits and Hoodoo Saints," "The Magic of Marie Laveau," and my latest work, "The Marie Laveau Voodoo Grimoire."
Having been nurtured by my parents as an artist since birth, my ritual art has graced television screens in shows like National Geographic's Taboo, the Originals, and Blue Bloods. My work, whether in art or writing, echoes my roles as a rootworker, tradition-keeper, spiritual artisan, and guardian of the sacred wisdom of Southern folk magick and folkways."
#hoodoo #voodoo #conjure #rootwork #magicalherbalism
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/plantcunning/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/plantcunning/supportEp.56: Rosemary Gladstar & the People's Medicine
Ep.55: Astro-Herbalism with Sarah Corbett
Ep.54: DuoCast First Snow/Short Check In
Ep.53: Old English Plant Lore with Stephen Pollington
Ep.52: The Wealth of Nature with John Michael Greer
Ep.51: The Artisan Herbalist with Bevin Cohen
Ep.50: Pam Montgomery on Spiritual Ecology (part 1)
Ep.49: Autumn Equinox Duocast
Ep.48: Swapcast with Mel Mutterspaugh of The Herbalist's Path
Ep.47: Seasons of a Magical Life with Byron Ballard
Ep.46: The 'Pawpaw' of Pawpaws with Neal Peterson
Ep.45: Eric Joseph Lewis and the Yoga of Plants pt. 2
Ep.44: Eric Joseph Lewis and the Yoga of Plants pt. 1
Ep.43: Mark Stavish on Alchemy and the Future of Esotericism
Ep.42: High Summer, Deep Time Duocast
Ep.41: Exploring Microanimism with Dr. Siv Watkins
Ep.40: Janet Kent and Radical Vitalism
Ep.39: Macrocosm, Microcosm, & the Beauty of Science with Guido Masé
Ep.38: Going Off The Trail with Jain Alcock-White
Ep.37: Plant Music with Loretta Maps Bolt
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