Urban Voodoo: A Beginners Guide to Afro-Caribbean Magic [Paperback]

S. Jason Black (Author), Christopher S. Hyatt (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 2011

This book fills a long-standing need in literature: Voodoo, Santeria, and Macumba as practiced today in cities throughout the Western world. It is not another history or sociological study, but a candid personal account by two who came to "the religion" from the outside. It includes descriptions of the phenomena triggered by Voodoo practice, divination techniques, spells and a method of self-initiation.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A fine job capturing the essence of Afro-Caribbean spirituality. Don't mess with this stuff unless you are serious." -- Hypatia's Hoard

"A valuable contribution to the occult literature." --Fate Magazine

About the Author

S. Jason Black was a professional writer and artist, and a life-long student and practitioner of Magick and Tantra. He worked as a professional Psychic, much sought after for his accuracy.

Christopher S. Hyatt, Ph.D., was trained in both psycho-physiology and clinical psychology, and he practiced as a Psychotherapist for many years. He published many articles in peer-reviewed, professional journals. Today he is known as the world-famous author of a wide variety of books on Psychology, Sex, Tantra, Tarot, Self-transformation and Western Magic.

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: New Falcon Publications; 1st edition (January 1, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1561840599
• ISBN-13: 978-1561840595
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (46 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,186,707 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

36 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars About Voodoo-Sorcery NOT Vodu the Religion, September 25, 2005

By 

Brother MOLOCH 969 "MolochSorcery.com" (Cleveland, Ohio) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Urban Voodoo: A Beginners Guide to Afro-Caribbean Magic (Paperback)

No one owns the term "Voodoo" because it is a mixed set of beliefs and folks practices from an indigenous cultural place called Haiti. The African beliefs that made it with the slaves to Haiti were inter-mixed with the Native American Taino culture who lived there prior to the African slaves.

AND let's not forget that New Orleans Voodoo is mixed with RootWork, Conjuring, some Native American Shamanism, Appalachian folks practices, Deutch Pow-Wow, Catholicism and the Gods know what else! So why not stop with all the slanderous crap by screaming that it's not real Voodoo and realize your argument holds no weight? As Louis Martinae, author of New Orleans Voodoo Tarot book and a drummer for the Rampart Street Voodoo Temple in NO, LA, said, "Voodoo is inclusive not exclusive".

Hyatt and Black have done an excellent job with helping one to cut thru the miasma of theory to get you a lot of HOW-TO material. I personally have used the "Invocation to Eshu" on page 147 & invoked Exu Tranca-Ruas as explained on pages 152-153 as well as invoked Oshun as explained on pages 160-161 both with AWESOME results! My clients have been astounded at the level of work that this Exu has performed for them.

Since I am a practitioner of Sorcery and a Spiritual Worker, I have many clients who I do RootWork and Conjure-Sorcery work for and often I've found that Exu Tranca-Ruas to be just the help they need to break thru blockages that are stopping up their lives.

Go ahead and argue what you will about the origins of Hyatt and Black's material but RESULTS speak loudest!

Voodoo-Sorcery is the realm of the Bokor the Vodu Sorcerer and NOT under the thumb of the Vodu Priesthood thus none of you have ANY right to point fingers and complain. And it doesn't matter if you're a Santero/a, Babalawo, Houngan, Manbo, whatever, you do NOT have any say about what Sorcerers do and don't do! I don't see any of you telling a RootWorker what is authentic or what isn't.

The fact is that this system works. It just upsets many of you that the author's came out of the closet to explain material that was "supposed" to be kept hidden. Well too bad. It's now out in the open. And besides, the majority of this material is mere "surface knowledge" anyway. The real deep stuff is still hidden because one has to do the work to uncover it for themselves. Spoon fed info from your god-parents is mere surface knowledge to help get you to a level where - IF you do the work - then you will uncover the DEEPER aspects of Spirituality, Magic and Occultism.

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Urban Voodoo really not much about Voodoo, June 19, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Urban Voodoo: A Beginners Guide to Afro-Caribbean Magic (Paperback)

I just finished reading "Urban Voodoo" by S. Jason Black and Christopher Hyatt. Subtitled "A beginners guide to Afro-Carribean Magic". Not really about "Voodoo" but more an overview of Santeria/Lucumi traditions from a Euro-magic tradition. The authors insist on calling it "Voodoo" when it's really not. Not terribly well written. Poorly edited, even though it lists two editors in the credits. Also they talk as if no white people in Los Angeles know what a botanica is. I live in the much smaller SF and people are pretty aware of Santeria, Vodou, and Voodoo. Maybe my experiences in the SF/Oakland area and New Orleans have given me more contact? Seems hard to believe...

The book is VERY oriented towards a Western magic "grab" of African and Carribean traditions and symbols. It seems that the authors are very anti-Christian and let that bias affect their outlook on Santeria/Voodoo/Vodou, etc. and allows them to make a very tedious connection between the cult of Dionysius and "Voodoo". The authors also bring lots of euro-magic into the mix and try to simplify things like Ifa divination. Another example is possession. They suggest sitting in a straight-backed chair and focusing on a crystal while listening to Tibetan chants. (for contrast, see the excellent Mama Lola for a book that's really about Vodou in an urban setting).

Overall, the book is an interesting read, but think of it as entertainment. Yes, there are sections that have useful information and make logical and probably correct deductions, but overall, not the best book to get if you're interested in truly learning the Afro-Carribean traditions.

--Len @ The New Orleans Cemetery & Voodoo pages

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book rocks, but it is NOT about "real" voodoo., July 17, 2005

By 

Cyberzombie (Denver, France) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Urban Voodoo: A Beginners Guide to Afro-Caribbean Magic (Paperback)

The book is great, but not for everyone. If you're looking for a scholarly work on Voodoo, you've come to the wrong place. If you're a Waldenbooks Wiccan, looking to absorb yet another pagan practice into the mishmash you call a religion, you, again, do not want this book.

If you *do* want to adopt the "black magic" practices of Voodoo into your own Western-style beliefs, this *is* the book for you. This is not happy fluffbunny magic.

The authors also have a very explicit warning about how this is not "real" voodoo. Don't make the mistake of reading this book and then going to your local Haitian community and saying you're a bocor. You won't like what happens. :)

If you're interested in Western magic, and you want to expand your horizons a bit, get this book. You'll love it.