hello world
HHM: 09/03/21 - the high hoodoo of memphis: on mythworks & conjurations
(a hh missive sent to my students, w/poster above attached)
the high hoodoo of memphis is a title
I chose to carry some years ago
I read ‘the bluesman’ by julio finn, in it he
called bluesfolk ‘hoodoo lords of the delta’
for years I carried that title, then one day
the protagonist in my current novel became
the high hoodoo of memphis
and that became my title in my head
this is hooked up w/efforts to establish memphis
and the delta as an afrospiritual holyground
and a historical role, the high hoodoo of memphis
so I est a process much like one we discussed about
establishing your hoodoo name
for many years its kept secret but gradually it becomes public
and the culture identifies you by it – you grow into it
in the novel the neighborhood legend is that he is the high hoodoo
but he keeps denying it in the classic refusal of the prophetic call
and eventually embraces it in a confrontation at
the crossroad with his best friend, Staggerlee
this confrontation represents a conflict between
afrospiritual and gangsta impulses in the culture
but I start mythworking it for myself, maybe a year ago i added it to my bio for certain
gigs and when stax and the univ of memphis called I knew it was showtime
so I put the high hoodoo of memphis in the bio they asked me for
sure enuf they bit the bait, now im being promoted as the
high hoodoo of memphis by both stax and univ memphis
reason it resonates is because hell I really am the high hoodoo of memphis
just wasn’t no title for it
now ima be all over social media implying that folk in memphis
actually do call me the high hoodoo of memphis
yes yes, I will confess, it is I, the legendary high hoodoo of memphis
you got me
and ima play the role, play it hard, figuring it out as I go along
once again I will with my life define what the high hoodoo do
this is the process of conjuration
conduct yourself as you aspire to be and you are
the babajohn trained us in mythwork
mythwork is a primary power of the tribal medicine worker
cultures are shaped by the myths they believe to be reality
jesus rising from the dead, the infallibility of the founding
fathers etc etc etc, damn near all religious dogma is myth,
including african, loas, ancestors, etc, that aint reality
just another set of myths we choose to believe
who knows what happens when you die
death myths are designed to make dying ok
but the competent high hoodoo is in self a mythmaker
this means 1) you are not subject to the myths of others
even afrospiritual myths, myths are myths, believe the ones
you choose to believe as long as its to your benefit
but dont worship myths, don’t enslave yourself
to illusions - even good illusions – use them
the other advantage of mythwork is its thru myth
that visions are made real in the world
example being highjohn the conqueror, a relatively recent
mythwork by zora neale Hurston during wwii when she
conflated the john the trickster slave tales w/the conqueror root
and came up with highjohn the conqueror who in cultural
circles is now a fully fledged mythical character
representing the will to win in afroam culture
the myth that I am trying to build is blackfolk as a chosenpeople
(yes yes I know, have to avoid chosen people pathologies)
but I have to convince blackfolk they have point and purpose -
I have to convince blackfolk they have a destiny to live up to
the illuminated children of the sun
guide and guardian of human destiny
there are a lof of components in planting this myth
I wont go into all of them here
the pertinent one is - as you know, im trying to retool hoodoo
as an instrument of cultural and spiritual redemption
also trying to forge a hoodoo secret society
that will be a power in the future
the hoodoo hand
and trying to found a font of spiritual authority
along the lines of the pope or a grand ayatollah
a hoodoo master
the high hoodoo of memphis
to do this I have to forge a myth of myself
as the initial high hoodoo of memphis
then let it evolve thru the generations
(with guide rails to ensure reform as nec)
you may recall when we talked about your hoodoo identity
about choosing a hoodoo name that represents the mythical
you of power, that’s whats happening here on an advanced
plane, recall ii said its kept secret until youre strong enuf
to withstand public doubt
it was about a year ago I started laying this conjuration
and now im being promoted by stax / the univ of memphis
as the legendary high hoodoo of memphis
and ima take steps to make sure that title sticks
that performance at stax, rdocs traveling medicine show
me and my hoodoos buddies gon blow their fucking minds
the high hoodoos of memphis in ritual concert
and every chance I get ima mention / write it
and its gon embarrass me running around claiming
to be the high hoodoo of memphis when there
no such thing
but there will be after me
and in all my obits, and in the historical record
it will be noted that he was the legendary
high hoodoo of memphis
you may recall us talking about building
facilitating institutions to implement
your destinical visions and strategies
mythworking myself as the high hoodoo of memphis
is part of that institutionalization. - as are you
and the hoodoo hand, my little
hoodoo secret society
(which by the way has a dual leadership)
the public leadership, the high hoodoo
and the hidden leadership, the hidden hoodoo
which represents the future when I fall
im not going to put the hidden hoodoos name here but
those of you familiar with my history can figure it out
long ago she surpassed her teacher
(if you don’t surpass me Ive failed)
another dynamic this represent is what I been calling dimension work
how to travel between dimensions in order to shape / play w/reality
the high hoodoo of memphis is a character in my novel
that I am now trying to manifest in the real world
we have spoken about how metafiction does this
the example here is mumbo jumbo, which I have asked you to read
mumbo jumbo transformed afroam culture
before mumbo jumbo the big dogs of afroam liit were all christians basically
after mumbo jumbo the significant players considered themselves african word sorcerors
masters of nommo: a dogon word: the power of the word to transform reality
and where the writers / artists go the culture soon follows
one day we will discuss how he pulled that off
but the examples here are both literary hoodoos
who were able to manifest literary tropes into
the real world and transform the culture
destiny playas
when I tell you I expect a Text from you I expect a Text
creative works from the artists, texts from the academics
memoirs and self help works from all of you
hoodoo grimoires
not only because it is a dialogue w/future generations / a legacy
not only because it allows you to get Paid w/o living off folks pain
(and poss Paid well I might add, I got buddies who are millionaires off their Works
we call it ‘passive income’ cause you aint got to do nothing else for it, a good Text
will not only pay you royalties for the rest of your life, it will pay your descendants)
but because it forces you to come to grips w/your life
a process which will transform / illuminate you in FA
destiny playas
forging sacredworks, a body of sacred literature
like the bible kinda, maybe, somewhat
not a book but a library of sacred texts
and I need not tell you how much that particular
body of sacred works / myth has shaped humanity
god I love the game
be safe
arf: the high hoodoo of memphis
Comments