The Shock of It All – 2

Earlier post here

I did finish Christine Wicker’s Not in Kansas Anymore: A Curious Tale of How Magic is Transforming America.

To be honest, the subtitle should read, “How magic is transforming Christine Wicker.”

The book maps closely to Susan Roberts’ 1974 book Witches U.S.A.. The author, a middle-aged female journalist, looks for those wacky magical people to interview–Wicker starts in Salem, Mass.–but then finds some rapport with some of them. In Wicker’s case, it’s hoodoo priestess Cat Yronwode.

So the authorial stance varies: “Reader, let me show you these wacky people–but maybe they know something that we don’t.”

The section on gathering dirt from Zora Neale Hurston’s grave for use in hoodoo is priceless. Susan Roberts went on to be influential in the 1970s Pagan Way movement. It remains to be seen about Wicker and hoodoo. Jason of Zyphre points out a link to an audio interview with Wicker on Yronwode’s Lucky Mojo site. Maybe she will stick around.