Hoodoo Plant Mamas

In our season finale, we review Ryan Coogler's Sinners (2025). As Mississippi Hoodoos, we have to talk about the Mississippi and Hoodoo rep in this film. We get into Mississippi racial politics as well as whiteness and assimilation as vampirism. We discuss the need to let go of representational politics and learn to appreciate art for what is is rather than what we want it to be.

RESOURCES

• "if you loved Sinners, read these book...

In this episode we talk with co-authors Nyasha and Ms. Kenda about their picture book Saturday Magic: A Hoodoo Story. We discuss intentional and conscious ancestor veneration, overlooked Hoodoo rituals in contemporary Black culture as well as allowing Black kids to see themselves in stories. Nyasha shared her process when creating her tarot and oracle decks while Ms. Kenda talked about our ancestors using astrology and dreams for h...

The honorary third member of Hoodoo Plant Mamas, Ghrey Mbenza is back to talk about the 1994 Ariel School UFO Incident in Ruwa, Zimbabwe. We delve into conspiracy, truth, and paranoia and the need for curiosity when exploring the unexplainable. 

Tasha "Ghrey" Mbenza (they/she/he), more recently known simply as Ghrey,  is a black, queer, and autistic occupational therapist who is passionate about helping people of all ages ...

In this episode, guest Julia Mallory returns to talk about how she's turned her life into art. We discuss believing in yourself, circumventing gatekeepers, and putting your work in the world on your own terms. Julia talks about how her creativity expands to other formats like reiki, and we discuss the necessity of creativity in surviving today's world.

Julia Mallory is committed to being a good steward of, and vessel for her ancesto...

Hey y'all! Hoodoo Plant Mamas is back! For our season 9 premiere, we tackle the clairs---what they are and our experiences with them. We get into what Toni Morrison called the "discredited way of knowing" as well as the ethics and burden of ancestral knowing.

Create your podcast today! #madeonzencastr

RESOURCES

• Leah Nicole YouTube
• About the Boy. Leah Nicole Whitcomb.
• The Book of Juju. Juju Bae
• Sensual Faith. Lyvonne Briggs
• A...

Our mini season has come to a close. In this episode, we recognize Black Speculative Fiction Month and the contributions Black creatives have made to the speculative fiction genre. We get into how Black horror reflects our deepest fears and how sci-fi is both pessimistic and optimistic about Black futures.

Create your podcast today! #madeonzencastr

RESOURCES

• "The Argument of 'Afropessimism': Frank B. Wilderson III sketches a map...

What happens when divination leads you astray? In this episode, we discuss our relationship to divination tools, how Tarot is an ever changing forecast and how the Bible is not law. We also get into the life and work of Fannie Lou Hamer and how the discourse surrounding this year's election disrespects her legacy.

RESOURCES

• "Does Everyone Have a Soulmate? No." A Little Juju Podcast. 
• Tarot by Bronx YouTube
• The Songs My M...

CONTENT WARNING // STORIES OF CHILDHOOD SEXUAL HARASSMENT AND ASSAULT

In this episode, Dani and Leah discuss their journey of coming into their sensual selves. We talk about how traumatic puberty was for us as Black girls living in the Bible Belt, separating compulsory heterosexuality from desire, and having to stitch together our sexuality in our twenties. We highlight the life of Mather Catherine Seals, the Temple of Innocent Bloo...

Hey y'all. We're back with our season 8 premiere. This season we're planning on dropping a new episode every week of Hoodoo Heritage Month discussing a theme and a historical Hoodoo that you may not know about. 

In this episode, we discuss the violent effects of colonialism on our bodies, imagination, and relationships. We touch on the current political climate before getting into the  life and work of Father Divine and th...

For this very special season finale, Dani interviews Leah about her latest book, Apocalypse Still. We discuss themes, inspiration, and her writing process. We also get into the myth of the Black superhero, the difficult decisions we make to survive, and how Black folks deserve alternate endings. 

Leah Nicole Whitcomb is a community storyteller from Mississippi who writes about Black folks, love, and magic. She co-hosts the Hood...

In this episode we're joined by Austen Smith of ImaginationDoulas. We discuss the imagination as a colonial construct as well as the need to integrate dreaming into our spiritual and liberation practices. We go over the principles of their project, ImaginationDoulas, and talk about how to work with the Spirit of Creativity. This is a must-listen for all creatives!

Austen Smith is a spirit-forward visionary artist, writer, social res...

Is your spirituality rooted in a genuine desire to connect with the Divine or is it rooted in a sense of superiority over other spiritual traditions? In this episode we answer this as well as discuss spiritual insecurity, performing spirituality for others, and seeing ourselves as divine beings. 

RESOURCES

• Apocalypse Still by Leah Nicole Whitcomb
• Jeida K. Storey's Threads Post (storeytellingtarot)
• "Astrology Influencer M...

In this episode, we discuss what happens when your spiritual practice changes. We get into struggling with your purpose when the world has gone to shit, integrating Hoodoo in all aspects of our lives, and the need to tap into local plant medicine. 

RESOURCES

• Apocalypse Still by Leah Nicole Whitcomb
• "Get your spirit right with podcast host and Osun Priestess Juju Bae" by Danielle Buckingham. BlackJoy x Reckon
• Banning Blac...

In this episode, we tackle US propaganda and how it's causing spiritual warfare. We get into the illusion of choice, media censorship, increased militarism, and how all of our oppression is interconnected.

RESOURCES

• Apocalypse Still by Leah Nicole Whitcomb
• "Meta is limiting how much political content users see. Here's how to opt out of that" by Rachel Treisman. npr.
• "Obama Administration Defends Israeli Airstrikes but Caution...

In this episode, we're joined by Ghrey Mbenza, a neurodivergent occupational therapist who works with marginalized communities. Ghrey talks with us about neurodiversity, what it means to be Black and neurodivergent, as well as the trauma and necessary healing work from growing up as undiagnosed Black neurodivergent kids.

Tasha “Ghrey” Mbenza (they/she/he), more recently known simply as Ghrey, is a black, queer, and autistic occupati...

After an extended hiatus, we're back. While Dani moved away from Mississippi, Leah moved back so we talk about loving, leaving, and returning to Mississippi. Dani visited Senegal, and Leah is publishing a book. 

RESOURCES

• SeaSalted Honey Residency
• "A Night at Fontaine's" by Leah Nicole Whitcomb
• Pre-order Apocalypse Still by Leah Nicole Whitcomb
• "Episode 202: Reclaiming my Dream" Dreaming in Color with Nancey B. Price.

//SPOILERS FOR LONG DIVISION//

Mississippi author Kiese Laymon joins us for our season finale. We discuss the revised version of his novel Long Division, explore themes of freedom, language, and timelessness, and talk about creating art separate from the white imagination.

Kiese Laymon is a Black southern writer from Jackson, Mississippi. Laymon is the Libby Shearn Moody Professor of English and Creative Writing at Rice University. L...

We're joined by Starr, founder of Reckon's Black Joy. In this episode, we discuss the highs and lows of healing, leading when you feel unqualified, and Black joy as our birthright.

Jonece Starr Dunigan (She/her/hers) is a journalist who gives the microphone to communities that are often ignored by mainstream media. Guided by empathy, her reporting centers the stories, movement work and voices of Black, brown and queer people. Her wr...

In this episode, we're joined by Veronica Agard as she discusses her educational project, Ancestors in Training. We think about what how to honor our ancestors, what we want to leave our future descendants, and how to best utilize our time here on Earth.

Veronica Agard (Ifáṣadùn Fásanmí) (she/her) is a poet, writer, community educator, and connector at the intersections of Black identity, wellness, representation, and culture. S...