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Growing up in Birmingham, Alabama I hate to say it but I didn't know what the hell Rootwork/Conjure/Hoodoo was until I got older.  

What I now think of as Rootwork/Conjure/Hoodoo was just something my grandmother or great grandmother had in their arsenal of knowledge.  Tummy not feeling well?  There is mint on the side of the house for that.  Got Pink Eye?  Honey is in the cabinet, add a little to a Q-tip and put it in your eye for 3 days and you will be right in no time.  

Someone stopping by that you aren't a fan of?  Salt at the door so they don't bring their negativity into your home.  Got Pneumonia?  If you have access to a cow pasture then the remedy can go in a direction that will make you gag but has been proven to make you better and the list goes on and on.   

Hoodoo/Rootwork/Conjure are uniquely African American, Southern specific and theoretically closed to those who where not born into the diasporic experience and while I know y'all love to tussle don't be ready to do it with me.  Our traditions have been openly shared by individuals who wish to erase the spirit of the people in an effort to take away their magic and clam it as their own.   born folk magic this is not up for debate although I know ya'll love to tussle.  Hoodoo was born out of the oppression of kidnapped Africans who brought their spiritual practices with them when they were forced into slavery.  So with that being said let me make it clear you cannot have Hoodoo without the African American experience.  You also cannot have Hoodoo without The Bible because it is honestly one of its foundational tools aside from the heritage of the people who practice.  Now, hoodoo is a magical practice not a religious practice so please do not merge it with Vodou/Voodoo but it is rooted in religious spiritual connections available to our people at that time.  

Can families be cursed?  

Since I was a child I was told by my grandmother that "the sins of the father can and will be passed to the children."  Now does that mean someone put a spell on the whole family from generation to generation?  Well it's very possible but more often than not what we attribute to generational curses can often be traced back to specific decisions, behaviors, thought patterns or attitudes that hold us back from being our best selves.   While undoubtedly witchcraft is very real and a very possible issue, it is also possible that experiences and behaviors that have affected your family from both internal and external sources could very well be your issue.   

Depending on your regional, cultural and overall values some of the "curses" that can be on display are emotionally destructive patterns against yourself, drug abuse, poor communication, a foul temper, limings beliefs about yourself, codependency and a host of others.  These "curses" can create havoc in your life and the life of future generations creating maladaptive behaviors, thought processes and eventually an overall shift in attitude causing these "curses" to go from being poor behaviors or thoughts to a way of life for yourself and future generations.   

 Things you can do now to address these "curses" first and foremost honesty with yourself is paramount, practice self awareness and work to formulate a healthy relationship with yourself and stay committed to bettering yourself and your approach to becoming a better person.  Create a journal, monitor your thoughts, honor your higher self, strengthen your spiritual connection to The Divine, seek professional help if needed and remember that this is going to be an ongoing process that will help you grow daily and there will be good days and bad but all days will be worth it. Now don't think for a moment I forgot actual curses because I didn't.  As a spiritualist there are many herbs I keep on hand in the event that I would need them for hex breaking including Angelica, Rue, Rosemary, Nettle, Wormwood and last but not least Five Finger Grass just to name a few.  The best way to determine if you have been hexed is to get a reading for yourself from a spiritually ethical reader who after giving you a reading can prescribe a solution to your problem, not just tell you that you've been hexed and that's it.