#bayouhoodoo

[karmazain]

This one decided it wanted to be a sort of "stay under the radar, dodge sketchy shit, and deflect bad eggs, bad eyes, and bad juju" sort of charm. Which is hilarious considering that this is one of the least subtle/discreet/blending-in pieces I've made in a while. Well, we'll see once I get the final bones in place. Maybe it'll be stealthy enough to go unnoticed if you're wearing, er, a thick sweater 🥴 #seraphinstation #conjureartist #spiritualjewelry #karmazain #bigluckyhoodoo #hoodoorosary #rootwork #rootworkersofinstagram #blackcatbones #esoterichandmade #bayouhoodoo #devilsshoestring #coyotebone #malojo #apotropaic #witchy #talisman #goodluckcharm #amulet #lawkeepaway #roadopener #reclaimed https://www.instagram.com/p/ClPRRAbSX-A/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[karmazain]

Chicken foot charm aesthetics pt 3/3: The pink foot is a third type of chicken foot charm, and I learned to make this style in the early 2000s around Baton Rouge. The hot pink feet are a thing in that region for reasons I admit I don't fully understand, but I know they are related to Mardi Gras and are stand-ins for, or references to, flamingos. For real, Louisiana does things its own damned way, y'all 😆 #rootworkersofinstagram #conjureart #chickenfoot #mardigras #courirdemardigras #haphazardstation #seraphinstation #bigluckyhoodoo #karmazain #swampconjure #bayouhoodoo #bayouhoodooherbal #materiamagica #folkart https://www.instagram.com/p/CnJavtKOEg8/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[karmazain]

Chicken foot charm aesthetics pt. 2/3: These are examples of more New Orleans-style chicken foot charms. I'd say this is the style people usually picture when the topic comes up. These focus largely on "scratching up" and reversing tricks laid for you (and maybe sending along a little lagniappe by way of the spur for good measure). . . #chickenfoot #bayouhoodoo #bayouhoodooherbal #seraphinstation #haphazardstation #rootworkersofinstagram #swampconjure #folkmagic #amulet #apotropaic #materiamagica #southernhoodoo #bigluckyhoodoo #karmazain #rootwork #conjureart https://www.instagram.com/p/CnFiNH3O635/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[karmazain]

Attempt number one at making candied spiderwort flowers was a total fail. That's what I get for being lazy. (I know what I did wrong.) On the plus side, it's pretty obvious they will work as an ink or dye (though how fugitive that blue will be I can't yet tell you). Don't let my unsightly kitchen disaster turn you off of spiderwort, though. Both Tradescantia ohiensis and T. virginiana are native and fairly common in the Eastern U.S. They are also edible. Around here, they are used to draw love and blessings to the home, and while the cut flowers don't last long at all, you can float the ephemeral blossoms in a bowl of water, to which they'll gradually impart their gorgeous blue hue. Keep the bowl of blossoms by your front entrance or where guests are gathered to ward off jealousy and the evil eye, or use the water in a spiritual bath to cool, calm, and draw blessings. #spiderwort #bluejacket #tradescantia #tradescantiaohiensis #tradescantiavirginiana #bayouhoodoo #bayouhoodooherbal #seraphinstation #karmazain #bigluckyhoodoo #foraging #rootworkersofinstagram #spiritualbaths #craftingfail https://www.instagram.com/p/CprYfHkuKuT/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[karmazain]

Fleabane. This is Erigeron philadelphicus, one of those ubiquitous "weeds" that widely ignored when not being mowed, pulled up, or poisoned by lawn owners all over North America. I don't think it's actually much use against fleas, but I've heard it is genuinely useful against mites, so I might try some in the chicken coop at Seraphin Station this year. It's got a host of medicinal uses, especially for coughs, colds, and minor wounds, though it probably shouldn't be used by pregnant women. Spiritually, use it to ward off pests and pestiferous entities. Definitely don't use it for goals related to love or sex, even if you see some sources attributing it to Venus (which i think is kind of a weird association - I am not feeling that connection). It's supposedly edible but I have no experience with consuming it. #erigeronphiladelphicus #fleabane #bayouhoodoo #bayouhoodooherbal #seraphinstation #karmazain #bigluckyhoodoo #foraging #philadelphiafleabane https://www.instagram.com/p/CpiCLs6Ov-3/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[karmazain]

Chicken foot aesthetics: not every chicken foot charm - not even every Louisiana-specific chicken foot charm - matches the vibe that is probably most familiar to folks, the style that I am most often asked to make by clients and customers. Those tend to be focused on protection and reversing, come in bright or strong colors, and be festooned with shiny bits, feathers, and beads. But here's an example from Southeastern Louisiana focused more on spiritual cleansing, you could say, or you could even call it a sort of tool for the spiritual equivalent of climate control and air purification. It has a benevolent energy but it doesn't brook any nonsense, and it's a powerful repellent of psychic creepy crawlies and general spiritual vermin. #chickenfoot #seraphinstation #haphazardstation #spiritualcleansing #karmazain #rootworkersofinstagram #bayouhoodoo #folkmagic #protection #swampconjure #amulet https://www.instagram.com/p/CnFFedHrMR4/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[karmazain]

A small portion of a massive smilax rotundifolia root (Greenbrier, round-leaf greenbrier). Technically these are edible, though I think you'd want a much smaller one as something like this would be too tough to eat except by maybe drying and turning it into flour. Thank the Lord I am not that hungry. (Though the young shoots of most smilax species, these included, are edible and actually quite good.) I don't know how many species of smilax there are.. hundreds? At least 5 grow at Seraphin Station, and they have various medicinal and spiritual uses. But this particular type is especially useful for binding, reversing, and revenge work. I'm using this fresh root to carve doll babies because some stupid folks have done some bad shit a little too close to my doorstep, and enough is enough. #smilaxrotundifolia #bayouhoodoo #bayouhoodooherbal #seraphinstation #bigluckyhoodoo #greenbrier #roundleafgreenbrier #gulfcoastgardening #rootworkersofinstagram #rootwork #binding #revenge https://www.instagram.com/p/CmuIfPyP-0V/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[karmazain]

Tree of Heaven (Ailanthus altissima). Almost as great as my originary nemesis, Chinese fucking privet. Definitely warrants long sleeves, gloves, this facial expression, and multiple sharp blades since in addition to sucking in general, this invasive nightmare plant can cause contact dermatitis. It's currently trying to kill my citrus trees. Somebody please tell me they know a way to kill it that doesn't involve 2x/year applicaton of herbicide or some shit. As it is, we have 10 acres of pretty much privet, tree of Heaven, and camphor fighting it out. It's a who's who of the shittiest invasive trees in North America. It's a case study in why you have to *manage forested areas.* It's an uphill battle. It's a serious pain in the ass. #treeofheaven #invasivespecies #nonnative #bayouhoodoo #gulfcoastgardening #ailanthusaltissima https://www.instagram.com/p/Cle3YA3vlei/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[karmazain]

Sunbath in toolshed. #localfauna #haphazardstation #seraphinstation #swampwitch #bayouhoodoo #bayouliving #snake #seraphinstation #bigluckyhoodoo #rootworkersofinstagram https://www.instagram.com/p/Ckq9UkDuuNK/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[karmazain]

Deepest gratitude for answered prayers. . . . #seraphinstation #altar #folkcatholicism #bayouhoodoo #karmazain #whatthehellissleep #santisimamuerte #rootworkersofinstagram #conjureart #bigluckyhoodoo #rootwork #swampwitch https://www.instagram.com/p/CewQHC_LdFp/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[karmazain]

Packing up April Saint of the Month boxes. (Yes, I know it's May lol... But I had to fiddle with the art for the candle labels a lot, and every chaplet is handmade and unique, and the booklet these are shipping with actually has footnotes, so this kind of thing just takes time!) #seraphinstation #karmazain #bigluckyhoodoo #folkcatholicism #folksaint #stexpedite #saintexpedite #bayouhoodoo #rootwork #rootworkersofinstagram #conjureartist #conjureart #catholicwitch #saintofthemonth #esoterichandmade https://www.instagram.com/p/Cd3miaCJTRn/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[karmazain]

Work in progress. . . #seraphinstation #conjureartist #rootworkersofinstagram #shrine #folkcatholicism #folksaint #folkart #bigluckyhoodoo #karmazain #conjureart #folkmagic #bayouhoodoo #santamuerte #jesusmalverde #sacrecoeur #householdsacramentals https://www.instagram.com/p/Chp3VNchIxm/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[karmazain]

Day at the office. Framed print by @raviamarzupa . . . #folkcatholicism #mementomori #ancestors #faithfuldeparted #ourladyofperpetualhelp #santamuerte #altar #altarwork #sacredheart #immaculateheartofmary #bayouhoodoo #swampconjure #catholicwitch #rootworkersofinstagram #karmazain #bigluckyhoodoo #rootwork https://www.instagram.com/p/CY7zp-frNGo/?utm_medium=tumblr

[karmazain]

Day at the office. #altar #saint #angel #mirrorjar #rootwork #protection #reversing #rootworkersofinstagram #bayouhoodoo #swampconjure #seraphinstation #bigluckyhoodoo #folkcatholicism https://www.instagram.com/p/CWm-SPnLK4N/?utm_medium=tumblr

[karmazain]

My Job's Tears plant (Coix lacryma-jobi) is looking like it wants to live after all. Yay! While my mother thinks the pale grayish, shiny "seeds" that you harvest look like ticks 🥴, they're used practically worldwide as beads for jewelry. And in these parts, we like to make rosaries out of them. Some folks call them rosary plants and spiritually, they seem to me to evoke compassion, humility, perseverance, and family and community ties. Along the Gulf Coast, I've seen Job's Tears used for luck, especially money luck and gambling luck, and they're an integral part of a well-known rite for wish-granting. They also happen to be an edible, gluten-free grain. Why everybody who can grow them doesn't is honestly beyond me. #bayouhoodoo #bayouhoodooherbal #jobstears #coixlacrymajobi #moneyluck #botanicalbeads #swampconjure #folkcatholicism #rootwork #rootworkersofinstagram #seraphinstation #bigluckyhoodoo #karmazain https://www.instagram.com/p/CWaHsXoLB6l/?utm_medium=tumblr

[karmazain]

Day at the office. #altar #planetarymagic #bigluckyhoodoo #seraphinstation #karmazain #rootworkersofinstagram #conjureart #bayouhoodoo #swampconjure #rootwork https://www.instagram.com/p/CaujTJuL9mc/?utm_medium=tumblr