Description
Lecture: Putting the Root back in Root Working
High John, Low John, and Chewing John , the three sacred John roots are powerful, and hugely understated. Within the cultural fabric and practice of Conjure, Hoodoo, or American Folk Magic it is not uncommon to hear a practitioner to call them selves a “Root worker”, though this title can suggest many meanings, the obvious can not be ignored, the power of roots is valued as a powerful talisman of spiritual medicine.
No root stays so singularly recognized across the vast tapestry of American Folk Magic culture as the Three sacred johns roots. these roots serve as a points of power to draw luck and skill, romance and desire, and to be a solvent for the insoluble. Thre is also not a folk story in American Herbal lore that is so unexamined and draped in mystery as to the origin and power of High John the Conquer. The sacred “John” Roots , High John the conquer (Ipomoea jalapa) ,Chewing John (Alpinia galangal) and Low John (Trillium grandiflorum) share in a diverse background but can emanate the same spiritual force and memory of spiritual themes found in African Tradition like the trickster spirit, and regal memory of kingship and liberation. This lecture covers the lore, and history and folkloric use of these roots, the story of High John the Conquer, and possible connections to African religious beliefs.
Biography
Demetrius has dedicated his life to the study of the occult, spirituality and religion of traditional societies in the ancient and modern world. Having studied many forms of traditional belief. From his own upbringing, and later initiation into Haitian Vodou, Brazilian Quimbanda and Santaria. Lacroix comes from a multicultural background, offering a worldview shaped by his immersion into misunderstood and vilified cultures. Lacroix seeks to present the underrepresented “occult” in an understandable and edifying way. Joseph is a professional spiritual counselor and adviser in Salem Massachusetts.
