Jeudi: Curios

Animal parts have long been used in various magickal disciplines as amulets and charms.  From individual teeth and bones to whole skulls, wings and claws, the animal in question was used virtually in its entirety for food, tools and to assist in shamanic working.

Badger teeth, usually carried individually, came into hoodoo through John George Hohman’s now famous book Pow Wows or the Long Lost Friend.  Hohman wrote in the book in the mid-19^th century and it has since been published in several additions by various publishers.  The work focuses on the folk magick of the German settlers of Pennsylvania, which was heavily influenced by Native American herbal and folk knowledge.  Hohman avers that a badger tooth is an all around good luck charm that should be carried whenever possible.

In American Folk Magick Silver RavenWolf touches on the use of animal charms in modern Pow-Wow but does not focus on specifics.

By the 1920s, hoodoo root workers were including a badger tooth in mojos for gambling luck, as well as those for general good fortune.  For gambling in particular, the tooth was often attached to a watch fob, necklace or keychain and worn in a pocket where it could be easily touched or rubbed for luck.  Dressing the tooth frequently, particularly with Van Van Oil, and saying the 23^rd Psalm while doing so was thought to increase its power.  Bonne chance ~

Header: The Gambler’s Wife via A1 Reproductions