Hoodoo Plant Mamas

Mississippi farmer KD joins us for the season finale to talk about inheriting family land, how land stewardship informs their faith, and the challenges that come with farm life. Dani and Leah also share where we've been these past few months, winning a podcasting award, and working as an environmental educator. KD Randle (they/them) is a Black, southern, queer, genderfluid person  currently l...

Artist Amber Bishop joins us in this episode to talk about their latest installation, A Portal Somewhere Good: Who's All Over There? We discuss Midwestern versus Southern Black regional attitudes towards nature, architectural racism, and Black folks' yard styles.  Amber  is a memory worker, artist, and filmmaker based in Ohio, dedicated to  uplifting and protecting Black stories. He...

In this episode we're joined by poet Ashia Ajani as they talk about their poetry collection, their family's migration story, as well as how Black folk's liberation is tied to the liberation of the land.  Ashia S. Ajani is a sunshower, a glass bead, a carnivorous plant, an overripe nectarine. Hailing from Denver, CO, Queen City of the Plains and the unceded territories of the Cheyenne, Ute &am...

Welcome back to part 2 of our conversation with this season's guiding text: Black Earth Wisdom . In this episode, we talk about how racism has cut us off from natural spaces and our indigenous knowledge. We elevate our environmental justice ancestors and discuss how liberation of Black people is tied to the liberation of the Earth. RESOURCES Black Earth Wisdom: Soulful Conversations with Black Env...

Hey y'all and welcome back to season 10 of Hoodoo Plant Mamas. It's our 5 year anniversary! We talk about our journey with the podcast as well as our future plans. We break down the book Black Earth Wisdom by Leah Penniman, discuss the work of Black environmentalists, and talk about Black folk's history with the land in the United States.  RESOURCES Black Earth Wisdom by Leah Penniman Farming...

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 yo...

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 ancesto...

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 passiona...

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 st...

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 S...

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': Fran...

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...

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 Catherin...

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  l...

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, l...

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...

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 (storeytellingt...

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....

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 Defend...

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...

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...

//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...

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 B...

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, well...

Are you ready to feel more energized, focused, and supported? Go to zen.ai/hoodoo and add nourishing, plant-based foods to fuel you from sunrise to sunset. In this episode, Leah needs a literary agent, and Dani needs help finding affordable housing in DC. We discuss our experiences with Black excellence and how it's overrated, steeped in capitalism, and ultimately ruins art. RESOURCES " Where the...