Folk magic is defined here as any system of popular practices that seeks to enact change in human life and conditions through supernatural means. Different cultures and nations throughout the centuries have developed such bodies of traditional knowledge. Within the context of America in the 19th century, the best documented and reported folk magic was Hoodoo (Anderson xi). Also known as rootwork and conjure, Hoodoo is a product of traditional African folk magic spliced with Indigenous American spiritual beliefs and Christianity.  

Hoodoo, though incorporating subtle religious elements, is not a religion itself. It can be integrated into any worldview that contains supernatural beliefs. Thus, theoretically, it could be practiced by anyone regardless of creed or faith, though admittedly most hoodoo workers professed to be Christians as well (Chireau 25). Hoodoo must not be confused with Vodou, more popularly known as Voodoo, which is a religion that also underwent the same general process of syncretism that gave rise to Hoodoo, with important differences (Olmos and Paravisini-Gebert 3). Vodou possesses a priesthood, formal metaphysics and philosophy, and explicitly expresses belief in one God or Deity who is served by intermediary spirits. The practice of Hoodoo does not require those tenets and structures. Whereas the United States was the birthplace of Hoodoo, Vodou originated in Haiti and in Louisiana before the purchase of the region by the American government in 1803.

Recognizing that power and energy exist and flow through the natural world is one of the basic beliefs of Hoodoo (Sernett 74). As such, natural substances often form components of charms and spells, while herbalism and traditional medicine often make side careers for practitioners of Hoodoo. Many of the plants, roots, and flowers used in Hoodoo are named after Biblical figures and concepts because of the Christian influence. Biblical chapters and passages could be used as incantations or invocations for specific outcomes. Some well-known examples would be the usage of Adam and Eve Root or recital of the Song of Songs for love magic or Rose of Jericho for prosperity.

Arguably, the most famous practitioner of African American spiritual systems was Marie Laveau (Long 118).  A New Orleans native, Laveau garnered a reputation for being the most powerful Vodou priestess in her day and was also a practitioner of Hoodoo. A devout Catholic, she was somehow able to integrate her Christian beliefs with her African spiritual heritage to create a practice that benefited and transcended racial and class boundaries. To this day, she is honored and venerated by contemporary Hoodoo and Vodou practitioners alike.


Hoodoo and Miss Jane

The most prominent incidence of Hoodoo in The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman appears in Book II: Reconstruction, in the chapter titled "Man’s Way." In many earlier drafts, the chapter was originally titled "Man's Fate." The differences between these chapter titles is striking. The title "Man’s Way" implies human agency mixed with stubbornness, whereas "Man’s Fate" suggests something absolutely inflexible. Indeed, in most earlier drafts, Madame Gautier elaborates more on the inevitability of death and the philosophy of living than she does in the finished novel. and Earlier drafts also leave Jane without the remedy of a powder. Hoodoo can help with a lot of things but it may not stop death. Perhaps Gaines changed the title in order to allow human choice greater participation in the shaping of one’s own destiny.

Another interesting figure is Mme. Gautier herself. Originally unnamed or referred to as simply “the hoodoo” or “the hoodoo woman” in earlier drafts, Gautier serves as the main illustration of hoodoo’s narrative effect in the Autobiography. She is mentioned as being a Creole woman and as having been a rival of Marie Laveau, who was rumored to have ousted a number of challengers to her power (Long 98). Some prior manuscripts insinuate a greater relationship between Gautier and Laveau, though it is still kept mysterious. A curious detail is Mme. Gautier‘s first name, Eloise, a name shared with one of the historical Marie Laveau’s daughters (Long 54). However, such a connection is not further explored in any existing version of the Autobiography, draft or published.

There are plenty of other small features that were changed, expanded upon, or excised outright during the development of "Man’s Way." In certain drafts where the powder is present, the price was different, being $3 instead of the $1.25 in the published work. The perspective in some drafts was sometimes in third-person as opposed to the first-person in the novel, suggesting character observance rather than the character participation in later revisions. The change from third- to first-person narration correlates with the shift in emphasis on inflexible destiny in earlier stages of composition to the human agency of later drafts.