Years after I became sure of my decision to stop going to church, I began to intentionally explore Hoodoo and other African Traditional Religions. On my journey, I was recommended the now critically acclaimed podcast, “A Little Juju,” hosted by Educator, Osun Priestess and self-proclaimed witch, Juju Bae. Like so many others, Juju Bae opened me up to the world of Black a** spirituality.
Juju Bae recalls her spiritual journey into Hoodoo being propelled by her ancestors and then becoming further inspired by Beyonce’s “Lemonade” visual album to continue her exploration of Orisha traditions. A few years later, she would launch her podcast and reach heights beyond what she imagined. Black Joy had a chance to chat with Juju Bae about her journey and what she has learned (and accomplished) along the way.
You’ve been able to forge a very interesting life path for yourself — was the uniqueness of the journey you’re on something that has been evident since childhood, or have you been surprised by where life has taken you?
Completely surprised. This was not the plan to be a spiritualist and talk about it and teach about ancestors. I don’t even think I even considered much about my ancestors, even before my adulthood. So, this whole journey is fascinating to me. I honestly feel like I’m watching it, even though I’m in it. Because I didn’t grow up being like “Ohh, I’m a witch or I have prophetic dreams.” I wasn’t necessarily thinking about that. I was always open to it and I always, somewhere deep in me as a child, felt that there’s something different and special [about me]. So, this experience in my adulthood is really me uncovering and unpacking a lot of gifts that I didn’t even know existed, or that I could even do. So, I’m shocked every day.
As a leading figure in the spiritual community and this current African Diaspora Religion renaissance we’re in, how does it feel to witness the reach of your influence among Black folks?
I think…
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