That Hoodoo, Voodoo That You Do
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That Hoodoo, Voodoo That You Do
Lincoln Crisler's "That Hoodoo, Voodoo That You Do" is a collection that lives up to its provocative title by plumbing the depths of human ritual with a keen, often unsettling, eye. Crisler excels in portraying the psychological undercurrents of repetitive actions, transforming the mundane into the menacing and the sacred into the suspect. One particularly striking aspect is the way he depicts the quiet desperation that can drive individuals to elaborate, sometimes dangerous, practices, as seen in his portrayal of a character whose daily routines become a form of protective warding. The collection's strength lies in its varied explorations of ritual's efficacy, or perceived efficacy, across different contexts. However, the sheer variety of stories, while a strength in breadth, occasionally leads to a lack of consistent thematic depth; some narratives feel more like brief sketches than fully realized explorations. Despite this, the work consistently probes the strange and powerful hold that ceremony, habit, and belief have on the human psyche. "That Hoodoo, Voodoo That You Do" offers a compelling, if sometimes grim, examination of ritual's enduring power.
📝 Description
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Lincoln Crisler's 2015 collection presents twenty-two narratives about ritual's unsettling power.
This collection gathers twenty-two stories by Lincoln Crisler that examine the role of ritual in human life. The narratives explore how people use practices, from common to arcane, to create order, gain influence, or face the unknown. Crisler’s writing often probes the psychological and societal roots of these actions, frequently venturing into darker, more mysterious aspects of human behavior. The book is structured as a series of distinct pieces, each offering a different viewpoint on how rituals appear in various forms.
Readers interested in folklore, occultism, and literary fiction will find these stories engaging. The collection appeals to those who like narratives that look into the psychological aspects of human actions and belief systems, especially when these touch on the strange or forbidden. People drawn to the anthropology of ritual, darker speculative fiction, and writers who explore the unsettling sides of the human condition should find Crisler's work resonates.
Published in 2015, "That Hoodoo, Voodoo That You Do" arrived during a time of growing interest in folk magic and occult traditions, particularly within speculative fiction. The early 21st century saw increased accessibility to esoteric subjects through online groups and specialized publishers. Crisler's work contributes to this trend by offering modern interpretations of rituals and their psychological effects, moving beyond simple sensationalism to examine their cultural and psychological weight.
💡 Why Read This Book?
• Understand the psychological weight of ritual beyond simple observance. Learn how Crisler illustrates the desperation and compulsion embedded in practices, as explored in narratives touching on personal fetishes and societal norms. • Discover the unsettling transformations of everyday actions into potent, potentially dangerous, rituals. The book dissects how familiar acts can become imbued with occult significance or psychological necessity. • Gain insight into the diverse manifestations of ritualistic behavior across human experience. Crisler's twenty-two stories present a spectrum from ancient practices to modern obsessions, highlighting ritual's pervasive nature.
⭐ Reader Reviews
Honest opinions from readers who have explored this book.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of Lincoln Crisler's "That Hoodoo, Voodoo That You Do"?
The collection primarily focuses on the multifaceted nature of ritual, exploring its darker and more unsettling aspects across twenty-two distinct stories. It examines how humans engage with practices for comfort, power, or compulsion.
When was "That Hoodoo, Voodoo That You Do" first published?
The book was first published on January 26, 2015, positioning it within a contemporary resurgence of interest in esoteric themes and speculative fiction.
What kind of stories can I expect in this collection?
You can expect stories that delve into the psychological and often uncanny dimensions of ritual. They range from explorations of ancient practices to modern obsessions, highlighting the darker side of human ceremony and habit.
Who is the author, Lincoln Crisler?
Lincoln Crisler is an author known for his work in speculative fiction, often exploring themes of the occult, horror, and the darker aspects of human psychology. His writing frequently incorporates folkloric and esoteric elements.
Does the book offer practical advice on rituals?
No, the book does not offer practical advice. Instead, it uses fictional narratives to explore the psychological impact, cultural significance, and sometimes sinister manifestations of ritualistic behavior.
What makes this collection different from other books on occult or ritual themes?
This collection differentiates itself by focusing on the psychological and literary exploration of ritual's darker facets, rather than providing instructional content or historical surveys. It emphasizes the unsettling and ambiguous nature of these practices.
🔮 Key Themes & Symbolism
The Ubiquity of Ritual
Crisler's work consistently returns to the idea that ritual is not an isolated phenomenon but a fundamental aspect of human existence. From the most sacred ceremonies to the most mundane habits, the collection presents actions imbued with meaning, order, and power. The stories highlight how individuals and societies create and adhere to practices to read through the world, seek control, or express deep-seated beliefs, often without fully understanding the origins or consequences of their actions. This pervasive nature suggests that ritual is as essential to the human condition as it is varied in its manifestation.
Psychology of Practice
A core theme is the deep psychological impact of ritualistic behavior. Crisler studies the motivations behind these practices, showcasing how they can stem from genuine faith, desperate hope, ingrained habit, or even psychological compulsion. The narratives often explore the internal landscapes of characters whose lives are shaped by their adherence to specific routines or ceremonies, revealing the comfort, stability, or, conversely, the anxiety and obsession these practices can foster. This focus on the internal experience underscores ritual's role in shaping identity and perception.
Ritual's Darker Manifestations
The collection explicitly addresses the 'darker side' of ritual, suggesting that these practices can lead to morally ambiguous situations, psychological distress, or encounters with the uncanny. Stories explore rituals that involve sacrifice, obsession, forbidden knowledge, or a descent into madness. Crisler does not shy away from the potential for rituals to become instruments of control, sources of horror, or pathways to dangerous encounters. This exploration often blurs the lines between intentional magic, accidental consequence, and sheer psychological breakdown.
The Uncanny in the Ordinary
Crisler frequently finds the uncanny within the seemingly ordinary aspects of life and ritual. Familiar actions, everyday objects, and common social practices are often re-contextualized to reveal a hidden layer of mystery, dread, or occult significance. The book suggests that the veil between the mundane and the extraordinary is thin, and that ritual, in its many forms, can serve as a conduit or a catalyst for experiences that defy rational explanation. This theme invites readers to reconsider the hidden potentials within their own daily lives.
💬 Memorable Quotes
Direct passages from the work, attributed to the author.
“Rituals have always been a powerful part of human life.”
— This opening sentiment frames the entire collection, establishing ritual not as an fringe activity but as a fundamental, historically significant aspect of human existence across cultures and time.
“The darker side of ritual in all the various forms you can imagine.”
— This indicates the collection's specific focus: moving beyond benign or traditional ceremonial aspects to explore the unsettling, dangerous, or psychologically complex manifestations of ritualistic behavior.
“Some are grounded in centuries of tradition or superstition, while others are unique, individual creations.”
— This highlights the dichotomy Crisler explores: the inherited, collective nature of ritual versus its personal, emergent forms, both of which carry significant weight and potential power for the individual.
“They can impart a sense of history, comfort, community, stability and at other times, power, mystery and horror.”
— This suggests the dual nature of ritual's effects, capable of providing profound solace and connection, or conversely, invoking dread, alienation, and a confrontation with the unknown.
“From the ancient Aztec nation's human sacrifices to the simple act of brushing one's teeth in the morning.”
— This stark comparison emphasizes the vast spectrum of actions that can be considered ritualistic, from the extreme and historically significant to the utterly commonplace, underscoring ritual's pervasive presence.
🌙 Esoteric Significance
Tradition
While not strictly adhering to a single esoteric lineage, "That Hoodoo, Voodoo That You Do" appeals to traditions that explore the psychology of belief and the efficacy of ritual. It touches upon themes common in folk magic, ceremonial magic, and psychological occultism, which examine how internal states and external practices interact. The collection's focus on the 'darker side' aligns with certain Gnostic or Hermetic perspectives that acknowledge the presence of challenging forces or the potential for spiritual descent alongside ascent. Crisler’s work, through its fictional lens, engages with the fundamental occult principle of 'as above, so below,' by demonstrating how internal psychological states manifest as external rituals.
Symbolism
The collection frequently employs symbols associated with transformation and liminality. The act of brushing teeth, as mentioned in the blurb, can symbolize purification and the marking of time, but when imbued with obsessive or ritualistic intent, it becomes a symbol of psychological entrapment or warding. Similarly, the concept of 'hoodoo' and 'voodoo' themselves, while often misunderstood, carry rich symbolic weight related to folk traditions, ancestral spirits, and the channeling of powerful energies. The stories often use mundane objects or repetitive actions as potent symbols for deeper psychological or spiritual states, highlighting how the ordinary can become a vessel for the extraordinary.
Modern Relevance
In contemporary esoteric circles, "That Hoodoo, Voodoo That You Do" speaks to the growing interest in psychological occultism and the intersection of fiction with magical practice. Thinkers and practitioners who explore the power of intention, the role of narrative in shaping reality, and the therapeutic or transformative potential of ritualistic behavior find resonance here. Contemporary authors and occultists who focus on the 'weird fiction' aspect of magic, emphasizing its uncanny and often unsettling nature, can draw inspiration from Crisler's approach. The work remains relevant for those interested in how modern life, with its anxieties and complexities, continues to generate and reshape ritualistic impulses.
👥 Who Should Read This Book
• Readers of speculative fiction interested in psychological horror and the uncanny. Those who appreciate narratives that explore the darker corners of human behavior and belief systems will find compelling stories here. • Students of folklore and comparative religion seeking fictionalized explorations of ritual. The collection offers diverse fictional examples of how ritual manifests across different contexts, from the ancient to the modern. • Individuals interested in the psychology of belief and practice. This book is for anyone curious about the deep-seated human need for ritual and how it shapes individual and collective experience, particularly when those experiences verge on the obsessive or the unsettling.
📜 Historical Context
Published in 2015, "That Hoodoo, Voodoo That You Do" arrived during a period when contemporary fiction increasingly engaged with occult themes, folklore, and psychological horror. The early 21st century saw a significant surge in the accessibility of esoteric knowledge and practices, often facilitated by online communities and a growing independent publishing sector dedicated to speculative and metaphysical genres. Crisler's collection taps into this zeitgeist, offering nuanced fictional explorations of ritual that move beyond simple sensationalism. It emerged in an environment where authors like Jeff VanderMeer were exploring strange ecologies and weird fiction was gaining wider recognition, suggesting a broader literary interest in the uncanny and the liminal. While not directly engaging with academic occult scholarship, the collection reflects a cultural curiosity that paralleled the work of folklorists and anthropologists studying contemporary belief and practice. The reception of such works often highlights a tension between genre categorization and literary merit, with collections like Crisler's seeking to bridge that gap by examining fundamental human behaviors through a speculative lens.
📔 Journal Prompts
The role of habit in your personal rituals.
Analyzing a character's ritualistic compulsion.
The uncanny potential of ordinary actions.
Ritual as a source of comfort versus control.
Identifying the 'darker side' in a personal practice.
🗂️ Glossary
Ritual
A sequence of activities involving gestures, words, actions, or objects, performed according to a set sequence. In this context, it extends to habitual or obsessive behaviors that carry psychological or symbolic weight.
Hoodoo
A spiritual practice, often associated with African American folk magic, that incorporates elements of African spiritual traditions and Christianity. It often involves spellcasting, divination, and the use of natural elements.
Voodoo
A syncretic religion originating in Haiti, blending West African Vodun traditions with elements of Roman Catholicism. It involves the worship of spirits (Loa) and complex ritual practices.
The Uncanny
A literary and psychological concept referring to something that is simultaneously familiar and alien, often evoking a sense of unease, dread, or the supernatural emerging from the ordinary.
Speculative Fiction
A broad genre of fiction that includes elements of fantasy, science fiction, horror, and the supernatural. It often explores hypothetical scenarios and imaginative concepts beyond the field of the everyday.
Psychological Horror
A subgenre of horror fiction that focuses on the mental and emotional states of characters, emphasizing psychological dread, internal conflict, and disturbed perceptions over explicit gore or violence.
Esoteric
Intended for or likely to be understood by only a small number of people with a specialized knowledge or interest. In this context, it refers to subjects related to mysticism, the occult, and hidden knowledge.
This book appears in 1 collection
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