The Book of Juju: Africana Spirituality for Healing, Liberation, and Self-Discovery

Bae, the host of A Little Juju Podcast, debuts with a chatty guide to African and African diasporic spiritual practices that emphasize ancestral traditions and connection, known loosely as juju. Drawing on the Ifá religion, Bae outlines how readers can connect with relatives and such “collective ancestors” as Harriet Tubman and Toni Morrison by building altars, setting out offerings, and attuning to bodily signs during prayer. Also explained is how to seek through divination “clear and direct answers in order to avoid future problems” (“I can personally attest to how divination has saved me from bad business deals and unfavorable relationships,” Bae writes). According to the author, readers needn’t go far to access the “medicine within our lineages”—“Many of our blessings have already been... paid for—we just need to remember them.” Alongside the basic principles of juju, Bae provides context on how it has been historically “demonized” by colonizers seeking to strip Black people of their heritage. Throughout, she conveys the wide scope of the topic without losing sight of her focus on how readers can adapt African religious practices to seek joy, success, and ancestral connection in their own lives. Those looking to broaden their spiritual horizons will find plenty to celebrate. (July)