House of Roots and Bones: Rootwork Department

V. ROOTWORK — ROOTS, HERBS, TREES & NATURAL MATERIALS
HORB RTW 301 — Foundations of Southern Rootwork
Introduces roots, herbs, trees, household materials, and gathered natural objects within Southern Black conjure. Students study history, folk reputation, local availability, preparation, and working purpose while learning safe identification, storage, and handling. Establishes the required foundation for all specialized materia study.
HORB RTW 302 — The Rootworker’s Materia
Expands the materia vocabulary through roots, herbs, minerals, dirts, waters, animal curios, household items, and personal concerns. Students learn to select and prepare materia according to condition and purpose, with emphasis on folk names, regional substitutions, safety, and documentation. Provides the practical foundation for all subsequent rootwork.
HORB RTW 303 — High John the Conqueror Root
Studies High John through folklore, historical testimony, botanical identification, and working tradition. Students explore its themes of endurance, luck, resistance, confidence, and overcoming oppressive circumstances. Multiple preparation and use methods are covered within proper historical and cultural context.
HORB RTW 304 — Angelica, Master Root & Strengthening Roots
Examines Angelica, Master Root, and related strengthening roots used for protection, authority, resilience, and control. Students learn identification, preparation, safety, substitutions, and traditional uses. Develops the ability to reason from a root’s reputation toward a clear working purpose.
HORB RTW 305 — Devil’s Shoestring, Five-Finger Grass & Working Roots
Studies working roots associated with tripping trouble, restraining opposition, favor, skill, luck, and the power of the hands. Students examine traditional uses, identification, regional terminology, and practical applications. Emphasizes spiritual logic over arbitrary symbolism.
HORB RTW 306 — Southern Trees in Conjure
Explores trees as living sources of bark, leaves, roots, nuts, fruit, wood, and folk meaning. Students study pine, cedar, oak, willow, magnolia, pecan, peach, and other regional trees, including identification, ecological awareness, and spiritual applications. Establishes the groundwork for advanced landscape and tree work.
HORB RTW 307 — Kitchen Herbs & Household Conjure
Examines ordinary kitchen materials used in Black Southern folk practice, including peppers, salt, sugar, coffee, vinegar, eggs, spices, grease, flour, and common herbs. Students study culinary properties, folk beliefs, and spiritual uses. Shows how everyday materials became powerful working tools through availability and tradition.
HORB RTW 308 — Dirt, Dust, Ashes & Earth
Introduces earth-based materia such as yard dirt, road dust, courthouse dirt, church ground, crossroads earth, ash, and soot. Students learn the importance of provenance, permission, and proper gathering, labeling, and storage. Builds the conceptual foundation for advanced dirt and place work.
HORB RTW 309 — Salt, Sulfur, Alum & Household Minerals
Examines mineral and household materials used for cleansing, protecting, restraining, correcting, and preserving. Students study salt, sulfur, alum, bluestone traditions, and related substances with attention to physical properties, safety, and traditional use. Teaches how ordinary material functions can inform spiritual logic without reducing practice to chemistry.
HORB RTW 310 — Building a Working Materia Medica
Capstone course requiring students to construct a working materia medica with identification, folk names, regional use, preparation, substitutions, contraindications, and sources. Students must explain why a material belongs in a working and how to select ingredients according to case circumstances. Completion demonstrates sufficient materia literacy for advanced conjure construction.