Zindoki.com Uncut

Zindoki.com is a site where you can learn the basics of witchcraft from the African diaspora of the southwestern U.S. This section of the site is a stripped down, no frills HTML (with a bit of CSS here and there) version for those who prefer to keep it simple.

"Zindoki" is a Kongo word meaning "someone who practices Kindoki" also known as a witch. Beliefs about Kindoki vary from town to town and often family to family, depending on local traditions and how much or what kind of exposure one has had to Christianity or Islam. Some believe that witchcraft is something that someone is born with or that anyone can do consciously or unconsciously, while others believe one has to do it consciously for it to be actual witchcraft. Unfortunately, some people's beliefs have led to persecution of suspected witches akin to the witch hunts of Salem. Accusations of witchcraft have become a way to justify atrocities and to get rid of inconvenient people.

In some places though, Kindoki has been embraced as a part of resistance to oppression, colonialism, and the spiritual enslavement used to justify slavery and oppression. This is very much the case in the African diaspora of the southwestern U.S. where it has been mixed with Brujeria and various Native American beliefs as well as strong influences from west Africa. In east Texas, it overlaps with Louisiana Voodoo and Hoodoo.

Though there is no strict "purity" in magick, what makes Kindoki/Afro-hispanic Brujeria in the Americas distinct is the basis in Kongo and central African and diaspora culture, the heavy Spanish influence, the use of herbs and ingredients from the local areas and established trade lines, and the priority of the departed and ancestors. Certain cultural norms that were different for the average Spanish colonist than for the average English colonist (that we all know about but don't want to open that can of worms right now) made for a greater closeness to one's departed.  So many who could "pass" choose not to, and embrace their African ancestry culturally and spiritually.

Kindoki is not a religion in and of itself though. It is a style of witchcraft and sorcery. Much like Obeah in the east and Caribbean, practitioners may be from a variety of religious or spiritual backgrounds. Most are Catholic, but many come from other denominations of Christianity, their ancestral central African faith, Yoruba Ifa or Orisa, and I've even heard of a few with Muslim backgrounds. The common thread is some central African physical or cultural ancestry. Others may learn a lot from it though, and indeed practitioners have contributed a lot to the general knowledge and practice of witchcraft in the Americas.

The purpose of this website is to pass along some of the wisdom and recipes I have collected and developed over the years from the southwestern U.S. and other places. The spiritual/faith related advice and practices are framed within Orisha terms because those who have practiced their Kongo ancestral religion in an unbroken line are rare and blessed, and don't really need beginner level instruction. The Yoruba and diaspora Orishas are universal enough that anyone who is African or respectful and immersed enough in African culture can safely connect with those who are well known and humane. It would not be a good idea for me to spread the names of specific local and family ancestors to the world. I encourage people however, to take a lesson from central African faiths though, and look into their own ancestry and ancestors as they are our first connection to the spirit realm.

If you are already a practicing witch with a good hold on the basics, click here to get started exploring Kindoki. If you are a total beginner, start with Witch University's Witchcraft 101 series, and return to us soon.

Blessings and Ase!

 ~ Sheloya