From Aunt Caroline Dye to Memphis Minnie, playing card divination is among the most enduring spiritual practices among Black Americans.

Yet there are few guides to learning the practice. Those that exist were written by those outside the tradition, contain information of poor quality and, most importantly, are not by playing card diviners.

Playing Card Divination: An Ancestral Introduction is a guide to the fifty-two cards through a Hoodoo lens. Written by a rootworker and diviner with twenty-five years of experience, the book is a practical, tactile starting place for those learning to read playing cards for themselves and others.

Ryan Coogler’s Sinners was a beautiful reintroduction to divination in Hoodoo for many Black Americans. It coincided with the growth of cultural interest in African Traditional Religions and African Diasporic Religions, from #HoodooTok and #BlackWitchtok, to recent books about Hoodoo and conjure that have been able to jump from communities of practice to mainstream success.

Playing card divination is a source of empowerment and protection in a world that doesn’t value Black life or Black spirits. Learning to read playing cards can offer connection to our ancestors, protection in an unjust world, clarity of mind, and a personal connection to Black religious lineages.

Playing Card Divination: An Ancestral Introduction seeks to deepen the understanding of card reading within Hoodoo for those new to the tradition, and to those looking to expand their skills as a diviner. With a mix of history, card meanings, and actionable tactics for telling the future, readers can expect to come away with a grasp of how to read the cards effectively.

Playing Card Divination: An Ancestral Introduction is a companion to those learning to read playing cards that makes information simple and accessible without sacrificing praxis and accuracy.