In this electrifying episode of How to Be Magical, host Nikki Buchanan sits down with the visionary Ace Blackwood of Hip Hop and Hoodoo for a conversation that blends spirituality, pop culture, and unapologetic Black femme magic. From the nostalgic allure of Y2K aesthetics to the rebellious power of mythology’s unruly women, Ace shares their journey as a filmmaker, illustrator, and conjure woman reclaiming ancestral traditions with a fierce, glamorous twist.
Highlights:
- Hoodoo as Reawakening: Ace discusses their unique path into Hoodoo—despite growing up in a Christian household—and how ancestral whispers guided them to reconnect with practices buried in their family’s history.
- Mean Girls Meet Mysticism: Dive into Ace’s viral Hoodoo Swim Series, where Bratz dolls and Regina George archetypes collide with Afro-spirituality, challenging stereotypes and celebrating Black femme fierceness.
- Feminism & Folklore: Why mythology’s wild women—from Anansi to Cersei—are blueprints for defiance, and how pop culture (like American Horror Story: Coven) mirrors the sacredness of sisterhood and power.
- The Glamdemic: A critique of "clean girl" minimalism and the beigeification of culture, advocating for maximalism, beauty rituals as devotion, and the radical act of loving your own magic.
- Perfume as Power: Ace’s love for fragrance as spiritual technology, tying ancient rituals to modern glamour, and why smelling divine is a revolutionary act.
🔗 Show notes: soulthings.substack.com
Follow Ace: @HouseofBLKWD (Twitter) @hiphopandhoodoo (IG) @aceblackwood (TikTok)
Follow Nikki: @iamdecd (Twitter) @soulthingsbk (IG) @soulthingsbk (TikTok) | soulthingsbotanica.com
Follow HTBM: @howtobemagical (Twitter) @howtobemagicalpodcast (IG) @howtobemagicalpodcast (TikTok)
