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by | Mar 16, 2018 | Hosta

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Juju Bae (born 1992)[1] is an African American witch, spiritual healer, writer, and podcaster. She uses her platform to help her listeners navigate the practice of African Traditional Religions. She is best known for her podcast A Little Juju, which was nominated for Best Religion and Spirituality Podcast at the 2020 iHeartRadio Podcast Awards. She is a main cast member on the Hulu series Living for the Dead. Bae will release her debut book, The Book of Juju, on June 18, 2024 under Sterling Ethos.

Career

Juju Bae began her spiritual journey and practice of African Traditional Religions (ATRs)[2] during adulthood, after she was directed by her ancestors.[3] Beyoncé's visual album Lemonade, which includes imagery related to the Orishas, was another touchstone that helped her continue her study.[3] She first began to practice the African American tradition of hoodoo in 2016, and later added the Yoruba practice of ifá in 2018.[4]

Juju Bae gained notability through her podcast, A Little Juju, which she launched in 2018 after she began to practice hoodoo.[5] The podcast centers Juju's explorations of the connections between Black modern life and ATRs. In 2020 the podcast was nominated for Best Spirituality & Religion Podcast at the iHeartRadio Podcast Awards.[6]

The name she uses professionally, Juju Bae, is a nod to the catch-all term "juju", which encompasses African medicine, spiritual practices and magic, and has negative connotations at times.[5] One of her objectives is to demystify ATRs, which have been stigmatized by Abrahamic religions.[2] Ancestral connection is a prominent feature of Bae's spiritual practice and education[7] because it is a central tenet of many ATRs.[5] As of 2023, Bae was working as a psychic, and communicates messages from the dead for her predominantly-Black clientele.[1] She uses divination techniques as part of her practice.[8]

In 2023 Bae appeared on the Hulu reality series Living for the Dead, where she and the other LGBTQ cast members use spiritual tools to assist ghosts and paranormal entities that haunt various locales around the United States.[3]

Bae's debut book The Book of Juju: Africana Spirtuality for Healing, Liberation and Self-Discovery will be released on June 18, 2024 under Sterling Ethos.[9] She stated that her intention with the book was to answer many of the questions she is frequently asked, such as "What if I don’t know my ancestors? What if I don’t have gifts? What if I’m adopted? What if my ancestors weren’t good people?".[3] In a positive review, Publisher's Weekly stated, "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."[9]

Personal life

Juju Bae was born and raised in Beechfield, Baltimore, Maryland. She graduated from Seton Keough High School in 2010.[1] She received her bachelor's degree in psychology from Spelman College.[8]

Bae is bisexual.[1]

Works

Podcast

Book

  • The Book of Juju: Africana Spirituality for Healing, Liberation, and Self-Discovery, 2024, United States, Sterling Ethos ISBN 978-1-4549-5128-5, 18, June 2024

References

  1. ^ a b c d Gruskin, Abigail (2023-10-17). "Baltimore spiritual healer Juju Bae stars in Hulu's new LGBTQ+ ghost-hunting show 'Living for the Dead'". Baltimore Sun. Retrieved 2024-06-09.
  2. ^ a b Opara, Gabriella (2023-12-12). "How Black women are navigating feminism through African spirituality". Broadview Magazine. Retrieved 2024-06-09.
  3. ^ a b c d Buckingham, Danielle (2024-03-22). "Get your spirit right with podcast host and Osun Priestess Juju Bae". Reckon. Retrieved 2024-06-09.
  4. ^ Pratt, Michael-Michelle (2021-06-23). "Processing Grief Through the Afro-Indigenous Spiritual Practices Hoodoo and Ifa". Vogue. Retrieved 2024-06-09.
  5. ^ a b c Davis, Alanah Nichole (2022-08-02). "'A Little Juju' Podcast Helps Listeners Connect to Their African Ancestry". Baltimore Magazine. Retrieved 2024-06-09.
  6. ^ "2020 iHeartRadio Podcast Awards: Full List of Winners". iHeart. Retrieved 2024-06-10.
  7. ^ Jeffers-Coly, Phyllis (2022-04-13). We Got Soul, We Can Heal. McFarland. p. 87. ISBN 9781476644639.
  8. ^ a b Shreya, Kumari (2023-10-18). "Juju Bae: Who is the Witchcraft and Healing Expert on Living For the Dead?". The Cinemaholic. Retrieved 2024-06-10.
  9. ^ a b "The Book of Juju: Africana Spirituality for Healing, Liberation, and Self-Discovery by Juju Bae". www.publishersweekly.com. 2024-02-02. Retrieved 2024-06-09.

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