A black cat bone is a type of lucky charm used in the African American magical tradition of hoodoo. It is thought to ensure a variety of positive effects, such as invisibility, good luck, protection from malevolent magic, rebirth after death, and romantic success.
...Got a black cat bone
got a mojo too,
I got John the Conqueror root,
I'm gonna mess with you...
- —"Hoochie Coochie Man," Muddy Waters
The bone, anointed with Van Van oil, may be carried as a component of a mojo bag; alternatively, without the coating of oil, it is held in the charm-user's mouth.
Read more about Black Cat Bone: Origins, Differences in Method, Sale of Purported "black Cat Bones"
Famous quotes containing the words black, cat and/or bone:
“The black dog gets the food; the white dog gets the blame.”
—Chinese proverb.
“Was there ever a cat that didn’t like to eat fish?”
—Chinese proverb.
“Here lies the body of William Jones
Who all his life collected bones,
Till Death, that grim and boney spectre,
That universal bone collector,
Boned old Jones, so neat and tidy,
And here he lies, all bona fide.”
—Anonymous. “Epitaph on William Jones,” from Eleanor Broughton’s Varia (1925)