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Luck Ball and Jack Ball???

To: alt.lucky.w,alt.religion.orisha,alt.occult.methods
From: catherine yronwode 
Subject: Re: Luck Ball and Jack Ball???
Date: Sat, 04 Nov 2000 23:59:00 GMT

LuckyHoodoo9 wrote:
> 
> Does anyone know the history of the Luck Ball and Jack Ball.  How is 
> it used, How do you make them, etc....
> 
> Thanks,
> LuckyHoodoo9

There are several items that go by those names. The name is ambiguous --
occasionally Jack balls have a John the Conqueror Root at the core (John
= Jack), but they are also often wound with red thread around a small
hidden core, and thus resemble a child's jack-ball (a red rubber ball).
However, some have neither the John the Conqueror Root NOR the red
thread, so they have no reason known to me for being called Jack balls,
and some people call them luck balls no matter WHAT they are made of. 

They are as old as mojo bags and reach back to African origins, i am 99%
sure -- but i have never seen any documentation on that. 

I would refer you to a Jack Ball URL at my site, but i haven't written
it yet -- and i have no time to do so today, so, briefly, here is an
outline for that page-to-be:

JACK BALLS AND LUCK BALLS

1) divination pendulum, called a jack, for yes-no queries,
   made with a Queen Elizabeth Root suspended on a thread

2) divination pendulum, called a jack, for yes-no queries,
   made with wound-up threads and/or strings around some 
   sort of central core that signifies luck or power

3) jack ball used as a divination pendulum, made as per (2), 
   where the core is a personal object (e.g. hair) of 
   the person about whom one is inquiring, e.g. "does he love 
   me?" or "is he safe in the war?" 

4) jack ball used as a doll-baby to influence outcomes, made 
   as per (2), where the core is a personal object (e.g. hair) 
   of the person one is seeking to influence, e.g. a "love me 
   or die" jack ball or a "think of me" jack ball; special 
   patterns of twirling or swinging the jack are inherent to 
   its use

5) jack for luck in gambling made as per (2) plus (3), where
   the core relates to the self (e.g. hair) plus to luck (e.g. a 
   coin), used as a pendulum to divine the best time to bet, 
   lucky betting numbers, etc. 

6) jack for luck in gambling made as per (2) plus (4), where
   the core relates to the self (e.g. hair) plus to luck (e.g. a 
   coin), used to influence the outcome of bets that have been 
   placed; special patterns of twirling or swinging the jack are 
   inherent to its use

I think that the above covers the range of jack balls and luck balls.
When i do write it, the actual web page will be rather text-heavy and
will also contain pictures, procedures for making your own, and even
blues lyrics as documentation, of course. 

Sorry to be so brief, and if you have further questions, just ask! 

cat yronwode 

Hoodoo in Theory and Practice -- http://www.luckymojo.com/hoodoo.html
Lucky W Amulet Archive --------- http://www.luckymojo.com/luckyw.html

No personal e-mail, please; just catch me in usenet; i read it daily. 

Lucky Mojo Curio Co. http://www.luckymojo.com/luckymojocatalogue.html
   Send e-mail with your street address to catalogue@luckymojo.com
and receive our free 32 page catalogue of hoodoo supplies and amulets

     Copyright (c) 2000 catherine yronwode. All rights reserved.

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