Hoodoo is not Vodou. We need to make this clear as although we provide information about and resources for both on our website, http://www.baronsmagic.com/, we always try to keep these traditions separate.
Likewise, Hoodoo mojos are not the same as Vodou wanga. Hoodoo 'mojo bags' offered by Baron's Magic are created by our Rootworker, Dr Nagini. Vodou 'wanga' / 'travay' (magical workings) are provided by Vodou initiates including our proprietress Hounsi Sophia. The two may look similar - both can be a bag; both are seen as being 'blessed', both contain secret ingredients often in the way of herbs. Both are certainly powerful, as well. But they are not the same.
In essence, Hoodoo, unlike Vodou, is not a religion - it is a system of magic, "although it incorporates elements from African and European religions in terms of its core beliefs." (Lucky Mojo) Although many Rootworkers work in a spiritual fashion, they may be of any religion or none. The ingredients of the mojo themselves, when mixed in the correct way, are believed to do the work, after appropriate further blessings, prayer work or 'charging with intent'.
A mojo, mojo bag or mojo hand is normally a magical charm bag containing certain ingredients, traditionally undertaken in the practice of Hoodoo.
Vodou is a religion that pivots around the sevis ('service') of certain spirits known as Lwa. Many of the Lwa are associated with and believed to hold the knowledge of herbal medicine and magic. Their sacred songs remind us of this. And it is certainly not uncommon for a travay ('magical work') to be undertaken with the assistance of the Lwa. The way of doing such work may be passed down amongst initiates or families, and will probably include certain proscribed ingredients; many of which may make alot of sense to the Hoodoo practitioner. But when the work is done, it is the Lwa primarily who give it power.
A wanga is a magical work in Vodou, also known as travay ('working') which may or may not take the form of a bag containing certain secret items.
From an e-mail between Sophia and a client explaining the difference between the mojo bags and wanga provided by Baron's Magic:-
1) Mojo bag - these are made by our Hoodoo specialist, Dr Nagini. It is she who would custom-make a mojo to your specifications and she would be the one to price it up for you and give you any further info; I am happy to pass your details on to her! Mojos are magickal, rather than spiritual i.e. they use tried and tasted ingredients and personal magicks rather than prayer work or guidance from the Spirits. Having said that, many mojo workers do work with the Spirits and Dr Nagini is one of them so in actual fact the difference is negligible, LOL
2) Wanga - these are made by me (Hounsi Sophia). A mojo bag comes from the Hoodoo tradition, wanga are made under the Vodou tradition which can be a big difference depending on the practitioner LOL! I am an initiate in Vodou and work only under the guidance of the Lwa. This means that each wanga may be very different in what it contains, though I still use certain traditional recipes. They are also spiritually empowered with prayer work. The main difference between the two options, from your perspective, is that I normally like to perform a Reading prior to making a wanga, as this helps me be guided to see any underlying issues and deal with those.
It is up to you which route you would like to take. Let me know and we'll go from there :)
Further Resources
'What Hoodoo is Not: Voodoo, Santeria etc' http://www.luckymojo.com/hoodoohistory.html#hoodoonot
