What the heck is a "mojo"?

Question

I mean, some people use it to name a sauce.
"Mojito"

Answer 1

Mojo (pronounced: 'mO-"jO) is a term commonly encountered in the African-American folk belief called hoodoo. A mojo is a small bag, a type of magic charm, often of red flannel cloth and tied with a drawstring, containing botanical, zoological, and/or mineral curios, petition papers, and the like. It is typically worn by a person under the clothes.

Terminology and manner of use
The word Mojo traces its origins to Africa and entered the English language during the era of slavery in the USA. It has been widely known from the 19th century and early 20th century to the present. Other regional names for mojo bags, or for specific types of mojos, include gree-gree (a Bantu word typically spelled gris-gris by people Louisiana because of the states francophone origins, mojo hand, conjure bag, conjure hand, toby, jomo, and nation sack. In Haiti, the usual name for this sort of charm bag among those of African descent is a wanga, oanga, or wanger.

Mojo hands are carried for their supernatural powers, such as protecting from evil or crossed conditions, drawing love, or bringing good luck or success in gambling and other money matters. A mojo bag can also be prepared for use in more nefarious spell-craft, such as to render a man impotent by tying his nature. The mojo bag usually contains a mix of herbs, powders, personal concerns such as a hair or fingernail clippings, sometimes a coin or dice, a lodestone, a petition paper or prayer, and other objects thought to promote supernatural action or protection. The tying of the bag is an important part of its making, as this keeps within it the spirit whose aid is being sought. Once thus fixed and prepared, the mojo is fed to keep it working, generally with a liquid, such as a perfume, an anointing oil, or, in some cases, a drop of urine.

References to mojos, nation sacks, and tobies are common in 20th century rural and urban blues songs by musicians such as Blind Willie McTell, Robert Johnson, Blind Lemon Jefferson, the Memphis Jug Band, and Lightnin' Hopkins. Some of the earlier blues tunes were covered by white rock & roll bands in the 1960s. The tunes thus reached audiences unfamiliar with the African-American folk beliefs referred to in the lyrics of the songs.

The exposure of uninformed audiences to the word mojo led to misunderstanding and additional uses of the word, usually to refer to male virility, libido, or the penis. This misunderstanding was popularized by Jim Morrison of The Doors, who named himself "Mr. Mojo Risin" — an anagram of Jim Morrison — in the song "L.A. Woman". This usage of the word was turned to comedy in the 1999 film Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, in which the title character has his mojo stolen, and loses his confidence and sexual prowess.

Some other slang meanings of mojo in common use include: charisma, karma, cocaine and thing (as in "Gimme that mojo!").

Despite these variant usages, the word mojo continues to be widely used to mean what it always has meant in the African-American community -- namely, a conjure hand.

Answer 2

Mojito is an alcoholic beverage. Its not named after mojo. Mojo means a lot of different things. It could mean a magical sack used in hoodoo. It's the source of Austin Power's power. It's the name of Homer Simpson's monkey. It's a comic book character.

Answer 3

It all depends upon the context in which you are using the word.

It could be "that voodoo that you do" that attracts people of the opposite sex (or same sex if you swing it like that). This is good mojo.

It could also be that real voodoo, where somebody's casting the evil eye 'cause you've done them wrong and they make all your hair fall out and your 'thang don't work no more. This is bad mojo.

Mojo is also a really cool, and really insane, Marvel comics supervillain who rules his own alternate dimension (see Longshot). This is big fat yellow weird Mojo with no spine (look him up).

Answer 4

Mojo is a charismatic power that allows you to have a certain amount of control over others. In everyday language it refers to that of someone's ability to seduce the opposite sex. In spiritual context it refers to the power behind certain types of spells, especially in sympathetic magic. A mojo bag is a bag containing various magical items that increases or maintains this power for a practitioner.

Answer 5

I used to go to a restaurant called Mojos

Answer 6

Mojito is a drink..your MOJO is like your sex drive.

Answer 7

mojo potatoes at Shakes Pizza

Answer 8

Its Jim Morrison man.
Or pretty much we all have a mojo. Its something that drives us. Alot of things can be a mojo. It what you feel
MR MOJO RISIN'

Answer 9

Most refer to mojo as a form of their ego, usually in a sexual matter

Answer 10

Mojo means "gravy" in Spanish.