Support Cat Yronwode on Patreon

[catherineyronwode]

We made it! We finished 15 weeks of work on the Lucky Charms trading cards issued by Wills's Cigarettes in 1923. We completed the final five web pages to fill out our colourful and educational set of amulets and talismans from around the world. This installment features our detailed scanning, cleanup, text transcriptions, and annotations of all 50 of the classic 1923 "Wills's Lucky Charms" cigarette cards by William Thomas Pavitt and Kate Pitt Pavitt.



These full-colour trading cards comprise a collection of some of the best magical charms in the collections of the Victoria and Albert Museum and the British Museum. I have transcribed, coded, and annotated our tenth set of five of the 38 ancient talisman texts plus the set of 12 astrological talismans we finished earlier this summer. Siva has scanned and cleaned up all of the stippled chromolithographic images. As we worked on each card, i also wrote commentaries on these miniature masterpieces and cross-link them to other Lucky Mojo pages on world-wide folk magic. The entire collection of 50 web pages of Zodiac amulets and Lucky Charms, plus an introduction to the set, is now open to the public for permanent display at the Lucky W Amulet Archive!

Go to:
https://luckymojo.com/willss46eyeagate.html
https://luckymojo.com/willss47heitiki.html
https://luckymojo.com/willss48grotesquefigure.html
https://luckymojo.com/willss49axehead.html
https://luckymojo.com/willss50arrowhead.html

The whole set may be found at the Index for Wills's Cigarette Cards here:
https://www.luckymojo.com/luckywindex.html#w

This was a project 30 years in the making, and we are grateful that we got shoved into completing it by my patient and persistent Patreon supporters.

The Lucky W Amulet Archive is a folkloric resource that contains hundreds of interlinked pages describing and illustrating amulets, talismans, lucky charms, and good luck pieces from all around the world and from all eras of history. It is a work in progress, and new pages are added on a regular basis at http://www.luckymojo.com/luckyw.html

To support me on Patreon, please go to "It's All Ephemera," where you can read my update posts and sign on as Patrons:
http://patreon.com/catherineyronwode

#cigarettecards #amulets #charms #talismans #tradingcards #luckycharms #agate #eyeagate #evileye #antievileye #heitiki #tiki #grotesque #axehead #axe #arrow #arrowhead #willsscigarettecards #britishmuseum #victoriaandalbertmuseum

Follow us on Instagram
@catherineyronwode
and
@luckymojocurioco

[catherineyronwode]

Hello everyone, and thank you for supporting "It's All Ephemera"!



It's another blast from the past! Yes -- after FORTY YEARS, The Society for Decorative Plastics, and its bi-monthly newsletter, "Collectible Plastics," comes out of the old oak filing cabinet, gets run through a scanner, and LEAPS ONTO THE WORLD WIDE WEB!

Collectible Plastics, originally published from December 1984 through May 1986, was one of my many labours of love, a 4-page typeset and illustrated newsletter about Bakelite, Catalin, Marblette, and Celluloid jewelry and novelty items that was sent to collectors and antique shops for a mere $4.00 per year. We had hundreds of subscribers, and even though four decades have passed since the last issue went out, this wayward periodical's information, enthusiasm, and community outreach are still valid, and so it brings me great pleasure to reprint these old issues -- and, if i can pull it together (you know i can) -- to publish the never-finished 11th issue.

This crazy-ass project is underwritten by my Patrons. They get a preview, and the public will see the results of their charitable generosity on October 28th, 2026.

[THE SECRET URL IS SENT TO PATRONS VIA EMAIL]

Support me on Patreon for $8.00 per month and get a one-year preview of new pages and access to exclusive threads at the Lucky Mojo Forum:

http://patreon.com/catherineyronwode

Follow me on Facebook and Instagram at:
https://www.facebook.com/catyronwode
and
https://www.instagram.com/catherineyronwode

Cordially,

cat yronwode

#collectibles #plastics #catalin #bakelite #marblette #celluloid #novelty #cutlery #radios #newsletters

[catherineyronwode]

Thanks to my Patrons, who contribute $8.00 per month for an exclusive one-year sneak-peek behind the scenes, i am able to regularly write new web pages on the history of African-American folk magic. This week in "Blues Lyrics and Hoodoo" we release an illustrated and annotated transcription from my collection of 20th century blues lyrics about African-American folk magic. Walter Davis, who was born in Grenada, Mississippi, in 1911 or 1912, became a popular singer, songwriter, and piano player in Saint Louis and recorded more than 150 songs in his 23-year music career. This piece, "Root Man Blues," is a funny double entendre song about a travelling root doctor and the woman who just can't turn loose of his root. I have transcribed the lyrics, set forth an explanation of what they mean, and with my husband's help, this has been accompanied by photos, a label shot, and an MP3 audio file to delight hoodoo and blues fans.



Go to:
https://luckymojo.com/bluesrootmanbluesdavis.html

The Blues Lyrics and Hoodoo site is here:
http://luckymojo.com/blues.html

To support me on Patreon and make my new web pages possible, please go to "It's All Ephemera," where you can read my update posts and sign on as a Patron for just $8.00 per month -- four weekly pages at a mere $2.00 each. Your support keeps me writing, and i thank everyone who has helped me with this source of funding since January 2021.

http://patreon.com/catherineyronwode

#blueslyrics #blueslyricsandhoodoo #hoodoo #folkmagic #rootwork #conjure #sexandhoodoo #bluesandhoodoo #conjuredoctor

Follow us on Instagram
@catherineyronwode
and
@luckymojocurioco

[catherineyronwode]

Hello everyone, and thank you for supporting "It's All Ephemera"!



"Collectible Plastics" Vol. 1, No. 2, December, 1984-January, 1985 is digitized and now online! After FORTY YEARS, The Society for Decorative Plastics, and its bi-monthly newsletter, "Collectible Plastics," is now on the World Wide Web!

This hobby-zine, originally published from December 1984 through May 1986, was one of my many labours of love, a 4-page typeset and illustrated newsletter about Bakelite, Catalin, Marblette, and Celluloid jewelry and novelty items that was sent to collectors and antique shops for a mere $4.00 per year. We had hundreds of subscribers, and even though four decades have passed since the last issue went out, this wayward periodical's information, enthusiasm, and community outreach are still valid, and so it brings me great pleasure to reprint these old issues. In keeping with modern technology, i am also adding colour photos in addition to the original black-and-white half-tones, and the first of those have been added to the series Introduction, which went out to my Patrons last week. (They can revisit that page to see the new images.)

This crazy-ass project is underwritten by my Patrons. They get a preview, and the public will see the results of their charitable generosity on November 7th, 2026.

[PATRONS GET THE SECRET URL IN EMAIL ONE YEAR BEFORE IT OPENS TO THE PUBLIC]

Support me on Patreon for $8.00 per month and get a one-year preview of new pages and access to exclusive threads at the Lucky Mojo Forum:

http://patreon.com/catherineyronwode

Follow me on Facebook and Instagram at:
https://www.facebook.com/catyronwode
and
https://www.instagram.com/catherineyronwode

Cordially,

cat yronwode

#collectibles #plastics #catalin #bakelite #marblette #celluloid #novelty #cutlery #radios #newsletters

[nagasiva]

Thanks to my Patrons, who contribute $8.00 per month for an exclusive one-year sneak-peek behind the scenes, i am able to regularly write new web pages on the history of African-American folk magic. This week in "Blues Lyrics and Hoodoo" we release an illustrated and annotated transcription from my collection of 20th century blues lyrics about African-American folk magic. Thomas A. Dorsey, well known as "The Father of Gospel Music" had an earlier career as Georgia Tom Dorsey, a blues singer, composer, and pianist. As Thomas A. Dorsey he wrote inspirational songs like "Take My Hand, Precious Lord," but as Georgia Tom he wrote some of the cleverest double entendre blues ever recorded, songs in which surprisingly sexual imagery was thinly veiled or "coded" in innocent-seeming metaphors. This week's song, the original version of "Root Man Blues" from 1931, is presented in the form of a dialogue between Georgia Tom as a hoodoo root doctor and his female client, voiced by the mysteriously pseudonymous singer Kansas City Kitty. Georgia Tom tries to sell Kitty a Georgia Jumpin' Root, but she turns it down and selects a Louisiana Crooked Root to chew instead. I have transcribed the lyrics, set forth an explanation of what they really mean, and prepared extensive (and i mean EXTENSIVE!) side-notes concerning the true identity of Kansas City Kitty. With my husband nagasiva's help, the article is accompanied by photos, a label shot, and an MP3 audio file so you can sing along.

Go to:
https://luckymojo.com/bluesrootmanblues ... orsey.html

The Blues Lyrics and Hoodoo site is here:
http://luckymojo.com/blues.html

To support me on Patreon and make my new web pages possible, please go to "It's All Ephemera," where you can read my update posts and sign on as a Patron for just $8.00 per month -- four weekly pages at a mere $2.00 each. Your support keeps me writing, and i thank everyone who has helped me with this source of funding since January 2021.

http://patreon.com/catherineyronwode

#blueslyrics #blueslyricsandhoodoo #hoodoo #folkmagic #rootwork #conjure #sexandhoodoo #bluesandhoodoo #conjuredoctor

Follow us on Instagram
@catherineyronwode
and
@luckymojocurioco

[catherineyronwode]

Hello everyone, and thank you for supporting "It's All Ephemera"!



"Collectible Plastics" Vol. 1, No. 3, February 1985-March 1985 is digitized and now online! After FORTY YEARS in hibernation, The Society for Decorative Plastics and its bi-monthly newsletter, "Collectible Plastics," have awakened to the World Wide Web!

Originally published from December 1984 through May 1986, this esoteric hobby-zine was one of my many labours of love, a 4-page typeset and illustrated newsletter about the then-obscure and almost-antique plastic jewelry and novelty items of the pre World War Two era that were made of Bakelite, Catalin, Marblette, and Celluloid. Back then we sent our little zine to collectors and antique shops for a mere $4.00 per year and to our surprise, we ended up with hundreds of subscribers. Strangely, even though four decades have passed since the last issue was released, the research, information, enthusiasm, and community outreach of the mid-1980s is still of aid to collectors, and so i have called upon my wonderful Patreon supporters to buy us the time for scanning, transcribing, and reprinting all 10 issues. This 8-week project does interrupt our usual focus on folk magic and fortune telling, but i think it is worth the effort because it brings to light an aspect of popular culture that would otherwise never have made it into the digital age.

This project is underwritten by my Patrons. They get a preview, and the public will see the results of their charitable generosity on November 14th, 2026.

[PATRONS GET THE SECRET URL IN EMAIL ONE YEAR BEFORE IT OPENS TO THE PUBLIC]

Support me on Patreon for $8.00 per month and get a one-year preview of new pages and access to exclusive threads at the Lucky Mojo Forum:

http://patreon.com/catherineyronwode

Follow me on Facebook and Instagram at:
https://www.facebook.com/catyronwode
and
https://www.instagram.com/catherineyronwode

Cordially,

cat yronwode

#collectibles #plastics #catalin #bakelite #marblette #celluloid #novelty #cutlery #figurals #radios #newsletters

[catherineyronwode]

Thanks to my Patrons, who contribute $8.00 per month for an exclusive one-year sneak-peek behind the scenes, i am able to regularly write new web pages on the history of African-American folk magic. This week in "Blues Lyrics and Hoodoo" my Patrons are getting a one-year Patreon exclusive -- and illustrated and annotated transcription from my collection of 20th century blues lyrics about African-American folk magic.



This week i am presenting the fourth in a quartet of blues songs that take as their subject the comings and goings -- and the scandalous doings -- of the paripatetic root doctors who travelled the South during the 1930s and 1940s, selling conjure roots, and performing other services for their eager female clients. This final piece is "New Root Man Blues" by the extremely obscure singer and guitarist Georgia Slim, also known as George Bedford. Recorded in Birmingham, Alabama, in 1937, this is a piece of hoodoo history you will not want to miss. With my husband nagasiva's help, the article is accompanied by an album cover, a label shot, and an MP3 audio file so you can sing along.

Go to:
https://luckymojo.com/bluesnewrootmanbluesslim.html

The Blues Lyrics and Hoodoo site is here:
http://luckymojo.com/blues.html

To support me on Patreon and make my new web pages possible, please go to "It's All Ephemera," where you can read my update posts and sign on as a Patron for just $8.00 per month -- four weekly pages at a mere $2.00 each. Your support keeps me writing, and i thank everyone who has helped me with this source of funding since January 2021.

http://patreon.com/catherineyronwode

#blueslyrics #blueslyricsandhoodoo #hoodoo #folkmagic #rootwork #conjure #sexandhoodoo #bluesandhoodoo #conjuredoctor

Follow us on Instagram
@catherineyronwode
and
@luckymojocurioco

[catherineyronwode]

Hello everyone, and thank you for supporting "It's All Ephemera"!




"Collectible Plastics" Vol. 1, Nos. 4/5 (double issue) April/May and June/July 1985 is digitized and now online! After FORTY YEARS in a glass coffin in the woods, The Society for Decorative Plastics and its bi-monthly newsletter, "Collectible Plastics," have awakened to the kiss of the World Wide Web! This time the subject is radio cases, and how they evolved from brown wood-grained Gothic Cathedral styles into brightly coloured Art Deco Ziggurats of splendour. The 1930s was the age of Industrial Design, and radios were all the rage, so when Industrial Designers were invited to revamp what a radio ought to look like, they went completely wild with form and colour.

Originally published from December 1984 through May 1986, "Collectible Plastics" was an esoteric hobby-zine, one of my research-intensive many labours of love, a 4-page typeset and illustrated newsletter about the then-obscure and almost-antique plastic jewelry and novelty items of the pre World War Two era that were made of Bakelite, Catalin, Marblette, and Celluloid. Back then we sent our little zine to collectors and antique shops for a mere $4.00 per year and to our surprise, we ended up with hundreds of subscribers. Strangely, even though four decades have passed since the last issue was released, the research, information, enthusiasm, and community outreach of the mid-1980s is still of aid to collectors, and so i have called upon my wonderful Patreon supporters to buy us the time for scanning, transcribing, and reprinting all 10 issues. This 8-week project does interrupt our usual focus on folk magic and fortune telling, but i think it is worth the effort because it brings to light an aspect of popular culture that would otherwise never have made it into the digital age.

This project is underwritten by my Patrons. They get a preview, and the public will see the results of their charitable generosity on November 21st, 2026.

[PATRONS GET THE SECRET URL IN EMAIL ONE YEAR BEFORE IT OPENS TO THE PUBLIC]

Support me on Patreon for $8.00 per month and get a one-year preview of new pages and access to exclusive threads at the Lucky Mojo Forum:

http://patreon.com/catherineyronwode

Follow me on Facebook and Instagram at:
https://www.facebook.com/catyronwode
and
https://www.instagram.com/catherineyronwode

Cordially,

cat yronwode

#collectibles #plastics #catalin #bakelite #marblette #celluloid #novelty #cutlery #figurals #radios #newsletters

[catherineyronwode]

Thanks to my Patrons, who contribute $8.00 per month for an exclusive one-year sneak-peek behind the scenes, i am able to regularly write new web pages on the history of African-American folk magic. This week in "Blues Lyrics and Hoodoo" we release an illustrated and annotated transcription from my collection of 20th century blues lyrics about African-American folk magic. All of you (probably) know what it means to be jinxed -- but did you know that the first time this phrase appeared in a blues song was in 1924? Here is William Henry "Papa Charlie" Jackson to tell you all about the jinx and why he is leaving town with the "Salt Lake City Blues." Thanks to the help of my husband nagasiva, the article is accompanied by three photos of the man himself, a label shot, and an MP3 audio file so you can sing along.



Go to:
https://luckymojo.com/bluessaltlakecity ... ckson.html

The Blues Lyrics and Hoodoo site is here:
http://luckymojo.com/blues.html

To support me on Patreon and make my new web pages possible, please go to "It's All Ephemera," where you can read my update posts and sign on as a Patron for just $8.00 per month -- four weekly pages at a mere $2.00 each. Your support keeps me writing, and i thank everyone who has helped me with this source of funding since January 2021.

http://patreon.com/catherineyronwode

#blueslyrics #blueslyricsandhoodoo #hoodoo #folkmagic #rootwork #conjure #sexandhoodoo #bluesandhoodoo #conjuredoctor

Follow us on Instagram
@catherineyronwode
and
@luckymojocurioco

[catherineyronwode]

Hello everyone, and thank you for supporting "It's All Ephemera"!



"Collectible Plastics" Vol. 1, No.6, August/September 1985 is digitized and now online! After FORTY YEARS in a dimly lit, dusty warehouse in Queens, The Society for Decorative Plastics and its bi-monthly newsletter, "Collectible Plastics," are being re-introduced to the public! This time the subject is the home-crafting of art deco Catalin jewelry and domestic knick-knacks, from pill-boxes to prayer beads, and from letter-openers to lamp stands. The 1930s was the era of the Great Depression, when hand-made gifts became a necessity and young people learned basic shop skills in school. With a scroll-saw, a stationary lathe or Dremel tool, a buffing wheel, and a subscription to "Popular Mechanics," an enterprising person could easily turn colourful Catalin "blanks" into novelty art-pieces and sell them at church bazaars or via mail order.

"Collectible Plastics" was originally published from December 1984 through May 1986 as a 4-page typeset and illustrated newsletter about the then-obscure and almost-antique objects made before World War Two from Bakelite, Catalin, Marblette, and Celluloid. Even though four decades have passed since the last issue was released, the research, information, enthusiasm, and community outreach that flowed through this little zine is still fun to read, and so i have called upon my wonderful Patreon supporters to buy us the time for scanning, transcribing, and reprinting all 10 issues. This 8-week project does interrupt our usual focus on folk magic and fortune telling, but i think it is worth the effort because it brings to light an aspect of popular culture that would otherwise never have made it into the digital age.

The "Collectible Plastics" project is underwritten by my Patrons. They get a preview, and the public will see the results of their charitable generosity on November 28th, 2026.

[PATRONS GET THE SECRET URL IN EMAIL ONE YEAR BEFORE IT OPENS TO THE PUBLIC]

Support me on Patreon for $8.00 per month and get a one-year preview of new pages and access to exclusive threads at the Lucky Mojo Forum:

http://patreon.com/catherineyronwode

Follow me on Facebook and Instagram at:
https://www.facebook.com/catyronwode
and
https://www.instagram.com/catherineyronwode

Cordially,

cat yronwode

#collectibles #plastics #catalin #bakelite #marblette #celluloid #novelty #cutlery #figurals #radios #kits #newsletters

[catherineyronwode]

Thanks to my Patrons, who contribute $8.00 per month for an exclusive one-year sneak-peek behind the scenes, i am able to regularly write new web pages on the history of African-American folk magic. This week in "Blues Lyrics and Hoodoo" my Patrons are getting a one-year Patreon exclusive -- an illustrated and annotated transcription from my collection of 20th century blues lyrics about African-American folk magic. Today i am bringing you one of my favourite singers and guitarists, Brownie McGhee from Tennessee, who recorded a fine blues song about his lover's "Secret Mojo" in 1947, the year that i was born. Thanks to the help of my husband nagasiva, this article is accompanied by two portrait photos, two label shots, and an MP3 audio file so you can sing along, and i have also written a short biography of McGhee, whom it was my pleasure to see both in concerts and in coffee houses many times.

Go to:
https://luckymojo.com/bluessecretmojomcghee.html

The Blues Lyrics and Hoodoo site is here:
http://luckymojo.com/blues.html

To support me on Patreon and make my new web pages possible, please go to "It's All Ephemera," where you can read my update posts and sign on as a Patron for just $8.00 per month -- four weekly pages at a mere $2.00 each. Your support keeps me writing, and i thank everyone who has helped me with this source of funding since January 2021.

http://patreon.com/catherineyronwode

#blueslyrics #blueslyricsandhoodoo #hoodoo #folkmagic #rootwork #conjure #sexandhoodoo #bluesandhoodoo #conjuredoctor

Follow us on Instagram
@catherineyronwode
and
@luckymojocurioco

[catherineyronwode]

Hello everyone, and thank you for supporting "It's All Ephemera"!



"Collectible Plastics" Vol. 1, No. 7, October/November 1985 is digitized and now online! FORTY YEARS after it was first published, the bi-monthly newsletter of The Society for Decorative Plastics is back in print! This time the subject is art deco Catalin jewelry and domestic knick-knacks in the form of Scotty Dogs, the most popular breed of domestic canine during the 1930s. Factories turned out hand-carved Scotty novelties by the score, colourful Catalin Scotty-shaped "blanks" were for sale to the home craftsman and hobby-carver, and colourful Scotty Dogs were seen everywhere, from simple dress-buttons and children's fork handles to spritely napkin rings and elaborate novelty brooches. Return with us now to those golden days of yesteryear, when scampering Scotties were worn as a sign of support for Franklin Delano Roosevelt and the New Deal.

"Collectible Plastics" was originally published from December 1984 through May 1986 as a 4-page typeset and illustrated newsletter about the then-obscure and almost-antique objects made before World War Two from Bakelite, Catalin, Marblette, and Celluloid. Even though four decades have passed since the last issue was released, the research, information, enthusiasm, and community outreach that flowed through this little zine is still fun to read, and so i have called upon my wonderful Patreon supporters to buy us the time for scanning, transcribing, and reprinting all 10 issues. This 8-week project does interrupt our usual focus on folk magic and fortune telling, but i think it is worth the effort because it brings to light an aspect of popular culture that would otherwise never have made it into the digital age.

The "Collectible Plastics" project is underwritten by my Patrons. They get a preview, and the public will see the results of their charitable generosity on December 7th, 2026.

[PATRONS GET THE SECRET URL IN EMAIL ONE YEAR BEFORE IT OPENS TO THE PUBLIC]

Support me on Patreon for $8.00 per month and get a one-year preview of new pages and access to exclusive threads at the Lucky Mojo Forum:

http://patreon.com/catherineyronwode

Follow me on Facebook and Instagram at:
https://www.facebook.com/catyronwode
and
https://www.instagram.com/catherineyronwode

Cordially,

cat yronwode

#collectibles #plastics #catalin #bakelite #marblette #celluloid #novelty #artdeco #scotties #scottydog #scottydogs

[catherineyronwode]

Thanks to my Patrons, who contribute $8.00 per month for an exclusive one-year sneak-peek behind the scenes, i am able to regularly write new web pages on the history of African-American folk magic.



This week in "Blues Lyrics and Hoodoo" my Patrons are getting an illustrated and annotated transcription from my collection of 20th century blues lyrics about African-American rootwork. Today i offer you a treat from 1927, with Martha Copeland singing, Porter Grainger on piano, and the great Bob Fuller on clarinet, in a little number they called "Shootin' Star Blues." Martha is troubled by many omens and signs that foretell bad and good luck, so Grainger and Fuller accompany her with a melody that shifts from minor to major and includes some funny -- and spooky -- musical references. Thanks to the help of my husband nagasiva, this article is accompanied by three portrait photos, a label shot, and an MP3 audio file so you can sing along. I have also written short biographies of Copeland, Grainger, and Fuller, for those who love the musical end of things as much as the education in hoodoo.

Go to:
https://luckymojo.com/bluesshootinstarcopeland.html

The Blues Lyrics and Hoodoo site is here:
http://luckymojo.com/blues.html

To support me on Patreon and make my new web pages possible, please go to "It's All Ephemera," where you can read my update posts and sign on as a Patron for just $8.00 per month -- four weekly pages at a mere $2.00 each. Your support keeps me writing, and i thank everyone who has helped me with this source of funding since January 2021.

http://patreon.com/catherineyronwode

#blueslyrics #blueslyricsandhoodoo #hoodoo #folkmagic #rootwork #conjure #blackcat #blackcatbone

Follow us on Instagram
@catherineyronwode
and
@luckymojocurioco

[catherineyronwode]

Hello everyone, and thank you for supporting "It's All Ephemera"!



"Collectible Plastics" Vol. 1, No. 8, December 1985 / January 1986 is digitized and now online! FORTY YEARS have passed since it was first published, but the bi-monthly newsletter of The Society for Decorative Plastics is back in print! This time the topic is art deco Catalin Gambling Tools and Toys of the 1930s, from Dice and Chuck-a-Lucks to Poker Chip Caddies and Chess pieces. Factories and amateur crafters alike produced an amazing array of colourful game pieces during an era when home entertainment with betting on the side was all the rage -- and we've got the facts and the photos to open your eyes to a world of plastic that you never knew existed.

"Collectible Plastics" was originally published from December 1984 through May 1986 as a 4-page typeset and illustrated newsletter about the then-obscure and almost-antique objects made before World War Two from Bakelite, Catalin, Marblette, and Celluloid. Even though four decades have passed since the last issue was released, the research, information, enthusiasm, and community outreach that flowed through this little zine are still fun to read, and so i have called upon my wonderful Patreon supporters to buy us the time for scanning, transcribing, and reprinting all 10 issues. This 8-week project does interrupt our usual focus on folk magic and fortune telling, but i think it is worth the effort because it brings to light an aspect of popular culture that would otherwise never have made it into the digital age.

The "Collectible Plastics" project is underwritten by my Patrons. They get a preview, and the public will see the results of their charitable generosity on December 14th, 2026.

[PATRONS GET THE SECRET URL IN EMAIL ONE YEAR BEFORE IT OPENS TO THE PUBLIC]

Support me on Patreon for $8.00 per month and get a one-year preview of new pages and access to exclusive threads at the Lucky Mojo Forum:

http://patreon.com/catherineyronwode

Follow me on Facebook and Instagram at:
https://www.facebook.com/catyronwode
and
https://www.instagram.com/catherineyronwode

Cordially,

cat yronwode

#collectibles #plastics #catalin #bakelite #marblette #celluloid #novelty #artdeco #poker #gambling #dice

[catherineyronwode]

Thanks to my Patrons, who contribute as little as $8.00 per month for an exclusive one-year sneak-peek behind the scenes, i am able to write a new web page every week on the history of folk magic and divination. After a year, these pages are given to the public to read for free.



Today we take a side trip from Vintage Tea Rooms and visit some of the best designed dining establishments of the 20th century. From Victoriana to Art Deco to just plain weird, these places feature unusual architecture and unique interiors, as published on American postcards from roughly 1905 to 1955. These images are now on display at the Mystic Tea Room web site for every tea lover and tea leaf reader to enjoy.

Go to:
https://www.mystictearoom.com/wiki/Cool_Eateries

and please consider supporting me on Patreon so i can keep on working on "It's All Ephemera!"

#tealeafreading #teacups #tearooms #tasseomancy #MysticTeaRoom #tea #vintagepostcards

Follow us on Instagram
@catherineyronwode
and
@luckymojocurioco

[catherineyronwode]

Hello everyone, and thank you for supporting "It's All Ephemera"!



"Collectible Plastics" Vol. 1, No. 9-10, February - May 1986, is digitized and now online! FORTY YEARS have passed since it was first published, but the bi-monthly newsletter of The Society for Decorative Plastics is back in print! For this final issue, the topic is Celluloid, the oldest plastic. Also known by trade names such as Pyralin, French Ivory, and Amerlith, Celluloid was available in plain, striated, amber, tortoiseshell, and pearlescent finishes in a range of pastel colours for use in dresser sets, mirror frames, brush handles, manicure tools, hair receivers, fountain pen cases, baby rattles, buttons, button hooks, and other small notions and necessities of the Victorian and Edwardian eras. The only problem with it was its flammability, especially during manufacture. You think lithium-ion EV batteries are a fire hazard? Celluloid says, "Hold my beer."

"Collectible Plastics" was originally published from December 1984 through May 1986 as a typeset and illustrated newsletter about the then-obscure and almost-antique objects made before World War Two from Bakelite, Catalin, Marblette, and Celluloid. Even though four decades have passed since the last issue was released, the research, information, enthusiasm, and community outreach that flowed through this little zine are still fun to read, and so i have called upon my wonderful Patreon supporters to buy us the time for scanning, transcribing, and reprinting all 10 issues. This 8-week project has temporarily interrupted our usual focus on folk magic and fortune telling, but i think it has been worth the effort because it has brought to light an aspect of popular culture that would otherwise never have made it into the digital age.

The "Collectible Plastics" project has been underwritten by my Patrons. They get a preview, and the public will see the results of their charitable generosity on December 21st, 2026.

[PATRONS GET THE SECRET URL IN EMAIL ONE YEAR BEFORE IT OPENS TO THE PUBLIC]

Support me on Patreon for $8.00 per month and get a one-year preview of new pages and access to exclusive threads at the Lucky Mojo Forum:

http://patreon.com/catherineyronwode

Follow me on Facebook and Instagram at:
https://www.facebook.com/catyronwode
and
https://www.instagram.com/catherineyronwode

Cordially,

cat yronwode

#collectibles #plastics #celluloid #novelty #artdeco #pyralin #amerlith #dresserware #dressersets #toiletware #mirrors #handles #newsletters

[catherineyronwode]

Hello everyone, and thank you for supporting "It's All Ephemera"!



This week in "Blues Lyrics and Hoodoo" my Patrons are going to get a newly illustrated and annotated transcription from my collection of 20th century blues lyrics about rootwork and conjure.

Today we travel back to 1968, when B. B. King sang "You Put It On Me" -- an electric blues with lyrics by the great poet, memoirist, and political activist Maja Angelou, arranged by the record producer Quincy Jones, and featured in the soundtrack for the romantic comedy "For Love of Ivy," starring Sidney Poitier, Abbey Lincoln, Beau Bridges, and Carroll O'Conner. The page includes a biography of King, a portrait, a label shot, a photo of the original B. B. King's Blues Club in Memphis, and an MP3 audio file so you can sing along. This project is being previewed by my patrons, who have a one year advance exclusive on every week's new web page, in gratitude for their financial support of my work as a documentarian of folklore, folk magic, and divination.

[THE SECRET URL IS SENT TO PATRONS VIA EMAIL]

The Blues Lyrics and Hoodoo site is here:
http://luckymojo.com/blues.html

-- and when you get there, you will see a placard announcing this week's new page ... but you can't click on it unless you are a Patron, because it is for Patrons only ... until December 28th, 2026.

After a year for my Patrons to enjoy, this material will be linked from the public-facing pages of the Blues Lyrics and Hoodoo site. In the meantime, my Patrons also have access to exclusive threads at the Lucky Mojo Forum and participate in discussions with me about my ongoing publications.

To support me on Patreon and make my new web pages possible, please go to "It's All Ephemera," where you can read my update posts and sign on as a Patron for just $8.00 per month -- four weekly pages at a mere $2.00 each. Your support keeps me writing, and i thank everyone who has helped me with this source of funding since January 2021 at
http://patreon.com/catherineyronwode

Check out this YouTube show for more information on the importance of this project:
Hoodoo Lyrics in the Blues - Lucky Mojo Hoodoo Rootwork Hour 3/4/18 with co-hosts catherine and ConjureMan, special guest Deacon Millett, and announcer Papa Newt at
https://youtu.be/mfr5Bl3Py0I

Follow me on Facebook at
https://www.facebook.com/catyronwode
and on Instagram at
https://www.instagram.com/catherineyronwode

Thanks to my amazingly supportive Patrons -- you have made this project possible.

Cordially,

cat yronwode

#blues #blueslyrics #blueslyricsandhoodoo #bbking #mayaangelou #quincyjones

[catherineyronwode]

Thanks to my Patrons, who contribute as little as $8.00 per month for an exclusive one-year sneak-peek behind the scenes, i am able to write a new web page every week on the history of folk magic and divination. After a year, these pages are given to the public to read for free.



You can't have a tea room without tea, so this week we present an illustrated guide to the many varieties of Camellia sinensis, the tea plant, and the many traditional processes -- from fermentation and oxidation to smoking, curling, and bruising -- that go into making your favourite cup of tasseomantic goodness. These images are now on display at the Mystic Tea Room web site for every tea lover and tea leaf reader to enjoy.

Go to:
https://www.mystictearoom.com/wiki/Category:Tea

and please consider supporting me on Patreon so i can keep on working on "It's All Ephemera!"

#mystictearoom #tea #teavarieties #comparisons #camellias #teablends #fermentation

Follow us on Instagram
@catherineyronwode
and
@luckymojocurioco

[catherineyronwode]

Hello, everyone, and thank you for supporting "It's All Ephemera"!



Reading tea leaves is impossible without having tea to brew, and this week we present our third illustrated gallery of antique, vintage, and retro-style tea tins from all around the world. Tasseomancy is one of the Mystic Arts -- and with these tea tins, we put the emphasis firmly on Art. This new array of gorgeous tin litho ephemera will be go display in the public galleries at the Mystic Tea Room web site in January of 2027, but my darling Patrons will have access to it one full year before the public does.

[THE SECRET URL IS SENT TO PATRONS VIA EMAIL]

If you are not (yet) a Patron of mine, please take a moment to fall down my rabbit hole of public galleries that showcase special fortune-telling tea cups, tea leaf reading instructions, books about tea leaf reading, and cozy tea room memorabilia -- it's all at The Mystic Tea Room, an idiosyncratic site dedicated to the traditional art of fortune telling known as tea leaf reading, cup reading, cup tossing, divination by tea leaves, tasseomancy, and tasseography. If you are not yet familiar with the public portion of the site, check it out!
http://mystictearoom.com

To support me on Patreon for $8.00 per month and receive FOUR new web pages every month, please go to "It's All Ephemera," where you can read my update posts and sign on as a Patron: http://patreon.com/catherineyronwode

Follow me on Facebook at
https://www.facebook.com/catyronwode

on Instagram at
https://www.instagram.com/catherineyronwode

and on You Tube at
https://youtube.com/luckymojocurioco

Thanks to my wonderfully supportive Patrons -- you have made this work possible.

Cordially,

cat yronwode

#mystictearoom #tea #teatins #teacompanies #tinlitho #vintagetins #vintageteatins #containers

[nagasiva]

Thanks to my Patrons, who contribute as little as $8.00 per month for an exclusive one-year sneak-peek behind the scenes, i am able to write a new web page every week on the history of folk magic and divination. After a year, these pages are given to the public to read for free.



You can't read tea leaves without tea, so this week we present an illustrated gallery of antique and vintage tea tins from all around the world. We are in it for the art, folks! These images are now on display at the Mystic Tea Room web site for every tea lover and tea leaf reader to enjoy.

Go to:
https://www.mystictearoom.com/wiki/Tea_Company_Tins

and please consider supporting me on Patreon so i can keep on working on "It's All Ephemera!"

#mystictearoom #tea #teavarieties #comparisons #camellias #teablends #fermentation

Follow us on Instagram
@catherineyronwode
and
@luckymojocurioco

[catherineyronwode]

This week in "It's All Ephemera" we give "Hoodoo in Theory and Practice in Progress" a three-page upgrade. For those unfamiliar with it, "HITAP" at the Lucky Mojo web site consists of hundreds of free pages about African American conjure and root magic that i have written and uploaded to the internet over a period of 31 years. If you are not yet familiar with the site, check it out at:



http://luckymojo.com/hoodoo.html

Patreon members support my work with contributions of $8.00 per month and in gratitude, i give them a one-year advance access to four new articles per month.

This week, to give you all a chance to see how my Patrons are helping you learn hoodoo by funding my work, i am releasing three new pages to the public on the same day that they go out to the Patrons. I have only done this a few times, so be sure to take advantage of the opportunity and read the new pages today instead of next year. They are:

Black Arts Spiritual Supplies:
https://www.luckymojo.com/blackarts.html

Controlling Spiritual Supplies:
https://www.luckymojo.com/controlling.html

Dixie John Root Spiritual Supplies:
https://www.luckymojo.com/dixiejohnroot.html

If you like what you see, please consider becoming a Patron yourself by going to "It's All Ephemera," where you can read my update posts and sign on as a Patron for $8.00 per month:

http://patreon.com/catherineyronwode

Please follow me on Facebook at
https://www.facebook.com/catyronwode
on Instagram at
https://www.instagram.com/catherineyronwode
and on YouTube at
https://www.youtube.com/luckymojocurioco

Thanks to my dear, supportive Patrons -- who have made these pages possible.

cat yronwode

#magicaloils #sachetpowders #incense #bathcrystals #magicalinks #hoodooproducts #blackarts #controlling #dixiejohnroot #dixiejohnrootinoil #rootwork #hoodoo #conjure #witchcraft #spells #folkmagic #herbology #hoodoointheoryinpractice #luckymojocurioco #luckymojo