Foot track magic is one of the hallmarks of hoodoo. It involves throwing powders and such in the path of a target, who will suffer from abnormal maladies and a run of bad luck once they have walked on it.
The belief is that the toxic properties of the powder will be absorbed through the foot and “poison” the individual. Ailments such as back problems, difficulty walking, water retention, especially in the legs, and difficulty concentrating are some of the complaints of those who have been victimized in this fashion. The only cure is removal by a rootworker.
Foot track magic occurs in two ways: the direct method, and the sympathetic method. The direct method is when the powder or other substance is thrown on the ground or a bottle is buried and the person’s foot actually touches or walks over it. Some folks take care and throw down the mess in an X pattern.
I was always told you just throw it where you know the person is going to walk. The second method involves capturing the person’s foot print by gathering the dirt from an actual foot print of the target, or by taking an old sock or shoe and doctoring it with some other powder to jinx or cross a person.
