Crossroads University

Denise Alvarado was born and raised in the unique culture of New Orleans, Louisiana, and has studied Indigenous healing traditions from both personal and academic perspectives for over four decades. A cultural anthropologist, author, artist, and tradition-keeper, Denise is a member of the American Anthropological Association, the Association of Indigenous Anthropologists, and the Association of Latina/o & Latinx Anthropologists. She is the author of Witch Queens, Voodoo Spirits and Hoodoo Saints, The Magic of Marie Laveau, The Conjurer’s Guide to St. Expedite, the Hoodoo Almanacs, and more than twenty books exploring Southern folk magic and Creole spirituality. Her work has been featured in National Geographic’s Taboo, The Originals, and Blue Bloods. As a rootworker and spiritual artist, Denise continues to share her knowledge to preserve ancestral traditions and guide new generations of seekers on their path of discovery.

Baba Eli Norris was born and raised in northwestern Pennsylvania and has made southeastern Louisiana his home since 2007, where he works as a registered nurse and spiritual consultant. His introduction to the African Traditional Religions came in the late 1990s through a deep personal search for ancestral wisdom. Though reliable information was scarce at the time, he immersed himself in study and community practice, following every thread of guidance he could find. In 2002, while attending a pagan festival, he met a practitioner of New Orleans Voodoo who introduced him to the Orisha tradition. That encounter set him on a path of initiation that culminated in his ordination as a Babalawo in 2012. In the years that followed, Baba Eli and Mama D developed a close friendship and professional collaboration grounded in their shared respect for New Orleans Voodoo and Southern folkways. Mama D later joined his Ilé, further deepening their spiritual and cultural partnership. Today, Baba Eli teaches and consults on Ifa, New Orleans Voodoo, and Hoodoo, weaving together cultural authenticity, compassion, and scholarship. He also incorporates cardology into his spiritual practice, exploring the connections between divination, healing, and ancestral insight. He can be reached at [email protected].