Crossroads University

Denise Alvarado was born and raised in the unique culture of New Orleans, Louisiana and has studied indigenous healing traditions from a personal and academic perspective for over four decades. 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, Editor in Chief of Hoodoo & Conjure magazine, Journal of American Rootwork and Gumbo Ya Ya, and over twenty books that focus on folk magic traditions of the American South. Her provocative artwork has been featured on several television shows including National Geographic's Taboo, The Originals, and Blue Bloods. Denise is a rootworker and tradition-keeper, a spiritual artist, and a teacher of Southern indigenous folkways.