Secrets, Spells, and Silver Dollars: The Legend of Aunt Caroline Dye as Told in Turn-of-the-Century Newspapers, A Hoodoo Almanac Special Report by Denise Alvarado 

• Publisher: Creole Moon Publications (February 1, 2025)
• Language: English
• Digital Download: Color, 26 pages
• BISAC: Customs and Traditions/Social Sciences

Summary

For decades, seekers from all walks of life—rich and poor, black and white, businessmen, and heartbroken lovers - made their way to Newport, Arkansas, in search of one woman: Aunt Caroline Dye. A legendary clairvoyant, a Hoodoo woman of extraordinary reputation, and a figure both revered and reviled but mostly revered, Dye’s name was whispered across the South and beyond. Her uncanny ability to see the unseen and predict the future brought her fortune, fame, and a place in American folk history.

This collection of stories brings together my retelling of original turn-of-the-century newspaper accounts that chronicled her life, wealth, and legal battles that followed her death. From sensational stories of hidden fortunes to courtroom dramas over her estate, these articles reveal how the press shaped her legacy—sometimes with awe, sometimes with skepticism, but always with intrigue. I invite you into the world of Aunt Caroline Dye, where secrets, spells, and silver dollars tell the tale of one of history’s most enigmatic and successful conjure women of all time.