The days are long past when it was fairly commonplace, under the light of a full moon, for large and varied masses of people to chant strange hypnotic chants and prance about in various stages of undress on the commands of an ebony priestess, darkly illumined by the flickering glow of a cauldron fire. Into the steaming vat had been placed mysterious objects, herbs, and perhaps a snake or even a live, bound chicken, while former slaves, ordinary black and white people, as well as society folk ...