What are the motifs in Mules and Men by Zora Neale Hurston?

The belief in Hoodoo is a recurring idea in the stories. While some may not believe in the power of hoodoo, Hurston obviously does. She goes to great lengths to conduct this research and believes that the men and women who take her as their pupil are able to cast spells, conjure and control people and events. Hurston goes so far as to cite one hoodoo doctor who uses a spell to cause death. This power is such that Hurston claims to have had some sort of near-death experience after boiling a black cat as part of a spell. She says that she heard "indescribable" noises and cannot explain what she felt, but that she knew death was nearby.