Category Archives: Just sharing

Attention “trad craft”

You’re “trad” isn’t any older then Wicca. “Trad Craft” is not ancient. It is as much an invention of the early 20th century as Gardnerian Wicca.
Only the Golden Dawn, and the OTO and related traditions are relatively new, although, they are older then Gardnerian and “Trad Craft” having started in the late 19th century.
The Grimoires, the 3 books of Occult Philosophy by Cornelius Agrippa, The books of Astrological magic and thought written by various authors, the Picatrix, and other classics of Hermetic Philosophy, are older then “Trad Craft” The PGM is older then “Trad Craft.” The roots of Hermeticism in Mediterranean Antiquity are older then “Trad Craft.” The Vedas, various Sutras, Mahabharata is older then “Trad Craft.” The Chaldean Oracles are older the “Trad Craft.” Actual Folk Magic of actual specific cultures from around Europe, and in the United States is older then “Trad Craft” and some of them are living traditions that are practiced to this day.

But, None of this matters, In my day to day life, and interactions with spiritual workers of all types, I rarely if ever need to mention it, because I don’t need the the claims of “antiquity” or “Tradition” or “Old” to feel good about my spiritual practice. I’m fine with it being modern, because it works for me. But I also like to be informed about whatever everyone else is doing, has done, and is thinking about doing, because it keeps me from thinking I’ve invented the wheel, when everyone around me is already driving cars.

Stop thinking you’ve invented the wheel “trad craft.” We’re all driving in cars, while you’re excited that you can roll something along.

5 reasons not work with local spirits

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Recently I came across this post

My post is not a rebuttal, but an ad joiner to the possible undesired experience that come from seeking connection with local spirits.

5) Just because a spirit is there, doesn’t mean it wants to “work” with you.

For one thing, let me clarify a term. In conversations I have had with other spiritualist minded folks and people who get into trying to chat up spirits, there is a difference between veneration and “working”. Veneration can be very simple, is pretty much devotional, and doesn’t expect much between the two parties except for a simple exchange of “pleasantries” and expressions of good will. Of course, if you get a negative feedback, it maybe because you have offended said local spirit, but we’ll get to that later. Generally veneration is just a way to say “hi” and “thanks for all that you do” and “lets be friendly and polite with each other”. Venerating ancestors, venerating local spirits, venerating Gods, and heroes and every thing else. It’s all just a way of making nice. This niceness can lead to “working” and help build relationships that can be quite beneficial in the future, and possibly even buy you a Free pass when you make a mistake, but don’t always count on it.

“Working” indicates that there is a request being made of a specific variety and purpose to a specific end for your benefit. Whether it is protection, wealth, love, knowledge etc…, what makes it different is the specificness and that you are making a specific request for something you want accomplished. Often it will entail behavior on your part that reciprocates to the spirit that you are willing to work for them. A number of spiritual beings are known to be workers, who are quite open to requests for things. Gods, Saints, Angels, Demons etc… and there are books quite busting at the seems with them. But local spirits, you’ll notice, don’t seem to function that way universally, for everyone in the same way that say, St. Expedite can for so many people. One person can have a great relationship with a local spirit, and another person may get bubkis. That’s just the way it seems to go. Just because you are aware of spirit that is tied to a certain local, doesn’t mean it wants to work with you, and it will often make that perfectly clear as soon as you attempt to connect with it.

4) Just because a spirit is there, doesn’t mean it’s going to know a lot of about anything in the area.

Or for that matter, be able to communicate it in a useful or intelligible way. A spirit of the tree is mostly going to know about Tree things, and if it notices if someone stole your bike or not, will have more to do with if that bike thief happened to interact with the tree shortly before or after. If you happened to have your bike chained to the tree, it’s only thought maybe “heavy earth thing was leaning against me and now it’s not” and that’s about it. Of course a larger local spirit (say of the park) might notice, but unless your bike was important to it for some reason, why should it even care. Unless you interact with a local spirit that has vested interest in human affairs and a reasonably intelligible way to understand and communicate it, you’re really not going to get much. It is for this reason that you’ll notice a lot of cultures often have a greater spirit of a particular thing (plants, animals minerals etc…) that is often more understanding of humanity and better able to connect with it. Most people, in my experience, are usually connecting with the larger overarching spirit then the much more limited spirit of the specific object, plant, mineral, animal or place and those spirits are not “local” per se.

3) Most local spirits could give about two cents to you and your issues

this of course, ties in nicely with my last point. While the various local spirits might be quite appreciate of offerings, veneration and devotions done to them, and thus you might get them to be more favorable inclined to you, which could generally make your going about in the locale easier over all, when it comes to specifics (theft, health, wealth, love, etc..) you know, all those things that humans value in interacting with other humans, local spirits quite literally don’t understand, or for some of the larger ones, don’t care. If there is some kind of human pandemic experience going around, it might peak some of the larger more understandings ones interests (like high murder or suicide rate, or a larger number of clinically depressed) because being that we are part of their environment that they govern that might be somewhat invested in it being harmonious for everyone, but the local tree spirit, rock spirit, spirit in the park, is going to be completely uncaring to your issues, if they understand them at all. If they are even open to working with you, they might still not understand something, unless you explain it in as naturalistic terms as possible (literally think birds and bees and pollen and trees people) otherwise, you’re going to get a kind of shoulder shrug, if anything at all.

2) They have needs that you can never provide for.

Do you know how to pollinate a flower? Probably not. Even if you do know, do you have the time and patience to do it for every flower during a 3 month period? I’m guessing not. What about trees? Or, the local watering hole? Maybe you could organize a community event to help clean it up if it was dirty or only barely polluted with trash, but if the spirit is telling you it wants to flow over there, and not there, I think you’re going to have a problem convincing those people in their nice homes to make way for the creek you feel ought to build. Generally, if you’re getting a quite possibly impossible request from a local spirit, it’s politely telling you to Go away! Because it doesn’t have time for your nonsense, human.

1) Just because a spirit is tied to specific locale doesn’t mean it’s smaller.

There is such a thing as Local Gods. These being are Gods, Divine beings in their own right, who don’t need to be worshiped or venerated because their divinity comes from their locale. Perhaps a shrine might exist to them (like in Japan, or China or places that have long standing animistic spiritualist traditions) but generally there won’t be one, and they don’t really need it. You might be able to identify it with some dowsing, but it could very well be very hard to reach, and the local god may not want you to reach it in the first place. So, they being a local God can really make things miserable for you if you offend them, much like any god, and more then likely, they will be much more easier to offend and will stay offended longer then a more transcendent Divine being that is not tied to specific location. The Spirit of the The City you live in, the spirit of your neighborhood, even the spirit of your building (which in very large apartment buildings can be quite powerful) and of course, there could be more natural spirits of ecosystems and environments that are quite mighty and powerful. If you ever notice that when you enter into some areas that you get lost easier, seem to have ongoing problems with minor nuisances (insects, muddy puddles, bumps in the road, tripping over roots) is probably because the local spirits find something about you vaguely offensive. You could try to clear it up, make an offering and appease them, and can work, but some people just don’t like some people no matter what. You just plain smell bad to them, and they will never like you and they have no compunctions about making their dislike and displeasure known. You may not experience this if you only visit, especially to a major city or tourist area, but if you try to stay and settle in, is when the problems start to occur.

Of course, there are other smaller beings, but they are often in league with the larger beings of the area, and will tend to take directions from the “top” on down. They might be willing to work with at first, but after some time, will be less friendly and sociable if your general essence is just not compatible with the local area. If that is the case, you’re probably better off moving, then trying to make a go at it. Good luck explaining that to your friends and family who moved with you, or the cost of the move in the first place.

It is also my experience that smaller spirits are far more dramatic and showy then the non-time space fixed transcendent beings. Most hauntings are caused by smaller spirits, not by gods and actual major demons (despite the name they toss around). To make a ready and known comparison, think of a Midsummer’s night dream. Oberon doesn’t do the dirty work himself, he sends Puck, a servant, to do it for him. A similar situation will apply in naturalistic settings. Most major local spirits won’t do something directly if they can avoid it. They will send a representative to do it for them. Of course, if you enter into an actual working relationship with one, you may very well end up being that representative from time to time as part of your deal in desire fulfillment.

Finally, for some people, in some situations, none of this, both helpful or harmful will hold true. Some people are, as I like to call it, Unicorns. Gifted mediums who are favorably received by all spirits. People gifted with spiritual authority, that allows them to work better with spirits, and perhaps from time to time, command them when needed. Others are favored by the land, or the Gods, or a God and in certain situations that favor will manifest things for that that others will never receive within the Land, or Gods, or God. Your mileage may vary.

E is for Empowerment

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First some ideas

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empowerment

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empowerment_(Vajrayana)

I like the concept of Empowerment. While it has a more social and political and cultural implications in the west, I also like it’s understanding in the terms that come from Vajrayana. I also found empowerment plays it’s role in modern American neo paganism, both in a social context and in an esoteric way. What I find is that one seems to fuel other, in it’s searching and it’s steps of slowly gaining it.

Of course, esoteric Empowerment has a different name, that is probably much better known, and much shorter. Initiation. Initiation is something that seems to be absent from a lot of contemporary spiritual practice, although it is making a come back. Some people gain it from traditions. P re-exisiting orders, Lineage, passed down from the founder. People seek in it various ways. Other methods of initiation are personal and unique. From the spirits themselves, you can be initiated, by Gods, by Angels, by the Fae, many beings. Some initiations are specific to the spirit giving it. Others might be deep, and require time and many challenges. The major initiation in modern western esoteric orders is the Knowledge and Conversation of the Holy Guardian Angel. Nothing could be more personal, even though the practice of it well documented and worked on by many. I think this practice also shows how Initiation is also an empowerment. It is just access to special club, or the specific rituals, but it is the power, the current of that tradition, those spirits. From the power gained from the initiation, they may be able to move mountains, metaphorically speaking. They have been empowered and so they acted with that power to change things to make them better.

In the USA, Empowerment’s twin streams very much run side by side. In the beginning of alternative spirituality movement it attracted a people of a variety of different groups. This dates back to the late 19th century. While there was plenty of men who were involved in alternative spirituality and occultism, there are also quite a few very famous women. Madame Blavatsky is a key figure that comes to mind. At a time when women had few rights and were very much limited, she worked to create a movement, a movement that continues on to this day, and has influenced much of Western occultism and alternative spirituality. Her books are still published and sold today. She very much demonstrates a power, being empowered through her spiritual aspirations she did more then many other women of her day.

With the second occult flowering in the USA in the 60’s, which brought with it the spread of Wicca, it then also picked up more of the cultural empowerment. Many minorities found the idea of Wicca, witchcraft and alternative spirituality as means to find their own empowerment, to pursue their goals of empowering themselves socially, culturally, and politically. Some minorities have always had their spiritual means of getting one up on the Man. The role of conjure doctors and spiritual workers in African American communities was often not only spiritual, but also physical, as they cared for clients physical needs with their knowledge, helping them when they were sick, not only from being hoodooed but also from colds, illnesses and injuries. The same for Appalachian folk magic, and Pennsylvania pow-wow practitioners. The Mexican curandera or curandero would be consulted for herbal knowledge for sickness just as much spiritual ailments. While not all of them are minorities, in a sense, they are often limited to specific communities, and often derided by outsiders for their “backwards superstitions” by others.

Among the gay civil rights movement, there were quite a few people and groups that embraced alternative spirituality to gain empowerment both spiritually and also to help them in their fight to gain temporal empowerment. One figure was Eddy Buczynski, the founder of quite a few American witchcraft traditions including the Minoan Brotherhood. At a time when gay men were standing up and going out, he created one of the first spiritual traditions for gay men. A magical practitioner and gay man who was also a major activist was Leo Martello, who founded a Witchcraft Anti Defamation League and Alternative Religions Education Network, who was also very active with Gay liberation during the time of Stonewall. Another significant figure was Arthur Scott Evans, writer of “Witchcraft and the Gay Counterculture” in which he asserted that the Witch mania of Europe also targeted people who may have been accused of engaging in homosexual acts. All of these people in some way found the empowerment of alternative spirituality and practices, which gave them the force and power to pursue empowerment in the physical world.

As I watch and read the events of the day, and the responses of people, and the responses of the wide neo pagan community in the USA, I feel I notice how spiritual empowerment helps to give fuel to the physical empowerment that people pursue. There is great inequality still existing in the world. Women, people of color, GLBT people and others. Yet I am aware of many of these minorities finding power for themselves, what some might call “power within” to work to make changes, to empower others like them, and work to create a planet where we can all live together, with justice, with liberty, with equality and maybe as a global family.

D is for Devotions

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Devotions. In my experiences it seems that most neo pagans of various sorts are not especially into, or do, devotions. Oh, they might be dedicated to this god, or that goddess, and they might collect all sorts of images and read all sorts of books, but when it comes down to it, the most you might call “devotional” is that when they do a ritual and offer up some stuff and ask for something in return. It’s certainly not a regular practice, let one weekly or daily. This of course might be my own slanted viewpoint, as I find I am often interacting with people who are new to the craft, and so the idea of devotions is not something they are aware, usually because of their background. They might even be actively rejecting it, as it has something that triggers old memories of childhood religious training, or unpleasant interactions in a previous religious settings. So, they seem to fall by the wayside. I do believe there are people who do devotions, and I like to think I follow many of their blogs, but over all it seems to be something that is done more by longer established living traditions, like ATR’s, culturally situated Buddhist practices, Hinduism, etc…

Of course, what’s interesting is that if you look into some of the first books about Wicca and witchcraft, devotions are there, but not always obvious. I think because it’s kind of small in the context of a wiccan circle because it comes down to the cakes and wine. That is all it is. That is the devotional part of the ritual, but at the times I have done it, if you do it with reverence and it can be really intensely devotional. Although it seems that many groups treat it more celebratory then as an act of devotion and offering, and also a communion with the gods.

Of course there are many other ways that it can be done. My personal methods are mostly done through incense, a candle (or two) and clean water. All of the items are blessed by me, and in doing so I clearly state that it is for this goddess or that spirit, and set it out for them to partake from. It’s all pretty straight forward and also very historical, as many cultures have offered incense, flame and light, and water, perhaps followed with prayers of praise and adoration. Sometimes I have included food stuffs, usually sweets. Some other ways is that I find items or plants that have a relation to the god or spirit, and I leave them their, as part of their personal collection. For my main goddess I have given un-shelled walnuts, as she is identified with walnut trees. These were votive offerings that I have blessed, and remain in a bowl on her space by her. Another offering that is good to make is prayers. Making prayers to powers that you have a good relationship with, even just to thank them, and praise them, is a great way to build a relationship with them, especially if you don’t ask for anything specific, or just indicate general blessings and good fortune, which if they are spiritual close to you, they will already be supplying to you as best as you can. Not that asking hurts, but if you only go to someone to ask them for something all the time, I know people get tired of that behavior, and so I can only imagine that gods and spirits do as well. Sometimes it’s good just to be grateful, and express that gratitude.

Other devotions can be even more involved. Leaving things in specific places. What little knowledge I have of ATR’s is that various spirits have places associated with them, where offerings to them are expected to be left. It’s very easy to look into European and Mediterranean, and other regions of antiquity and soon figure out places that were that gods or spirits special zone of influence. It can be correct to leave offerings there. It also seems that some areas were also open to any spirit. Crossroads seem to be a popular place where all spirits go at some time, and so leaving offerings there, and placing them there in a ritualized manner with respect and devotional practice can be quite the experience. Doing it in a public place that is often traveled through, can also be an intense experience, as demonstration of your dedication to overcome potentially socially awkward situations (like being in a graveyard with a crossroads in the middle of the graveyard, leaving offerings for the spirits of the dead, and other beings, at midnight) that in and of itself is an offering of time, and facing your fears. Or going to the beach at dawn, and leaving offerings to be picked up by the surf. All these places can have a devotional element, that when done with a focused intent, can help you connect more with the gods and spirits. Another part of devotions can be timing. As indicated in previous paragraph, times can also be an important part. If you really start doing devotional practice, you end up with your own liturgical calendar of feast days, offering days and what not. Depending upon their role, some gods might want their offerings down during daylight hours. Other spirits might prefer them given at night, when it’s dark. Some might prefer it to be during a new moon, whereas others prefer a full moon. Some prefer having their water refreshed once a week, whereas others might need it refreshed every day, along with incense and prayers when it is given. It depends upon you and the spirits and gods being worked with. It also seems that spirits and gods know what they can ask for from someone, and not from someone else. While one person might be called to make baked goods which go uneaten for 3 days, until they are shared, others might only need to give a quick prayer. The one who must bake, can bake, and the one who can pray, is pretty much only able to pray. While some might think the physical offerings and time that went into them might be more meaningful, a heartfelt and sincere prayer done with focus and intention can be quite powerful, even more meaningful because of that focus and attention. But it has more to do with the time, that which can be given as well as the time that it is given.

By giving focus to offerings, place and time, a devotional practice will soon develop. From my own experience, a devotional practice will really transform and change how you interact with gods and spirits, as well as your own spiritual practice. When you start making offerings, it seems as though something switches on. It makes the spirituality more day to day, and more real in a practical physical sense. If you are willing to dedicate 5 minutes every day to relate to some spiritual intelligence, then maybe there is something more to this. Even if you are just operating from a psychological model, drives the point of a certain level of realness which change ones practice in a many ways.

C is for Conjure

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Part of my magical education is in conjure/rootwork/hoodoo/witchcraft (a combination of terms that I take from a series with that title compiled of internviews collected by Harry S Hyatt). I can honestly say I originally came to it back in the early 90’s, mostly in the forms of dollar books about magic, like Marie Laveau’s Black and White Magic and other similar texts. It was also about that time that I first discovered Lucky Mojo and their archives of spells and information, things which amazed me and enchanted me, and also pointed out things like working with Psalms and the bible for magic. Being raised in a thoroughly unusual sect of Christianity that is quite mystical in my opinion, the idea was right on, and I full embraced it.
Later on, much later on, I would find Lucky Mojo again, and memories of it’s first discovery came rushing back to me, and I went to friends that I shared the interest in magic with and I told them “I am going to sign up for Catherine Yronwode’s Correspondence Course” and they said “Oh awesome, we just did, how cool we can work on it together” and I said “WHAT??? You knew about this and you didn’t tell me?!?!?!” and the next day I signed up and everything was awesome. And we would talk about what we read, and what were doing, and where to finds baths, and herbs and everything. It really became the new drink I couldn’t put down, and really still haven’t to this day. It really opened my eyes to a much greater world of magic, of folklore, of herbs then other books, and study had done before.

It also opened my eyes to African American people and culture, and it really made me re-evaluate some of my actions and inner behaviors, that are really just taught across the melting pot of culture in the United States. It set the spark to my flame that wants to know things, to understand things, and see how and where people are coming from, because I just really like to know. I have this thing where I value knowledge for it’s own sake and nothing else. With that in mind, I read other books. I sought out folktales of Southern African Americans, and more of their poetry, both older and perhaps famous, but also contemporary. I read academic publications of people who have researched the interesting and unique combination of folk magic practitioners of African Americans. I set foot in botanicas that are scattered about the Greater Los Angeles area, and became familiar with parts of the African diaspora, so I could learn to identify the difference between a conjure man, and member of an Afro-Caribbean religion, and Mexican folk magic practitioner. I went looking for older pamphlets about spiritual work that are still in print today, because they are regularly popular. During it all I sat down, and I burned candles, and worked with oils, and made incenses and powders and baths from minerals and herbs, and I went to crossroads and gathered graveyard dirt with a dime and bottle of whiskey and I learned to listen to spirits and Spirit.

With all that in mind, I then looked to what seemed to be missing from European stuff (being of European descent) and I found bits and pieces. Reading about hexerei and braucherie, and picking up the Long Lost Friend, and I got into grimories from Europe and made myself read a full translation of the Three Books of Occult Philosophy from cover to cover, reading the footnotes, and looking up terms, and noticing patterns and elements that appeared in the USA among folk magic practitioners, and where they got it, well, they seemed to get it from early merchants of the 20th century whose African American and southern customers who wanted secret symbols, magic squares, blessed salt and john the conqueror roots. I noticed that a lot of herbal folklore was living in Conjure. But yet, it was handled in a unique way. I noticed that in contemporary American alternative spirituality the tools of conjure play and important role, a role that was quickly adopted in the 60’s and 70’s with magic oils, incenses, bathes, washes and colognes with names like “Bend Over” and “Kiss me” but with the neo pagans making their own like “Saturn” and “Goddess” because those neo pagans were hungry for magic and sorcery and witchcraft, and the unique, and the curious, and occult. I think this is a hunger that continues today, which is why people are always finding new ways of doing old things, but also the old ways of doing things, and making all their distinctions, and separate groupings, and traditional crafts, and conure this and hoodoo that because they are curious and hungry for magic. For conjure.

B is for Blood

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The inspiration I am having right now seems to be a very potentially a difficult and challenging topic, but, nothing is else is coming to mind, so here I go.

Blood. It makes quite a few people very squeamish. I know I dread getting shots or giving blood, but sometimes it needs to be done. But blood also was a part of more then a few ancient traditions, and often in different ways.

The most significant and seemingly enduring symbolism of blood is life. Because when a human being, or an animal is cut or pierced, they bleed and this red fluid comes out, and if enough red fluid comes out, that person or animal dies. And so, anything that has a red fluid, or could be used to produce a red fluid like substance, became symbolic of this red fluid that seemed to be the vital fluid and liquid of life. Thus trees that produce red sap, minerals that could produce red pigments, plants that would produce red dyes, and everything else that would produce red. Because of the primal, atavistic recognition of the importance of blood, red is probably one of the three most long lasting and widely used colors, the others being white and black.

Over time, the importance and value of blood and it’s life power became recognized in various cultures. In ancient burials, people’s bones would be rubbed or dusted with red ochre, perhaps as sign or significance of their blood returning to the earth, or with the thought that they might rise up again, perhaps has a spirit, or being reborn. The word “bless” actually comes from a root word meaning blood, as the method of blessing things in some culture was to sprinkle the blood of sacrificed animals upon them, either items or people. In modern Northern European paganism, they celebrate “blots” which originally referred to the offerings of blood that were involved in such events.

Because of the significance of blood, who had control of it’s spilling, and also its source, became very important and controlled especially when it came to humans. Many ancient cultures probably had laws governing menstrual blood. While there are still continuining examples today, such as Orthodox Judaism, Islam, and Hinduism, although some of the countries where these religions operate have deemed those laws to be unfair and unequal to women (which they are) some people still follow them out of tradition. Thus women become set aside during their menstrual period. I suspect this was widespread through the ancient west, as Agrippa makes note in the 3 books of Occult Philosophy that menstrual blood, and even the shadow of menstruating woman was deemed to be very hazardous and even dangerous to everyone around them, as it might blight crops, stop cows from milking, kill lesser animals, and bring infertility to other women and impotency to men. A very different viewpoint from most modern paganism, which has been strongly influenced by feminism and the movement to bring justice and equality to women.
The other image of blood, supported by the movie industry, is of course one of human or animal sacrifice, usually portrayed as horrific act involving torture and barbarous methods of butchery for the target involved. While in most things I have read, it seems less and less likely that ancient mediterranean cultures did practice human sacrifice, there is still documentation of it occuring in other parts of the world, although usually in very special and specific cases. While in most of the Western World, animal sacrifice is also gone to a certain degree (outside of Kosher and Halal traditions) in Africa, and the african diaspora, Animal sacrifice plays a role, and blood is often the key part of the sacrifice. As blood is considered the vital essence, it is that which is usually offered to the gods and spirits, whereas the muscle maybe kept and cooked and distributed to the community to eat and feast. Unlike in horror movies, the sacrifice is usually done respectfully , with very little suffering, and is more like a ritualized method of butchering the animal then the horror movie shocker of torture, mutilation and waste.
An example of offering blood from ancient Sparta was in a ritual to Artemis. One of her priestess would hold her image, while men would take a whip and beat the new young men, until the blood flowed freely down their backs. If the image grew heavy, the priestess would say so, as that was a sign that the man was holding back, as he favored the young man and wished to lessen the harm. This was a ritual to propitiate Artemis’ wrath for the grave insult that was done to her by the Spartans. Originally they thought she wanted them to kill one of the young men, but realized that only their blood was needed, so the scourgings began instead. After being scourged, the young man was officially a man, and no longer a boy or youth.

There is some people who given blood in modern practices. Some of them are reconstructionists, trying to recreate the pagan past as honestly and correctly as they can. Others might be unallied to any particular group, but following intuition and inspiration, will give their own blood, or perhaps blood collected from butchers. The easiest way to give your own blood is with diabetic needles, as they are often sold sterilized, and really all you need is just a drop.
Another way you can give blood though is more metaphorical. The phrase “blood, sweat and tears” as a sign of hard work and effort put into a project would be a fitting offering to the Gods and spirits that you seek a relationship with. This “blood” is often just as acceptable, or even more so then physical blood in this day age.

Why Wait? Act now!

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It seems that in my dealings with clients and people interested in using hoodoo and conjure in their lives that many people wait until their life is wrecked before turning to conjure. This is a behavior I don’t quite understand. Often times, when things are in an emergency situation, events are usually too far progressed to be improved quickly and greatly through conjure. The co-worker who hassles them non-stop and they only finally turn to conjure when they have reached the point of breakdown, then they reach out to rootworkers for advice or assistance, and basically are so upset, anxious and angry about the situation that they want the final solution. Another example is when the boyfriend/girlfriend/lover/spouse has walked out because of fighting and arguments, and only then do they seek assistance in love magic. There is also the point when they are down on all fours, yowling like wounded animal, their life and health are in shambles and the prospects for the future look dim do some people only finally turn and ask for curse breaking and protection. It’s a shame, and it’s a problem, and it won’t help them live the life that most people desire, one of peace, prosperity and joy. If you are always putting off things until they become an emergency, then there is never action that helps to establish a comfortable life, especially when so much conjure works better in application before an emergency could occur, and may prevent an emergency from happening.

One of the most simple and uncomplicated ways that your life could be smoothed out is with daily prayer. It doesn’t have to be complicated, but sincerity and heartfelt devotion can go along way, even if your prayer is just a simple recitation of the Lord’s Prayer or the 23rd Psalm every morning.

Another means of ensuring the continued flowing of good fortune is the regular use lucky condition oils, which can cover a multitude of effects. There are a large number of oils that can be used regularly that will help people in their lives, and help them create the life that they desire. A man might prefer High John the Conqueror, while a woman might be benefited from Queen Elizabeth oil. Anyone can use Van Van, whose dual nature of cleaning out bad stuff, but also used to draw in good fortune can be a great boon. Glow of Attraction, Magnet or Lodestone oil also work well in drawing good fortune and what you desire towards you. I am especially fond of using Blessing or Holy Oil as a means to connect with Holy power to overcome obstacles but also to support myself in love, money and life. You can also use the powder form of these oils, or their sprays or bathes on a regular basis. Who knows what a good life you can have by bathing in blessings once a day or every week? You don’t have to save these things for complicated rituals with candles, incense and oils only, but they can all be used on a daily basis to support you in the life you seek.

Another tool is just a simple mojo of a single botanical item, usually a root. The most effective root I find is High John the Conqueror. It works effectively for just about everyone in bringing about the good life and conquering obstacles. There are a few stories I have heard of John, and he didn’t rely only on brute strength, but also on wit, eloquence, and sometimes just sheer courage that helped him overcome many of the unusual and difficult situations he was able to turn to his advantage in his legends.

One final method that you can also use to improve your life is sweetener spell to sweeten yourself. Sometimes your own worst enemy is your own self. We can criticize ourselves, talk ourselves out of taking action, and sometimes just be so cruel within that we don’t even need external enemies. Quite simply, write your name on a piece of paper, fold it, put it into a jar, fill it with your desired sweetener (I like granulated sugar myself), take a quick taste with your finger and seal the jar up. Pray over it, put it under your bed, or in your underwear drawer, and take it out regularly and pray over it some more. Sometimes just learning to be sweet and kind to ourselves can help us in having a smooth, calm and peaceful life.

Prayers and Psalms

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Lately, I have been working a lot with prayer and praying. One of the main ways that I have been working with is by reading psalms on a daily basis. I have been exploring Psalms that can be read for different purposes, such as money, love, and luck, but also psalms that can be read and prayed every day for blessings and spiritual guidance and favor.

The book that has been helping me with this is Secrets of the Psalms by Godfrey Selig. It describes practical spiritual workings with the psalms, as well as identifying which psalms that can be worked with from Jewish spiritual practices.

To help me with this, I made a list of Psalms grouped by the purpose identifed by Mr. Selig. I figured I would share this list with my blog
Pregnancy/children

Psalm 1
Psalm 19
Psalm 101 – to aid in becoming pregnant
Psalm 102 – to aid in becoming pregnant
Psalm 126 – to protect children from being taken from you
Psalm 127 – protect newborns
Psalm 128 – protection of pregnant women

Calm a storm at sea

Psalm 2
Psalm 21
Psalm 64

for Luck

Psalm 4
Psalm 57
Psalm 61 – in the home
Psalm 62 – holy blessings
Psalm 65 – fortunate in all undertakings
Psalm 72 – favor and grace from all people
Psalm 86 – promotes the welfare of community
Psalm 87
Psalm 88
Psalm 92 – to gain high honors and ever-increasing good fortune
Psalm112 – increase in might and power

for courtcase

Psalm 5
Psalm 7
Psalm 20
Psalm 35
Psalm 38(with 39)
Psalm 39(with 38)
Psalm 93
Psalm 119 Lamed
Psalm 119 Tzaddi
Psalm 120

Prosper/Success in Business

Psalm 5 – prayed daily
Psalm 8
Psalm 82
Psalm 108
Psalm 114

For overcoming crossed conditions and enemies

Psalm 7
Psalm 41
Psalm 43
Psalm 48
Psalm 53
Psalm 54
Psalm 55
Psalm 63 – from business partners
Psalm 70
Psalm 74
Psalm 75 – forgiveness of sins
Psalm 79
Psalm 94
Psalm 100
Psalm 109
Psalm 110
Psalm 111
Psalm 113
Psalm 115 – for winning disputes with people
Psalm 118 – for silencing contrary people
Psalm 119 Zain – removal from evil situations without harm or loss

Aiding children

Psalm 9
Psalm 33

Overcome an evil spirit

Psalm 10
Psalm 19
Psalm 29
Psalm 40
Psalm 59
Psalm 66
Psalm 68
Psalm 90
Psalm 95 – for others who in need to cast off evil
Psalm 101 (with Psalm 68)
Psalm 104
Psalm 131 – overcome evil spirit of pride
Psalm 145

To overcome fear and stop persecution

Psalm 11 – prayed daily
Psalm 12
Psalm 28
Psalm 44
Psalm 141 – overcome heartfelt fears

Protection from injury and Death

Psalm 13
Psalm 18 – from robbery
Psalm 20
Psalm 24
Psalm 25
Psalm 26
Psalm 50
Psalm 58 – dog attacks
Psalm 60 – protects soldiers
Psalm 73 – protection while traveling in foreign country
Psalm 76 – from fire or water
Psalm 77 – want or danger
Psalm 83 – in war
Psalm 90 – wild animals
Psalm 91
Psalm 116 – protection from violent or sudden death
Psalm 119 Nun – protection while traveling
Psalm 120 – protection from poisonous animals
Psalm 121 – while traveling at night
Psalm 124 – journey by or over water
Psalm 125 – journey through country with many enemies
Psalm 130 – while conducting business in a dangerous or besieged city
Psalm 148 – protects from loss by fire
Psalm 149 – protects by loss from fire (prayed with 148)

Stopping slander/gossip

Psalm 14
Psalm 31
Psalm 36
Psalm 52

Against mental disturbance/depression/mental illness

Psalm 15
Psalm 56 – against desires to commit sin
Psalm 69 – overcome overwhelming physical desires
Psalm 80
Psalm 81
Psalm 117 – for having broken a vow or promise
Psalm 119 He – refrain from committing evil
Psalm 119 Zain – recovery from depression
Psalm 132 – to help in keeping vows and promises
Psalm 137 – root out even the deepest hate or malice

To find a thief

Psalm 16

Turn sorrow into joy

Psalm 16 – prayed daily
Psalm 96 – brings joy to family
Psalm 97 – brings joy to family
Psalm 98 – bring peace and unity between families

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Protection from evil

Psalm 17
Psalm 22
Psalm 30
Psalm 91

Healing sick

Psalm 2 – headache
Psalm 3 – headache, backache
Psalm 6 – disease of the eye
Psalm 18
Psalm 49
Psalm 50
Psalm 67
Psalm 84 – foul odor
Psalm 89
Psalm 91
Psalm 105 – healing fever
Psalm 106 – healing fever
Psalm 107 – healing fever
Psalm 119 Aleph – healing a person whose limbs shake
Psalm 119 Gimel – healing the right eye
Psalm 119 Daleth – healing the left eye
Psalm 119 Cheth – relief from pain in the upper body
Psalm 119 Teth – relief from pain in hips or liver or kidneys
Psalm 119 Caph – healing of open sore or boil
Psalm 119 Mem – healing of pain/paralysis of right arm or hand
Psalm 119 Ain – healing and pain/paralysis of left arm or hand
Psalm 119 Pe – healing of boil or swelling on left side of face
Psalm 119 Koph – healing of left leg
Psalm 119 Resh – healing of injury in right ear
Psalm 119 Schin – headache
Psalm 119 Tau – healing of injury in the left ear
Psalm 142 – cures pain in thighs
Psalm 143 cures pain in arms
Psalm 144 – to speed recovery of broken arm
Psalm 146 – to recover from wounds from weapons
Psalm 147 – to recover from wounds from poisonous animals

Help in learning

Psalm 19
Psalm 119 beth
Psalm 134

Petitions to Authority

Psalm 21
Psalm 34
Psalm 78
Psalm 119 Samech
Psalm 122

Receive True Dreams

Psalm 23
Psalm 42

Release from Prison

Psalm 26
Psalm 68
Psalm 71
Psalm 89

Receive Hospitality

Psalm 27

Receive Love, grace, mercy

Psalm 32
Psalm 47
Psalm 51
Psalm 85 – reconcile with a friend
Psalm 111 – acquire friends
Psalm 119 Vau – make servants/employees easy, agreeable, and willing
Psalm 123 – return of servant or journeyman
Psalm 133 – keep and gain friends
Psalm 138 – produce love and friendship

Alcoholism/Intoxication

Psalm 37

Peace between married couple

Psalm 45
Psalm 46
Psalm 139 – preserve and increase love among married people
Psalm 140 – remove enmity between married people

For Devotion/Pious

Psalm 99
Psalm 119 Jod
Psalm 129
Psalm135 – for sincere repentance and to become more closely united with God
Psalm 136 – for penitent confession
Psalm 150 – praise when petitions and prayers to God are answered

Influence, Compel, Bend Over

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Many times I have seen people ponder “What is the difference between all these controlling and compelling oils?” I have decided to put together a handy little guide to help you understand the differences. The first oils that I am going to look at are often named Influence, Compel and Bend-over.

Influence’s name is pretty straight forward. It helps you to influence people. How that influence comes about about can take many forms, but often the form is subtle and gentle. It is often the go to oil if you want to win someone to your side but without throwing down and really forcing them to it, but rather it just seems like it’s a good idea to them, either how you present, or because it just seems like something they themselves would think. A common way to use Influence products is through sweetener spell when you are trying to influence someone to accept your idea, listen to your presentation, and want to follow your plan and direction. Just taking a jar, fill it with the sweetener of your choice nearly to the brim. On a small piece of paper write down the name of the target, and then cross it with the desired action (for example “produce my screenplay”) and then put a pinch of sweetener over the writing, fold the paper up towards you three times, and place the paper down into the sweetener. Take a taste of the sweetener from the jar and say “As this sweetener is sweet to me, so let so-n-so produce my screenplay”. Seal the jar. Then on top of the jar burn yellow or pink candles dressed with influence oil. As you fix the candles pray out loud “so-n-so produce my screenplay.” and do that until you are satisfied. Of course if you can acquires something personal from the target you should add this to the jar of sweetener as well.

Compelling products are the next step up. While influence is kind and gentle, compel is little more pushier in it’s application. It’s main usage comes through when someone has made a promise or entered into an agreement to perform a certain action, and is now seeming to try to get out of doing that action, but it can also be used on people in authority to get them to help you, but as I said, it’s a little more pushier. The main difference is that their desire to help is compelled and thus seems to come from within them, as opposed to be a result of bowing to your authority. One could say the opposite of Compelling is Commanding, the difference being that Commanding is used by people in authority to get people to do what is desired, whereas Compelling is done by people who are subject to authority to get that authority to do what is desired. If the boss promised you a raise if you got the project done in 3 months, and you finished it in 2 and half, and that raise isn’t forthcoming, now is the time to pull out Compelling formulas to work on the boss. To that end you might take a picture of the boss, a nice clear head shot that you print out on some paper. On the back of the photo write their name 9 times and then cross it with your desire IE “Give me the promised raise” 9 times. Anoint the corners of the image with Compelling oil and attach it up to a wall in your home or work area. Any wall will do, but choosing a wall that faces the direction of the workplace or if know the direction to the boss’ home is also a good choice. In the morning and evening stare at the picture saying out loud your prayer and stating “Give me the promised raise.” Really drill your gaze into the eyes of the photo, as if your gaze is penetrating into his mind. Burn some Compelling incense as you do so, and let the rising smoke waft about the image. In the workplace, put some oil on the doorknob of the boss’ office, quietly stating your intent. If you can enter the office before the boss arrives, you can sprinkle a pinch of Compelling powder onto this chair and floor, stating your intent for the promised raise to be given to you.

In terms of coercive force, the next step up is Bend-over, often titled Essence of Bend-over, coming from when most of these were alcohol based perfumes, instead of using oil carrier for the fragrance. These are the products to use when you have absolute desire to have anyone who has authority over you to really favor you to the point that they actually submit to you, often to the point where it seems they are bowed over, or bent over, worshiping you, and they follow your requests as if they were messages from God. This is particularly desirable if the targets are authorities who have an absolute control over your well being in some way, like being a personal assistant and your boss has total control over you, or in similar situations where your fates lay in the hands of someone with absolute authority and you definitely want that authority to be nice to you, to favor you, and really to be very powerfully disposed to giving you what you want. While it can be used by people in authority as well, it is more often used by the lower end of the hierarchy, to turn the tables some in their favor. If you absolutely want them subjugated and submissive to you, Bend-over is the way to go. In this case I recommend a slight variation on a traditional method of working in which the name or image of the target is placed into your shoe, and so as you walk around, the target is placed “under your feet.” In this case the paper or image has Bend over oil anointed on the four corners of the paper, and a pinch of Bend-over powder is placed in the shoe as well. The main shoe to use is the right one. If you particularly want to apply some aggressive power while using this trick, take your right foot while wearing the fixed shoe and stomp it on the ground three times, as if you are kicking downward on the person, treating them like a pack animal to get them to move forward, even though they seem to be hesitating. No, it’s not a nice thing, but sometimes it’s necessary in order to get things done especially when nicer measures have already failed to work.

I hope this has helped to clear up the purposes being Influence, Compel and Bend-over.