In the beginning…..

Just kidding, but this is an origin story of sorts.  August is the month of Jacki. Why is it her month?  Well really its her company so I guess she can make any month her month, however, August is the month of Jacki because it is her birthday month.  Jacki likes to celebrate her birthday at Coventry Creations by passing along a discount to all the customers.  This month she will be putting on sale all of our Wicked Good Sprays, Coventry’s newest product. If you are interested in trying them out for the first time or are already an avid user wanting more and more and more, you can type in JBDAY10OFF in the coupon code at checkout of coventrycreations.com. You can find the sprays under Smudge Spray at the coventrycreations.com shop.

The idea to expand our lines from candles into room sprays really started in our downtown shop called the Candle Wick Shoppe.  Many people would come in and ask us if we made our recipes into sprays in order to do spell or altar work.  From there Dawn, one of the managers at the Candle Wick Shoppe started talking with Jacki about making a room spray based on some popular Coventry recipes.  They launched the product hoping that it would catch on and boy did it ever.   They sold tons that first weekend, and it has been a staple in the store and online ever since.  The room sprays are wonderful for energy work, spell work, clearing the room, working with an altar or even just making things smell pretty.  

The Wicked Good room sprays are:

Smudge Spray: Sage and Rosemary - Our most popular spray! The sage and rosemary blend is all about cleansing your space or your personal energy.  This is an effective powerful alternative to burning sage.

Dragon’s Blood: Good Fortune -Dragon’s blood can be used to charge up a room in to power up its fortune or you can use to lift your energy field’s mood to bring good fortune your way.   Dragon’s Blood is a tree resin from Egypt and no dragons were hurt in the creation of this spray.

Ninja Power: Protection - Be the Ninja and slip away from any energies that would harm you.  This sprays provides protection by using sandalwood for eliminating negative energy and clearing any bad intent or strife. Myrrh to calm fears and expand awareness. Jasmine allows walls, blockages and self sabotage to fall away in order to pursue your dreams.

Karma Kleaner: Spiritual Cleansing -  When the small things start to derail your day, it’s time to clear out that stuck on karma and get your energy moving again! This spray uses the combination of peppermint sage for cleansing and clearing out negative and obsessive energy with amber musk to energize and attract great energy your way.

Road Opener: Remove Obstacles - Clear a path for yourself or opportunities by spraying this during energy work or even spray to clear your aura. With frankincense for a charge and clearing negative energy. Lemon grass to clear both the spiritual and physical junk and bad luck. It also has juniper to guard against harm, and to increase resolve and dedication.

Keep Calm: and Lavender On - Lavender is known for its amazing properties on invoking peacefulness, inducing resting and healing sleep and calming stormy uncontrolled emotions that can make us ill. This spray invites warm nurturing feelings, protects against cruelty and allows joy to manifest.  

Come Hither: Attract and Compel -  A room spray to bring it all to you!  With lavender for bringing in unconditional love and inviting warm feelings and nurturing. Patchouli to ground you and connect you to your divine self, attracting people and promoting cooperation and partnership.  It also stimulates passion and a release of anxieties.   Also included in the spray is orange blossom for increased feelings of confidence, beauty and being rid of daily worries.

Easy Street: Money Draw -  Spray on or around yourself for your out of money situations. It has date to bring good luck, helping you prosper and grow into your destiny. Also included is bergamot which is called the happy herb.  This herb relaxes your guard to all happiness to sneak in. Bergamot is a seed of prosperity that can create inertia to success and wealth.

BEST OF JACKI

-Jacki’s most liked and read articles back to reread or enjoy for the first time!

Building an Ancestor Altar

by Jacki Smith

Note: this article was for the Autumn time, although August is a little early to be talking about Halloween, it really is just around the corner and an Ancestor Altar is good for all year round!

All Saint Day, Halloween, Day of the Dead is a time when we assume ghosts abound, but what or who makes up those ghosts; our ancestors do. IT’s not that they come through the veil to scare you, but they come in to bring blessings, share love and allow you to connect with them on a deeper level.

Modern Witch tradition makes Halloween spooky, but the longer standing history is that this is a day of celebration with the loved ones who have helped shape you into the person you are today.  Even if there is hurt and pain associated with them, this is the time for them to make amends (or the other way around) and heal those family wounds. Even from the harshest beginnings we are given the opportunity to thrive and evolve.  It is from the darkest moments that the greatest potential for the Light to bring blessings is created.  

Ancestors are in our blood

From cultures all around the world, ancestor reverence has been part of their spiritual practice.   From West African traditions, ancestor altars are created by the largest tree on your property or in the kitchen of your home.   In China they create a high altar in the main room to watch over the family.  In Rome they would have Spirit Houses by their front door for their ancestors to protect the family and home from evil entering.   Reclaiming or creating your own ancestor reverence helps ground you in your cultural roots and give you a strong base to grow from.    Why do you think we are in the midst of a ghost hunting craze?  We are disconnected from our foundation and need to find some way to reconnect with the spirit realm

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No matter what the story of your ancestors, they are in your blood and their actions got you here today.  When they pass in full from this world to the next, they leave behind the issues, fears, hurts that limited their ability to love while they were human.   Even the nastiest ancestor, once they pass on, is working on making amends for their negative actions.   Bringing blessings to you and your life are a way they can do that.   Put them to work!

Why it works

I have an ancestor altar at my Coventry office.   I put it there, rather than my home because I was in the midst of moving and was not sure how long I would be at the new place.  I needed a place where I could secure my roots, so the office it went.    My people love it here.  Once I moved them all to my office and talk to them regularly, I discovered that many of them were entrepreneurs and risk takers in their lives.   From the Grandfather that my Dad never knew who started a machine shop that employed his whole family, to my Grandmother who ran a day care out of her home after her husband died to keep all of her kids in a decent school through high school.  They lend us the energy to weather any storm, resolve issues and general blessings.

In my old house, my ancestors protected until it was time to go, then they pushed us out.   When there was lots of negative influence in my life, my ancestors would make themselves known and let me know to feed them energy so they could work in my life.   There would be glasses of water moved from the counter to the floor, there was the roast that flipped out of the roasting pan and slid across 3 door jambs to land in front of their altar.  There were the pictures that moved on their own and the door that opened on its own to show us where the item we were looking for was stored.   

Start your own tradition

You don’t have to subscribe to any one tradition, you can start your own, but there are a few key universal ingredients needed on any altar.

A Place to start – You need a place that is only theirs.  This is where build your altar and set your offerings to them.  This is a special, reverent place that is not the junk collecting place.  This is not where you set your junk mail or put your dirty shoes on.  Give them something that means “ancestors” to you.   

Pictures or items from your people - Let your ancestors know who you are talking to by adding their photo.  Make sure only people who have passed on are in the photos.   You can also add their name and birthdate or if that is not available put on a piece of paper “My beloved Ancestors; known and unknown.”  No worries if you are adopted, you got to choose your family and they choose you – it’s even more powerful!   

Water – A universal symbol of the communicating with the spirit world

Candle –This is a universal symbol of spirit, use it.  Of course the Coventry Ancestral candle is an excellent choice, but other candles are just fine.  White is most often used, but if your g-mom loved blue, honor her with a blue candle.

Flowers – This is another universal symbol of bringing the spirit world into the living.  A fresh bunch of flowers is an excellent offering for your ancestors to give them some physical energy to use in this world.

Treats – Your ancestors all had their favorite treats from cigarettes to candy (or maybe candy cigarettes).  Leaving them an offering is a sign of love and respect and gives them energy to use to bring blessings into your live.

Food – Give them a little of Sunday dinner.  Giving them food, especially food they liked while living is a boost to the energy they use to help you in your life.  You see, they need tangible physical energy to create tangible physical change in your life.  

There are many traditional prayers to use, but I start with a simple invitation for them to join me and a little conversation.   I talk about what I learned about them, how they have helped me in my life and what struggles I am experiencing now.   I ask for their guidance and then spend quiet time in front of the altar in thanks for all that they have done.   The biggest ritual I do for my ancestors is collecting things over time that they enjoy.  For instance I have a door lock that is in pieces for my Uncle Maury.  He was a locksmith and love to re-key locks.  For my Grandmother Teeny, I learned that she loved angel food cake, so whenever I find an individual size at the store, I know she wants to talk to me.    My Uncle Pete loved to play Euchre, I made him a “Go it alone” hand and have that with his funeral program.  Temporary or permanent it’s a good practice to start your magic with your ancestors; they give it the best boost!

The Ghosts are Back in Town!

It is that time of year again and that means that the fun Autumn special pours are available again.  Starting off the season would be the Ghost Candle line.  These 4 candles are only made once a year and they go very quickly!  The ghost candles are made for the time of year when the veil is at its thinnest between our world and beyond. They not only deal with issues of the spirit world but also in the past energies and emotions people can leave behind in a location or even on you!

Here are the 4 candles available in the ghost special pour:

Home Clear and Bless-Clear out the past energy from your house be it spirits or former tenants. Clear the air and make room for your well being.

Night Terror-Soothe your nightmares by calling for protection and bring the light into your dreams. Particularly helpful for young ones, helping them clear the air and drift off to a peaceful sleep free of terror.

Ghost Repel-Send away stray spirits interrupting your life. Help them to heal and find divine peace and love.

Seance-Talk to the spirits around your life. Help attune yourself to hear their messages and lessons they have for you.  

You can find the ghost candles in the coventrycreatios.com shop under the candles section. The ghosts will be active on the website until they are sold out.  Then, just as they came...they will slowly disappear….

BEST OF JACKI

-Jacki’s most liked and read articles back to reread or enjoy for the first time!

Ten Ways to Spiritually Prepare for Your Future

By Jacki Smith

The talk of resolutions and new beginnings paint that future picture in a way that seems achievable.  It paints it with the innocence of a new day, week or change of season, before the reality of the day to day grind changes and muddies the images of your own future that you hold.

Why not grab onto the spiritual energy that is a new beginning  and magically prepare for your future, bringing it not only closer, but into your immediate grasp.   These 10 tools are nothing new; they are the basics of creating change in your life.

1 – Talk out your future with a trusted colleague.

Talk and trust are the key words here.   If you keep all of your plans inside, they remain in a virtual world of potential.  Potential is a death knell for your future because potential is the name of energy that is unused and slowly fading. It takes two people to make magic work. It takes two people who are heading in the same direction, meeting a common goal.   You need a catalyst, not a neutralizer!  When you share your future goals with a colleague of like mind, then you become that catalyst of change for each other.

2 – Write out what needs to change in your life for your future to happen.

Not everything fits.  As you contemplate your future, you will realize that some of your past and present are not congruent with your future – it is from a different puzzle and not matter how hard you try, those pieces will not fit together. It is like setting a size 9 goal while keeping your pie of the week subscription, those things just do not fit together.  

3 – Prepare for your fears to be triggered.

Your fears are held safe by your ego because it is the job of your ego to warn you of danger.  Change is dangerous.  Small or large, you do not know which future goal will trigger your fears so get prepared for bumpy ride as you travel forward.  Your fears do not have to stop you, actually as you come upon them they are signs that you are heading in the right direction and your odds of success are greater than not.Pay attention to your own inner spiritual tells as an early warning system.  That way you can get backup, use new tools and heal instead of just powering through your fears. In DIY Akashic Wisdom by Jacki Smith and Patty Shaw you will find a whole chapter on working with your fears and lots of tools to help you do it.

4 – Prepare for your community to feel threatened.

Everybody loves and hates the cheerleader.  They love the enthusiasm, but when it moves from cheering you on to feeling like they are not measuring up to your changes, they start to hate.   It is human nature; when one of the herd gets ahead of the others they rest of the herd feel compelled to keep up.   What if they do not want to keep up?  What if they are content with the way they are?   When you grow around others who are not in a growth cycle, it makes them uncomfortable.So what do you do with this?

Remind them that this is your journey and not theirs, make sure your spiritual Colleagues are in their own growth cycle and limit your exposure to the ones who are threatened by you.   This is a normal growth pattern in communities, families and even cultures; not everyone grows at the same pace and when you respect that, even if you are the one left behind, your own future will be stronger.

5 – Forgive yourself and others for not being in your future already.

Impatience is your enemy here.  When your passion, vision, and energy are riding high you want it all to manifest NOW!!  NOW, dammit, NOW!!!  It is easy to get frustrated that you did not start years ago; that you did not save money when you got the raise, that you ate the whole pie, or that you spent years with the wrong person.   You are here now, ready now, and because of your past and you could not have done this any sooner.

6 – Get honest about how you have already sabotaged your future goals.

You are prepared for your fears, but can you see where the sabotage has already happened?  Just because you are ready now does not mean that you had not put in safeguards in your past to keep you from reaching that goal.   That past version of yourself was not ready for this and made sure this new future would not accidentally happen. Look between what you are unwilling to change for your future and your fears and there you will find some sabotage already in place.   You may not see it until you have sprung the trap, but instead of bemoaning the universe and its unfair treatment of you, take a look and see what was your own personal sabotage.   The good news is when you find it, you can undo it.

7 – Cleanse yourself of past behaviors.

Spiritual habits are hard to break; actually rewriting them is easier than breaking them.   When you try and break them you are going against yourself and a belief that you put in place a long time ago to support that habit.Work on rewriting or cleansing these past behaviors of the belief that is holding them in place.  It is a kind of spiritual smoke and mirrors and you are tricking yourself, but it is all in the name of healing.

8 – Find others going in the same direction.

We are social creatures and even the most introverted of us do need to find validation in the community.   The community you surround yourself with will validate you - good or bad.   They will help you find the excuse to succeed or fail; they will support your challenges or support your defeat.   The people or colleagues you surround yourself with are a big factor in your life and you will manifest similar attributes the more time you spend with them.  Spend that time wisely.

9 – Move out of your limiting relationships.

We all have people in our lives that limit us, sometimes this is needed; like a mother limiting their child from running in traffic, or a teacher limiting the students from harming each other.   We also outgrow those limits; you can see that in the fight by teenagers for independence from their parents.   These contracts with the people in our lives are fluid and ever changing.  In this fast evolving world, your relationships will evolve or die - telling you it is time to move on.

Unfortunately, we also create limiting relationships that are unhealthy or let go of the healthy ones when they are done.   This hurts you and the other person.   You may be caught in a loop of behavior that neither one wants but do not have the ability to change it.  It will hurt to let them go to, but you can change that to the positive.  Look upon how this relationship got you to this point of growth, honor it, release the hurt and open yourself up for the new opportunities this brings both of you.

10 - Do something every day towards your future plans.

Every day!!!  Every day!!!  Every day you need to re-embrace and recommit to your future and be doing something that helps manifest it.   This breathes life into your future and brings it close and closer.   If you do not feed and water these future goals they will wither and die.

No one ever said this would be easy - easy is disposable and never respected.  Hard work on the other hand is precious and makes you more and more valuable in your own skin.  When someone who is uncomfortable with your success tells you how lucky you are as if you do not deserve what you have, you can turn that hate around into self love knowing you worked every day towards your goal.  Not only are you deserving, you DID IT!

When your love life isn’t so sweet – put a little honey in it!

By Jacki Smith

Sometimes we don’t know what we want in a love life, we just want something!  Or maybe you keep going for the same thing over and over again and that brand of love does not work so well for you.   With the holiday of love, literally right around the corner – latch onto that energy and use it to bring more honey into your life.

One of the tricks with and good conjure that will change your life (for the better), you need to clear away the junk that is blocking the success of your work.   Make your clearing specific to the work you are doing and your success is almost guaranteed.   

Honey Mine – Love Jar Spell

Ingredients:

Lemon

Uncrossing Motor City Hoo Doo Candle

Unlined paper

Clear glass jar with lid.  A 16 oz canning jar is the perfect size.

Tumbled or raw stones; Amethyst, Emerald & Clear Quartz

Dried rose head – OR dried rose petals, Jasmine Flowers, Vanilla Bean, orange peel, Lavender

Honey – the more natural the better

Come to me Oil

Cleo Mae Hoo Doo Candle

First – Clear out the bad

• Cut into the center of a lemon, but not in half.

• On a clean unlined sheet of paper, list out what hurt you in your past love relationships; the undesirable traits of others, the bad habits you have and anything else that you want to never see again in a love interest.  

• Turn the paper counterclockwise one turn (90 degrees) and write across it “Cut & Clear out of my life” 9 times.   

• Cut the cords of what you no longer want in a love interest from you by snipping the scissors around your aura as you restate the things on your list.

• Cut the paper up into small bits and put into the lemon.  As you are cutting up the paper tell it that you are cutting those things out of your life and people with those traits are sour to you and you to them.  

• Light an uncrossing candle and place it in front of the lemon, blocking the old energies from you.   Wash your hands of the past situations with soap (if you can use real handmade soap all the better)

• At your first opportunity, throw the lemon in a dumpster far away from your home or work.   Throw it and don’t look back.   Continue to burn the candle daily until it is done (never leave a burning candle unattended)

Second - Decide what you want and sweeten them to you.

• List out the important ideas in your partner – including what is attractive to you visually.  Fill the page up and make sure you put “human” on your list.   When it is filled, turn the page clockwise and write across it 5 times – “Come to me”.    Write your name all around the edges of the paper without lifting your pen.

• Fold the paper 3 times towards you and place in the jar.

• Light Your Cleo Mae candle – telling it what you want in a love interest.   Tell her you want it now!!!

Start placing your ingredients in the jar and tell each one what you want it to do:

Roses – If you can put a fresh rose head in the jar all the better.  Roses are for love, soul deep love.

Jasmine – To be warm and sweet and bring sweet to you.

Vanilla – To be alluring, helping the one you seek to see the beauty in you.

Orange Peel – For beauty, joy and a healthy sexual pull.

Lavender – for fidelity, happiness peace and love

Emerald - for passionate love

Amethyst – for love, trust and joy

Clear Quartz – To increase the energy of your jar

• Put in 5 drops of Come to me oil

• Water  - fill the jar ½ way with water

• Start to slowly drizzle the honey into the jar – talking to your future love interest.  Tell them what you are looking for and tell them what you have to offer.  Taste the honey as you are drizzling it in and say “Be sweet on me, be mine.”

• Don’t fill up the jar all the way – you want room to grow together.

• Put the lid on the jar and shake it up!  Call your new love interest to you!  Wake them up to your call and tell them that you are ready for them

• Place the Cleo Mae candle on the top of the jar and put the jar on a plate.  Let the candle drip onto the jar.   Shake that jar every day and call your love to you.

One you have them – keep them!

Keep that jar for a year once you have the new love you are looking for.   After a year or if you are no longer interested in who you called to you, empty out the contents of the jar into the earth.   Now it’s on the two of you to build a solid relationship.

If you Honey Mine Jar has not called anyone to you – do a series of cleansings for a week – then shake the jar again.   

It’s summer!!  For many (sadly not all of us) will be heading somewhere whether it be a long far away destination or a long weekend with friends in a nearby camp ground.  Travelling can take a lot out of your physically and emotionally.  I have never been so relaxed and exhausted at the same time while travelling. According to the US travel Association (ustravel.org) we are now travelling more without our children and 79% of us will be going by car.  The average leisure traveller will be older, 55% of travellers are over 45 years old.  We are also changing the way we are planning our trips.

“Trip planning sources have shifted over the last several years, with social media and mobile devices being used more often. In 2012, nearly one-quarter (23%) of domestic leisure travelers relied on friends and relatives to plan their trips, while three in ten (31%) utilized their own past experiences. One in ten used destination websites, nine percent used traveler provider websites (airline, hotel, rental car, cruise, tours, etc.), five percent used social networking and four percent used a mobile device to help plan their trip. (Compared to 2009, only two percent used social networking sources and one percent used their mobile device to assist in trip planning. Direct experiences and destination websites were relied on slightly more in 2009 than in 2012.)” --US Travel

We are also way more connected on our trips than ever before.  Devices, devices, devices!  It is more difficult than ever before to disconnect from your life and just relax on your vacation.  My phone tells me about my emails, kids are buried into snapchat or video games.  Everyone has earbuds in and suddenly you are living your vacation in your tablet or phone.

What are some things you would suggest to others to keep their calm in those busy roads, keep your children connected to their space?  Are there any secrets or tips to make a vacation fun, safe and happy?  Comment on Facebook or out on Twitter under Coventry Creation.

A Conjure Lamp Enchantment

by Chas Bogan

Chas is an artist, writer, and craftsman, and spends much of his time producing a variety of artistic creations for Carnivalia, his online presence centered on the tools of spiritualism, the occult, Hoodoo, and the tradition of carnivale. His spiritual background is varied, including Charismatic Christian, Spiritualist, and Pagan. He currently works with a variety of different spiritual currents, most notably Conjure, Angelic, Ancestral, and Reiki healing. He is one of the founders of the Mystic Dream Academy and one of the owners of The Mystic Dream. Chas is currently teaching his best selling class, Modern Conjure and preparing for his summer tour.

Electric lighting all but killed the use of oil lamps, however the tradition of using them for magical purposes remains. While there are many forms and fuels that an oil lamp may take, we will focus on the most popular variety, the kerosene lamp (aka paraffin lamp). Let us embark on this subject with the definitions for the various parts that compose such a lamp. The part of the lamp which contains the liquid fuel is called a fount or font. The part that screws onto the font and holds the threaded wick is called a burner. The glass that surrounds the flaming wick is called the chimney.

For our font we will want something made of glass so that we may see the goodies we will be placing within it. This is perhaps why lamp magic is so popular, as with a mojo bag, we can fill the font of our lamp will all sorts of curios relevant to our work.

There are many commercial lamps available that will suit our needs. One popular variety of burner is sized to screw onto a common mason jar, which works great as the depth of the mason jar allows us plenty of room in which to place our curios. A trip to your local hardware store should give you some appropriate choices, and there is variety available online as well.

Glass fonts can be found in many of colors, so if you do not mind a dimmer view of the items stored within your font, you might choose a red one to serve as your lamp for love magic, or perhaps blue for happy home work. The same color correspondences used for choosing a candle can be applied to an oil lamp. Additionally, you can achieve color in other ways, such as with an oil based candy dye like the kind Wilton sells, or through natural dyes such as alkanet, which will turn your oil red. Pre-colored fuels are available if you do a bit of searching. When it comes to choosing an oil I prefer liquid paraffin. It generates little smoke and burns well. While some people like to use common oils such as canola, vegetable or olive oil, those oils are often thicker and not well suited to the flat wick that most burners are made for. These wicks use a capillary system to pull oil through their fibers, and thicker oils do not pull through as well. To my liquid paraffin I like to add some conjure oils just as I do with my 7-day candles. Most commercial conjure oils contain fragrance or essential oils that have been added to a carrier oil such as almond oil or jojoba. Adding conjure oils to fuel has always worked out fine for me, although I imagine that if it made the fuel too thick overall then the wick would struggle to absorb it.

As mentioned, the wicks for these lamps are flat, which makes them easy to write on. Here you can draw on your earlier lessons about sigils and name papers to help you decide what to write on your wick. I suggest using a Sharpie for this (available in varying colors).

Lamps are ideal for glamor work, which is all about letting yourself shine. The following instructions are for constructing a lamp of this kind.

Step One: Gather materials needed to construct your lamp, the fount, burner and chimney.

Step Two: Before threading your wick into the burner, draw on it with a Sharpie, symbols such as eyes, the sun, your name, or key words such as sexy, smart, jovial, or whatever characteristics you wish to be recognized for.

Step Three: Add to the font whatever things you feel are appropriate to this work (keeping in mind that it must not take up too much space, a ratio of no more than 1/4 curio to 3/4 fuel is preferred), the following are some suggestions…

• Conjure Oil: Look Me Over / Bewitching / Cleo May

• Stone Curio: Sunstone / Pyrite / Tiger’s Eye

• Animal Curio: Peacock Feather

• Herbal Curio: Rose / Jasmine / High John Root

• Assorted Curio: Eyebrow Pencil / Fancy Cufflink / False Eyelash

• Personal Concern: Hair from your head

• Solomonic Seal: Second & Fourth Pentacle of Jupiter / Fifth Pentacle of Mars / Third Pentacle of the Sun / First through Fifth Pentacles of Venus / Third Pentacle of Mercury

Step Four: Add your fuel and assemble your lamp.

Step Five: Light your lamp, and empower it utilizing the following elements...

• Envision: See yourself turning heads / Making others smile /                                      Strutting down the runway

• Emote: Sense pride in yourself / Imagine the joy of being well loved / Feel how jealous they will be of  you

• Speak: Let your words and breath serve as a bridge for divine power; say a spoken charm, or read a Psalm such as Psalm 5, 78 or 111. If you are not certain what Psalm to use, Psalm 119 is always acceptable as a default for lamp work.

• Believe: Have faith and go forth in confidence.
  
  

PROTECTIVE MEASURES

by Dorothy Morrison. Well known author of books as the author of Lucinda's Web, Everyday Magic, The Craft, Utterly Wicked and many other books. A native Texan, she is  a Third Degree Wiccan High Priestess of the Georgian Tradition, founded the Coven of the Crystal Garden in 1986, and spent many years teaching the Craft to students in eight states and in Australia. Dorothy currently ensconced in studies of the RavenMyst Circle Tradition, and enjoys membership in the Coven of the Raven.

Anyone who performs hexes and curses would be a fool not to go the extra mile to protect themselves against the same.  Thus, the following protection simples are provided for your convenience.

Against the Evil Eye:

• Hang dill weed over all windows and doorways in the home.

• Wear a blue eye bead for constant personal protection. Hang one from the rearview mirror of your car, as well.

• Keep a cimaruta on your altar to stave off interference in your magical work.

Against Nightmares:

• Keep a silver bell in your bedroom and ring it to drive off nightmare-causing evil spirits each night before you go to bed.

• A small dish of coffee beans kept by the bed staves off nightmares.

• Rosemary plants placed near the bed shield against unpleasant dreams.

For Safe Automobile Travel:

• Keep a whole ash leaf in the glove box for magical protection.

• Keep a tiger’s eye in the vehicle to protect against accidents.

• Hang a mojo bag filled with wormwood and plantain from the rearview mirror to prevent negative spirits from taking on the position of co-pilot.

Against Malevolence in the Home:

• Once a month, using a sprig of rosemary, asperge all thresholds with a mixture of 1 tablespoon of saltpeter to a  gallon of water.  Pay special attention to the front and back doors.

• Place aloe vera plants above the doorway to repel malevolent spirits and nasty magic.  Use red geraniums outdoors – if your property allows it, plant them to form a boundary – to keep bewitchments at bay.

• Place Fu dog statues – the Asian dogs that look as if they’re part lion – on either side of the front door as “security guards.”  It’s said that using a matched pair of male and female is most effective.  [The male is usually portrayed playing with a ball.]  Raise them off the ground as much as possible, so they can get a clear view of anything coming their way.

• As Papa Legba holds the keys to the gates between the worlds, and decides who enters and who doesn’t, place his statue behind the front door.  [A statue of St. Peter may be substituted, as he was designated by the enslaved as Papa Legba’s Christian counterpart when it was necessary to hide their religious activities.]  Offer him rum every Monday – Barbancourt is a good choice if you can find it – and occasionally, supplement with good cigars, cigarettes, and candy.

Against Pet Harm:

• As pets take the brunt of any malicious activity aimed toward us, it’s important to safeguard them as well.  For dogs, a disc depicting Diana and charged with protection works well when added to the collar.  For cats, obtain a disc depicting Bast.  If neither is available to you, a St. Francis of Assisi medal will work well for either.

[Used by permission and excerpted from Utterly Wicked by Dorothy Morrison; published 2007 by WillowTree Press, St. Louis, MO]

The Art of Setting Lights: Candle Spells in Conjure Tradition

by Storm Faerywolf

Storm Faerywolf is a teacher, artist, poet, warlock, priest, and initiate of the Faery tradition, a lineage of American Traditional Witchcraft. With nearly thirty years experience practicing the Craft and teaching for more than twenty, Storm has lead open circles, given lectures, and taught both public and private classes in the San Francisco Bay Area and across the U.S. He holds the Black Wand and is the founder of BlueRose, his own school and lineage within the Faery Tradition. He is also an initiate in several other traditions of witchcraft, spirituality, and energy healing. Storm is a regular contributor to Modern Witch and has been interviewed on several other podcasts including Elemental Castings and Hex Education. Along with his husband he owns and operates The Mystic Dream, a metaphysical and occult retail store and learning center in the San Francisco Bay Area, where he offers public classes and private sessions to clients. For more information visit his website atwww.faerywolf.com.

(Excerpted from the ‘Modern Conjure’ class material.)

“Setting Lights” is a time-honored practice of using candles or oil lamps in conjunction with formal prayer work, as described in the various regional traditions of hoodoo and Conjure. This practice is rooted in even older traditions. Ever since early humans first made their illuminating discovery, fire has played a central role in the spiritual, religious, and magical practices of humankind regardless of culture. Certain woods have been burned in order to aid in healing and to attract prosperity; various ignitable liquids have been set aflame in order to call spirits or to clear a space of unwanted ones; and candles of various colors and shapes have been used in order to achieve a myriad of magical goals. On a practical level it has meant the difference between life and death. Symbolically it represents life-force, the presence of divinity, and even the will of God.

When Setting a Light for a client I will meditate on their situation and allow myself to be “spirit-led” in determining the best course of action. With the help of my spirit allies I will choose various herbs and oils that are aligned with the desired result and then will set to work creating a sigil for the client, which is then drawn upon the glass of the 7-Day Devotional candles that are traditional for this particular type of candle work. I will pray over the candle for every step that I am working on it, right up to the point at which it is lit and then I walk away and allow the candle to do it’s work. I will check in on it and see what it is telling me… candles reveal their secrets to one who is patient enough to watch for them, but I will do my best to not interfere. If I see that a flame has gone out I know that something is blocking the work and so I will relight it with another prayer and even carve out excess wax that is preventing the flame from being sustained. If I am able to successfully relight the candle then the whole process has told me that the client will need to do more work to achieve the desired result. If I am unable to get the candle to properly light after three failed attempts then I know that this work cannot be done in this way at this time. Once a candle has completed its burn, I will photograph it and email the client the picture along with a brief report detailing my impressions of how the spell faired. I then pray one last time over the empty candle glass, intending all magical threads between the candle and my client and all parties be cleansed and severed, and then I retire them with the rest of my recyclables.

Choosing a Candle Color

The first step with any magical working will be to determine the precise goal that is being sought. Once this has been done we may now move on to the second step which would be choosing an appropriate color for our candle in question.

One question (or rather, series of related questions) that I receive an a fairly regular basis has to do with choosing the “correct” or “most powerful” color for their spell. (“Is red more powerful than pink for a love spell?”, “The book says to use a green candle in my money spell, but isn’t gold better?”, “or even “But what if I don’t have a purple candle? Will the spell still work?”

Rest assured you can certainly cast an effective candle spell without any regard to color at all. If I need to do a spell I will use whatever I have lying around… but the traditional art of using color in magic is one that is powerful as well as beautiful, as and such shouldn’t be dismissed outright. Different colors affect us psychologically, and are therefore of much value to the magician or conjurer. Think of your favorite color… of how it makes you feel. Now, think of a color that you would consider angry… or sad… or jubilant. In this simple flight of the imagination we already are given a window into the potential power of using color.

Now consider that this is far from universal. Your “happy” could be my “sad”. Each of us comes with our own biases and interpretations, based on a lifetime of personal experience. And a good portion of those differences are culturally informed. Consider the money spell… Most people these days wouldn’t bat an eye when told that a traditional color candle for a money spell would be green. After all, green is the color of our money and so it makes sense. But this is not true for all peoples. Feng Shui tradition uses both red and gold as primary activating colors, and purple is associated with the wealth sector of the Bag Gua. In the United States, the color black is often associated with death, but in China the color of mourning is white. The culture of our upbringing is embedded within us. And sometimes this conflicts with tradition. When in doubt, use a color that you personally feel is aligned to the desired outcome.

Types of Candles

Once we have chosen the color for our candle, we need to know exactly what type of candle to use. Simple tapers might be just fine for most workings, but there are also candles that have been specially designed for use in magical work and now enjoy a rich tradition of magical practitioners who have so aligned with their use, creating a powerful current of magical power which may be further tapped into by the magician or conjurer.

•    “7 Day” or Devotional Candles: These are glass-encased candles that originally took 7 days to finish burning, but now —due to reformulation of the wax material to lower costs— now usually take 4 or 5. Great for any working, especially those that need a continuous flame for several days at a time.

•    Male/Female Figurals: These are little wax images of men and women and are used for working spells on people. Can be moved/manipulated to symbolically describe how you wish the spell to play out. (i.e. moving them closer together to encourage closeness; turning their backs to each other to encourage separation; sprinkles with rose petals to encourage love, etc.)

•    Cats: Burned for good luck in different areas of life, depending on color.

•    Skulls: White for contacting spirits. Black for protection or hex work. Other colors to call spirits to help in that area. Also used for influencing thoughts.

•    Crosses: To invoke God’s presence. Blessings. Mastery over a person or situation.

•    Knob Candles: For spells or wishes taking 7 days.

•    Pyramids: Money. Financial stability.

•    Phallus/Yoni Candles: Sexuality; life-force.

•    Adam/Eve or Marriage candles: To cause two people to fall in love.

•    “Divorce” Candles: To cause two people to break-up or to ease

•    Reversing Candles (black/red): To send a curse or hex back to its source.

The Art of Dressing Candles

Now that we have chosen the color and type of candle it must be “dressed” prior to magical use. This is a process by which it is energetically aligned to one’s magical purpose, usually by using herbs and oils to infuse the candle with the essence of the plant’s energies. Taper candles are usually carved with sigils, signs, symbols, or names before being rubbed with appropriate oils. Spells involving the attraction of influences or energies are usually rubbed from the tips toward the middle, while spells of banishment or the diminishing of conditions are rubbed from the middle toward the tips. (Alternatively, increasing spell candles may be rubbed from the tip to the base, while decreasing spell candles can be rubbed from the base to the tip.) Once the candle has been dressed with oils it may be used, or even rolled in dried herbs to maximize the spells’ effectiveness. (Using similar rules as for the dressing: roll away from you for spells of banishment, and toward you for spells of increase.)

Devotional (Glass encased) candles are not dressed in the same way, since they cannot be carved or rubbed with oils. These candles can be decorated with paint, markers, or photographs and need to have the wax pierced with an odd number of holes with an object such as a screwdriver or another similar tool. After the holes have been made then the appropriate oils are then poured or dropped into them. Then a small pinch of dried herbs or even glitter (for additional color association) may be sprinkled on top.

Dressing Candles (tapers, pillars, jumbos, etc.)

•  To invoke: Dress the candle from the ends toward to middle OR from the top to the bottom.

•  To banish: Dress from middle toward the ends OR from the bottom to the top.

Dressing Candles (7 Days)

Remembering that each step involves praying for the desired result, poke holes in the top (some traditions say an odd number, but I generally use 3-5) and then simply, and slowly pour oils in. DO NOT LEAVE OIL FLOATING ON TOP!  Poke extra holes if this happens. Top off with A SMALL AMOUNT of herbs/glitter appropriate for your working.

Other Items

Petition papers are usually placed underneath a candle or holder to become charged. These can also be placed on the outside of a glass candle or within a circle of herbs, stones, or salt near the candle. A candle substitute can be a large plant or tree underneath which you can bury your petition. (Make sure the plant remains in good health lest your spell’s power wither!)

Disposing of Candle Spell Remains

Traditionally the remains of a candle spell are often thrown into a running body of water, or buried, but PLEASE DON’T POLLUTE THE ENVIRONMENT. Candle remnants can be thrown away with a prayer of release, or thrown in a larger fire. Candle glass can be recycled after being cleansed (with Florida Water or another substance of your choosing). A Sharpie can be used to mark an “X” on those candles that did NOT yield good results before being recycled. Other candles can be energetically “canceled” by praying over them and envisioning the red circle with a slash through it melting into them before throwing away/recycling. Candles for less than noble purposes should always be disposed of away from your home or business. Candle remains from spells that were set for positive purposes can be put in a pouch and carried as a charm, or kept in the home to continue to attract good influences.

This covers some of the basics of Setting Lights and candle spells. Remember that this is only a starting point. Once you have become confident in the steps described in this lesson you may feel free to experiment on your own to devise new methods of empowering and utilizing candles for your magical goals, as we march onward into the future of modern conjuring.

©2010-2015 Storm Faerywolf

Awakening the Blood: Calling, Contacting and Communicating with Our Ancestors

by Susan Diamond

Susan Diamond is the owner/ operator of Serpent’s Kiss Magic Shop and Crossroads Community Space in Santa Cruz, Ca. (serpents-kiss.com) She Creates many of the items found at her shop. She is a practicing Witch, Initiated Palera, Shamanic Practitioner, Astrologer, Spiritual Consultant/Coach, Reader & Rootworker. Susan teaches classes and is co-owner of Conjure Craft (conjurecraft.us) along with Orion Foxwood and a founding member  of Conjure Crossroads (folkmagicfestival.com) along with Starr Casas, Sindy Todo, Shimmering Wolf, & Orion Foxwood (conjurecon.com) You can connect with her on FB or listen to Conjure Crossroads on Blog Talk Radio (blogtalkradio.com/conjurecrossroads)

Ancestor work is the most important, potent, and immediately (as well as long term) gratifying work as anything you could ever do. Open that door and the future and its opportunities are limitless. Our Ancestors blood is within us. We are the living flesh that is proof of their existence and we hold their salvation, as well as our own, and that of our descendants in our hands. Contained in our very own DNA are their desires, their fears, their loves, their hates, their successes and their failures. They are a part of us and their memories, passed on to us through our blood, influence us for better and for worse.  They have a vested interest in our growth and well being and in helping us move forward, beyond the bonds of their/our fears, hurts, hates, and failures. We redeem them, and ourselves, through embracing love, desire, success, and happiness in our own lives. So how do we do this? How can they help us? Where do we find them? How do we get to know them in a culture that does not support remembering and engaging those whose shoulders we stand on? As is often the case, how do we get past generations of family shame that has obscured their lives and their cultures from our conscious awareness? How do we call them back and replace shame with reverence and honor?

It is simpler than you think. And living in our current age we have resources, both scientific as well as spiritual, to bridge the gaps forged by the past to enable a future of harmony, awareness, and engagement with those spirits who love us.

As a witchcraft/conjure shop owner of over 15 years, and a psychic/spiritual counselor for over 25 years, I am often challenged by clients/customers who say they cannot or will not work with their ancestors. Many of the "cannot's" say they are adopted or have no family history. Many of the "will nots" have suffered abuses by their most recent ancestors but know nothing of those beyond a generation or two.

Lets start with the will nots. You have many many many unknown ancestors. Reach beyond those who have wounded you. In fact, it is your very own ancestors that can help you heal the wounds inflicted by their descendants.

Now on to the cannots. Whether you have been adopted or not, many of us in our modern American culture have little knowledge of our ancestry beyond a generation or two. What a blessing to have the option of DNA testing at our disposal! Through DNA testing you can map the journey of your ancestors and start to piece together the story of that journey culminating in the creation of you! Knowing their names is not necessary in order to work with them. Yet, many of the reputable ancestry sites offer "sharing" options where you may connect with relatives who can actually connect you to names of those ancestors who were lost to you.

My personal journey with DNA testing has led me to an understanding of many of my chosen paths in life, that previously made little sense to myself or others. I was able to get quite a few names and stories through the process. I did not expect this to happen but am so grateful that I finally did the test.

Let me start by saying, I am physically externally quite white with reddish blonde hair. What I have been told of my ancestry from my family is that we are Irish, Scottish, English, German, Italian, Welsh, and Danish. Although this made some sense and I never questioned it, this is not the full picture of my heritage and not what my DNA test results said. In fact, my western European ancestry experience is in a lesser degree than some of the other ancestral journeys as expressed in my DNA. I have many stories of personal expression of previously unknown cultural tendencies. But, for now, I will share two.

About 15 years ago I took a belly dance class. My very first dance class ever. I was excited and looking forward to it as I have always loved to dance. My instructor, who was from Egypt got VERY frustrated at my inability to follow directions. To my extreme humiliation, she told the class to stop. She dimmed the lights, asked her husband to drum, and told me to just go ahead and dance free form to his drumming since I wasn't listening to her anyway. Although embarrassed, I did it. At one point she flicked on the lights and said "Ahhhhh!!! Now I get it!! Obviously you have been trained in the Turkish dance. Very different." I'd never been trained in any dance, and yet my recent DNA discoveries indicate a fair amount of Turkish blood that I'd never been aware of. You may not be aware of the history of your blood but that doesn't stop it from running through you and influencing your life.

I'd also like to address a subject that is sensitive to many folks. In the 15 years that I've had a shop, one of the most beautiful, in my opinion, experiences is the cross cultural call of the spirits. I have seen African women called by the Celtic Goddess Bridget, white women waking from dreams where a beautiful Goddess called Oshun wants them to walk with her. I have seen Asian men called by Pan and Christian men visited by Buddha. I believe there is more going on here than just DNA but in some cases, where appropriation is implied, it is simply our blood and not our skin that calls us home to our familiar spirits.

I have always been drawn to the African spirits. They have called to me from dreams and on at least 2 occasions saved my life. Conjure, known to some as "slave magic" is as natural to me as waking up and breathing air. It has confused me a bit for many years but I learned a very long time ago to trust my spirit over my rational mind and certainly over the minds of others. My DNA tests indicated African blood. Through family tree development and thorough research of documents, I discovered my 6th generation great grandfather was a slave owner in St. Croix (Dutch West Indies in the Caribbean) and my 6th great-grandmother was his house slave, who he freed and with whom he fathered 5 children. Upon his death, she went to court to petition for his property and won. There are court documents, house deeds, etc. All verifiable.

These stories and others help clarify my life's choices.

Now lets move on to the task of communicating with our ancestors both known and unknown.

The most important thing to note in any kind or human - spirit contact or communication is that the human body/intellect and the spirit realm communicate differently. The language of spirit is simultaneously more subtle and yet in some ways more direct. It speaks to our creative, unconscious nature engaging our senses but not necessarily our intellect. Communication therefore takes place through our senses and through our emotions rather than our minds. Our biggest challenge than is to learn to receive with out the filters created by our logical minds that enable us to exist harmoniously in a 3d reality.

So our first step in contacting and communicating with ancestors is to learn how to listen to the spirit world. We can accomplish this with the help of our non human allies by spending at least one whole day in nature and not once uttering a word. Our goal is to receive only. Do not speak, do not interpret. Listen. Listen to the breeze. Listen to the trees. Listen to the insects. Smell the air. Smell the dirt. Smell the dusty pollen on the wings of the bees. Take it all in. Pick up a stone. Hold it. Let yourself drift. Let yourself dream and ride the wave of your spirit as it merges with the stone. Later, much later, make a list of what you recall. List your thoughts, your feelings, your stirrings, your inspirations, emotions, etc. What messages did you receive from the nature spirits? Continue this exercise as needed.  Once you have learned to receive, you will want to find spirit allies that can facilitate communication with your ancestors.

In the plant kingdom, your greatest allies for this work lies with the trees. In many cultures, trees act as conduits between all realms, connecting upper, lower, and middle realms. Regardless of where your ancestors spirits currently reside, they can ride the spirit of the trees. If you use oils in your ancestor communications, be sure they include tree essences acquired with respect for the trees. I recommend Cypress and/or Cedarwood. Other plant allies that can facilitate the work are those that enhance memory, such as vanilla or rosemary. Flowers can also be used on altars prepared for your ancestors. My preference is white lilies (no pesticides!).

Stones, bones, and fossils may also be engaged as allies to facilitate your work, particularly those that come from the lands of your ancestors. Fossils and petrified wood, like the dead, have changed form and can facilitate the work. My preference is ammonites. Grounding stones, particularly those with iron (the blood contains iron) such as lodestone/iron ore/hematite or hematite in quartz (my favorite) make great facilitators. Actual ancestor remains (ashes) and/or graveyard dirt from particular ancestors plots can also contribute to your working.

Below you will find a simple ritual working that you can do for Ancestral Contact. Feel free to add your own personal touches when doing your own working.

Ritual:

Start with a meditation to get you into a place of receiving. One way I like to do this is by actually listening to the blood itself. You will need a stethoscope for this meditation. Another is to sit with the trees before beginning your work. But any method that helps you be still and listen will work.

What you will need:

• A black bowl or a bowl with a small obsidian scrying mirror at its center

• "Live" fresh water (spring or river is best, "live" water is flowing water)

• A White Candle or a prepared ancestor candle (One that is made by a reputable conjure worker)

• An ancestor oil (for anointing yourself prior to your working. To be used ONLY when calling kin)

• A cauldron for burning herbs or incense

• Herbs or Incense to be used as offerings

• A single hair from your head

• A lighter

Anoint yourself with Ancestor oil. A drop to your third eye, a drop to your heart, a drop to each hands palm, and a drop to each foot (between and just slightly below, the balls of your feet.)

Add a small amount of water to your bowl. Place your candle in the center.

Place your single piece of your hair in the bowl (some people may chose to use a single drop of their blood instead. It you choose this method, please be very careful and only use a sterile instrument specifically designed for this task, such as a lancet used to test blood sugars. Also note that you should never use your blood as an offering or engage any other spirits than your ancestors to commune with you in that way, lest you become food for the spirit world!).

Light your candle and call forth those from whom you received your blood, your ancestors, through the waters.

Make your offering of herbs and/or incense.

Introduce yourself and allow yourself to receive. Do not force it. Be still and wait. Ask a question. It can be anything. Who is here with me? Do you have advice for me?  Would you like additional offerings? How can I help you?, etc. If you are unable to be still or to receive, it doesn't mean that they are not there. Recognize that they are there, and ask them for help in making the connection. Perhaps your messages/questions will be answered in your dream time or will show up in some other way like a stranger's comment or a book you are drawn to or perhaps through a conjure worker you engage for a reading. Our ancestors work through whatever means are available to them, and once called, will try and solidify the connection. They won't give up on you, don't give up on them.

If need be, repeat the working until you feel you have made a connection with one or more of your ancestors. Once established, contact and communication are easy. They are with you and have never left you. You may call to them through a simple inner conversation. You can see them in your mirror's reflection. Once contact is made, you may chose to limit your ritual working to a simple candle lighting or special place or altar space. I like to prepare a space to share meals with my ancestors and talk around the dinner table as families do. I talk about my day and ask them, as elders, for their advice. If you feel uncomfortable in asking for their help remember this: How many parents would LOVE that their children ask for their advice? They are your elders. You are their child.   Whether you hear them or not, they will ALWAYS answer. They are ALWAYS there. They care. It is through their love, commitment, hardships & fortitude, that you were created. Honor them by remembering them, by engaging them, by healing them, and by being healed by them.

Home Work with St. Joseph

By Sindy Todo.Born and raised on the Texas-Louisiana gulf coast and a true Southern Rootworker, her Cajun/Louisiana ancestral gumbo is fully reflected in my conjure and is representative of the blend of cultures found there She is a conjurer, spiritual coach, energy worker, healer, intuitive, and card & bone reader.  Sindy also serves as a spiritual bridge between realms.  Her gifts are ancestral and passed down to me from her Cajun and Lebanese grandmothers. Sindy  resides in Seattle Washington with her beloved husband of 28 years and two beautiful Shih Tzu’s who are her constant companions that energetically watch over and guard all her work!

When I began practicing rootwork or conjure, one of the first divinities that clearly spoke to me regarding prosperity work was Saint Joseph. He has been my patron Saint, my spiritual benefactor and my support.  Many have experienced his miraculous assistance.  

My maternal grandfather was named Joseph (he was also a seventh son), my father was named Joseph, and the first school I attended was St. Joseph’s. For over 30 years I have participated in celebrating the feast day of this saint by first learning how to work on preparing an altar in the Sicilian and New Orleans tradition and then building and creating my own. This is an annual pledge and fund raising event to feed those less fortunate that I promise to St. Joseph for all his help and assistance I receive for my clients, my family and myself.

The home is where we feel most rooted and grounded, it makes sense for us to do our work around bringing into it positive energy, great abundance, and strong protection for the structure itself and all those who live in it.

St. Joseph walks the rooms of my home because he is invited and prayed to on a daily basis. He is the saint to invoke for buying, selling, remodeling, protecting and drawing prosperity to the house.  A simple carpenter, yet a powerfully strong father figure and intuitive, Joseph connects to each of us… if we simply ask.

Conjure work to me, is a study in spirit-guided creativity. When working for prosperity drawing I make mini money houses and personalized prosperity railroad spikes and teach people how to use these tools to do their work.  Often I use jewelry from a client when commissioned to make these pieces, I use real money, real keys, gold blessed mojo beans from my feast day altars, lodestones, and other prosperity drawing stones, minerals roots and herbs.

Another example of my work is a house for realtors to work with as they get listings to sell and attract buyers.  St Joseph is guardian over these little houses and always stands outside the front door of the house, standing upright (never upside down), watching for the right buyer to come in. Cinnamon for a fence and trees, shredded money for bushes around the house, high John root in the yard, coins and pyrite for a sidewalk,  $2.00 bills on the roof, horseshoes, broom and a house key at the door along with other personalized items just are a few embellishments of this particular realtor’s “ranch house”.

Success is accomplished when more thoughtful focus and creativity are applied to the setup of these magical work-houses. Petitions are written; names of buyers are put in the house and candles burned on the chimney.

I love to do home work and always encourage my clients to look at their environment when they are trying to shift their flow of abundance. Is your house clean? Have you moved the energy in it by moving the items, clutter and furniture? Remember the old saying, “Home is where the Heart is”. Take care to keep all the plasma pumping and arteries open.  And, talk to St. Joseph.  My favorite prayer said each morning (while you brush your teeth is perfect) is below. Just ask for what you want. He’s listening!

Houses filled to the roof with blessings,

Auntie Sindy Todo

Todomojo.com

Prayer to St Joseph

Oh, St. Joseph, whose protection is so great, so strong, so prompt before the throne of God, I place in you all my interest and desires.  (state them here)

Oh, St. Joseph, do assist me by your powerful intercession, and obtain for me from your divine Son all spiritual blessings, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. So that, having engaged here below your heavenly power, I may offer my thanksgiving and homage to the most loving of Fathers.

Oh, St. Joseph, I never weary contemplating you, and Jesus asleep in your arms; I dare not approach while He reposes near your heart. Press him in my name and kiss his fine head for me and ask him to return the kiss when I draw my dying breath. St. Joseph, Parton of departing souls – Pray for me.

Entering a rapture: Trance in American Root-Doctoring and Conjure Practices

By Orion Foxwood
Foxwood is a witch, conjure-man and faery seer; and, the author of “The  Faery Teachings” (RJ Stewart Books), “The Tree of Enchantment” and “The  Candle and the Crossroads” and "The Flame in the Cauldron" (Weiser Books).. Orion is the founder, and primary teacher, of the House of Brigh Faery Seership Institute, a multi-year teaching program in the "Tree of Enchantment" Seerhship lore, practices, traditions and skills; and a co-founder of Conjure Crossroads (CC), which is a collaboration between five (5)  seasoned root-workers and witches focused on preserving and promoting the healing and helping benefits of southern root-work, witchcraft and other folk traditions. CC hosts the annual Folk Magic Festival in New Orleans, Conjure-Craft in Santa Cruz, CA and an ongoing blog show. He is the Founding Elder of Foxwood Temple, a coven dedicated to passing on the traditional witchcraft of his elders . He holds a Master’s Degree in Human Services. His website is orionfoxwood.com.

The use of the word “trance” was something I never heard of until I moved northward to “the big city” of the Washington D.C. and Baltimore metropolitan areas.  The people I grew up with were not always that formally educated to use, as my mother would say, “highfalutin” words such as this. They saw what we think of as trance as something that happens when we offer our spirit up to God (or the Great Spirit, maker or source), to be used as a tool for works greater than the constraints of daily life and the human flaws that may lay within us. Yet, there is no doubt that what we call trance, or altered states” was without doubt a core practice among root-doctors, spirit-workers and conjure people as well as in many of the “back-woods” churches I attended where the parishioners and the laity entered into a state of awareness where they were in the presence of the source or “God”.  Without doubt, these people and their experiences gave me access to trance and its blessings.

Often, the steps to this state where called “approaching the throne”. These steps may involve singing, clapping, rocking, spinning, praying, reciting biblical phrases, and a host of other practices until the “shift” was made into the state desired.  The state, which we may call trance, reached was called by my folks “a rapture”. Once in a rapture-state, a person may speak the spirit-tongue (the voice of God), prophesied (pray true, see true and speak true), do healing (restoration of well-being), perform miracles (make change beyond the explainable), speak and work with the spirits (bear forth the power of the unseen world), access wisdom or do conjuration (draw forth power). The “rapture-state” (or trance) was the very means by which the worker could be the vessel of spirit, a force far beyond the everyday limits of the human life. A force that was divine made manifest the realms of humanity!

My Background

I was born and raised outside of Winchester Virginia in the Shenandoah Valley in the early 60s in a culture that was a mix of southern Appalachian and southern elements influenced by African culture from the slave trade of the 1800s in Virginia.  I moved from Virginia to Maryland in the 1980s to continue my study of witchcraft (which I had started there) and to “find myself”. I had no idea of the value of the folk wisdom I learned and lived with my mother and other teachers in my home culture. The folks who most utilized the rapture-state where folks who were doctors of the root (or spirit) such as preachers, faith-healers and the other folks who were gifted and trained to doctor the spirit which were called “root-doctors” (for they doctored the spirit, which is the root of life), spirit-doctors and occasionally conjure-workers.

Now, a very important part of understanding my life with the rapture-state is to be aware that I was born with what my culture calls “the veil”, known in other cultures as “the caul”. My mother and sister had it. This veil as a certain way the placental sheath falls over the eyes of the newborn and it indicates the ability to see into and access the unseen world of the spirits.  In my view, as one living with the veil now for nearly 50 years, is that the attributes of this gift is the ability to swiftly, effortlessly and even un-willfully enter into “trance” and access information that is seemingly not accessible to the “normal” person. I did not understand the full implications of this so-called “blessing” or “gift” until much later in my life as I came into harmony with it. It really was not until I formally entered my training as a witch and Faery seer that I really understood the veil, the rapture, and the knowledge and power that comes with it.     

A part of my witchcraft studies was learning how, as my witch teachers called it “to enter into the place between the worlds” or “fly beyond the hedge” of the seen into the unseen realms of the spirit. It was not until far into my training as a witch that I realized this was the same state of consciousness that my southern elders called rapture”. I experienced this state in sessions of faith-healing, root-doctoring and conjure work and it has specific feelings or sensations associated, which include the following:

• A light-headed sensation similar to intoxication

• Shifted-ness wherein a feeling of not being oneself is present

• A feeling of “otherness” entering into the mind

• The knees feeling weak

• Awake sleepiness

• Part of the body moving in an uncontrollable way where you feel like a puppet on strings   

• A feeling of being outside oneself looking at oneself

• A feeling of expansion and “hollowing-out”

• A feeling  that there is a flow of something greater than oneself moving into you and pouring out in words, actions and/or expressions

• A sense that you will be forever changed somehow after the experience.

So, here are some insights into the presence and use of the trance-state in American southern magical and spiritual traditions and how witchcraft and its uses of this state actually lead me back to the teachings of my childhood. In conclusion, I wish access to the rapture as a gift to all who earnestly seek to access the healing and helping benefits of the spirit world.

PINS AND NEEDLES

by Dorothy Morrison. Well known author of books as the author of Lucinda's Web, Everyday Magic, The Craft, Utterly Wicked and many other books. A native Texan, she is  a Third Degree Wiccan High Priestess of the Georgian Tradition, founded the Coven of the Crystal Garden in 1986, and spent many years teaching the Craft to students in eight states and in Australia. Dorothy currently ensconced in studies of the RavenMyst Circle Tradition, and enjoys membership in the Coven of the Raven.

Poppets have a made a magical comeback in the last few years, and there’s plenty of related information to be found in both books and on the internet today.  What you won’t find, though, is information on the correct pin and needle insertion points to cause the desired effect.  Of course, if the intent is to cause illness, locating the proper insertion point is just a matter of common sense.  However, other key insertion points are often overlooked.  And it's to that end that a brief list follows below for your convenience.

[Used by permission and excerpted from Utterly Wicked by Dorothy Morrison; published 2007 by WillowTree Press, St. Louis, MO]

Olive Oil in Conjure

By Caterina O’Sullivan

Caterina is owner of La Buona vita.  She is an Ama Deus and Reiki Master as well as a skilled Rootworker. Taking into consideration the day of the week, the time of day, and the phase of the moon, Caterinas products are hand crafted for the specific needs of clients. La Buona Vitas aim is to Craft the very best and most powerful product to help everyone “Live the Good Life”.  For more information about Caterina, please visit her website http://labuonavitausa.com/

A family tradition

From soaps to sauces, and cures of many ailments, Olive oil is well known all over the world. I grew up with no other oil in the house; it was sacred to my mother’s family. I was fortunate enough to spend a lot of my youth in Italy and I can attest for its many wonderful properties and its high regard in that country.

Spring tonic in my household was more of an olive oil flush. (Trust me, when your La Nonna, (The Grandmother,) makes you guzzle it straight from the bottle you’re getting flushed.) It was used on your hair, on your skin, in your food, and of course on your altar.

Using A lumini Ad Olio in Alters

So let me start with altars. Everyone on my mother’s side of the family, and the majority of our friends, had at least two altars in their homes. One would be for the ancestors and one to either Jesus or Mary. In some cases certain ancestors had an altar to themselves. All of these altars had a glass or jar filled about ¾ with water and ¼ with olive oil.  A lumini Ad Olio, which translates to Oil Candles, floats on top. It's a thin piece of lightweight metal that looks like a donut with three arms and it is suspended by three tiny square pieces of cork. In the center of this float is a small wick pulled halfway through a small round piece of cardboard inserted into the center of the donut. These burn during veneration and prayer.

Ancestor altar with Lumini al Olio

If there is a need for some help, if someone is sick, traveling, in need of finances, etc.; candles dressed with olive oil are added to the alter. These candles of course are scrutinized for any signs or messages at the end of their burning. Now it's starting to sound familiar, right? Burning the midnight oil takes on a whole new meaning when you're praying at one of these altars with your family for someone’s recovery from a serious ailment.

For me now, I still burn the Lumini al Olio, but plain white candles can't compare to the amazing candles made by Coventry Creations. They are the only candles I carry and their effectiveness outweighs any candles I have ever used. If I have a corresponding oil to use to dress the candle I will use that and add a few drops of olive oil to strengthen it.

Olive oil also comes in very handy diagnosing and curing Malocchio, or the Evil Eye.

First get a bowl of fresh water and a small dish of olive oil. Then wave your hand over the chest area of the person who is suspected to have the evil eye a few times. Dip your fingertips of that hand into the olive oil and hold your hand loosely over the bowl of water and let the olive oil drip from your fingertips.

If the oil comes together into one puddle or “eye,” then the person has some other ailment and has not been hexed by the Evil Eye. Should they remain separated, then you have a hexing on your hands.

water bowl with drips of olive oil separated.

There are many different ways to remove the Malocchio, but the simplest way is to continue waving your hand dressed with a bit of olive oil over the affected persons chest and repeat dipping your fingertips into the olive oil and letting it drip into the water until the separated become one.

Special Note: should you have to cover most of the surface area of the water bowl with drips of oil before it becomes one circle of oil, get a bowl of fresh water and repeat. This time I would light an uncrossing candle of your choice, dressed of course, and continue.

Bonus Tip from Caterina

I have one last little sneaky trick with olive oil for you. Take a few drops of olive oil in your hands and rub it gently into the pillow of your partner without them knowing. You will have the best sex you ever had ;-)

Caterina with her mom in Italy

Mama Izzy’s Hoodoo

by Nicki Mcdermott (Izzy McDermott)

As far back as I can remember the faith that is so deeply entwined with Conjure work has always been a part of my family and my life. When I was young I would be at my grandmother’s house and it was busy. Lot’s of people, lot’s of noise. My Grandma Bowers would be cooking in her cast iron skillet, Great Granny Wilson would be at the kitchen table singing bible hymns and gramps and Uncle Izzy, my great uncle, would be sitting around having a Budweiser talking about this or that. It was crazy and chaotic, but it was my family. Things were always done the “old way”. My Granny Wilson lived in a tiny house next to my grandma’s and she would hold Sunday school for us. It was always a lesson taken right out of the bible and you had better be there!

As I grew up and granny Wilson passed there were not any more Sunday lessons, but I remained close with gramps and uncle Izzy. They had great stories about the bar and about how crazy this person was and how you never go to a bank, you bury your money in the yard and how you didn’t need a doctor, you could get fixed at home. Those are fond memories to me and now I understand just how much they have played a part in the path I have chosen for my life’s work.

After the birth of my daughter I began to work a lot with plants, herbs and spices. I would smell them and feel them and choose different ones and put them into oils. They weren’t medicine so to speak but they were to provide help for different situations. I would give them to my friends and family and they loved them. Soon after that I would work with candles. Rolling them in the oils and then in the herbs for different situations.  I would help people and I would help myself.  After six years of being a stay at home mom I got a job at a new age store and it was perfect for me. I got to help people and work with them and learn the business!

Five years into my job I had a lady come into the store and she was talking with me about the casino. I excused myself and went to the back. I made her an oil, drew a dollar sign on paper, taped it on the bottle, wrote down the recipe and gave her the oil. I didn’t know it but at that moment Mama Izzy’s Hoodoo was born! She came back a few days later, handed me some cash and explained that the oil, my oil, had worked! From that moment on that was all I wanted to do. I expanded the Mama Izzy’s Hoodoo line and word began to spread. I added products and began fixing candles specifically for people’s situations. It was becoming a full time job along with managing the store I was at.

Then one day I received a call from Dorothy Morrison and she was encouraging me to attend The Folk Magic Festival in New Orleans. It was the first one and Miss Dorothy was going and so was Jacki Smith. Dorothy said that it would be a good idea for me since I was really the only one at that time in the Midwest doing any hoodoo. I went and it was one of the best decisions I had ever made. That is where I met Momma Starr! I felt a connection with her and have been lucky enough to be her student and family ever since. She has been such an instrumental part of my conjure work in helping me to make the connection of my roots to my work.

Since then I have worked very hard and many blessings. The Mama Izzy’s Hoodoo line is a trademarked brand, I have a large client base, and the best part, I now own my own shop! The Conjure Shop in Omaha Nebraska, the only one of it’s kind. It’s great to realize what your purpose is and be able to make it your life’s work! I am lucky! To Jacki Smith, Dorothy Morrison and Momma Starr, I love you and I thank you. You are a huge part of my success!

The Syncretic Worlds of Kabbalah and Conjure

By Storm Cestavani

Storm Cestavani is a kabbalist, astrologer, and practices transformational magic.  He is the co-host of the popular metaphysical podcast “Keep It Magic” with Jacki Smith and the creator of “Your Daily Dose™” a daily astrology column.  You can follow his work on Facebook or Twitter.

Have you ever seen the movie “Practical Magic”?

It’s a lovely film about witches starring Sandra Bullock, Nicole Kidman, and Stockard Channing.  The film centers around two sisters that are born into a mysterious witch family, in which one of the ancestors was heartbroken and cast a spell where she would never fall in love again.  According to the prologue of the movie, the spell turned into a

curse and any man who fell in love with a witch woman born into this family, would die.  Of course, like any movie, the two sisters must learn to eradicate the curse in order for the female members of their family to experience lasting love once again.  The sisters, along with their aunts, use many herbs, spices, oils, and practical based elements to cast their spells – including margaritas and whip cream.

This is the essence of folk magic – using what you have and the power of mind over matter to achieve a desired effect.  Within your own home, there are tons of magical components that can be used in order to cast the spells you need, from baby food jars (I love baby food magic) to basil leaves to cat litter.  These items are used for magical

spells, communing with spirit guides, and of course developing relationships with your ancestors.  For example, tobacco, alcohol, and coffee are very aromatic scents that attract spirits.  They love the smells and are more apt to do your bidding if you offer these items to them.   

Folk magic goes back thousands of years.  A historic book (turned into a movie) which shows its usage is the “Red Tent”, which is based upon Dinah, who appears in the Holy Bible as the daughter of Jacob.  Not much is written about Dinah in the Old Testament, but what is revealed by the historically researched novel is the secret life of women who lived deep within the enigmatic red tent that used practical magic, prayer, healing, and the use of herbs and oils in order to help their families survive.  Kabbalists have long believed that women were on a higher spiritual vibration than men (see God Wears Lipstick), and perhaps the roots of modern day kabbalah lay within these tents -- where the biblical matriarch’s weaved their magic spells.  

Hoodoo and Voodoo are two traditions of folk magic where the evocation of YHVH is alive and well.  In fact, Zora Hurston (author of Mules and Men and Moses: Man of the Mountain) believed that “hoodoo” started before everything and that God conjured the physical world through the use of mighty words.  This is not much different than the kabbalistic belief that the universe was created and crafted by the Hebraicalphabet and even the first word of the holy torah – Bereshit – is strategically placed so that the bible becomes a “blessed” talisman.  

Kabbalah has many other similarities to folk magic.  One of the most famous is the use of incense in order to attract the attention of God in order to seek his favor.  This combination of herbs was known as ketoret (bring closer).  It was burned twice daily in the tabernacle and the temple in order to increase the likelihood that good would hear our prayers – which is a fancy word for petition.

Although we no longer have a temple, we can still use these powerful herbs (biblical verse on ketoret is found in Exodus 30: 34-36) which have their own unique powers that can be used to have a magical effect to help us control and navigate the physical world.  

The Holy Zohar states the following about ketoret:

“If only people knew how great it is before HaShem when they say the section of Pitum HaKetoret, they would take each and every word of the section and place it on their heads like a golden crown.” Essentially, the herbs of the ketoret are the ones most blessed by God and the use of them brings us spiritual favor.   Below, I have compiled a list of these herbs and how they can be used in magic spells. Ketoret can be used in incense, herb, or oil forms.

Cinnamon – Cinnamon heats things up and is commonly used in love and money spells – mainly for relationships that already exist or to increase money you already have through investments of general business improvement. Cinnamon can also be used for HOT SEX and is used in sexual based spells.

Sandalwood – If you want your petition to be heard use a bit of sandalwood because its earthy scent attracts favor.  Sandalwood is also a great dispeller and is frequently used to eliminate negative thoughts and energies.

Costus – Are you stressed out?  If so, costus can reduce mental anxiety and fears.  It is used in tranquility or happy home based spells and can calm the most intense emotions or arguments.  

Saffron – Experiencing tension in relationships?  If so, saffron can be used to bring about happiness or bring back that magic spark.   It’s best used when relationships have been influenced by outside circumstances such as career problems, financial concerns, or infidelity.  Also, saffron can be used to control the weather and other natural disasters.

Spikenard – This herb is used to promote good luck.  It wards off negative influence and puts a blessing upon anything you newly begin.  This is great for new businesses or new relationships.  According to the kabbalistic sages, spikenard can also prevent disease.

Cassia – Do you need to win?  Well, if you do, then Cassia can assist you.  Cassia is great to seal that job interview, to make your voice heard, to succeed at things that seem insurmountable.  You can use it for legal spells, career spells, or to influence others in your favor.

Myrrh – Myrrh is no stranger to magical practitioners.  It’s a great herb to use for power boosting a spell and is often used with other herbs and oils.  Myrrh is also used in protection and purification spells.    

Frankincense – Probably one of the most popular herbs on the market for ritualistic based work and is often used for consecration.  It can be used on any spiritual tool that you are using for the first time and is often used to protect practitioners from evil influences.  Frankincense is also used in meditative and visionary based spells and is often burnt or used for anointing during psychic based work.

Galbanum – Need to get rid of something?  Galbanum is used in banishing spells and used to prevent negative people from having influence over you.  You can also use Galbanum for debt spells, legal problems, or to prevent or get rid of viruses.

Clove – Clove is the gossip stop herb.  If people are speaking ill of you, then clove will help burn their tongues and they will be on their way.  In Kabbalah, gossip is equivalent to murder because it essentially is character assassination.  Clove shuts the person up and drives them away from your life.  If you have a gossip problem, then clove can also be used to defeat this self-defeating behavior.

Balsam – Balsam is an amazing herb.  It’s great to use when you need to attract things to you.  So, if you are looking for a new job or a new love then Balsam will attract the things you truly want to you.  This herb is especially good for manifesting anything – including money.  Need some fast cash?  Rub some balsam on your checkbook with the intention of receiving money and watch the ledge balance increase.

In her novel, Moses: Man of the Mountain, Zora Hurston refers to her biblical hero as “the finest hoodoo man in the world” and two likely syncretic systems (hoodoo and kabbalah) do not appears so different after all.  They both are concerned with the plight of the oppressed and both seek the favor of the creator.  They are invested in the pursuit of joy and happiness which brings the Owens sisters in their country kitchen together with Dinah and the biblical matriarch’s in their red tent. It’s clear that when intentions are based on love, we can respect separateness and acknowledge similarities.   The only illusion is our differences.  Don’t let your eyes deceive you.

COFFIN NAILS

by Dorothy Morrison. Well known author of books as the author of Lucinda's Web, Everyday Magic, The Craft, Utterly Wicked and many other books. A native Texan, she is  a Third Degree Wiccan High Priestess of the Georgian Tradition, founded the Coven of the Crystal Garden in 1986, and spent many years teaching the Craft to students in eight states and in Australia. Dorothy currently ensconced in studies of the RavenMyst Circle Tradition, and enjoys membership in the Coven of the Raven.

While coffin nails used to be plentiful and easy to come by, such is not the case anymore.  Of course, there are still many occult supply stores that offer them for sale, but the problem with obtaining those is clear:  There’s no way to know whether the nails you’ve bought are truly the real thing, or just regular nails that can be purchased at half the cost from any local hardware store.  This problem can be avoided, however, if you simply make your own.  And all it takes is a package of nails, some graveyard dirt, a zippered plastic bag, and the instructions below.

• Count out the number of nails you’ll need for the spell in question and charge them with your desire.

• Place the nails in the plastic bag and sprinkle them well with graveyard dirt appropriate to your desire.  [A few tablespoons will do it.]

• If the spell calls for rusty nails, sprinkle well with water.

• Seal the bag, allow the nails to rest in the dirt overnight, and they’ll be ready for use the next day.  [NOTE:  Do not wipe the nails clean before use.]

* * *

While we’re on the subject of nails, you should probably know that those gathered them from particular sites can definitely add power to your magic.  For your convenience, a few collection sites along with their uses follow below:

• Court House: To bring justice or to cause the target to lose his or her legal battle

• Hospital:  To cause illness

• Jail:  To bring jail or prison time

• Mental Institution:  To cause insanity

• Police Station:  To bring about an arrest

• Workplace:  To cause trouble for a co-worker or employer

[Used by permission and excerpted from Utterly Wicked by Dorothy Morrison; published 2007 by WillowTree Press, St. Louis, MO]

Mother Mary

By Momma Starr Casas

For over 35 years, veteran Rootworker and Traditional Conjure Woman, Starr Casas, has been helping folks through her ancestral heritage of Old Style Conjure. She is the best-selling author of THE CONJURE WORKBOOK VOL. 1: WORKING THE ROOT published through Pendraig Publishing. She is also the author of many bestselling self-published titles on Old Style Conjure such as WORKING WITH BLACKHAWK & THE HOODOO MONEY CONJURE WORKBOOK. For more information, you can visit her site http://www.oldstyleconjure.com/

As a child I was taught how important Mary was because she was Jesus’s mama. The Virgin Mary is also known as the Heavenly Queen. She is wonderful to petition for anything dealings with males or the family. Any mother that is worth a grain of salt is going to protect her children. Mother Mary is very good when it comes to protection.

You can petition her for protection in any situation you may find yourself in. I have found that when working with her she likes plain ole olive oil when you are dressing her vigils and work. From experience it seems to me that she works faster if the petition is for a male child; a son or Grandson. I burn white candles for her. She doesn’t need a bunch of Hocus Pocus to get her to help you; just petition her.

She can also be petitioned for healing. If you find yourself in need of some healing work then; take a white undressed candle. Call on the Trinity then on Mother Mary. Petition her to aid in the healing of your body. She works really fast when it comes to opened wounds and pain. Take the candle and rub it over the affected area. The pain will ease in no time. Let the candle burn out and repeat as needed. She really helps with a woman’s monthly suffering.

I want to share one small work that can be done with her;

Protection Medicine Bottle

·         Isaiah 43 torn from the Bible and burned to ash

·         A photo of the family burned to ash

·         {Add these to the medicine bottle}

·         Frankincense

·         Devils Bit Devils Shoestring

·         A Pinch of dirt from a church yard

·         Pour in some Olive oil

While you are making the bottle pray and petition Mother Mary for protection. Once you have the bottle ready. Set it on top of a photo of the Holy Family in front of a statue of the Mother Mary. Set four tea lights around the bottle in the sign of the cross.

Light them and pray your petition. Once the bottle is finished give it to her for safe keeping go at least once a week and renew your petition.

BIRTH OF MARY Feast - September 8

This feast day was introduced by Pope Sergius I in 701. There are other accounts of Mary's birth, such as the gospel of pseudo-Matthew. Place a red cloth on the table, to this you can add an open Bible; give her an offering of red wine and some white roses. Say three Hail Mary’s in honor of her birth.

Louisiana Conjure: Faith, Remedies and Roots

by Denise Alvarado

Denise Alvarado  is a New Orleans-born, native Creole raised in the rich culture of New Orleans, Louisiana. She has studied indigenous healing traditions from a personal, professional and academic perspective for over four decades. She is the author of numerous books about southern conjure, including the The Conjurer's Guide to St. Expedite, The Voodoo Hoodoo Spellbook, the Hoodoo Almanacs, Workin' in da Boneyard, Hoodoo and Conjure New Orleans, Crossroads Mamas 2015 Spiritual Baths for Every Occasion, the Voodoo Doll Spellbook, Voodoo Dolls in Magick and Ritual and more. Her provocative artwork has been featured on several
television shows including National Geographic's Taboo, The Originals, and Blue Bloods, as well as in several books by other authors. She is a rootworker in the Louisiana Hoodoo tradition, a spiritual artist, and teacher of southern conjure at Crossroads University,www.crossroadsuniversity.com. Visit her websites:http://www.creolemoon.com andwww.voodoomuse.org for a little sweet tea and conjure.

In the olden days, it was commonplace for women to have a variety of animal, mineral and botanical elements within reach so as to be able to tend to any number of conditions presented. Women were the primary healers in the family; as the kitchen was their domain, so was the doctoring. Of course, there were also men who worked roots, but learning about the healing properties of herbs and roots were just part of women’s work in the home.

The materia medica of the typical household would have consisted of animal substances such as fat, milk, bones, bugs and excrement (I know, yuck, but such was the case). Mineral and chemical substances included vinegar, bluestone, sulphur, Vaseline, camphor, turpentine, Epsom salts, baking soda, gasoline, ammonia, snuff, coal oil and kerosene. Most had gardens or knew the local flora and fauna well enough to have a variety of natural medicines on hand for rootdoctoring. All of these things were used to make ointments, compresses, poultices, decoctions, teas, baths, infusions, tonics, liniments and conjury. You wouldn’t hear Mama say she was conjuring anything; usually, she was just “fixin’” something.

While many families had someone who was knowledgeable of folk remedies and cures and even conjure – that being the realm of the supernatural – there are actually three categories of healers in Louisiana: the reméde man or woman, the traiteur, and the rootworker (also known as rootdoctor, hoodoo or gris gris man or woman). The reméde man treats natural physical ailments with plants, medicine from the drugstore and domestic remedies. The traiteur heals natural and spiritual conditions with prayer, laying of hands and charms. They claim to have God-given powers that allow them to heal through faith. The rootworker or hoodoo cures and creates unnatural diseases and conditions through spells, gris gris, and a variety of charms and tricks.             

True to the very essence of hoodoo and rootwork, if an ingredient was needed that wasn’t on hand, a substitution was made in all of the above cases. Many family recipes served multiple purposes and for the most part the goal was the alleviation of symptoms as opposed to a cure; although, a cure at any time is always a welcomed event.

Often there is prayer involved in serious cases. Faith combined with the spirit of the medicine served and continues to serve to heal many people who could not afford a conventional doctor.

Curin’ takes on several forms, including poultices, compresses, tinctures and infusions. Most commonly a poultice is used to apply an external herbal cure. In general, a homemade poultice is made by mashing herbs and other ingredients with warm water or natural oils to make a paste. The paste is then applied directly to the skin and covered with a piece of clean cloth. A compress is made similarly except the raw, prepared materials are applied to a cloth which is then applied to the affected area. Tinctures and infusions were often applied as compresses. Poultices and compresses are reapplied every 3 to 4 hours or when the material had dried out.

To make a slippery elm and thyme poultice for the treatment of boils, for example, grind up fresh thyme leaves using a mortar and pestle, then cover with boiling water. Pour off the excess liquid and add powdered slippery elm bark. It should be the consistency of a paste. Apply directly to the boil and cover with gauze. Keep it covered for several hours.

Another common form of medicine is the liniment. They are simple to make, keep well and offer instant relief for pain, inflamed muscles, circulation problems, arthritis, bruises and sprains. They can also be used as antiseptics depending on the botanicals used. They can be created to provide warming or cooling. Herbs and spices like cayenne pepper, black pepper and ginger can be added to stimulate blood circulation and assist with arthritis, pain, stiffness, and conditions aggravated by exertion or cold weather. Cooling ingredients such as peppermint or menthol crystals are ideal for inflammation and swelling, and areas that are “hot” due to sprains, bruises, and other injuries.

Liniments are made in a base of alcohol, witch hazel, or oil. The base functions as a carrier for the other herbal ingredients to effectively penetrate into the affected area and provide relief.

For example, an old folk liniment to treat a chest cold consists of a concoction of turpentine, oil of cedar, camphor, and Vaseline which is then smeared on the chest area. To treat rheumatism, a preparation can be made from Pokeberry root (Phytolacca americana) mixed with sweet almond oil, mineral oil or lard.

Here are some more examples of old time remedies for a number of conditions.

COLDS

Internal Remedies

• A tea of magnolia, sassafras and citronella.

• An infusion of elderberry flowers.

• The bark of a peach tree boiled down and turned to the East.

• A syrup made of honey, soda, olive oil and the crushed grains of coral tree.

• A tonic called Whiskey Camfré, which consists of whiskey poured over crushed camphor and bottled to be taken a spoonful at a time.

External Remedies

• An ointment made from sheep’s tallow, turpentine and olive oil.

• A rubdown with Whiskey Camfré.

MINOR CUTS, SORES AND ABRASIONS

• A poultice of hot milk.

• A poultice of brown sugar and soap.

• A poultice of sugar and corn husks.

• A poultice of snuff and honey (also good for bee stings).

• A poultice of bread and milk.

INSECT BITES AND BEE STINGS

• Chew a plantain leaf and don’t swallow it. Spit it out and put on the insect bite and cover with gauze or a Band-Aid.

• Clean mud applied directly to a bite. Does not have to be covered.

• A sliced raw onion held directly on a bite or sting is said to bring quick relief.

SORE THROAT

• Gargle with a decoction made from the roots of the blackberry bush.

• Gargle with a decoction made from persimmon tree blossoms.

• Rub the neck with Whiskey Camfré.

• Drink an infusion of boiled flies or chicken gizzards.

BLEEDING

• A handful of spider webs placed on the affected area will stop bleeding. Check out this article for an interesting read about this: A Mess of Cobwebs Makes a Believer out of Doc Miller.

• Wear a key on a string around the neck to stop nosebleeds.

HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE

• A tea made from yellow root (goldenseal).

• Eat 2 cloves of garlic daily.

• A tea made from 2-3 bay leaves (also relieves migraines).

In addition to the use of household items and plants in curing, there are superstitions and old wives tales associated with certain practices. Magic formulas, protective amulets, faith healing, and prayer are used in Louisiana folk medicine, as well as conjure, and often the lines between the two are blurred. For example:

• Wearing a strand of amber beads will stop a toothache.

• Making the sign of the cross with a black cat’s tail over a sty will make the sty disappear.

• Two matches crossed on a person’s head will make a headache go away.

• A red string tied around the little finger will stop a nosebleed.

• A toad placed on the head will transfer a headache to the toad. When the toad dies, the headache will disappear.

• Lie on a bed of cool willow leaves to get rid of a fever. Once the leaves are warm, it is said the fever has been transferred into the leaves and they must be discarded.

• To cure a burn, pass your hand over the burn and say nine times, “When Jacquot was crossing the sea someone told him: it kills fire, it kills frost, in the name of the Father and Son and Holy Ghost.”

In the past, as in the present, protective amulets are numerous and consist of plants and animals. Some of the items used as amulets include:

• Alligator teeth

• Rattlesnake rattles

• Pecan nuts

• Coins

• Hog teeth

• A red flannel bag containing sulfur or Asafoetida

FORMULA FOR PINE PITCH OINTMENT

Pine pitch is a very effective folk remedy with numerous uses. It helps to dislodge splinters and bring boils to a head. It is good for rheumatism due to its anti-inflammatory properties. It can be used as an external treatment for burns and sores. It can be used as a glue, sealant and as fuel. The uses for pine pitch are endless, really.

To make pine pitch ointment, gather some pine sap. Fill up a mason jar about 1/3 full. The softest sap goes on the bottom and break up the harder pieces to the smallest size possible. Don’t use your mortar and pestle for this unless you have one you use only for pine resin as it is incredibly sticky.

Fill the jar with olive oil and give the jar a little shake to mix it up. Set the jar in a pan of water or a double boiler and heat on low heat until the pitch is dissolved. Carefully stir the pine oil.

Next add the beeswax and stir. The ratio for making the ointment is one part pitch to 2 parts oil and beeswax. When all is melted, pour into smaller containers and allow it to harden. Voila! You should have enough pine pitch salve to last a very long time.

Here are some folk remedies using pine pitch:

• To prevent infection of wounds, get tallow (preferably mutton tallow), mix it with pine pitch, and apply. The pitch has antiseptic powers.

• For colds, inhale several times a day the smoke from a shovel of red hot coals, covered by one layer of lightwood splinters from pitchy pine stumps, one layer of rags to hold in flames and keep the fire smoldering, a light sprinkling of tar and of turpentine distilled from pinewood of first two layers.

• Pine pitch and bear’s fat applied to running sores (Cherokee remedy).

References

-Clark, Joseph D. "North Carolina Popular Beliefs and Superstitions." North Carolina Folklore, 18 (1970), 1-66.

Mellinger, Marie B. "Medicine of the Cherokees." Foxfire. 1, no. 3 (1967), 13-20; 65-72.

-Sexton, R. (1992). Cajun and Creole Treaters: Magico-Religious Folk Healing in French Louisiana, Western Folklore Vol. 51, No. 3/4 (Jul. - Oct., 1992), pp. 237-248

-Swett, J. (2009) French Louisiana Traiteurs. Retrieved from http://www.louisianafolklife.org/LT/Articles_Essays/LFMtraiteurs.html

To learn more about Southern folk culture on a formal basis, please visit crossroadsuniversity.com.

  Copyright 2015 Denise Alvarado, All rights reserved worldwide.

A Conjure with No Name

By Bryon Ballard

H. Byron Ballard, BA, MFA, is a ritualist, teacher, speaker  and writer. She has served as a featured speaker and teacher at Sacred Space Conference, Pagan Unity Festival, Pagan Spirit Gathering, Southeast Wise Women’s Herbal Conference, Glastonbury Goddess Conference, FaerieFest and other gatherings. She serves as elder priestess at Mother Grove Goddess Temple, a church devoted to the many faces of the Divine Feminine, where she teaches religious education and leads rituals.

Her essays are featured in several anthologies, and She blogs as “Asheville’s Village Witch” (myvillagewitch.wordpress.com) and as The Village Witch for Witches andPagans Magazine (witchesandpagans.com/The-Village-Witch), where she is also a regular columnist.

Her pamphlet “Back to the Garden: a Handbook for New Pagans“ has been widely distributed and her first book “Staubs and Ditchwater: an Introduction to Hillfolks Hoodoo” (Silver Rings Press)  debuted in June 2012.  Byron is currently at work on the companion volume “Asfidity and Mad-Stones” and “Earth Works: Eight Ceremonies for a Changing Planet”. Contact her atwww.myvillagewitch.com, [email protected]

A conjure with no name

Words are important. Language is important.  How we use it, how it morphs depending on the situation and the company, how it can be used as both balm and bomb—this is endlessly fascinating to those of us who are self-described word nerds.

In modern Western Pagan communities, we relentlessly parse our language in an attempt to be clear and to make our definitions stick. There are words that evolve over time—like the word “gay”—and there are other words that are deliberately and consciously re-defined in an act of reclamation, like the word “witch”.

This dedication is undergirded by a harsh reality: many experiences simply can’t be described in words. They needs smells, and touches. They require an experiential understanding that can only be kenned by the doing of a thing.

When it comes to what I do, the sort of practical magic I both teach and perform, it doesn’t have a name, not really. At some point, I will have enough time to research who tacked “Appalachian Granny Magic” onto this old weird cultural practice but until then I call it “Hillfolks’ Hoodoo”

when I’m teaching.  It morphs into “Appalachian folk magic and healing modalities” when my audience is academic.

It comes from three major sources—British, German and Cherokee—and is a living tradition that is changing all the time.  The people who brought it into my little corner of the world were staunchly Protestant Christian, and still are.  They don’t call it “magic” at all and are offended when anyone suggests that it is anything but the shaped power of God. It is standard operating procedure to always disavow any personal ability but to insist that the healer is an agent of the Divine, a channel through whom the Will and Love of Jesus is made manifest in some of the poorest of God’s children in the southern Appalachians.

The practitioners have often been older, experienced women and they have been called “granny women” and herb or yarb doctors. One of the earliest mentions I’ve found is from The Southern Highlander and His Homeland by John C. Campbell. Campbell was one of the flock of “song catchers” that arrived in the southern highlands at the beginning of the last century and there is a wonderful school named after him, where you can learn all sorts of beautiful and needful skills. (https://www.folkschool.org/)

Here’s what Campbell had to say:

There is something magnificent in many of the older women with their stern

theology -- part mysticism, part fatalism -- and their deep understanding

of life. ..."Granny" -- and one may be a grandmother young in the

mountains -- if she has survived the labor and tribulation of her younger

days, has gained a freedom and a place of irresponsible authority in the

home hardly rivaled by the men of the family. ...Though superstitious she

has a fund of common sense, and she is a shrewd judge of character. In

sickness she is the first to be consulted, for she is generally something

of an herb doctor, and her advice is sought by the young people of half

the countryside in all things from a love affair to putting a new web in

the loom. (John C. Campbell, The Southern Highlander and his Homeland,

Russell Sage foundation, 1921, pg. 140.

https://archive.org/details/southernhighland00camp)

It is a stern theology, to be sure.  They are joyous at funerals because the beloved one has gone home to Jesus.  They take trauma and tragedy in stride. They are tickled by the simplest things and count their blessings when they may.

But they didn’t call what they did magic, and they still don’t. Their religion precludes that. They did and do sometimes call the people who have these gifts “witches” but even that is getting rarer as the religions get more strict.

Though I share much of the cultural trappings of the southern highlands, I certainly don’t share the religious sensibilities.  I was raised unchurched, from Methodist stock, and formally became a practicing Pagan in the 70s.  I do call it magic and call myself a witch because the

restrictions of that Protestant dogma don’t apply to my tree-hugging dirt worship.

And this thing I do, it doesn’t really have a name.  Back in the day, the neighbors in a cove would know who to go to for doctoring, for water-finding, for midwifery.  They were practicing old techniques that didn’t require the sick person to get to a doctor, even if one was nearby. What I continue to learn, even as I practice it, is rural peasant healing, social engineering and justice work.

Appalachian folk magic—like all folk magic systems—is based on using available materials to achieve the desired end result. In this formerly-isolated culture, there is a general suspicion of outsiders, of the Law.  From catching babies, to distributing justice, to burying the dead these old systems serve poor people, people without recourse to urban centers of either healing or the law.

I call it hillfolks’ hoodoo because that suits me. I may sometimes call it conjure or rootwork when I am talking to other practitioners. The folks that still practice it in the remote fastnesses of these old mountains, though, don’t call it anything at all.