Busy Busy Busy

I've been slacking off on blogging lately, I know. I'll be able to sit down and write proper posts when things slow down after the holidays.

Until then, I hope everyone is having a wonderful time and has a great new year!

I Love Demeter

From the people who brought you Dirt:

Awesome. Demeter's scents are all amazing. Apparently Holy Water came out in '09 with Rain and Thunderstorm (<3), but I didn't notice it at the time.

Best Demeter fragrances? Snow, Thunderstorm, Pure Soap, Lavender Martini, Poison Ivy, Baby Powder, Condensed Milk, Cannabis Flower, Red Poppies... ok, pretty much everything they make. Even Dirt smells good, just like real, fertile gardening soil. I just wish Demeter's formula lasted more than two hours.

Bone Reading Nonsense

I'll make this post short and sweet. Hey, I tried.

1) Casting the bones is not done with fucking chicken bones. I don't care who taught you this online, or what book you read it in, or what "hoodoo course/class" you learned it in. It's done with opposum or raccoon bones. These two animals are said to "walk between two worlds", this and the spirit world. The information divined from the bones is provided by one's ancestors, which is why these animals with strong ties to the spirit world are used. Not friggin' chickens. The ancestors may more easily physically manipulate the bones and affect the way they fall. Which brings us to the next point...

2) Bone reading is almost nothing like tarot/other cards, runes, or crystal gazing/scrying. You can't just decide to learn it. In real life, in real conjure, there are very, very few people who read the bones. I've never met anyone who does it, everything I know, I know from older family members and workers. Here's what I know: It's mostly a family tradition, and only taught to one or two members of each generation. The bones are passed down in the family and readers are generally middle-aged to older. The reader doesn't just interpret the bones like tea leaves, it is a process of communing with and receiving information from their ancestors.

3) This is what no one wants to hear, but they need to hear it. You are not just entitled to whatever you want. You are not just entitled to learn conjure. These online marketers who are willing to teach anyone anything, so long as they have the cash, are poison. No, it isn't "great" that they're bringing "hoodoo" to a new generation. They're selling a dressed up patch-work of second-hand information, mix 'n match pagan/Asian/African Traditional religions, and a culture of product dependency. It's just so arrogant and disrespectful to treat other peoples' cultures and beliefs like a buffet, where you can just load your plate up with whatever looks good.

Doing everyday folk magic--such as carrying a buckeye for good luck--is one thing, but when one assumes they have a right to learn things so deeply rooted in the blood and ancestry of the people who practice it, they have absolutely crossed the line.

4) This style of bone reading is unique to conjure/hoodoo. It seems that many people online think it's acceptable to mix and match conjure and ATRs "because it's all African". They go and "learn" other forms of bone divination and still call everything they do hoodoo. Here is a great article explaining the harm caused by this, as well as how to spot everything-but-the-kitchen-sink frauds.

Hoodoo is not Vodou/Santaria/Palo/etc "minus the religion" or "just the magic". It is a separate folk-magic and healing practice that is a combination of mostly African American, Native American, and Scots Irish influences.

5) Lastly, if someone is teaching or providing fake chicken bone reading, think long and hard about just how authentic the rest of their work is. A silly "certification" means nothing.

Cultural appropriation and deceitfulness are never ok.

(I wanted to include a link to Dolly Parton's "These Old Bones", but the only quality video on youtube no longer exists.)

Free Book Friday - Folk-lore from Adams County Illinois by Harry Middleton Hyatt

Folk-lore from Adams County Illinois was the first book published by Harry Middleton Hyatt. It's written in roughly the same format as Hoodoo - Conjuration - Witchcraft - Rootwork, with informants identified only by numbers. FFACI's information is concise, and Hyatt does not converse with his informants. In some ways, I like this hands off approach better. Hyatt only occasionally makes notations, usually to point out that a certain statement is contrary to the general consensus, or that a certain belief is only held within a single ethnic group (you'll see what I mean).

By 1936, hoodoo had spread out of the south and curio catalogs, such as King Novelty Company (based in Chicago), were changing the nature of conjure. I think a lot of people look at the title, see that it's about "folk-lore" and folk-lore from a Midwestern state at that, and pass it by. FFACI is full of conjure, there's love and luck work, healing, hands/mojos, there's even entries on the infamous black cat bone. Give it a thorough read-though. There's also quite a bit similar to mountain folk lore/magic and powwow.

I've only been able to pick at Hyatt's HCWR series here and there, and the lucky bastard who owns the set no longer lives near me. Something that bothers me about Hyatt is that he puts conjure/hoodoo and witchcraft into the same category. They are opposed, it's witch-doctor vs witch.

Some informants don't come right out and say that they're talking about witches, not conjure workers, but they make it REALLY REALLY OBVIOUS that they mean OTHER PEOPLE. You know, THOSE OTHER PEOPLE, WINK. WINK. And Hyatt's all oblivious. And then other people do talk about witches, and they still get thrown together all the same. The people online who read Hyatt's work like it's some kind of conjure Bible see this and think it's ok to call jobs "spells" and to call conjure "witchcraft" just because of a modern redefinition of the word.

Anyway, just keep that in mind. Another thing I want to point out is that Hyatt makes note of three groups of people, "Irish", "German", and "Negro". All statements unattributed to one of these three groups are simply made by "white people". Basically, the Irish-Americans, German-Americans, and blacks he met had beliefs and practices unique enough that he felt their heritage should be made note of.

There Are Walking Dead Scratch-Offs!

Where have I been? I know, I know. I just usually don't play scratch-offs. Let me rephrase that: I don't play scratch-offs. I never think to buy them.

As far as I can tell, only a few states get these cool scratch-offs. If you live in or close to any of the states that have them, and you love Walking Dead as much as I do, get your mojo workin' and snap up a few.

 

Bay Rum (Stop Putting Bay Laurel in It!)

Forget all those nasty, medicinal aftershaves: a good bay rum is spicy, herbal, and refreshing. This is on my "classic male scents" list, along with Creed Green Irish Tweed, Creed Silver Mountain Water, and 4711/other eau de colognes. When your grandpop came home from from the barbershop, he probably smelled like either bay rum or EDC.

The "bay" in bay rum does not refer to bay laurel, so you can ignore all the ridiculous recipes you'll find online calling for bay leaves as an ingredient. Instead it refers to Jamaican bayberry (allspice). Also, you can't substitute allspice berries for allspice leaves. It really is better and cheaper to just buy a bottle of the real deal rather than to whip up a batch of boozy spices from a fake recipe. Although, if anyone were to procure the proper ingredients and mix me up a batch made with Sailor Jerry.... oooh.

Bay rum is used for cleansing and healing. You can cleanse candles and workspaces with it, add it to baths, add it to washes/scrubs. Roots and herbs are sometimes soaked in it to make special formulas. Sometimes for healing it is rubbed on the body, downwards from head to toe, to cleanse away and pull the illness off the person. For example: To draw out a fever, mix it with cool/ice water and rub the person downwards with a clean rag while praying. Repeat every so often until the fever breaks.*

If you mostly use Florida Water to cleanse, consider switching to bay rum. It's, at least in my experience, more traditional to conjure, and the prices are stable. Florida Water keeps getting more and more expensive for no good reason. Well, I think I know why. "Hoodoo" has been a fad (ugh) for the past few years, and all the internet crowd wants is Florida Water. I mean, I got turned onto Florida Water too, it smells nice and it used to be cheap. But I refuse to pay $7-$14 per bottle when I can get bay rum for $3-$7.

The easiest brands to locate in brick and mortar stores are Superior 70 and Clubman Virgin Island Bay Rum. Burt's Bees used to make a good one, but I'm pretty sure it's discontinued. Try pharmacies (especially Walgreens), Dollar General, and Sally Beauty Supply.

Don't let the light shade fool you, it's pretty good.

*all my standard disclaimers apply... healing should always be a partnership with your medical doctor

4711 - The Original Eau De Cologne

I must confess: I am OBSESSED with perfumes and perfumery. Scent is our strongest memory and emotional trigger. Whenever I'm not feeling well, I dig into my perfume collection for something to perk me up. (Right now I've got the flu, but I'm awash in Chanel no. 5) Andy Warhol once said that perfume is a way to take up more space, and indeed, various spirits are associated with filling rooms with unexplainable scents. Since Andy Warhol loved perfume so much, he requested to be buried with a bottle of Estee Lauder's Beautiful... I imagine that's what his spirit would smell like. Anyway, the point is, perfume is special.

4711 has such a wonderful, nostalgic scent. Produced in Cologne, Germany for over 200 years, this is the original echt kölnisch wasser. 4711 is responsible for "cologne" becoming a generic term in perfumery. Hoyt's and Florida Water are less-expensive stateside interpretations of this fragrance, to give you an idea of the scent. Several members of my family have owned this, it's such a classic. When I think of conjure perfume, this is the first one to jump to my mind, followed by Hoyt's, and then Bay Rum. Florida Water is honestly at the bottom of the list. Like I've said before, FW is something I picked up later in life.

4711 is used just like Hoyt's. You can wear it for luck (especially gambling), anoint hands/mojos with it, add it to baths/washes/scrub water, soak herbs/roots in it (such as High John) to make special formulations.

 I once read that Pete Townshend used to snort 4711. I think that's fabulous.

If you can get your hands on a vintage bottle (pre-1980's) the scent is superior, but the new formula is still pretty good. Though not traditionally used in conjure, Roger&Gallet's Farina Eau de Cologne is closer to the original smell. In the "Most Expensive" category is Chanel's Eau de Cologne, which outlasts any other cologne I've tried. Guerlain's Eau de Cologne Imperiale is another classic cologne you can check out. (I only list all these for any die-hard cologne fans)

If you love 4711, they've been putting out several variations of it in recent years with their Acqua Colonia line:

Aloes/Agarwood/Oud Oil

I haven't tried them yet, but Eden Botanicals looks very promising. They have 5% dilution agarwood oil, sourced from cultivated trees, for very affordable, low prices. They have pure agarwood oil too, but it's expensive and so concentrated that if you've never worked with it before, you're better off trying a dilution first.

I'm Such a Sucker for Packaging

Doesn't Egyptian Magic cream look like something out of an old curio catalog?

I dig the CEO's name:

And yes, I love it. I just wish they sold smaller jars for travel.

The St. Anthony Chant

Whether looking for a lost TV remote or a kid who's wandered off in the store, this little chant is a simple trick to help you find a missing object/person in a hurry.

St. Anthony, 

St. Anthony, 

please come around. 

Something is lost

that needs to be found.

Keep chanting until your search has ended. You won't have to chant long, St. Anthony works very fast. Remember to thank him afterwards.

I Suck At Blogger

I never added a way for people to follow my blog. It's fixed now. Although, now I can't lie to myself and say the lack of a subscription button is the only reason I don't have any followers.

My Four-Leaf Clover (And How to Find Your Own!)

This is the largest four-leaf clover I've ever found. I keep it pressed in my copy of Jack Kerouac's On the Road. It's very common to keep them pressed in Bibles.

The placement in (the second) fourth chapter was by chance, believe it or not.

Now, my dad taught me that four-leaf clovers are only lucky if you find them by chance. This is a very common belief. Thankfully, I found this one when I was getting out of my car and had this behemoth just staring me in the face.

Others feel that a four-leaf clover is always lucky, so if you wish to go hunting for a lucky charm of your own, here are some tips:

-Make sure you're actually hunting around in clover. Look-alike species include wood sorrel and oxalis.

-Look in patches of white clover (that's what mine is). It's the species most likely to produce extra leaves. White clovers have white flowers. The leaves of white clover can be oval or heart-shaped and they have a single faint, jagged, horizontal band of pale green.

-Once you find your four-leaf clover, keep looking. There's usually a few mutations in the same patch. Mark the location and return to it every so often.

-You can also dig up the four-leaf clovers you find with a few of the clovers around them and replant them together in a cluster. The closer they are together, the more likely the mutation is to be passed on and spread. (I can't guarantee the luck of farmed four-leaf clovers.)

You might think if four leaves are lucky, 5 or 6 leaves must be extra lucky. I mean right? Wrong. If you find a clover with extra leaves, you're supposed to pluck off the extra leaves, possibly even leaving them at a crossroads or casting them into a moving body of water. Then again Fry's seven-leaf clover was extremely lucky...

According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the most leaves ever found on a single clover was 56.

Syrup

 

I just love retro packaging.

People used to use the syrup from preserved fruit.

 I do the same, both with fruit I've canned myself, and canned fruit.

Guys, it's time to break free from the honey jar madness. Honey jars are not some traditional, ultra-powerful trick that's been used for over 100 years... they're something made-up by a marketer a few years ago which have exploded in their popularity. When the honey jar work was first posted, people were only really using them for love, reconciliation, family, in-laws. Now I see them being used for every single thing, even domination and success in school work. Some people don't even want to learn anything else!

Honey is slow-running and comparatively expensive. 100+ years ago, it was even more expensive, most all of the people practicing conjure could not afford it. My great grandmother and a few other farmers in my family kept apiaries, so I do have a certain fondness for honey, but honey was never used so wastefully as it is in a honey jar. You don't need a whole jar of the stuff to sweeten people! Honey is really not appropriate for many long-term goals. Since honey runs slow and gets thicker over time and in the cold months, it holds things and makes them stick. If you try doing a honey jar for riches, you aren't going to grow your wealth exponentially. You'll really just sweeten money to you for a bit and then hold what you have.

One of the sites with instructions for creating honey jars lists a few different sweeteners that can me used, and on this list they've put molasses. When I first read that, let me tell you my mouth fell open and I actually said "Nooooo!" out loud. Molasses can be used to curse, it is the worst possible choice for this type of work.

I was taught to work with sugar and syrup. I roll candles in sugar all the time. In fact, I have a post on sugar coming up where I'll talk about a little trick only I use. Mama Starr at Old Style Conjure was the first to put the truth out there about sweeteners, she's got a great article on her site you should read.

Syrup is awesome to use. It's sweet, viscous, and cheap. It doesn't matter whether it's real maple syrup or just flavored corn syrup, it's all sweet. Many people also used the syrup from fruit they had preserved. Canned fruit in syrup is really cheap, you can use the syrup strained off of that as well.

I like to drizzle a little on a candle and then roll the candle in herbs, then drizzle a little more around the candle on the plate. When doing jobs that utilize fruits or red onions as containers, you can add syrup to give them extra sweetness. You can stand a taper up in a small bowl or teacup of sweetened condensed milk and syrup. There's just so much you can do with it.

If you don't normally keep canned fruit around and you want an "excuse" to strain off some fruit syrup, here's my recipe for ambrosia salad. Drain the syrup well.

Dr. Trixie's Ambrosia Salad

-2 cans of mandarin oranges
-1 can of pineapple chunks
-1 jar of maraschino cherries
-Shredded coconut. Most people use dried or toasted, but I try to use fresh.
-Only a dollop of sour cream if you must add it. And never yogurt!
-Splash of Grand Marnier. This is my secret ingredient: people rave!

Easier than easy. Just combine everything in a large bowl and stir together. One of the most delicious parts of Christmas time!

It also always reminds me of one of my favorite Christmas movies:

 

"I noticed that you have not tasted any of the ambrosia salad I made especially for you."

I also found a great recipe online for true, old-fashioned violet syrup. (I love violet candy.) This would be amazing for love and reconciliation work. It's simple to make, too! This recipe can be adapted to make other edible flower syrups, such as rose and lavender.

St. Philip Neri: Trickster Saint

"Let me get through today, and I shall not fear tomorrow."-St. Philip Neri

As you can probably see from the title of this blog, I have a special connection to the trickster spirits. I am blessed to have been "adopted" by them. 

From Catholic.org:

"Humility was the most important virtue he tried to teach others and to learn himself. Some of his lessons in humility seem cruel, but they were tinged with humor like practical jokes and were related with gratitude by the people they helped. His lessons always seem to be tailored directly to what the person needed. One member who was later to become a cardinal was too serious and so Philip had him sing the Misere[*] at a wedding breakfast. When one priest gave a beautiful sermon, Philip ordered him to give the same sermon six times in a row so people would think he only had one sermon.

Philip preferred spiritual mortification to physical mortification. When one man asked Philip if he could wear a hair shirt, Philip gave him permission -- if he wore the hair shirt outside his clothes! The man obeyed and found humility in the jokes and name-calling he received" 

LOL <3

Here's the wiki article. 

Look at that Pomeranian. Do you die? :D

St. Philip Neri is awesome to work with when either the joy has just run out of your life, you feel anxious, or you're depressed and uninspired. He will also come to your aid when you need to soften a humorless grump or knock down some cocky bastard who's harming you or other people. An example of the latter would be a supervisor at work who is him/herself lazy and incompetent, but who holds you back by being harshly critical of your performance when reviewing your work with higher ups in an effort to make themselves look good by comparison. He can also be called upon to handle a gossiper.

He's usually depicted wearing orange and gold vestments--how appropriate! I would suggest orange or yellow candles. You don't actually need herbs or special products when working with the saints, all those saint oils and incenses are just made-up, non-traditional, and marketer driven. I'm not saying that you can't make a saint oil to work with a saint if you wish, I'm just saying they are absolutely neither traditional nor necessary. All you need is prayer and maybe some blessed olive oil.

As far as offerings go, candles, a glass of water, lilies, and either a book of jokes (which he was fond of in life) or print-outs of some good ones. This should go without saying but... keep 'em clean, he is a priest! I don't have him on my altar yet, but when I set him up I will totally get a little Pomeranian figure for him :)

Word of advice: Do not tell him you are a perfectly good person or that you are totally innocent. You must be completely honest and humble when approaching him, admitting that you are neither perfect nor without sin. St. Philip Neri can be very, very serious when it comes to humility. The "I'm totally the victim here, I don't deserve ANY of this" (despite you also having said hurtful things) act won't fly with him.

(Note: He is not one of the dozen of so saints traditionally worked with in conjure. I am sharing my own personal experience.)

Tragedy! (Edit: Now With Audio Aid)

Today we mourn the loss of my beloved, authentic van van oil. I have no idea how the bottle got this strange hole in it :( Just this morning I had an idea to dilute it to stretch it out a bit until I could buy some verbena and the other herbs and oils needed to make my own. This was purchased from a spiritual shop which is no longer in business, so I can't get another. The smell was just transcendent, I will be devastated if I can never match it.

There's something I'd like to educate everyone about. Ok, Van Van is so named because the Creole pronunciation of vervain (verbena) sounds like "veah vahn"†, and this was eventually corrupted into "van van". Some people know this, some don't. It baffles me why the people who know this don't put vervain into their formulas... it's the name of the damn oil! Even the people who fancy themselves grand high masters of hoodoo (yeah, el oh el) leave it out.

Now, some forward-thinking merchants have realised that you can't have Van Van without the van van, and have attempted to fix this. The problem is, every. single. one of them, that I've seen, uses lemon verbena. Lemon verbena is a completely different plant. I guess I can see the logic, if the formula has lemongrass, it must also call for lemon verbena. Lemon verbena was also very popular in turn of the century perfumery. However, it was expensive and rootworkers weren't working with perfume compounds, they were working with mostly wildcrafted and culinary plants.

Lemon verbena wipes your slate clean and sweetly attracts new things to you, especially in matters of love. Bees and butterflies absolutely love this plant! There is a lot of misinformation about lemon verbena going around, with people thinking it's a crossing herb due to a certain person with a big following misinterpreting the mechanics of a break-up job. But I guess that's what happens when you shamelessly plagiarize and try to pass yourself off as a real conjure worker. (Oh, I should stop.) Anyway, lemon verbena is best used situationally. Some things just cleanse so strongly that they pull everything off.

Verbena, on the other hand, has quite a long history of magical and spiritual use. There's the famous True Love Powder*. It was said to have been used to dress Jesus' wounds. It has been used to protect against vampires, witches, ghosts, and other evil creatures. It's mainly used for love-drawing and protection from evil and jinxing. Unlike lemon verbena, verbena is great to use on a continuous basis.

 A good Van Van recipe should look like this (sorry, I never measure, but remember that ingredients are always listed in order of quantity, greatest to least)
-Verbena
-Lemongrass
-Citronella grass (NOT the leafy plant sold as "citronella")
-Palmarosa
-Vetivert

You can use only herbs, but it's difficult to find citronella grass and even more difficult to find palmarosa. At least incorporate as many herbs as you can. You can get everything you need very cheaply from PennHerb and Edens Garden. I have not found undiluted essential oils at a better price than Edens Garden, I'm starting to build up a nice little collection. The Biblical Set (Frankincense, Myrrh, Spikenard) is wonderful, and a great money-saver to boot.

 †Edited to add: I remembered that Google Translate has a text to speech feature, so I checked to see if Louisiana Creole was on its language list. Sadly, no, but the word's pronunciation in Haitian Creole is nearly identical, give it a listen. LA Creole just has an almost inaudible "r".

*Earliest mention I remember seeing of the verbena-mistletoe-elecampane formula is H. U. Lampe's "Famous Voodoo Rituals & Spells", copyright 1974. MANY authors have plagiarized this great little book since its printing, including the certain person I mentioned above. ;)

White Florals

From top to bottom: Osmanthus, gardenia, orange blossom, jasmine, magnolia, white rose, tuberose.

"White floral", especially in the perfume industry, refers specifically to heavily perfumed white flowers. While they each have specialized uses, as a group they have a lot in common. While florals are associated with love, purity, fidelity, attraction, and marriage. Because of their purity, they can be added to any type of cleansing/uncrossing bath or oil.

Osmanthus- Because of it's fruity apricot tones, and the fact that it grows on an evergreen, I like to incorporate it in marriage and fertility works. Remember: fertility doesn't just mean physical female fertility, it can mean monetary fertility and, in this case, emotional fertility.

Gardenia- Ugh, I really need to plant myself some gardenia this spring! Gardenia is great for peace and bonding.

Orange blossom- The marriage flower. Because of it's associations with purity, it is used in wedding ceremonies to represent chastity and fidelity. Use for marriage, fidelity, and faithful love.

Jasmine- I've written about jasmine before. It's seductive, but not raunchy... though you can certainly make it very naughty just by combining it with a few things ;) It is also used for psychic work.

Magnolia- Magnolia in general is used for fidelity, and the blossoms are great for keeping the love strong even during hard times.

White Rose- The purest of pure. Because roses have thorns, which repel evil, white rose is an ingredient in many uncrossing formulas. White roses are also protective and they represent pure love.

Tuberose- Velvety and sensual, tuberose draws attention in a physical way, you know where you suddenly just really want to touch someone's arm or brush their hair back. Great for when you want physical affection.


If you are a fan of white florals, I cannot recommend enough one of my favorite perfumes of all time, Fracas by Robert Piguet

EDIT: Fracas has a bit of a cult following and it's been worn by many awesome ladies. Marlene Dietrich, Marilyn Monroe, Edie Sedgewick, Courtney Love, Madonna, Sophia Coppola, Dita Von Teese, and Iman are just the ones I can name off the top of my head!

I'm not sure how many newcomers know this, but you can work with your personal perfumes/colognes, you're not limited to Hoyt's/Florida Water/Jockey Club/whatever. You can pray over them for whatever it is you wish for them to do (look for ingredients that match up to your intent, of course). You can offer a spray or two of them in a glass of water to spirits. Even better if you can get scents your ancestors wore when they were alive. You can use them to feed hands/"mojos". The only thing I would caution is to look for fragrances made with real essential oils as opposed to synthetics.

Confession: I've Got Marilyn Monroe On My Spirit Altar (Edited to Add Pic)

I've got three altars, one for my ancestors, one for all other spirits, and a special one I won't name here. If I had the space, I'd keep a few more, such as a special one for Coyote and his fellow tricksters.

Anyways, yes, Marylin Monroe, along with a few other people who've inspired me, has a place on my spirit altar. I keep her picture, a small bottle of Chanel no. 5, a small bottle of Fracas, and a tube of red lipstick on it for her. She gets a glass of water and the occasional candle. I've never petitioned her for anything, this is just my way of showing gratitude to her for the joy she's brought me through her films and writing. I've always felt such a strong connection to her.

This is one of the pictures I use.

 I think sometimes people forget that honoring and thanking the spirits is the most important part of spirit work. The spirits are not gumball machines, they are beings with thoughts and feelings. Everyone knows that one "friend" who only drops by when they want something... don't be that guy.

Are there any people who've passed on to whom you are extremely grateful? Perhaps an author or musician or even a human rights activist. I've known a few people with beautiful, heart-felt altars devoted to Martin Luther King Jr. Even if you don't put together an altar, just leaving out a picture, a candle, a glass of water, and maybe some flowers once in a while is a great way to give thanks. Pray to Spirit that they know peace and happiness.

Some advice:
-Your ancestor altar should be dedicated to your ancestors only. Friends may go on a general spirit altar.
-An altar need not be complex! A cross, a white tablecloth or doily, pictures, a bible, glasses of water once a week or so. Many homes have "ancestor altars" but they have no word for them... it's just the special place for pictures of those who've passed on.
-Never put a photo of a living person on an ancestor altar. If your only photo is a group shot, scan it and crop the image.
-Add things your ancestors or spirits like(d). Cigarettes, snuff, dip, coffee/tea, whiskey, wine, fresh or dried flowers, perfume/cologne, honey, books, poems, prayers, Bible verses. If all you have is a glass of water, that's ok.

Free Book Friday!

Two of my favorite things, books and free stuff! Many great books are in the public domain or published online by the author. I will never link you to anything put up illegally, and I will only link to .pdfs, never files that must be downloaded. I don't know about you, but I care about my computer ;)

Without further adieu, this week's title is "Secrets of the Psalms" by Godfrey Selig

This is a great introduction to working with the Psalms and it's one of those book that has come to be a "conjure classic". The Psalms are so important to conjure work, sometimes just the earnest praying of a particular Psalm is all that is needed to do a job. Many of the healing Psalms include instructions to anoint with olive oil, proving that you don't need any fancy condition oils to work powerful magic.

Remember not to limit yourself by the "suggested use" of each Psalm. For example, Psalm 23 is listed only as an aid to receiving messages and omens in dreams. Other Psalms's ascribed uses leave me a little puzzled. Read each of the Psalms, learn and understand what they are saying, and their uses will become clear.

Some Psalms have instructions to copy them down on real parchment. While you could substitute parchment paper, a more traditional substitute is paper from a brown paper bag, torn on all sides.

Enjoy!

The Greatest Conjure Book In the World: Affirmative Prayer

Mark 11:12-14, 20-24 - And on the morrow, when they were come from Bethany, he was hungry: And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find any thing thereon: and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not yet. And Jesus answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever. And his disciples heard it.

 ...

And in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots. And Peter calling to remembrance saith unto him, Master, behold, the fig tree which thou cursedst is withered away. And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God. For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

Most everyone is familiar with the types of prayers known as supplications and intercessions. The Serenity Prayer is a famous example of a supplication:

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,

The courage to change the things I can,

And wisdom to know the difference.

What defines a supplication is that it is a personal petition. An intercession is a prayer on behalf of someone else. Many people only know how to pray like this. When learning conjure, they will continue to pray this way, humbly asking for what they want, unsure as to whether or not their prayers will be answered. In Mark 11, however, we have an example of Jesus using a different type of prayer to curse, followed by him explaining how to pray this way. I'm talking about affirmative prayer, the type of prayer most frequently employed in conjure. When you pray in the affirmative, you state your desire as if it has already happened and make this declaration with complete faith. "I am protected from all evil." "N.N. is drawn to me in love and passion." "My talents are noticed and appreciated at work. I am given the promotion to [position]." getting the picture?

 Petition and KNOW that what you petition for is YOURS.

I've seen misinformed people teaching others that you should end all your petitions with "if it is God's will". This is incorrect. It expresses doubt in the likelihood of your petition to be granted. It also hints at a lack of faith in the Divine... you should already know that nothing shall be granted to you against God's will because if it was against God's will to grant it, God simply would not grant it. Jesus' instructions are simply to believe that your words will manifest and have full faith in God.

Evening Primrose: Mother's Little Helper

Picture from this site.

(Note: Evening primrose is not related to primrose aka cowslip, but interestingly enough they share some of the same uses.)

Few plants are as beneficial to mothers as evening primrose. It feeds families, calms fussy kids, soothes irritated skin, and perks up bone-tired mamas while also providing them relief from breast pain and PMS. It is a quintessential moon plant (Doctrine of Signatures post in the works), good for emotions, women, healing, the home, and family. In the evening, the sweetly scented flowers open and appear to softly glow, which lends to one of it's common names: night candle.

Talk to your doctor before taking evening primrose oil supplements or giving them to kids. Every part of Oenothrea biennis is edible, and it grows abundantly all up and down the east coast of the US. There are over 100 species within the Oenothrea genus, so proper identification is a must when wildcrafting.

Some magical uses:

-Sew into kids' pillows, add to their baths, or rub the oil into their skin to help make bedtime easier. Can be used alone, or with other calming herbs such as chamomile and lavender.

-Evening primrose is able to grow in sand, rock crevices, and even cracked blacktop. It really anchors itself in and is almost impossible to uproot. Use in any works that involve strengthening family ties ("roots"), peace in the home, keeping a husband at home, and house blessings.

-Evening primrose oil can be used as a carrier oil when making condition oils. I like to use some in any formulas that relate to the home (including fidelity) and formulas for women.

Here's a personal oil recipe of mine. I call it "Mama Bear":

-Rosemary, for domain in the home, protection, and Papa Bear's fidelity.

-Fennel, for quick thinking, courage, and protection. To prevent seizing up with fear or panic in case of an emergency. Fennel is also strongly linked to mothers because of its use in stimulating lactation.

-Angelica, for female power, protection of the self and kids, love/marriage ties, and health.

-Evening Primrose Oil as carrier.

-Piece of dried Evening Primrose root.

Use about 1/2-1 teaspoon of each herb, chopped and ground, per 1 oz of oil. It's up to you whether or not you want to add a drop or two of the corresponding essential oils in addition to each herb. I don't.

Pray to Spirit and state your petition. Take your time and really speak from the heart. I like to include Psalm 23 in everything I do, and I also pray for Spirit to empower the spirits of the herbs and roots. As you add the ingredients, address their spirits with your needs, and bless them with the sign of the cross in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Pray any additional Psalms, Biblical passages, or prayers you find meaningful and appropriate.*

Because of the rosemary and angelica, it's best not to wear this on the body if pregnant. Try using it on a doll baby instead. Using it to anoint candles, feed hands, or anything else where you're only using a little bit on your fingers is ok.

*Everyone works differently, this is just the way I was taught. I'm sorry, I am nodding off here (literally) trying to finish this post, I really hope what I'm writing makes sense.

Kill 'Em with Kindness

I'm so tired of, and disturbed by, the way that people online take things like goofer dust and hot foot power so lightly, using them for every perceived slight. Let me tell you the truth about this, because the marketers selling these products sure aren't:

-Just because you're not under the aegis of a Rede or Three Fold Law or "karma" (I hate when people use that word wrong), that does NOT mean you are not held to a code of ethics. Real conjure is Christian-based, it's not a free-for-all. Thou shalt not kill, bitches.
-You can't goofer someone "just a bit" or "just until they leave me alone" because that type of work is always a call for death. The person can die before you release them, and you may be unable to release them.
-You CANNOT prevent unjustified bad works from reversing to you by just doing a cleansing and/or protection work. This bullshit (yeah, that's right) about doing a hyssop bath while reciting Psalm 51 after any bad work has got to stop. Psalm 51 is for people who are truly penitent, not people looking for a "Get Out of Jail" card.
-Tricks lain can hurt more than just the intended targets. Let me repeat. TRICKS LAIN CAN HURT MORE THAN JUST THE INTENDED TARGETS. You can even cross yourself up.
-Using graveyard dirt from anyone but your ancestors is like playing Russian Roulette.
-Bad work is only justified for the most extreme of circumstances. Rapists, abusers, sexual predators, and other evil and criminal people. If you go and hot foot a rude/annoying neighbor, you have acted unjustly.
-You can't hot foot someone and then send them good work to cancel it out. The effects can last for years. You just might make them even more miserable, manifesting good things which they are unable to hold due to their mental distress.

There is really so much more, I will write more about unjustified work in another post.

When someone is troubling you, but death work and banishment is unjustified, what is one to do? Well, try some positive work before anything else. Let's look at some examples:

1) Someone is very jealous of you because you make more money than them. You've done protection work, maybe you even wear an evil eye charm, but their behavior is still upsetting. Instead of crossing them up, why not do some money work for them? Try for them to have a steady income, job success, financial security. Once they're happier, they may well leave you alone.

2) Someone wants your significant other. They flirt with them and try to break the two of you up. You've done work to protect your relationship. Fixing this is the same principle as above: you help that person to get what will make them happy. In this case, try doing some love work for the other person. Try for them to meet a new love, whom they will be happy with.

3) Someone is just a bastard to you, and you don't know why. For this you need to be totally honest with yourself. Are you really, truly blameless? Don't brush anything off as insignificant or "not that bad"... what seems small to you may indeed be a big deal to the person who now hates you. Swallow your pride and apologize to them. That may be all this situation takes to fix itself. Maybe you really are blameless, this person is just mean and miserable. Try for them to be healed of the things that cause them to act out. Try for them to be happy at home and successful at work. Do some sweetening work on them. Not those damn honey jars, try rolling candles in sugar or drizzling around them with syrup or honey. You can also stand a taper up in a small bowl or teacup of sweetened condensed milk and syrup or honey, working it for a few nights before disposing of the liquid and wax near where they live. These methods are much more traditional and work much faster.

Instead of jumping right to bad work, you should always look for positive ways to work a situation. Many, many times people are just acting out because they are hurting or they have a void in their life. Not only will you prevent yourself from getting crossed up, but you will actually fix the problem.

A Personal Healing Oil

Inspired by the generosity of Mama Starr, I'm going to let one of my own formulas go.

The purpose of this formula is to help those who've lost their confidence due to hardships really take hold of their life and shine. I call it "Three Crowns" or "Wisdom, Courage, and Success" as it's meant to bless one with those things. I've had such a positive experience with this oil since I first created it. It's helped me to better manage my agoraphobia and depression, and it really helps on those days where I'm just bone tired and unmotivated.

The ingredients are:

-Bay, for courage and success.
-Fennel, for mental sharpness, courage, and protection by way of heightened awareness. Some people are being taught that fennel is only for women's courage, but anyone can use it.
-Sage, for purification, protection, and wisdom.
-Dragon's Blood, it's just so positive and really adds a kick to anything you add it to. For luck, power, and protection.
-Rosemary, for purification and protection. If you are a female, rosemary will help you to regain control and power in your life.
-Goldenseal, for wisdom and protection of health. Please only buy sustainably harvested goldenseal.
-Bergamot, for mastery over your own life. Brings in the money too (success)

I really don't measure out my ingredients. If I had to give amounts, I'd say equal amounts of all the herbs, a full pinch of powdered dragon's blood or a splash of dragon's blood oil, and enough drops of bergamot to give it a nice scent without being overpowering. I rarely tint my oils, but when I make this I add some saffron to give it a nice golden glow.

First I pray to Spirit, state my petition, and pray for Spirit to empower the spirits of the herbs and oils. Next, I address the spirit of each ingredient and bless them with the sign of the cross in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. I like to include Psalm 23 with everything I do. For this formula, I also like Psalms 8, 65, and 91. I pray over the oil with the cap off, so my breath blows over the oil. Between each Psalm (and during Psalm 23 for the line "thou anointest my head with oil"), I make the sign of the cross three times. I do this for a full 7 days, keeping it on my altar and asking my ancestors and spirits for assistance.

Snow!

Snow is over the mid-Atlantic right now. We've already got 6-8" where I am, and we were only supposed to get about 3'! It's supposed to turn to freezing rain overnight, so if you're affected by this storm, be smart and safe.

A little snow conjure:
-Wash your face with the first snow of the year for beauty.
-Wash you hands/face/body with the first snow of the year to prevent dry, chapped winter skin.
-Collect the water from snow, it is, in my personal opinion, the BEST water to use in a hyssop bath because of the line in Psalm 51 "wash me, and I will be whiter than snow."
-Snow water is really great to use in any healing or purification bath or wash.
-Rain, snow, lightning... pretty much everything that comes from "Heaven" is powerful.

I'm predicting five more significant snows for where I am, with one of the biggest being in February.

Book Review: The Conjure Workbook Volume 1: Working the Root by Starr Casas

I've already mentioned Starr Casas (Mama Starr) in the past, naming in part one of my "The Best of Online Conjure" series. I've been wanting to read her book so long and I finally got my hands on a copy.

The verdict?

Worth. Every. Penny.

Listen, Mama Starr is the Real Deal. This isn't some rehash of all that fake internet hoodoo, this is true conjure. She works quite similar to the way I do and yet I still learned a few new things. There are things she's included that I never thought I'd see mentioned in any book, such as working with crawfish mud. She even includes several great formulas and instructions for works. I really respect her for not including formulas for goofer dust and crossing power, that stuff should NOT be taken lightly. Too many people online go right to unjustified hurting when they have a problem.

This is both an excellent introduction to conjure for those whose only education has come from the internet and books, and also a great addition to any experienced workers collection. I can't wait to read the rest of her books.

It's funny, I remember reading in a review by DocConjure that in another one of her books, she gives her recipe for hot foot powder. He joked that he was mad she just gave it away, especially since it was so similar to his own formula. Guys, I was blown away... the difference between hers and mind is a single ingredient, and both ingredients are from the same "family" of ingredients. I will not give either formula out here, but she uses one ingredient, which I use too, which I have never, ever seen mentioned anywhere else. I... feel kinda bad. I thought I was special and unique! I'm kidding of course. No I'm not. Yes, yes I am.

Knocking

Would you walk into a stranger's house without knocking?

It seems like people are not being taught about knocking. Conjure is one of the most straight-forward magics in the world, but it seems like people either over-think it and complicate it, or they underestimate it and strip away important facets of the practice.

When we approach a grave for spirit work, we knock at the headstone first. When we work with a root, we knock on it to wake up and call upon the spirit of it. We knock on candles to awaken the power we've called into them. We knock at the air or on an altar piece when addressing spirits. Knock knock knock.

You don't barge into strangers houses unannounced and demand the people do stuff for you, so why would this be acceptable on a spiritual level?

Matthew 7:7-8 - Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

Rest in Peace, Nelson Mandela

You were a hero and a true inspiration to the world. May your spirit find peace and continue to shine its light upon this world.

Hold Me...

Even Silver Ravenwolf thinks she's teaching conjure/hoodoo now. And not just that, but also Braucherei.

Silver. Ravenwolf.

Silver plastic-snake-and-cardboard-pentagram-altar-teen-witch-kit Ravenwolf.

Hold me.

Why We Need To Preserve Our "Superstitions"

I can always tell when someone is just parroting what they've learned online/in books/from some silly "hoodoo course". They might know some of the magic, but they have no history, no point of reference. People are being taught by "workers" who were themselves self-taught, and those "workers" focus only on the "magic". They might know a few "superstitions", but they write them off, thinking they're not important. They are wrong wrong wrong.

Our "superstitions" are absolutely a part of conjure. They are part of its heart and soul. They help one to understand why we do certain things the way we do. One can learn the use of every root, memorize all the Psalms... but if you don't understand why my dad won't take the boat out on a day with a red sunrise, or why my mom blesses herself every time she passes a cemetery or funeral procession, or why I never scratch my right palm when it itches, then you don't truly understand conjure.

It's the difference between someone who went to school for 4 years to become a French chef and a French person who has been raised on the cuisine. The person raised on it knows it inside and out intuitively. They also know things not taught in school, like food etiquette and taboos. That's not to say the one with the degree can't become a great chef, but it takes years of immersion to truly get it.

True Names

Right now, there is a lot of bad information being taught in regards to what name to use for things like petition papers.

Allow me to say this loud and clear:

A PERSON'S TRUE NAME IS THE FULL, LEGAL NAME THEY WERE BORN WITH. 

True names hold power. This is something that spans across just about all cultures. Just look at the story of Rumpelstiltskin. Or DC Comic's Mister Mxyzptlk.

I am such a geek, I know.

I've seen people online be instructed to:

-Use a person's nickname.

-Use the name a person has changed their name to.

-Use a person's married name.

And even:

-Use a person's online handle/screenname.

Dude. No. No no no. NO.

If all you know is one of the above, you can use that, but they should never, ever be used over a true name and should be bolstered with any other things you do know that can be used to identify them. This can include a birth date, one or both parents' names ("X, daughter of V and W"), zodiac sign, address ("X, whom resides at 123 Street St), etc.This is also a good tip for anyone whose target has an extremely common name, like "John Smith".

(This is, of course, assuming you do not have a personal concern of theirs. If you do, you already have a direct link to them and will have a much easier time even though you don't have a true name.)

Your true name is something that cannot change. You can change the name on your birth certificate, but not the fact that you were born as "John Smith".

There is this mistaken notion that the name a person has chosen to call themselves, including screennames, is much more personal, and therefor powerful. This is wrong because the power of one's true name does not lie in how personal or attached to it one is. I go by Dr. Trixie online, but that is an artificial thing, it only encompasses the parts of myself I like and wish to share. Your true name is everything about you, even the parts you don't like and wish to abandon and forget.

As a genderqueer individual and staunch LGBT rights activist, I completely understand that this gets very murky and even painful for transgendered people. Remember: a true name is just that, a name, an identifier. It is not a true identity as an identity is fluid. In this, and only this, situation, I tend to use the person's current name, especially since many people change their names to a feminine/masculine version of their birth name. The feminized/masculinized name is more properly in line with their spirit. Please show respect: a transgendered woman is not "a woman trapped in a man's body" or "born a man". She is a woman. The true name does not change that.

As far as married names go, if you do not know the person's original name, you can write something like "Dana Brown, wife/husband of Jordan Brown", plus the birth date and anything else you know.

If the person is a Jr., Sr., III, etc include that!

This current online culture where everyone befriends each other and goes to "hoodoo conventions" is unheard of in real life, with real workers. I used to go to this great little spiritual shop, owned by three real workers. Let me tell you, these guys did not even use their first names with customers, just initials. They knew exactly how much power names hold.

Tips For Working With Animal Spirits: Addendum

I feel so stupid for leaving this stuff out, I was just in a hurry to publish my post. Again, these posts are to help people work with animal spirits without supporting the horrific fur industry, not to condemn the use of animal parts. I work with animal parts, just look at my post on turkey bones.

Other things you can do:

-Use animal parts that can be obtained without killing the animal. This is very traditional; for example, cat and dog hair is used to make people fight. Feathers are used for communication, love, or even uncrossing, depending on the bird they came from. Black cat hair is used for good luck or stealth. I actually have a gaming hand made with fur from my black kitty-boy and it works unbelievably well. You can use fur/hair, shed claws, shed feathers, snake sheds, nail clippings, hoof trimmings... things either the animal loses naturally or which can me obtained without harm.

-Keep items with the animal whose spirit you wish to work with. This is another very traditional practice, where the hand/talisman/packet/whatever is empowered via transference. One example is keeping an item for protection under a guard dog's bed for a set number of nights.

-Use parts from animals that have already died. This means death due to natural causes, bones you find in nature, and even roadkill. Be extra careful about that last one. Pray for the animal and petition Spirit beforehand. Follow hazardous waste precautions.

Lightning Struck Wood and Storm Water

(Oh Blogger, why am I plagued by this weird grey text? I type with black, it comes up grey.)

Does anyone remember the Simpsons episode, "Homer at the Bat", where Homer finds that lightning has struck a tree, and carves a baseball bat from the wood? (a nod to the movie "The Natural")

I have always wanted to do that.

Lightning struck wood is all about power. You can add it to anything to give it a fiery, energetic jolt of power. It's in a category of what I like to call "amplifiers", things that have such a strong spiritual vibration that they add power to and amplify whatever they're used in. Frankincense, dragon's blood, shark teeth, nut galls, oak, and sweetgum are a few examples. It can also be employed in any work in which you need to drive off or cleanse away evil, which is interesting considering some people say burning it releases evil spirits. I've also heard that you should never burn lightning struck wood in your home because you risk burning your house down.

Lightning struck sand/"petrified lightning", known as fulgurite, is something fewer people talk about. Fulgurite pieces can be used the same way as struck wood.

Storm water/lightning water is rainwater gathered during a thunderstorm. It's great for protection, driving/cleansing away evil, and uncrossing. Tip: Add some blessed salt as a preservative.

I saw St. Elmo's fire over the summer, it was an amazing once-in-a-lifetime thing. I'm so happy I was able to see it first-hand and also collect a good amount of water from that storm. I've seen ball lightning too. And once, I saw a strange orange orb of light bounce/float across the road. My friend and I each turned to each other to confirm we weren't seeing things. He finally shrugged "There's all kinds of weird things in the valley." I wonder if that thing was what people call a jack-o'-lantern or will-o'-the-wisp? Electricity is neat.

A little aside: I used to be terrified of lightning. I mean a full-on, panic attack inducing, phobia of lighting and thunder. One stormy Sunday morning, I was waiting at the doors at church while my parents pulled the car around (I was too scared to walk across the parking lot). A little old lady, on her way out, stopped and asked me if I was waiting for someone. I remember it so clearly, she laid a hand on my shoulder and said "Well let's wait together, dear. You can stand under my umbrella." She kept her hand on my shoulder and we stood in silence until the car appeared.
"Oh, um, that's them,"
"There, see? Nothing to be afraid of. You're not afraid. God bless!"
 I thanked her, but didn't see her again once I climbed into the car. It took me a minute to notice, but... I was no longer afraid. And I was never afraid of lightning again. I went from getting sick to my stomach at the mere mention of the chance of thunder showers, to loving to watch even fierce lightning storms. My mom told me about people with the power of laying on hands and said the lady had healed me. It was amazing. Even the ultra-scientific, perfect rational side of me, to this day, is astounded and humbled by that experience.

Things That Are Not Conjure

Thanks to certain well-known marketers and Wiccans/NeoWiccans/Neopagans, a lot of things are being confused with and blended into conjure. This includes:

-Voodoo/Vodou/Vodun. We do not work with the Lwa/Loa. We do not work with veves.
-Santaria. We do not work with the Orisha.
-Other ATRs. There is a trend of people reading up on Vodun/Voodoo, Santaria, as well as ATRs such as Lukumi, and thinking they can retrofit them to conjure/hoodoo. It doesn't work like that, conjure/hoodoo is not "just the magic minus the religion". It is a blend of mostly West African, Native American, and Scots Irish influences.
-Cuandarisimo, Brujeria, and other Latin American traditions. SANTA MUERTE IS NOT CONJURE/HOODOO. And by the way, she is NOT an Aztec goddess of fidelity. I used to live with someone who worked with her... just about all the mainstream ideas about her are wrong. Anima Sola, The Intranquel Spirit (UGH), La Chuparosa*, etc are not conjure.
-Gods and goddess are not conjure. This includes Ganesha and Buddha (Hotei). Just because "Lucky Buddha" good luck charms have been popular for a long time, that does not mean he was worshiped or prayed to!
-The Wiccan Rede/Three-fold Law/karma.
-Other neopagan concepts, such as the Watchtowers and the correspondences of the four directions.

There's so much more, those are just the big ones that really jump out that me. You can work with every single thing on this list for all I care, but don't call it conjure/hoodoo/rootwork because it isn't.

*Yes, I just mentioned Hummingbird in a recent post. Animal spirits are not the same as the Chuparosa/"Chuparrosa" that is being taught like it's a traditional thing in conjure.

Colors

I keep going in to write about the use of color in conjure and then abandoning it because I don't like to cover things which have already been written about extensively. Ironically, Blogger can't seem to get the colors of my text right! I wrote everything but the colored words in black, I have no idea why random blocks of text show up grey.

COLOR! Guys, I am all about color. I can't even stand to wear my hair a natural color because I have this deep need to look like some kind of tropical bird or mermaid. I would totally share clothes with Rainbow Brite, David Bowie, or Katy Perry. Color has such a profound effect on our emotional and mental states. Each hue vibrates and hums with its own unique energy. We draw strong links between colors and how they appear in our daily lives. For example: Green is the color of money in the US, so we associate green with money. Now look what happens when I write it in magenta: money. It looks off to you, doesn't it?

Color can be used to attract and invoke particular energies/qualities. Certain colors can themselves be used for protection and uncrossing. Color can also help one fine-tune works, getting everything just right. For example, you have some lavender flowers. You could use them with a pink candle for romance and love or with a blue candle for peace.

One thing to remember is that while things like colored candles are nice, you don't need them. Before colored candles were mass-produced and affordable, people just used white household candles and tapers. You can use white candles for everything. I usually work with white candles, often buying large, inexpensive packs of tea lights and Shabbat candles. Beeswax candles, which are often a very pale yellow, are still considered white because they are uncolored.

You'll notice that all color lists are different. This is because of the mixture of African, European, and Native American color symbolism. Color is also very personal, so of course people will work with what they feel is appropriate.

RED- Power, protection, blood, love, lust, heating things up, domination, anger/war, luck. Red is the color of Mars. Red is the blood that courses through our veins. Red is the color of Marilyn Monroe's lipstick. Red itself is protective: animals evolved red markings to scare off predators because red things in nature tend to be poisonous. Red brick dust is an example of the power of red to protect.

ORANGE- Overcoming obstacles/blocks, opening the way, drawing, communication, bringing joy, learning, obtaining knowledge, psychic dreams, divination. Orange is one of the colors of Mercury. Orange is the glow of a lantern, illuminating the way. Orange is change, like the change of leaves in fall.

YELLOW- Success, wisdom, money, leadership, mastery, cleansing of darkness, lifting depression. Yellow (gold) is the Sun. Yellow is gold. Gold, like the crowns of kings and queens. Yellow is St. John's Wort, purging and protecting from evil, alleviating depression. Yellow is chamomile, drawing in money or quieting anxiety.

GREEN- Money, fertility of all kinds, luck, love, growth. Green is the color of Venus. Money is green. Green is abundant crops. Green is springtime, when love is in the air as flowers bloom and animals pair off and mate. Green is the color of poker and pool tables. Green is a four-leaf clover. Green is also sometimes used to counteract and remove negative/unwanted things. I believe this is from the European grimoire system of planetary correspondences, where Venus opposes Mars. Love conquers all, non?

BLUE- Peace, tranquility, loyalty, fidelity, protection, blessings, weddings, cooling things down, sleep, dreams, divination. Blue is one of the colors of Jupiter. Blue is the color of clear skies and smooth water. A rich royal/cobalt blue is used to turn back and protect against the evil eye. Blue is also used to ward off haints and other nasty spirits. Blue is also associated with divine or angelic protection; For example, Fiery Wall of Protection products were originally usually blue. "True blue" is an idiom used to describe someone who is faithful, loyal, and dependable. Blue can also represent the law/police officers, "the boys in blue".

PURPLE- Power, authority, mastery, victory, controlling, compelling, dominating, psychic abilities. Purple is the other color of Jupiter. Purple is color of royal robes. Purple is the color of lightning. Purple is used for asserting one's power and influence over people or situations.

PINK-  Love, romance, friendship, beauty, attraction and attractiveness, drawing (for love). Pink is a romantic sunset. Pink is the lipstick of a lady on a date. Pink is the lighter, cooler version of Red, both in actual hue and application.

BROWN- Neutral color, court case work, stability, binding (when you seek to "ground" someone), treasure finding. Brown is the color of earth, of soil. Think of "solid ground", "grounding" someone or something, and treasure finding, where one would be literally digging, and you start to get the picture.

BLACK- Removing evil, protection from evil, repelling, reversing, banishing, crossing/jinxing, evil, death. Black is one of Saturn's colors. In Wicca and some other neopagan religions, there is a tendency to use black as a neutral color--NEVER would it be used like that in conjure.

WHITE- Purity, goodness, blessing, cleansing, uncrossing, protection, healing, weddings, angels, spirits. White is used for altar candles/master candles. Like I mentioned above, white is also a neutral color.

GREY- Confusion/"mental fog", confusing a situation, obscuring things, neutralizing (as opposed to being a neutral color). You don't find grey candles too much, but they exist. "Black" colored talc/bath salts are really grey, but they're still used as black.

SILVER- Money, protection, psychic work, divination, femininity. Silver is the color of the Moon.

GOLD- Money, success, masculinity. Gold is the color of the Sun.

Tips for Working With Animal Spirits

In my last post, I spoke out against the cruel source of many of the zoological curios sold by marketers for use in conjure/hoodoo. (Just in case I wasn't clear, I am not opposed to zoological curios obtained responsibly.)

How can one work with animal spirits in more humane and positive ways? There are lots of possibilities. Remember, even if you're "just" using something like a coon dong for money luck, you are still, in fact, working with the spirit of that animal. Animal spirits, just like plant spirits and, really, all spirits, will be much more willing and much more generous with their powers to people who have forged good relationships with them. If you start out that relationship by callously buying cruelly/irresponsibly obtained curios, you are obviously off to a bad start.

-Connect with responsible hunters. Offer to buy the pieces you seek from them. They'll more than likely be thrilled to get some cash for their scraps. Avoid trophy hunters and fur-trappers, who only kill for the hide and discard the rest.

-Buy vintage, and I mean real vintage. Don't readily trust online sellers who claim to be selling vintage bones, teeth, fur, rattlesnake rattles, etc.

-Buy authentic Native American goods. The Indian Arts and Crafts Act of 1990 made it illegal to mislead consumers by presenting non-Native American made goods as if they were authentically Native-made. If a manufacturer wants to, say, sell a line of dreamcatchers, they may do so, but if they label them "Native American/American Indian/Indian Dreamcatcher" or attach a specific tribe name, like "Ojibwa Dreamcatcher", they are in violation of the act. Don't let this lull you into a false sense of security when shopping, especially online. Check out the Buy Native campaign.

-Find ways to work with wild animals. Set up things like bird houses and feeders, bat roosts, and hummingbird feeders. You may bless them beforehand and tell the spirits that in return for their help, you will maintain and care for the shelters/feeders. I will write more about the uses of hummingbird feeders in a future post.

-Construct a spirit altar. You can either have a general spirit altar, a specific spirit altar for animal spirits, or even an altar for a single spirit. Decorate your altar with pictures, statues/figurines, a glass of water, things associated with the animal (for example, fresh or dried flowers which are known to attract hummingbirds), and maybe even Biblical passages that mention the animal if appropriate.

A neat way to honor animals spirits and build up your altar(s), while helping real wildlife, is to "adopt" an animal through charity. Both World Wildlife Fund and Defenders of Wildlife offer these great packages where, when you symbolically adopt an animal, they will send you a plush of that animal, pictures, a certificate of adoption, info sheets, and other things.

For example, if you work with Hummingbird (I know, everyone online seems to prefer the Spanish name, La Chuparosa), how sweet are these plush versions?

Or maybe you work with Bat or Wolf?

Whatever you choose to do, just be responsible and ethical.

EDIT: I forgot to mention another great method.

-Incorporate symbolic elements, such as metal charms, small figurines, pictures, and plants associated with the animal. Take my silver Hummingbird charm, for example:

Check out places like Michaels and A.C. Moore for inexpensive charms and pendants. I got my sterling silver Hummingbird charm from Michaels for under $4.