Dr. Raven's Conjure

ConjureMan Ali Review: Testimonial from a client

2012-02-17T03:41:00.000-08:00

In December of 2011 I had a client whose marriage was broken up by another woman. This woman came from a long line of spiritual workers and she herself was an initate of an ATR. My client's husband worked with this other woman and for a while she had been making moves on the husband but the husband had been staunchly rejecting the advances. Then in the span of 3 weeks he went from doting husband to a completely different man.

He was acting erratically, confused, lashing out, and seemed almost as if he was under the influence of substances. He left his wife and moved in with this other woman. My client approached me and asked me to help.

Divination revaled that spiritual work had been done on the husband through the use of a specific entity. My own guides and spirits agreed to take on the case and we went to work.

I first nuetralized the rival, unbound the husband and cleansed him, returned him home and bound him strongly to his wife and kids. I started this work in December 2011, by the second week of January the rival had fallen deeply ill and was hospitalized. By January 27th he moved back in with his wife. On Valentines day he recommitted himself to his wife in a very clear and beautiful manner.

This is what my client has to say, reposted with her permission:

"ConjureMan Ali I cannot thank you enough. You gave me a MIRACLE. I was in a bad place when i came to you but I know you could help me and you did. My family is whole again and my husband is back. We love each other more than ever. Everything that happened seems like a bad nightmare like it almost wasn't real but at least it is now in the past. You got some powerful magic on your side. Please thank your spirits for me. Bless you for all that you do. You got a client for life!!" --SR

Saving relationships during the month of love--It's times like these that remind me why I do what I do.

Rev. Fred's Blog: Mayan Folk Magic

2012-02-11T13:22:00.000-08:00

My colleague from AIRR, Rev. Fred has started a new blog where he'll be uploading pictures of his work and giving instructions on traditional folk magic.

Rev. Fred is a talented Italian rootworker and hoodoo doctor specializing in cleansing work, but in addition to this he regularly spends time in Guatemala where he is studying to become a Ajq'ij, or priest in Mayan spiritual work and Guatemalan folk-magic. His blog already has some interesting and informative posts and it is definitely worth checking out.

His blog is the only place where you can learn more about Mayan spiritual work and work with Guatemalan folk saints and spirits like San Simone, Rey Pascual, and El Duende Diego.

Check out his blog here and his website here.

Welcoming a New AIRR Member: Devi Spring

2012-02-04T20:45:00.000-08:00

The Association of Independent Readers and Rootworkers has just accepted a new member: Devi Spring. Devi is a dear friend and fellow blogger who is well-known to the members of the Lucky Mojo forum where she has volunteered as a moderator helping thousands by providing free advice and spiritual guidance.

She is a compassionate worker and talented reader and root doctor. AIRR is enriched by her presence and I am sure clients will find her to be of superb skill. Devi is also a gifted healer whose work in Reiki combined with her spiritual practice allows her to heal the minds, hearts, and bodies of her clients.

You can find her new profile here where you can learn more about her and book her services.

I join my colleagues by welcoming Devi and look foward to working with her.

My Secret to Money Conjure

2012-01-23T22:42:00.000-08:00

Every rootworker has their own secrets that they've picked up about the different work that they do. They often have developed a certain technique or learned a trick from an elder that gives their work that extra oomph.

For money magic, I find that adding an element of protection really takes things to the next level. Money is a fluid concept and also very susceptible to being jinxed. In fact, when I come across people who have been the victim of a curse or even the Evil Eye, I find that their finances are the first thing to go.

So for me, I learned long ago to add an element of protection to all the money work that I do. Not only does this save your money from being jinxed, but more importantly it ensures that the money that you do draw in stays with you. No point in doing money drawing spells if it all goes down a bottomless hole.

I was taught by a root doctor in Georgia to use Devil's Shoe Strings in all money work to tie down the Devil and make sure he isn't causing mischief with your money. Similarly, I find that adding Alkanet or Alfalfa will have a similar quality of protecting your money and making sure that you keep what you draw in.

For an effective money drawing spell you'll need:

Sugar Jar
Alfalfa (you can substitute either Alkanet or Devil's Shoe String)
Cinammon
Magnet
Five Finger Grass
Bayberry
Blue Flag
$20 bill.
Some type of money oil.

Write your petition right on the bill, asking for money to come to you, money enough to cover your expenses and help you live comfortably, and for the money to stay with you. Cover and cross this petition with your name by turning it clockwise 1/4th of a turn and writing your name three times over it. Five spot the bill with your oil and place the Magnet and herbs in the center of the bill.

Fold the bill by turning it clockwise and folding towards you until you have a little packet. Place this packet into a jar of Sugar and breathe Psalm 23 into the jar before you shut it close.

You can then place this jar on a prosperity altar, light candles on it, shake it up and pray over it. You'll find that not only will it sweeten and draw money to you, but it will protect your money from jinxes, mishaps, and other things that may cause money to normally slip out of your hands.

Welcoming a New Member at AIRR

2012-01-15T14:16:00.000-08:00

The Association of Independent Readers and Rootworkers has just accepted a new member into its fold; Khi Armand of Conjure in the City is now a member of AIRR and I would like to welcome him.

Khi is an excellent reader and rootworker and I am glad to call him a colleague. His page is up at at AIRR with his bio, a list of his spiritual services, and wonderful photos of his spiritual work. You can check him out here.

I look forward to working with him and know that he will be a great addition to AIRR.

For those that don't know what the Association of Independent Readers and Rootworkers is, it is a group of independent spiritual workers who have met a high criteria of ethical standards, skill, and have passed through a series of intense reviews that placed their character, knowledge, and talents under peer scrutiny.

In addition to spiritual services, AIRR provides thousands of free pages on various spiritual topics and can be seen in its expansive wiki on folk magic and folk traditions. Read more about AIRR here.

Happy New Year!

2011-12-31T19:39:00.000-08:00

The New Year is a great time to perform some much needed life-changing magics. Take the time to reflect on the past year, cultivate gratefulness for all that you received, clear out the bad, and open the way for new blessings with a new year. I am a firm believer in the idea that what spiritual forces you tap into on this night will set the stage for the rest of the year.

Start 2012 right and rather than simply being drunk, be drunk with passion, love, gratefulness, and joy. Such is the first step towards a fulfilling new year. Light a candle, say a prayer, and start things off right.

Every year I perform a blessing and road opening ritual on behalf of all my clients, blog-subscribers, friends, and those who request me to. At the stroke of midnight the candles will be lit and spirit will be moving.

Thank you to all my readers, to a great community on the blogosphere, old friends, and new friends! Blessings on our New Year!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays

2011-12-25T15:59:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all my wonderful clients, readers, and friends. I wish you a blessed season and many more to come.

For clients and others who have emailed me, I shall be back to work tomorrow and will get back to you as soon as possible.

Spirit-Friendly Approach

2011-12-07T14:45:00.000-08:00

It has been a busy couple of months as I've been working on several projects. For those interested you can look for more upcoming texts, a set of email courses, and a hands on workshop.

However, I wanted to take the time to address the trend of the spirit-friendly approach and I call this a "trend" deliberately. Like all things in society, the occult works in trends and waves. Certain approaches, traditions, and modes of thinking become popular then fade away. There was a time when the psychological model was popular, when chaos magic was popular, and now the ATRs are gaining in popularity.

One such trend is the spirit-friendly approach, which some link to the increasing interest in the paradigm and spiritual technology of the ATRs. This approach differs from the purist grimoire approach which can also be said to have gained in popularity almost as a reaction against the increase of the spirit-friendly approach.

As its name suggests, the spirit-friendly methods treat spirits as companions, allies, and beings that should be venerated, given offerings, and worked with in other ways that can be seen as starkly different from the command, threaten, and coerce methods normally associated with the grimoires.

It may surprise many, but I am actually not in the spirit-friendly camp. However, allow me to qualify this statement. My approach to spirits is tempered heavily by the spiritual traditions that I was brought up with, that of Hoodoo-Rootwork and djinn conjuring. Over my extensive career of working from a model that tends towards spirit-centric, I have further confirmed that the perspectives shared by Hoodoo and djinn conjuring is the right method for me.

I prefer to see this approach as spirit-respectful rather than spirit-friendly. While this may seem semantics, it is an important distinction. This is especially the case since, as is common with trends, spirit-friendly has veered into somewhat extreme territories. One finds people who ascribe to these methods in such an extreme manner in that all spirits are seen as potential allies, friend, and pals. To me this is as limiting as the approach where all spirits are classed as either "demonic" or "angelic."

Reality rarely falls into such dualistic camps. There are those that decry all of the goetic spirits as evil and wicked while others have made all of them bedfellows. Both such approaches are based on extremes that are not only potentially limiting, but also based off of limited experiences with such spirits.

It is arrogant to assume that the world of spirit is less complicated than the world of humans, or that spirits are more one-dimensional than us. I have found them to be deeply complex beings with motives, agendas, personalities, and quirks as unique and complicated as our own.

In the traditions I am versed in, the approach to such spirits is no different than approaching a stranger on the street. One is respectful, but cautious. It would be strange if you assumed a level of familiarity with a stranger on the street that simply was not reflective of the fact that you just met. Similarly, it would be strange if you grabbed a stranger (who may turn out to be quite capable of kicking your ass) by the lapel and demanded that they go off and run an errand for you. Why should it be any different with the world of spirit?

There are spirits out there that are quite friendly. These beings are interested in the lives of men, want to be involved in our world, and are very helpful. Some of these beings are serene and others chaotic, but they share the similar motive of wanting to be involved with us. I have met other spirits that are aloof and cold, while not openly hostile they are not easily approachable, either. Furthermore there are those spirits who are openly hostile and virulent. Using one blaket approach to them all is foolish and dangerous.

The approach that I find most helpful is one where caution is taken, but spirits are treated in a respectful and courteous manner. This allows one the opportunity to get to know the spirit and gauge their temperament. This "getting to know" process allows one the versatility to approach working with spirits in a variety of ways and is also more reflective of a real attempt at developing a rapport with spirits and their world. To continue with the analogy above, strangers can become good friends whom you can share a meal with (offerings), who you invite home for dinner (housing a spirit), or in other ways develop a friendship. However there are some strangers that are down right evil and others who are pathological liars. The spirit-respectful approach acknowledges the existence of all of these types of spirits and helps ensure that the magus can tell the difference between them and deal with each situation according to the temperament of the spirit.

An openly hostile approach as some have adopted would alienate potential allies, while a too friendly approach would allow parasites and liars into your home.

In my travels I have met spirits that turned into willing allies and strong teachers and I have met others that required to be exorcised or dealt with sternly. There were yet others that were greatly helpful to me, but due to their temperament needed to be worked with cautiously. To put otherwise, there are some spirits who no matter how friendly, you wouldn't invite into your house for a cup of tea simply due to their nature.

By keeping one's mind open and approaching spirits in a courteous, but respectful manner, the magus is equipped to deal more readily with various spirit temperaments while also grounding his experiences in a more realistic and pragmatic paradigm.

Spiritual Hubris

2011-11-17T18:28:00.000-08:00

Nothing smells more foul than the hubris that develops in people with a modicum of spiritual knowledge. This is not a new thing, but its prevelance certainly does not make it any less of a cancer. I see so-called spiritual elders and magical folk who are supposedly looked up to filled with such hubris that they look down on any perspective or tradition that is not align with their own. They take on the role of so-called experts and pontifcate with bluster about their extensive experiences while dismissing any point-of-view that is not their own.

"Christianity--you mean that superstitious religion of the xians"

"Wicca--Spirits save us from the McWiccans"

"New Age--Nothing but fluff"

"Islam--backwards and ignorant"

"Afro-Magics--primitive and weak superstitious nonsense"

Such a stance only demonstrates how little they have actually progressed in their supposed spiritual journey and more importantly how insecure they are that they have to deride other people and their beliefs in favor of their own "one true path." Nevermind the irony that they are guilty of a level of close-mindedness that they accuse others of. Of course the dismissing of other spiritual paths as superstitious is often an amusing stance for people partaking in traditions and paths that are viewed as wholly superstitious by society.

It seems fashionable to deride religion, or to dismiss the "lesser" practices of others. The very fact many aspects of the occult are intrinsically tied to religion and culture at their foundation eludes them. Many forget it is due to religion that various magical practices remain available to us today. Look at Rootwork, you cannot divorce it from its Christian roots. Look at Hermeticism; it would not have survived today if not for Muslim sages and Christian scholars.

But honestly, irregardless of the interconnectedness of religion and the occult, to deride whole religions is not only hubris, but idocy. To have such little respect for "Xians" (I hate that term) or any other religious group is reflective of a childish and immature personality. One can disagree with people without derision and ignorant grand-standing.

A person truly involved in a spiritual path, one engaged in the desire for gnosis, and even one who is simply looking pragmatically for raw power is wise enough to not dismiss the rich traditions around them. Instead they learn and find inspiration from them. There is an old Arab proverb that states from filth, the wise could produce milk.

While we are all guilty of being close-minded from time to time, it is those who have consistently demonstrated this state of blind arrogance that are cancerous to true enlightenment and growth. Such individuals are not the product of effective magical practices no matter how much of an "expert" they are or how many times they've conjured this spirit or that. Quite the opposite, they demonstrate how little they truly have progressed in their respective spiritual paths that rather than letting the primordial wisdom of the spirits shape and temper them, they have spent too much time talking and too little time listening and learning.

Hoodoo Psychics Now Available

2011-10-31T10:55:00.000-07:00

The Association of Independent Readers and Rootworkers has launched its newest project: HoodooPsychics.com, the first live psychic phone-line run by actual rootworkers and conjure doctors. Each of the affiliates of HoodooPsychics.com are reputable and skilled readers and conjure doctor with several years of experience and have passed intense scrutiny of their practice to ensure they meet the high of ethical standards of AIRR.

What stands out about HoodooPsychics.com is that you have access not only to reputable psychics, but these individuals can prescribe traditional spellcasting techniques to ameliorate your situations, or can take on the case themselves to help transform the conditions that you face.

HoodooPsychics.com allows you to have immediate access to your favorite members of AIRR for on demand calls and consultations.

Check us out!

Book Review: Pomba Gira and the Quimbanda of Mbumba Nzila

2011-10-12T16:48:00.000-07:00

Nicholaj de Mattos Frisvold is one of my favorite modern authors. His scholarly approach tempered by practical experience makes each of his works throughly engaging and enlightening. His new book, Pomba Gira and the Quimbanda of Mbumba Nzila is no exception.

The book arrived a couple weeks back, a bit later than one would hope for given that it was pre-ordered, but Scarlet Imprint does their best.

I opened my package and was greeted by the luxurious scarlet outer cover and the letter-pressed image of Pomba Gira herself. Scarlet Imprint is to be commended for their beautiful texts and truly they have out-done themselves with the book I hold in my hands. The silken feel of the book, the vibrant color, and the enigmatic images scattered within all bring Pomba Gira to life; as if these mighty Queens themselves have breathed life into the pages and transformed the book into a conduit of their sulfur, blood, and beauty.

My compliments to Scarlet Imprint for capturing the mysterious, erotic, and dangerous element of the Devil's Mistress so elegantly.

Like the spirits themselves, the outershell is but the beginning. Just as the spirits invite you into their mysteries with their volumptous and deadly nature, so too does this book invite you in. The elegance and beauty of the the form compliment the depth of the mysteries convyed by the author.

I found myself unable to put the book down, entranced by the seductive dance of this noble Queen of darkness, magic, and wisdom. Her temptation was strong and her allure, the most powerful of enchantments.

Frisvold delves deep into the mysteries of one of the most misunderstood spirits of the African Diasporic World, Pomba Gira. He reveals that beneath the mistaken title of harlot actually lies the noble spirit of Queens who are cruel in their vengeance and wise in their guidance. Here we find a dark mirror into ourselves where we are dared to have the courage to meet truth. Many have forgetten how awesome and terrible truth can be, but Pomba Gira remains ever tied to the raw power of this force.

The author reveals that these spirits are deeply complex and should be honored and respected, rather than treated as servants or whores. In the process of revealing the complex nature of Pomba Gira, Frisvold illuminates some of the depth and mysteries of the cult of Quimbanda, its necormantic nature and the implications that the relationship between devotee and Pomba Gira hold for Woman.

This book is deep, but engaging. I find that over the coming weeks I shall be turning to this book over and over again, letting each layer of meaning and revelation sink in. One is left feeling a glimpse of the depth of the cult, understanding how much more remains shrouded in the shadows of night, and hoping that more will be revealed soon.

Yet I also add this caution to those who think they can use these spirits without proper guidance and respect. Pomba Gira and her consort and cult are not a fad, they are beings of primal power and amoral natures who do not hesitate to make a toy of those weak of character and constitution. Tread carefully on this razor path.

For all of this, I highly recommend this book to those interested in learning more about Pomba Gira and Quimbanda. You can find it here.

Salve Pomba Gira Rainha!

Join Me On the Radio

2011-10-07T17:42:00.000-07:00

The Lucky Mojo Hoodoo Rootwork Hour has a new co-host: me. The Lucky Mojo Hoodoo Rootwork Hour is the first and longest running radio show dedicated to discussing real conjure and hoodoo. Along with my co-host, the famed catherine yronwode, we take real call-ins to discuss people's situations, perform live readings, and provide authentic conjure remedies and techniques for dealing with situations.

During the show we talk about a variety of conditions, address specific circumstances (love, money, protection, spirits) with traditional conjure remedies, and demonstrate a variety of divination techniques from Tarot cards to scrying, mediumship, bone-reading, and much more.

Join us every Sunday at 3pm Pacific and 6pm Eastern for an hour and a half of magic on blogtalk radio.

You can chat with your hosts and other listeners and callers in our live chat, or you can call in to have a free reading and consulation with me or my esteemed colleague. Instructions to pre-register for a call can be found here.

So log on, tune in, and show your support!

Find out why the Lucky Mojo Hoodoo Rootwork hour continues to be the the first and best radio show of its kind with thousands of listeners and fans from around the world.

When: Sunday 3:00-4:30 PM Pacific Time/ 6:00-7:30 PM Eastern Standard Time
Where: Blogtalk radio
How to Join: Listen in on your phone (818-394-8535) or online or pre-register to join us on the radio.
With Who: catherine yronwode and ConjureMan Ali

Please stop by to say hello. I hope to see you all!

My Book-Saint Cyprian: Saint of Necromancers

2011-10-04T15:31:00.000-07:00

Hadean Press has today released my work on Saint Cyprian. This great little booklet is called Saint Cyprian: Saint of Necromancers. It was conceived and inspired by my beloved patron as part of an offering to him.

This book is the only one of its kind as it is the first book to address how to establish a working relationship with this powerful spirit and saint. In addition to tips and discussions of how to set up an altar to him and traditional offerings, the booklet also includes rare spells and conjurations that have never before been seen in English. Included are translations of prayers, orisons, and incantations from Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish, translated for the first time in English.

You'll find in this booklet:

Authentic and rare recipes for making Saint Cyprian oils
Instructions on how to create Saint Cyprian's Cauldron; a powerful magical object used for spells and charms.
How to set up and consecrate an altar to Saint Cyprian
Several unique spells for love, protection, controlling spirits, and destruction
Much much more.

This booklet is a great resource for anyone interested in hoodoo, conjure, goetia, curanderismo, Catholic folk-magic, and the synthesis between them. With the aid of this text the reader will be able to call upon one of the most obscure, but powerful saint to guide them through their journey through the realm of spirits and the underworld.

To read more about the booklet you can go here
To order the text you can go here.

Special thanks goes out to Hadean Press for accepting the text and publishing it. It has been a pleasure to work with them. A special thanks goes out to Mister M, for all his help, friendship and inspiration. And of course, my thanks to Saint Cyprian for your patronage, blessing, and guidance.

New Services: Demon Bowls and Witch Bottles

2011-10-01T23:14:00.000-07:00

Conjure Man's Spiritual Pratice is proud to present two new services available to our clients along with our other highly popular products and services.

Witch Bottles

Witch Bottles, also known as spirit bottles, are a popular magical objects found both in European folk magical practices like cunning-craft as well as the spiritual practices of the rural south.

Comprised of glass bottles filled with potent magical curios, these bottles are often hung near homes as protection against witches, hags, haunts, and other spiritual attacks. They can trap enemy spirits, redirect attacks, and form a powerful protective barrier against malevolent spiritual forces.

In addition to its apotropaic nature, Witch Bottles can also be used to house spirit guardians, or act as charm bottles empowered to carry out specific magical intentions and prayers.

At Conjure Man's Spiritual Practice we create Witch Bottles under the guidance and direction of our spiritual guides in the traditional manner that has been employed by root doctors and conjurers for generations.

You can learn more about this service here.

Witch Bottle created under the auspices of Saint Cyprian and consecrated

to protect a home by trapping evil spirits sent from a rival.

Demon Bowls

Demon bowls were once one of the most powerful and mysterious tools of the Near Eastern mage, but have long since been forgotten by modern practitioners. Found commonly in Mesopotamia and the Levant with similar objects crafted in other parts of the Mediterranean world, these bowls were used by powerful mages for a variety of uses.

Mesopotamian priests would craft these special bowls to trap and tame wandering spirits while their Jewish and Levantine counterparts would use them specifically against the demons of the night and their queen, Lilith.

Today, they are still used by Arabian mages who employ them to summon and restrain the desert spirits, or djinn.

At Conjure Man's Spiritual Practice we craft Demon Bowls using teracotta or clay just as our ancestors did and use the traditional methods passed down for centuries in the Middle East.

Employing intricate and secret magical rites in conjunction with highly specific ritual requirements, we craft Demon Bowls over a course of several days for the purposes of either restraining and trapping spirits, or summoning and controlling djinn; according to the wishes of our clients.

You can read more about Demon Bowls at Conjure Man's Spiritual Practice here.

Demon Bowl with spiraling Arabic Words of Power consecrated to summon djinn.

The spiritual potency of the rite can be seen as power rushes to fill the bowl with life.

The Demon Bowls and Witch bottles of Conjure Man's Spiritual Practice cannot be found anywhere else as both revolve around magical objects of ancient power. The rites and creation of each of these objects were inherited from powerful workers of old and it is with a sense of great honor that we now make these objects available to our clients.

To learn more about all the products and services we offer at Conjure Man's Spiritual Practice, including mojo bags and talismans, check out our website here.

Testimonial:

"When I moved into my new home I was not told that it was haunted. After the first few weeks, I knew something was wrong. We had poltergeist activity, we had weird voices speaking at night, unusual fluctuations in temperature and so many other crazy things. I found out from a neighbor that the house used be home to a man they all believed to be a witch. After trying for months with other practitioners to get my house cleansed, one of the psychics recommended that I to talk to ConjureMan Ali. After a consultation, he made a demon bowl and told me how to use it. I am happy to report that my house has been quite ever since. After months of being tormented i can finally have peace!" -L.D.

"I remember visiting my Nana when I was young in Alabama and she'd have these pretty blue bottles hanging from her tree. When I asked her what they were she told me that they were to protect the house. One night years later I woke up to feeling a great weight on my chest. I tried moving but I couldnt. Through my panic I could hear laughter that made my skin crawl but no matter what I did I couldnt move or breathe. It let up after feeling a sharp pain on my neck. I ran to the bathroom when I finally could and found it had scratched my neck. After my heart calmed down I thought that maybe I was imagining things or it was a nightmare. But the episode happened every night after then. For months I dreaded going to sleep. I tried to look up all sorts of remedies and talked to a bunch of people until I found ConjureMan Ali. He diagnosed my problem and made me a Witch Bottle. To my surprise it was exactly like the bottles of my childhood! Since then Ive finally been able to sleep. God Bless you ConjureMan Ali! If I could I'd kiss you!" -M.A.S.

"ConjureMan Ali first made me a djinn/demon bowl when i was his student in the arts of djinn conjuring. I still remember the first time I used the bowl: it had a power like nothing i'd ever seen. I was so impressed with his work and knew I was in the right hands. Using his teachings i've used the djinn bowl ever since and it has remained one of my favorite ritual tools." -AK

Conjuring for Art

2011-09-25T18:19:00.000-07:00

I consider myself a great lover of art and beauty and it is my hope that everyday we grow towards a more beautiful world.

As an academic and historian, I have been a big proponent of a new cultural renaissance for years now. I believe that as a society, despite the unprecedented availability of information, we demonstrate all the trappings of a "dark age." While it is true that the "dark ages" were far more transformative than many think, it still is an age we should try avoid returning to.

In addition to my efforts at the university level I have taken to conjure to tackle this situation. For years, I have performed a yearly blessing rite for clients, readers, friends, but also for aspiring artists, scholars, and those called to transform this world into a more beautiful place.

I keep the heat of this work going all year long by performing a simple candle rite every Sunday or Thursday depending on the inclination of Spirit.

For those who are interested in making this world a better place then you might want to add your own light.

Here's a simple rite you can do:

What you'll need:

Some beautiful music (Please choose a musician of real talent, not these pop singers)
1 white candle
A plate
Rose Petals
Holy Oil (711 Holy Oil is great)
Map of the world
Blessing Incense
Thurible to burn the incense (thuribles usually have a chain to be hung from)

Put your music on and set the map of the world on your altar and on top of this set up your plate. Dress your candle with Holy Oil while reciting Psalm 23 and set this on the plate. Light your candle and take a few minutes to enjoy the beauty of the flame and relish in the sound of the music.

Now light your incense in your thurible and say, "I light this incense in honor of the spirit of Beauty, Truth, and Knowledge."

As the incense is wafting up, take your Holy Oil and pour it out gently all around the plate in a ring, praying from your heart that beauty, goodness, and enlightenment grow in our world. Now sprinkle your Rose Petals on the oil so they are floating around the candle.

Now take up your thurible and slowly swing it in a clockwise circle around your candle and map saying, "Spirit of Beauty, Truth, and Knowledge shine your light in our dark world, rise us up from ignorance and barbarism into enlightenment. Usher us into an age of where true talent, art, and knowledge is cultivated and cherished. In the name of Jesus, amen."

Spend a few moments listening to the music, basking in the glow of the candle, and letting your prayers and thoughts reach the farthest reachest of our world.

Remember that a simple candle can light up a dark room and if enough candles are lit a sea of light will blaze up and make this world just that much more beautiful.

Honoring Saint Cyprian and Improving Magical Practice

2011-09-14T14:46:00.000-07:00

In honor of Saint Cyprian's upcoming feast day, here is a little working that one can do to help improve magical power and talent. This work calls upon the aid of Saint Cyprian to open the roads to help the aspiring magician find the right teachers and resources on their quest and people who have done this work often report a heightened intuition that guide them in their magical work and find themselves coming across allies that aid them in their search for magical knowledge.

What you'll need:
Purple candle
Frankincense incense w/ charcoal and brazier to burn it on
Glass of water
Image of Saint Cyprian
Purple altar cloth
Florida Water
711 Holy Oil
Wooden Cross

On a Saturday night set up your altar with your purple altar cloth and an image of Saint Cyprian. On the left of the image set up your cup, but don't pour the water yet. On the right set up your candle. Right before the image set up your brazier and charcoal. You can place the oil and the Florida water nearby on the altar as well.

Knock on the table nine times, saying Saint Cyprian's name each time. Call out both vocally and with your heart, on the ninth time light your candle and pour your water into the cup and place the crucifix ontop of the glass. Light your charcoal from the flame of the candle and set your Frankincense into the charcoal.

As you do this say, "Saint Cyprian, I give gifts in honor of you. Come swiftly, Saint Cyprian and look favorably upon the request of this seeker."

Spend a few moments letting the incense waft up and watching the flame of the candle as your recite the Lord's Prayer softly over and over again. Repeat the prayer slowly nine times. This is best done while kneeling in front of the altar.

Once you've said your prayers and you feel that Saint Cyprian has come to you, take up your Florida Water and say:

"Saint Cyprian as in life you were a master of the Hidden Arts,

So too do you now hold the Keys of Knowledge.

Today, I am a humble seeker as you once were,

Today, I thirst for knowledge as you once did.

I ask that you favor me and quest my thirst;

Grant me the Keys of Knowledge,

Open before me the Book,

Guide me in my journey, great Saint Cyprian.

In your great mercy and in the love you hold for

people like me, I ask that you grant my request.

Aid me, help me, guide me.

In the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost."

As you say your prayers pour a little bit of the Florida Water into your hands and rub yourself from head to feet with it. Repeat this prayer nine times as you rub Florida Water onto yourself from head to feet. Commune from the heart with the saint, then thank him and snuff out the candle, do not blow it out.

Go to bed facing the east.

In the morning wake up and take three sips from the water then pour it on your front porch or lawn. Dab some 711 Holy Oil on your finger and anoint yourself by making the sign of the cross upon your forehead then go about your daily business.

At night repeat the entire rite with prayers, lighting the candle, incense, pouring fresh water, and rubbing with Florida Water. Repeat the entire thing for nine days with the Florida Water and prayers at night and the anoininting with oil and drinking water in the day.

If done with a sincere heart, Saint Cyprian will open the doors that will lead you to the right places in your magical and spiritual journey. This is a powerful work, so be sure you are ready to receive the guidance it can provide. Sometimes the paths we are lead down are not the ones we expected.

Holy Guardian Angel(s)?

2011-08-25T14:57:00.000-07:00

One of the central aspects of western occultism is the idea of the Holy Guardian Angel. This concept is alternately referred to as one's higher self, or as a spirit guide of sorts with whom conversation and communion is considered of great importance. For the longest time people mistook attaining conversation with the Holy Guardian Angel (from here on referred to as HGA) as the epitome and even end-result of magical practice. This stance has been shifted to where conversation with the HGA is but one rung on the ladder of spiritual progress and magical practice. Yet, the nature of this being remains highly controversal.

There are a variety of opinions on what the HGA is in nature; from being one's higher self to being an Angel of the Lord assigned to guide the aspiring magus. In my opinion, Frater RO said it best, "it's complicated" (in fact I am of the opinion that Frater RO is one of the few people online who truly exhibits having acheived conversation and communion with the HGA and his discussion of his Supernal Assistant/HGA accurately portrays the relationship).

I propose to present a perspective on the HGA that is not commonly heard online, but one that is in line with Near Eastern spiritual practices and what may have been the source from which later magi drew inspiriation for their concepts of the HGA.

In Near Eastern (which includes the Semetic religions and cultures) each individual is assigned a group of spirits which act is the guiding influences in their life. Depending on the sources, the number vary from 2 to 4 to much more. However what is consistent is the varying natures of the spirits attached to the individual and how relationship between the spirits and the person contributes to magical work.

The first spirit is what has come to be commonly called the Holy Guardian Angel. This entity is viewed as separate from the magician and not their "higher self." However the Holy Guardian Angel acts as a recepticle for the divine power that is man's birthright. As man descended through the spheres he forgot his link with the divine and so the Holy Guardian Angel holds in trust the true powers of man until he once more is ready to take them up. In this paradgim the conversation with the Holy Guardian Angel is but the first step. The HGA acts as a guide and comforter for the mage helping him or her once more rise up through the spheres and finally absorb their birthright from the HGA. In this way this spirit is intimately connected to the individual, yet also remains "other."

Because the HGA, which has also been alternatively called the Genius Spirit in this tradition, holds in trust the true power of man, it is through the HGA that authority to work with the angels and the divine sphere is acheived. The HGA can act as a guide, a comforter, and an emissary to the divine realm.

The balance to the HGA is the second genius spirit which comes from the ranks of the chthonic. Just as each individual is assigned a Holy Guardian Angel so too do they have a djinn. This is the spirit that is used as an emissary to the sublunar and chthonic realms. We find evidence of this type of working in the Greek Magical Papyri, the familiar spirit of the Witch of Endor, and it is carried on in works like The Grimorium Verum where Scirilin acts as the primary intermediary spirit.

In the spiritual practices of the Near East, the mage is recognized as having the ability to cultivate both of these relationships: one with the Holy Guardian Angel and the other with their djinn spirit. Each represents a side of the coin that contributes to all around wholeness. However, what is lacking in this system is the idea that one power needs to restrain the other. While the Holy Guardian Angel provides the mage with authority until he or she is able to reclaim their own innate authority, the Holy Guardian Angel, or any angel for that matter, is not used to restrain the powers of the chthonic. Instead if one were to work with the dead, or djinn, then the mage would turn to their personal djinn or genius to act as intermediary--a practice that is illuminated in the manuscript of Charles Wycliff Goodwin called Fragment of a Graceo-Egyptian Work upon Magic where the Egyptian mage uses his two genius spirits, or djinn to help him contact other spirits in an armadel operation. In this working the authority to work with such spirits comes directly from the intermediary spirit who is able to traverse the underworld and call other spirits forth.

While the concept of the personal deity of the Near East, more commonly known to today's mages as the Holy Guardian Angel has become one of the more distinguishable aspects of western occultism, the familiar spirit, on the other hand has not received the same attention. It is my opinion that a more hollistic approach to magical practices would be to get back to this older and more complete paradigm where both spiritual guides are cultivated, one to restore man's innate connection with the divine, and the other to restore man's innate connection to the underworld--it is the connection to both that distinguishes the mage from the mystic and priest.

This concept of multiple guiding spirits is one that also makes an apperances in the African Diasporic Traditions with the ATR's often alluding to each person having a "head" which can be equated to the Holy Guardian Angel and each also having a series of other guiding spirits often in the form of spirits of the dead. Similarly in ancient Rome, each person was guided by a holy ancestor while having the personal lares who carried out the function of a familiar spirit.

My experiences with both my Holy Guardian Angel and my person djinn have led me to believe that the incomplete approach that has been become popularized by Abramelin may indeed actually contribute to the disparity in results acheived by those traditions still connected to their folk roots versus those that have lost that connection. This can be seen in the results acheived by Arabian mages and people in the ATRs versus the less than spectacular results acheived by western occultism. It comes down to the approach.

If our focus is entirely on the Holy Guardian Angel then our magic by very nature will take a more mystical aspect. The Holy Guarian Angel is beyond a doubt a powerful force in our lives, but the results often alluded to in the grimoires are a result not of Angels who focus on more cosmic matters, but the sublunar or chthonic spirits who hold a strong connection to our natural world. For the magus to acheive the level of success that is often fantasized he or she must also cultivate the power of the chthonic and this is done through the intermediary spirit of old.

In my opinion it is time for this old familiar spirit to once more be recognized as a valid source for the power for the mage and take its place in the western world along with its counterparts in the ATRs.

Questions You've Asked Me

2011-08-07T22:15:00.000-07:00

Clients and readers often send me the most interesting questions. Due to the volume of emails I get daily, I don't always get a chance to respond back, after all questions from clients pertaining to actual work is my first priority. Yet, know that such questions are not ignored. What I've done is taken the questions that are the most popular along with some of the more interesting ones and compiled them here. This may be a one-time thing, or I may get a chance to have more of these posts. Many of these questions are about me, my practice, or seeking advice.

1. Where did you learn hoodoo from?

I was raised by a conjure worman in this hoodoo tradition named Mama Jay. This was not an appellation, as many people seem to take the names of "Miss" "Mama" etc these days, but rather a commonplace cultural thing. In Southern African American culture, everyone is called "Miss, Mama, Papa, Uncle, Mr." etc. Mama Jay was simply the mother of Jay and so we all called her Mama Jay. Secretly people called her "Tree" cause she was tall as heck and would wear a hair band with a giant flower on it.

Our meeting was rather interesting. I was very young at the time and lived in an apartment complex with an astrologer, a conjure woman, a tarot reader, and other interesting people. After coming home from school I was sitting outside with a book on magical symbols and was tracing these symbols in chalk on the sidewalk when a giant shadow was cast over my work. I looked up a pair of neverending legs to see a tall African American woman looking down at me. She said, "You're a strange boy. How'd you like me to show you some more of this stuff" and she pointed at the book. From there the rest is history.

What was your first spell you cast?

The first spiritual work I did was a foot washing under the supervision of Mama Jay. It was a deeply moving experience. My first active conjure was a hot foot with handmade hot foot powder that was used against a neighborhood villain. It worked within so fast I was stunned; one day he was there, the next he abandoned all his things and his apartment and ran.

Before this I had done some work with the runes, weather, and Arabian theurgy.

Is it true you work with djinn? How do I learn how to work with them?

Yes. I work extensively with them and have a them as allies.

Learning this work is not easy. Unlike other magical traditions, texts on this subject have been slow in coming to the "western" world. Even those treatise written in Arabic and Farsi aren't always clear. Seeking out books is a great way to start, but the best method is to learn from actual Middle Eastern mages.

For those that are interested in this type of work, I will be releasing an email course on the topic which will act as both an introduction to the work and help people start the practice. As far as I know, I am the only traditionally trained djinn conjurer who is offering this information.

Your AIRR page says you come from a line of spiritual people? Were your ancestors mages too?

I come from one of the oldest family lines in the Middle East and North Africa who have always been associated with the royal court by either being rulers themselves, or the sages to the rulers. My ancestors have been religious scholars who have been mystics, sages, and mages. My direct ancestors are folk saints who are petitioned to this day in the Middle East for favors with several shrines dedicated to them. I have worked deeply with my ancestors who act as my guides and are a source of great wisdom and power for me.

I was named the heir of my family's spiritual tradition by its patriarch, my great grandfather who was a blind hafiz (a person who had memorized the Quran from beginning to end). His fame as an exorcist and mystic was legendary.

One of the most famous stories involve helping a man get his kidnapped wife back. A man came to my great grandfather imploring his help. His wife had been kidnapped by brigands and the local authorities were of no help. My great grandfather took his hand, told him the exact location of where he could find his wife. He then took a piece of paper, scribbled something on there, folded it up and placed it into a locket to give to the man. He said it would keep the distraught man safe by tying up the brigands.

The man found his wife exactly where my great grandfather said she'd be and found that all the brigands had fallen into a deep stupor from which they could not wake; he saved his wife with no trouble, hog-tied the brigands and dragged them into town for the authorities to deal with.

There are many other stories like that regarding him with things like being at two places at once, psychokinesis etc.

What advice do you have for someone wanting to learn hoodoo and doesn't have a teacher nearby?

Get off your butt. While I was fortunate to have been raised in the tradition, I never stopped learning even after my teacher passed and I took over her practice. I met other workers, I traveled, I went to shops and more importantly I talked to *people*.

Secondly, the internet is a great resource. I think it is amazing the information that is available at the tip of our fignertips. However, don't let the internet make you lazy. While the internet is a great resource, you shouldn't depend solely on it. Magical traditions that are still living are so because there are people who still live it; find those people. It isn't that hard.

Third, I do believe Miss cat's correspondence course is a great resource. While some have felt some controversy regarding the idea of "certified hoodoo" people are not grasping the point of the course. It is a survey of hoodoo, not a standard of "orthodoxy." The certification only says you completed her course, not that you know some hoodoo Truth. That said it is a great course. I also recommend checking my blog on getting started on this work (here and here).

I heard that you were hired to exorcise and be a spiritual advisor for officials in the Middle East. Can you tell me more about this.

I have worked as a professional exorcist and hired magician designing and working the magical defense of a certain Middle Eastern nation's defenses and have worked for various prominant officials as their magical advisor and protector.

I have been working on a reconciliation case for months but I haven't gotten the results I want. What am I doing wrong?

You will hear many say that reconciliation cases are some of the hardest cases to work on. This isn't because of the nature of the work itself, but rather due to the emotional investment of the people involved. More than any other situation, people are deeply invested in their reconciliation case. As such they rarely have the ability to examine things objectively, nor work from a calm position of power. Instead, I find that desperation and anxiety characterizes the work.

For people having such difficulty I always suggest taking a break away from the work and focusing specifically on *you.* Not only will this help calm you down, but by taking a break you get a fresh perspective to the situation and are able to put yourself in a position where you can work from confidence and focus.

Remember desperation is not attractive.

What's the story behind your name? Are you Dr. Raven and ConjureMan Ali?

Dr. Raven is a name that people started calling me. It was very unofficial and was due to the fact that I had a strong affinity for graveyard work and a gift for working with the dead. I fufilled the role of a psychopomp for my community; I helped restless spirits settle, I communed with the departed, and as such people started calling me that. My teacher was the first to call me raven.

I actually haven't had a professional name, until recently. I went by Ali though unofficially people called me Dr. Raven, Raven, or Uncle Ali.

I took the name ConjureMan Ali when I joined AIRR as a means of unifying my identity as a rootworker. While my old clients still call me Dr. Raven, I go by ConjureMan Ali.

Do you only do root doctoring for a profession or do you have a day job?

I am one of the fortunate few who makes a good living as a root docot and does not need to have a day job. That said, I am post-graduate student working on his Ph.D in History and am paid to be a university lecturer, researcher, and author.

I specialize in history of the ancient world with special attention to the intellectual, religious, and social trends of the ancient near east and Mediterranean.

How was it you were able to start magical work so early?

A few reasons. The first is simply fate. I was fortunate enough to have the teachers I did at the exact moments that I did. Our meetings were very fortuitous and helped me greatly.

Secondly, my great grandfather named me his heir so it was accepted that my interests would swing to the spiritual.

Third, I was a precocious child. I was very bright and advanced for my age; I had finished the complete works of Shakespear in the 4th grade, read through most of the scriptures of the major religions by 5th grade and had writtten commentaries on them and so my family gave me free reign. They recognized my potential for success and wanted to encourage my intellectual pursuits so gave me the freedom to do so.

Your profile says you are familiar with hermeticism, to what degree?

To a great degreee. I am a practicing hermetic mage. I tend to follow a slightly older mode of thinking than that which developed in the Renaissance by turning to the Greco-Egyptian purview.

I am also a student of Franz Bardon. I have followed and actively practiced his system since I was in high school and though, like many, came across difficulties following his regiment--even setting it down at times--I eventually was able to make steady progress through the steps. To this day Bardon's regiments are part of my daily spiritual exercices.

Do you consider Goetia dangerous? Is it worth looking into?

I consider goetia to be the hoodoo of the Mediterranean and European world. I trace it back to the Greek Magical Papyri and older necromantic practices of the ancient world and have found that recent attempts at revitalizing the tradition by looking at pre-Medieval roots to be both fruitful and highly successful.

I approach the goetia from a near eastern perspective, viewing most of the entities as types of djinn and have successful evoked and worked with several of them. I am also a big proponent of the methodology outlined by the likes of Jake Stratton Kent.

That said working with spirits of a chthonic nature is always dangerous and not for the faint of heart. However if approached with respect and skill, it is a powerful tradition.

What are your favorite Goetic texts or girmoires?

While the Lesser Key of Solomon is very popular, my work has drawn me to the Heptammeron, the Grimorium Verum, the Arabatel, and the Grimoire of Armadel.

I am very fond of Jake Stratton Kent's True Grimoire, Cecchetelli's Crossed Keys, the Black Pullet, the 6th and 7th Books of Moses, and though not technically grimoires I work with Ghayat Al Hakim, The Secrets of Albertus Magnus, The Books of Saint Cyprian, Shams Al-Maarif al Kubra, The Long Lost Friend, and the Greek Magical Paypri.

In fact one can say that my practices are heavily informed by these texts.

Do you take on students?

I do take on students, but rarely. I have taken on apprentices in the past and prefer face-to-face students, though a few have been long-distance. As of late I find myself simply too busy. I am remedying this by developing and will soon be releasing a serires of email courses that will cover topics that I am versed in and that cannot be found elsewhere.

Any advice for an aspiring magus?

Caution and respect is one of the best things you can cultivate for this line of work. Respect for those more knowledgable than you and respect for the spirits you wish to evoke.

That said, get off your butt and actually do something. You'll never become a magus if you sit around thinking about it. Magic has an active practice to it, get going.

Are you religious? If so what religion to ascribe to?

Hermetic, Sufi, Sabian, Follower of Christ (in the historical sense)

Have you been involved in witch wars?

A few, though never of my own making. One of my specialities is dealing with other spiritual workers.

Any advice for people who want to become professional practitioners?

Make sure you are ready. Not only will you save yourself a great deal of trouble, but it is the responsible thing to do. You are about to shoulder the burden of others and you owe it to yourself and them to ensure that you've got what it takes for this work.

Thats all for now, folks.

The Year of the Rootworker

2011-07-31T21:00:00.000-07:00

In a recent radio show, Miss cat made mention of "the year of the rootworker." This was based on a conversation Miss cat and I had in which we made some observations about the sudden springing up of dozen and dozensof people either claiming to be rootworkers or trying to become professional rootworkers. It is a phenomenon that needs addressing and one that is certainly interesting.

In the past two years there has been a surge of people attempting to get into the field of rootwork. These individuals generally are very new to the tradition, having taken a year or two of courses in it, and do some work here or there for friends and family. Generally, they do have some skill in the field and have success in what they do and from this success they feel confident enough to go on to being a professional rootworker. In my opinion this can be troublesome.

While these individuals have some skill, they are no where near to being an effective professional rootworker. Whether their intent is to make money (stupid reason, rootwork isn't that lucrative), or to help people they lack that essential element that makes a person a real professional rootworker: a calling from Spirit. I am not talking about feeling like you should get into this field or thinking that you'd be a great rootworker, I am talking about a powerful compulsion from Spirit itself, one that can be objectively confirmed by a neutral third party reader.

Usually these people make medicore rootworkers at best and even business-wise they'll find themselves starting out extremely sluggish. In my opinion this is a sign from Spirit. Rootworkers that are called to this work start right off the bat with secure practices, not necessarily a huge client base, but one that starts smoothly as an indication that they are anointed for this work with those they are suppose to help finding them.

While the intentions of these individuals are relatively well-meaning as they simply want to be able to help people with rootwork and make a living at it, their presence is nothing short of irresponsible. Their grasp of rootwork is rarely hands on and usually limited to online learning here or there. They lack the indepth experience that an authentic rootworker has gained by studying with real professionals. As a result, they lack the experience and insight to really help clients. This is evidenced by the fact that they generally know work that they picked up from a book or online. They may for example find themselves using one or two conjures for a variety situations, lacking the true knowledge necessary to apply the right technique to the right situation.

This is further complicated because clients will leave without having their situation resolved, without feeling like they were truly helped, and worse they allow for an influx of scammers. With the rise of the wannabe rootworker there is a rise of the scammer. The sheer number of these individuals allows for scammers to take root amongst the community and prey on those in desperation.

In my humble opinion, the number of *real* rootworkers are far more limited than people think. The community of real practitioners who are truly anointed for this type of work don't get into this because it is the latest fad, or because it is "cool" to be a professional "spell-caster", but are deeply spiritual individuals who were raised in this tradition, called to it, and fulfill a specific societal and communal function as spiritual counselor and link to the spirit world.

For those seeking true spiritual and magical aid, I suggest you seriously examine who you hire to be your rootworker and limit yourself to those individuals who are established rootworkers with a strong reputation, demonstrate deep knowledge and skill, and who connect to this community more than simply going to a botanica here or there or being online.

For the rootworker wannabes, I suggest you seriously consider whether you are gifted for this type of work, set your own desires and ego aside, for you are taking on the responsbility of another person's life. There is nothing wrong with practing for yourself and family, not everyone is a professional rootworker. Should you jump the gun and try your hand at professional work without having that spiritual calling, you'll find quickly that not only will your spiritual practice suffer, but that the spirits of rootworker's past may not be so gentle in their judgement of your skill.

Book Review: Crossed Keys

2011-07-17T14:50:00.000-07:00

As a scholar I have a natural love of books; one might even call me a bibliophile. However, like most practicing magi who are also scholars there are a few books that I keep close to me at all times and refer back to regularly. These select and cherished few are what I consider the peak of occult scholarship and the most lucid and thorough exploration of magical practice. The works of Nicholaj Frisvold and Jake Stratton-Kent are among some of whom I have placed this category. Michael Cecchetelli’s Crossed Keys has quickly ascended to these ranks.

I have spent the past several days absorbing the book from cover to cover and am delighted to find that in an era of shoddy scholarship and a plethora of armchair occultists, Michael Cecchetelli has broken away from the dross to enter the sphere of occult gold.

Like the works of the authors above, Crossed Keys is a text written by someone with solid scholarly sensibilities, but written by and for the practicing magus.

Crossed Keys combines two rather disparate texts in a manner that is seamless, yet also spiritually impactful. The book begins with the notorious Black Dragon, reputed to hold the keys of the infernal realms. The rendition of the Black Dragon is amazing in its depth, yet remains highly accessible. Here, the aspiring magus can find a thorough account of undergoing spiritual initiation with the infernal powers and gaining mighty allies. The Black Dragon includes within its ranks familiar spirits from the Grimorium Verum and other grimoires of the same vein. Not only is the text written in a clear and articulate manner, but what allows it to stand apart is the inclusion of notes and experiments directly from the journal of a magician who has successfully undertaken the rites within: the author himself. While the inclusion of the author’s magical journal seems to be a logical choice, it is one that is entirely revolutionary in the world of evocation and grimoire magicks.

Crossed Keys does away with the typical impression of incomplete grimoires and near-impossible requirements to undertake the rewarding and dangerous endeavor of spirit evocations by presenting a grimoire that offers a straight-forward and highly practical system whose potential truly seems to hold the keys to the underworld.

Michael Cecchetelli takes the study of evocation through the girmoires and returns the Art back into the hands of the magus and out of the hands of the theorist.

After presenting a high quality rending of the Black Dragon and sections from its own working journal, the author goes on to include The Enchiridion of Pope Leo III, a text revolving around the folk magic of European Catholicism touching upon the mysteries of the Psalms. Channeling the spirit of Albertus Magnus and The Book of Gold, The Enchiridion of Pope Leo, seems at first to be in opposition to the infernal powers of the Black Dragon. Yet upon closer speculation the logic of including these two texts together is stunning in its insight.

I was pleasantly surprised to see in The Enchiridion not only a large compilation of highly pragmatic folk magic formulae, but also a spell referring back to that most obscure of saints—and my favorite—Saint Cyprian.

Crossed Keys is bound together beautifully in another flawless edition from Scarlet Imprint and as the name suggests is a powerful cross between precise scholarship and practical experience and a cross between the power of the infernal and the might of heaven. Truly, Crossed Keys offers to the magus the keys to the kingdom of power.

Goetic Hoodoo

2011-07-10T22:48:00.000-07:00

With the increasing popularity of the African Diasporic Traditions there has been an impulse to discover points of synthesis between them and the European-derived Goetia. While many view such attempts as revolutionary and ground-breaking, the roots of such endeavors are actually quite grounded in historical reality as synthesis has both been attempted before and is the means by which great occult revival is possible.

Synthesis between the Goetia and Hoodoo has its roots in the late 19th and early 20th Century with the experimentation of the urban root doctors of Chicago and similar areas. With the rise of spiritual supply shops, these root doctors gained access to various European grimoires like the Keys of Solomon, the 6th and 7th Books of Moses, the Black Pullet, and many others. With the availability of these texts, root doctors found themselves experimenting with various methods of working with the spirits listed within, but in a different manner then had become common place amongst ceremonial magicians.

While many of these urban root doctors were also experienced and talented ceremonial magicians, their methods of working with the grimoires in a fashion more akin to the natural magic of hoodoo opened many doors, but also unwittingly revealed a mostly unknown aspect of the Goetia—its roots with folk magic and natural magic.

I was fortunate enough to learn and experience this type of working with the Goetia from various famous root doctors in the US and using the knowledge they taught me as a springboard have taken my experiments to new levels.

Using simple rites that did not call for large ceremonies or elaborate magical accruements, hoodoo workers were able to work with goetic spirits in an effective manner the produced staggering results. These results further demonstrated the mostly unknown, but inherent side of goetia that involved working with spirits on a less formal level than full evocation.

Evidence of this natural side (pardon the pun) of the Goetia is found in the Greek Magical Papyri where elaborate ceremonies are found side by side with simple instructions of folk magic, or in texts like the Grimorium Verum where the Natural and Supernatural Secrets details various magical spells that bear striking resemblance to the methodology of the African Diasporic Traditions.

While it is not necessary to practice any of the African Diasporic Traditions to explore the potency of the Goetia, the potential for synthesis between the two bears exploring and is something close to my heart and I find myself engrossed in many experiments regarding such an aim.

Tips for Working with a Rootworker and Reader

2011-06-26T12:26:00.000-07:00

People who come from a culture where spiritual practitioners are common often are well aware of protocol and customs regarding working with such individuals. For example, people who were raised with conjure in their family generally know how the relationship between client and rootworker is meant to be and so have no difficulty. However, in our internet age, there has been an influx of people who were raised in cultural backgrounds vastly different than those that accept professional spiritual practitioners and these people often have a hard time understanding how the unique relationship between client and spiritual counsellor works.

Generally, myself and my colleagues find that people who are new to this dynamic have a hard time understanding what to expect, how to behave, and the norms of social interaction. It isn't their fault, they simply come from a cultural background that is very different from those that still hold to their spiritual roots. I find that generally such clients are from a Western European and US background and view the relationship between spiritual counsellor and client through the filter of their experience with customer-oriented retailers.

This approach is the wrong way to go about things. The relationship between a rootworker, reader, and other practitioner and client should be more akin to how one would treat a spiritual guide, counsellor, or priest.

Here are some tips for people who would like to know the proper behaviors and attitudes to have when entering into such a relationship:

1. Respect your spiritual worker- Understand that your spiritual worker is not some bloke at a call center, they are a respected member of their community with vast expertise in their field. Approach them with respect and be courteous to them as they are the doctors of their field. Their job is not to fulfill your every request or to be at your beck and call, but to be the guide that helps you through your life, overcome the rough patches, and to help you grow as an individual. Your interaction with your spiritual worker should be respectful. As one example, don't call your reader or rootworker by their first name. They are not your drinking buddy. They are a spiritual worker with power and authority granted directly from the spirit world; call them by their professional name. If they are Dr. Matt, call them Dr. Matt, not Matt. This usually quickly points out how new you are to this situation. Even root doctors who didn't have appellations or professional names were always addressed with an honorific by clients (who did it out of their sense of respect), with names like Mamma, Papa, Uncle, Auntie, Reverend, Doctor etc.

Also respect, that your spiritual worker, for all their power and authority, are indeed human.

2. Don't argue with your spiritual worker- Following on the heels of respect, do not argue with your spiritual worker. People sometimes go into readings with the expectation to hear what they want to hear. Ethical readers and workers will tell them the truth which causes defensiveness in such clients. It is perfectly fine to share your concerns, your feelings, and ask questions, but do not argue with your spiritual worker. Just because you disagree with what they say doesn't give you the right to be argumentative or defensive. You came to them, you sought them out, and frankly if you had any maturity you'd get over your ego and actually listen to someone who may know a thing or two about situations like yours.

3. Let the spiritual worker do their job- When you seek out a spiritual worker to read and do magical work for you, there is an implied trust there. If you are new to this type of work it is fine to ask for guidance and illumination about different aspects of the work that will be undertaken, but don't pressume to tell your spiritual worker what to do. This means that you shouldn't try to micromanage the work. This isn't a fast-food drive through where you order from a menu, it is rather more akin to diagnosis and treatment. If the rootworker reads the situation and says the work should take a gentle and sweet approach don't insist on a coercive and binding approach. They are the expert, not you. You don't tell your doctor that you disagree with their diagnosis and insist on your own. Spiritual workers are the experts of their field, let them do their job.

4. Be honest and transparent- Do not withhold information from your spiritual worker. People who do this are often trying to manipulate the situation or the rootworker. It only hurts your case. If the reader is skilled they'll pick up on it and will most likely drop your case. Secondly, if you withhold information no matter your justification, you run the risk of seriously impeding your own success. That piece of information may have been necessary for the worker to adjust their approach or the magical work being done on your behalf, but keeping it from them, you'll run the risk of your work not producing the success you desire. For example if you got in a fight with your intended during a reconciliation case, tell the rootworker so they can adjust to the situation rather than let things get worse.

Honesty and transparency should be your general approach to the relationship. Be honest about working with other spiritual workers in the past, be transparent if you want to seek a second opinion or if you've had a development. For example, many readers and rootworkers are comfortable with you seeking a second opinion, but you should be honest and trasparent with both individuals, if you fail to do so you'll come off as sneaky and deceptive and will quickly find yourself without the aid of either spiritual worker.

5. You are not the only client- Remember that you are not dealing with a retail store dynamic. Instead you are like a patient with a therapist. Your worker is concerned for your situation and they sincerely want to help you, but they also have other clients. Remember this in your interaction with your spiritual worker. Don't flood their mailboxes with emails and voicemails, don't nag, and don't rush the work that they do for your.

6. Read their policies and follow their procedures- Many spiritual workers have their own set of policies and procedures. If they have a website, this will be posted up for you to read. To ensure a smooth interaction, follow these procedure. For example, if they require a reading before they take on a client, then schedule a reading. Sending "please help" messages without bothering to follow through their procedure isn't going to get the best response. If they state that as a policy they don't take on certain types of cases, then don't contact them about that type of case. If they require you to provide certain information for them to read or do work for you, then do so. If they have certain regulations about communication with them follow them.

7. Follow their advice- If a spiritual worker gives you advice or a set of instructions to follow, make sure to follow through. You need to do your part in order for you to be successful. Your spiritual workers will do whatever they can to help you succeed, but they need you to do your part. If there are baths you need to take, rites they want you to do on your end, or even behaviors they want you to avoid then do them. If you fail to do your part then you have no right to complain when things don't turn away the way you want them to. For example, if you were told to avoid fighting during a reconciliation case, but then go and get in a fight with your intended; you're basically working against your own success. There is nothing more frustrating to a spiritual worker then putting in all the work and effort and finding out the client didn't even do their part; it shows that you aren't serious.

8. Have patience and a little faith- Patience is an important factor in the relationship between spiritual work and client. If your case is taken on by a spiritual worker, they will perform your work usually at magically significant times to best help your case out. This means that you might have to wait for your work to be performed. If you are taken on, it does not mean that the magical work will be performed on you behalf immediately. Have patience during this process. Similarly magical work doesn't always produce immediate results. When your work is complete, depending on the policy of the spiritual worker, you'll either get a confirmation of some type at which point you it you might ask what to expect and when to expect it. Then sit back and have some faith. One of key signs of impatience and doubt is running from rootworker to rootwoker. If you've just finished work with one and run off to another, you aren't helping your case out. Remember that more doesn't equal better in spiritual work and too many chefs in the kitchen doesn't always lead to the best dishes.

9. Treat your spiritual worker as you would a priest, or a spiritual counsellor, don't treat them like a mojo assassin- Your spiritual worker aims to improve your life. However, they are not your personal assassin. Don't expect them to burn down the house of someone who cut you off while driving. While some of us do engage in justified work, it is always done with the aim of improving the lives of their clients while maintaining a sense of justice and balance. This also means that you don't "order" magical work from your spiritual worker, *they* determine what needs doing and when it needs doing.

That said, treat them as you would with a counsellor or priest, be straightforward in your communication. Keep open and healthy communication with your spiritual worker to ensure that you get all yours questions answered and the help you need.

10. Magical work is not an exact science- There are no guarentees in the work that we do and rarely is spiritual work an exact science. Keep this in mind with your expectations and you'll find yourself having a far better quality experience. This isn't to say you should have low expectations--magick can indeed be miraculous, simply keep your mind open and be flexible in your attitude.

All of these points are given with the understanding that you are working with a reputable and skilled spiritual worker, they do not stand for fakes and scammers, of course.

For those who are my clients or wish to be my clients here are some aspects about working with me along with things to avoid:

1. I require a reading/consultation before any rootwork- Before I take on any case, I need to perform a reading and/or consultation. This means that if you want me to help you in a situation then you'll need to first select the option for getting a reading. I get dozens of emails a day from people who cannot follow instructions and send me emails asking for my help and detailing their woes and they haven't purchased a reading/consultation. It is unfair to my paying clients who have waited patiently and followed my procedures faithfully to take time away from them in order to answer you. I am courteous enough to direct you towards the right procedure if you send such an email, but it would help the proccess out a great deal if you simply read instructions.

If however you've been referred to me by a colleague, I will perform a reading for free, but will need to get in touch with that colleague first.

2. I don't do emergency readings- Along the same lines as above, I don't do emergency readings. All my readings and consultations are booked in advanced. Demands like, "I need to talk to you today" simply won't work. I am one of the most sought-out readers and rootworkers with usually the minimum of 100 requests for client work a day. Given this, my readings and rootwork are scheduled in advanced. My phone readings are generally booked anywhere from 4-5 weeks in advanced. On the other hand my email readings have a turnaround of 2 days to 1 week, depending on the schedule. I am able to do email readings frequently as I am able to work through them throughout the day.

3. Rootwork is scheduled according to magically significant times- If I've agreed to take on your case, then the rootwork will be done according to magically significant times. This means that I am not going to immediately start your case, but will begin the work at a time that will be potent for the situation. I do my work according to the phases of the moon, the days of the week, the hours of the clock, and also astrological timing. Depending on the guidance of my spirits, I will select the best option for your case. Frequent questions of if I've started your work yet, are pointless. Sit back, relax, and know your work will start when it is best for the situation. Magick should never be rushed.

4. All rootwork includes photo proof and a check reading- At the conclusion of the rootwork and conjure that I've performed on your behalf you will be provided with photo proof of the work that was done as well as a check reading. The check reading will divine the effect of the magical work and give us an idea of what to expect in the coming days. Both of these services are provided for all rootwork clients, so clients do not need to constantly ask how things are going, I won't give progress reports of the work as it is ongoing. Simply wait and you'll get a progress report when all is done.

5. Patience is a the key- Impatience will get you no where. For example, it roughly takes me 2-3 days to respond to emails, sending me an email a day until I respond to you is not making a good impression. If you need to get a hold of me, send your communication then wait patiently, I will get to you. Simiarly if work is being done on your behalf, try to remain calm and relaxed it will help your case out a great deal.

These little pointers and facts can help you avoid a great deal of issues and will make the interaction smooth and pleasant for all.

If you take nothing away from this post, take away one thing: treat your spiritual worker as the spiritual person that they are; treat them with respect and honesty and you'll find the relationship with them more fulfilling.

Evocation for the Purpose of Evocation

2011-06-05T13:24:00.000-07:00

The concept of evoking a spirit into manfestation in all its varied forms is one that has sparked the fantasy of many a young mage. The idea of standing around with magical regalia, intoning exotic words from a mystical language, and having a disincarnate entity repond by showing up in your living room, is as close as some mages think they can get to Hollywood magic.

I know that with the evocations that I have performed that there have been some amazing effects. I've had spirits manifest to appearance beyond doubt in my mind, I've had the entirety of my garage (where I do evocation work) shake as if hit by a truck, I've had multi-color flashes spin around the room, and other wonderous things happen. Yet, I've also had evocations where such phenomenon did not take place and was forced to rely on more subtle senses.

Both of these evocation types were successes. Why? Because I did not measure their success according to fantastic, albeit cool, occurrances that took place during the ritual, but rather the result that manifested after the ritual--the result that I was seeking when I did the evocation.

People who attempt evocation seem entirely focused on what happens during the ritual; as if they were doing evocations solely for the purpose of doing them and seeing magical effects, not for a specific goal. In my opinion that is not the goal of magic, nor evocations.

When we call upon spirits it is to form partnerships for a specific goal. Would you contact a lawyer, or a doctor just to see if you can? Would you call a doctor's office and see if someone picks up? Or do you get in contact with such individuals so they can help you with a court case or to set up consultations about your health? Do you measure your success according to whether a mechanic responds to your telephone call, or according to your car being fixed?

The same logic should be applied to evocation. People have created this silly division between evocation and practical magick that is entirely at odds with the purpose of evocational magics in the first place. Look through the characteristics of the spirits in the grimoires and you'll see that each has a purpose. They can teach you things, help you accomplish objectives, and otherwise help you along towards your goals--tangible goals at that. In fact, it is oft-remarked that there are more spirits whose purpose is to find treasure, or to bring you the love a young lady than any other single goal. This is because the impetus for working with these spirits is one that is tied specifically to acheiving what the magus wants.

Now, I am not saying that all magical work should be about gettting money or find love. I am saying that magical practice, like evocation, should not be pursued as an end to itself, but rather it should be done with a goal in mind.

There is currently a group of mages in the blogsophere who have joined together to perform experiments and work with Jupiteran spirits. Why? For a specific goal of elevation career-wise, financial growth, and other benefits related to Jupiter. In my opinion, this exemplifies the natural impetus of how these spirits are meant to be worked with: a collaborative effort of spirit and man, experimental and experiential, aimed towards acheiving success, both materially, and spiritually.

It is time for evocation magics to take its place as a means of practical magic as it was always was meant to be.

Catching a Criminal

2011-05-23T20:51:00.000-07:00

A little while ago there was a tragic story all over the news where a young paramedic and Giants fan was beaten down and assaulted after a Dodgers game. His attackers jumped him and left him brain-damaged and in critical condition. The vehemence of the attack and the utter travesty that such an event could take place after a sports competition in the "civilized" world left a lot of people reeling. The victim was an upstanding paramedic and single father whose story really touched people.

What made matters worse was that the bastard assailants had gotten away. There were no leads and almost no witnesses to the crime. They had rough descriptions of the attackers, no means of identification, no license plates, nothing.

For a while the case seemed to have gone nowhere and the leads were non-existent. It made the situation all the more frustrating.

Some of the members of AIRR were friends with the friends of the victim or had strong ties the communities impacted and so undertook works of healing and recovery for the poor guy. I, on the otherhand, decided that catching the bastards would be my task. I've been called upon to help local police departments before and felt that this was the way to go.

I undertook a special conjure that involved the intervention of some chthonic allies and a secret technique that is particularly effacious at catching bad guys. Here's what it looks like:

The work was a success. After one month of no leads or progress in the case that left the young father and paramedic in a coma, I performed this conjure. Within three weeks we got results. It was a colleague of mine who actually sent me the update on the case. I hope that the other suspects will shortly be caught as well.

The great thing was that the tip came from the parole officer of one of the guys who thought his parolee looked similar to one of the sketches and got suspicious when the parolee got new tattoos in an attempt at obfuscation.

For those that are interested here is how to do this spell:

What you'll need:
Description of Criminal (sketch, or describe what type of criminal they are)
Black Devil Candle
Black Arts Oil
Red Pepper
Knotweed
Devil's Shoe String
Black Thread
Sulfur
Vandal Root
Graveyard dirt (Properly purchased from a cop or soldier)
Heat proof dish with aluminum foil, or a pie dish.

Take the paper description, or sketh and cover and cross it with the command "Unable to Escape." Take your Black Arts oil and five spot the paper and set it on your dish.

Take your graveyard dirt and mix it with Sulfur, Red Pepper, and Vandal root and sprinkle that all over the paper while you call out to the spirit to go forth and find the criminal and bring him to justice. Take up your Devil's Shoe String and pray that it tie up the devils and trip up the criminals so that they get caught and place this atop the dirt in the dish.

Get your Black Devil Candle and carve on one side the description of the criminal (e.g. "Assailant in _ Case, Theif of _) and on the other side inscribe, "Bound, Restrained, and Caught."

Now dress the candle with your oil while praying that the spirits rise up and track the person down. Sprinkle the candle with Knotweed while praying to tie them down, then take your black thread and tie up the candle's eyes, arms, and legs, but leaving a good portion of the string as a tail. As you do this pray with a vengeful heart for justice.

Take the tail that you've left and hang the candle upside down over the pan or plate with your dirt mixture and papers. Light the candle and as you do so call out,

"You who hide from the law, I call upon Justice and Vengeance;

May you have not a second of peace, or respite,

May your every attempt to escape be hampered and tripped up,

May you feel the hot breath of the Law on your neck as they bear down on you,

May you fail and fall. There is no escape for you now.

May the Devil himself take you and hold you.

May God smite you,

And may the dead haunt you.

You will be caught. You will be caught.

There is no escape.

A cell awaits you!

By God and the Devil may the Hounds of Hell track you down and bring you to justice.

Amen.

Pray with a wrathful heart and let the candle drip onto the papers and dirt. Monitor this candle closely for it bruns in a fantastic show of light and flames as the strings catch fire and the candle drops to the plate. Make sure to place it in a safe spot.

Now there is a secret trick called "lettin' loose the hounds" that is part of this spell, but that's a secret. The above should be enough for most things.

I pray the work continues to bring the victim justice.

Uncrossing and Curse Removal

2011-05-19T20:55:00.000-07:00

In the previous post I disucussed some points about curses, so in this we'll discuss the act of removing those curses.

Almost every magical tradition deals with the removal of negative conditions, curses, and other malefic magicks. Folk magic in particular pays a great deal of attention to the idea of curses and how to remove them. In traditions like conjure/hoodoo, the idea of removing crossed conditions is integrally tied to the role of the conjure doctor who acts as a spiritual physician who diagnosis the magical ailment then proceeds to treat and undo the damage.

In conjure, this process is done in a series of steps. The client seeks out a two-headed doctor (interpreted differently by different people, but it generally means someone who is skilled at reading and conjuring, or someone who knows how to cure and harm), who then through magical means diagnosis what is wrong with the client. This diagnosis is the most important step in the entire uncrossing, or curse-removal process. With this insight the spiritual practitioner as able to to determine what needs to be specifically done. From there a series of rites are undertaken with the specific purpose of cleansing the client and restoring them to their natural state. This latter points to a purview that views healing not as a process like surgery, but rather a holistic approach that aims at returning things to their natural state of health and well-being.

Depending on what was done to the client, the conjurer will approach this work differently. If crossing powders were laid out for the client, then a footwash may be performed. If candles were lit on the clients photo then a spiritual bath in conjunction with a candle rite might be enacted. Or if a spirit of the dead was attached to the victim, then the conjure doctor may perform a cleansing rite that involves banishing, removing, and sealing a person and home.

What is essential is determining what exactly was done. This element is the same in spiritual practitioners world-wide. While there are instances where general cleansings and basic rites of curse-removal are given out, the professional who works in the spiritual field more often than not approaches the situation from the grounds of insight rather than going in blind.

This gives us a rather clear view of how uncrossing is done in African American conjure traditions, however an interesting question was brought up by Michael C., a prominant grimoire magician and blogger; can a curse or crossing from one tradition be dealt with by a system of magic other than the one that was used to enact the maelific work?

The answer is yes. However what I've personally found is that working with the system that brought about the curse to also remove it is highly effective. In my opinion, this has nothing to do with the power of the system, but rather the approach. As I detailed in the outline of how a conjure doctor removes crossed conditions, the key is using insight to discover the cause of the condition and then treating it accordingly.

By understanding the nature of the curse we understand how to deal with it, by understanding what is being effected, we can provide the proper remedy. To illustrate this point, consider: a doctor may perscribe asprin for a headache, but if that headache was caused by the ingesting of a poison then a different medication would be needed to treat the *cause* of the symptom.

In order to deal with curses from other magical systems it is important to understand what exactly was done to that person. With that insight the approach can be tailored to properly remove the malady.

For example, for those suffering from the powers of a gaze, like the evil eye, an apotropaic talisman can be fashioned. For someone who has been cursed by sending a spirit after them an exorcism can be performed. And for those who are suffering from contagion magic a rite can be crafted using magica materia.

I'll give an example. Roughly a year and a half ago I had a client who has been badly crossed up by Palero who has created a bilongo that was then buried at his house. As a conjure doctor I usually approach such cases by locating the object and working with it to undo and reverse the curse. Unfortunately the client had been forced to move across the country and it had been years that he was suffering from the effects of the curse.

My ancestors indicated that I needed to appraoch the case with my skills as a grimoire mage rather than a conjure doctor. So, I created a wash under the guidance of Michael who I invoked to help break the curse by consecrating the wash. I had the client bathe in the wash to remove any ties to the curse sent by the Palero, then anointed them with Holy Oil.

I fashioned a talisman with the seal of the Sun to help set things right in the clients life and performed an evocation of a chthonic spirit to send back the mess right to the Palero.

The work was extremely effective and the client who had suffered from ill-health, terrible night terrors, and worse had his life completely turn around. The combination of working with angelic and planetary to cleanse along with the chthonic to exact a reversal worked well.

Knowing that a bilongo was made using magica materia, personal concerns, and then buried so as to infect the client, the work I did targeted these issues. They cleansed away the mess that was put on him through phsysical contact with a physical bath. It brought in the proper energies and spirits into his life to settle down the turbulence and chaos, then finally worked with a chthonic power to match that of the Palero's necromancy and send it all hurtling back.

They key is tailoring your approach to address the underlying causes, just like any good doctor.

Cursed

2011-05-16T00:40:00.000-07:00

As a professional rootworker, magician, and reader I often come across clients who feel that they are under magical attack. These poor individuals have had their life turned upside down, inside out, and frankly feel cursed. Everything they touch turns to vinegar and everywhere they go they find their roads blocked. Despite the utter shit that their lives have been transformed too, interestingly, divination doesn't always point to a curse directed at them.

Now in conjure the idea of "crossed conditions" is considered the ulitimate manifestation of a curse. A person versed in roots can cross you by utlimately tying your pretty little life into knots and while this threat is very much real, it also isn't as likely as people fear.

I would say that 80% of the people who come to me thinking they've been cursed, actually are suffering from something else entirely. I say this because in reality the number of people who truly have the ability to carry out such curses often are interested in other things then attacking you. Why is that? Well that's because magical attack ultimately takes effort. You have to be worth the effort for someone of some skill to go out of their way to curse. And frankly, that doesn't happen all to often.

Are crossed conditions and curses real? Absolutely. I myself have engaged in justified curses and magical assaults and I've seen people who truly suffer from them. However the reality of the matter is that if the person knows what they are doing, then you'll never know what hit you. Before you can blink an eye you'll find your life in a cesspool and you'll have no idea how it got there.

Instead, what we find in most of the cases of the "false curse" is that the person is under the fear that they've been targeted. That fear is so powerful that they have convinced themselves that they are under attack. This leads to a self-fulfilling prophecy where normal every day life shit is interpreted completely out-of-porportion. Your mind is a powerful thing and if you believe there is a wall keeping you from happiness then, that wall is as real as a true brick, or stone obstacle.

To help you truly determine if you've been cursed look for the following signs:

1. A dramatic and sudden shift in your life's rhythm and flow. Spilling coffee on yourself doesn't fulfill this sign, but getting in repeated car accidents does.
2. A drastic turn in your health. Magical work can absolutely impact your health. I'm not talking about cold, I'm talking about your health being dramatically impacted in a way that either results in a medical condition or a physical sensation that is undeniable.
3. Sudden interruptions to your life. This can be things like being physically accosted, or a death in the family.
4. Dark omens. Finding yourself surrounded by flies, having an *unusual* appearance of ravens, crows, owls etc. Or dreaming of your guardian spirits who come to warn you.
5. Disruptions to your sleep. Night-terrors or spiritual invasions are strong indications of attacks.
6. Attempts to get help are blocked. If you light candles and they suddenly are blown out, if you go to a root doctor, but something keeps you from it then chances are someone may actively be working against you.
7. Feeling disconnected from your life. If you feel like your life is in a miasma, or that you seem completely disjointed from everything around you then you may be suffering from crossed conditions.
8. Foreign thought. If you start to have uncharacteristic thoughts then you may be coming under the influence of someone.
9. Inability to find peace. This doesn't mean loosing a couple nights sleep, it means consistent anxiety and restlessness when you generally don't suffer from anxiety disorders.
10. Relationships start to sour and die out. If old friendship, loves, and family ties suddenly start to sour quickly and all at once, someone may be trying to isolate you.

Now it is important to understand that things happen in life. No single sign can tell you 100% that you are facing a curse. However a prevelance of those issues may point to something that needs to be checked out. This can be done by a reading. Note the signs, don't give into fear, and seek out a professional who can help determine if you are indeed facing magical attack.

As my old Mama Jay once told me, "Roots being thrown happen far less than people fear and far more than they think."

Catholic Hoodoo

2011-05-02T22:37:00.000-07:00

A colleague and friend of mine, Mister M, has joined the blogosphere with his new blog. What makes his new blog unique is that he has created a platform for information on a rather hard-to-find subject: Latin American magical folk practices, with emphasis on the practices of folk-Catholicism. Mister M, definitely knows his stuff and his blog offers a reliable resource on a subject that has a scarcity of valuble information available.

Mister M's blog brings up an interesting topic for discussion that seems to get a great deal of misinformation on the net these days: Catholic Hoodoo. There are some who claim they work in a historical Catholic Hoodoo tradition; such a thing does not exist. Through out history less than 8% of African Americans have ever been Catholic. In fact there has historically been more Muslims than Catholic African Americans. So claiming that hoodoo has significant Catholic roots seems quite unlikely.

This may seem at conflict with the fact that there is a prevelance of people either asking about saints or claiming to work with saints today. This however is a relatively new introduction into Hoodoo that began in the mid-twentieth century. The introduction of the saints into Hoodoo actually comes straight out of the Spiritualist Church Movement and was limited to areas like New Orleans. With the migration of African Americans to Chicago, Oakland, and New York the Spiritualist Church with their candle shops moved as well. It is in these metropolitan, where contact with Latin American populations helped to take saint-work into a larger demographic. The final wave came with the internet where people saw the saints as an approach for non-Christians to enter into Hoodoo and work with its Christian symbology and spirituality.

The influence of the Spiritualist Church has been omitted by people who've revised history by over-emphasizing the Catholic element. I am not saying Catholicism didn't have an influence on Hoodoo, but rather it has be grossly overexaggerated and in reality was nothing more than a small regional variation. Even in New Orleans most of the practices can be associated with the Spiritualist Church, not Catholicism. Evidence of the Spiritualist Church is found from the manner in which the saints are approached in hoodoo work: giving alcohol for saints, praying for things that may be seen as "non-Christian," and in the manner of "payment" or offerings given to those saints.

This proof is further illustrated by the very saints that have a history in these regions. Most of them are folk-saints or saints highly popular in the Spiritualist Church. On the other hand some of the major Catholic saints are missing from these regions. You don't see many conjure works in hoodoo that revolve around the Holy Virgin, Saint George, Saint Philomena, Saint Augustine, or other popular Catholic saints. Rather, there is a prevelance of saints that are "outside" the mainstream, but who have a strong presence in the Spiritualist Church.

The introduction of the Latin American traditions in areas like New York, the Tex-Mex border, and California have brought a new element to working with saints and as such resources like Mister M's blog are invaluable. It is this mingling of Latin Amerian traditions with Hoodoo that has brought saints that are seen more commonly in Catholicism.

It is important to note that I am not saying Catholicism didn't have a place in Hoodoo, but rather the role that its portrayed as having by today's "Catholic Hoodoos" is simply not accurate. The idea of Catholic hoodoo as a large tradition within conjure is simply incorrect. Rather what we see is a small regional influence of Spiritualist Churches that introduced saints to come hoodoos.

False Mages

2011-04-22T13:04:00.000-07:00

The history of magic has always included the exploiting figure of the charlatan. For as long as there have been real magical practitioners, there have been those people who claimed magical powers, but in reality were fakes. In my previous post I made some mention about false spiritual merchants and teachers and in this post I'd like to expand upon the topic a bit more.

With the use of the internet these false and fake mages seem to have found an avenue of being able to reach a wide audience, while hiding behind some level of anonymity. However, it is important to note that these figures aren't always trying to sell you things like con-artist spiritual merchants, these people engage in such activities for a variety of different reasons. I've found they generally come in three forms.

1. The Delusional- This person often makes claims of magical power for the sole reason that they are delusional. They often are very sincere in their beliefs, but are nevertheless deluded. It is at this level you'll hear claims of having such powerful psychic vision that "they've never met anyone who could see like they could," or claims of having dangerous "satanic cults cast spells on them." You see the Delusional Fake, also has delusions of persecution as well as grandeur. Are there truly gifted seers out there and are there dark cults? Sure, but more often than not people are engaging in delusions.

Now a subcategory of this group are people who suffer from mental imbalance. There are people who personality disorders and psychosis who have these delusions simply because of their mental condition.

2. The Authority/Guru- This person is called upon the Authority Fake because one of their most striking features is that they take on the role of teacher. They often show up on online groups and will make posts that seemingly put them in a position of authority. They rely on the ability to present themselves as either an initiate of something, or as holder of some esoteric knowledge. Now, unlike the Delusional Fake who come up with fantastic and chimerical claims that can give them away, the Authority/Guru Fake may have some superficial understanding of whatever they are claiming to be an expert on (note: they don't always expressly claim the term expert; they simply act in a way that puts them in that position).

This person often relies on silly techniques like using random capitalizations to make it seem like they are talking about some spiritual truth. For example, they'll take a verse and add random capitals to words like, "Love," "Truth," "Wisdom," "Power" etc. There are legitimate examples of these words being in capitalizations, but often they refer to very specific concepts (ie, using Truth in Neo-Platonic thought), but in the case of the Authority/Guru Fake, if you check the source they are quoting from, you'll find a rather interesting lack in those capitalizations.

This leads to the third attribute of the Authority/Guru, they'll quote things without citing them. They'll claim they found a certain "powerful magical work" in so and so grimoire and that its truly "powerful," but if you ask them for citation they'll fail to provide. For example, if they claim its from the "Grimoire Verum," they'll fail to provide which translations they found it in, which page, and may make the excuse, "It was in a version I don't have anymore; it was an old, little known version."

Spotting the Authority may be a bit tricky. Unlike the Delusional Fake, these people may be perfectly rational and seem level-headed. What gives them away is two-fold. First, their knowledge will collapse before someone who really knows what they are talking about. Second, they'll get really defensive when called out. If you examine their claims, they superficially sound fine, but closer inspection shows their falsehood. If they claim things like being "graduates of Abramelin," but also talk about how they've come under the sway of demons that made them do hard drugs, then you should be hesitant. A person who really has conversation with their Holy Guardian Angel isn't perfect, but they also don't fall under the sway of a "demon" that force them to do drugs. Superfically their claim may be fine, but closer inspection with a bit of real knowledge of what it means to reach that state, reveals the falsehood.

3. The Name Dropper- This person's claims are always indirect. They have a "buddy" who's a palero, or their "teacher" was this reknown Magus etc. Like the Authority, this person has enough knowledge of the field to pass off as actually having some contact with some traditions, but they often are seeking the same attention of the Authority. They are a little tricky to spot, because they don't make direct claims, but one of the giveaways, is that they seem to have a contact in any magical topic that comes up. If you talk about hoodoo, they know somebody, if you mention Goetia they'll talk about the experience of a friend and so on and so forth.

Like the Authority/Guru, this person may simply appear on an online community and worm their way into a position of "expert" by relating all sorts of information that they picked up from their contacts. What makes them clever is that they don't talk about themselves. For example, there was this one lady on a forum who went on and on about how her grandmother who she put up as a great spiritual worker from a Romani tradition. Interestingly enough a lot of the "magic" her grandmother did was identical to a completely separate and distinctly modern tradition. The anachronism gave her away.

Though I've listed three categories, I am sure there are more. It is important to note that these categories have fluid boundaries and a person pretending to be a magus, rootworker, or spiritual practitioner may fit into more than one category.

The people who pretend they are magicians generally are after two things: attention and control. For the latter, they resort to creating persona that allow them the illusion of control where in real life they have little of. Similarly, they are yearning for feeling special and so they will try to seek out attention by creating this false image of themselves.

What makes this a problem is that such individuals are pretty prevelant in the various online occult and magical communities. They pose as experts, frequent posters, and chances are you've run across them.I'd say there are actually a lot of them out there. One of the beauties of the internet is that along with the fakes we also have some actual magicians and rootworkers to compare them to. You have sincere and real practitioners like Jason Miller, Frater RO, Balthazar, Frater AIT, Argent, C.M. the Scribbler, Gordon, cat yronwode, Momma Starr, Dr. LoveBug and others who have a great online presence and who can be contrasted with the fakes. You'll find that in comparison to a real practitioner of the spiritual arts, the fake will pale in comparison.

The best approach to online magical communities: take everything with a grain of salt

So you'd like to learn hoodoo part 2...

2011-04-13T14:48:00.000-07:00

In this second installment of "So you'd like to learn hoodoo" I am going to go over resources that will help you get actual real one-on-one instruction on various conjure practices, how to spot a fake and phoney, followed up by advice from me on how to get started in this work.

Courses/Teachers/Coaches:

*Lucky Mojo Hoodoo Rootwork Correspondence Course- This is a correspondence course taught in a group setting online and via an instructional text on the basics of getting involved in rootwork. It is aimed at both beginner and professional alike. Miss cat yronwode has put together this course over the decades of her experience and provides this information for those interested. She does have the prerequesite of being a customer of hers and passing a phone interview before she takes you on as a student--a very reasonable requirement that helps her to get to know you and shows that you are of good standing.

*Lucky Mojo Apprenticeship-What most people don't know is that the previous correspondence course is actually meant to be followed up by the apprenticeship. The course is really an introduction and survey of conjure practices and while it goes in-depth on a great deal of things, the apprenticeship gives you the hands-on training that will help you take your studies to the next level. This apprenticeship is free for all graduates and is offered during certain times of the year and will go over the making of various products, history, theory, actual conjure practices etc. You'll get a chance to make real spiritual products, prepare, dress, and set candle for spiritual purposes, make jackballs etc. A must for those interested in pursuing their studies.

*Old Style Conjure Mini Courses- Momma Starr offers a series of mini courses that are done either in person, or over the phone for 2 hours. These mini courses are an immensly valuable resources because they offer real traditional teachings from a conjure woman with a vast knowledge of her craft. Among classes like honey jars and vinegar jars, working with herbs, and similar basic courses, she offers the only place where you can learn real traditional formulae and recipes for crafting mojo hands and oil. Momma Starr offers a no-nonsense approach that is coupled with her approachable style. In addition Momma Starr also offers the only place where you can actually learn about working with saints in the traditional manner. Most people who approach the saints do so in a fashion that is not common in conjure, in my opinion Momma Starr is one of the few people who knows this work for real.

*Note: I have taken both Miss cat and Momma Starr's courses and can attest to their vast knowledge. These women come from different backgrounds and represent two different streams of conjure. You'll find Miss cat teaches from a tradition closely tied to urban settings and spiritual shops while Momma Starr teaches from a tradition closely tied to the rural and old school south. I suggest taking both courses to help broaden one's knowledge of conjure and learning how vast and beautiful this system is.

*Lucky Mojo Hoodoo Workshop Weekend- This is a anual weekend get together where some of the best from the hoodoo world come to present workshops on various conjure practices. This is your opportunity to get to meet your fellow seekers and professionals alike. Set in beautfiul Forestville, California, these workshops are done on the campus of Lucky Mojo itself and provide a great opportunity to do some shoping while learning hands-on from real practitioners. Workshops have covered everything like money conjures, love spells, candle work, lamp work, cleansings and traditional footwashes, making doll babies, divination methods like astrology and tarot etc.

*Folk Magic Festival-Another magical weekend for people looking to learn some conjure. While the Lucky Mojo Workshops are in the Spring, the Folk Magic Festival is in Autumn. Here practitioners and my colleagues from AIRR, Momma Starr, Auntie Sindy, Susan Diamond, join forces with Bloody Mary and notable author and practitioner Orion Foxwood to present a serires of folk-magic and conjure workshops. Set in beautiful New Orleans, this workshop is another great place to get the chance to mingle with fellow conjurers and learn hands-on from some of the top-notch workers. It also is one of the only workshops in the country that includes graveyard/crossroads work as well as Momma Starr's course on the Spirit of BlackHawk. You really don't get opportunities like that elsewhere.

*Magical Coaching from the Association of Independent Readers and Rootworkers- Magical coaching is one of the least known services available from AIRR. Not only is this site a massive resource on spiritual matters and a directory for ethical and talented professional rootworkers and readers, but those some of those same readers and rootworkers offer magical coaching services. This service allows you to hire on one of these talented and knowledgable professionals to act as your coach for your spiritual and magical endeavor. In these sessions you'll be coached step-by-step through the spells, prayers, and work that you need to help deal with the situations at hand. Members like myself (ConjureMan Ali), Miss cat, Momma Starr, Dr. Kioni, Miss Bri etc all offer this service. This is a great resource, but also one that is overlooked. I myself have used this magical coaching service to learn certain tricks and have worked personally with Dr. Johannes, Miss cat, and Momma Starr some of the tricks of the trade. I highly recommend it.

*Conjure Man's Spiritual Practice's Email Courses- This has been a project in the works for a while, but my own private practice will shortly be offering a serires of several week email courses that will cover such things like doll babies, spirit magick, djinn magick, and the basics of hoodoo. I've been developing these courses for a while and they are a nice addition for the learning conjurer and long-time student alike. I used to take on physical apprentices, but my graduate degress and work and research as a professional academic don't allow me that luxury anymore. Look for these courses in the near future.

*Note: I hope that the email courses that I provide will be a valuable resource, but you will find me referring to Momma Starr's Mini Courses and Miss cat's correspondence course quite a bit, so you'd do yourself a favor of checking those out first, it is not a requirement for my courses, but it will help you quite a bit.

How to Spot a Charlatan:

Charlatans and fakes have existed for as long as there has been such a thing as magical practice. Huksters selling talismans, potions, and fake magical work is not a new phenomenon and it is important to keep yourself on guard for them. Here is an article written by Miss cat that deals with of them:

http://www.luckymojo.com/blackgypsies.html

*Certification- Please bear in mind that certification does not ever prove that a person is the real deal. Just because someone claims all sorts of certifications doesn't make authentic. However, there are some that carry a strong reputation and even stronger backing and can help be an indicator of that person's training and ethical standing. The Lucky Mojo Certified Graduate for example is one of these. If a person shows the Lucky Mojo Certified Graduate certification then chances are that you are dealing with someone who has real training in the field and is most likely of good character.

Again a certification isn't always a guarentee and there are plenty of old school, real professions without any type of certification, but some certification carry some weight and can help you come to an accurate conclusion.

*100% Guarentee- In addition to credentials look for "guarentees;" if a person is offering you a "100% Guarentee" for their magical work then run the other way. This is the surest sign of a fraud. Surgeons can't give 100% guarentees, nor can lawyers. The same goes for magical practitioners. Magick is never a 100% guarentee and anyone who is offer this to you is lying and is a fraud.

*Consistency and Ethical Character- Examine a person's moral character. A liar will give themselves away by their actions and their words. If they are a prolific writer this makes the job easier. For example if they are a practitioner of ceremonial magick and they tell you accounts of how they are have acheived Conversation with their Holy Guardian Angel but then go on to talk about how they also do hard drugs because of a demons influence, they are more often than not a fake. In this latter case, being initiated to the degree of gaining a rapport with such a high being doesn't make you perfect, but it also helps you avoid things like the influence of demons to make you do hard drugs. Another example would be a santero who tells you that they can teach you all about Pomba Gira. In this case, the fraud can't even tell the difference between Lukumi and Quimbanda--two separate spiritual practices. Their words and actions will give them away. Check their sources, see if they are ripping off someone else--people who plagerize are generally fakes. Frauds will rip information from others and present it as a means of you thinking that they are authentic.

Examine their moral character, if they are an ethical practitoners they will weigh their decisions on their moral standing, not the money they can make, they will demonstrate a real knowledge in the field not a superficial one, check to their moral standing (are they a liar, do they avoid answering important question, have they ripped people off, or plagerized?) and most importantly for the real deal their interest is not in a transaction, but in you yourself.

*Common Sense- Finally use common sense. Don't disregard your rational mind in your desperation to get teaching or magical help. If something doesn't make sense, ask them about it.

Don't let yourself be victimized by these parasits.

Practical Steps to Conjuring:

1. Cleanse- Many people go through life collecting a great deal of baggage and spiritual blocks. Take the time to really cleanse yourself of the things that have held you back. People have come to magical practice for a variety of reasons; whether it is because you are desperate to change something in your life, or you are seeking more control, or you have a spiritual calling. It doesn't matter, take the time to clear your head and heart of all the mess that life throws at you.

Take nice cleansing baths, do egg cleansings, light healing and uncrossing candles, do some cut and clears. Do whatever it takes to help you start fresh. By laying out a strong foundation for you to build on you'll be doing yourself a world of good.

2. Build Back Up- Once you've cleared the slate, its time to build yourself back up. Doing some work on yourself. We go through life getting beat down so badly that we forget our god-given power to create, prosper, and succeed. This is the time to reclaim that heritage. Dress yourself with some power oils like John the Conqueror, Master Key/Mastery etc.

Light a few candles here or there to help yourself out in things. The aim is to do things to help build your confidence and support your own power. Take courses to give yourself a great foundation of knowledge. Get out and speak to candle shop owners, don't be afraid to travel. Speak to real practitioners and listen to what they have to say. Its important to learn the "how" before diving in. Learn how to approach a graveyard, learn how to dress a candle--get the technical knowledge along with the spiritual.

3. Develop the Connection- Ceremonial magick can be categorized as ceremonies and rituals aimed at tapping into the "other" or that transcendent numinous power. Conjure/Hoodoo as a form of natural magick works in a different fashion. The key to conjure is developing relationships and connections to the natural world. Spend time outdoors at parks, rivers, and forests. Learning to just be and learning to listen. Take some trips to the crossroads and sit and get a feeling for the power of the pace, do the same with a graveyard. Spend time with the fauna and flora of the land, and especially spend time with herbs, roots, etc that you plan on using in your conjure.

This is the time to develop a strong connection with both your higher power and your ancestors. For the former spend time in daily prayer. Learn to pray so that you can develop that connection where you speak and you are heard. For your ancestors set up an altar to them. Get to know about them when they were alive, dedicate a space for them and welcome them into your home. Set out a glass of water for them and light a small candle. Do this religiously and you'll soon find your life filled with the benevolent guidance of your ancestors. I suggest burning offerings of Acacia and Althaea to help really draw your spirit guides to you and help your ancestors start taking a place in your life.

4. Sharpen The Focus- Pick up a divinatory practice. The power to read and divine is more than predicting the future accurately. A talented reader and diviner is intimiately aware of the connections that bind all of reality and are aware of their own place in that vast web of life. By picking up a divinatory practice you help take the connection to the next level.

It helps to get readings from professional readers and rootworkers. Learn tips from them. When you need guidance don't be afraid to seek it, you'll learn not just from the answers you get, but also from how you arrive to those answers.

Let yourself be guided by your guides to really fine-tune your work. Begin working conjures not just in times of need, but applying what you're learning masterfully to your life. Sweeten bosses, compel debtors, drive off enemies, and bless those who need it. By allowing yourself to get engaged on a variety of levels you are expanding and fine-tuning your focus.

You need to begin thinking like a conjure worker or rootworker. Even if you don't actually do a conjure for a situation examine all the ways that you could approach it with your magical talents. This will help sharpen your mind. Again this is the time to do things like take power baths, make mojo hands to help you in your work etc.

5. Making it Your Own- Hoodoo and conjure is not a set of instructions that you simply follow. It isn't like a machine where you pull a lever and something happens. It is a spiritual practice based off of the powerful natural power that arises from the interconnection of the natural world, us, and the Divine. Learn to make your conjures personal and add something of yourself.

This doesn't mean to go all willy nilly and do what you want and butcher the practices. Rather there conjure has a set of principles that allow you the freedom to explore. You'll find that certain herb combinations work really well for you, you'll find that you get great results when you pray in a certain fasion, you'll find a certain set of practices resonates with you.

The point is to take your studies and transform them from a rote discipline into something alive.

Get this down and you are on a great start on an amazing journey.

Good luck!

So you'd like to learn hoodoo...

2011-04-05T17:30:00.000-07:00

So you’d like to learn hoodoo; well you’re in luck, I have compiled a list of valuable resources to help you on your journey to becoming an aspiring rootworker. Conjure and hoodoo has become extremely popular in today’s internet age with everyone trying to stake a claim. While the positive to this is that there is a general prevalence of information, the down side is that there is a great deal of completely incorrect information that misleads people.

What I have done is outlined a list of resources that can be used to help someone gain a better understanding of the basics of conjure and hoodoo so they are better equipped to deal with the information out there on the web. Each of these resources has been personally checked out by myself or trusted colleagues and are what I consider the best of the best.

Because of the scope, I have divided this post into two sections. Part ONE will include all the books, websites, podcasts, and radio shows that I find useful and valuable. Part TWO will include a list of courses and practical steps to get you on your way.

ConjureMan Ali’s Ultimate Conjure Guide:

Books

*Hoodoo in Theory and Practice-This online book is a great beginning for the aspiring hoodoo practitioner. Compiled by Miss cat this text acts as a great resource into the history and basic techniques of hoodoo.

*Hoodoo Herb and Root Magic- This is the only book of its kind. This text catalogues a list of the herbs, roots, minerals, and curios that are employed in conjure. Not only a great introduction into the magica materia of conjure, but it also presents hundreds of traditional and time-tested spells.

*Old Style Conjure Book-Written by Momma Starr this book presents traditional conjure that remains very much grounded in the old south. This work is an amazing introduction into old style conjure. Momma Starr is one of the few online conjure women who I would consider an authentic and reliable source of this type of work.

*Hoodoo Money Conjure Book-Also written by Momma Starr this will have everything you need to know about a very important condition in conjure: money. Filled with practical conjures for drawing wealth and maintaining it.

*Spiritual Cleansing Book- Momma Starr’s book on spiritual cleansing addressing this oft-neglected spiritual practice that was and is the cornerstone of traditional conjure work.

*BlackHawk: Working with his spirit-This book on the Native American Spirit Blackhawk is the only text that actually addresses how to work with his spirit. Written by a conjure woman who has real experience in the field this text is important for an introduction not only to Blackhawk, but also to spirit work. A large portion of conjure revolves around working with spirits and this book helps set the groundwork for it.

*Rootwork by Tayannah Micquillar -This book presents a series of spells and folk charms as they are related in what would be termed urban hoodoo. It covers spells for various conditions as well as introductions into divination methods practiced by traditional rootworkers.

*Dream-Singers by Anthony Shafton- Dreams are an important facet of the spirituality that is inherent in conjure and hoodoo. This book can help you get a grasp of the role of dreams in African American spiritual practices.

*God, Dr. Buzzard, and the Bolito Man by Cornelia Bailey- Conjure is not merely a magical system, but the product of a unique cultural matrix. This book is written by a woman who was raised in the Saltwater Geechee culture, who along with the Gullah people are the best representations of culture that gave birth to hoodoo. In this society the culture and life of the early African Americans is preserved and honored. This book is written by an amazing story teller who relates amazing tales filled with magic, rich spirituality, and a deeply beautiful culture.

*Master Book of Candle Burning by Henri Gamache- This seminal text forms the very foundation of most candle magic practices in conjure and hoodoo. Adopted by rootworkers with the rise of the mail order supply shop, this book covers the practice of working with candles for a variety of situations.

*The Magic Candle by Charmaine Dey- Equally important to the development of candle magic within hoodoo, this book covers the various candles that gained popularity in the 20th Century. Here you’ll find your 7-Knob Candles, your Adam and Eve candles, and much more.

Note: Both of these books were adopted by hoodoo practitioners, but these books are not necessarily hoodoo books. Both authors write from their own point of view. Conjure workers adopted the elements that were copacetic with their traditions while excluding others. Hence some workers will work with Astral Candles as taught by Henri Gamache, but not all find it necessary.

*The Secret of the Psalms by Godfrey Selig- This books is based off of older Jewish and European texts revolving around the magical uses of the Tehillim, or Psalms. The use of the bible as a conjure book is integral to the practice of hoodoo and this book helped develop this practice for rootworkers.

*Blue Roots by Roger Pinckney-Written by someone who grew up around the culture of African Americans. This book is relates tales and stories that the author heard over the years. It’s filled with interesting accounts of famous conjure doctors.

*Conjure in African American Society by Jeffery Anderson- This book is written from the perspective of an anthropologist who made a study of conjure practices. It is an interesting and revealing book from the perspective of an academic.

*Black Magic: Religion and the African American Conjuring Tradition by Yvonne Chireau- Also written from the perspective of an anthropologist, this book catalogues the development of conjure and its role in African American society.

*The Practice of Magic by Draja Mickharic- A great introduction into the various streams of magical practice, this book outlines the different magical and spiritual traditions that one might come across.

*Century of Spells by Draja Mickaharic- Written by one of the most under-recognized occult authors of our day, this books records various spells from a variety of folk traditions, including hoodoo. The author is a practitioner of Eastern European folk magic traditions and versed in Afro-Caribbean magical systems. As a demonstration of folk magic, this book can help the practitioner learn the general mechanics of folk magic.

*Spiritual Cleansing by Draja Mickaharic- A distillation of spiritual cleansing practices that have been collected over the years by the author, this text presents some of the most important techniques found in folk magic practices across the United States. It touches on various hoodoo practices among others and has quickly been adopted by rootworkers today.

*Voodoo and Hoodoo by Jim Haskins- The author has recorded and preserved a variety of magical workings that he has gathered from real conjure practitioners from both rural and urban root doctor alike. The book approaches the subject from the point of view of a folklorist rather than practitioner, but it lists in detail various works and helps develop a picture of conjure as it was practiced by real practitioners.

*Pow Wows or Long Lost Friend by John George Hoffman- This book is not hoodoo, but it is an integral book to the practice of the Pennsylvania Dutch. This tradition is the cousin of hoodoo and various practices from this book have been adopted into conjure work.

*The Red Church by CR Bilardi- An interesting look into the Germanic magical practices found in Pennsylvania. Some of these practices are similar to conjure and over the years there has been some intermarriage within the traditions. Another great book on American folk magic.

*The Voodoo Hoodoo Spellbook by Denise Alvarado- This book presents the folk practices of New Orleans for those interested in learning how hoodoo and vodou intermingled in New Orleans. The author is an actual practitioner of this tradition and has done a great service by presenting the practices she grew up around. This book will help to see yet another distillation of conjure practices.

*The Voodoo Doll Spellbook by Denise Alvarado- A practical text revolving around the practice of doll magic, a fundamental part of conjure work. There are some great contributors to this text and overall the book is filled with interesting insight and works. There are some contributors who should be taken with a grain of salt and whose history is less than upstanding, but still an overall great book.

*Hoodoo-Conjuration-Witcraft-Rootwork by Harry M. Hyatt- This five volume set is very difficult to obtain, but is filled with a collection of interviews by the author with various folks claiming to know a thing or two about rootwork. A great survey of the various methods employed by conjure workers, but these texts should be taken with more than a grain of salt as some of the people interviewed clearly weren’t as familiar with hoodoo practices as they claimed and some downright made stuff up. Some of the stuff can be misleading, but read with a discerning eye.

These are certainly not all the books available on the subject, but these texts I have found most useful in getting a great survey and introduction into rootwork. This tradition is mostly passed down from teacher to student, so read what is written with the understanding that there are limitations to books.

Websites:

http://www.luckymojo.com/ - owned and operated by Miss cat this website is the home of the authentic hoodoo and spiritual goods supplier the Lucky Mojo Curio co. The website is filled with information with thousands of free pages on the topic as well as being a resource of authentic, traditionally-made spiritual products.

http://forum.luckymojo.com/ - The product forum of Lucky Mojo provided free for their customers. You can go register and post about any questions you have on the products they provide. You can ask how to employ the products to your situation and you’ll be answered by helpful volunteers and as well as professional workers.

http://www.oldstyleconjure.com/ - The home of Momma Starr’s Old Style Conjure shop, this website is filled with the writings of a real, down-to-earth conjure woman who has decades of experience. She provides her own line of products and has made available many pages of free information that are extremely worthwhile.

http://www.oldstyleconjure.ning.com/ - An online community developed by Momma Starr and friends where people interested in learning and sharing their experiences with old style conjure may gather.

http://www.readersandrootworkers.org/ - This Association of Independent Readers and Rootworkers (AIRR) is the home of the elite of the conjuring world. This directory includes the best of the best in rootwork and spiritual readings who have gathered together and agreed to work under the aegis of a strict ethical standard aimed at providing a resource for people seeking real magical help. This website stands in direct opposition of the fakes and charlatans who have abused people in need and taken advantage of them emotionally and financially. Here you will find the finest skilled professionals who are out for your best interest. The website is also filled with hundreds of pages on various spiritual matters from around the world.

http://gnostic-conjure.blogspot.com/ - The blog of the skilled conjure doctor, Balthazar. He is an avid blogger whose blog is a great resource for conjure, magick, the tarot, and much more. His posts are always insightful and very worthwhile. His blog covers a variety of topics and you’ll find yourself learning a great deal about magic in general along with conjure. He is also a fellow graduate of the Lucky Mojo Hoodoo Rootwork Correspondence Course. You can also find a link to his private practice here.

http://queenofpentaclesconjure.blogspot.com/ - The blog of the lovely Devi Spring. She has some great articles about various conjure and hoodoo practices and her posts are always a delight. As a fellow graduate of the Lucky Mojo Hoodoo Rootwork Correspondence Course, she knows her stuff. You can also find a link to her private practice.

http://conjuredoctor.blogspot.com/ - This is the blog of my esteemed AIRR colleague, Dr. E. His articles are filled with tons of information on a variety of conjure and hoodoo workings. He is an initiate of Lukumi and a skilled conjure doctor. You can find a link to his private practice listed at his blog.

http://carolinadean.blogspot.com/ - Maintained by fellow HRCC graduate, Carolina Dean, this blog includes several great instructional posts written by a top notch worker. He also has a link to his own website where you’ll find even more great articles.

http://ravenconjure.blogspot.com/ - Of course my own blog ;-). It already has a variety of traditional conjure instructions as well as discussions on the other traditions that form the core of my practice.

http://www.myhoodoospace.ning.com/ - A social networking site for people interested in conjure, hoodoo, and other similar practices. It is filled by traditional and eclectic workers alike and newbies and vets alike. Run by Dr. Kioni a colleague from AIRR and a skilled palero.

Radio Shows:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/starr-casas - Radio show run by Momma Starr and the very talented Dr. LoveBug. A radio show on various conjure practices as it is done old school. Momma Starr and Dr. LoveBug tell it how it is.

http://newworldwitchery.com – I was turned on to them by a colleague and find the blog/podcasts to be insightful and a great resource for people on the search for American folk magic traditions.

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/luckymojohoodoorootworkhour - The Lucky Mojo Hoodoo Rootwork Hour is a radio show brought to us by Dr. K and the esteemed Miss cat yronwode. It is actually an hour and half long show by two real practitioners who take your calls, give free readings and advice to those in need.

That’s it for part ONE, watch for part TWO soon.

The Conjurer's Secret Weapon

2011-03-26T13:09:00.000-07:00

One of the most powerful secret weapons of the conjurer and also one of the most incorrectly used is the mojo hand. These powerful magical objects are the trademark of conjure and hoodoo and are highly recognizable for their unique appearance.

Mojo hands have a long history in folk-magical traditions that stem all the way back to Central and North Africa. We have similar bags appearing all the way in Lebanon as well.

Yet, with the growing internet popularity of hoodoo, these little bags are often the most misunderstood. People who were not raised in this tradition or who come to it from an outside tradition often describe mojo hands as talismans, which in reality is not an apt description at all.

The term mojo bag has taken off in popularity and traces its usage even to blue songs in pre-War eras. However, I was raised calling them conjure hands, prayer bags, and spirit bags. This latter will help us see the true nature of the powerful little guys.

The purpose of a mojo hand is not to act as a talisman, but to act as a spirit-helper. The mojo hand is created with the sole purpose of housing a spirit within that will be trained towards a certain purpose and will then go out and help accomplish that purpose in return for being fed.

This image is vastly different from the concept of “talismans,” which even in spirit-model approaches are often blessed by a spirit, or contain a part of its power, but isn’t a home for the spirit.

Viewing mojo hands as homes for spirits is informed by various African magical practices where a spirit is placed into a container be it pot, or bag, and is then worked in a symbiotic and mutually beneficial manner.

Unfortunately people who have started picking up hoodoo practices don’t see them in this manner and so they are often treated as an object that is fed with a loose concept of it being “alive.” This limits the power of the mojo hand greatly and narrows the scope of what most people think can be done with conjure hand.

In my years of travel and study I have seen traditional conjure doctors often talk to their mojo hands, give them names, rub them in-between their hands—I even saw an old hoodoo make cooing sounds at her prayer bag as if to a baby. In other words, the bags were interacted with and engaged as if living. They weren’t merely some object kept in a pocket and given some oil or whiskey once a week. Instead a relationship was developed with what otherwise seemed little pieces of cloth and leather.

One of the conjure doctors I’ve met over the years was an older gentleman named Alec (not to be confused with Doctor Alex who taught me some of his secret oil recipes). Alec was a prayer man who was famed for his mojo bags. People would come far and wide to purchase them and boy could he make a mean hand.

Well to impress upon me the nature of the relationship between person and bag he took me to see an old woman named Miss Rose. Being the young conjurer that I was, if I thought Alec was old, Miss Rose was ancient. When we visited her apartment which was only a few floors up from mine, she let us in and went about making us tea. As she walked around slowly, she kept talking to herself. Saying things like “Baby, we got company, today. Baby, spirit man is here today..”( Spirit man being something that some people referred to Alec as.) Now, I figured that she was just an old woman who had grown accustomed to talking to herself, but boy was I wrong.

Alec turned to her and said, “Miss Rose, you thinks you can do us a favor and show us who you be talking to.” She smiled and reached into her bosom and pulled out a little white bag that was hung from a string that tied around her neck. “Why I talkin’ to Baby here.” Now, what struck me was the second she said “Baby” the bag responded! Like a cat rubbing up against the legs of his owner for attention, the bag responded. I could feel it was alive, it had a presence; it had a real unmistakable presence.

Miss Rose’s behavior may seem odd to some, but it was this behavior that holds the key to the power of the mojo hand. Like all things in hoodoo it is viewed as a spirit of its own. Whether it is a spirit that is formed from the joining of separate spirits into the bag, or whether is a spirit called into the bag that will use the herbs, roots etc to do the work does not matter. What matters is that you treat it properly.

Let’s start by constructing an actual mojo hand.

Here’s a recipe for a mojo hand for general attraction of wealth, luck, love, and other good things.

What you’ll need:

Flannel bag, preferably red

Cinnamon

Five Finger Grass

Lodestone and Magnetic Sand

Master of the Woods

Dragon’s Blood Resin

Sage

Rose Petals

Pen and Paper

Take a white candle and dress it with Attraction Oil, I Shall Not Want Oil, or a similar type of product. Light the candle as you pray the 23’rd Psalm. Light some corresponding incense while having all your materials in front of you. Take some of the oil and dress each item lightly.

One by one, pick up item, pray deeply over it and place it into the bag. You can address the actual herb in your hand, or speak to God, but the point is to pray with full intent of drawing all those things in your life that you want.

An example of a prayer would be, “Rose Petals you are gentle and full of love, I call on you to bring love, pleasure, and fulfillment to my life. In the name of Jesus amen.”

Put everything in the bag, but hold off on the Lodestone. Before you put in the Lodestone, take your pen and paper and write out a list of all the things you want your mojo bag to bring to you. Write out all your wishes. Five spot the paper with a bit of your oil and in the center place a piece of your hair and your Lodestone atop. Sprinkle some Magnetic sand on the Lodestone to wake it up, ask that as you feed it that it goes out and feeds you by bringing you what you want. Wrap the Lodestone in the paper and put it into your bag.

Now take the bag and hold it so that the opening is close to your mouth. Pray into the bag your desires making sure to breathe into it.

Once you’ve really got Spirit moving, it’s time to tie off the bag. Now, there isn’t one single way to do this, but the idea is to tie in such a way that the bag won’t open and the contents won’t fall off. I generally wrap the threads around the opening of the bag then tie to keep everything really secure.

Every time you make a knot call out your prayers, asking God to grant you His helping Hand, asking the spirits to go for and draw happiness, wealth, and love into your life.

When the bag is tied, hold it by the string and pass it over the flame of your candle a few times while praying. Feel the candle warm up the bag and warm up the spirit within. Be careful not to burn your bag.

Then do the same with the incense smoke. Finally take some of your oil and dab it on the bag while praying strongly that the spirit come awake.

Now here’s the key, take the time to get to know your bag. Hold it in your hand, squeeze it a bit, press it to your heart, or keep talking to it. Tell it your hearts desires, but also take the time to actually listen to see if you can hear the spirit of the bag. You won’t always at first, but remain patient. Be attentive to your bag and it will be attentive to you.

Sleep with the bag under your pillow, hold in your hand frequently, and spend actual time with the bag.

The key is to not treat it as some talismans that you hang on the inside of your shorts, but rather as a personal friend and confidant. Speak to the bag, at the end of the day and tell it about your day and what could have gone differently, feed it once a week, or when you feel it needs it, and most importantly of all love it.

The conjure hand should be one of your most prized possessions—your secret weapon against the world. If you develop a strong emotional bond with your personal spirit you’ll find that bond will help take your relationship to new levels and the results will be amazing.

So take the time to get to know your new friend and let the good conjuring begin.

Belief, Magick, and the Will

2011-03-08T13:57:00.000-08:00

We often hear that in order for magic to work that belief is necessary; hand-in-hand with this we hear the advice of “faking it” until you finally achieve some level of belief. In my own experience, I find that magic works whether you believe in it or not.

The concept that magic is fueled by belief may be based on an iota of truth, but the claim is somewhat misleading. For example, it does not address the fact that there are some people out there who have no belief in magic and yet they buy a spell kit from an online spiritual supply shop and after one go get great results.

Instead, I find that magical power is driven by the will. What I mean by the will, is the concentrated and unified force of the magician’s entire being. That means the force and power that is generated and directed when the entirety of the magician’s attention, focus, desire, and drive is aimed at a specific objective. This becomes apparent when we examine individuals who do magic at times of extreme need or overpowering emotion—both of these sharpen the will to the point that it conveys the need of the magician clearly. A curse said with a wrathful heart seems to draw the judgment of God nearly immediately, or the silent cry for help during a time of need somehow results in a quick response.

In these cases belief does not have an impact on magic itself—like in the case of the curse you don’t have to believe in its efficacy for it to work, but rather that belief, or unbelief directly impacts our own ability to direct the will. An unshakable conviction in both magic and our own ability to take part in it ensures that the very driving force of magical ability is not impeded upon. Doubt and conversely faith has the ability to either sharpen the will to help direct the magician towards his or her goal, or scatter the power of the magician.

Hence we get the adage that doubt kills magic. This phenomenon results from the simple fact that if the aspiring magus gives into self-doubt and second-guessing that his will power becomes divided and unable to impress clearly upon the malleable subtle material that forms our universe.

Whether we are working with spirits, or trying to directly alter our world, the importance of having a concentrated and directed will cannot be neglected. It impresses on the subtle worlds our desires and clearly communicates to the great movers what we want to happen.

This will power is reinforced in two ways: discipline and faith. Through rigorous training the will of the magician can be honed into the necessary sharpness that allows for consistent magical results. Similarly, an unshakable conviction or faith can ensure that the innate creative powers of the magician are not misdirected towards anything other than success.

The proof of this lies in the figure of the mystic and the magician alike. Magicians who have been truly successful—demonstrably, that is—usually always display a strong and unshakable will power. Similarly there are people in this world who have never practiced the magical arts, but due to the sheer force of will display a power that allows them to alter situations to their benefit—we have all met these people.

On the other hand the mystic is able to perform wondrous miracles all as a result of their conviction in the efficacy of their higher power. This unshakable faith translates to a will that is able to clearly communicate with the spiritual forces and powers that help move the universe.

This correlation between the power of faith and will-power with the ability to perform magic is not an insignificant one. It is not unlike the art of sculpting marble into statues—you need proper tools that help you shape the stone to the image you hold in your mind. If your tools are chipped, damaged, and if your hands are not steady you’ll find the resulting statue starkly different from the image you held in your mind.

So next time you go to do your magick, have a little faith ;-)

Energy In Spiritual Traditions

2011-02-18T01:59:00.000-08:00

The debate over the role of energy work in spiritual traditions continues to rage over the blogs with comment fields flowing with points and counter-points. Jason Miller wrote up a new blog where he addresses some of the points made and presents his own paradigm.

I hope to weigh in with this blog. Now, my perspective on the matter is going to be heavily informed by my own personal understanding of cosmology and spiritual work and is informed by the traditions that I follow.

The argument so far has involved the role of “energy work” within the various magical traditions. Some have expounded that it is essential for magic while others have put forth that it is no such thing. Yet, the issue is far more complex than that.

“Energy” is a term that is used by some magicians to define the spiritual forces they work with. The issue that I see is that this term is misleading. We try to differentiate magical energy from the energy we see in physics, but the connotations are difficult to ignore. In the paradigm of those who hold an energetic model the universe and the magician’s subsequent engaging of the universe is reduced to a mechanical process aimed solely at directed this impersonal magical energy.

This stems from a reductionist view point that really fails to see the spiritual complexity of things like prayer and the interrelation between spirit and Spirit.

Yet, the denial of the fact that there is a spiritual force that permeates the universe and holds a place in spiritual work is also reductionist and does so by envisioning a world not unlike the one seen in the Bartimaeus Triology (for those of you who don’t know what this is, this a kids fantasy series not unlike Harry Potter, where in an alternate history of the world magicians rule and act as the politicians of the British Empire. The number one secret of these magicians is that all their magic is done by spirits—even the simplest of spells is actually a demon doing the work. So you get images of flying carpets, but in reality it is a demon holding up the carpet).

The universe is far more complex than either of these points makes it to be. To this end let us turn to Franz Bardon who represents an interesting synthesis of hermetic emanation and eastern mysticism. In his paradigm, the Source, or the All created the universe and everything it by expanding outward. All of creation is created from this force, this principle that descends downward through the spheres until it reaches material reality. At various points this force coalesces and is granted sentience. Depending on the level (and the proximity with the source) you get a differentiation in individualism in the entity as well as different personalities. So in the highest spiritual plane you get the gods and deities and archangels, on the astral plane you get spirits, elementals, and angels, and on the physical plane you get humans.

Now, that spiritual force that emanated down from the Source reaches a level in between the physical and the Astral where it is called vital energy. This is not unlike od, and is this spiritual force that can be manipulated by the magician.

The resulting cosmology has unfortunately been taken literally. This force, which has been called the Astral Light, od, Vital Energy, Ketheric Light, the Spirit of the Lord, and other names, including the modern one of “energy,” has unfortunately been taken literally as energy. Bardon speaks in an allegorical fashion referring to this principle and force as energy. In reality it is a spiritual concept that cannot be defined easily. To call it energy is no more accurate than saying that magical element of fire is literally the physical fire.

What we know is that it is a spiritual force that binds the universe together, is the link between Man and Spirit, and is the medium by which spirits act.

This thought is in-line with Hermeticism, Sufi doctrine of Barakah, traditional Jewish Kabbalistic thought on the interrelation of the Names and Forces under its control etc.

Does this force, or principle exist in conjure, hoodoo, and the ATRs? It does, but it is not explicitly talked about, nor is it philosophically contemplated. Instead it is taken for granted. In hoodoo, for example, we have no discussion on the soul’s journey after death, or any other complex eschatological ideology, but it is taken for granted that they can be contacted and petitioned for help. Similarly there is no extensive philosophical treatise on this spiritual force that other magicians label, but it is taken for granted.

In conjure it is considered personal power. You often hear conjure doctors talking about “raising power,” or having “their spirit rise.” Both of these refer to power or force that exists within the individual. An example of this is provided in the story of a conjure woman who lived on a plantation. She was feared by all the other slaves and her master wanted to find out what was to her. So one day he saw a deadly snake and asked her to pick it up. Without hesitation she did so. When he approached the snake it reared its head and struck out at him. Next he asked a man to go and pin her down, the conjure woman took one look at him and the man froze right in his spot.

The idea here is that she possessed an internal power that helped her do these things, a power that was connected to the spiritual world, but one that came directly from her. This power is not unlike the vital energy of Bardon.

Another example in conjure is healing by touch. I am not talking about laying on hands. Here a conjurer has some inner quality about him or her that they heal a person just by touching them, without prayer, intercession, but merely by virtue of their own inner ability.

For the conjure doctor the relation between personal power and the power of spirits can be seen in the analogy of influence. If you walk into a room your personal charisma and charm alone may compel people to be influenced by you. On the other hand having a strong network of allies and colleagues extends your power beyond the room. In conjure, ideally you would approach spirits with your personal charisma and the authority of the big man upstairs; the supreme authority.

But what does this all mean? It means that many traditions hold that there exist two types of powers, or means by which magic is accomplished. One involves working with spirits in a variety of forms in the celestial hierarchy of things. The other involves working with a personally generated power that is directly connected to the spiritual force that connects, binds, and permeates all.

The real difference is not whether these traditions accept the concept of an “energetic” force, but rather where their emphasis lies and their views on limitations. Spirit-centered traditions like hoodoo view personal power as limited and therefore the conjure doctors turns outside of themselves to the big movers of the universe to get stuff done.

“Energy”-centric traditions emphasize the ability of the magicians to directly influence things by virtue of manipulating that spiritual force that connects everything.

The issue is that we remember that terms like “energy” are meant to be metaphors for a spiritual reality that simply is far too complicated to define.

Appropriation In Magical Traditions

2011-02-16T13:44:00.000-08:00

The magical blogosphere is a buzz with inter blog debating. It began with the topic of energy work as put forth first by Frater AIT. Naturally, the paragon of the spirit-model, Frater RO responded. Even the good Scribbler got in on the action.

Jason Miller stepped in to take the middle ground, but his approach touched on the subject of doing whatever works to which my friend, Balthazar responded by taking the subject to debate over appropriation of magical traditions.

Frater RO responded by pointing out that a great deal of our current traditions are actually the result of a syncretic approach to magick.

So the question that gets begged is what is the different between appropriation and a syncretic approach?

It all comes down to the way in which it is gone about. Appropriation is the insenstive act of taking a technique or concept and ripping it out of its tradition and context. This is often done with a sense of entitlement that shows no concern for the tradition that is being butchered. We see this quite frequently in today's post-modern world where we view everything as up for grabs.

The issue is that not are things being taken out of context it is that they are being taken without a single bit of acknowledgement to the tradition of origin. But more than an issue of who gets the credit, appropriation in this matter targets someone's spiritual tradition, something near and dear to them, and rips it apart as if it were nothing more than a "thing." In the academic world we call this plagairism.

The syncretic approach is different. The syncretic approach is where cultures or traditions meet, cross-pollenate and through this both sides are enriched. This is called synthesis. Common ground or points of interest are found between the spiritual traditions which are then nurtured and grown into beautiful paths of their own. From this we get such beautiful traditions like hoodoo, the ATRs, Hermeticism, and much much more.

Each of these spirittual traditions came into contact with another tradition, learned from it, found points where their paradigms met, were found copaseptic and as a result grew. This isn't the haphazard mixing of ideas, but the natural spreading of thought that instigates further growth and evolution. In the academic world we call this building on someone's thesis by encouraging further investigation and research, but always ensuring to cite the source.

In spiritual terms, synthesis takes away from its parent traditions and helps preserve part of the parent tradition while continuing to grow. It is a marriage that produces a beautiful baby with the eyes of the dad and hair of the mom, but also something individual.

Spiritual traditions that fail to do this die out. Hoodoo is alive today because it was syncretic and remains so today.

Appropriation is vastly different. Rather than a marriage it is an insensitive dissecting of parts and pieces with little understanding or care for the traditions it takes from. The result is a Frankenstein monster.

I personally follow many paths. I am a conjure doctor, a hermetic, a conjurer of djinn, a goetic and much more. My approach is very traditional. Anyone familiar with my work can attest that as a conjure doctor I am familiar with urban hoodoo as birthed by the mail order supply shops, but that my work is more in line with old school ways of working. I am a strict traditionalist-- I am a powders, jars, crossroads, and graveyard type of guy. Yet, my approach is still syncretic. I find points where my paths merge into crossroads and from it try to nurture life. The recent manifestation of this approach is my work with the Grimoire Verum. Yet, this is always done in a manner that doesn't rip parts from its root, but rather cross-pollenates as carefully as a skilled botanist. As a root doctor, these roots are important to me ;-)

The ultimate manifestation of the syncretic approach is seen in the development of Sufism and its mystical doctrines. Sufism as it developed in al-Andalus and in eastern parts of the Islamic empire held the core perspective of Islamic mysticism, but as it came in contact with other spiritual traditions it grew and learn from the encounter. It adopted Graeco-Egyptian Hemetic thought, Hindu Numerology and breathing, Christian monasticism, Chaldean astrology and others. What resulted was a synthesis so powerful and compelling that it inspired the Picatrix, the European Renaissance and its subsequent interest in hermeticism.

Yet, this synthesis ensured that its parent traditions remained preserved and intact. It didn't gut them, but enriched its parent traditions. Hell, hermeticism exists today because these Sufis preserved it. Sufism learned from the parent traditions, it did not steal from them.

The ultimate differentiation is shown in the results. Syncretism produces growth, the evolution of a tradition, and smart and effective magick.

Appropriation produces degredation of previous traditions, muddied ideology, and weak and diluted magick.

Healing a Broken Heart

2011-02-15T21:13:00.000-08:00

Valentine's Day is either a day of great happiness, or it can be a day of quite a bit of bitterness. In modern years there has been an "anti-Valentine's Day" movement. This "movement" is participated in by jilted lovers, poeple bitter with the way their heart has been dealt with, in otherwords it has become a day of heartbreak.

Heartbreak is part of life, but sometimes, like in the case of anti-Valentine's Day, our hurt overshadows our ability to see the beauty of life. When the hurts of life keep you from moving on, when the pain of past relationships overshadow the happy memories, and when you are filled witih sorrow rather than love, then your heart needs some healing.

Here is a work that can help heal that broken heart without cutting ties with our past.

What you'll need:
1 bottle of Healing Oil (or a similar type)
1 bottle of Power Oil (or a similar type)
1 bottle of John the Conqueror Oil if you are a male, or Queen Elizabeth Oil if you are a female (or a similar type)
1 Bottle of Venus Oil (or a similar type)
1 Bottle of Clarity Oil (or a similar type)
Rose Petals
Balms of Gilead
Violet Leaves
Venus Powder
Healing Powder
1 pink candle
1 purple candle
1 white candle

First make yourself a warm bath by brewing the Rose Petals, Balms of Gilead, and Violet Leaves into a teas. Stand in your bath tub and pour this water over your head while washing downward seven times. While you do this pray that as the water runs down your body that it washes you clean of past hurts and pains.

Step out of the tub and collect some of the used bath water. Air dry and take your bath water to crossroads where you'll toss it over your left shoulder while praying that the crossroads scatters your pain far away from you.

When you come back home set up an altar with images of love. Use pink and white colors for an altar cloth. Take a photo of yourself and on the back write out a list of your greatest attributes. Write out everything that is attractive about yourself. If are having a hard time coming up with a list write out a list as what God would see in you. Turn this paper clockwise 1/4th of a turn and cross your list with your name written out in bold and large three times. Make sure that your name crosses and covers your list.

Dab a bit of each of the oils on your finger and five spot your photo. Now take that photo and place it in the center of a triangle of candles. On the bottom left corner of the triangle place the white candle dressed with Healing and Clarity oil. At the bottom right corner place the purple candle dressed with Power oil. If you are a man dress that purple candle with John the Conqueror candle and if you are a woman dress it with Queen Elizabeth Oil.

At the top corner of your triangle place the pink candle dressed with Venus Oil. Now mix your Venus powder with Healing powder and take this compound and trace out a heart around your candle set up and picture.

Pray fervently over this set up that as the candles burn that your hurt's be healed, that you be given the clarity to look at your past relationships not with resentment, but with fondness. Pray with all your heart that your self-confidence be restored and that you begin to see and love yourself as you deserve. Pray that you grow from the past rather than be held back and that you go foward to the future with an open heart.

Light those candles and let them illuminate your heart and mind.

This work is ideal for those situation where you want the hurt to stop, but you still want to be able to take away the good from the situation.

May it be helpful to you and good luck!

Mages, Chefs, and the Secret Ingredient

2011-02-11T09:52:00.000-08:00

Have you ever come across a culinary dish that was just ambrosial? It could be a common dish, but for whatever reason it was just the best of that dish you’ve ever tasted? I know this one place near my house that makes these absolutely delicious kabobs. Now, I’ve had my fair share of kabobs in my life, but this place blows everyone else out of the water. How could that be though? It is a simple dish with skewered meat that is grilled and served up with the usual. Yet, something is done differently that makes a subtle, but profound difference in the taste of the dish.

This is the effect of the secret ingredient. The term “ingredient” may be slightly misleading because the phrase, as I’ve come to use it, refers to not only an additional physical component, but can also refer to a technique. The secret ingredient is that something extra; that secret element in the process of making a dish that takes it from being ordinary to something extraordinary. Now, the secret ingredient isn’t any old thing that is tossed in, but rather is a creative addition that works in a complimentary fashion with the tastes of the dish to give it that extra oomph.

This type of personalization of a dish is usually the sphere of the chef. While a cook can be anyone with decent enough skills and a sturdy enough grasp of the kitchen to follow a set of recipes and therefore produce an edible meal, the chef is an artist whose grasp of the principles of cooking is so masterful that they are able to work with their meals on a creative level. For the chef, each dish is more than the product of a set of ingredients, but rather is an artwork that is given birth by skill and creativity. What really makes a chef stand out is that their creativity is tempered and focused to a knife’s edge by an understanding of the very principles of their craft. It is this understanding that allows a chef to masterfully take their dishes to the level of artwork by using their creativity in a fashion that compliments the taste rather than muddies.

In comes the secret ingredient. This is that extra something that the chef does that amazes the taste buds. It can be as simple as adding an extra pinch of this, or as complex as altering the very method that the dish is prepared by. Whatever the case, the chef works within certain principles while using the original recipe as a guideline. In other words, when they take things to the creative level they do not mix and match the styles of food. You don’t want to combine things in such a messy fashion that the food goes from art to junk.

A skilled mage is like a chef. Unlike other practitioners who simply follow rituals and rites as if they were recipes, the talented magician understands the principles behind the formulae and uses that understanding to add that extra oomph to their work. Like a chef, these magi don’t mix and match by adding something from one style or tradition to another simply because it seems like a good idea. No, these magicians work in a fashion that does justice to the principles of their tradition, while taking their magical work to the creative level.

Again, enter the secret ingredient. Skilled magicians have that extra something that they add to their work that allows it reach the level of art. It can be anything from the inclusion of a specific herb or root in a mojo hand, a particular way they enter a prayerful state, or a clever technique. These secret ingredients transform what they are doing from merely rote practice of a recipe into something truly magical.

If you’ve ever studied with a truly talented magician you’ll see that the idea of a secret ingredient is accurate. They almost always have a unique addition that they add that compliments the overall style, tradition, and practice of their work.

This is something I do, many of my colleagues do, and something our elders do. More than just a personalizing element, the secret ingredient works on a creative level with the magical working that takes your results to a whole new dimension.

Whether chef or magician we find that both are able to produce wondrous results by:

1. Having a strong grasp of the work that they are doing on a fundamental level.

2. Sticking true to the principles of the tradition they are working with in order to produce consistent and clear results.

3. The personalization of what they are doing via the secret ingredient, or that extra something that allows them to take part in the creative process.

Unfortunately in today’s occult world everyone things they are the equivalent of a chef even before they’ve bothered to really understand the fundamentals of what they are working with. It is here we see such confused mix-matching of ideas and traditions that it completely muddies up the “taste” of the results.

Just as there will be a distinct difference between the food prepared by a chef and the food prepared by an amateur, so too will someone’s magic and their results show you if they need to go back to school.

So, to really start taking magick to a new level of power, I think it’s time we start thinking like chefs and not cooks. Heck, most of us magician’s already have the ego of a chef, might as well emulate their ability to transform craft into art.

Spirits, Demons, and Djinn, Oh My!

2011-01-20T00:09:00.000-08:00

A while back the blogosphere was ablaze with debates on the nature of the demons that are often called upon by magicians and sorcerers. These debates tended to revolve around the Goetia and the spirits within and included a variety of points of view. Some claimed that these spirits were flat-out evil and corrosive. Other claimed they were benign while still others argued that these spirits’ nature was actually going to be a direct result of how we dealt with them--approaching them in hostility would breed hostility, while respect would breed respect.

I tend to agree with the latter approach; however, there was one rather nuanced point-of-view that was entirely neglected. This involves the very cultural origin of the spirits in question.

What many occultists tend to forget is that the spirits of the Goetia and many of the spirits commonly called upon in today’s Western Magical Traditions have their source in two places: Graeco-Egyptian Magical traditions and the spirit traditions of the ancient Near East.

The Graceo-Egyptian magical traditions provide the syncretic system by which these spirits are often contacted; so we find that such texts like the Greek Magical Papyri and the Corpus Hermetica became foundational to how later generations would approach spirits and where they fit in scheme of things. Evidence of this can be found in the combination of ceremonial and folk magic approaches found within Goetic works. Further evidence can be seen in the use of intermediaries to call the spirits to you and help grant you authority (Holy Guardian Angel, Anubis in Graeco-Egyptian rites, and Scirlin in GV).

While the Graceo-Egyptian magical traditions show us the methods by which we approach spirit work and indeed forms the basis of a great deal of Western magic, it is the Near Eastern traditions that provide us with the spirits, entities, and their natures.

To understand this let us examine the archetypal figure of the Western Mage, King Solomon himself. According to legend, King Solomon was the mighty and wise king of Israel and son of King David. In biblical accounts, the Lord favored him with wisdom while other accounts go on to say that he was granted a magical ring from the Archangel Michael that helped him tame “demons.” He then employed these entities to help build the Temple (cf. Testament of Solomon).

Now the word used here is “demon” which comes from the Greek word “daimon” and translates to “spirit.” This word has no connotation of good or bad, but merely refers to a spiritual entity. To denote an evil spirit a “κακός” would have to be added to the word.

Etymology aside, in order to understand the entities of Solomon we’d have to look at the context that they arise from. King Solomon is a Near Eastern king who ruled in Israel. Like the surrounding regions, early Israelite religion held a belief in a spirit-world inhabited by entities that were created by the Lord just like man was. In this worldview, these spirits were not generalized as “evil” or “good” but rather were seen as complex entities that interacted with the mortal realms. Each of these entities had a personality all their own and so you’d run across those that hung about your house, or those that wanted to do you harm. Depending on the spirit’s nature you’d either attempt to placate or ward off its influence, or you’d want to cultivate and include that spirit in your life. Magicians would approach these spirits by means of offerings, pacts, and alliances. As life itself dictates the magicians would cultivate an alliance with both chaotic entities and the more benign classes.

This view of the spirits as being an integral aspect of Deity’s creation, was often overlooked by Medieval and Renaissance mages who took these Near Eastern entities and filtered them through a Christian dualistic paradigm where everything was either from God or the Devil. Hence you have the transformation of these entities into beings that are either “angelic,” or “demonic.”

It is my belief that this transformation fails to take into consideration the history and origin of these entities while also giving us a rather fragmented and confused way of approaching them. Basically you have Near Eastern spirits being approached in a non-Near Eastern way. What results is a system that treats these entities as slaves and demons that are meant to be tamed and constrained. This approach is extremely limited and fails to take into consideration the very nature of the spirits involved.

To better understand these spirits we need to return to their source, as hinted at by the legend of King Solomon. We need to look at how the magicians and peoples of the Near East view these entities. To do this, we turn to the people of Near East where such traditions are preserved in the folk magical traditions and the traditions of their magicians (North Africa, Arabia, Israel, the Levant, and Mesopotamia).

In these regions we have a class of entities that inhabit a place in between the world of the divine and the world of mortals. To these people of the Mediterranean and the desert they are the djinn. A race of beings created by God (or gods) and who represent an invisible world of primal forces. Some of these beings are chaotic while others were rather docile and helpful. What is important is that they are not classed into good or evil, but rather viewed like humans as having the capacity for both. They can be tricksters, or they can be helpers.

These djinn lived in a world that intermingled with ours with a tendency to be drawn into the human household where they lived as house spirits, or in places of power like the desert. The term “djinn” comes from the word, “ijtinaan” meaning “concealed from sight.”

According to the Qur’an they were created from a pure flame that has no smoke. (Qur’an 55:15). This view is actually reflective of an older folk tradition that indicates that by being of pure flame and air, they are creatures of intensity, passion, and power. In other words they represent the primal powers of nature and psyche.

These beings have the power to take on any shape they please (Hadith related by Abu Hurayrah), have knowledge of the arts (Qur’an 34: 12-13), and are associated with magic.

So how do the people of the region treat these spirits? The answer is with respect. Djinn were believed to live in one’s house and so the people of North Africa often leave little offerings for the spirit of the home to have that spirit protect them. In Arabia if the djinn appeared as a serpent in one’s home it is asked to kindly leave, and never killed. The snake is captured and put outside. In early Israelite religion, talismans were placed up around the house to ensure that only benevolent spirits could enter the abode.

Magicians on the other hand would make contracts with several spirits of a variety of natures that would be approached with respect, but confidence. It is for this very reason that there is a higher rate of magicians in these regions with palpable powers of thaumaturgy than here in the West. I know magicians who could write a persons name on a piece of paper, draw a pair of eyes, sprinkle some heated sand into the paper, fold it up and burn it in a spirit-pot and within the hour the target would be blind. I have seen magi who have dolls and statues inhabited by these spirits and these effigies actually become animated and walk and talk and these are but two examples of some of the effects this magicians can accomplish. All because these spirits were approached in a way that made them willing to help the magi. Even the most chaotic of djinn are approached with respect in the spirit of alliance. For it is believed that if one knows the proper etiquette that these djinn will turn their chaos from afflicting people randomly, or afflicting the life of the magician, to instead working with the magician to afflict his or her enemies.

In other words, these entities aren’t treated as abhorrent monsters that would ruin one’s life, but rather necessary and important aspects of Creation. That isn’t to say that when an entity steps over a line, or becomes destructive that they aren’t dealt with sternly. Just as the magicians of the Near East learn how to create alliances with these spirits, so too are they as versed in exorcising them. After all, Iblis (Satan) is of the rank of djinn. This approach to spirits is also seen in the African magical practices which inform the ATRs, where both “hot” and “cool” spirits have their place and are accorded respect.

But what is the point of all this? The point is to illustrate that in order to properly work with the entities cataloged by the grimoires, we need to understand their nature. These spirit are djinn. They have the capacity to be benevolent or chaotic. Both are treated with respect and both are approached by means of creating a symbiotic relationship. By offering the respect and acknowledgement that they are due, these entities are transformed from unwilling servants to powerful allies. What results from this symbiotic and mutually respectful relationship is that you have at your side an entity who’s hands are untied to work the wonders spoken about in the grimoires. But to do this, we need to approach them in a manner that is more copasetic with the spirits themselves.

This approach is not new, it is merely neglected. Jason Miller, a highly respected sorcerer and teacher of the Strategic Sorcery class, mentions that after meditation, offerings are the second practice he values most--something he learned from his time studying another tradition known for its effectiveness and profound connection with the spirits, Tibetan spirituality. Jake Stratton-Kent also puts forth this approach in his edition of the Grimoire Verum where he highlights the nature of the pacts mentioned within and their implications to the relationship between magician and spirit--something that was influenced by the ATRs. Franz Bardon also alludes to working in more copasetic way in his Practice of Magical Evocation. In hoodoo and conjure this alliance system can be seen in the way graveyard spirits are paid for the work they do.

In this case, I am not saying that we need to be informed by the Near Eastern Practices, or the ATRs, but rather we need to return these spirits to where they originated from and work with them in a fashion more align with the culture that gave birth to them. The reason that these other traditions seem to have such wonderful success is two-fold:. One is the respectful nature of the contract that they develop with these spirit, or in other words the workings of an alliance. And the second is that they keep to the roots and principles of their traditions without muddying the waters.

In summation of this rather lengthy discourse, it is my contention that in order to properly work with the spirits of the grimoires and to truly tap into their potential power we must approach them from a position of authority, but with an offering of respect and develop a relationship where both spirit and magicians benefits. Ultimately, the proof of this approach lies with its results, something that can readily be seen when comparing the wonderful results that the ATRs, Middle Eastern Mages, and Tibetan Sorcerers receive against the rather lack luster ones of the Western Ceremonial Magicians.

Hoodoo on YouTube

2011-01-16T20:31:00.001-08:00

My friend and colleague, Devi Spring from Queen of Pentacles Conjure has begun a series of youtube videos on the how-to of conjure and hoodoo.

Devi Spring, a fellow graduate of catherine yronwode's Hoodoo Rootwork Correspondence Course, is a talented reader and conjure woman who is both knowledgable and skilled. I am pleased to see her making these videos. In this day and age of misinformation, I am happy to see an authentic and knowledgable woman such as Devi make a series that can help illminate the path for others.

Check out her video here. You can catch her at her YouTube channel where you can follow her and watch the other videos she's put up.

New Pages at AIRR!

2011-01-13T21:48:00.001-08:00

The Association of Independent Readers and Rootworkers has just put up a series of new pages including pages on the Orishas and Hindu Deities.

AIRR remains dedicated not only to providing a directory for reputable and ethical spiritual practitioners, but also to the furthering of knowledge in spiritual matters. Though it remains a site about conjure at its core, its aim is an encyclopedic-level of information on all things spiritual.

AIRR wishes to bring to the online occult community a standard of excellence as a resource for both information and as a directory of practitioners.

To learn all about the new pages of AIRR and to keep up on new updates check out the AIRR facebook page where you can follow, like, and comment as the site continues to grow.

Check it out here: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Association-of-Independent-Readers-and-Rootworkers/156082401095740.

New Year's Rite

2011-01-02T09:12:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year everyone!

The transition from the old year to the new is always a great time for renewal, cleansing, and starting off with a clean slate. In conjure, it is common practice to clean out the old and make way for the new during this time. In light of this, I annually undertake a rite of cleansing and renewal and offer this service for free for those who wish me to add their name to my petitions.

This year, we had well over 30+ names added to the rite, not including myself and my own loved ones.

Here are the photos of the work performed right at the beginning of the new year.

I always begin with a rite of purification, cleansing away the detris of the past while giving offering to the spirits.
Utilizing the symbolism of the five-spot, the cross, and the triangle the lights open the way, protect, draw in money, love, health, success, and offer blessings.

Offerings of fire and incense were given to the my ancestors and saints to help see this work to its completion while bestowing their benediction.

The spirits were really moving that evening and you could feel the doors being opened.

The rite went smoothly and the candles burned wonderfully. Clearn burns with all the candles revealed a year of bounty!

Happy New Years to all!

Happy Holidays

2010-12-24T09:49:00.001-08:00

I wish my clients and readers a happy holidays and merry Christmas! May your holiday season be blessed and may it be filled with cheer!

Our year has come to an end and a new year begins soon. This is a time for contemplation, reflection, and introspection. What have we done that is worthy of remembrance this past year and what shall we do in the coming year to ensure that we make every minute count?

I begin every year with a blessing candle. If anyone would like me to add their name to the candle you can add a reply here or send me an email via my website and I will gladly do so. It shall be part of a rite of renewal and rebirth.

May your holidays be blessed and your new year fruitful!

The Happy Home

2010-12-08T23:11:00.000-08:00

Home sweet home. Our home is the hub of our life. It is where we eat, pray, sleep, and love. The home is where we go to re-energize and its existence is central to our lives. Yet, it is also something we overlook greatly. I have many clients that come to me feeling stressed and tired and they think they are under attack. Divination often proves that the problem is a lot closer to home ;-).

That's right your very own home! When things are off at home our entire day will be thrown off. For that reason it is important to ensure that our house is kept as peaceful and happy as possible. So here are some tips how to turn your home from merely an abode into a sanctuary all for yourself.

Regular Cleansings
As we go through life we pick up all sorts of spiritual debris and dirt and we bring that right into our homes. So regular cleansings can help wipe away the mud we track home and keep the chaos outside where it blongs. A bit of Chinese Floor Wash or Van Van oil in a bucket of warm water can go a long way. Wash your house from top to bottom and back to front and wipe that mess right into the street.

Forget the Glade plug-ins!
Our emotions and memories are strongly tied into scent. Ever smelled something and it immediately reminded you of someone or something? Scent has an evocative influence on our minds and it can be used for spiritual purposes. Get a couple heated oil diffusers and add a drop or two of Van Van Oil, Peaceful Home Oil, Blessing Oil, or a similar condition oil. If nothing else then using essential oils like Marjoram, Rosemary, Rose, Vanilla, and Wintergreen can help set the right vibe in your home. I know some people who apply these oils directly, but carefully to lightbulbs and use it as makeshift oil diffusers. ***Please be careful with this last tidbit***

Oh, how sweet it is..
Take a container and place single vanilla bean at the bottom of it. Pray over the vanilla bean that it bring love, luck, and happiness. Pour all the sugar in your home into this container. Pray the 23rd Psalm over it and from now on use the sugar in this container for cooking and what not. This little trick makes a container spell that you keep in your home. Using the sugar from the jar will keep everyone talking sweetly to one another and will bring sweet things to the house.

Don't make me get the Basil out
Basil is a great herb for the house. Pray for peace and protection over it and place some in your kitchen. The old saying is that "evil can't go where there is Basil." So it is reputed to keep out evil and keep your home peaceful. Burning some Basil on charcoal every once in a while can help clear out the negative energies and spirits that may be lingering around and will settle down any chaotic forces.

Red Onion Skins
This particular trick is an old hoodoo trick that has been passed down from family to family and one that seems to be dying out. In African American culture burning Red Onion skins was reputed to bring luck and love. So peeling the skin and burning them in the stove or fire place was a spiritual act. Next time you have some Red Onions don't throw away the skins, burn them and pray for luck and love to always remain in your home, that your hearth and heart never be cold, and that the warmth of happiness always remains.

Open up a can of Peace.
In conjure there are various waters and washes that are mentioned to aid in spiritual conditions. In direct opposition to War Water, there is Peace Water. This products is sprinkled around your home to settle things down and bring a peaceful environment. It can also be used to clear out any work that has been done to cause strife in your home. Sprinkle some on your doorstep to ensure that only those who wish you peace enter your home. You can buy this product or you can make your own. Take Sumac Berries, Basil, and Rosemary (or similar peaceful herbs like Marjoram) and add it to some water. Pray over this, Psalm 147: 14 is particulary good. To this mix add Florida Water and Rose water and stopper it. If you and your lover live together add a bit of your combined sexual fluids and sprinkle around the house.

Bread, Salt, and Broom in the New Home
If you just bought a new home, then get rid of your old broom and salt and buy a new broom. Get fresh bread and buy new salt. Go to your new home with your broom. Cut yourself a fresh slice of bread and sprinkle a small pinch of salt on the slice. Eat it in your new home to ensure a happy.

Apple of my eye
This final trick is a container spell that can be used to ensure you have a happy and peaceful home. Take a red apple and remove the core. Write out a petition paper and place hair from all the family members in the home to the paper. Five-spot it with Peaceful Home oil, add Basil, Rosemary, and Rose petals and fold the paper towards you, turn it clockwise and fold again. Do this a total of three times until you have a little packet. Put this into the center of your apple andp our honey all over the hole. Put this apple into a can or jar and close the top. Pray over the entire then and bury it in your yard. Weekly water that spot with some holy water to keep the good work going.

Enjoy!

Exorcism and Cleansing a Place of a Spirit

2010-11-09T22:04:00.000-08:00

Every once in a while we come across places that simply have an "off" vibe. Usually this can mean anything from getting a weird feeling, to sensing a presence in the house, to full on manifestation of spiritual activity like movement of objects, attacks, and chaos. What we have is a spirit that has either been attached to the place by another spiritual worker, or one that has attached itself for whatever reason.

In an earlier post I mentioned one way of actually getting a spirit into another person's house in order to accomplish the task of driving that person out. While this work may seem heavy-handed to some, it in reality is actually is milder than most Hot Foot work which can cross a person up and send them roaming restlessly. The spirit that is sent is attached to place so the work is conditional. So long as they remain in that place they are under the pall cast the presence. But now what do you do with the spirit? It's time to cleanse, cleanse, and cleanse.

Before we move into the actual cleansing part of the work there are a few things to consider before undertaking such work. First and foremost make sure that you have the skill to actually deal with an entity. Cleansing a home of a spirit is different from cleaning up messes. There is a level of skill and knowledge that is necessary for work. Make sure you have this before you attempt this. If you do not then get a professional involved to help out. The second thing to consider is whether or not the spirit is there for a specific reason. If you have the ability to commune with spirits, or if you are a talented diviner this is the time to figure out why the spirit is there in the first place.

This step can be crucial because the answers you receive can determine the approach you need to take in order to dislodge that spirit. Was the spirit sent there by another spiritual practitioner? Did the spirit used to live where it is now haunting? Is the spirit there for a specific reason; i.e. visiting a living family member?

All of these questions can lead you down a different path. For example, a spirit on a specific task can be dismissed if the task it was set to has been accomplished. On the other hand if the spirit is still on a "mission" then it may take you getting some serious guns out to deal with the power of the other magician whose will holds the spirit there.

For the purposes of this blog, we are going to approach the cleansing like the spirit is attached to a house, unwilling to leave.

What you need:
Camphor resin
Frankincense
Chinese Floor Wash
2 Charcoals and Brazier to burn it on
Bucket of Spring Water and Mop
White candle
Image of St. Michael
Plate

Enter into the place where the spirit is haunting and set everything on the floor. Kneel and begin by praying sincerely that you are able to cleanse and make this place inhabitable once more. Take your charcoal, light it and place it in your brazier. Take the Camphor resin in your hand and pray over it. Pray that as it burns that it drives out all spirits that dwell in the house. Begin sprinkling a bit of the resin on the charcoal. This will release the fumes.

Now go into each and every room of the house swinging the brazier back and forth while praying that whatever spirit lives in the house that it be driven out. In your other hand hold the image of St. Michael. Call out to the archangel and pray:

"Blessed Saint Michael, Archangel of the Lord;

I call on you to drive from this home the spirit that dwells in unrest.

As you drove out the Devil from the abode of heaven so too drive out this

devilish presence. Oh purest of the Heavenly Host, Oh Commander

of the Lord's Host, cleanse this house!"

After you've prayed over each room as you've fumigated it go back to where you set up all your items and dump out the charcoal and Camphor into a plate. Next light another charcoal and repeat the process of going into each room to fumigate, but this time sprinkle your Frankincense on the charcoal. Make sure to pray over the resin, this time to purify the house.

As the incense smoke rises up make sure that it fills each room, replacing the void left by the Camphor. Pray again, but this time call upon the Archangel Raphael.

"Beloved Archangel Raphael,

Healer of the Lord, Hear my prayer.

In the Name of our beloved Lord I ask that you cleanse this house

I ask that you heal this house,

I ask that you make whole this home.

In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost Amen."

Make sure to get the smoke from the Frankincense into each room. Once you've fumigated the entire house again. Go back and get ready for the finally bit of cleansing.

Fill your bucket up with warm water and add in your Chinese Floor Wash. Now take this mixture and mop the house from back to front, top to bottom. As you do so pray that all the negativity and all messes be cleansed right out.

This act of physically cleaning the place brings down the spiritual act of cleansing into the visceral and physical, lending itself to a beautiful right that works on both spiritual planes and physical ones.

Make sure to thoroughly cleanse the entire house. Now if the house has carpets you can put the mixture into a spray bottle and gently spray the carpets from back to front while lightly taking a broom or sponge to it.

Now take your white candle to the center of the home and light it while praying a quite blessing on the place. Let it burn down and collect the residue and dump it into the plate with the Camphor residue, Frankincense residue, and the charcoals. Take this all out to a crossroads and dump it out without looking back.

This should thoroughly cleanse the house of all spirits, settle the home down, and once more make it inhabitable.

Next blog we'll talk about spirit traps.

RuneSoup Give away!

2010-11-03T18:04:00.001-07:00

Gordon over at the Rune soup is having a great give away! He's recently come back from the beautiful city of Florence--which is one of my favorite cities in the whole world and is doing a give away. This is your chance to get some awesome Catholic folk-magic goodies. Check it out!

Good luck all contestants.

Raisin' the Dead!

2010-10-31T00:03:00.000-07:00

What better way to commemorate Halloween then by talking about some good old-fashioned gouls and goblins!

Necromantic arts, or those arts dealing with the dead--be it for the purposes of divination, or for the purposes of magick--have been fringe and shadowy aspects of the Western magical traditions in more modern times. While there is mention of a graveyard working here or there, and perhaps a rite dealing the shades of the dead, generally the approach to the denizens of the underworld has been one that has been a tad neglected these days. Not so in the Afro-diasporic religions and not so for hoodoo!

While modern magicians partaking in the Western magical tradition may have forgotten the goet ancestors, or the magi of the Graeco-Egyptian world who absolutely loved Necromancy, hoodoo considers working with the dead one of the staples of its magical tradition. You have such professionals such Dr. E and myself who work with spirits, especially those of the dead, extensively. In conjure you can quite literally call upon the aid of the dead for nearly anything. Have a court date? Go to the graveyard. Need a love spell with some coercion thrown in? Go to the graveyard. Want to take out an enemy? Go to the graveyard.

The lovely Devi Spring wrote up a beautiful article on praying for the dead so in this post we'll take it in the opposite direction. I'm going to show you how to get a spirit to haunt a house. This particular working is great because it can effectively hot foot a nasty individual right of the area, or it can be used to exact revenge and/or justice against an individual. Before I go on a word of caution, graveyard work is not for the faint of heart, nor for people who don't know what they are doing with the work. If you don't know what you are doing then stay away from such things lest you end messing yourself up. My recommendation for anyone interested in this type of work who doesn't come from a tradition that includes some type of interaction with graveyard spirits is to find a teacher to guide you.

So that said, here's what you need:

9 pennies

3 dimes (I love using Mercury Dimes personally)

Small trowel or a strong spoon.

Little baggie

Couch Grass or Twitch Grass

Red Pepper

Black Pepper

Now take your coins and head over to your local graveyard. Some people prefer to time when they go to the graveyard according to spiritually significant times. Midnight for darker work, sunset for works of decrease, and noon or the rising sun if you are looking to enlist the aid of the spirits for lighter and protective work. Park just outside of the cemetery and as you approach the gate address the Keeper of the Graveyard. You can use your own words or the following prayer.

"I offer up this prayer to the Keeper of the Graveyard,

You who guards and keep the spirits of those who have passed.

I ask you for permission to enter your domain and ask that

you lead me to a spirt that would be willing to work with me.

I give you these coins as a humble offering for your aid

and blessing."

At this point place the 9 pennies by the gate of the cemetery and listen for the answer of Keeper. Once you've receieved the spirit's blessing you may enter and begin your search for a willing helper.

Start by calmly walking through the cemetery. Keep your mind clear and silently pray. Call out in your mind and ask if there is a spirit there that is willing to work with you. Tell them what your purpose and intent is. In this case, let them know you are interested in setting them against a rival in order to haunt them. Make sure you also let them know you are willing to pay for their work.

You'll soon be led to the grave of a spirit that is willing to work with you. Depending on how you interact with the psychic and spiritual worlds you'll arrive there differently. Those with the ability to see spirits will see the spirit leading them there, those who can hear them will hear the answer to them calling out, while others may be led by gut feeling and intution. Whatever the case, you will soon find yourself before a spirit that can aid you.

Once you get to the garve, knock on the headstone three times. This is to wake the spirit up. Kneel down and softly begin to pray and speak to the spirit. Tell them what you want, tell them your desire, and ask if they are willing to aid you. Again let them know that you are able to pay them. When you receive the spirits agreement, then take out your spoon or trowel and start digging where the right hand of that person in the grave would be. You don't have to dig too deep, just enough for you to scrape up a handful of dirt. Place this dirt in your baggie and leave the coins in the hole you've made. Some also leave offerings of whiskey for the spirit, but it's up to you if you wish to do that. Cover up the hole and get up and walk out of the cemetery. As you walk out make sure to keep praying, or speaking to spirit as if it were with you because at this point you are carrying it away with the dirt.

When you approach the gate thank the Keeper of the Graveyard then head home. I recommend taking a different route home then the one used to get the cemetery.

Once you are at home. Take out the dirt you've collected and lay this on your altar. Take your Couch Grass and burn it to ashes. Pray over these ashes that they effect the nerves and mind of your rival, making him/her fearful, nervous, and susceptible to the workings of your spirit. Mix these ashes into the dirt while you continue to pray your intent. As you mix it together add in your Red Pepper, and Black Pepper (make sure you've crushed these). Keep mixing this up while you get the spiritual juices going while praying. You can pray from the heart or use something that goes a little like this:

"(Rival's Name), you are a sore to me and those around you,

you are villan and it is time for you to go.

I set the Hounds of Hell on your heels to chase you right out of my life,

I set the spirits of the dead on your heels to chase you right out town,

I set the spirits of Fire on your ass to burn you right out!

(Rival's Name) so long as you are a thorn in my side,

So long as you live at your current house,

you shall be haunted and tormented and driven to fear and terror

until you leave me be and leave this town.

In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit! Amen."

Once you've got that power built and you feel the spirit of the dirt jumping, ready for action. Head over to your enemy's home and sprinkle the dirt right on their lawn and front door while instructing to spirit you've contracted to get to work.

The spirit will get to work on that person literally scaring them right out of your life. Once the person leaves, it is best to go back and do a quick cleansing of the property. Even though your curse should be precise on when the conditions stop, it is best to not leave a haunt for the people who might move in next ;-).

Happy Haunting!

What's New In Hoodoo?

2010-10-24T21:28:00.000-07:00

A lot going on this week in the world of hoodoo. Here's a quick recap for everyone in case you missed anything:

My AIRR page is up so check it out here: ConjureMan AliWhile you are there don't forget to check out my fellow colleague Momma Hen who has also recently joined AIRR. She's Miss Bri's mom and a gifted healer. You can find her page under Momma Hen.

Dr. Johannes, one of the most talented conjure doctors out there as well as the preserver of the trolldom tradition has started a blog. You gotta check it out! I have learned a great deal from Dr. Johannes who I had the honor of having him coach me through various conjure work. He's a talented rootworker and if you interested in trolldom he's your man.

Momma Starr, my favorite conjure women and my teacher has a blogtalk radio going on. Momma Starr is old school and one sassy woman. If you want to learn *real* conjure the way it was taught by the elders then you have to listen to this blogtalk. She's straightfoward and no nonsense and filled with wisdom. She's also released her newest book which covers work with the great BlackHawk. A must read for those interested in learning from an authentic conjure woman.

My friend and colleague Balthazar, of Balthazar's Conjure wrote a great article on divination and its role in spiritual work, a must read for all!

And the wonderful Devi Spring the Proprietess of Queen of Pentacles Conjure wrote an amazing article on ancestor veneration and praying for the dead. Its both profound and beautiful and I highly recommend reading it.

Finally, Lucky Mojo Hoodoo Rootwork Hour is back on! Check out Miss cat and Dr. K as they do live readings, diagnose problems, and prescribe some good old-fashioned conjure remedies.

An End to Hate and New Beginnings for Love and Healing

2010-10-20T14:09:00.000-07:00

Dr. E, a talented rootworker and my colleague on AIRR has just posted a great bit on his blog that speaks directly to a current issue that teens are facing due to their sexual identity. He's gone above and beyond standing in solidarity against hate and has posted a simple, but powerful rite to help restore the love.

Whether you are straight, gay, bisexual, transgender etc this is an issue that effects all of us. Each of us has colleagues, friends, or family members that are part of the LGBT community. If you are willing take out your candles then let's get to work. If you are unable, then don on purple and let's put an end to hate and fear.

You can read what he wrote here.

Keeping the Bill Collectors Away

2010-10-17T21:48:00.000-07:00

Conjure is a highly practical tradition. It comes from a people who had needs and who used magick to help fulfill those needs. That isn't to say that conjure isn't "spiritual," in fact in hoodoo we don't have a dichotomy between the spiritual and the physical. Does God want you to be a good person? Sure, but he also wants you to be prosperous and happy ;-).

Hoodoo views the world in a set of conditions. These conditions are either favorable or they are not. If they are favorable then you want to keep the good times going, if they are not favorable then you want to change them and change them quick. That means if you don't have money then your condition isn't favorable. Why not do some conjure to fix that? Need some love? We got a potion for that too.

The basic premise of this comes from a pragmatic and deeply practical way of thinking. Life is both spiritual and material and BOTH come from God. Once you understand that, you'll understand why a conjurer and hoodoo doesn't see any conflict in calling upon God to help bring some lovin' his or her way. ;-)

In light of the pragmatic spirit, here is a spell to keep the bill collectors away. Sometimes we get behind, sometimes we need a bit of extra time, whatever the case here's an old-timey trick.

What you'll need:
White cloth
Indian Head penny
Law Keep Away OilProtection Oil
Money Stay With Me OilOregano
Alfalfa leaves
Alkanet root
Pen or marker.

In the center of the white cloth write the bill collector's name or the name of the agency three times. Turn this counter clockwise 1/4th of a turn and write a command along the lines of "leave us alone," or "don't bother us anymore." Write this three times to cover and cross the name of the bill collecting agency.

In the center of this set up place the Indian head cent. Dress this with a bit of Law Keep Away, Protection, and Money Stay With Me oils. Sprinkle some Oregano, Alfalfa, and Alkanet on this penny. As you do this make sure to pray fervently over each herb and root as they are sprinkled.

Take the edge of the cloth closest to you and tightly roll it away to make a long tube-like form with the cloth. As you do this call out, "(Name) go away you are unable to bother us anymore."

Take the two ends that are created from this rolling action in each hand and tie a knot as you call out that person's name. Repeat this two more times--saying their name while making a knot so you have a total of three knots.

What should result is a small sachet, or bundle of knots. Hold this in your hand and pray fervently that as the cloth is knotted that the bill collector's attempts to collect the debt be hampered and tied down. Dress this with your three oils.

Take this little packet and nail it up by one of it's tails by your front door. As it's nailed up so will that person be unable to collect the debt and will be left twisting in the wind, or left hanging. If the packet should fall from its place then know that it took a hit for you and that bill collector may be coming your way soon!

Good luck and Happy Conjurin'!

The Newest Member of AIRR

2010-10-09T12:09:00.000-07:00

On the advice and encouragement of collegues I have applied to the prestigious Association of Independent Readers and Rootworkers and have been accepted. I am honored to join the ranks of these talented and ethical rootworkers, readers, and conjure-doctors. My thanks goes out to all those who encouraged me in this endeavor and especially to my teachers Miss cat and one who has passed to a better place. A special thanks goes out to Miss Bri, Johannes, and Momma Starr for their guidance. For those who do not know what AIRR is: "The Association of Independent Readers and Rootworkers (AIRR) is a gathering of professional practitioners of African American folk magic, hoodoo, conjure, and rootwork who provide psychic readings and spiritual root doctoring services to the public. AIRR promotes quality service and ethical conduct by means of accreditation and evaluation of our members. Unlike commercial online psychic reader services, AIRR is a membership-supported organization that receives no fees or kickbacks for referrals."

You can look for my AIRR page to be up in the next few weeks! It will be under ConjureMan Ali

Hoodoo at the Crossroads: The Third Stream of Conjure and The Future

2010-10-03T21:53:00.000-07:00

I have been a conjure doctor for many years; it is a tradition that is near and dear to my heart, but I am many things. I am an astrologer, a hermetic magician, a goetic conjurer, a Bardonian hermetic, a djinn conjurer, but at heart I shall always remain a conjure doctor. Given that, I have a vested interest in what I view the future of conjure and hoodoo. My "public" work is in academia where I am a university historian and so by nature I examine things slightly differently from the average person. Tonight, I feel like musing about conjure: a little about how it has been past down, but more importantly where it is headed.

Historically conjure has coalesced and been passed down in two ways. The first way was via family traditions and the second method was through instruction. Family traditions represent the passing down of conjure lore from generation to generation within the line of families. Here is where grandparents taught their grand-kids not to lend out Salt, how to drink Life-everlasting to live a long life, or even how to feed your man some of your stuff to get him to stay with you. This tied conjure directly into the people who practiced it--who lived it. Conjure was not only a way of working magick, but a spiritual outlook and way of life. But as the elders passed, the younger generations forgot what it was they were told to do about white powders found on their doorstep, or simply ignored the advice and let it be buried with those who lived this path.

The second stream of conjure involved the learning and passing along of knowledge from teacher to student. Those interested in learning this powerful craft would apprentice themselves to teachers and like sponges soak up all the elders had to offer them. The student was the spiritual heir and when the teacher passed on the student then carried on their practice and their tradition--it was now their turn to be the bastion of conjure knowledge. This form of learning was how I was taught. I was adopted into the tradition, taught hands-on by a conjure woman who passed her knowledge on to me and whose practice I took over when she passed.

During the 20th century with the rise of urban hoodoo and the mail-order supply shops the instruction of conjure often took place not in the home of the conjure doctor, but through correspondence, or even at the shop itself. You would go into the store looking to buy a money candle and an old man may be sitting by the counter who would instruct you on how to properly work the trick. These shop owners and elders would act as both proprietor and spiritual counselor. Often times they wouldn't let you buy certain products because they felt they had a responsibility to their art. So if you had a problem you went into their store told them what was going on and these folk would direct you to the right product and tell you how to use it. This method of transmission was how such monumental figures like catherine yronwode learned. She was taught this tradition by actual folk, she sought them out, she studied with them, she collected lore, and in turn became the shop owner who now passes on the knowledge to others just as it was done to her.

But catherine yronwode represents more than a bastion of tradition, she represents the third and new stream of conjure: the internet. Miss cat took what she learned and began to compose thousands of articles that were put online for all to read and learn about in this tradition. This act did something immensly transformative: it preserved conjure's tradition. It saved it from dying out.

With the previous two streams of transmission the key figure was the "elder." However, though the elders passed down their knowledge their students didn't always take up where their teacher left off. Sometimes these elders didn't pass on their information because there was no one to sit at their feet and listen to the old stories. So as these old folk were passing so too was conjure. While there was always going to be the abused woman seeking the powder she could put in her husbands foot powder to make him treat her better and they'd always be the man looking for his John the Conqueror to give him that swagger, the actual art was in danger. When Miss cat put her knowledge online she addressed this immediate concern. She ensured that as the elders passed their knowledge would remain, that it would reach a wider audience, and that the tradition I love would carry on strong.

But this new stream of transmission and learning comes with its own pitfalls. The internet generation is a generation of instant gratification; it is a generation with little love of history, the roots of something, or tradition. This is a generation that feels entitled to take what they want from where ever they choose and make it their own. This is the danger conjure faces. A woman desperate to have her lover back will jump online click her manicured nails away on the keys find a beautiful spell involving the magnetic power of Lodestones that symbolize all things she seeks: union, love, passion, and committment. She orders her products and within a week she's set up an altar with red candles, fragrant sachet powders, and has her incense putting up puffs of sweet-smelling smoke. But she doesn't like this whole magnetic sand bit, why doesn't she have to "feed" a bunch of rocks? Song of Solomon from the Bible? Yuck! Instead she grabs her athame and traces a Circle while invoking the Goddess to bring back her man.

Where did the conjure go? Lost, in this person's arrogance. Of course this same person will then wonder why her spell produced such medicore results, Missing the beauty and elegance of working with a spirit of magnetism that builds through a symbiotic relationship. As you feed the spirit, it fights and works for you.

A few states over from our caster of love spells we have a man who wonders why on earth he needs to actually lay powders where his target is going to walk. Can't he just visualize that he's laying those powders out and instead put it on a candle? Where did that immensly pragmatic way of conjuring go where contact was emphasized?

Conjure's third stream has ensured its future, but now it is up to us to make sure that the tradition is not taken apart by zealous individuals who merely want to have their spiritual buffet. Whether we are professional conjure doctors, whether we are born into this tradition or adopted, or whether we found it online it is our job to ensure the tradition remains true and that we take in the beauty of the tradition that is presented to us. Don't just pick and choose spells, learn the traditions, the stories that are told and related by figures like catherine yronwode, take her class, sit at the feet of elders like Starr Casas and learn what it means to conjure.

Dealing with Troublesome Neighbors

2010-09-26T21:59:00.000-07:00

In a recent post, Balthazar shares with us a strong conjure on how to deal with a "frenemy," a term that I was most certainly unfamiliar with, but one that I've taken a liking to (thanks B!) In his post he goes over a solid candle spell that impliments domination and power to deal with the meddlesome people called "frenemies." In this post he also unveils an oil that I believe is definately worth checking out, aptly called Frenemy Oil. This seems to be along the lines of traditional boss fix products but aimed at a different class of people in our lives. Given that this is an oil from Balthazar I have no doubt it'll pack a solid punch.

Balthazar has graciously given us the means of dealing with those people who are permenant fixtures in our lives, who are claim to be friends, but in reality are truly meddlesome. In this post, I hope to cover another group of people that can be potentially problematic: nosey neighbors. Some of us are fortunate enough to have neighbors that are friendly and tend to mind their own business, but occassionally we come across those individuals who are downright troublesome. You know who I am talking about; those people who stick their head over the wall to see what you are doing, who quote regulation when it comes to how far your trash bucket can be away from the curb, or how close your plants can be to *their* wall, or those neighbors who have a complete lack of understanding of the term, "personal space." Being in close proximity with us their potential for trouble ranges from irritation to flat out get-the-hell-off-my property frustration. Now, some may reach straight for the hot foot, but sometimes these neighbors just can't help to be the way they are. They aren't yet dangerous, just a nuisance.

So in honor of all those gossipy, nosey, snoops here's a simple spell you can perform to literally cloak your house from the sight of such meddlesome folk and to give them a good kick to the arse should they decide to cause trouble. What you'll need is:

1 Black Candle
Some Poppy Seeds
Black Mustard Seeds
Salt
Black Pepper
Slippery Elm
9 Devil's Shoe String
1 Bat Nut
1 bottle of a protection oil (Protection Oil, Fiery Wall of Protection Oil etc)
1 bottle of a domination oil (Essence of Bend Over, Domination Oil, Controlling Oil, All Things Under My Feet etc)
9 Pins
Cup/bowl
Piece of paper and pen
Mortar and Pestle

Take your piece of Paper and write your neighbor's name three times. Turn this away from you a quarter turn and write across their name in bold letters, "LEAVE ME ALONE." Five spot this paper with the domination oil of your choice. Then fold it away from you while you firmly demand that in no uncertain terms this person goes away and leaves you alone. Turn the paper away from you and fold again. Do this a total of three times. Then set this aside while you make a quick mixture and powder.

Take your Poppy Seeds in your hand and pray that they confuse the mind of your troublesome neighbor so that person is unable to even see where you live, unable to find their way to your home, and unable to figure out what they even intended to come over for. Then add it to your mortar. Next take up your Black Mustard Seeds and pray that your neighbor is unable to resist your command to stay away. Add this as well. Take up your Black Pepper and pray that it drives you neighbor away from your property then toss it in. Finally take up your Salt and pray that it protects your property by creating solid barriers that your neighbor is unable to cross. Only add a pinch of this Salt to the mortar, leave some left for use later on. Now begin grinding and crushing them all together. As you work with the pestle, grinding and crushing, pray for this person to go away and stay away from your home and doorstep. Add in your Slippery Elm and pray that their wagging tongue stills and they are unable to speak to you, about you, or gossip anymore.

Take the candle and from top to bottom in a swirling fashion (like a barber's pole) write, "(Neighbor's Name) everytime you think of bothering me you get the urge to run away," or "Neighbor's Name, stay away from me" seems just as good. Make sure you write this in a downward spiral from wick to base to help diminish this person from your life. Next put a few drops of the domination oil on your hand and dress the candle by stroking it away from you. Everytime you stroke it away from you state clearly that you want this person to stay away and keep away. Take this candle and roll it in the mixture of ingredients making sure to roll it away from you.

Now take your 9 Devil's Shoe String and your Bat Nut. Lightly dress these with the protection oil while praying that they trip up your neighbor and keep them far away from you. Place this under the overturned cup or bowl with your name paper. Set your candle on the overturned cup and hold your hands over the set up as your pray ferverntly that every time your neighbor comes over to start meddling that they turn around and run the other way. Light the candle and let it burn.

As the candle burns, heat up your 9 pins one by one and stick them into the candle as you call for 9 specific things to happen to your neighbor.

1. That everytime they go to speak about you that their tongue is tied and they are unable to do so.
2. That everytime they try to meddle in your affairs that they get a sharp pain that pricks them. 3. That everytime that they attempt to come onto your property they find their way barred.
4. That everytime they walk towards you they are forced to run in the opposite direction.
5. That their eyes are now blind to all of your activities.
6. That they are unable to raise a finger to interfere in your life.
7. That coming near your property sets an itch in their feet to get off.
8. That they are unable to snoop for the mere thought of it causes them panic
9. That they are to walk right out of your life and stay out.

Of course you can choose whatever 9 things to say, but say them with feeling as you stick the candle with the heated pins.

Let the candle burn down then take the Bat Nut and place it above your threshold. Ask that it ward away your neighbor and keeps him or her off your property. Take the 9 Devil's Shoe Strings and drive them into the ground leading up to your door and ask that they trip up your neighbor when they attempt to meddle. Then take the Salt that was left over and pray for protection and that it creates a barrier that none are able to pass without your permission and sprinkle this in the four corners of your property.

Dispose the remains of the rest of the spell at a crossroads over your left shoulder as you walk away without looking back.

The beauty of the spell is not only does it work directly on the neighbor through the candle work, but the Bat Nut and the Devil's Shoe Strings will act as little wardens and keep out your troublesome neighbor while the Salt creates a powerful barrier of protection.

So if you're looking for some peace and quiet from the endless meddling of a neighbor give this spell a try and enjoy the peace that ensues ;-).

Conjure Man's Spiritual Practice

2010-09-16T14:06:00.001-07:00

After a short haitus away from public client work, I have returned with the launch of my new website. I am once again offering my services to the public as a rootworker, reader, and magician
I am a long time practitioner and have been a professional rootworker for many years and I am willing to offer that experience for my clients. I am gifted in reading with the Tarot, Geomancy, Astrology, Runes, and scrying and my training as a necromancer has helped augument my own inner abilities by bringing me in contact with spirits of divination that can be called upon to help illuminate situations for my clients.

As a rootworker and magician I am willing to call upon the spirits and allies I have in order to help you in the situations that you face. I am a justified worker who believes that it is the duty of a spiritual practitioner to give those who seek us out the edge and helping hand they need in life. I am especially talented at, but not limited to:

Love work, be it drawing new love, or reconciling with old love
Court cases
Hotfoot and Break up Work,
Revenge and Reversing work
Uncrossing and Protection work,
Influence and Domination work
Working with graveyard spirits and the Crossroads,
Money and Job drawing
And Success and Road opening.

I am especially good at dealing with other spiritual practitioners. If you feel that you are being thrown for I am willing to intercede and put an end to their meddling and ensure that they never hurt anyone again. As a magician who works with streams magick like the goetia and Hermetic Renaissance magick, I have access and alliances with spirits that transcend anything your average spiritual practitioner can dream of. I am old school rootworker and classically trained occultist and this comes off in my work.

To learn more about all the services that I offer check out my website at http://www.theconjureman.com/

Stop by for a chat!

Tobacco in Conjure Spells

2010-09-10T13:23:00.001-07:00

Conjure draws its roots from ancient sources that stretch all the way back to the magical and spiritual practices of Africa. The slaves brought these practices with them, but when they arrived to this continent two important things happened that really shaped the path conjure was going to take. First, in order to keep their tradition alive they began adopting practices that came from other sources--Near Eastern, Germanic, and European, and Native American. These beliefs and practices held similarites to their own and fit into the overall paradigm that they were working with. The second was that they were introduced to new magica materia. This was a reaction to the fact that some of the materials that were used in Africa simply couldn't be found in the Americas. To remedy this they often adopted the practices and herb-lore of the Native Americans whose deep spirituality mirrored their own. Enter Tobacco.

Tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) was a plant that was and is sacred to the Native Americans. It was burnt as offerings to the spirits, placated angry place spirits and the dead, and played a central role in the herbal magick of the shaman and medicine man. This plant was quickly adopted into conjure practices and because it was readily available in the form of smokes or snuff it was easily acquired and employed. In conjure Tobacco has been found in three types of works: works involving spirits and spirit-contact, works involving court cases, and domination work involving people and situations. Here are some old-timey conjure tricks that use Tobacco.

Spell to Get Someone to Contact you:
Soften some wax (beeswax) and spread it out on a non-sticky surface. Sprinkle Tobacco onto the wax and roll a brown candle in the mixture while calling out the name of the individual. Roll the candle in the mixture towards you to draw that person. Light the candle as you again call out for that person to contact you. This will get them to contact you or return home.

Spell to Help You Get a Case Dismissed:
If you're being brought to trial for something and you want get a mistrial, or want the case dismissed carry in your pocket a pinch of Tobacco, Poppy Seeds, and Black Mustard Seeds. This mixture will make sure that the prosecution is all mixed up and that all their efforts will be thwarted.

Spell to Summon the Spirit of a Place:
If you want to call up the spirit of a place that may have a haunt or spirit living there like someone's house, or if you want to contact the spirit of a tree or forest then burn some Tobacco on a charcoal disk while calling to that spirit. Tell the spirit that the Tobacco is an offering and the spirit will come for a smoke and you'll see it in manifest.

Spell to Compel Someone to Do What you Want (especially if they are being stubborn):
You can add Tobacco to any Control or Domination conjure to help bolster its effects. One method of getting someone to do what you want is to chew Tobacco and spit where the person will walk. As you spit sign the cross and state what you want that person to do. Aftewards, ask them for the favor or what it is you want and you'll find them pliable and favorable to your cause.

Spell to Dominate Someone:
In a jar place the name of your target with 9 pins, Tobacco, Licorice, and Salt. Shake it up while the moon is waning and that person will be able to resist you less and less.

Spell to Influence Someone's Dreams:
To influence someone's dreams you need to work on their spirit while they are sleeping. You can do this by burning a mix of Tobacco and Anise Seeds (whole Star Anise will work too) on their name or picture. As the smoke rises call out to the person's spirit and tell them what you want them to dream or think about.

Spell to Sway a Court Decision in Your Favor:
To help sway a jury in your favor carry in your pocket Sugar, Tobacco, and Little John the Chew. Keep this mix in your pocket every day you go to court or place it in a red flannel bag. Pray the 37th Psalm over this mix as you hold in your hand and breathe on it before you put it in your pocket.

Spell to Help a Lawyer win a Court Case:
In a red flannel bag place Tobacco, Deer's Tongue, and Salt. Chew some Little John and spit into the bag. Tie the bag and carry it to court. Everytime the lawyer on your side stands to speak recite the 35th and 37th Pslam.

Spell to Raise Spirits Against a Foe:
To bring destruction on person and summon spirits against him go to a graveyard at midnight on the dark of the moon and burn an upsided down black candle dressed with Black Arts oil on an upside down picture of him. Besides the candle burn Sulphur and Tobacco as you call upon the dead to rise up and do your work.

To Gain the Blessing of the Crossroads Spirit for Travel:
Take to a Crossroads two cigars and a bottle of rum or whiskey. Go to the center of the crossroads and place the cigars in an "X" as you call out to the spirit. Tell him that you are there to leave him an offering and that you ask his blessing on the trip that you are going on. Open the bottle of alcohol and pour it out as a libation as you continue to speak to the spirit. Spend a few moments communing then turn around and walk home without looking back.

To Get a Lover to Call You Back:
Take some Tobacco and place it in a name paper or petition. Place this near your phone and your lover will call you. To get them to write to you sprinkle some of the Tobacco in your mailbox. (In modern days you can sprinkle around your computer for an email)

To Make Someone Confess:
To make someone spill all, place their trace in a bottle with Tobacco, Salt, and a Parrot's Feather. Pray Psalm 8 and Psalm 64 (especially verse 8). Shake this up and that person will be unable to stop talking and will confess everything.

These old-timey spells all demonstrate the versatility of Tobacco and how this Native American plant found its way into the folk-magic of African's Americans. There are other methods of using Tobacco to draw trade, to assit in luck, and other such matters, but generally speaking the inclusion of it in such conjures is specifically due to the fact that Tobacco can control situations as well as people.
Enjoy!

----
Note: The Tobacco used for such spells can be snuff that is purchased from local stores, can be taken from cigars, or purchased from spiritual merchants.

2 Dimensional Spirits

2010-08-31T15:26:00.000-07:00

If you've ever glanced through any list of spirits you'll find that they often have rather contradictory capabilities and functions. Just a glimpse through the Lesser Key, the Grimoire Verum, or any other grimoire reveals that a single spirit is able to do a whole host of various things that are often completely unrelated to one another. For example, in the Lesser Key of Solomon, the Spirit Barbas is capable of revealing to you all hidden things, changes men to other shapes, heals illnesses, and teaches the mechanical arts. Natural spirits (herbs, roots, curios, minerals) seem to have this same complexity.

For example Salt can be used as a protective and cleansing agent, but it can also be used to drive away enemies, find theives, and even can bring your spouse home safely.* What about Grains of Paradise? These little guys can help you find a job, help protect your home, or cause massive fights.** So how is this possible? How could spirits--whether chthonic or herbal have such contradictory uses? I would argue that this type of limited thinking where spirits can't have "contradictory purposes" is where the "issue" comes from in the first place.

You see, the problem is that we are seeing these spirits as two-dimensional cardboard cut-outs rather than complex, living, breathing, spiritual personalities. We have a tendency to see these spirits as something that has to fit the little compartments that we create for them. In the limtited understanding a spirit should be able to be categorized as "protective," or an herb should just be lucky but not lucky and love-drawing. This mentality limits our understanding of the spirits that we are dealing with and hold us back from tapping into the inner nature of the spirits and developing a powerful symbiotic relationship with them. I am not talking about some fluffy, hippy concept, I am talking about having a meaningful relationship with Spirit and spirits. Can we ourselves so easily be categorized? Are we defined by our occupation? Our gender? Our religious view? No. We are immensely complex individuals who are beyond labeling. Could we ever develop a meaningful relationship with our friend, our neighbor, or co-worker if we could never see past the label--their function-- to the person that resides within them? So, let's extend that same view to the spirits we work with. Are you just a husband, or wife? Are you just a son or daughter? Are you just an employee, or boss? Or are you something more? It is the same with the spirits we call upon.

If we accept the premise that we are working with spirits--things that are part of the fabric of life; if we accept the premise that there is more to these entities than merely a label, or set of characteristics, then we move to a new level of understanding. At this level we don't see "contradictory" characteristics; we see complex living beings who are involved in life in a myriad of ways--just like us.

When we learn to abandon our myopic and arrogant view that everything has to fit our little schema, when we learn to let go and actually accept that the spirits are as complex as we are, as deep as we are, then we really break through all the limits. When we reach this point we are able to call upon the full power of the spirits, herbs, curios, and roots and shape the very course of destiny because those spirits have our backs. It is when we abandon this view that the two-dimensional spirits disappear and the real powers start to awake.

------
* Hoodoo Herb and Root Magic by catherine yronworde under entry "Salt
**Hoodoo Herb and Root Magic by catherine yronwode under entry "Grains of Paradise" & herb-magic.com under entry "Grains of Paradise"

Real Time Magick: Old-school timing trick

2010-08-25T12:52:00.001-07:00

Over at the Rune Soup, Gordon wrote a wonderful piece about doing magick in "real time." Along with some wonderful products from Balthazar's Gnostic Conjure Shop, he works a bit of magick while his partner is in an interview to help nudge things along favorably. The end result was that he bolstered the chances of his partner to get the job. The entire rite from set up to timing is well-done and his success speaks for itself. His post brings up an interesting point that I think is overlooked by some magicians and rootworkers: doing magick in real time.

Working in the manner that Gordon wrote about is very traditional in old-style conjure work. In fact looking at the different traditions of timing in conjure you find two categories: symbolic timing and timing according to the target. The first groups revolves around using symbolic times to bring the work into the natural rhythm of life. This is where you do spells according to astrological hours, days of the week, hands of the clock, position of the sun, and other symbolic times. There are many theories behind why we do this, but generally it is to help tie your spell to the ebb and flow of the spiritual current of the planet and the universe.

The second category of timing revolves not around the natural rhythm of life, but rather to influence a specific person you time it around that person. As conjurer's we learn to time things according to two instances in the target's life: sleep and decision time. We are taught that when a person is sleeping then their defenses are down and you can influence them. The general principle being that you nudge them along in their sleep and when they wake up the thoughts and emotions they experienced while sleeping will shape their actions towards what we desire. The ultimate manifestation of this type of working would be hag-riding, which will be a topic for a later post.

Besides working on a target while they are sleeping one of the most traditional ways of working is to time it according to when your target is in decision-making mode. What does this mean? This means that if you want to help a buddy get a job you work on that interviewer right when he or she sits down to do the interview, if you want to get a reconciliation underway then you light your candles when the couple are sitting down to talk about it over dinner. This form of working is extremely powerful and really gets amazing results. Its efficacy is drawn from the fact that you only need a little nudge to move someone in one direction when they are in that moment balancing between choices. I was taught that when people are about to make decision they are in the "crossroads" between decisions and because of this we can move them towards one or the other. This type of working is often seen in traditional conjure work for court cases. While the jury is deliberating, or the lawyers are presenting their cases the client may have a rootworker doing work from their altar to sway the decision of things in their favor.

But what's so special about working like this? Well as Gordon indicated in his post, it ties the work into the real, into that very moment. Rather than working for a future event, or future outcome, you are working for an outcome right then and there. The results speak for themselves: you have a way of working that deals in practical considerations with effective magick.

Jackballs

2010-08-18T09:31:00.000-07:00

In a forum that I am part of the topic of jackballs came up and that inspired me to write a bit about them because I find that I use them in my work frequently and that they are an effective and potent tool/technique of working. First, however, a bit of background.

Jackballs refer to small balls of rolled up twine that were crafted by conjurers and rootworkers for themselves and their clients. A mojo hand was often considered someone's prized possesion, but a conjure ball or jackball was considered the most prized of all. This is logical if one considers that a poor person would have to pay from what precious little they had in order to get one of these objects of power. The jackball draws its influence from two of the roots of hoodoo: the African magical practices and European magical practices.

African magical practices have many traditions of tying things down, knotting them, nailing them etc. These types of magical actions can be seen in practices like nailing someone's footprint down, or tying down spirits. In European magical practices we see things like tying knots to bind your lover to you, or tying knots on rope in order to bind the winds and storms. These type of traditions inform the workings of a jackball.

So what are jackballs? A Jackball is a derivative of a container spell; it has herbs, roots, curios, minerals, and personal concerns that are contained in a little ball of twine, string, yarn. They can be used to influence people and events, they can be used as talismanic objects, they can be apotropaic and ward off, they can be used as objects of personal power and insight, and for much much more.

Each rootworker has slightly varying methods of making jackballs which probably stem from differing family traditions and regional differences. The following is a recipe for crafting a power jackball that can be used to bolster your magical abilities, heighten your psychic awareness, and help you gain spiritual mastery.

What you'll need:
Ball of red twine/yarn
Beeswax
Purple candle
Needle
Power Oil (or if you make your own oils a similar product)
Psychic Vision oil (or if you make your own oils a similar product)
Mastery Key Oil (or if you make your own oils a similar product)
Master Root
Sampson Snake Root
Tobacco (aimed at helping one contact spirits, but I also know a derivation of this recipe that replaces Tobacco with Acacia).
Star Anise
Small John the Conqueror (This is very male root, but can be used by females. Some women I know prefer to replace John the Conqueror with Queen Elizabeth root which has similar qualities of John the Conqueror, but is more female-oriented).
Personal concern of either yourself or your client

Dress your purple candle with each oil while you stroke it towards you to draw the power to you. Hold the candle in your hand and pray that you be granted spiritual mastery, psychic insight, and personal power to accomplish what you seek. Light the candle and work by its flame. Set out each of your herbs and roots and lightly dress them with the oils.

Take the beeswax and melt it so that it becomes soft and malleable. Take your John the Conqueror root and wrap your personal concern into it. Slowly roll the John the Conqueror into the softened beeswax forming a small ball. As you do this pray for your intent, which in this case would be increased personal power, spiritual mastery, and psychic insight. Speak to the John the Conqueror root and ask that it lend you its strength and power. Take your Master Root and add it to the ball of wax that you've got forming while continuing to pray and focus on what you want. Again speak directly to the root. Repeat this process with each of your roots and herbs making sure to pray over each as they go into the wax ball. Keep adding beeswax to ensure that all the roots are covered in wax and that you have a solid, unbroken ball. You'll want to use smaller roots and herbs and temper your amount of wax so the resulting ball is the exact right size you want--you don't want the wax ball too big because you are going to be wrapping it up in twine. It takes a bit of practice, but eventually you'll find a size that is just right for you.

Once you've got yourself a ball of wax with all your herbs and roots inside dress the ball in each of the oils as you again pray for your intent. Just use a little oil to dress the conjure ball. Then take this ball of wax in your cupped hands and breathe into as you pray for what you desire. Keep doing this for a few minutes until you feel that you've really got the power going. The idea is to first dress it with oil to help tune its purpose, then to combine your breath and prayer to begin to wake up the spirit.

Now take up your yard/twine and begin to wrap the jackball. I was taught to do this in a specific fashion so I'll share that method with you, but bear in mind that there are many ways of doing this so don't feel that you have to dogmatically cling to one. I was taught to first wrap the ball in an "X" fashion crisscrossing the thread while wrapping it towards me. This is symbolic of the crossroads and helps to draw the power of the herbs out while tying them down into the jackball. For those familiar with it, it's like fixing a trick inside a quincunx. Once you've got some crisscrosses going then begin to wrap it all over while continuing to wrap towards yourself. Make sure to cover the entire thing so you have no wax showing and make it as even as possible so you have a round ball of twine. Leave a long piece of tail unwrapped which shall be used shortly. Keep your focus and prayers up the entire time that you are wrapping the ball, calling for the herbs to give you power, insight, and master, asking that Spirit fill you with its power.

Once the entire thing is evenly wrapped and the wax is no longer visible then it is time to tie of the jackball and set its power. Thread the tail you have left into a needle and using this needle run the thread under one of the firm threads wrapping the ball, pull the string through and repeat to create a knot that will keep the ball from unraveling. Create a total of three knots like that. Then knot the end of the string, knotting it twice to complete the jackball.

Finally take a little bit of your oils and dress the jackball as you do this say, "As I feed you, so you feed me." Then take the jackball in your cupped hands and breathe your prayers unto the ball. Pray fervently and let your breath waken the spirit now inside the jackball. Finally hold it by its tail and carefully wave back and forth over the flame of the candle while you call out your goal. Let the candle burn down and keep that jackball close to you.

The jackball is now alive and part of you. You can work the jackball by holding it by its string and use it as pendelum to divine answers, you can feed it a bit of oil from time to time, you can place it under you pillow to dream true, you can keep it safely away in a flannel bag that you keep on you and it will augument your spiritual powers, you can place it on your altar to help develop a connection with spirit, or you can keep the jackball on you as you conjure to help hone your abilities. One way that I've loved using it in the past is by holding it by its tail and circling it towards me while praying for what I desire.

Jackballs are powerful allies in conjure and following the general principles above I'm sure people can come up with dozens of recipes and uses for them. Happy conjuring!

Saint Cyprian: Calling upon the Patron of Conjurers to Uncross

2010-08-13T20:46:00.000-07:00

Saint Cyprian is the patron of conjure-doctors, rootworkers, magicians, occultists and spiritual practitioners, not to be confused with Cyprian of Carthage. According to legend, St. Cyprian was a powerful magician whose power over dark and mighty spirits was reknown. Either he himself or one of his clients fancied Justina, a young and virtuous Christian woman so he conjured up one of his demon servants and sent the spirit over to abduct her, but she repelled the demon by signing the cross. Saint Cyprian was so moved by the act that he converted. Given his pagan background Saint Cyprian is also one of the few saints who seems to have a soft spot for pagans and non-Christians.

St. Cyprian and St. Justina continued their lives together working side-by-side until they were persecuted, tortured, and killed under the reign of Diocletian.

St. Cyprian represents that meeting point between the world of faith and spirituality and the realm of magic and is a reminder of the complexity of the spiritual practitioner who is a man or woman of faith as well as an occultist. There are a few books attributed to this saint and are filled with powerful prayers and conjurations. These books are found in various parts of the world and have heavily influenced various grimoires and some traditions like Quimbanda.

He is a wonderful saint who can be called upon to aid you in works of uncrossing, reversal, protection from spiritual and magical attacks and is a powerful ally for those of us who work with hotter, primal, and more chaotic spirits. I always work with him before any of my goetic workings and can feel his cool, but charged power have my back as I stand in conjuration.

He seems to prefer purple candles be lit to him along with leaving him a cool glass of water. The burning of incense like Frankincense and Myrrh are also offerings that he accepts. From time to time I leave him a book on the occult or magick on the altar to keep him at home with trappings he is familiar with. Most of my scrying materials are also left on his altar when I am not working with them in order to gain his blessing.

His feast day is different according to different sources. His feast day is attributed to September 14th, October 9th and a few other dates. His day of the week is Saturday and the color purple and the number 9 are all associated with this saint. Statues of him seem to be rather difficult to get a hold of, but his image is readily available from various spiritual supply shops and botanicals.

Unlike other saints like Saint Martha who sometimes prefer their offerings of "payment" to be given before they complete a work on your behalf, Saint Cyprian doesn't mind either. As a Saint he'll accept the offerings you leave him and still continue to work on your behalf, and as a magician he understands that sometimes payment comes after the work is done.

One great way of working with this saint is in uncrossing work. If you feel like you've been crossed by a rival rootworker or spiritual practitioner you can call upon the power of this glorious saint to help break the hold this person has over your life. Here's what you need:

A statue or framed picture of Saint Cyprian
1 purple candle
2 small white candles
A cup of water
Dried Mint
Agrimony
Hyssop
Frankincense
Myrrh
A picture of yourself with a piece of your hair
Brazier or something to burn your resins
Charcoal

First set up an altar to Saint Cyprian. Lay out a purple cloth, place his image in the center of this area with the cup of water to his right, the purple candle to the left, and a brazier or similar container to burn your resins in the front of the saint's image. Once you've got this set up take a moment and enter a prayerful state where you've focused all your attention on calling out to Saint Cyprian.

First light the purple candle while offering him the light and flame of the candle. Dedicate the candle to the saint's glory. Then pick up the glass of water and make a gesture of offering it to the saint while telling him that you are leaving out the water for him that he may find pleasure in it. Then light your charcoal and set it on the brazier. Add your Frankincense and Myrrh to this and as the smoke rises, waft some of this towards the image of Saint Cyprian while telling him that you offer up this incense for him.

Next take up the mix of Agrimony, Mint, and Hyssop and hold it up while you pray fervently to Saint Cyprian to bless and empower the herbal mix. Tell Saint Cyprian that you are being oppressed by one who works magick against you, that your life has been turned upside down unjustly and that you ask Saint Cyprian to intervene on your behalf. After praying sincerely, leave the herbal mix in a bowl before the image of the saint over night.

Before dawn wake up and brew a tea out of the herbal mix. Let the water come to a boil, strain the herbs, and let the water cool for a bit. Take this tea-mixture back to the altar of Saint Cyprian and again ask for his intervention. Take the cup of water that you left out for the saint and pour a small amount of it into your tea. Don't pour all of the water, just a small symbolic amount. Go to your bath and set up two white candle on either side of your bathtub. Light these candles, strip, and step into the bath. Pour the tea over your head and wipe down your body by making an "x" with your arms with hands on opposite shoulders that uncross as you move your arms down. Make this gesture 9 times as you call for Saint Cyprian to wash you clean off all evil influences.

Make sure that either you've set a small container to collect some of the water that is poured over your, or that you've plugged your bathtub so it collects the bath. Step out of the tub in between the white candles to get your fresh start and gather some of the used bath water. Let yourself air dry. Once that is done take the used bath water to the nearest crossroads and toss it over your left shoulder and walk back without so much as a glance back.

You should start feeling things turn around nearly instantly. Saint Cyprian works quickly to help set your life back on track if it has been meddled with.

Saint Cyprian is a powerful saint and ally and one that I feel truly blessed to have in my life. Glory to you Saint Cyprian, Master of the Hidden, Guide of those who walk the realms of Spirit. I sing your praises and call blessings upon your name!

Spell to get a lover to call

2010-07-22T16:55:00.000-07:00

Reconciliation spells and spells aimed at getting wandering lovers to return home are part of the territory of being a rootworker. In reconciliation work of any type communication is huge--in fact many would say that without contact the chances of reconciliation are slim to none. In hoodoo this step is often approached in a variety of ways, including using tricked letters to establish contact first to spells aimed at compelling your target to call you.

There are times when one or the other are called for in love or reconciliation work. Sometimes you have to initiate contact and there are spells aimed at helping to keep your target interested and to get them to respond to your attempts. Then there are spells aimed at getting a lover to contact you first. The topic of this post is going to be the latter.

If there was a spat between you and your lover it is usually best to work with sweeter, more healing types of reconciliation that aim at bringing forgiveness to both parties. However, if your lover is being reticent, this spell can be worked to give them a nudge to contact you.

Here's what you'll need:
1 purple 7-day candle or vigil candle
1 pink 7-day candle or vigil candle
1 red 7-day candle or vigil candle
1 brown 7-day candle or vigil candle
1 love me type of oils (I generally make my own or use a reputable and authentic manufacturer like LuckyMojo. Oils that would work well are Love Me, Come to Me, Reconciliation, Return to Me).
1 command me type of oil (Command Oil, Control Oil, Compelling Oil etc).
Tobacco
Rose Petals
Calamus
Cinnamon
A picture of your target and if you have a piece of hair, great.

Take the photo of your target and on their forehead write the command "Call __" in the blank put your name. Now dab each of the oils in the four corners of the picture and the center. This is called 5-spotting the photo. Fold the photo towards you, as do call out that person's name and command them to call you. Rotate it clockwise 90 degress and fold it towards you again while calling out your command. Do this a total of 3 times until you have a folded up squre. If you have some of your target's hair fold it up with the photo. Set this paper aside.

Now take all of your candles and wipe them down with a cleansing product. I like using Florida Water or similar washes. This act really helps to clean off residue that the candle may have picked up from being handled. On the top of each glass-encased candle poke 3 or 4 holes. This can be done with a skewer, screwdriver or something similar.

Take up your pink candle and drip a little bit of love oil into each of the holes. Make sure not to use too much lest you drown out the wick. Toss in the Rose petals into the holes as well and hold the candle in your hands as you pray ferverently that your target's heart becomes sweet and gentle towards you and that they are inclined to call you.

Now take up the purple candle and add a few drops of your commanding oil and Calamus while you pray that your target is compelled to call you.

Then take up your red candle and dress it with the love oil again, but add Cinnamon to this candle while praying that the fires of love be stroked in your lover's heart and that they are drawn back towards you and quickly.

Finally take up your brown candle and dress it with both oils and sprinkle some Tobacco in the candle. Pray over this candle that your target feels the urge to call you, that the fires of their love are rekindled, and that they cannot resist calling you.

Set up the red, pink, and purple candles in an upright triangle with the purple and pink forming the base of the triangle and the red forming the top. In the center place your brown candle and place your folded up photo under this brown candle. Light them in a clockwise fashion with the brown candle being last. As you light each one call out your lover's name.

Let these candles burn as you pray over them from time to time and call out that your lover returns to you. When the candles have all burned down you can examine the glass for any divinatory signs. Bury any wax remains by your front door and recycle the glass. If your lover hasn't contacted you by the time the candles burned out then take the photo that was placed underneath the brown candle and pin it upside down to the back of the headboard of your bed with a pin in each corner. This last act will cause your lover to dream about you and feel restless until they call you.

Enjoy the spell!

Basics of Hoodoo pt. 1-Petition Papers

2010-07-09T16:21:00.000-07:00

This series is going to go over some of the basics of working with hoodoo. I'm going to cover things like how to write out petition papers, how to dress candles, how to dress tricks, and how to put it all together in a conjure aimed towards helping you acheive what you want. This will probably be interspered with other random posts, but I hope to continue the basics of conjure posts for my clients and those who might need some insight on where to start when it comes to the technique of conjure.

One of the very first things that people should learn how to make are petition papers. A petition paper, sometimes called a name-paper is a paper where the rootworker has written who or what they want to attract, influence, repel, or control. Petition papers act as the desires of the rootworker written out for the spell to act on. It can be taken as the map of the entire spellwork. As you write out your petition you are giving specific directions either through symbols or literal commands on what you want the spirits and powers you put into play to do. This makes the petition paper more than merely a piece of paper with some names on it, but literally makes it a magical object--a talisman of sorts.

If we think of petitions in terms of a magical object, or a talisman that is used to direct the spell then you find that the writing out of a petition paper becomes something more than a mechanical act. The act becomes magical in of itself. This theory that petition papers are meant to act like talismanic objects is supported by various traditional conjures and spells that use only a petition paper alone.

So how do you write one out? Well there are literally dozens of traditional ways, but I'll demonstrate a few of the methods that work well for certain situations.

If you are working any type of conjure aimed to giving you the upper hand, or giving you control over a person then you can use the following:
1. Write the name of your target a number of times (usually 3, 7, or 9 times).
2. Then turn the paper 90 degrees clockwise and write your own name or the name of the person you want to give the upper hand to over the name of the target. Write your names the same number of times.

If you want to tie someone to you by giving yourself the upper hand, but also get them to do what you want then use the following:
1. Create a name paper just like the one above where your name crosses and covers the name of your target.
2. In a circle around the names write your command in short, pithy phrases that convey what you want, but write it in an unbroken circle without lifting your pen. An example of this would be that if I wanted my boss to give me a raise, I'd write my name over his; crossing and covering his name, then in a circle around our names I'd write "favor me, give me a raise."

If you want a petition paper where you command someone to do something, or influence them to act a certain way then use the following:
1. Write out the name of the target a number of times (3, 7, 9)
2. Turn the paper 90 degrees either clockwise or counterclockwise depending on whether you wish to draw something or decrease its influence. I.e. if you want to have someone gain courage then clockwise to draw the courage, if you want to send this person away then counterclockwise.
3. Now cross and cover their name with your command written the same number of times as their name.

If you want to write out a name paper aimed at drawing something to you then use the following:
1. Write out what you desire to draw or control a number of times. You can write out wealth, money, love, luck etc.
2. Turn the paper 90 degress clockwise and cross it with your name written the same number of times.

If you have a long request then you can write out what you want in paragraph form, but then cross it with your name in order to cover the paragraph.

Once you have the paper written out you can draw symbolic elements on it to help personalize it a bit. For example in a love name paper try drawing out little hearts in each corner, for a money one try drawing out dollar signs. After you've finished all the written elements of the petition paper it is time to dress it. Take the spiritual oil that matches your desire and dab it in each corner of the paper and in the center. This is called five-spotting the paper. Some people prefer dressing the paper with powders instead, but try each one and see which you like.

Once you've done this you are ready to go. This petition paper can be folded a number of times (towards you to draw, away from you to repel) and placed in container spells, in your pocket or shoe, under candles. As this series progresses we'll put together the basics in an overall conjure.

Each act in the creation of a name paper and petition paper should be meaningful and significant to you. Don't let any of the actions become mechanic and dead. When you are writing out your desire, write it with feeling, when you are turning the paper towards you do it with feeling that you are drawing that very thing to you and so on and so forth. By making each action meaningful you are transforming the act of writing on a simple piece of paper into a magical act that can then become part of a spiritual process that helps you attain what you desire.

These are the basics forms name papers take, but there are more examples which will be given later.

Hoodoo and Karma

2010-07-02T21:59:00.000-07:00

Whenever I come across a person from the Neopagan community, especially those who hold the Western and New Age interpretations of Karma, I often get into discussions about the role of ethics in hoodoo and conjure. When I explain to such people that hoodoo does not have a concept similar to the Three-fold Law they often tend to become rather superior and look at anything I say afterwards askance.

To some people the very idea that the Universe, or Deity is not going to slap you on the hand the second you put something out there that does not fit the criteria of rainbows and butterflies is simply appalling if not down-right unethical. To these people hoodoo, which holds to the paradigm that conjurers and rootworkers are mature enough to figure things out on their own without an infintile system of reward and punishment, is nothing more than flat-out dark magick. Nothing could be further from the truth.

I am not going to touch on the history of hoodoo, nor its religious influences (for more on the topic of hoodoo's history check out catherine yronwode's online book). Instead, I am going to point out one salient fact that the critics who decry conjure's lack of concept of karma are missing: hoodoo is magick. That's right, it is a system of *magick,* not religion. Not just any magick, but one that is ultimately pragmatic.

Pragmatism is a strong part of many magical traditions and hoodoo exemplifies this. What purpose is there for magick if not to help right wrongs, to help find a person happiness, to bring about a nurturing relationship, or financial success? The rootworkers is a deeply spiritual person, but a person who's not so far up in the clouds that they forget where their feet are.

Now does that mean that hoodoo is a "do whatever you want" type of a system? Absolutely not. People fail to realize the hoodoo has an inherent doctrine of ethics that should not be overlooked. A conjurer or root doctor works with divination methods in order to see all the facets of a situation and the implications and consequences of any magick that they decide to throw into the mix. This is done with a clear understanding that they are answerable to higher power, be it the Universe, God, or their Higher Self. The idea is clear; if you cannot justify your actions objectively then you have no right doing what you plan on doing. It is for this reason that conjurers turn to divination.

Hoodoo and conjure accept that spiritual and magical power is not only able to, but should be used in order to help things like justice, love, fortune, and success along. It is after all the right of man to be happy and prosperous. That doesn't mean you start using magick to steal from your neighbors, but it does mean that if your neighbor is a rapist you send his or her butt straight to jail.

Enter Dr. Raven In the Blogsphere

2010-06-24T01:08:00.000-07:00

After much deliberation and much pushing from clients and friends alike, I have decided to finally start a blog. I guess a bit of introductions is in order.

I am Dr. Raven, known also as simply the Conjure Man. I am a professional rootworker of many years who works with both hoodoo and one of its forefathers, the grimoire tradition. I've been a practicing occultist since I was a wee kid.

Unlike the typical beginnings in the occult through the New Age movement and its counterparts, I began my foray into this world through the traditional use of runes and by the age of 9 I was crafting binding runes, creating different tines, and learning to use the runes to project into the vast worlds of the World Tree. It was at ten that I was adopted into the hoodoo tradition by my first teacher, a conjure woman who called me her little raven. I augmented my studies in conjure with in depth studies into Graeco-Egyptian Hermeticism, Islamic Talismanic work, Goetic Evocations, and Renaissance Astrology.

By the age of 19 I began taking on clients for readings and rootwork professionally, though I had practiced rootwork on behalf of others unofficially before then.

It is my hope that with this blog that I'll be able to put some of my ideas out there, meet in discourse with those I admire, and hopefully offer my clients and anyone else interested a glimpse into the world that I owe so much to.

You can also catch me at the Lucky Mojo forums and The Old Style Conjure ning site.