Marie Laveau, often called the “Voodoo Queen of New Orleans,” has captivated the imaginations of locals and visitors for decades. Known for her remarkable spiritual powers and influence over the city’s residents in the 19th century, Laveau’s legacy continues to live on, particularly through the annual celebration of her feast day on Saint John’s Eve. In this article, we delve into the fascinating life of this iconic figure and explore the significance of her feast day on the eve of Saint John the Baptist’s birth.
Marie Laveau: A Brief History
Born in 1801 in New Orleans, Marie Laveau was a free woman of color who rose to prominence as a powerful spiritual leader. Combining her knowledge of Voodoo with her Catholic upbringing, Laveau crafted a unique spiritual practice that resonated with the diverse population of New Orleans.
As a renowned Voodoo priestess, Marie Laveau gained a loyal following, offering guidance, healing, and protection to those who sought her help. Her reputation extended beyond the city’s boundaries, attracting people from far and wide in search of her supernatural abilities. Despite her death in 1881, Laveau’s legend endures, with countless tales of her spirit still protecting and guiding the people of New Orleans.
Saint John’s Eve: A Night of Mystical Revelry
Saint John’s Eve, celebrated on June 23rd, is a night of magic and mystery, traditionally marking the eve of the feast day of Saint John the Baptist. In many cultures, this night is associated with bonfires, rituals, and celebrations to ward off evil spirits and welcome the summer season.
During her lifetime, Laveau would lead her followers in elaborate ceremonies on the banks of the Mississippi River, invoking the spirits and seeking their blessings. These gatherings, which often included drumming, dancing, and the offering of gifts to the spirits, were a testament to the power and influence of the Voodoo Queen.
lighting candles to Marie Laveau on her feast day. June 23, 2023. – Papa Gee
Honoring Marie Laveau on Her Feast Day
Today, the celebration of Marie Laveau’s feast day on Saint John’s Eve continues in New Orleans, paying homage to the city’s rich spiritual heritage. Locals and visitors alike gather at her tomb in St. Louis Cemetery No. 1, leaving offerings of flowers, candles, and other tokens of gratitude for the legendary Voodoo Queen.
In addition to these tributes, contemporary Voodoo practitioners and enthusiasts participate in ceremonies reminiscent of those that Laveau herself led. These events serve as a reminder of Marie Laveau’s profound impact on the spiritual landscape of New Orleans and the enduring legacy of her unique blend of Voodoo and Catholicism.
As we celebrate her feast day, we honor not only the legendary Voodoo Queen herself but also the diverse spiritual traditions that continue to shape the city’s unique cultural identity.
The world of witchcraft and Wicca is rich with symbolism, tradition, and a variety of tools to help practitioners connect with the energies around them. One such tool, steeped in history and tradition, is the athame. We’ll discuss the significance of the athame, its uses, and how to incorporate this powerful tool into your witchcraft practice.
What is an Athame?
An athame (pronounced “ah-thuh-may” or “ah-thaym”) is a ceremonial knife or dagger used by witches, Wiccans, and other practitioners of ritual magic. Traditionally, the athame is used as a symbolic representation of the element of Air, although some traditions associate it with Fire. It is important to note that the athame is not typically used for cutting physical objects; instead, it is used to direct energy and manipulate the flow of power during rituals and spellwork.
The Role of the Athame in Witchcraft
The athame extends the practitioner’s will, helping to focus and direct energy during rituals. As a sacred tool, it is often used to cast and close the magical circle, invoke the elements or deities, and charge or release energy in spellwork.
There are different variations of athames, influenced by cultural and personal preferences. Some may have ornate designs, while others are more simplistic. Ultimately, the choice of athame should resonate with the practitioner and their path.
Choosing, Consecrating, and Cleansing Your Athame
When selecting an athame, consider how it feels in your hand, the materials used, and any symbolism present on the blade or handle. Trust your intuition and choose an athame that resonates with you personally.
Before using your athame in rituals, it’s essential to consecrate and cleanse it. This process removes any unwanted energies and aligns the tool with your intentions. To consecrate your athame:
Cleanse the athame with a mixture of water and salt or by smudging with sage.
Hold the athame in your dominant hand and visualize a bright white light surrounding it, filling it with positive energy.
Say a blessing or words of intention, such as, “I consecrate this athame as a tool of my magical practice. May it serve me well and direct my intentions with clarity and purpose.”
Harnessing and Directing Energy with the Athame
During rituals, the athame can be used to direct energy and focus intention. For example, when casting a circle, point the athame outward and visualize a protective barrier forming around the space. To release energy during spellwork, hold the athame with both hands and visualize the energy flowing from your body, through the athame, and into the universe.
The athame is best used during rituals and spells where a clear intention and focused energy are needed. It is especially powerful during full moon rituals, elemental invocations, and any work requiring strong protection or banishing.
The athame is a powerful and essential tool in witchcraft and Wicca. Understanding its significance, choosing the right athame for you, and learning how to harness and direct energy can elevate your magical practice to new heights. Embrace the power of the athame and incorporate it into your rituals and spellwork to unlock its full potential.
Fill one jar with sugar and the other with salt. To the sugar, add one Tablespoon of House Blessing Sachet powder. In the jar of salt, add one Tablespoon of Devil Begone sachet powder. Stir each one well until the sachet powders are mixed in thoroughly.
Now, place one cross charm in the sugar jar and screw on the lid. Put the other cross in the salt jar and screw on the lid. You are now going to burn the white candle on top of the jar of sugar and the black candle on top of the jar of salt.
The next day, open the jars and take out the crosses and set them aside. Take the jar of salt to the end of your driveway and begin throwing handfuls into the street. When you have finished, take the jar of sugar, go to the end of the driveway – but this time, turn and face your house and begin throwing handfuls up the driveway while walking towards the house.
When you have finished, take the embroidery thread and cut a piece off about 6 feet long. Double it over to make it a thicker, 3 foot long piece. Then tie both of the crosses onto the thread. Nail the thread in the space between the front door and the storm door (or where a storm door would normally be.) If this is not possible where you live, hang on a nail or tack just inside your front door. It will keep the bad out and invite the good in.
The Rose of Jericho, also known as the Resurrection Plant or Selaginella lepidophylla, is a unique plant with a rich history in various magical and spiritual traditions. Its ability to seemingly come back to life after periods of dormancy has made it a powerful symbol of resurrection, rebirth, and transformation. Here’s how to magically use the Rose of Jericho in spells and rituals:
1. Preparing the Rose of Jericho
Before using the Rose of Jericho in your spells, you’ll need to prepare and awaken the plant. To do this:
Place the dried Rose of Jericho in a shallow bowl or dish.
Pour spring water, rainwater, or moon water around the plant, ensuring its roots are submerged but not covering the entire plant.
Allow the plant to absorb the water and slowly open up, which may take several hours or even a day.
As the plant opens, focus on your intentions and the energy you wish to infuse into the plant.
2. Attracting Abundance and Prosperity
The Rose of Jericho is often used in spells to attract abundance and prosperity. To perform a prosperity spell with the Rose of Jericho:
Prepare the plant as described above.
Using coins in the water signify the wealth you want to attract. Cleanse and consecrate the coins: Choose coins that hold personal significance or represent the financial goals you wish to achieve. Cleanse them using any preferred method, such as smudging with sage, rinsing with saltwater, or burying them in the earth for a short period.
Place the cleansed coins around the base of the Rose of Jericho plant. This act symbolizes the infusion of your intentions for financial growth and success into the plant and coins.
Light a green or gold candle beside the plant to enhance the energy of abundance and prosperity. As the candle burns, visualize your financial goals being met and your wealth increases.
Recite a mantra or affirmation related to attracting abundance, such as “Money flows effortlessly into my life” or “I am a magnet for wealth and prosperity.” Repeat this affirmation daily while focusing on the Rose of Jericho and coins.
Allow the candle to burn down safely while the plant absorbs the energy of your intentions.
Keep the plant in a prominent place in your home or workspace to maintain a constant flow of abundance and prosperity.
3. Protection and Cleansing
The Rose of Jericho can also be used for protection and cleansing purposes. To create a protective and cleansing spell with the Rose of Jericho:
Prepare the plant as mentioned earlier.
Light a white or black candle and place it near the plant.
Focus on your intention to cleanse and protect your space from negative energies.
Sprinkle a circle of salt around the plant and candle, creating a protective barrier.
Recite a prayer or affirmation for protection, such as “This space is cleansed and protected from all negativity and harm.”
Allow the candle to burn down safely, and keep the plant in your living space to maintain an ongoing protective and cleansing energy.
4. Personal Transformation and Rebirth
The Rose of Jericho’s symbolism of resurrection makes it an ideal tool for spells related to personal transformation and rebirth. To perform a transformation spell with the Rose of Jericho:
Prepare the plant as outlined above.
Write down aspects of yourself or your life that you wish to release or transform on a piece of paper.
Light a purple or blue candle and place it near the plant.
Hold the paper above the flame (being cautious not to burn yourself) and recite an affirmation or mantra related to releasing the old and embracing positive change, such as “I release the past and welcome new beginnings and growth.”
Safely burn the paper, allowing the ashes to fall into a fireproof dish or container.
As the ashes cool, sprinkle them around the base of the plant, symbolizing the transformation of the old into new growth and opportunities.
The Rose of Jericho is a powerful and versatile plant that can be used in various spells and rituals. Whether you’re seeking abundance, protection, or personal transformation, this unique plant can help you manifest your intentions and embrace positive change in your life.
Angelica root, derived from the Angelica archangelica plant, is a powerful herb with a long history of use in various magical and spiritual traditions. Known as the “Root of the Holy Ghost” or “Archangel Root,” angelica root has been associated with divine protection, healing, and purification. In this profile, we will explore the magical properties and uses of angelica root, providing insights into how it can enhance your spiritual practice.
1. Protection and Warding
One of the most prominent uses of angelica root in magic is protection and warding against negative energies, curses, or malevolent spirits. To harness the protective powers of angelica root:
Create a protective charm or mojo bag: Place angelica root in a small pouch or amulet along with other protective herbs, such as sage or rosemary. Carry this charm with you, or hang it near your entrance to shield yourself and your space from negativity.
Incorporate it into a protection ritual: Use angelica root as an ingredient in a protection ritual by placing it around your sacred space, burying it at the corners of your property, or burning it as incense to create a protective barrier.
2. Healing and Strengthening
Angelica root is also believed to possess powerful healing properties, both physically and spiritually. It can promote strength, resilience, and illness or emotional trauma recovery. To utilize angelica root for healing purposes:
Brew a healing tea: Combine angelica root with other healing herbs, such as chamomile or echinacea, and steep in hot water to create a healing tea. Drink the tea while focusing on your intention for healing and restoration.
Create a healing bath: Add angelica root, along with soothing essential oils like lavender or eucalyptus, to a warm bath to promote relaxation and healing.
It is related to moral courage when it is rooted in one’s moral integrity. According to folklore, Angelica bestows the virtues of emotional restraint and peaceful household life.
3. Purification and Cleansing
Angelica root is often used in purification and cleansing rituals to remove negative energy and restore balance. Here are some ways to use angelica root for purification:
Smoke cleansing: Burn dried angelica root and allow the smoke to cleanse your home, sacred space, or aura of unwanted energies.
Spiritual bath: Add angelica root to a warm bath, along with other purifying herbs like sage or rosemary, to cleanse your energy field and wash away negativity.
4. Enhancing Spirituality and Connection
The divine associations of angelica root make it an ideal tool for enhancing spirituality and deepening your connection with the divine, angels, or spirit guides. To use angelica root for spiritual growth:
Incorporate it into meditation: Hold the angelica root in your hand or place it near you during meditation to enhance your spiritual connection and receive guidance from higher realms.
Create an altar offering: Place angelica root on your altar as an offering to your angels, spirit guides, or deities to invite their presence and support in your life.
Angelica root is a versatile and powerful herb with numerous magical uses, ranging from protection and healing to purification and spiritual connection. By incorporating angelica root into your spiritual practice, you can harness its potent energies to enhance your well-being, strengthen your relationship with the divine, and create a harmonious and balanced energy in your life.
A Simple Protection Spell Using Angelica Root
This simple yet effective protection spell harnesses the powerful protective properties of angelica root to shield you and your space from negative energies, harmful influences, and unwanted attention.
What You’ll Need:
Angelica root
A small pouch or cloth (preferably white or black)
A white or black candle
Optional: Protective crystals such as black tourmaline, obsidian, or amethyst
Instructions:
Find a quiet and comfortable space where you can perform the spell without distractions. Make sure the area is clean and free of clutter to promote positive energy flow.
Light the white or black candle, setting your intention for protection and invoking the divine energies associated with angelica root.
Hold the angelica root in your hands and close your eyes. Take a few deep breaths, allowing yourself to become centered and focused.
Visualize a protective shield surrounding you, your home, or any other space you wish to protect. Imagine this shield being infused with the powerful energy of the angelica root, repelling any negative or harmful influences.
While holding the angelica root, recite the following incantation:
“Angelica root, sacred and strong, Shield me from harm and all that is wrong. With your power, I now invoke, A circle of protection, unyielding and bespoke.”
Place the angelica root in the small pouch or wrap it in the cloth. If using protective crystals, add them to the pouch or cloth as well.
Close the pouch or secure the cloth, symbolically sealing the protective energies within.
Allow the candle to finish burning all the way, knowing that the protection spell has been activated.
Carry the pouch with you, place it near the entrance of your home, or keep it in a prominent location to maintain the protective energy.
This simple protection spell can be repeated as needed or incorporated into your regular spiritual practice to ensure ongoing protection and peace of mind.
There are a number of Appalachian tales and remedies for fighting fevers. In a nutshell, Appalachian folk medicine is a mix of healing practices from the Appalachian region that are primarily Native American, European, and African. The climate and diseases of the Appalachians affected how medicines were used because the most common conditions could require the most different treatments. These ancient cures have a great deal of wisdom. Although I’m writing this to explore a historical subject, as a legacy of how locals have treated fever; it’s not intended to replace medical attention if you’re having respiratory symptoms or other medical problems. It is meant to be beneficial for herbalists, whether they are clinical or folk.
Fighting Fevers with Plants
In Appalachia, many plants have long been celebrated for their potential healing properties. Here are just a few of the plants that were traditionally used to help lessen fevers:
common boneset
Yarrow – also known as “thousand-leaf” or “milfoil”, yarrow has a long history of being used to help reduce feverish symptoms. The plant contains active compounds called cumarin derivatives, which are thought to be responsible for its anti-inflammatory effects.
Boneset – boneset was an important herb among Cherokee Indians who believed it could bring down fevers quickly. It’s also known for its diaphoretic properties, which helps induce sweating and further lower body temperatures.
Mint – mint has been used by Appalachian healers to cool hot tempers as well as hot bodies! It contains menthol, an oil with cooling and potentially antibacterial properties; this makes it especially useful for treating fevers caused by bacterial infections such as strep throat or sinusitis.
Black Pepper – fever and the accompanying chills were treated with brandy and black pepper. African folklore is the source of the use of pepper in Appalachian traditional medicine.
Mullein – they often smoked dried mullein leaves to treat catarrh. Although smoking is not something I would advise doing today if you have phlegm, people have long utilized smoke to help with the condition.
Sage – use cooking sage (not white) steeped into a strong tea for a fever.
These days, many doctors continue to recommend natural remedies such as herbal teas or tinctures (concentrated extracts made from herbs). True to Appalachian tradition, modern herbalists often combine multiple herbs with complimentary actions (for example using yarrow alongside boneset) in order to target different aspects of the feverish condition. Always check with your doctor before trying anything new!
Old Wives Tales for Curing Fevers
wearing onions in your socks for drawing out fevers
Put an onion in their socks. A sliced onion placed directly against the skin is thought to draw out heat from the body, and placing it inside a sock helps keep it in place.
Soak feet in cold water. This age-old method of relieving fever has been around for centuries, as cold water can help pull heat away from the body while also providing some soothing relief to tired feet!
Apply a mustard plaster. Mustard contains compounds like glucosinolates which may have anti-inflammatory effects, theoretically making this remedy useful for reducing fevers. To make a mustard plaster mix equal parts dry mustard powder with warm water; then apply the paste directly onto the chest or on either side of the neck. The sensation of warmth is said to relax muscles and draw heat away from the body.
Eat oranges or applesauce with honey. Both oranges and apples contain high levels of vitamin C which may help combat infections that cause fever; plus, adding honey can make this traditional remedy even sweeter.
For chest congestion, Mix some whiskey with rock candy to create a thick syrup, then consume a few spoonfuls throughout the day.
Make an onion poultice by roasting an onion, wrapping it in cloth, beating it until the juice soaks the material, then applying the cloth to the chest.
Superstitions and Magical Methods for Fighting Fevers
When it comes to curing fevers, some people turn to superstition and magical methods. While none of these remedies have been proven to work scientifically, many cultures around the world believe them to be effective. Here are some of the more common superstitious and magical practices for combating fever:
Wearing a red string around your wrist. This ancient practice is said to protect the wearer from evil spirits that cause fever. It’s believed that if one wears a red string while ill, they will be able to drive out the fever with just a few days.
Burning sage or incense. In some cultures, burning herbs and fragrances is thought to cleanse away negative energy that may be causing a fever. Try lighting up some sage or incense in your bedroom in order to purify the air and cool down your body temperature naturally!
Climb a tree using only your hands. When you jump down, the fever is left on the branch you were holding onto.
Anointing yourself with oil or holy water. Certain oils like frankincense and myrrh are seen as having healing powers when applied topically; ditto for holy water which is thought to cleanse any evil spirits causing fevers away from its taker. Be sure not to overdo it though; applying too much can cause skin irritation!
Wrap red yarn around the forehead three times and leave there for a quarter of an hour. Remove the yarn, wrap it around a large twig from a birch tree and bury it.
Today, many doctors recommend natural remedies like herbal teas or tinctures made from plants like those in the Appalachian Mountains. As with any home treatment, always check with your doctor before trying anything new; but adding a bit of Appalachian folk wisdom into your recovery plan may be just what you need!
Bloodstoppers, a type of faith healer, were thought to have the miraculous power to stop bleeding in both humans and animals, and this belief persists today. Bloodstopping is a term used to describe a traditional faith healing custom in the northern U.S. forests (such as Wisconsin), Canada, the Ozark Mountains, and the Appalachians. The most popular practice was to walk towards the East while reciting Ezekiel 16:6. This is known as ‘the blood verse.’
Ezekiel 16:6 And when I passed by thee, and saw thee polluted in thine own blood, I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood, Live; yea, I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood, Live.
Some blood stoppers could recite it just once to get the bleeding to stop, while others might recite it three times or more. Some people included the name of the bleeding person, while others didn’t. There are stories of faith healers who would insert the client’s name into the verse in place of the word ‘thee.’
Nose bleeds were a common theme in stories about blood stoppers. There is an account of a healer who could stop a child’s nosebleed by taking a drop of the blood and making the sign of the cross on their forehead with the blood. Incidentally, she did not use the Bible verse, just the sign of the cross.
Blood-stopping was said to be a supernatural ability that could be passed on to others, but only to a very small number of people. According to some practitioners in the Ozarks, the secret could only be given to people of the opposite sex. Some say that when it is passed down to each generation, it should always be given to member of the opposite sex. A few blood-stoppers told him that it could only be “told” to three people, and that the third person would “take the charm.”
Many faith healers believe that the power of the blood verse comes from its connection to God. They believe that when they speak it over an injury or wound, they are invoking God’s power to help with healing.
This is the first video in a series that I intend to release FIRST to my Patreon patrons, then two months later on YouTube. However, with it being the first, I decided to show it on all my platforms to let you get a sneak preview of what I intend to share in the future. Depending on the tier you sign up for, you will be able to watch mini classes (like this one) on a variety of topics as well as full length workshops. While it wasn’t my intention, I must admit that this video has an asmr quality to it.
How to paint your polymer clay creations with mica powder before baking. I’ve found that if I paint my polymer clay jewelry with mica powder before the baking process that the mica adheres to the piece and very little, if any, rubs off when it completely hardens. Some pieces I leave as is while others I may use a matte varnish to seal it in. It all depends on how much mica was used. Using colored clay will allow you to use less mica and it will have less chance of rubbing off. Since I used a beige clay with the two pieces I show in the video, quite a bit mica got on my fingers after they were baked so they will need a coating added. In this video, I demonstrate the technique on a quartz crystal piece that I have added polymer clay to the end to create a pendant.
This spell has fundamental ingredients for freezing out the malicious words of a gossiper. Cut your aluminum foil into a five or six-inch square. Write out the offender’s name on a piece of paper seven times and fold it away from you three times. Lay on the center of aluminum foil. Drop the seven clove buds on top of your petition, then cover with the salt. Now, pour a healthy dose of your favorite brand of condition oil for gossip. Fold aluminum foil into a tight packet and put it at the back or bottom of your freezer.
Curses have been used in literature, theater, and fairy tales for hundreds of years. They are the theme of many movies and television programs and can even be found in gaming. When they are utilized as a plot device, they involve one character casting a curse or hex on another, which moves the story forward as the recipient of the curse must battle or deal with its effects.
CURSES IN FAIRY TALES
Fairy tales thrive on curses. But the original versions of your favorite fairytales might be much darker than you would ever imagine, with stories of cannibalism, child abuse, rape, and graphic violence.
SLEEPING BEAUTY
The Sleeping Beauty 1920 Edition Illustrated by Arthur Rackham Silhouettes Retold by C. S. Evans
This dark tale has gone through many incarnations over the years and is thought to have first been told around 1330. Early versions tell how an evil fairy cursed the princess to fall into a deep sleep after pricking her finger on a piece of flax. One version mentions seven fairies, one who was not invited because she had been locked in a tower for many years and presumed dead. When she shows up at the christening, she bestows the gift of a curse. The Grimm fairytale version replaced the flax with the spindle of a spinning wheel. But those early versions include how a wandering king came across the sleeping girl, raped her while she still slept, and impregnated her with twins. Charming. It is not until she gives birth that one of the babies brings out the flax that initially put her to sleep, thus awakening her. However, we can see how the story of a simple kiss awakening her came to be – it was a much-needed, G-rated interpretation of events.
SNOW WHITE
The original story was published in 1812 by the Brothers Grimm and featured many of the same elements we know today: the vain stepmother, the magic mirror, the poisoned apple, and the seven dwarves (although the dwarves were nameless in the original story.) We are familiar with the evil Queen wanting the Huntsman to bring her Snow White’s heart in the modern telling. Initially, she requested her lungs and liver so that the Queen could eat them. When she finds out the Huntsman didn’t do the job, the Queen sets out to kill Snow White herself. Disguised, she sells Snow a bodice and laces her up so tightly that she collapses but is revived by the dwarves. The second assassination attempt is with a poison-tipped comb, but the dwarves revive her again. The poisoned apple finally does the trick, and the dwarves rest her in a glass coffin.
A prince comes across the supposedly dead Snow White lying in her glass casket during a hunting trip. After hearing Snow White’s narrative from the Seven Dwarfs, the prince is permitted to return to her to his father’s castle, a more appropriate resting place. Suddenly, one of the prince’s servants falls and loses his footing while transporting Snow White. This miraculously resurrects Snow White by dislodging a chunk of poisoned apple from her throat. Of course, they fall in love and plan to wed. The Queen is invited to Snow White’s wedding, where the guests heat a pair of iron shoes over a fire and force her to wear them and dance in torment until she dies.
Both the stories of Sleeping Beauty and Snow White traditionally ended their curses with a magical kiss – not found in either original version of the stories. But what is interesting is the vehicle in which the curses were cast. Neither was simply by chanting a spell or magical words. They both included cursed objects, which brought about the deep sleep of these two maidens. Neither the flax (later spinning wheel) nor the apple caused permanent death – just a cursed, deep sleep. So, you might say that if the goal were to kill them the spell caster didn’t do a very good job. But, as a plot device it makes sense. If you kill off your leading lady right away in your story and she’s dead for good, that doesn’t make for much of a plot.
CURSES IN LITERATURE
We’ve been telling stories with hexes and curses for as long as stories have been told, filled with bad luck, punishments, and redemption. But, whatever the reason behind why they were cast, these curses deliver precisely what we humans crave in literature and in our everyday lives: clear causes for disastrous consequences and explanations for the terrifying and irrational. They are lessons in cause and effect.
THE HOUSE OF THE SEVEN GABLES
Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel The House of the Seven Gables follows the generations of a Puritan family and the curse that follows them. The Pyncheons are a well-respected family in their little Massachusetts town, but their past is filled with mysteries, inexplicable deaths, and a dying man’s curse. Colonel Pyncheon is a wealthy and influential Puritan from Salem, Massachusetts. He just has one ambition: to bequeath his descendants a magnificent home. After much hunting, he finally discovers the perfect spot for his house, adjacent to a freshwater spring. But there’s a snag. It’s a big one. Matthew Maule, a poor man, owns the property. Colonel Pyncheon refuses to buy Maule’s land since he has already cleared and tilled it. Colonel Pyncheon, on the other hand, is patient. Pyncheon sees his opportunity when witchcraft mania sweeps Salem in 1692. He accuses Maule of witchcraft, and Maule is hanged as a result. Maule curses Pyncheon before dying, warning him that ‘God will give him blood to drink.’
Pyncheon begins construction on a large residence, which he names the House of the Seven Gables, as soon as he obtains Maule’s land. However, Matthew Maule’s curse reappears on the day of Colonel Pyncheon’s housewarming party. Pyncheon is discovered dead, his neck covered in blood. The curse has begun. And so the story continues with the descendants of Colonel Pyncheon being affected by the curse.
THE BOOK OF SPECULATION
In this novel by Erika Swyler, we have Simon and Enola Watson, who are from a line of breath-holding carnival mermaids, but each generation of Watson women suddenly drowns on the same day every year. The clues to the curse of July 24th are weird ecological events, a mysterious ancient book, and a collapsing house. In this novel, the plot is about the investigation of a curse with Simon trying to find out the source of it in order to attempt to end it. I will tell you that the story deals with a cursed object causing the problem, but, not being an author who enjoys publishing spoilers, you will have to give it a read to find out what that object is. It may not be the one you thought.
THE BOY WHO LOST HIS FACE
In this 1989 young adult novel by Louis Sachar, we are introduced to the main character, David, a young boy in middle school. His friend, Scott, wants to hang out with the cool kids, but David isn’t quite cool enough to be accepted into the group. When the boys decide to take an elderly lady’s cane, the old woman casts a curse with David as the target. Everything goes wrong all of a sudden: David smashes his parents’ bedroom window, his fly is never zipped, his pants come down, and he pours flour all over the place. Meanwhile, his “friends” mock him and exclude him from their social circles. While you’ll have to read the book to find out what happens, this is an excellent example of a curse being cast by using nothing but words. Or, do the words create a self-fulfilling curse?
CURSES AND HEXES IN MOVIES
Hollywood and television have used curses and hexes as their plot too many times to count. But here are my two favorite examples, each one using a different type of curse.
PRACTICAL MAGIC
The Owens family curse is one of the fundamental conflicts in the film. The first thing viewers learn about Maria Owens is that she cursed her family (accidentally), resulting in a generational curse that any man who dared to love an Owens woman would die. Her original intention was to call a spell on herself so that she would not feel the pain of love loss. But, over time, it caused her to turn bitter and the spell transformed into a curse. When Sally and Gillian’s father dies when they are only children, we see the curse in action. Their mother passes away as a result of a broken heart, and the two girls are forced to live with their aunts. The curse reappears several years later, this time with Sally’s husband, who also succumbs to the curse and is hit by a truck. The elimination of the curse was one of the many difficulties remedied after the ritual that took care of Jimmy.
There is no curse in Alice Hoffman’s book “Practical Magic.” Sally and Gillian’s parents, as well as Sally’s husband, do pass away. (In the book, he is hit by a car full of teenagers when he steps off the curb.) However, none of these fatalities have anything to do with the curse. These deaths are solely for the purpose of driving the plot forward.
DRAG ME TO HELL
Christine Brown works as a loan officer at a bank, and she is competing for an assistant manager position with a coworker. Because her boss thinks she is incapable of making hard decisions, she declines a time extension on a loan to an elderly woman, Mrs. Ganush, who is facing foreclosure and the loss of her home. In vengeance, the elderly woman casts a curse on her, which she later discovers will result in her being dragged to hell after three days of being tormented by a Lamia demon. (In mythology, a Lamia is a demon who devours children.) She eventually turns to a psychic who has had experience with a Lamia to try and exorcize the demon.
Some spells and curses call upon what is called an ‘intranquil spirit’ to torment someone until they give in to whatever the caster wishes. Here we have a curse that calls upon an outside force, a demon, to carry out its wrath. You will find more on the intranquil spirit in the next chapter.
Whether the curse appears in books, television, the theater, movies, or beloved fairy tales, any good fiction writer will appreciate the one thing they have to offer – they provide the characters with a conflict that seems impossible to hurdle.
excerpted from the book “Hex Appeal.” copyright 2022 Gregory Lee White.
This is for grabbing the attention of someone who just doesn’t seem to notice you. Tapping into the energy of how opposites attract, it is intended to make them notice your good qualities that they are not seeing. You’ll need a pink taper or offertory candle and a smaller yellow candle. Carve your name, dob, etc., into the pink candle and their name into the yellow candle. Light yellow and drip all over the pink candle.
Get a large fire-safe bowl and a smaller fire- safe bowl that will fit inside the larger one. The pink candle goes in the smaller vessel. In the larger bowl, place nine ice cubes and the rose petals. Burn candle halfway down. Next night, pour off melted ice cubes and save the water. Repeat the spell with nine new ice cubes and more rose petals. Allow the candle to burn the rest of the way down. Take the melted ice water from both days and add it to your bathwater.
Honey has long been considered to be a magical substance that can bring good luck, love, and prosperity into your life. The history of the honey jar can be traced back to African American folk magic and is mainly considered to be a tradition in hoodoo. When honey jars first became popular in hoodoo, they were mainly used for love to make the other person sweet on them, and the practitioner would choose a sweetening agent based on skin color. To sweeten a white person, corn syrup was used – if the target had brown skin, molasses was the favored choice. Plain sugar or sorghum were other choices. Honey was usually the last option because it was expensive and harder to obtain.
The point of a honey jar is to make your condition, and the people involved sweeter – more accepting, forgiving, tolerable, generous, or loving. It is considered to be slow and steady magic, not one that delivers fast results. But, don’t discount the honey jar because of this. Magic that is slow-pouring and sticky like honey is better than immediate results that fade away as quickly as they are delivered. The jar can be as small or large as you prefer as long as you have enough sweetener to fill it. The jar must have a metal lid because you will be burning candles on top of it.
Always start by taking the time to thoroughly clean and dry your jar. I once witnessed in an online group someone sharing a picture of their honey jar with the Ragu spaghetti sauce label still intact! Of course, I couldn’t scroll by without letting them know I doubted the results they’d get because of the lack of effort they put into creating the jar. Their response was, “Only the intention matters!” My point exactly. Their intention was to do the work quickly with no attention to detail, care, or pride in their spellwork. If you want results, don’t be sloppy in your magic. Put in the effort if you want the work to pay off.
Once your jar is clean and dry, you may add a small number of herbs, roots, or flowers (or a mixture of them) that are magically associated with your situation. Write out your prayer or petition on a small piece of paper, fold it, and place it in the jar. Some prefer to use a picture of their loved one as their petition or a picture of the two of them together. Some write on the image. The choice is yours. Fill the jar with honey almost to the top, leaving a little room for possible (rarely happens) expansion. Say your prayer over the jar, dip your finger in the honey and taste it. Then screw on the lid.
Other items that can go in a honey jar:
• Personal concerns (hair, fingernails, etc.)
• Anointing oils
• Small charms
• Coins or medallions
Honey jars are not meant to be one-time spells.
Traditionally, jars are not reopened and tampered with once the lid is screwed on. They are continuously worked by lighting candles on top of the jar. You may
dress your candles or leave them plain since your magical ingredients are already inside the jar. It is perfectly fine to use a candle holder, although some
choose to warm the bottom of the candle and stick it in place in the center of the lid. When you first create your jar, light a candle every day on it for the first
week or so. After that, you can back off to lighting a few times a week. Some workers light candles on their jars every day for months or even years to keep the work going and the energy building.
Five Cherry Spell
This spell falls between a passion spell and a sweetening spell because of its ingredients. It is meant to awaken your partner’s desire in a way that they only
have eyes for you. (Cherries stand for love, respect, fidelity, passion, honesty.)
What you will need: • 5 cherries
• Glass red wine
• Teaspoon honey
• Red bag or pouch
Pour the glass of wine, imagining that you are pouring it for your lover. Take a single sip of wine. Lick a small amount of honey from the teaspoon and eat a cherry. Take your time and make it a sensual experience as you roll the cherry around your mouth with your tongue while picturing you and your lover in bed.
Take the remaining honey in the teaspoon and stir it into the wine. Spit the cherry pit into the wine. Repeat until you have eaten all the cherries and there are five pits in the glass. Allow the glass of wine with the pits in it to sit overnight. The next day, retrieve the pits from the wine and allow them to dry. You may throw away the remainder of the wine. Put three pits in the bag and place the bag under the center of your mattress. Put one pit in your underwear drawer and one in the bottom of his. If you fear he will find it, tape it to the bottom side of the drawer.
Mother-in-Law Syrup Jar
This is to get an in-law on your side and make them see and appreciate all your good qualities. Print out a small picture of something your mother-in-law enjoys, such as a hobby. It might be something as simple as a picture of a ball of yarn if she enjoys knitting. Write her name across the center of the paper, fold it towards you as many times as possible, and place it in the bottom of your jar.
Add the following ingredients: balm of gilead and cloves for friendship, gravel root for favoritism, blessed thistle for her blessings, alfalfa for friendship, bloodroot for tranquility with family, and slippery elm so she won’t gossip about you. If you know her favorite flower, add a few petals. Fill the jar with maple syrup and seal shut. Anoint a small yellow candle with your saliva and burn it on top of the jar. Repeat the candle burning three times a week, every week, for the first month. After that, burn a candle whenever you feel it is needed.
Sugar Bowl Spell
This spell gives the best results when you live with your target, and they use sugar in their coffee or tea. It is meant to make them act and talk sweeter and be more agreeable towards you. Write their name seven times on a small piece of paper and your name seven times in the other direction, creating a hashtag. Fold towards you several times and tape to the bottom of the sugar bowl. Fill up the bowl. Begin feeding your beloved the sugar in their tea, coffee, etc. If they do not use sugar in their drinks, use a pinch in their food daily – just a few granules.
Carols were first sung in Europe thousands of years ago, but these were not Christmas Carols. They were pagan songs sung at the Winter Solstice. While many carols we are familiar with have a definite Christian theme, the tradition of going door-to-door singing to your neighbors comes from the pagan tradition called wassailing, where the singers would march through the village singing to wish all good health and banish all evil from the village.
The history of modern Christmas carols can be traced back to people who lived in Britain during the Middle Ages. Around the twelfth century, word spread about a man called St. Francis of Assisi who was very popular throughout Italy by singing songs about Jesus Christ’s birth. These are considered to be the earliest known Christian songs that have survived through history. Up until that time, hymns sung in the church were in Latin and always somber in nature. St. Francis of Assisi wanted people to rejoice about the birth of Jesus Christ and began organizing parades and Nativity plays. The people jumped on his holiday bandwagon and began transforming their drinking songs into holiday carols by replacing the words with the ones that told the story of the Nativity, sung in their native language – not in Latin. “Deck the Halls” was originally a 16th century Wales song with lyrics such as, “Fill the meadcup, drain the barrel,” which became “Don we now our gay apparel.” However, the church was not a fan of this new tradition, so the songs were mainly sung privately in homes, not church.
However, it wasn’t until 1367 when France started observing what they call “the feast day of Adam,” where every year on December 24th, all churches would sing hymns for this special occasion. On this day, the churches were filled with song and celebration.
Modern Christmas Carols can be dated back to 1410 in Germany. During this time, a musician known as Johannes de Grocheo composed the three-part French carol “L’Homme Arme,” which is considered to be the oldest known original French carol.
Queen Elizabeth I of England was a fan of Christmas Carols, as was her successor, King James VI of Scotland. Both monarchs loved what history calls “Christmastide,” a time period that starts on December 24th and ends on January 6th, where you celebrate the Nativity or birth of Jesus Christ. But by the 17th century, England had lost its growing Christmas cheer. The Puritan movement thought both that celebrating Christmas so joyously to be a sinful thing and that carols tied them to pagan traditions. Oliver Cromwell, who ruled the Kingdom as Lord Protector from 1649 to 1658, was a supporter of the puritanical movement and furthered their efforts to squash these immoral holiday traditions. So, after a decade of silencing what was then called “Christmastide,” it fell away and was forgotten for almost two hundred years.
In 1840, when Queen Victoria married Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, she embraced his Germanic Christmas traditions. In my book, The Stranger in the Cup – How to Read Your Luck and Fate in the Tea Leaves (co-authored with Catherine Yronwode), I mentioned how Queen Victoria made afternoon tea an English tradition – simply because her people wanted to support and be like their beloved Queen. In the same way, she and Albert brought the Christmas tree back in fashion, and, before long, everyone had one in their home. This began a movement of people working to bring back the forgotten holiday. When Charles Dickens wrote and published A Christmas Carol in 1843 in an effort to “help open the hearts of the prosperous and powerful towards the poor and powerless,” it sealed the deal – Christmas was back.
Note: I featured this Annie Lennox video because Annie Lennox’s performance of the song and the unique way the video was filmed blends both Pagan and Christian history together. The carol, God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, is thought to be almost 400 years old. At the time, ‘merry’ meant ‘mighty,’ not ‘jolly.’
Many love spell techniques typically involve prayer, visualization and other ritualistic practices. One of the most ritualistic love rituals is the construction of a love altar because its presence and use anchor our intentions and emotions towards creating and maintaining loving emotions or attracting new love to you.
WHAT IS A LOVE ALTAR?
A love altar, also known as a love shrine, can be created in any location: it can be placed on a bookshelf, in your closet or even at work. It is not necessary for the love altar to be anything fancy; there are many that have been created from a simple hanging shelf, a fireplace mantle, or even a wooden box that you keep closed and private when not in use. If you are already in a relationship, the altar should include items that are important to both partners and can be something as simple as a framed picture of you two together, or it could be an elaborate shrine with various symbols of love engraved on it. By including things that are of interest to both of you, you are creating a magical bond.
WHAT ITEMS GO ON A LOVE ALTAR?
The first step in creating your love altar is deciding what kind of symbolism you would like to place on it. Symbols that represent love are often very simple and easy to find like hearts and roses. You might include pink, red, or white candles which can be simple votives or figural candles molded in the shapes of people. Use stones and crystals that represent love such as rose quartz for true love, lapis for good communication, and garnet for passion. Write down the lyrics to a love song that represents what you are feeling or wanting. It could be framed or folded then tied with ribbon as one of your ritual items. If there are any gifts the two of you have given each other, like a necklace, include that as well. It might be something as simple as the ticket stub from a movie the two of you saw together. Or, if you want to go the elaborate route, you might include as your centerpiece a statue of Aphrodite, the Goddess of Love (she was Venus to the Romans.)
Love Letters or love notes. It’s true – not many people write love letters these days. But, has your love been texting you sweet (or sexy) messages? If so, print those out to include on your altar. After printing, anoint the four corners and the very center (this is called a quincunx or 5 – spot pattern) with rose or lavender oil then fold the paper towards you several times. If you have a bottle of magical oil for love, even better. Other paper items you might include on the altar are cards you’ve given each other, a love poem you like, or even a sample of your love’s handwriting.
MANIFESTING LOVE
But what is you are still looking for that one true love? It doesn’t matter. You simply have to focus your energy towards attracting the mate that is right for you while your neighbor’s altar might be about celebrating or strengthening their existing relationship. Place magnets or lodestones on the altar to draw new love to you. Write a love letter to your future partner and fix it the same way as the one we mentioned above. By using your altar for ritual prayer or spells focused on love, it will raise your vibration to receive that energy when you go out public. But, don’t forget the most important thing – in order to find that right one, you have to place yourself in situations to meet people. Accept invites to parties. Go with your friends to dinner. Say yes when they ask you to go dancing with them at the club. You never know when or where you might meet someone. Unless your true love is the pizza delivery guy, you’ll probably don’t want to spend all of your time in front of your altar – no matter how romantic and gorgeous you’ve designed it. Take all that loving energy you’ve been conjuring up and share it with the world.
This is an excerpt from my upcoming book, CASTING LOVE SPELLS:
LOVE SPELLS IN POP CULTURE
From Tristan and Isolde to the 1970s television show Bewitched, love spells and magic have worked their way into our daily conversation. Through the powerful influence of plays, books, movies, music, and television series, both the image of the witch and our opinion of the magical arts have changed forever.
In 12th century legend, an Irish Princess, Isolde, is on board a ship from Ireland to marry King Marke of Cornwall. She is escorted by Tristan, the King’s loyalist and nephew. Isolde, having already fallen in love with Tristan, compels him to take poison with her – that they die together instead of her marrying King Marke. However, her maid, Brangane, prepares a love potion instead of poison, making the two fall passionately in love with each other.
The 1959 Clovers song, Love Potion No. 9, tells of a man consulting a gypsy for a love potion that worked a little too well. The song remained so popular over the years that it was later transformed into a movie with Sandra Bullock. After taking the potion, it makes people of the opposite sex become completely infatuated with them simply by the sound of their voice. Then you have the hit song, I Put a Spell on You, made famous first in 1956 by Jay Hawkins and later re-recorded by Nina Simone (my favorite version.) Of course, who can forget the song’s inclusion in the 1993 film Hocus Pocusstarring Bette Midler?
There are three episodes of Bewitched I can recall that focus on the love spell. In the episode “Make Love Not Hate,” a love potion meant for Esmeralda ends up in the clam dip at the Stephens’ party. In “Once in a Vial,” after Samantha rejects an old boyfriend named Rollo, he tries to use a love potion on her that Endora accidentally drinks. In the episode “The Generation Zap,” Endora hexes the daughter of Darrin’s client so that she has the hots for him. So, you can see this theme was prevalent in television of the time. In the I Dream of Jeannie episode, “There Goes the Bride,” Jeannie puts a love spell on Tony, which displeases Haji, the Master of all Genies. Haji makes Tony have several accidents that can only be undone if the love spell is taken off him.
Movie scripts have a long-term relationship with love spells. One of my favorites is the 1958 film Bell, Book, and Candle starring Jimmy Stewart and Kim Novak. Adapted from a 1950 play, a witch bored with her life casts a love spell on her neighbor. Many of the characters lead you to believe that the creator of Bewitched, Sol Saks, was a fan of this movie. In the 1998 movie Practical Magic, a spell is cast to keep love away. Young Sally casts a love spell so that she will never fall in love, asking for qualities in a man that couldn’t possibly exist – “He can flip pancakes in the air. He’ll be marvelously kind. And his favorite shape will be a star. And he’ll have one green eye and one blue.” Of course, later in the movie, the man with one green and one blue eye arrives and has all the other qualities and abilities she mentioned. But this is an excellent example of a love spell that requests certain attributes but doesn’t cast upon a specific person.
Another example is the 1987 movie, The Witches of Eastwick, with Cher, Michele Pfeiffer, and Susan Sarandon. Their main characters gather together and begin harmlessly talking about the perfect man and what qualities they would like him to have, followed by Sarandon’s character adding, “a foreign prince riding a great black horse.” The next day, the Jack Nicholson character arrives in a black limousine. So here, you have a love spell that not only describes the perfect person for them but asks that he comes to town. This is a wonderful way to construct a spell – detailing your desire then asking it to be put into action. The problem was that everything they asked for dealt with surface traits – that he be handsome, that you could talk to him, the size of his penis. They didn’t ask that he be a nice person. So, the devil himself shows up. Be specific in your spell work.
Whether it was by watching Charmed or Sabrina the Teenage Witch or humming along to Witchy Woman by the Eagles, we’ve been inviting love spells and witchcraft into our homes and lives for decades. Now that spells have become “normal” to us, more people are turning to the magical arts to help shape their love lives.
(image used, which will also be included in the book is: Wood engraving by Charles Jameson Grant, ca. 1833)
Irish mythology is the mythology of the island of Ireland that has been preserved in the oral tradition, and later in the manuscripts of early Celtic Christianity. These tales and themes have continued to be developed over time in the living folklore of the country Irish mythology is composed of
myths, legends, folk memories, cultural beliefs and customs. Irish myth is irreducibly complex due to this variety of origins, but can be seen to include three main types:
BREHON LAW is a system that sets out how society should be governed according to Gaelic traditions developed during pre-Christian times. They are named after traveling judges known as “Brehons” who made rulings based on local customs or by precedent rather than statutory law which meant they varied from place to place within Ireland while being written down over time between 700 – 1600 A.D. These recorded documents helped to form stories and ideas that eventually worked their way into the Irish mythos.
Finn Mccool Comes to Aid the Fianna (Public Domain)
PAGAN MYTHS – Pagan myths are irish mythological stories, which concern irish culture and irish paganism. Such irish folk tales include the irish god of agriculture, celtic deity of fertility, earth mother goddess
CHRISTIAN MYTHS – Christian myths are irish mythological stories that were created by irish christian monks. A major irish myth that is connected to irish christianity is the irish creation myth, which is the irish irish paganism creation story
These three types interweave their customs and traditions together, proving irreducible complexity.
Irish mythology is usually set around the time of the pre-Christian Gaelic Ireland, so there are a number of war gods and goddesses in Irish mythology. The greatest of these was Nuada, either of the Fir Bolg or later Celts (he lost an arm at the first battle of Moytura but replaced it with a working one made from silver), who led his people into battle against their enemies the Tuatha Dé Danann. Later mythologies were drawn on for new material: for example, Lugh’s father Cian (Old Welsh: Kên) appears to be a deformation of Nuada’s name (Welsh: Cynan). Berrihert refers “to his swarthy complexion and his irascibility”. This may be a late addition to the deity’s character, since he is often said to be Nuada’s son and his name is explained in many stories: either Cian raped Bóand’s wife who was also Ethniu (the mother of Lugh) or Máth(athair), or Cian abducted her for himself.
The most well-known irish god of irish mythology is celtic deity of fertility, earth mother goddess Bóand who represents all things bountiful and beautiful. Her name is interpreted as “white cow.” Bóand is said to be extremely beautiful with long golden hair, wearing irish jewellery and a blue dress – she was married to irish war god Nuada of the Silver Hand (the same mythological figure who lost his arm at the first battle of Moytura). She had many lovers which angered her husband. Once while out hunting, he was killed by a magical deer and then born again from its ashes. As such, the irish god of agriculture represents crops, cattle and fertility while also being irish mythology’s very first irish heroine.
Irish mythology has been an inspiration for many writers, artists and musicians with numerous mythical characters appearing – either directly or indirectly – in works by J. R. R. Tolkien, T. S. Eliot and Seamus Heaney among other. Irish mythology also plays a role within Wicca religious beliefs as well as Celtic Reconstruction Paganism, especially in their use of the Ulster Cycle tales – primarily used for their elements of heroic struggles against external enemies and the tragic lives of its main characters.
I’ve been working on my new book, CASTING LOVE SPELLS, and just finished writing the section on “WEIRD HISTORICAL LOVE POTION INGREDIENTS.” I thought my patrons might like to read this entire book section — months before the public gets to see it when the book comes out this Fall. The image used is an illustration that will also be in the book. It is the Spanish Fly, also known as the Blister Beetle.
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WEIRD HISTORICAL LOVE POTION INGREDIENTS
When we think of love potions, we picture a corked bottle containing a mystical brew of romance. But history tells us that the ingredients used were not all that appealing and sometimes illegal. Fresh blood, powdered bones, crushed insects – none of this sounds all that romantic by today’s standards where we give bouquets of flowers and boxes of chocolates to entice love. All of these examples are presented for historical purposes. Their inclusion here is not a recommendation by me.
SWEATY LOVE CAKES
But the Medieval Love Cake took elaborate steps to make someone fall in love with you. After mixing all of the traditional ingredients for the cake (more bread-like as we would consider it today), the dough would be rubbed all over the naked body, including the genitals and armpits, to absorb the body sweat into the dough. It was then baked and fed to the object of their desire.
SPANISH FLY
Most people have heard of ‘ Spanish fly’ mentioned in movies, television shows, and books. Also known as the Blister Beetle, it was used in potions dating back to Hippocrates. Latin writers document how the beetles were dried and crushed into a powder and then used as a potent aphrodisiac in numerous potions. These potions were said to be quite popular in the court of the Roman Emperor Augustus. Not recommended since Spanish Fly is considered toxic, causing permanent liver and kidney damage.
BIRD NEST SOUP
It is also known as the Caviar of the East. Popular in China for over 1,000 years, it is used to stir up desire in the bedroom. Astoundingly expensive, it is made up of the saliva found on the nests of swiftlets. The nest is simmered slowly in water to extract the saliva, and the soup has a thin gelatin-like consistency.
WORMS
For those wanting to explore the occult in the 16th century, many turned to the book The Boke of Secretes of Albertus Magnus of the Vertues of Herbes, Stones and Certaine Beastes. One formula for increasing the affections between a husband and wife was to crush earthworms and blend them with periwinkle, which was then mixed into a spouse’s food.
In 17th century Mexico, women would crush worms to mix with herbs, milk, and corn to feed their man to keep him in love and at home. An alternative would be to rub it on his chest at night while they slept.
MURDER
While parts of animals were often used in potions, so were human remains – even though many considered it taboo. A few harmless ways were by using a string of hair or menstrual blood as an ingredient. One especially dark recipe included the bone marrow and spleen of a murdered boy (not at all recommended.) But it could get more ominous, such as collecting bones from the graveyard to grind into powder.
COBRA BLOOD
Throughout history and across many cultures, snakes have played a part in magical practice. In Indonesia and Southeast Asia, the cobra’s blood is thought to kickstart the libido and get the sexual juices flowing. To drink the blood directly from the body of a freshly beheaded cobra is considered to be the most powerful.
RHINO HORN POWDER
Since the horn of a rhino could also be a phallic symbol, it is said that erectile dysfunction can be cured by consuming the powdered horn of this great beast. Keep in mind, as rhinos are on the verge of extinction, poaching them is illegal.
LEAFCUTTER ANTS
In South America, Leafcutter ants have been eaten as an aphrodisiac to enhance sexual desire since pre-Columbian times. They are a traditional wedding gift in the region. What few may realize is that only the queen ants are edible. The legs and wings are removed before they are toasted.
HUMMINGBIRDS
Hummingbirds were thought to be supernatural in many cultures. Even today, practitioners continue to break the law by collecting the bodies of these regal birds on the black market and turning them into love spells. The body is wrapped in the photograph of the two lovers then placed in a jar where it is covered in honey and cinnamon to keep the relationship sweet and spicy.
After writing and rereading this selection of unsavory ingredients, I am reminded of the line from the Meat Loaf song – “I would do anything for love. But I won’t do that.”
The Tuatha Dé Danann as depicted in John Duncan’s “Riders of the Sidhe” (1911)
The Fairy People of Ireland and Scotland – Meet the Sidhe
The Sidhe are unique to Ireland, although Scotland and Ireland share much fairy lore. These are not the type of fairies that fly around as they please, in your garden or in the forest. Guarding them with their magic and mischief, able to control and mingle with you if they wish – These fairies are real. They follow a legend of old, one full of history and wisdom. The fairy lore of Ireland and Scotland is old magic, and was carried into the American Appalachian mountains when the Scots-Irish settled there. That which was forgotten in time has returned to Ireland. Now it is their land, but this fairytale comes complete with rules that can only be followed or else all will perish.
The Sidhe are fairies of Irish mythology (or so says the Irish Lore). They live underground in sidhe-mounds across the countryside (such as Newgrange) or hidden within them. When one travels across the famous bogs of Ireland, it is possible to see them. Sidhe-people materialize into a human form and rise from beneath the ground, often in white robes, and stand frozen as they watch you pass by. In parts of Ireland (such as Northern County Cavan), fairies are known to be fair with golden hair and fair skin. However, in other regions such as Ulster, fairies have darker hair and olive skin. Some fairies have dark hair and fair skin; others fair with black hair and brown-black eyes. As for height, they can be as tall or short as any human being, though the male fairies are often taller than humans.
There is much folklore about fairies in Ireland (and in other countries also). Some fairies ride each night on a horse named Pooka across the moon (or a cow called Coo-ee if there’s no moon), while others dance around maypoles to celebrate certain festivals. The people of Ireland were wary of fairies for many reasons, such as stealing children to replace them with changelings (“changelings” are known as “béothuigsin”, which means “wished for child”, and are fairies themselves). The fairies are also known to take away fine horses as their own (or they can give you a horse of their own if that is what you desire), and fairies have been seen riding through the air on steeds made of mist.
Some fairies have the power to shapeshift into many forms. The fairies are able to put you into a trance-like state (trances can be caused by humans also) and then remove some of your blood, replacing it with that from another place or time – this is how fairies come about their magical powers. They are known as fairies because they make “fairy forts” where they keep all of their treasures; these fairie forts may be guarded by fierce monsters such as kelpies (“water horses”). Fairies also have fairie dogs and cats, which are smaller than common domestic animals but very loyal to them.
The interesting thing about fairies was that in early times if you went to a fairie fort (or fairy rath) and were kind to the fairies, they would reward you with many gifts. However, if you stole from them or in any way wronged them, they could kill you, steal your children for fairies to raise as their own (a fate worse than death), or curse you so that fairies took all of your property and belongings. The fairies will also play tricks on people such as making husbands disappear only to bring them back later in a day’s time; however, wives may be transformed into sheep for about seven years by fairies.
The fairies stole not only human children but also animals. There was a certain brownie named Browny who liked to steal lambs when the farmers’ backs were turned. However, he was kind enough to leave them unbruised and safe from harm. It should be noted that fairies in Ireland do not eat flesh; therefore cattle may graze freely in the fields undisturbed by fairytale creatures, unless it is Beltaine or Samhain when fairies dance and mingle with humans.
Many fairies have a dislike for clothing, especially if it is new. Therefore they will take your garments to their homes beneath the ground, never to return them again. It has been said that fairies in Ireland do not wear shoes (they may be barefoot), but there are some fairies who like to put on clothes (usually linen shirts and knee-breeches) in order to pass as humans during the day time. If you leave soup out at night, fairies may come snatch away your bowl without leaving any traces of themselves behind.
Several Irish fairytales include tales of fairie maidens named Aibell or Caer Ibormeith who can shapeshift (or “beshape”) into a white deer. They are fairies of immense beauty and some even possess a sugar-bowl sized cauldron filled with healing herbs in Bantry, County Cork, which is said to be given to them by Saint Patrick himself.
The fairie people were known for their immortality; however they will perish if exposed during the day time or if they touch iron, both being strictly forbidden within the fairytale world. The fairies have many enemies around Ireland including goblins (“sgiolai”), water fairies (“dunduns”), and the evil faery cleric Balor of the Evil Eye (Balor was born with one eye that would destroy anything that it looked at; fairies are said to be his descendants). It was known that fairies were afraid of the Holy Bible, and refrained from crossing its path.
The fairie people are ruled by a monarch named Aobh who is a member of the Tuatha Dé Danann . The fairies have no concept of time as humans do; however they try their best to make it seem like Ireland is having Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter just for them (and us too!). If you want to see fairies in Ireland, you’ll need an invitation from one first. Otherwise they won’t come out because they can only enter human homes when invited.
Elements that make up the Sidhe: The Sidhe fairies are a supernatural race of people. They have magic and fairytale qualities about them like no other fair-folk in the world. Once you encounter one, you will be tied to their fate forever more unless you break the fairytale spell. There is only one way this can happen: A pure soul must find their true love before they do. The ‘true love’ cannot be forced or manipulated; two fairies falling in love isn’t fairytale romance but rather a pact of arranged marriage. The fairy has many chances at finding her true love – if she fails to recognize him then that is it for her and she will become trapped within the fairytale dimension forevermore with no escape possible
These fairies have many different tribes that have specific jobs for each tribe within their society. The Queen is called the Bean Nighe (meaning ‘Washer Woman’). She is fair and young, but her skin is covered in green. She washes the warriors who fought in battles and those who have lost their lives. The job of washing them is her duty to do as she pleases, not caring for the feelings or views of others.
The King is called Aillen (meaning ‘Hazel’). He has a dark appearance… often with red hair and pale flesh that makes him look unappealing when compared to the fairies who serve under him.
If you wish to keep the fae around your property and home, make them little offerings. They like sweet cakes and candy, milk, cookies, and wine. Ask them to help with your honey jar magic. They also enjoy your attempts at creating them tiny shelters to hide inside or beneath. If you leave them shiny offerings of costume jewelry willingly, they may be less likely to “borrow” the jewelry from inside your home.
First of all, my apologies for being silent for the past couple of weeks. I’ve been working day and night on the illustrations for the upcoming book, How to Use Amulets, Charms, and Talismans in the Hoodoo and Conjure Tradition. With over 150 illustrations, Catherine Yronwode has been feverishly doing all the writing while I’ve been “in the pixel mine” with my graphics pad and coffee. We’re reaching the end of first drafts and finals touches on pictures right now.
But, I sometimes have to give a project a short nap and work on a DIFFERENT project to recharge the brain cells. That is a Taurus for you —- not a rest or an outing but another project to revitalize me! So, all day yesterday, I worked on my next book CASTING LOVE SPELLS. I was able to write the entire Table of Contents (which also doubles as an outline on exactly what to write.) I did a little scanning from my collection of vintage catalogs for a few of the illustrations (like the one featured here) and planned out the 13 categories of spells the book will include — things like spells of attraction, love, reunion, passion, marriage, communication, breakup, etc. I plan for over 100 of these spells to be included in the book. The final touch was to list all the herbs and oils used in love work so my excel planning sheet is full!
Now that my mind has new fat to chew on, I must return to the last of the pictures for the Amulets and Charms book. From there, I’m sure that Cat, Siva, Fred, and I will begin the proofreading process while Grey Townsend adds his final touches to the book cover. Never too many irons in the fire!
As our collection of books continues to grow in our store, aromaG’s Botanica, I thought it would be great to design a bookmark to give to every customer who purchased a book. So, I’ve decided to send all of my current patrons (as of 05-16-21) one too!
First, I started with a scan from a 1930’s De Laurence Occult catalog showing a woman reading THE MASTER KEY by L. W. de Laurence. The next step was to remove the aged-brown coloring of the pages and turn it to white, leaving behind only the illustration. For the coloring, I wanted it to be reminiscent of the popular Witches Datebook by Llewellyn so I began by making her a redhead, putting in streaks of blondes, browns, and dark orange before coloring the rest of her hair. Then came her makeup with a touch of eyeshadow, red lips, blush, and a bit more eyelash.
My original thought was to make the book say, “aromaG’s Book of Shadows” but decided against it. Instead, I went with my own book PAPA GEE’S HOODOO HERBAL. The reason I chose this particular book out of my collection? Well, mainly because it’s cover was going to fit the color scheme of the bookmark! 🙂
My Photoshop layers began building up when I began adding more esoteric images to her: a vintage sun pattern on her blouse (which I’d already colored blue), a rabbit’s foot on the table, a triple goddess tattoo on her wrist, an aromaG’s logo and a mojo bag on the book spine, and finally a claddagh ring.
Next, it was time for the background. I went with the moon card from the Rider Waite tarot deck as the upper backdrop. It depicts a sun with a moon face inside, which I Photoshopped out, leaving me just the image of the sun. Next, I erased the dog and the wolf from the card and replaced their images with more grass using the clone stamp tool. For the bottom of the bookmark, I went with the same color as the sky above and added in stars from the Rider Waite Star card. Finally, came our company logo at the top and business information at the bottom. Once cropped, there will be enough space below our website address for you to write your name on the bookmark if you wish.
From start to finish, the project took around 6 hours. But, I believe it is some of my best Photoshop work to date. The bookmarks (some say bookmarker, others book marker) are ordered (10,000 of them) and should arrive in about 2 weeks.
My sweet husband gifted me this antique deck of fortune telling cards for my upcoming birthday! It’s good to have a hubby who really knows you – I’m lucky.
In trying to research them, I found that Milton Bradley first published them in 1908. Around 1910 in the UK, they were published by Thomas de la Rue & Co Ltd. The original artwork is by the artist Hylton Cock. The 1908 Milton Bradley deck came in a darker orange box and was titled, “The Wizard Fortune Telling Cards” with cream-colored backs with the inside-the-box directions printed vertically inside instead of horizontally, like this deck of mine. This leads me to believe that this is a later edition. Best guess would be between 1910 – 1915.
The images show various depictions of Victorian (or perhaps Edwardian) life. There are no numbers or playing card references. My deck contains all 33 original cards — 32 illustrated and one left blank to represent the person receiving the reading. The names of the cards are as follows:
– Love’s labour lost – A dark lady – A flirtation – Success in love – A wealthy lady – Business prosperity – A Lover – Low spirits – A journey – Strange news – A countryman – A Gentleman of high degree – A fair young man – Gossip – He cometh not – A dark man – A secret transaction – Destitution – A love letter – A designing woman – Money – Sickness – A wedding – A present – Treachery – The House – A true friend – A run of luck – A fair lady – The law – A surprise – A birth – “blank card”
The next day, open the jars and take out the 
strengthening their existing relationship. Place magnets or 
The most well-known irish god of irish mythology is celtic deity of fertility, earth mother goddess Bóand who represents all things bountiful and beautiful. Her name is interpreted as “white cow.” Bóand is said to be extremely beautiful with long golden hair, wearing irish jewellery and a blue dress – she was married to irish war god Nuada of the Silver Hand (the same mythological figure who lost his arm at the first battle of Moytura). She had many lovers which angered her husband. Once while out hunting, he was killed by a magical deer and then born again from its ashes. As such, the irish god of agriculture represents crops, cattle and fertility while also being irish mythology’s very first irish heroine.
