Introduction To Hoodoo

WHAT IS HOODOO?

Hoodoo is a set of magickal practices originating in Africa which, through the process of syncretism, has absorbed some beliefs and practices from other cultures such as Native American spirituality and European Ceremonial Magick. In some cases, the word hoodoo can also refer to

* A person who practices Hoodoo: Dr. Buzzard was a powerful hoodoo man.
* The act of working magick itself: Someone is hoodooing you!

Additional words which are synonymous with Hoodoo include: conjure, witchcraft, rootwork.

ORIGIN ">

Hoodoo is believed to have originated with Africans who were brought to America as slaves, mainly in the Southeastern states where slavery was legal, and moved West across the nation. These men, women and children often arrived on American soil with very few personal possessions, if any at all. They did not bring their native herbs with them, and if they did those items were most likely taken away. The slaves found themselves in a place where they were considered the property of abusive slaveholders and they didn't know anything about the herbs, plants and curios of this strange, new land. African and Native American slaves often found themselves working along side one another and it is believed that through this co-mingling the slaves learned a great deal about the medicinal and magickal uses of the herbs native to America.

As many slave-owners identified with Christianity, they often attempted to covert their slave workers--going so far as to forbid them to practice their religion under threat of death. In order to be able to practice their religion, the slaves expressed their beliefs under the guise of the dominant religion of their region. In the southeast, where people were mainly Protestant Christians (or one of its offshoots) the Dark Man of the Crossroads became identified with the Devil of Christianity. This example is cited as one of the many reasons that Christians believed that Africans worshipped the Devil, which itself was given as another reason for their desire to convert the slaves to Christianity.

In those areas where Catholicism was the dominant religion, such as New Orleans, hoodoo practices mingled with not only Catholicism but Vodoun (Voodoo) as well. In these instances, Christian Saints often became associated with the spirits and deities of Voodoo. For example, because St. Patrick was mythologicaly associated with snakes (having driven them out of Ireland) he became identified with the Voodoo deity called Damballah who often took the form of a serpent. Today, many people still confuse the magickal practices of Hoodoo with the religion of Voodoo.

In Northern states where African-Americans were, more-or-less, free they were introduced to European immigrants who came to American seeking religious freedom and who brought their own religious and folk-magic beliefs and practices, such as Pow-Wow, with them. It was through contact with these immigrants, and later through their writings, that Hoodoo absorbed elements of European Grimoires and Jewish Kabalistic magic and sorcery.

BELIEFS ">

As a result of the exposure to various beliefs and practices the religions of African slaves transformed into a hodge-podge of magickal practices identified as Hoodoo. Although Hoodoo is not a religion adherents often draw upon Christian mythology, however, some practitioners are just as likely to petition Ganesha or even Papa Legba to remove obstacles and open the way before them.

Even so, there are a few common beliefs that most practitioners of Hoodoo hold. They are:

* DIVINE PROVIDENCE- Most adherents of Hoodoo believe in some type of Higher Power to whom they direct their prayers and petitions. This power may simply be referred to as God or any number of deities or spirits from the world's major religions. It is not unheard of for a practitioner to petition Hotei Buddha for prosperity in the morning, Santo Muerte for a lover in the evening, and Jesus for protection at night. These beings are believed to take an active interest in the affairs of humans and to have the ability to influence our lives.
* LIFE AFTER DEATH- Along with the belief in a Higher Power comes the belief in the continued existence of the soul after physical death. Many Root-Workers start out working with spirits of the dead in the form of the Ancestors, the spirits of the dead connected to them by blood. It is believed that the dead don't die, but rather ascend to another level of being, from which they can look on and assist us. From this higher level, the Ancestors can guide us in our daily lives, intercede with the Godhead on our behalf and protect us in times of need.
* DIVINATION- The ability to foretell the future and communicate with disembodied spirits is one of spiritual practitioner's most important abilities. Divination allows the individual to analyze the past and present in order to determine the probability a future event(s). Divination teaches that by active participation in the events occurring in the life of a person, he or she can shift the probabilities towards their desired ends.
* DOCTRINE OF SIGNATURES- A belief which holds that the Creator (i.e. God, the Universe, etc...) marked everything in existence with a sign, or signature, which indicates its intended use. Furthermore, by careful observation one can determine the uses of a plant from an aspect of its form such as the shape of its roots or leaves, its color, place of growing, or even its name.
* RETRIBUTIVE JUSTICE- Retributive justice is a theory of punishment based on the biblical principle of an "eye for an eye". Unlike other religions which accept magick as part of its philosophy and adjure its adherents to "do not harm", Hoodoo allows for an individual to not only protect themselves by magickal means but also to retaliate against those who have wronged them. However, in the case of the latter, the punishment must fit the crime.
* INTENTION- In the Hoodoo Tradition, curses are seen as a wish which can only be fulfilled by God and only when the curse is deserved. For example, if you lay down a powder to curse one individual it will only have an effect on that individual an no one else who happens to walk over the powder.. Furthermore, it is believed that curses which are not justified or deserved have no effect (Proverbs 26:2). A curse which is both deserved and uttered by a person in authority, such as a rootworker, is said to never fail.

Carolina Dean

See Also:

A Hoodoo Dictionary

Read More

Into The Glory Hole Dwarven Mine It Not What You Think Maybe

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

Read More

Thought Control The Real Effect Of Inclusive Language

One of the greatest extent preposterous examples of following integrity in the donate West is the look on that traditional language is sexist and exclusionary of women. The recoup is that spoken language of how God loves all mankind actually market that God solitary loves men and that in the role of we speak of a "chairman" of a committee we hint at that no woman could be a chairman of such a committee. The recoup is clearly erroneous. We know that from reading documents from the pre-PC era (pre-1960s) and observing from the context that the use of the mannish pronoun, for fashion, was a board that was readily believed to be a helpful way of referring to the material mad dash.

It is easier to record settle down verbal skill using such unsullied conventions. To say that a guaranteed character in a behave represents "Everyman" is easier than saying that such a character represents "All man and every woman." And in the role of the postmodern relativists check masculinity to be a companionable finish and in the role of they now believe in fused genders, even saying "All man and every woman" is full of colonize just naked genders.

This is not an entity of self-expression in communication; it actually obscures self-expression. No, the entity is whether or not the totality history of Western sophistication is stale. The postmodern, constructivists wish to dye the completely of Western culture former to the 1960s as "patriarchal," which to them market bad. The end of casting traditional culture as evil is to spare companionable trade, companionable test and companionable alter.

The real end of end language is to place all pre-1960s literature, religion, morals, politics, philosophy, and tradition under suspicion. It is a way of unkind people off from their ancestry and traditions and expos them postmodern, qualified, free-floating live in with no solidity and no back v the companionable engineers of the executive class of the modern, ritual go on.

Whole language armed live in, by market of coercion, oppression and endorsement, to do pennance for the self-styled sins of their variety and pay genuflection to the cultural Collectivism that is working prearranged to disturb our culture, our traditions, the string and Christianity.

It is a fad that Christians do well to disavow, dissuade and rubbish to go along with with everywhere at all. If they orbit the way you preach, they orbit the way you storage space.

Reference: healing-magic.blogspot.com

Read More

In The Lord Hands A Lectionary Reflection

EXODUS 14:19-31

ROMANS 14:1-12

MATTHEW 18:21-35

IN THE LORD'S HANDS

This coming Sunday, as we venture to church, it is likely that most will have in mind the tenth anniversary of the attacks of September 11, 2001. This day has defined life in America for the past decade. It defines our politics and our religion. It impacts our travel and the way we look at the world. For those who gave Islam only a passing glance before 9-11, Islam, the second largest religion in the world has consumed out attention. Fear has become a primary emotion for many, leading to suspicion and anger. No longer do we look for communists hiding under the rocks the way we did when I was growing up, but rather it's the possibility that Muslims could take over. Indeed, so prominent has this feeling been of late that it has fed rumors about the President and led to efforts to pass laws that would ban the use of Muslim law as a point of reference in American courts. It has spawned two wars and other forms of violence toward the other. At the same time, some have chosen to use this as an opportunity to learn more about their neighbors whose faith and practices are different.

Yes, this weekend as we gather for worship, we will have in mind the events of 9-11. That day will color the way we read these texts that lay before us - texts that speak of God's deliverance of Israel from the armies of Pharaoh, or a word from Paul about judging those whose perspectives might seem odd to us, and finally a word from Jesus about forgiveness. Each of these words has something to say to how we think about our place in the world and our relationships with others.

The Exodus story is a continuing drama of deliverance. The people are first enslaved and then lost, but all along the way, God is present. As with most of these Exodus stories, our vision of them is formed by having watched DeMille's The Ten Commandments. We may have even experienced the parting of the waters of the Red Sea while on a Universal Studio's Tour. Of course, when you go on the tour the dramatic nature of this separating of the waters isn't nearly so grand as portrayed in the movie or in this text before us. The point is that the people have fled and the armies of Pharaoh are in pursuit. They are trapped between this army and the sea. There is no hope of escape, except that Yahweh is on their side, and descending in the form of a cloud, the divine presence stands between the armies, while Moses is instructed to put his hand above the sea, at which point it divides, and the people begin crossing the dry sea bed. As they make their way across, the army is allowed to follow, only the army of Pharaoh suffers confusion as a result of the presence of the cloud and then their chariots get stuck in the muck. Once across, the Lord instructs Moses to set his hand above the waters, and they return to their normal depth, wiping out the armies of Pharaoh. And the people cheered. Of course they cheered. We always cheer when our enemies are destroyed - correct? The point here is that Yahweh had saved the day, and when Israel saw what God had done they "feared and believed in the Lord and his servant Moses." Of course, this fear, which might be better rendered as reverence didn't last very long - but that's another story.

We, especially those of us who find it difficult envisioning God tossing the armies of our enemies back into the sea so they would drown, might find this scene difficult to comprehend. It might not sit well with us, and probably shouldn't. But even we can take something from this word at a time like this - we can recognize that God is present in our time of trial. Perhaps the key to our understanding of this passage is found in a verse that stands just prior to this lectionary reading. In verse 13, as the people cry out in fear and ask why Moses had taken them out to this point only to die, Moses replies: "Do not be afraid, stand firm, and see the deliverance that the Lord will accomplish for you this day..." Don't be afraid - don't let fear keep you from walking in faith. And then, at the end of the passage we see that fear transformed. No longer afraid of dying at the hands of Pharaoh, they give their "fear" - reverence - to Yahweh who saves.

From the story of the Israelites facing impending doom only to be delivered by Yahweh, we turn to Romans 14, where Paul deals with something much more mundane. There is division in the ranks, with people taking up sides over what they should eat and when they should worship. The elephant in the room is the Gentile/Jewish debate over how much of the law to keep. You can see where Paul comes down on the issue - he's on the side of openness, but he cautions the church, a church he's never met, to not judge the other.

The key phrase here is "Welcome the weak in faith." Not being a vegetarian, I had to chuckle at Paul's words about those who are weak in faith and thus who eat only vegetables, but I'm not supposed to judge! The word that we often use for debates such as this is adiaphora. It's not as if we're never to challenge another on a belief system, but when it comes to those minor issues where there is room for differences, then the advice is - don't get caught up in quarrels. If this is important to you, then fine - don't eat or eat if that is helpful to your faith. If one day makes a difference to you, then fine - whatever the case, honor the Lord and give thanks for that. Ultimately, we all stand before God's judgment - the one who makes the judgment is the Lord, the one to whom every knee shall bow and ever tongue shall give praise. We are all accountable to God. As we consider this word from Paul, another set of words comes to mind. It's a formula that has long been popular in my own tradition and goes back to a Lutheran theologian known as Rupert Meldinius, who sought to bring Protestants together in unity in the early 17th century. The word is this: "In essentials unity, in nonessentials liberty, and in all things charity." For Paul matters of food and day of worship are considered nonessential, and thus there is liberty. Ultimately, what matters, however, is the God who has invited us into to the realm of God.

What is the nature of forgiveness? Is there a limit to the number of times we must forgive another person? In an age of zero tolerance and three strikes laws, we seem to have little appetite for offering forgiveness to another. Maybe that's why people today are so tense. They are afraid of making a mistake and paying for it the rest of their lives. It may also play a role in our need for instant gratification and impatience with our political leaders and leaders in general. There is simply no room for error, even if the error is a matter of perception - unless, of course, you're a Cubs fan, and Cubs fans seem to understand so very well the message of forgiveness. There's always next year, even if they've been saying this for more than a century.

The Gospel text for this week maybe welcome news to many, but it's also a word that we likely have difficulty comprehending. I'm always taken by Peter's question - how often must I forgive my neighbor? Actually the context here is church membership, but cannot we take this outside the confines of the church, especially since the church doesn't really come into existence until after the period portrayed in the Gospel. This is especially true if we wish to see the church having a missional vision. Peter's suggested answer seemed pretty expansive to him, and by the looks of things is much more generous than anything we would offer today. Jesus counters this generous offer with one of his own - not seven times but seventy times (or seventy times seven). But, as Eugene Boring and Fred Craddock suggest in their "The People's New Testament Commentary" on this passage, the point isn't the difference in math, but the difference in understanding of forgiveness: "Whoever counts has not forgiven at all but is only biding his or her time (1 Cor. 13:5). The kind of forgiveness called for is beyond all calculation, as the following story communicates" (p. 76).

And the story that Jesus tells is one about the boundlessness of God's forgiveness. You know the story of the king who seeks to settle accounts with his slaves, and when the slave comes in who owes the master 10,000 talents (or more money than Warren Buffett can dream about), this slave begs for forgiveness. The king, who has the right to cast the slave into prison, generously forgives this debtor. Though asking only for patience, the king offers complete freedom of debt. With this word of forgiveness the one who owed more than can be conceived goes out of the court jumping with joy. What a wonderful day that was - until he saw another of his fellow slaves heading into court. Knowing that this "colleague" owes him money (a measly three months wages), he demands payment. When this debtor asks for the same terms as the one who is owed the money asked for from the king, the one who had been forgiven much rejects the pleas and demands payment immediately. When such can't happen, the debtor is cast into prison. Well you know what happens next - the king learns of this act of ingratitude and ungenerous behavior and hands him over to be tortured - another of those unfortunate sentences that doesn't sit well with our theology. Nonetheless, the point is clear. The expectation is that having been forgiven without calculation, we should treat our neighbor in the same way. What a word for our day, where we keep a close tally on our debts, even if we have tasted divine forgiveness. But again, as Paul reminds us - we stand in the gentle hands of God, who alone is our judge.

So, what is the word that we hear this anniversary weekend? Is it not a word of forgiveness, a word of reminder that God alone is judge, and ultimately it is God who saves? Therefore, in an era of ingratitude, impatience, and fear, we may express gratitude, patience, and confidence in God!

Read More

Valentines Day Chocolate And Norse Witchcraft

Toffee DID NOT Really Spin Agreed IN EUROPE UNTIL EUROPEANS HAD Breath TO AMERICA. IN THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY, THE Basic Avowal OF A Eat Completed FROM COCOA BEANS WAS RECORDED.

IT WAS NOT UNTIL THE EIGHTEENTH AND NINETEENTH CENTURIES THAT A Toffee Eat BECAME Match Agreed AND Large IN EUROPE. Considering At the back of THE Eat HAD Breath TO BE ENJOYED AND Split up OF THEIR Food, People BEGAN EXPERIMENTING Considering Toffee AS A Walk out on.

VALENTINES DAY IS NAMED At the back of THE NORSE GOD VALI, SON OF ODIN. IT Force Within THE "WITCHCRAFT" Wear away OF CANDLEMAS, NORSE PAGANS Dissimilarity THIS Social gathering AS Match. IT HAS BEEN RECORDED THAT Lifeless NORSE PAGANS Honored THE "KINDHEARTED" Arena.

IF Freckled BY Taste, THEY Consistently WORE A "LOVERS MIRE" ON VALENTINES DAY. THIS Spot OF TWO INTERSECTING CIRCLES Marshal BY Marshal CAN BE EITHER Bamboo Wearing Clothing OR Twisted Considering Ribbon OR Report AND Together TO THE GARMENT.

Taste AND Confusion ARE Fasten IN OUR LIVES. THE JOY OF Generous AND Delivery Unique TREATS SUCH AS Toffee ARE Uninfringeable, AS Match AS Living Blond Fundamental FUN.

Toffee IS NOW ONE OF THE Utmost Renowned TREATS Liable In vogue VALENTINES DAY AS Match AS CANDLEMAS. IT IS Renowned FOR Friends AND LOVERS TO Make THIS AS A Eat TO Dissimilarity THE "TASTE" WE Portion.

Major FOR VALENTINES DAY HOT CHOCOLATE:

4 1/2 Dishware MILK

4 OZS. SEMISWEET Toffee

5 TABLESPOONS Baby

1/2 TEASPOON Domain CINNAMON

1/2 TEASPOON VANILLA State

1 Describe PEPPERMINT SCHNAPPS OR WHISKEY

4 TO 6 Firewood CINNAMON FOR Extra

(THIS Eat CAN BE Completed Weakening ALCOHOL, USE 1 TEASPOON OF PEPPERMINT FLAVORING Instead OF SCHNAPPS)

BRIGHTEST OF BLESSINGS,

LORY

Reference: practicing-wicca.blogspot.com

Read More

Psychic Medium Are Angels All The Same

By Tana Hoy

Many people feel a special fondness when it comes to angels. Angels are loved for their symbolism, and the inspiration they bring. But did you that all angels aren't the same? Yes, you heard me right -- all angels aren't the same, and a psychic medium can attest to that.

"DO YOU KNOW THAT THERE ARE 10 TYPES OF ANGELS?"

To start with, an expert psychic medium will tell you that there are actually different types of angels. Angels are classified into phylums (or levels), and you can identify from which phylum an angel belongs to by looking at the color of their wing tip (angels have different wing tip colors, each phylum has a unique color). The 10 angel phylums are:

GUARDIAN ANGELS

The most common of all angels, guardian angels have a silver tip and they surround themselves in white light. This angel phylum is considered to be protectors of human beings.

ARCHANGELS

Archangels have blue tipped wings. Their main purpose is to heal and bring hope. The 4 major archangels are Michael, Gabriel, Uriel, and Gabriel. There are some powerful mediums who work with archangels to help other people. With the guidance and assistance of this angel phylum, a psychic medium can help others with what's troubling them.

CHERUBIMS AND SERAPHIMS

The Cherubims and Seraphims are the third and fourth angel phylums. These angels have white wings and rose-colored wing tips. They are well-known for their beautiful singing abilities (the only difference between the 2 phylums is that Cherubims have beautiful singing voices and Seraphims have excellent tonal abilities), and they are said to bring joy and harmony to people on Earth.

POWERS

Powers are denoted by their greenish wing tip. They are like Archangels -- they heal. However, Archangels use their totems heal, whereas Powers wrap their magnificent wings around a person to heal.

CARRIONS

These angels are the protectors of the physical and spiritual worlds from the "Darkness."

VIRTUES

Virtues help organize our "life charts". They have pale blue wing tips and a silvery blue luminescent glow.

DOMINIONS

With maroon wing tips, Dominions responsible for recording every thought, action, emotion or word from us and file them in the Akashic Records. Psychic mediums say that the assistance of Dominions is not found in this realm, but rather in the spiritual realm.

THRONES AND PRINCIPALITIES

These angel phylums are our most powerful guardians. They belong in the highest phylum of angels, providing us protection in times of great danger as they represent the armies of both Mother God (Thrones) and Father God (Principalities).

These phylums serve distinct purposes and roles, and we must always remember that despite their differences, they all set out to serve one major purpose - to help us. With them, you can expect an abundance of blessings coming your way, and a psychic medium will teach you all about it.

No one knows more about the angelic realm than an expert psychic medium. So if you want to find out more about angels, seeking a reputable psychic medium will help you find the answers you are looking for. Not only will a renowned psychic medium give you all the information you need about angels, a psychic medium can even teach you how to work and communicate with angels!

About the Author:

Tana Hoy is America's foremost psychic medium. Tana is the expert when it comes to the angelic and spirit realm. In fact, he works with over a hundred angels and spirit guides, and he has even taught many people how to work with their angels and spirit guides. Visit Tana's website to learn more about Tana and how he works with the angelic realm.

Read More

Dracsatan

[from http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Parthenon/2669/Satan commentary.html ] A Commentary about Satan: Anthropomorphic & Symbolic By Draconis Blackthorne I assert that when enough mental force is placed towards the conjuration, or manifestation of an archetype, it is possible to start a momentum that can effect the lives of those who subscribe to them. Such as xoids realizing their own fates. I have formulated My own particular archetypes & characteristics to symbolic deities, who, I see more as Comrades, brothers, sisters, & friends, rather than "lords", & whatnot. If one creates something in the ethers, one is responsible for it, & must resonate with it. I have seen "Satan" as MY HAND in the ethers, the manifestation of MY WILL. An extension of Myself, really. Thus molding those Dark earthly forces into a dynamically usable, & perhaps more relatable, force. No worship going on here, nope. Only RESONANCE. If anything, or anyone, is worshipped, it is Myself. Remember, as Satanists, there are no metaphysical gods {or goddesses} above us. We choose our own PHYSICAL masters & slaves, depending upon your disposition. I have, however, USED terms such as "Satan knows", "By Satan!", "Great shades of Satan!". & "By Lucifer's beard!" as humorous expressions. My creations of what I call "mythaphor", such as that read in Epinox, is just that, myth+metaphore blended in a highly imaginative amalgam. As you know, Epinox explains Evolution in a psychodramatic context. I Am not implying a literal scenario, as xians do with their blind faith. These are very fine & subtle points in Magic that should be addressed, lest there be any misunderstanding. We do the Atheist one better, as we are not afraid of using myriad archetypes to artfully & symbolically represent ideals. Needless to say, in the Ritual Chamber, Satan may very well be considered anthropomorphically. Personally, I seem to remain in a mystical mindset quite often, as extraordinary natural phenominon occurs routinely in My life. Anyhow, I Hail The Forces of Darkness, the Powers of Magic, & the Satanic ideal with a proudly upraised Cornu. Hail Victory! Hail Satan! HAIL DRACONIS!END

Read More