Spitting Venom and Serpent Tongues. Dealing with Gossip, Lies and Slander

Curses dont put men in hearses but wagging tongues dig mens graves......as the saying goes.

Gossip. Its ugly, nasty and childish.

If someone is spreading unpleasant rumours about you, it can be upsetting and immensely hurtful.

You should strive to rise above it and ignore people who bad mouth you.

But sometimes gossip goes beyond idle chatter and petty cruelty.
Sometimes it can be dangerous, it can cause innocent people to have their reputations and lives ruined.

God forbid anyone should find themselves in a situation like this, but it does happen.

So if you find yourself the victim of vicious slander you should of course contact the authorities or legal advice.

But it wouldn't hurt also to do some hoodoo on the side.......

Pins are placed through the cheeks of a figure candle to "cross up" a wicked tongue in a ritual performed by me for a client.

There are many magical agents and methods to deal with liars, gossips and to silence people who talk too much. Here are a few:

Alum

A type of aluminium salt, its a white powdery mineral you may be familiar with if you are a man who regularly shaves, alum is what styptic pencils are made from, the type you dab your face with when you cut yourself shaving.
This mineral is easily available from chemists (just buy an astringent shaving stick and crush it up in a pestle and mortar)
Alum is also used as a magical ingredient to silence people with big mouths.

Slippery Elm

This powdered tree bark is used magically to silence mouthy people, it also doubles as a pacifier for all manner of bitchiness. Sick of bitching going on in work? Sprinkle it across the threshold for people to walk in whilst reciting Psalm 52.

The Vinegar of The 4 Thieves

Prized by french grave robbers during the plague as an antiseptic to protect against disease this mixture has been credited with magical properties. It is believed to dispel enemies and can be used as part of certain Stop Gossip workings.
Made from vinegars, wormwood and other secret bitter herbs, this concoction can be anything from bright blue to dark brown in colour (my personal mixture is a vivid blue-green colour), it has an immensely acidic acrid scent and will stain.

Scotch Bonnet Peppers

Let the evil doers words burn in their mouths with these flaming hot peppers. 13 of these lethally hot peppers can be stuffed into a beef tongue that has been specially prepared, the tongue is twisted, bound, pierced with 13 coffin nails and buried in a grave, left to rot with prayers and rituals that petition the guilty parties tongue to also rot in his/her mouth.

Maguey Thorns

If used correctly these vicious spikes can prick the tongue and heart of those who speak evil. In extreme cases they can sew the lips permanently shut.

Stop Gossip Oil

Brown in colour with a woody scent, this conjure oil can be used to dress candles for rites in which to stop gossip.

Wasps

Dead wasps stuffed and stitched into the mouth of a doll can do wonders.

Nettles

Nettles can be applied in the same way as dead wasps.

Dumb Cane

(Dieffenbachia) More an obeah than a hoodoo thing, also less of a case of magical poisoning and more of a case of just poisoning.
Dumb cane can be used very effectively to shut people up ritually or just by poisoning people with it as it paralyses the tongue and causes it to swellsometimes blocking the airway silencing them......forever.
Don't even think of feeding this plant to anyone. Ever.





xxxxxxx

Here is a stripped down version of the ritual depicted in the above photograph, you can use this if you ever feel you are the victim of gossip.

 You will need:

• 2 pins
• Black human figure candle depicting the gender of the person spreading the gossip
• Holy water
• Compelling oil
• Stop gossip oil
• Vinegar of the 4 Thieves
• A dish
• Alum
• Slippery elm

Baptise the candle in holy water with the name of the perpetrator and etch their date of birth or name into the candle.
You must now think of and refer to the figure candle as the person you are working on. Never just as "the candle".

Dip the pins in stop gossip oil and pierce them in an X shape through his/her lower cheeks so they are crossing over where the tongue would be.
Anoint the whole thing with Stop Gossip oil.
Blow powdered slippery elm and alum from your left hand into his/her face.
Stand him/her in a hidden corner of your house facing the wall so you can get the idea he/she is an insignificant little midget in your life that you can just step around without consequence.

On a Saturday between the hours of midday and 6pm, stand him/her in a bowl of 4 thieves vinegar and place it on your altar. Light the wick and recite Psalms 37, 52 and 143:12

Desperate times may call for desperate measures.

Leave him/her to burn out. Take the remains in the bowl to the cemetery and dump them at the gates.

Hope you never have to use this ritual. Peace.

So you want to be a hoodoo?

People keep e-mailing me and asking "I want to practise hoodoo, what do I need to start out?".

 Well this is a tough question for me to answer as my own style of conjure is personal, its a mash of American hoodoo, British-Jamaican obeah and of course generic folk catholicism.

Now let me stress my own personal system of hoodoo style conjure isn't something that I slammed together on a rainy Wednesday afternoon whilst I was bored and there was nothing on TV.
It was something that formed over a long time and just sort of happened.
However hoodoo is the dominant element in it, so maybe I can help others, feel free to take from this post what you will if you are just starting out.

If you don't like what I say, that's OK, I am NOT the grand high hoodoo pope (and neither is anyone else....if you don't count Moses!), it is after all your journey and you must do what is right and what works for you, I'm not going to tell you that what you are doing is wrong.

It has been said to me that in order to practise hoodoo conjure you need three things.

1. A glass of water, 
2. A candle,
3. A bible.

This is very true, you really need very little to practice Hoodoo. Most ecroutments are just an extra to aid your focus on the work being done.

I tell this to people and many times they are unhappy, they feel they need more than this to focus their work.

Hoodoo conjure is a tradition of stuff. Brightly coloured powders, mysterious fetishes, exotic smelling oils, big glittery sparkles and things that go bang. Showmanship and drama is all part of the magic of hoodoo and thats partly what makes it so wonderful, but amid all the pomp and charisma it's easy to get dazzled and lose sight of the true bare bones spiritual power behind hoodoo.

Traditional Kongo magic, one of Hoodoos rich historical roots.

 
Make no mistake. In its simplest form Hoodoo is no camp carnival magic show. It is a raw, primal and immensly powerful system of magic that was born from a history of blood and desperation, its roots go way back beyond the Americas to the old world and are truly ancient. When practiced its power comes up from somewhere deep down in the most fundamental human part of us that lays beyond reason, its no play shit to be trifled with, the modern whistles and bells of lotions and potions merely frame a much bigger more ancient picture.

Ive known people spend small fortunes on endless expensive paraphernalia and courses that make them "certified rootworkers", yet after all of the money invested they still couldn't conjure their way out of a wet paper bag. (Not that theres anything wrong with doing online courses or stocking up on hoodoo gear, just dont expect it to make you hoodoo extraordiniare overnight.)

Ive also known other people who have performed miracles with no more than a simple candle,  a handful of herbs and a whole lot of faith.
These are the people who impress me the most and who I strive to be like.


Let me remind you of a little something Jesus said:

"I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him."

I believe the true spiritual power behind hoodoo cant just be bought, it is a gift from God and the Spirits that is inherent in every human being.

It not potions and lotions that do the work (though they help a great deal), its our faith, commitment and focus that does it.

Anyway I digress, when I tell people they need little to perform a hoodoo conjure they get upset.
This is because people have a need to perform ritual and tradition.
I totally empathise with this, as there is few feelings more joyous than being at an altar in the company of spirits with candles ablaze and the smell of incense and perfume in the air.

So Ive compiled a few lists for the budding hoodoo to get him or her started performing their own rituals and works. This is just what I recommend and based on stuff that Ive found works. 

It is by no means set in stone.

Remember there are no real set ways of doing things in hoodoo conjure. It either works or it doesn't.
However there will always be themes running through it that remain the same.
For example some people like to work with mojos, dolls and powders, other people (like myself) prefer candle burning, oils and baths.
Some take a protestant approach and only work with psalms. Others enjoy a catholic approach and call on saints.
Its all very personal and you must find what works for you.

Contrary to popular belief, you don't have to break the bank to get started either. Many successful hoodoo conjures where modest people and many still are.

Before you do anything, I strongly recommend setting up a table to do hoodoo work from, I personally do a lot of my hoodoo work from my altar dedicated to God and my Ancestors. I strongly recommend you do the same because without them backing up your work, you are pretty much powerless. Not all Hoodoos work with the dead, but I do and I've found my ancestors to be great allies and teachers when performing conjure. All hoodoos however, work with God.

The Ancestors.

VERY BASIC ALTAR SET UP AND SUPPLIES FOR THOSE ON A TIGHT BUDGET OR WITH LITTLE SPACE:
Your Table:
Take a white cloth and spread it across a table. At the back centre of the Altar place a stand alone crucifix, if you are uncomfortable with catholic imagery then use a protestant cross, if you are uncomfortable with christian imagery in general......tough.
Hoodoo conjure has a large christian tradition attached to it and if you have such a huge problem with Christianity then its probably not for you.
Sure, you can practise hoodoo conjure and not be a christian, however you should show respect to its christian roots and the teachings of Christ if you want to do it.
Place a nice white votive light in the centre along with a brandy glass filled with water.
Keep a bible nearby.

That's it.
A plain white table with a cross, a candle and a glass of water on it, all you need.

The White represents spirituality and attracts good spirits.
The Crucifix represents your connection to God.
The Water is for your Ancestors it gives them a medium to travel through and be present.
The Candle is symbolic of illuminating the whole thing with spiritual power and is a mark of your intentions of comunion with the spirits.

Spend a little time everyday at your table in prayer to God and your Ancestors.
Your Ancestors should be given offerings regularly, at least once a week, that can be placed on the table and left overnight. These offerings can be just a simple candle or something more elaborate such as food and drink.
God on the other hand doesn't need offerings, only offerings of your love and devotion.

Keep your table nice and neat and sprinkle it with cologne on occasion to keep it free of evil spirits and spiritual grime.

Ever remember you are powerless without God, Your Ancestors are the reason you are alive, they will protect, help and guide you always.

Very Basic Supplies:

A deck of playing cards for divination
A pack of white taper candles
A jar of sea salt
A jar of sugar
A jar of graveyard dirt
A bottle of olive oil
A bottle of holy water
A bottle of cologne (I recommend either florida water or 4711, though any eau de cologne will do)

Congratulations! You are now fully kitted out to perform full blown hoodoo rituals! You will be amazed at the array of powerful, effective and wonderful rituals you can do with these simple tools just add faith and a bit of imagination.



BASIC TABLE SET UP AND SUPPLIES FOR THOSE JUST STARTING OUT WANTING TO BUILD UP TO SOMETHING MORE ELABORATE:

The Table:
Again, take a white cloth and spread it across a table. At the back centre of the Altar place a stand alone crucifix or cross, place a nice white votive light in the centre along with a brandy glass filled with water.
Keep a bible nearby.
Place a skull on the table to represent the ancestors and to remind you of your own mortality.
Add other things such as:
Incense holder.
Statues of your favourite Saints.
Framed pictures of your ancestors.
You may also wish to put a pot or ginger jar on the table to place offerings inside for your ancestors to enjoy.
Some nice white flowers for decoration.
Let intuition, inspiration and the spirits guide you as to what to do with the table, if you feel your ancestors want something adding or taking away, do so.

Basic Supplies:
A pack of playing cards
An oil lamp
A censer for incense
A selection of colour taper candles (white, black, red, purple, yellow, brown and orange)
A jar of frankincense
A jar of five finger grass
A jar of camphor
A jar of basil
A jar of chamomile
A jar of ground cinnamon
A jar of laundry bluing
A jar of sea salt
A jar of sugar
A jar of graveyard dirt
A bottle of vegetable oil
A bottle of holy oil
A bottle of holy water
A bottle of cologne
A bottle of dragons blood ink and dip pen
A pack of self lighting charcoal


BARE BASIC PROFESSIONAL SET UP FOR THOSE JUST STARTING OUT DOING PAID HOODOO CONJURE WORK FOR OTHERS:

TABLE:
By this point you should have a good grounding in maintaining your table and it will have taken a form that works for you and your spiritual allies.
If you feel you want to do paid work for other people and feel you are competent to do it, fine, but here are some rules I stick to and some I think you should seriously consider when working for other people:

• I NEVER charge anyone who NEEDS the work doing because they have fallen on hard times, this is people wrongly convicted of crimes, people suffering illnesses, people who are being abused through no fault of their own. These people get freebies from me if I have the resources to spare, if I don't have the resources, I'm happy to pray for them which can be just as effective.
• I only ever charge the cost of the materials and minimum wage per hour for doing the work.
• I only perform spiritual works that I feel confident doing and have the correct resources at hand to do.
• I never make guarantees of anything, I am not a God and I am not omnipotent.
• I always recommend conjure is just part of a solution for a problem, it is not an alternative to legal, medical or financial advice.
• I never make claim to be "more spiritual" than anyone else, we all come from God and are equally spiritual and equally loved by God.
• I never claim superhuman powers, what I do is perfectly human and anyone can learn to do.
• Spirits, such as Saints, who work on my behalf to solve a problem, receive due respect, praise, payment and sacrifice.
• I have made myself familiar with the laws of my country in regards to receiving payment for spiritual works.
• I never reveal a clients name.

• I never throw curses around unless it is to bring justice to an evil doer and even then it is after much careful consideration and divination.

BARE MINIMUM BASIC PROFESSIONAL SUPPLIES:
(N.B this is the ABSOLUTE BARE MINIMUM of supplies I recommend for someone setting themselves up as a paid professional rootworker to have at their disposal if they want to be taken seriously.)

Divinatory Tools:
(Always have AT LEAST two forms of divination, so you can get more than one angle on situation)
Dice
Playing cards, Tarot cards or Lenormand cards.

Candles:
Red, orange, yellow, green, purple, black, white and brown tapers.
Tea lights
Plain white glass encased novena candles (plain so pictures of saints or petitions can be stuck to the side.)
A selection of figure candles, male, female, skull etc

Oils: 
(Base oils)

Almond oil
Olive oil
Coconut oil
Palm oil

(Conjure oils)
Holy oil
Van-van oil
John the Conqueror oil
Road Opener oil
Crossing oil
Uncrossing oil
Crown of Success oil
Red Fast Luck oil
Money Drawing oil
Love Drawing oil

"Minerals":
(not all these items are "minerals" per se, but Ive listed them here for ease.)
Alum
Sea salt
Sulphur
Sugar
Laundry bluing
Graveyard dirt
Lodestones
Magnetic sand
Bicarbonate of soda
Cascarilla
Honey
Molasses
Iron oxide
Vesta powder

Herbs and Roots:
Cinnamon
Basil
Red Pepper
Vervaine
Five finger grass
Bayberry bark
Juniper berries
Gravel root
Star anise
Orris root
John the Conqueror root
Rose petals
Chamomile
Valerian root
Sandalwood

Resins:
Frankincense
Myrrh
Dragons Blood
Pine
Camphor


Colognes and Waters:
Holy water
Storm water
War water
Peace water
Florida water
Kananga water
Cologne 4711
Rose water

Animal Curios:
Black chicken feathers
Chicken bones
Chicken feet
Snake sheds
Cat bones
Black cat fur
Black dog fur (apparently poodle hair is traditional but I use any black dog hair)

Inks:
Dragons Blood
Doves Blood
Bats Blood
Don't forget a dip pen and brown paper!

Reference Books:
Bible or psalter
The Greater Key of Solomon
6th and 7th Books of Moses
Book of Novena prayers to the Saints

Misc:
Empty bottles of various sizes
Charcoal
Swinging censer
Regular censer
Oil lamp
4 thieves vinegar
Ammonia
Green and red cloth bags
Selection of hat pins, dress pins and eyed needles
Voodoo dolls
Selection of soaps: osun dudu, sandalwood, patchouli, cinnamon and savon du marseille.


So there you have it, my thoughts on starting out in hoodoo.

Good Luck and happy conjuring! :)

Italian folk charms.

Ive been asked to write a little on Italian folk magic, so here we go:

I wasn't really sure where to start, so I thought I start with charms, below are a list of magical charms and  symbols utilised in Italy and the diaspora.
The first thing Id like to cover, just because it is so mysterious and intriguing are the trulli hex signs of puglia.


Hex Signs of Puglia:

In the region of Puglia, there are traditional houses called "trulli", these houses are conical stone huts and are very common in the region, they are not really found anywhere outside of Puglia, I think I'm right in saying these houses are the result of Arabic influence on southern Italian culture. Most of these houses are centred around the town of Alberobello, which has become a sort of tourist spot due to its unusual architecture.
Granted I've only ever been to Puglia once and spent most of my time there at a waterpark eating gelato, but on the way there I still got chance to see plenty of trulli and nearly all them had these strange hex signs painted on their roofs in whitewash.
I was immediately intrigued by these strange magical signs, but whats even weirder and i intriguing is nobody is really sure of their origin, not even the families who paint them on the roofs every year, they simply shrug and say "its what we have always done". Their primary function is to ward off evil spirits, deflect witchcraft and attract luck.

Trulli decorated with hex signs 

Many of the signs on the roofs are catholic in nature and therefore self explanatory as magical symbols (catholic imagery extends beyond the realm of religion in Italy and crosses over into the realm of superstition and magic, often being used as general symbols for luck, blessing and reversing evil) for example, the pierced heart of Our Lady, the sacred heart of Jesus, the Host, the Cross etc...
However these catholic images are the exception rather than the rule. Planetary symbols from astrology are much more common and even more common are primitive symbols of suns, stickmen, crudely drawn animals and geometric shapes. And even more seen than these are strange primitive abstract symbols to who's exact origins are any ones guess (including the folk who paint them).

Common trulli hex signs. From left to right; primitive, catholic and astrological
Paint one above your door to keep the malocchio off or just as an interesting conversation piece to friends.


Cimaruta:
This charm is a very old Italian charm and falls under the category of "portafortuna" which translates as a lucky charm but can be used as a catch all term for practically any amulet or talisman. Italians are obsessed with charms that are carried or worn as jewellery. This particular charm is much more popular in the diaspora than in Italy itself, probably due to its heavy associations with witchcraft which carries satanic connotations for many Italians (please don't send me any messages telling me paganism isn't satanic, I already know this, but satanic witchcraft is far more common in Italian culture than pagan witchcraft, this isn't up for debate but a comment made on my own personal experience.)
I personally don't think the charm is satanic and I would happily wear one, I think the charm is wonderful and very magical.

Cimaruta

It can be worn by women or men, but is generally deemed to be more of a feminine thing.
The charm consists of a piece of silver that has been shaped into a triform bunch of rue, from the tips of the rue branches sprout strange arcane symbols. Symbols vary between individual charms however the following symbols are usually always present: A waxing crescent moon, a key, a vervaine flower, a sacred heart and a fish.
The symbolism contained within the cimaruta are a blend of symbols taken from pagan, catholic and peasant folk magic, which reflects the traditional folk spirituality of Italy perfectly.
The sacred heart, the fish and the triform nature of the branch are all catholic symbols, representing Jesus, Christian faith and the Trinity.
The key and the crescent moon are likely pagan symbols of the pagan Gods Hekate and Diana, both two Goddesses associated with witchcraft and magic, these Gods where very popular symbols of magic in renaissance art and literature in Italy which is probably the period of time where the charm originates.
Rue itself is a powerful protector against evil magic in Italian herbal lore as are vervaine flowers, which also bring luck. Silver is also used in many Italian folk charms to bring money (stare at the moon whilst turning a silver coin in your pocket is one charm that springs to mind.)
Like I said previously, the charm is very popular in the diaspora and in recent years has been adopted by witches and magical practitioners within the Italian diaspora as a sort of unofficial badge of identity.

Cornetto:
This charm shaped as a bulls horn is massively popular in Southern Italy especially around Napoli and in the region of Calabria. It is so typical of the Mezzogiorno region that in the diaspora it is often worn by people of Calabrese and Neopolitan descent as a badge of cultural identity. If you are lucky enough to ever visit Calabria or Naples you will see this charm everywhere, and I mean everywhere. Worn as jewellery, hung on rear view mirrors, dangling in shop windows, carried as key rings, printed on t-shirts. The charm is generally considered something men would ware as among its many blessings it grants virility through its obviously phallic shape, the symbolism of bull like virility is also obvious. However it carries many other blessings too, among them luck, wealth, success and therefore is also sometimes used by women too.

Cornetto

The charm should be red in colour, this symbolises the defeat of your enemies (imagine a bulls horn covered in blood after it has gored a rival.). The horn should also should be empty so it can fill itself with blessings ready to be poured out into your life. The top is usually crowned with a gold crown to represent success, mastery and wealth. The blessings of this charm are manifold; luck, protection, virility, strength, success, abundance, wealth to name a few...small wonder it is so popular!

The origins of the cornetto are a bit of a mystery, its very old and probably Roman in origin, taken from the myth of the cornucopia or magical horn of plenty that was carried by the Roman Goddess Abundantia (which is where the word "abundance" comes from), though the traditional cornucopia is generally seen as a goats rather than bulls horn.
Abundantias cornucopia produced never ending supplies of delicious food and gold coins which she poured out generously on those who pleased her.
There is some evidence that the cornetto may be even older, perhaps even Etruscan as Etruscan houses would often hang a bulls horn above the front door for prosperity. Others have suggested a neolithic origin to the magic horn.

Ideally the cornetto should be given to you as gift for maximum luck bringing effectiveness, but if you want to buy one as a gift for yourself, that's fine too.

Mano corno. Careful who you flash it too.

As with all magical charms be a little careful, some conservative folk believe the charm to be satanic, a charm that is said to invoke the devil for financial aid.

Mano Corno:
An alternative to the cornetto, this lucky charm is credited with the power of warding off the dreaded "malocchio" or evil eye, it is also a general charm of luck. it is basically a hand giving a 2 fingered horned salute.





This charm is a little controversial as it is considered offensive, I would personally not recommend wearing it on show when in the company of Italians. The gesture the hand is making is that of the "cornuto" or cuckold man. The idea is that if a mans wife cheats on him, he will grow horns as a mark of shame, making this sign to someone is a sign you think they are a weak, pathetic and foolish. The gesture is immensely insulting and is the equivalent of sticking your middle finger up at someone.
The origin of the charm is strange and I have little idea where it comes from, it is possible that due to the belief that the evil eye being cast is usually through jealousy (especially sexual jealousy), then slamming someone down and taking the wind out of their sails by accusing them of sexual jealousy because their wife is too busy cavorting with other men may be one possible explanation. Another explanation is that the sign is intentionally insulting, meaning it is worn as an insult to the devil and his minions, sort of like throwing salt in the devils eye to bring luck.
Other explanations include it is simply a variation on the cornetto charm, other explanations point to occult gestures used in satanic Italian witchcraft. Truth is I don't know.

if your anyone asks just say its lucky and leave it at that

Mano Figa:
Again another controversial charm that shouldn't be on show in polite company! The Mano Figa literally translates as "c*nt hand" (the word "figa" is a very vulgar term for vagina). It is a gesture made with a fist to resemble a vulva. The slit produced by the middle and index fingers represent the vagina, whilst the protruding thumb a clitoris. The charm is one of protection and prosperity. As a charm of protection, it is likely that the vulgarity of the charm is supposed to be an insult to demons and the devil. The luck bringing side of the charm is probably an allusion to fertility, the vagina, being the exit of the womb, is a source of life and therefore abundance. But again I don't really know.


Coccinella:
Slightly twee but worth a mention is the coccinella, the ladybird charm, a simple harbinger of luck especially in love. Its common so its worth a mention. Probably considered lucky because of its colour (red is very auspicious in Italian culture as it symbolises victory over enemies and averts the evil eye) and because of its beauty.

Coccinella charm

Kitchen Gods:

If you have ever spent time in Italian households you will have seen a mask of the roman god Bacchus on the wall in the kitchen. They are usually clay or pottery of some kind depicted with smiling mouth open and wearing a crown of grapes and vine leaves. You may also see the Goddess Abundtia holding a cornucopia, or a cornucopia by itself or renaissace images of the Goddess Ceres baring her breasts. These are generally kept for their beauty, however they are also symbols of abundance, kept in the kitchen to ensure food is never in short supply. It is important to remember that families who keep these pagan images arent pagans themselves, they simply see these old Gods of Roma as symbols of prosperity and abundance, lucky to have around.

Gobbo:

A strange fetish that comes in the form of a hunchback man depicted as a tramp clutching a horseshoe in one hand and making a horned salute with the other. He is also sometime depicted wearing a battered top hat with a ladybird sat on top of it and a 4 leaf clover through his buttonhole. Other times he is portrayed wearing a white clown outfit and a black venetian mask. He is also sometimes portrayed surmounting a cornetto, this variation of the charm is called a corno gobbo.

Gobbo charms

This is a powerful luck charm especially when it comes to money and gambling, when you need extra luck you should rub the hump on his back.


Well that's all i can think of for now! Of course there are many, many more charms and the like but I hope this covered some interesting basics and cleared up a few of the misconceptions floating around.

Ciao for now.

Mojo magic.

Ive been getting lots of messages recently asking me for help with divination. Not so much divination techniques but rather ritual ways for people to increase their intuition and open up their "third eye".

Ive also had one message requesting I do a post on mojo bags.

So I thought it would be good to kill 2 birds with 1 stone and create a sixth sense mojo to help people with divination and  psychic visions.

For those of you who dont know, a mojo is a little drawstring bag (usually made from  red chamoise or red flannel) filled with roots and curios, the mojo is given life by the root worker by ritual means and treated as a living entity. This means they must be fed and cared for if they are to be effective.







I always carry my own personal mojo for luck, protection and power on my person at all times, Ive had him a long time, he contains a large john the conqueror root, a black cat bone, a medal of my patron saint and other strange secret magical things.

When we make a mojo, we say we "tie a mojo".

There are lots of different ways to tie a mojo, here is how I tie a mojo. If you do not like the way I tie it, do it your own way or feel free to tie it in the fashion of a root worker you know who makes successful mojos.

(Large fancy mojos I made a while back for love drawing and seances.)

 

My personal dos and donts when tying a mojo:

• Do always have an odd number of items in your mojo, this ensures the power of the mojo cannot be cut in half. 3, 5, 7, 9, 13 and 21 are all auspicious odd numbers.
• Do feed your mojo regularly with apropriate conjure oils, whiskey or cologne.
• Do talk to your mojo expressing your desires.
• Do give your mojo a secret name.
• Dont ever tell anyone the secret name or they will have power over your mojo. 
• Dont ever actually tie knots in the strings of your mojo when closing it.
• Dont ever let anyone touch your mojo.
• Dont ever open your mojo.

Ok, now to make a sixth sense mojo you will need the following:

1. A small drawstring bag
2. A purple candle
3. A psalter or bible
4. An apache tear
5. Coltsfoot
6. Star Anise
7. Dirt from the gate of a cemetary
8. Mugwort
9. A rattle
10. A little vial of psychic vision oil

(Apache tears, a type of obsidian. Obsidian has been prized in many cultures, from 17th century Europe to the Aztec Empire, as a scrying medium.)

Take a white plate and set the purple candle going in the middle, arrange around this candle the apache tear, coltsfoot, cemetary dirt, star anise and mugwort. Light the candle and recite the first 4 verses from Psalm 49.

Pick up each item on the plate in turn and talk to it, telling it what quality it is you want it to bring to the mojo and drop it into the bag.

Spirit of obsidian, reflect ontowards me signs and omens.
Spirit of coltsfoot, open up my eyes to the past, present and future.
Spirit of the cemetary gate, draw towards me the voices and wisdom of the departed.
Spirit of star anise; bring me the gift of prophecy.
Spirit of mugwort; bring me success in the psychic arts.

Now pick up your purple candle and snuff it out in the bag, spit in the bag and pull the draw strings tight. Wind the strings tightly around the neck of the bag 3 times but do not tie them.
Now your mojo is ready and he needs to be woken up, take your rattle and shake it over the mojo to wake him up, tell the mojo his secret name and what his job is, tell him you will feed him well if he works good for you.
Feed your mojo a few drops of psychic vision oil by allowing a few drops to fall on him and put him in a safe place such as the box where you keep your tarot cards, a purse, pocket or even on a cord around your neck. Remember to feed him regularly with a few drops of the oil whenever you feel his power is waning.

Seals

Seals, I love them.


A seal, for those of you who dont know, is basically a magical design that exercises some sort of influence over a sphere of life. Seals incorporate lots of strange arcane sigils and symbols, they may contain astrological information, the names of angels and demons, hebrew or latin inscriptions citing holy texts etc, etc.
Seal designs can be found in many grimoires (magic books) such as le dragon rouge, poule noire, the goetia, the greater key of solomon etc.

Magic seal from La Poule Noire

Though I was never really interested much in seals beyond aesthetics at one time, they where always those things seen in grimoires that seemed to be much more style than substance. It was always the overly complicated instructions that accompanied them that put me off. Grimoires often cite impossibly complex rituals to the uses of seals, they often state things like the seal must be engraved on somekind of metal which could be anything from tin or copper to solid gold or fixed mercury, other texts say they must be embroided on finest silk by a virgin or drawn on velum in ink made from the blood of certain animal sacrifices mixed with exotic resins and oils or some other extravagance.

Complicated rituals to activate the seals are usually prescribed by grimoires also, they can only be created at certain times after lengthy invocations and rituals that are described in nauseating detail including what underwear to wear whilst you are doing said ritual and what coloured candle to insert into your butthole whilst pronouncing the unpronoucable divine names of God as you wave a consecrated sword cast by a one eyed uzbekistani blacksmith when the moon was in the eigth of pisces.....

Ok Im being feceatious, but the rituals are usually complex beyond any practical application the finished seal might have, of course thats not to denigrate any of you hardcore sorcerers and enchantresses out there who do follow the grimoires to the letter (on the contrary, kudos to you! you have much more patience and skill than me!)

Thankfully the seals of grimoires have fell into the realm folk magic, particularly the obeah folk magic popular amongst british jamaicans, which is where I first came across the practical aplication of seals.

My first experience of practical seal use came when I was working in a magic shop as a tarot reader. A rather glamourous middle-class jamaican baptist lady came into the shop wanting something to help her with some practical matter that escapes my memory. She suggested the owner of the shop prescribe a seal of empowerment to bend others to her will, he obliged simply by picking up a piece parchment paper (which is just really fancy high quality regular paper), a purple quill pen (purple for power) and a bottle of dragons blood ink. He then selected an appropriate seal design from the key of solomon grimoir and copied it onto the parchment paper with the pen and ink. When he was done he placed it between the palms of his hands and recited some prayers and handed it to the lady who folded it up and put in her purse. The lady said she would keep it in her purse whenever she was around people who "needed telling" and they would do as she said. I noticed other well-to-do ladies from the same jamaican baptist church across the road come in for similar hand drawn seal charms to accompany the magical baths, oils and candles they purchased whilst in the shop.

This is the way that it is done in folk magic. The seals are employed in anyway the practitioner sees fit in order attract the influences they represent.

Ive come across lots of ways the seals are used, none of which are prescribed in the grimoires they are taken from.

For example: I have a young friend who swears by a seal called the 4th pentacle of Venus as part of a powerful love charm. He simply copies the seals out in doves blood, he then folds it up and slips it into a red mojo bag with a few pinches of certain love drawing herbs, he then goes out for a night out on the town. ive never known this charm to fail him.

Ive seen seals chalked on walls and floors for protection or for people to step on. Ive even photocopied pictures of seals and placed them in my shoes as part of footrack magic, leaving the seal to wear away to nothing but literally making every step I take be a step taken with God and his angels. Seals can be cast onto jewellery, carried in pockets, stuck on the side of novena candles, I even met a chap who had one tattooed on the side of his head(!)

The limit is your imagination I guess.

Heck, Ive even seen a little evidence that might suggest the grimoire seals crossed over from the grimoire tradition into other highly structured religious practices, for example, I cant help but notice the similarity between this seal for the demon Vepar (a merman associated with seafaring) and the ve-ve (ritual signature) of the Vodou oceanic naval spirit Agwe:

Seal of Vepar and Ve-ve of Agwe, coincidence?

Now of course, Im not suggesting the honourable and noble Agwe is anyway associated with the infernal demon Vepar. But since, to my understanding at least, the grimoire tradition was (and still is) popular in the carribean, it doesnt take much of a stretch of the imagination to ponder that if the seal of a demon heavily associated war ships just might have somehow inspired a voodoo devotee at sometime in the past to create a ve-ve design to call upon Agwe, who is often envisioned as being the officer of an armed sea vessel. Who knows? Its just an idea someone suggested to me once, but whatever, true or just a coincidence, my point is this, the simple geometric designs within seals speak to us on a deep and primitive level, so their power is a profound language in its simplicity however we utilise these simple shapes.


Anyway, enough pondering.

I recently aquired a pendant inscribed with a magical seal, now I could just wear this but I decided to consecrate it in a little ritual of my own design, you may wish to do something similar.

The pendant is the 1st pentacle of Mars, reputed to bring victory and success to the wearer in all things. So on the day of Mars during the hour of Mars I took the pendant and lit a red candle (because red is a mars colour and mars is fiery), by the light of the candle I called upon the angels associated with mars and asked them to bless the pendant, I then dressed it with a little dragons blood oil (dragons blood for empowerment and strength). Super simple, but sometimes simple is the best, my mars pendant is now hanging from my neck and making me feel super strong and confident ready for victory and success in all things! :)

Now, not everyone may want to use the seals used in grimoires, if you dont the answer is simple. Create your own.
Making your own seals can be fun, these homemade seals are often called "sigils", to make a sigil you simply write out your intention, so for example if I want a sigil for uncrossing a curse I simply write out the word "uncrossing".
I then work the letters into an abstract design:




Simple

This uncrossing seal can be used in any of the way mentioned above, some people like to "charge" these seals in different ways, I find the best way to use these particular homemade seals is simple as a focus to ritual, for example perhaps painting them on the side of a jar candle.

Anyway, whatever you make your seals for and how you use them is up to you, best of luck and have fun.

Peace.

Opening Roads

Ive been playing with an online graphics program and decided to give the blog a new fancy look, hope you all like the oldy worldy dime store magic theme and dont think it too pretentious!

Anyways, on with the conjure :)

Sometimes your just stuck in limbo, things dont seem to be going anywhere, either in general or in specific areas of your life. It happens to the best of us. There are worse things than being stuck in a rut, but sometimes we have just got to get moving, we need to open our roads.

Thankfully the Good Lord has given us roots and power over their spirits to help us on our way.

Id like to talk about a botanical mixture employed in root work called Road Opener.

What exactly is road opener? Road opener is a specific mixture of herbs, spices and resins sometimes also known by its spanish name "abre camino", each botanical in the mix has a specific characteristic that takes people foward, the characteristics include luck, victory,  prosperity, clearing etc.

Road Opener is available in every conceivable form : sprays, floorwashes, incenses, soaps, oils, bath salts etc. It has a strong yet pleasant clean cinnamony-menthol scent.

It can be utilised in many ways. Somefolk like to infuse the mixture in a bucket of hot water and scrub the floors of their home or business down with it whilst reciting the 21st psalm to ensure prosperity and opportunity in all its forms. Other people carve their name into an orange candle and annoint the candle with road opener oils or the powdered road opener herbs and pray over it to overcome certain blocks in their life or to get out of a rut.

Here is a powerful road opener ritual I use that has formed through trial and error in my own practice, its an amalgamation of several different trads (mainly hoodoo), but it has never failed me and hopefully it will also work for you. After this ritual I always feel optomistic, find myself having luck, making new friends, enjoying better communication  and finding new doors opening in even the most unlikely areas of life.

triple wick lamp and road opener oil

To perform this ritual you will need:

• Road opener oil
• A light neutral carrier oil such as vegetable oil (make sure the oil is light or it will not draw up through your lamp wicks)
• 3 cotton lamp wicks (available from hindu shops)
• An oil lamp (I like to use clay puja lamps from the hindu hardware store, but use any container you like.)
• Road opener soap (the soap is available online, if you cant get it, use cinnamon scented soap, not great but workable)
• Road opener bath mix
• A key
• A bay leaf
• red or orange sharpie pen
• A lump of camphor
• Some florida water
• A china saucer
• A basin of hot water

First take your lump of camphor, pass it around your head 3 times imagining all the doubt being sucked out your head and soaked into the little block. Place it on your china saucer. Take it outside and balance your key on top, pour a little florida water on it and light it. Stand well back and do not inhale the fumes or let them get in your eyes(!) The key should heat up and melt through the camphor, this is symbolic of the key cutting through your crap and breaking blocks.

Wait for the key to cool, take it inside and drop it into your basin. Add your bath mix to the basin and recite the Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be (if you are not catholic use whatever prayers you like, asking your God/s to bless the bath.)

Take your basin and stand it in your shower stall, get yourself wet and scrub yourself all over with your road opening soap, I use special prayers and songs that are personal to me whilst im soaping up, you use whatever songs and prayers are apropriate to your faith.
 Some folk like to pray psalms, some like to pray to St Peter, some sing to Legba, some pray to Ganesha, Hecate, Inari, Elvis, whoever, God is God and angels are angels, whatever names we ascribe to them, at the end of the day we are all talking to the same, you go with whats best for you and what your faith dictates.
 
Pay special attention to your feet and your head whilst soaping though :)

Once all covered in suds, use a sponge to wash the suds off with the road opening mix in the basin, until all of it is used up and all the suds are gone.
 
Now you are ready for your Road Opening Lamp. Take your container and fill it with carrier oil, add some road opener oil (not too much, remember road opener contains camphor which may sting your nose and eyes as the lamp burns if you put too much in. One teaspoon to every cup of carrier oil is more than enough.)

Take your bay leaf and write your name on it with your sharpie pen, if you have a specific problem you can write the solution to your problem on the reverse of the leaf. For example if you are unemployed write "Employment", if you are struggling with finances write "Money" etc. Drop this into your lamp oil. Now take your cotton wicks, and place them in the container. Set the lamp on a plate and place it on your spiritual altar or somewhere safe. Light the wicks in a clock wise direction and pray over the lamp using any psalms or prayers you feel are appropriate.

Best of Luck!

The Chain of St Michael.

I first encountered St Michael's chain in 2010. I was approached by an American friend of mine who asked me if I had knowledge of it as he wanted to learn the method of using it.

I told him I didn't know the method nor had I ever heard of it.

He told me he heard it was a form of divination that originated in Sicily and Southern Italy.
Bemused, I decided to do a little research of my own. I had never come across this method of divination whilst in Southern Italy nor had I ever heard of it.

However being of proud dyed in the wool Calabrese stock, a fortune teller and a devotee of St Michael the Archangel, I was naturally delighted by the possibility of such a divination system.

After a little research on the Internet I found.....nothing.

There were mentions of a St Michael's chain online, however this was a chain of office that was used in the confraternity of St Michael, it seemed to have no link to any kind of divination system.

I started asking around my Sicilian and Calabrese family and friends to see if anyone knew anything. They all just scratched their heads and looked puzzled.

A little disappointed, I packed the idea away in my mind and forgot about it.

Autumn 2011 and I came across a pamphlet on Sicilian folk magic written by an Italian-American author. In the book there was a description of the chain and how to use it.
The description given in the book was somewhat clumsy, unclear and badly written. It claimed the chain was a form of divination used to communicate directly with the Archangel Michael himself.

After a little study, I realised the chain was little more than a very simple form of geomancy.

4 holy medals of St Michael the Archangel where to be attached at equal lengths along a chain, the chain would then be thrown after certain prayers and ritual gestures. The chain produces a binary system depending on if medals land "up" or "down" that in turn make up 16 geomantic patterns, the 16 patterns where the same geomantic patterns found in traditional European geomancy and West African Ifa.
However their meanings deviated from both these systems separate interpretations (though admittedly one or two of the meanings of the patterns did coincide directly with the traditional European geomantic interpretations.)

There was also a second method of employing the chain in the book, this method again relied on forming binary patterns.
However in this instance only five patterns could be produced. It struck me that these five patterns where identical to the five outcomes of Obi divination utilised in Santeria.

Intrigued and not really sure what to make of the whole thing, I decided to go ahead and test the method of divination nevertheless.

I attached 4 St Michael medals to a chain, blessed them in the name of the Archangel and invited some friends to pose questions.

To our surprise, we found the chain to be an immensely accurate form of divination. So accurate in fact that I found the insights and predictions it provided quite remarkable.

The first question posed was by a friend of mine who has an eye disease called retina pigmentosa, she enquired if there was anything to help her medical treatment. The answer from the chain: "Pray to St Lucy" (patron of the blind and eye disorders.)

The second question posed was by my friend who worked in a bar and often would often walk through a bad area of town in the early hours to get home, he posed a question for general advice in his life, the answer: "beware violent crimes, beware thieves and avoid being in dangerous places at night." After this result he confided in me that the previous night he had been followed by a potential attacker, who had tried to corner him. He took the chains advice and decided to get taxis home from work from then on!

Origins of The Chain:

In the book from which I learnt the divination method, the author made no real claims to the origin of the chain or how he came to learn it. It could be that he did indeed formulate the entire system himself by fusing together Geomancy, Ifa and Obi.

After a little more research, I found that geomancy style divination was indeed practised in Southern Italy. I have even spoke to someone who had geomantic readings performed with 4 coins to produce the binary patterns (in the same way the medals of the chain produce patterns).

This hardly surprised me though. Ive seen all sorts of bizarre forms of divination coming out of southern italy, divination isn't so much a practise in Italy, as a national obsession. Ive seen everything from scopa cards to sex position dream interpretation (I kid you not, there's some scary old women who will divine your sordid nocturnal fantasies into winning lotto numbers.)

But, sadly alas, no mention specifically of a St Michael's chain.

In truth; I have no knowledge to what the origin of the chains is, whether it is the relatively recent invention of an Italian-American benedetto or the product of time tested traditional Italian folk Catholicism, I dont know.  I would really like to say its the latter, but I cant, simply because I don't have any evidence to say it is.



It seems of little consequence regarding the pragmatics of divination anyway.

What is important is that it works. Which Ive found it does.
But whats so special about it, that's warranting this blog post, is that it works to a level of divinatory accuracy that is almost disturbing. I have no doubt the chain and its system is a damn useful divination tool and not something I'm prepared to just throw away, just because it might not be of antique origin.

Speculations of the Chains Historic origins:

The chain is definitely influenced by some form of geomancy, there is no two ways about it. It also works, old or not, it taps into something powerful. Infact Id really apreciate it if anyone reading this experienced with Geomancy or Ifa would be kind enough to share any of their thoughts and ideas on how it might work.

Geomancy itself is Arabic to my understanding. The mythological origins of geomancy are that the Islamic prophet Idris was given the binary figures by Jibreel (Archangel Gabriel.) though its actual historic invention is shrouded in mystery and speculation.
The method was brought to Europe in the middle ages, probably through Spain and Italy. It may have also been taken to West Africa by Arab traders and slavers, where it evolved into the seperate religious divinatotry practice of Ifa. However many other people think Ifa divination is a system that evolved independently and the feature of its binary figures being similar in nature to Arabic/European geomancy are purely coincidental.

With this information, we can speculate that Arabian geomancy might have once had a strong hold in Southern Italy. Arabic ethnicity, culture and language all have had a heavy influence on Puglia, Calabria and Sicily that is strongly evident even to this day.

It doesn't take much of a stretch of the imagination to see a system under the patronage of one Archangel (Gabriel) shift under the patronage of another one, who is more popular in the region it is being practised (Michael). But again, Ill leave it to you to decide what you think the chains origins are.
I am sitting firmly on the fence. I'm quite happy throwing my St Michael chain and getting good results whatever its origins.

Assalamu Alaykum,
(as my Arab ancestors would have said.)

Advanced Cartomancy: Divining With Playing Cards and Tarot Simultaneously

Playing cards are a wonderful divination device, with just as much potential as tarot if taken seriously.

Ive had a few people message me about my yearly forecast spread, asking me both how and why I combined both tarot and playing cards in the reading.

When Tarot and Playing cards are used in combination, we get a whole new dimension of divinatory meaning.

Standard Tarot spreads such as The Gypsy, The Horseshoe and even the Celtic Cross can be enhanced by the combining tarot with playing cards.

Here is a very simple example of divination using both tarot cards and playing cards simultaneously.

A friend of mine posed this straightforward question:

I'm having trouble in work, can you please shed some light on the situation?
To answer this question I'm going to lay out a simple spread.
3 tarot cards are laid out left to right representing past, present and future.
A fourth card is placed face down above these, this face down card is the advice card, it is turned over at the end of the reading.

Next, I take my playing cards and give them a shuffle, cut the deck and remove the first card. The 10 of hearts, so I place this card over the tarot card representing the past.
Because it is a 10 I then count 10 cards into the deck and turn over the next card. It is the 7 of clubs, this goes in the position of the present and the process is repeated with me counting out 7 cards for the future.

Now the spread looks like this:

The Tarot cards give an overall background to the situation, whereas the playing cards represent more specific actions and events.

First we look at the overall spread.
2 Major Arcana and 1 Court card, this indicates the situation is largely abstract and calls for an emotional or mental shift rather than a physical one as a solution to his problems.
2 black playing cards and 1 red playing card, the overall situation is negative, however there is hope.
The recurrence of the Number 10 in the playing cards is significant, the number 10 occurring twice in a card reading represents a change of circumstance (is this a new job? has there been some change in the work place? perhaps a new colleague or a new manager?).

After the brief overview to see where the reading is heading, we can fully interpret the cards.
Ive provided textbook meanings of the cards here to help you along if you'd like to divine also, but remember text book meanings are only a guide, interpretation of the cards should lie fore mostly in the intuition of the diviner:

The Past:
The King of Swords; Power, command, authority etc, etc. Intuition is pointing towards a stern male manager within the workplace.
The 10 of Hearts; Good Luck and Happiness, due to the recurrence of another 10 in the reading also a change.

Interpretation: A male manager who was quite stern and had your back in work, you felt happy working underneath him, you are no longer working under him and since he has left not only have you felt less happy in work but also feel as though misfortune has crept into your professional life.


The Present:
Judgement; Change of position, renewal, outcome, also exactly what is intimated by the card.
7 of clubs; Prosperity and success, be careful of trouble coming from a person of the opposite sex.

Interpretation: Since changing managers you have lost sight of your personal potential for success and prosperity in the workplace, you must overcome your fear and believe in yourself that nothing has really changed. Also be wary of a judgemental female colleague who is scrutinising this behaviour and perceiving it as weakness.



The Future:
The Lovers; partnership, love, trials overcome.
10 of clubs; Unexpected money coming in, good luck, travel abroad. Also the recurrence of 10 indicates a change.

Interpretation: After a holiday with your partner, expect returning to work to bring a new perspective. You will be happier and more positive in work, promotion and a good relationship with your new manger is on the horizon.

Now the Advice card is turned over.

The numbers of the playing cards already laid out in the spread are added together:

10+7+10=27
2+7=9

9 cards are counted from the deck, the ninth card is flipped over and placed over the Advice card like thus.

Advice for the querent:
Strength; Power, force, courage etc
9 of Clubs; Don't be stubborn, achievement, a new admirer

Interpretation: Stop being so negative, things are not as bad as they seem, your negative attitude is brought on by fear of change, which is causing you to court misfortune. It takes a bigger a man to accept and adapt than what it does to fight change.

xx xxx

OK, that's all well and good, a very simple reading for a very simple question.
But combining decks can give more complex readings.
For example here is a spread of my own design, I like to call this one of my "compass rose" spreads.

4 Tarot cards are placed in the middle at the cardinal points, each one representing a point of the compass.
Playing cards are counted out again using the method given above (jokers are given the value of 1, Aces are low, also having the value of 1.) And spread clockwise, 3 at each cardinal point of the compass starting in the East ending in the North.

This spread is very useful as it can be interpreted in a manner of ways, for example it could be used like a calendar to give someone a yearly forecast reading. I.e East could represent spring-time, the Hierophant here giving an overall feeling to the season and the three playing cards representing the months of March, April and May each card representing a specific event in these months when read in conjunction with the Hierophant.

Another way of reading it would be in a psychoanalytical way. Each cardinal point representing an aspect of the querents psyche, for example the tarot in the East might represent how the person thinks and communicates, the 3 cards specific thoughts and expressions, South their creative outlets and endeavours, west their Emotions and dreams etc....

If you where of the mystical bent and wanted to be really clever, you could read the whole thing in relation to astrology. This would give the reading a whole new dimension.
For example North might represent the element of Earth and the 3 cards the astrological Earth signs of Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn, East the element of Air and the 3 cards Gemini, Libra and Aquarius, etc.
So in this case, The Jack of Diamonds, is in the position of Taurus, under the influence of the 8 of Wands which is in the position of Earth. This might represent a home loving, affectionate fair haired young man who is enthusiastic about doing creative pursuits at home, which in turn is meeting with the disapproval with the people he lives with...

Have fun and good luck with your readings!

Forecast for 2012!

Sorry its been a while since Ive updated this blog. I thought Id start 2012 with some divination for the New Year.

This is a sort of brief divinatory overview for 2012 . Ive also written a monthly rundown in the style of a horoscope forecast for all those who fate has brought here to read it. That way hopefully everyone will be able to dip in and take away something meaningful.

Hope you enjoy and you all have a wonderful 2012!

I cast this reading using tarot, playing cards, dice and the chain of St Michael. Here is the result:

The Saints that are most auspicious for 2012 according to the reading are St James and St Expedite. Both are excellent and powerful intercessors!

The angels suggested by the reading to rule 2012 are Sachiel and Adachiel.
These 2 angels rule over the domains of politics, travel, money and leadership aswell as adventure and jovial disposition.

St Raphael also seems to be going to have some important influence over this year. He is associated with healing and medicine as well as some aspects of romantic love to a lesser extent.

Key themes for 2012:
An especially lucky year for you if you are female. Fertility, travel and money are very important themes this year for everyone.
However, this is generally an unfortunate year for legal endeavours in all their forms.



Lucky associations for 2012:
The colour BLUE is an extremely auspicious symbol this year, perhaps more so than any other correspondance given here.
The number 7, also all multiples of 4.
Lucky charms incorporating images of birds of prey, fish and scallop shells are great things to have in 2012.
Omens surrounding the weather, especially rain and lightening will be fortunate.
Anything foreign coming from overseas carries meaning and luck.
Roots such as vine leaves, mint, nutmeg , star anise, palm leaves and juniper berries are all auspicious roots for this year.
Summer is the most auspicious season of this year, especially August.



Unlucky associations, warnings and ill omens for 2012:The colours yellow and white are unfortunate.
Be wary of lies, theft and gossip.
Images of crows and magpies(!)
Rootwork involving vandal root (valerian) will have a more than usual nasty effect, as will work involving wormwood and castor.
Winter is a bad season this year, as it will bring mourning in some form.




Monthly Forecast:

January:
Harsh changes may be afoot, especially changes brought about by a necessary journey. A time to be grateful for home and the everyday things we have.

February:
A highly auspicious time regarding money, especially in terms of receiving money from partners and one to one employer/employee relationships. Nostalgia in regards to the home and sentimentality may colour the mood for this month. A good time to spend with grandparents, parents and children.

March:
A great month for playing games of chance. Blessings in all forms can be found from immediate family members, especially children. Also a time to exercise mindfulness and being grounded, as both daydreaming and flights of fancy have the potential to lead you astray this month.

April:
Creative inspiration is in abundance during this time.
Be wary of people of the opposite sex who you are not involved with romantically. Sexual frustration may also be a problem especially if you are male, however, male virility should not be a problem!

May:
Overenthusiasm may consume you, be careful you do not fall prey to those who might deceive you whilst you are blinded by excitement.
Joy can be found in the form of plants and animals, especially pets.

June:
Ensure to get out more, even if you dont feel like it. To not move may be stifling. Trying something new will bring much happiness.

July:
A misfortunate month to be caught up in any legal proceedings whatever their form. However, a fortunate time for women moving within social circles.

August:
This month is all about love, marriage and fertility. An excellent time to embark on anything relating to the heart. The potential for new romance or deepening existing romance is immensly favourable this month. Perhaps the most auspicious month of the year.

September:
Another fortunate month for money but also travel, holidays and journeys taken in this month will be joy filled. Should any emotional troubles bother you at this time then you should make contact, seek solace, support and advice from female friends and relatives who live a distance from you.

October:
Fortune in the form of serendipity and material gifts can be yours this month providing you take an optomistic and playful attitude towards life. Birth, abundance and again fertility are all key themes. If you are trying for a baby now would be an excellent time.

November:
Be wary in work, especially if you are feeling stagnant or hopeless in your job, this feeling will pass. The potential for problems in the workplace are a real issue this month arising from job dissatisfaction.

December:
For those of you lucky enough to be offered any kind of business partnership, jump at the chance, now is a very auspicious time relating to this kind of endeavour. New romantic relationships started at this time will meet with dissaproval from others.