Dimanche: Swimming

"A delightful suprise!" late 19th century "French Postcard"

Happy Halloween and agreable suprises a tout!

Samedi: Honoring The Ghede

Some of our Ancestors may have become part of the collective known in Haitian Voudon as “the Ghede”. They are the spirits of the “forgotten dead”, unnamed and unremembered but no less sentient for it. Voudon recognizes that even in cultures where honoring ancestors is important, not every name will be remembered and the religion gives those who practice it an “out” in the form of the Ghede.

I try very hard to honor my ancestors throughout the year. I have a small ritual which I learned when I was in college from those who practiced sevis lwa; service to the lwa. One makes an offering of the first drink of the day, whether it is coffee, milk, juice or water, while deliberately saying the names of those who have gone before. The little ritual is rightly done outside and the offering poured on the ground but at six thirty in the morning in January in Alaska no decent spirit would have the heart to make me go outside. It’s all I can do to open the door for our St. Bernard. In the winter, the offering goes down the sink. In summer, though, my Sitka roses benefit from my devotions.

Take the glass or cup that holds your beverage of choice in both hands and make an X in the air in front of your eye line. Bring the glass to the center of the X and toss it for just a second into the air. You are only releasing it very briefly, so spillage should be minimal. Say: Great ancestors, I honor you or something like that. I’m giving you my recitation; making up your own will add meaning to your ritual.

Now pour out some of the beverage and say: For those whose names are remembered, then recite the names of those family members who have died. I reach back as far as 300 years, to Big Rene and Rose Beluche but that is only because I know them. Perhaps you only have your grandparents’ names at hand; that is all you need. First names are plenty as well; it’s all family.

Now pour a bit more liquid out and say: For those whose names are forgotten, yet do I remember you here. Take a moment to meditate on all those ancestors that you have no knowledge of. I particularly remember my ancestors who were indentured and enslaved, who died in a place that was completely foreign to them without being able to pass on their names.

Pour a last bit of your drink and say: And for those who bones are buried in this earth upon which we tread, ancestors as we honor you watch over us. Now your ritual is done and, should you have a touch of good fortune during your day, it wouldn’t hurt to thank your ancestors again just in case they engineered your luck in response to your remembrance.

At this time of year you might consider taking up this or another ritual that brings you closer to your ancestors. They await your call and they will respond in kind. And then brag to their less fortunate friends about the honor done them by their descendants, like the proud parents they are.

Header: Dwapo lwa (prayer flag) of The Ghede available for purchase, along with many other lovely pieces of Haitian art, at La Sosyete Belle Fleur Ginen’s website

Vendredi: Four of Clubs

Halloween is almost upon us and it is an evening when people have, from earliest times, gathered around a warm fire and told fortunes. The dark, windy night outside was driven away by the comforting flames and people could look to the future through the ministrations of a wise woman or root doctor who could tell what the cards, the palm of your hand, or the tea leaves that sat in your cup foretold.

In European and European influenced cultures, at least, this probably goes back to ancient Celtic belief. Samhain was the end of the year and there would be a “period between the worlds” that started on that night and continued until the New Year sprang to life at Yule on the Winter Solstice.

Sunday would be the perfect night to pull out your cards and read a fortune or two. So let’s see what the Four of Clubs has to say about all this, shall we?

This card usually indicates a need for the querent to keep a close eye on their finances and/or their job. It may be that they are slacking off at work or being a little to free with their cash. Some subtle questions on your part, and a close look at other cards in the spread, will bring out the crux of the matter.

If the general reading does not point to financial issues, the Four of Clubs may be indicating that another issue in your querent’s life needs closer attention. Specifically, there is something going on about which they are misinformed or even completely ignorant. That need to take stock and seek clarification if possible.

And so it goes. Bon chance ~

Header: Fortune Telling Witch on a vintage inspired Halloween card by Zazzle

Jeudi: Root Work

Now is the time of year when our thoughts turn inward. We begin to think about plans for the coming year as the cold and dark (very dark where I live) close in around us. It’s not necessarily oppressive, or I don’t find it so, and it gives us time that might have been turned toward other things, like our home or garden, back to ourselves. Now is a good time for family and a good time to remember our ancestors.

In the celebrations of Dia de los Muertos and Fête de Mort, it is common to set up what is known in Voudon as a “white table”. More frequently referred to as an ancestral altar, this is a place where pictures of our family as well as things they loved – books, drinks, flowers, foods, jewelry, etc. – can be displayed and offered as a way of letting those who went before us know that we realize they are still with us, just in a different sort of way.

None of this has to be particularly fancy. Some white tables are, of course, but you can just as appropriately honor your ancestors on a nicely draped and decorated TV tray as you can in a huge credenza. Particularly in our modern culture, when we don’t think much about our ancestors in general, they will appreciate any effort you make. I like to keep a white 7 day candle (those candles with the tall glass holders that you see in Catholic churches) burning on mine in memory of those whose names are remembered and those whose names are forgotten. The candles are available at the grocery store and if they tip over they are designed to go out automatically. Safety first. Also, the general recommendation is that ancestral altars not be set up in a bedroom. Dining rooms and particularly kitchens are very popular for this sort of thing as the ancestors will feel part of your daily routines.

Remember that you are not obligated to bring energies you cannot live with into your home. If you have a relative who was ill tempered and/or abusive they need not be included on your altar. Even if you can’t choose your family you can choose your companions. On the other side of the coin, I personally feel very connected to some ancestors that I would never have any way of knowing personally and, in fact, did not know of until I was an adult. If you have that kind of interaction with some of your many-generations-back relatives, find a way to represent them on your altar. Pictures are just the start.

This project is great for letting your imagination go to work. With only a little effort, a white cloth and some flowers to start, you can make a pleasing place for both you and the people who cared for and care for you. Taking the time to set up a white table now may make you want to keep it up year round. The ancestors can be a helpful group of allies, if you communicate with them regularly.

Header: Voudon white table via Kiwi Mojo (I would have posted a picture of mine but our camera has decided to join the ancestors)

Mercredi: The Art of Beauty

I will freely admit to not being one of those “shower every morning” folks. I can’t be, in point of fact. Coming into contact with that much soap and water would turn my skin into dried parchment. I can tolerate bathing every other day and actually prefer three times a week most of all. My hands and face are washed multiple times a day but then they are treated to a small herd of moisturizers that wouldn’t be practical “all over”. It works for me, and no I am not a wreaking remnant of the Dark Ages. The oil on your skin is there for a reason; try letting it do its job once in a while and see what happens.

The one important beauty aspect that can suffer from my personal regimen is my hair. Greasy hair has never (well, not never but not for a long time anyway) been attractive and I started casting around for ways to combat it without having to dunk my sensitive skin in water every day. Many years ago, even before I was hitting puberty, dry shampoos were all the rage and I loved the heck out of them. The craze dried up, if you’ll pardon the pun, in the late ‘70s and there I was pubescent and up a creek hair-wise. But, thanks to the good graces of my grandmother and a willingness to experiment, I managed to make my own dry shampoos which I still use today.

The simple purpose of a dry shampoo, which is really just a cleansing powder, is to soak up oil. The inability to wash one’s hair regularly brought about the use of powders and the eventual powdering of hair to a gray or white color in the late 18th century. It truly was a convenient and effective way to keep hair not only relatively clean but smelling delightful. And since the main ingredient then as now was cornstarch, it’s quite economical as well.

The best base I have found is simply 8 to 12 ounces of cornstarch to which you can add herbs for scent and, if you like, for magickal purposes. Put the cornstarch into a glass bowl for mixing and when you’ve made up your desired dry shampoo, place it in a glass jar with a tight lid. That way you can shake it gently to remix before application. Dried herbs should be ground to a very fine powder or you will have chunks of bay or rosemary left near your scalp. Use 1 to 3 teaspoons of your chosen herb and mix all thoroughly. Pour into the jar and store in a dry spot (the bathroom isn’t really the best idea for storage on this one) for up to three months.

To use, brush about a tablespoon’s worth of the mixture through your hair, rubbing it gently into your scalp first. Be sure to focus on any magickal outcome you might have empowered the herb(s) for while you brush, brush, brush. And check your scalp before you head out for white spots. At least until the big Marie Antoinette do’s come back in style.

Here are a few herbs and some magickal connections to consider along with my take on the scents, which are wonderful in and of themselves:

Lavender: a great pre-bedtime hair treatment that will help you sleep and stimulate your ability to remember your dreams.

Jasmine: perfect for a first date or to get a gentleman’s attention. For straight men and lesbians, vervain (also known as verbena – but not lemon verbena) works wonders. If you're looking for something quick and unhindered by commitment, basil is a good choice.

Rosemary: a certain pick-me-up first thing in the morning, rosemary can also assist your mental acuity through out the day and improve your persuasiveness and public speaking skills.

Bay: the leaves of the bay laurel – the very same ones you put in your spaghetti sauce – will help you get through a tough day, especially if you’re coming down with something or already ill. The scent is amazingly comforting without being antiseptic like eucalyptus.

Cinnamon: not only will you smell like a delicious confection but you’ll be protected from any ill will and the Evil Eye.

I highly recommend cinnamon for redheads, too, as it brightens your color all day. Blonds should try chamomile for the same effect while brunettes should use nutmeg.

Consider other possibilities too, particularly as your knowledge of herbal work increases. Who knows what you’ll be able to accomplish with your clean, charmingly scented hair. À votre santé ~

Header: Mary Robinson by Gainsborough c 1781

Mardi: Herbal-Wise

Over at Triple P, my flagship if you will, it is Horror on the High Seas week in celebration of my favorite holiday: Samhain/Fête de Mort/Halloween/Dia de los Muertos. Around my house the celebration really lasts all of October and at least through the first week of November. In the Catholic tradition, October 31st is All Hallows’ Eve while November 1st is All Saints’ Day and November 2nd is All Souls’ Day or Dia de los Muertos in Mexico, all of which came from the ancient Celtic Samhain (that’s pronounced “SOW-en”). The Voudon Festival of the Dead, Fête de Mort, takes place over all three of those days which makes this week perfect for talking about honoring our ancestors and, today, a little bit of “left hand work”.

Jinxing and goofering, as so called “revenge” spells are referred to in hoodoo, should not be undertaken lightly. Of course no work, metaphysical or otherwise, should be done without consideration but it is particularly important to think before you throw a jinx in someone’s path. If you are not righteous in your anger, if the person has not done badly by you, you may find your own ill will cast back in your face. Forewarned is forearmed.

In Wicca and other Neopagan belief systems as well as in hoodoo, salt is used liberally as a psychic cleanser and a way of connecting to the spirits of Earth. Hoodoo takes this a step further through the use of what is commonly known as Black Salt but is also referred to as “Witches’ Salt”. This is salt mixed with charcoal, iron scrapings or black pepper (sometimes simply salt dyed black) and it is used to bring evil down on another or to keep evil away.

A good example is the use of Black Salt to keep someone from returning to your home. As the person who has offended you departs, throw a mixture of salt and black pepper after them (discretely, of course). They will not return. The next step in this sequence is the use of Black Salt to make an unwanted neighbor move. The story goes that throwing Black Salt mixed with red pepper flakes on the neighbor’s property, particularly in areas where they will tread daily, will make them up and move. The jinx will work twice as well if you can sprinkle some of the mixture inside their home.

For the ultimate trouble (and I would strongly recommend that you know full good and well what you are doing and that you are 100% certain of guilt on your target’s part before you even attempt this), mix Black Salt into War Water (an old hoodoo recipe that can be purchased at botanicas and can also be made at home) with the intention of cursing your enemy. Sprinkle the mixture in the enemy’s yard and on their house if possible while you walk backwards around the property and away, cursing them under your breath.

It’s a short step from wanting revenge to unleashing misery – possibly on yourself. Be careful what you wish and what you do. Maybe just a little sea salt in the corners of your home to keep out malice would be best, oui?

Header: Witches by David Teniers (detail)

Dimanche: Swimming

"I Will Be A Boy!" Early 20th century postcard