How To Dress For Success

     Success in prosperity magic often hinges on several factors that are oftentimes unknown to the magician. You can have all the right oils, powders, and candles, as well as, do your spells at the right time and still not see the results you are looking for. It can be frustrating to see your magical peers soaring with a simple candle spell meanwhile you are trying everything from sigils, to charms, to candle magic with little luck. What are they doing differently?  

     Believe it or not, the solution could be some minor changes in your overall approach to sympathetic magic. You can't keep doing the same things in your lifestyle and expect different results in your magic! It's time to mix things up and try some new approaches.

Persons, Places, and Things

     Those that have been through any sort of treatment program for addiction would be well aware that some of the earliest advice in avoiding a relapse is to change your persons, places, and things. Are your friends chronically poor? If so, it's time to change who you hang out with. Find people that more than the bare necessities in life, people that want to enhance their wealth and well-being. Avoid people that speak negatively of wealth and money. If your friends believe money is the root of all evil then it is time to root them out!

     The places where you pass your time may also have a negative impact on you, and you may be completely unaware. The most obviously glaring places you should avoid are cemeteries. As serene and beautiful as they can be at times, they are also home to a hierarchy of spirits who may be annoyed by your presence and will let you know by causing bad luck in your life and playing with your money. You should also avoid loitering in the streets and abandoned buildings, lest you cross something that has ill intentions for you.

     Broken things in your home can also bring bad luck into your life, especially if those things  are what you eat from. Eating and drinking from broken tableware sends a signal to your spirits that you want broken things in your life. Sleeping on a broken mattress can also have not only an impact on the quality of your sleep but can also send a similar message. Conversely, sleeping on the the floor can signal that you are in dire straights and that you are truly in need of financial assistance from your spirits.

     Dead things have no place in your home. People love to collect bones and human skulls. More often than not there is still a conscious spirit attached to those bones, and that spirit may not want to be constantly exposed to you or your house guests. If you must have things like that, it must be kept in a separate space preferably not attached to your home, like a shed or garage. The exceptions to this rule are those that were bequeathed such a thing by a mentor and given instructions on how to care  for it properly.

     Finally, clean your home and your living space. Throw out clutter and junk. The spirits that bring wealth and success will not waste their time with you if you are disorganized and sloppy. Keep your space neat and tidy, and avoid cluttering it with useless crap. Minimalism creates a calm and serene environment, that facilitates prosperity spirits to work in your life effectively.

New Clothes, New You 

     Its true what they say, "Clothes make the man(woman)."

     I don't always buy lottery tickets but when I do I make sure to dress for the occasion. I learned this trick by observing a Haitian man I would encounter at the local gas station. On most days he was dressed rather casually, but on days when he was there to buy lotto tickets he would be dressed in his absolute best: bright red shirt, dress pants, and freshly shined shoes. I asked him why he was dressed up, to which he replied, "because I plan to win tonight, of course."

     At the time I was struggling at a sales job and (if I'm being perfectly honest) wasn't applying myself wholly to the role, but instead was going for the paycheck. I decided that I was going to update my wardrobe for work and see what happened. I got nice new shoes, three fitted shirts, and expensive looking ties. I went to the barber and started wearing a new new fragrance that is favored by Erzulie Dantor called Pompeii Lotion.

     My next paycheck reflected my efforts. Within a month I was in the top five in my district, within two months I was in the top ten in my region. Initially, I thought it was just perceptual, but I began to realize that by wearing shabby clothes I was telling my spirits that I was happy in my shabby position. I began to dress for the life I wanted and my life began to reflect that fact.

      Now, if you have clothes in your wardrobe that are ripped, worn, or torn you need to throw them out. Start buying clothes that fit, even if you need to do it one outfit at a time. If you can set aside money from each paycheck to your wardrobe in a couple months you will have an entirely new look. Avoid dressing completely in black, the heaviness of black may not jive with your intentions. Instead strive for vibrant colors and rich, but not to busy, patterns. Colors are key to working this magic properly: stick to red, yellow, and orange; some may find that royal blue and purple work well for them. Learn your wealth vibe and exploit it!

Spell Your Success

     Your most powerful tool in your magical arsenal is your mouth and tongue. They way in which you speak plays a large role in how you manifest your desires. To spell success for yourself you need to become aware of how you are using your mouth and your speech. Remember when I said you need to avoid people that believe money is the root of all evil? This is where that wisdom comes into play.

     Daily affirmations can have not long lasting affects on your overall well-being. Learning to speak your desires into reality, however, requires discipline and some foresight. You should use the present tense in all of your affirmations of success:

I am a magnet for money; success is drawn to me.

     Avoid speaking negatively about money and wealthy people. If you constantly bash the rich and successful while attempting to work money magic you will be seen as foolish by your spirits and will have underwhelming results. Always be positive even in the face of a setback: realize that your apparent misfortune is likely temporary and that you are still on the long road to success. 

     If you can change your words you can change your destiny.

Folk Wisdom 

  

• If you carry a purse never set it on the on the floor or ground.
• If you go to the beach don't bring home seashells. Leave them where you find them.
• Give to the poor even if it is just the change in your pocket.
• Never disrespect money.
• Don't leave loose change scattered through your home, keep it all in the same box or jar.
• Your wallet should only have your ID, credit cards, and money. No receipts or clutter. 

What are some of your own secrets to money magic? Please share in the comments.  

 

The Head Spirit Vs The HGA

There seems to be a great deal of confusion and erroneously held beliefs between the western concept of the Holy Guardian Angel and the Head Spirit of Haitian Vodou. At some point in my development I actually believed that they were similar, but as I grew in my understanding and within my tradition I realized that they are two entirely different phenomenon. It is my intention to point out the differences between the two different concepts and demonstrate the continued colonialism of westerners into foreign traditions.

The HGA in Origin

The notion of guardian angles was largely championed by Christianity in the 5^th century, although there is a mentioning in both Islam and Zoroastrianism, Christians expanded deeply upon the concept liturgically and theologically. In Catholicism the guardian angel is an angel set to preside over each individual from birth. Through daily prayer and devotion, one develops a working relationship with this angel. One famous instance of this is recorded in the life of the stigmatic Padre Pio, who claimed that he could see and speak to his guardian angel from a very young age. The guardian angel is consistently described as an external force meant to guide the faithful and guard them from danger and demonic forces.

The Holy Guardian Angel in the Abramelin

The Holy Guardian Angel commonly called the “HGA” was a concept that originated in a medieval grimoire commonly called the Abramelin naming an author of Abraham von Worms, supposedly legitimizing the magic in the grimoire as being Jewish in origin. This type of notion was popular in texts of the time that the Jews in their closed culture were hiding esoteric mysteries from the goyim. What makes the claim of that the grimoire is Jewish in origin stands as a dubious claim is the fact that it is written in German instead of Yiddish, which would have made sense if we are to believe its supposed origins. The primary claim of this particular grimoire is that it is to place the magician in contact and communication with his very own Holy Guardian Angel, and in doing such would confer authority to the magician over all “unredeemed spirits” upon the earth. The supposed method was given to Abraham von Worms by an Egyptian mystic by the name of Abramelin.

The HGA and the Magical Revival

In my younger years I readily swallowed the story of this Jewish mystic writing down the secrete magic of Abramelin in the form of letter to his son Lamech. I mean it all fit my immature model of the magic and the universe as was introduced to via the Golden Dawn’s founder Samuel L. Macgregor Mather’s and espoused by Aliester Crowley, the self-proclaimed prophet of the Aeon. Mather’s original translation called The Sacred Magic of Abramelin the Mage, was based on French manuscripts that were resting in the Bibliotheque de l’Arsenal. Unknown to Mather’s was the numerous flaws omissions in the translation and seals from the manuscript he was working from. However, the concept of the Holy Guardian Angel and the Knowledge and Conversation thereof would become the focal point of the teachings of the Golden Dawn and later that of Crowley’s A.’.A.’..

The influence of the Golden Dawn, Crowley, and Thelema upon the modern understanding and practice of magic would become immeasurable. These concepts would be parroted from generation after generation of aspiring magicians without question and would eventually became canon for all novices. The pervasive ideology of the need for a guardian angel reached peak levels of nonsense when Satanic and Luciferian magicians claimed the notion of a Guardian Demon that was in opposition to the supposed Holy Guardian Angel. All the while not a single person making a claim to neither confirmed nor denied their own gnosis or knowledge and conversation. Most would begin a circular argument that someone must complete the supposed rite and know for themselves. The nonsense of not being able to adequately prove let alone discuss the phenomenon should give any reasonable person a moment of pause. In fact, the continued obscurity of the HGA by magicians that have supposedly attained this union flies in the face of the “wisdom” of the Abramelin itself:

“Everyone should be able to describe properly everything that he has seen and learned. A clear description of what has been seen gives listeners the opportunity to judge whether a traveler’s boasts are true.” –Abraham von Worms

Haitan Vodou and Colonialism

Haitian Vodou, the indigenous religion of Haiti well known for its influence over the Haitian revolution as well as having a large influence over Haitian politics has always been a source of fascination of Americans. The journalist William Seabrook published a rather sensationalist account of Haitian Vodou in his book The Magical Island in 1921. A book that would later inspire the film White Zombie. The notion of wild orgies and midnight fire-lit ceremonies where priests of invisible dark forces would be the source of a great deal of media while simultaneously distorting the ancestral traditions of the Haitian people.

In 1964 a man by the name of Michael Bertiaux would travel to Haiti and claim his initiation into Haitian Vodou, as well as, stake claims to an order of dubious origins known as the OTOA by which he somehow becomes the sole authority. (Sounds very similar to Crowley and the OTO, huh?) He would publish essays of his version of Vodou that would later be compiled under a single text called the Voudon Gnostic Workbook. This collection ranging from simple hoodoo spells to rambling virtually incoherent nonsense of homosexual sex magic, pseudo-Loas, and secret initiations would become fuel for a movement to gain access to the secret magic of the Haitian people. The overall tone of his work smacks of an intelligent white man who took mystical knowledge from another people only to improve upon it.

A more modern author, published under the name of E.A. Koetting would publish another pseudo-Haitian Vodou grimoire known as The Spider and the Green Butterfly. Making bold claims of having “backdoor initiations” or being able to command the powers of the Loa. He goes as far as claiming that a counsel of “Master Houngans” convened over his because the information was so incredibly crucial. What the work did offer however was a collection of poorly compiled information on a handful of Loas (one of which was even mis-gendered) and pseudo-ceremonies that have no foundation in the actual practice of Haitian Vodou.

Now this essay isn’t meant to pick on individuals who have made a profit by exploiting traditions that they have no valid claim to, I am merely setting the stage for my next point.

The Met Tet and Initiation

Within Haitian Vodou it is understood that Vodouisants have a Met Tet commonly referred to as Head Spirit, a being that presides over the spirituality of the individual. The purpose of the Head Spirit is better understood by the literal translation of Met Tet: Head Master. This spirit governs and protects the spirituality of the vodousiant. This relationship is secured only by initiation whereby a houngan (priest) prepares the head and soul of the initiate to receive the spirit. After the initiation the Head Spirit now resides in the head of the initiate. Possession play a necessary role in the initiation and must occur in order for the rite to be considered successful. The spirit will mount its “horse,” perform magic, offer advice, and voice concerns. The result of this union numbers the initiate among the ancestors of the society that initiated them, and grants a tremendous amount of spiritual authority. What is interesting is that the notion of guardian angels exists in some Vodou societies as a separate spiritual phenomenon that is tied to the influences of Catholicism in Vodou.

This process vastly differs from the asceticism of the Abramelin which involves solitude, prayer, and meditation. It also differs in the certainty of attainment of the spirit and the knowledge that the spirit that has been encountered is correct. The HGA is described an external force in the text while the Head Spirit exists within the head of the initiate. While the Holy Guardian Angel gives authority over “unredeemed spirits” the Head Spirit grants authority over the spirituality of the initiate and grants generational authority from all ancestors affiliated with the society. To this end, we are absolutely dealing with two different phenomenon, each one unique and each deserving the respect of individual recognition. Conflating the notion of the Holy Guardian Angel with the Head Spirit serves only the interest of a certain few who are seeking validity without having to explain themselves. 

Stop colonizing other traditions and work to understand your own. 

Crossed Condition

In a previous article I discussed how to reverse evil and bad luck. For most people following the protocols of that article will set them straight, but for a minority they may find that the effects are either temporary or non-existent. This can be a sign of a greater and more serious chronic spiritual problem: commonly called a “crossed condition,” or simply “crossed.”

Someone who has been crossed by a spiritual force will find themselves in consistent and persistent cycles of bad luck. Life will constantly seem to go from bad to worse. Magic may only slightly and temporarily work these types of people, but oftentimes as quickly as a miracle may happen for them it is undone by some other force. They may do a money spell to give their finances a boost, but when they get that extra money their car suddenly breaks down and their extra money is now gone. It is almost as if a spirit or force is attempting to make them doubt that magic exists and can help them.

More often than not, a crossed individual finds themselves unwillingly estranged from family. Worse yet, they may have interpersonal difficulties . Even their work lives are tumultuous, coworkers seems to constantly conspire against them, and no matter what they do their boss is overbearing. It seems as though they have no quarter in their lives, no personal refuge. Many end up addicted to drugs and alcohol as a way of self-medicating or numbing their senses to their harsh lives. It quickly becomes a compounding problem, and the spiral of bad luck and bad decisions whirls out of control.

By now, some of you may be wondering how people arrive into such a state. The answers are quite numerous, as someone can find themselves in these circumstances in a variety of ways. Hopefully, setting some examples will deter some of you from ending up in a crossed condition.

Sacrilege and Loitering in Sacred Places

Young and rebellious teens who may have a chip on their shoulder regarding religion sometimes like to go and prove themselves against world. They may think that when they go out to desecrate a church at night that there will be no consequence for them, but those spirits that inhabit those places certainly won’t forget the slight. Temples and shrines are not just places where humans gather to worship they also serve as a place for spirits to congregate as well. A spirit will not be happy with you if you ruin it’s favorite place of worship!

There are many places that although alluring, ought to be left alone. Teenagers often like to seclude themselves from the view of adults in cemeteries. Cemeteries are rarely frequented by people after dark, and so they make a great place to hang out and do things that unsupervised teenagers do. (I was a kid once, so I know!) Drugs and alcohol open the minds of most users whether they realize it or not. So they are making themselves vulnerable in places where spirits dwell. Some spirits may not appreciate people making a ruckus in their dwelling areas and definitely won’t appreciate any mess left behind.

Not only do they offer a hideaway from prying eyes allowing for mischief, but some gifted teenagers often have budding occult interests. What better way to test out that spooky book on magic than to go to a spooky place and try out some spells? What could possibly go wrong! Which brings us to the next topic:

Dabbling

Dabbling with magic is a recipe for disaster. An inexperienced magician, with an understanding of the occult that stems from television and movies coupled with a desire to rebel at all costs, is a dangerous thing.  Many armchair magicians will scoff at the notion of an untrained attempt at magic producing any real results, but the experienced few know that it can take very little to attract a spirit. Just as someone gifted with a talent of singing can easily carry a melody, someone who has the talent of sorcery can easily call upon a spirit. However, they may not have the ability to send away the spirit, appease the spirit, or possibly not even sense the spirit in the first place! Now, there is an annoyed spirit that is hanging around and it may decide to cause problems.

Someone May Have Crossed You

In many sources of witchcraft the topic of cursing, laying tricks, or crossing others tends to be quite popular. There are so many methods that can be employed on others that they are too numerous to discuss here. However, it is quite fair to assume that if you do magic, you may have someone in one of your social circles that may practice as well. Social media widens those social circles, and believe me, there is no limit to how petty someone can be.

Enemies will work day and night to see you fail, and based on their skill (or the skill of someone they hire) you may be in for a bumpy ride. It’s funny to consider that some will spend less time on self-improvement than they will lighting candles to see their enemy’s downfall.  People are petty and will 

throw for the most asinine of reasons, but generally the root is that of jealousy.

Symptoms of Being Crossed

Like a cold or flu, this condition has symptoms that can hint at the problem. You may suddenly experience a pain between your neck and shoulders, a persistent cough may suddenly develop, you may get a strange rash or skin condition, or begin to start having nightmares. The longer the condition continues you may start to notice that people become hostile towards you, bad luck seems to be waiting for you at every turn, your money seems to constantly dry up due to unforeseen problems, hallucinations may begin to occur, poltergeist activity may start in your home or around you, even death can occur if not properly dealt with.

What Can Be Done

At the very hint that something is not right one should begin with an Uncrossing Ceremony, Uncrossing bath, or a Reversal. If early enough along the issue may clear itself up. However, very advanced situations may require the intervention of an experienced spiritual worker. If one goes the route of a spiritual worker, make sure they have experience with crossed conditions and have the competence to help you. If they start getting out sage and crystals, you ought to go somewhere else. Although sage and crystals have their place, dealing with a person that is crossed or jinx will require greater juju or power.

If you feel that you have a crossed condition or would like a consultation, please feel free to contact me.

*This blog post is not intended to diagnose or treat any medical condition. Always consult with your doctor first if you have any illness.*