Easy Money Powder

So you want to do money magic but you are already broke and can't even afford colored candles? Here's some simple things you can do with things you probably already have in your cabinet.

Easy Money Powder:

• Nutmeg Powder
• Vanilla Powder
• Cinnamon Powder
• All-Spice Powder
• Clove Powder

How to make it

Take equal parts of each ingredient, you don't need very much, about a teaspoon of each should be plenty. Talk to each ingredient separately and say, "In the name of the spirits of my family, I come to you spirit of (ingredient) because I need you to bring me money."

Once you have spoken to each ingredient place the ingredients in a mortar and slowly combine them using the pestle to grind them together. If you don't have a mortar use a bowl and a spoon. Again speak your needs allowed while mixing your ingredients. Be direct and simple as you say, "I come to you spirits in this powder because I need you to bring me money and fill my home with money."

When you are finished, take the bowl with the powder in it and light a candle. Present the bowl to your ancestors and ask them to bless the powder for you. Leave the powder sit overnight if you can. The next day the money powder should be ready to use. Place it in a clean jar, preferably one made of glass. If you don't have a small jar you can get a jar of baby food for less than a dollar and clean it out for use. Make sure to label what the powder is so you don't forget!

Use it around your home

Take your par of money powder and walk through your home. Go to your front door with your powder and open it, speak to the powder as you have before, take a pinch and blow it across your threshold. The begin to walk through your home from the front door to the back room. In each room take a pinch your fingers, speak to the powder, and blow towards the four corners of the room. 

Use it at your work

Take some money powder and sprinkle it in your wallet, again speaking to it as you sprinkle it. If you are looking for a job, print up copies of your resume and sprinkle money powder on them and give those resumes to prospective employers. If you are in sales, sprinkle the money powder in a sachet and carry it in your pocket. If you have a workspace, blow it around your workspace. Remember to speak to the money powder before each use!

Be creative! 

You can make a money oil by simply adding some of the powder to almond oil or very fine olive oil. You can use the powder as an ingredient in a mojo hand. You can even put some in a sachet to wipe your hands for extra luck before you go gamble. The limits are your imagination. Good money magic is about habits.

This is just a simple recipe, it is not the end all of what is possible but it should help you out of a rut. As you grow you may make more complex money powder, or now that you have funds you might want to buy some money powder from someone more experienced. It's your life work your juju your way.

Papa Legba

For quite some time the internet and books on Haitian Vodou have had a buzz about Papa Legba. On no other Lwa, except perhaps the Baron, has so much misinformation been spread. "Papa Legba is the universal door opener" "Papa Legba works for everybody" "You can call Papa Legba yourself" "Go to the Crossroads at midnight to call Legba"

Legba and Papa Legba

In the Fon tradition of West Africa, predating the diaspora, Legba is a young trickster god dressed in red and black that bears similarities to the Yoruban deity Eshu. Although similar to Eshu, he does not have the same nature often attributed to Eshu. However the focus now is Legba, who in this pre-diaspora belief system was seen as a young god that was called upon for potent fertility rites of a very sexaul nature. 

The Papa Legba of Haiti is that of an old man who is no longer potent but instead crippled and observant. He is no longer a trickster but instead a wise old man in imparting wisdom to the people. Now, he sits guarding the gates of the peristyle during ceremony allowing the Lwas to come forth and express themselves. No longer does he wander the roads, but instead patiently waits for those to come to him. 

Dispelling The Falsehoods Of Papa Legba:

"Papa Legba is the universal door opener"

This is a patently false notion. Papa Legba is a Lwa of a Haitian Vodou and his purpose exists within the context of ceremony. Outside of those ceremonies you will find that he has little interest. Remember he is an old man and most old men won't be bothered with frivolous things.

"Papa Legba works for everybody"

What does it mean when someone says a Lwa will work for everybody? It means that if you go to an houngan or mambo if no particular Lwa is standing up to help your case that there are certain Lwas that will work for you. Papa Legba is one but so is the Baron, Erzulie Dantor, and even Kalfou. (There are more but it is not necessary to discuss them here.) In other words, these spirits will work for you when you see the houngan or mambo, not when you call them because you have not been given authority to call them.

"Go to the Crossroads at midnight to call Legba"

As stated earlier, Legba is no longer wandering the roads. Instead if you go into the crossroads at night you will likely meet malicious spirits or Kalfou. Kalfou does not play games or forgive easily. He is all business and will mess you up real quick if you approach him the wrong way.

"You can call Papa Legba yourself"

This is very important to address because there are so many false and dangerous notions about calling Lwas. The Lwas are complex spirits. The have many peculiarities and taboos that are rarely discussed openly. Much of the information written about them come from eager new vodouisants looking to make a name for themselves. Like a bad game of telephone: bad information get worse as it goes from mouth to mouth.

Calling any Lwa is very very dangerous. Not just because an imposter might enter your space, but rather that you may actually have a Lwa show up. Lwas can be demanding and petty like children or cats. If you don't know how to appease the spirit it can wreak havoc on your life. And just to emphasize the point: you have never formally met Legba, how will you know it is him that answers when you call? What will you do when you or someone else gets possessed by a spirit? 

It is not worth the risk. If you truly feel a call to Vodou there are man many houses and societies to go to that can bring you face to face with the Lwas in the proper setting.

Find a houngan or mambo, find a house.

If Vodou is calling you or you believe Lwas are manifesting in your life, contact a houngan like myself and get a consultation. That consultation will determine what is actually going on with you. More so, it will open doors in your life to have a better understanding of your spiritual self and put you in touch with your spirits. Becoming part of a house is like getting new extended family with a whole lot of good spirits that want to help elevate your life.

The Fool: Liberation or Baser Human Nature

I've decided to start a series of posts clarifying my views and interpretations of the Tarot. Modern Tarot is rife with assumptions that are based upon assumptions that have little to no historical value in the origin of the cards. Understanding the context of Tarot's place in history, for me, is extremely important to building a deeper connection to the cards and the meanings veiled within them.

Some of my references and source material comes form the works of Michael Dummet and Helen Farley, both of whom take materialist and historical approach to the cards. This is not to imply that I have discarded all mystical views of the cards, quite the opposite, I find the game of Tarot to be quite mystical and the perfect medium for divination.

In the earliest depiction of the Fool found in the Visconti Sforza deck, we see an image of a man in tattered clothes that only cover the upper half of his body. His face and physical features suggest that he suffers from a form of cretinism. The goiter on his neck, the nearness of his eyes, and clubbed hands and foot tell a story of severe physical and likely mental deformity. Upon his head there are seven feathers that likely symbolize the seven deadly sins, and in his hand he holds a club.

This imagery conjures the idea of baser nature of humanity that is driven by impulse rather than logic. His lake of care for his appearance is that of someone who has no interest in social conformity or rather a complete lack of awareness of it. The club in his hand is on the shoulder ready to be swung without regard or care of the outcome. He is a brutal figure and reminds us of our less than rational nature.

Other images of the card that would later appear would show him with a dog, typically biting at his legs, buttocks, or even his scrotum. The dog being representative of affliction that is driving these baser impulses. The image of the dog and affliction reminds us of the image of St Lazarus whose sores are being licked by dogs. Waite would keep the image of the dog in his own deck which would serve as the foundation of most modern tarot imagery.

When we compare the previous imagery of the Fool to the Waite interpretation we see a more care-free portrayal of man whose idealism has him looking towards the heavens as he walks next to precipice. In his hand he holds a white rose as a symbol of purity, which is somewhat ironic given the earlier depictions of the card. I can be said that there is an innocence in foolishness, however, the consequences will be equally as dire.

Aleister Crowley would have the most bizarre interpretation of the Fool as being an image of complete liberation, happiness, and joy. Crowley was a former member of the Golden Dawn who would move on to start his own esoteric order proclaiming himself as prophet of the New Aeon. He carried on the Golden Dawn tradition of attempting to shoehorn ideas from different systems into his system of Thelema. As such he changed many things in the Tarot to better fit his magical philosophies. His tarot deck called Thoth is available to this day and has also become a very influential part of modern Tarot.

My personal interpretation of this card sides with the earlier symbolism. I believe that the Fool is warning the client of overly embracing their lower self and putting to risk what is important and necessary socially speaking. The Fool is affliction and leads to sorrow for people that can't recognize their own behavior and how it affects them and others. Without cards to weaken the Fool present in the reading the client needs to take a step back re-evaluate themselves and what is driving their ambitions.

Who Doesn't Need A Little Love?

The number one thing that clients come to me for is Love. Their lives can be burning down and they will still tell me that they need love. A mountain of unpaid bills, the verge of unemployment, and a car that just broke down yet love is the only solution for their woes! 

Don't misunderstand me, I'm not mocking anyone. I just want to point out a disease of spirit that many people suffer from: a sense of a lack of love. Many people develop this spiritual disorder from trauma in their childhood or even sheer neglect from their parents. Lacking any real bonding they go out into their adult lives often self-sabotaging their careers and relationships all in a desperate attempt to fill that void. 

I would know, because I was the exact same way. That's why I'm not going to lecture you about self-love and how love magic is wrong. In many cases it is necessary for people that suffer from certain spiritual issues. I will say that Love Magic is best for those in existing relationships that are having a challenging or difficult time, but that doesn't mean that the rest of us can't reap it's benefits.

For this reason I want to give you something to try. I'm not promising a cure, but I instead something to give you a chance to bring some sweetness into your life. Not everyone will get the same outcome, but you should have a positive result in terms of an improved love life.

You will need:

rose oil

patchouli oil

orris oil 

cinnamon oil

vanilla oil

Add several drops of each (except for the cinnamon oil which you should use sparingly) to a bath. Light a white candle for your ancestors and guardian spirits. Recite Psalm 111 over the bath and ask to have true love brought into your life. Afterward, perform the Middle Pillar ceremony and retire for the evening. Repeat for 7 nights.

Additionally, you can add a few drops of each ingredient to Florida water or a perfume of your choice. Recite psalm 111 over the perfume and apply it each day. It can take sometime for the oils to fully blend, so make sure to agitate the perfume daily.

If you still find yourself having difficulty with love or making partners stick to you, I recommend that you try my own perfume blend or contact me for a consultation. 

The Jesus Prayer

Prayer should be a part of the daily practice of the magician. It formulates a direct line of communication between the magician and the spirits. It silences the mind and opens the heart for deeper communication and makes way for spiritual gifts. It is a fantastic supplement for magic in general and can amplify mood and ability.  Those that can easily enter into a state of ceaseless prayer have a greater focus and can direct forces as necessary when they work.

Ceaseless prayer or becoming "inflamed in prayer" can be a difficult task for most to accomplish. For some trying to pick up a mantra in Sanskrit, they can run into a problem of the mantra being nothing more than sounds and the meaning lost in repetition. Others may have issue with most Christian prayers as being archaic sounding and not always having enough of a proper rhythm to get lost in. This is why I like the Jesus Prayer.

"Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner"

The sheer simplicity of the words will resonate with most mindful people. It acknowledges a power greater than themselves and connects to it through their flawed nature. It opens the heart to reception of divine influence which can in turn be directed towards magic. When reciting this prayer, one should say this prayer with their heart. In other words, they should direct their mind and focus to the center of their chest and allow the words to flow from there. 

My first experience with this prayer was a couple of years ago when an Orthodox friend came by and suggested that we pray the vespers after smoking hookah and hanging out. After little over an hour of prayer I took up the prayer rope he gifted me and began to recite the prayer as instructed. I almost immediately fell into a trance and began to recite the words over and over again. Before I would reach the cross at the end of the rope, I would unconsciously reverse the direction I was counting in. Apparently I was lost in trance for over an hour and when I came too I saw a shocked expression on my friend's face. "I've only seen that happen when I pray with a monk I'm friends with!"

Needless to say, it has become a part of my practice. I recognize that this isn't for everyone, but it has become a useful tool in my toolbox. It is a beautiful practice and the saints certainly appreciate hearing it.

St Anthony The Abbot The Great Saint You Don't Know

While the craze surrounding Saint Cyprian and Saint Expedite is abound in social media and occult blogs, many terrific hardworking and reliable saints often go unnoticed. Saint Cyprian enjoys popularity amongst would be necromancers and goetic magician due to his history as pagan sorcerer that converted, as well as, a body of books written under his name. While Saint Expedite found his claim to fame from folk magicians and practitioners of Afro-Caribbean traditions. Most occultists tend to solely on these two saints and rarely get to know many more.

I want to bring to the table a saint that I have come to know as being extremely reliable and willing to do just about anything the magician would request. Not only is he known to be a reliable spirit, but he can also called upon to defend from and communicate with wrathful dead and demons. I am referring to no less than Saint Anthony the Great, also known as "Anthony the abbot" "Anthony of Egypt" "Anthony of Thebes" and "Anthony the Anchorite."

Born in 251 AD, Anthony, like many early Christians he sought to live as the Apostles lived and set out to live a monastic life of asceticism. After the death of his parents at the age of 20, he received a substantial inheritance of land. Anthony ended up selling and giving away most of his inheritance and giving the funds to the poor before beginning his life of asceticism.

Certain legends claimed that during his early years as a disciple to another monastic near his home where he worked as a swineherd, this is why some of his Roman Catholic depictions place a pig at his side. This form of monasticism was quite common for the time period where many monks would take lodging outside of cities. It is after this point in his life we see a departure from tradition that makes him very unique.

Anthony would depart for the desert at the age of 35 to live in an old Roman fort in absolute solitude. Although he would see no visitors (despite the demand), people would supply food to him by throwing it over the wall. He was known for nourishing himself on only salted bread and water while only eating in the evenings. He would fast for two days at a time for the sake of purity. 

Eventually, he would begin to take in visitors and other would be monastics who turned to him for his guidance. His teachings would become the foundation of monastic lifestyles and he gained the title "The Father of Monasticism." 

At an unspecified time in his history he took a retreat into a tomb or cave. Here he was afflicted with boredom and tempted with visions of lustful women. Further demons came and physically assaulted and tormented him leaving his body for dead. When his disciples found his body and began to morn his death he immediately rose and asked to be brought back into the tomb to confront the spirits again. This time a the demons were driven off by a bright holy light. 

I digress that there are many stories and myths surrounding the mysticism of Saint Anthony the Great, however, this article is merely to bring your awareness to his existence. My personal experiences with this Saint has generally revealed a sense of polite austerity and a sense of willingness to labor. 

Generally when doing service for him, I would have a glass of water offered to him and occasionally a small glass of liquor when I make requests. I would prepare myself with a recitation of the Jesus Prayer "O Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner," following with The Lords Prayer, and Hail Mary's. I also have made use of his litany when I ask him to consecrate the wanga I am working: 

Litany of Saint Antony the Great

First of all monks, your name they hail, Great St. Antony, we beg your prayers

Charity has gained such heights for you, Great St. Antony, we beg your prayers

Wonderworker known for favors gained, Great St. Antony, we beg your prayers

Humbly you obeyed with strength and love, Great St. Antony, we beg your prayers

Shield for those who came to seek your aid, Great St. Antony, we beg your prayers

Healer of all ills and guide for souls, Great St. Antony, we beg your prayers

Spring and treasure house of charity, Great St. Antony, we beg your prayers

Ever shining star and lamp of light, Great St. Antony, we beg your prayers

Table of the Law and Gospel book, Great St. Antony, we beg your prayers

Guide of those in doubt and ignorance, Great St. Antony, we beg your prayers

Lamp of those who walk in darkness now, Great St. Antony, we beg your prayers

Light of Holy Mother Church, your merits shines, Great St. Antony, we beg your prayers

Peace for those who dread the enemy, Great St. Antony, we beg your prayers

Gladness for the sad, strength for the tried, Great St. Antony, we beg your prayers

Faithful to your word and ever true, Great St. Antony, we beg your prayers

Sun of monks and nuns and start for all, Great St. Antony, we beg your prayers

Temple arch who holds the power of God, Great St. Antony, we beg your prayers

V. Pray for us, Great Saint Antony

R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ

Let us Pray:

Father Antony, you equaled Elias in his zeal and followed John the Baptist in his holy way of life. You peopled the wilderness and established the world on the firm foundation of your prayers. Intercede with Christ God that He may save our souls. Amen

As a Saint that rebukes evil spirits I have found him very helpful with rooting out troublesome spirits. He sends them off in a hurry with very little effort. For this I will recite Psalm 93 for him.

I cannot emphasize enough the reliability of this hardworking Saint. He is always there when I calling and always willing to help. I hope that you will invite him into your temple space.

Initiation: What You Should First Consider

Initiation has long been a grail of sorts in the West. This is likely because there is no demarcation in Western culture that marks our maturity from childhood to adulthood. For example: unless you were raised in a religious family such as Catholicism and went through catechism, its fair to say that there was no signal in your life that brought you into adulthood. 

This strange paradigm or lack thereof, may likely account for having a generation the laps up nostalgia from their childhood. Most certainly it is behind why many adults have difficulty processing their emotions and also make a fascination of "adulting." At no point in their life were they made aware that their childhood innocence is behind them and now they must be aware of a world of consequence. 

In African based cultures, initiation helped to bring the youth into adulthood. These various rites were put in place to not only mark the individual as a full member of the society but also to stave off the effects of puberty on psychism. More than that it helped to reveal a destiny for the individual in order to live the longest most fruitful life available to them. Beyond such rites within societies initiation brought individuals into the powers of medicine and even trade and commerce as expressed in the Lemba society. Sometimes initiation was the medicine for people with afflicted conditions to save them from misfortune and death. 

In it's simplest form, true initiation is a process of death and rebirth. The initiate is stripped of their past life and reborn into their new life. From my perspective the only meaningful initiation beyond this scope is the initiate being mounted by a spirit, thereby sealing their destiny and being gifted with the spiritual tools needed for self-improvement and mastery. What is done with the gifts after this point rests solely on the shoulders of the initiate.

Initiation is not open to all

Not every person is called to be initiated nor are all those who are called to be considered worthy of initiation. Each house, society, and elder have their own standards by which they judge the prospective initiate and few may live up to those standards. Some houses pride themselves (and rightly so) on how few people pass through their doors. 

The act of taking on an initiate is akin to adopting someone into your own family. A family with a sense of pride may not be so quick to take on someone who doesn't share their moral and ethical views. What's more, the spirits of that house may reject the candidate for any reason at all. Maybe the candidate doesn't live up to the spirit's standards or the spirit sees a flaw that humans do not. 

Take the time to get to know your future god-parents

In an age of social media, it's easy to mistake someone's online presence as representative of who they actually are. Many are in such a rush to be initiated that they don't seem to notice that their motives are never questioned by their would-be god-parents. They produce the money, which is taken with a smile, and they are rushed through initiation given not much more than a pat on the head and forgotten about. They spend the next few years attempting to juggle their spiritual practice and life with little to no supervision and have little offered to them in terms of knowledge. After sometime they will experience buyers remorse and realize that they didn't get what they were promised.

Worse yet, are those that find out their god-parent who had seemed at once hip and knowledgeable turned out to be cruel and uncaring. I have heard horror stories of people being extorted financially, berated publicly, even found themselves being worked on by their own god-parents. That is not to imply that you may not occasionally invoke the wrath of your god-parent, they are there to ensure you grow up right and you may need to be straightened out from time to time. However, you should not live in fear of your god-parent.

Watch out for those that love drama on and off social media. Those that seek too much attention in public spaces. Get to know other initiates in the house or society, talk with them and share your concerns. Do they seem happy? Do they share your values? These are very important questions that you need to have answers for.

Initiation doesn't make you all powerful

A common misunderstanding that is widely repeated is that becoming initiated will grant all sorts of serious juju on you. While it is true that you will have a spiritual connection that the average person does not have, you must still learn how to use it properly and wisely. Most are looking to get paid, get laid, and get even since life up to that point may not have seemed very just to them. Many will get themselves into all sorts of trouble trying to flex their newfound yet untamed abilities on perceived enemies. 

Even if these battles are won, the amount of time wasted is irreplaceable. A first year could have been better spent in introspection, purification, and service to the spirits. Imagine the growth that could take place if someone just slowed down in this fast paced world and focused on their own needs. 

Initiation is a healing process but not a cure-all

Many come to get initiated in hopes that their problems will be solved or that their disease will be healed. While this thinking is not wrong as the process opens doors for healings and the spirits will oftentimes produce miracles, however, some things may not initially improve. Certain problems may be crutches that you will have to bear throughout your spiritual journey and part of the journey may be learning how to cope. The spirits will supply you with the tools you need heal but you may also need to do the work yourself.

Also, not everything can be healed. While alleviation of the disease is likely, it may not provide a "cure" that is being sought. For instance: certain psychological disorders that are the result of structural issues with the brain will likely not be cured, the spirits can help you to cope with the condition.

Initiation is a commitment for life and longerin a world of instant gratification and short attention spans, people have a habit of putting things down when they seem repetitive or difficult. A person might buy a musical instrument and not be gratified with results that are not instantaneous and the instrument will spend the rest of it's time collecting dust in a closet. Unfortunately, once you are initiated there is no putting the spirit back in the box. A deep connection is forged on a spiritual level tying yourself to the ancestors of that society through the rest of your life and even through death. This is not something to take lightly!

When you pass through the gates of initiation your soul is altered and you will forever be changed on a spiritual level. The stakes in the game get considerably higher and you are no longer living a life for yourself as now there are generations of ancestors and spirits that are now with you. These beings are very patient and will seem to let you getaway with a great deal, however, it should always be remembered that eventually you will meet and answer for your behavior

In conclusion

I feel as though I have gone much broader in scope than what I initially intended, but I hope that I gave some eager people pause to assess their desires. There is no rush to get to your spiritual goals, furthermore, rushing will only slow you down in the long run. If you are considering initiation or on your way towards it, I hope you take the time for introspection and determine if it is truly the path for you. Most of the time your problems can be resolved with competent work and not necessarily initiation. A proper cleaning and pocket piece or guard can go very far.

The wisest thing a brother from another tradition told me (among many other words of wisdom) that still rings in my head, "Remember brother, initiation for us is a crutch. We need the spirits just to meet our potential, but not everyone does. We are there for those people."