Untying Yourself With No Ingredients Necessary

Life can be a tangled mess at times. We bind ourselves up to other people's messes or sometimes just to other people. When we try to move forward in life it seems like we are tripping ourselves up constantly. Magic doesn't seem to work or at the very least progress seems extremely slow. We know something is wrong but we aren't sure how to fix it, or maybe our budget is so tight we can't even spare the change to get what we need.

But I'm Totally Broke...

When you are broke or unable to light candles and do magic remember: there is always prayer. Prayer costs you nothing and can give you real relief from your problems. The only things that you need to prayer are your mind, your tongue, your heart, and a glass of water. Many important spirits live in water so it's important that you have a glass of water for them to manifest in.

How Do I Pray?

Many don't know how to begin their prayers so I outlined a simple formula for you to follow here. First, take a moment to relax yourself as completely as possible by tensing and releasing your muscles. Then perform the kabbalistic cross and follow with middle pillar ceremony. It's okay if you have to write down the words in the beginning but you should strive to memorize it as quickly as possible. Take a moment after the middle pillar and collect yourself and call to mind your grief and troubles so that you can give them up into prayer.

Who Should I Pray To?

For those that feel stuck and unable to move forward in their life I recommend praying to Mary Undoer of Knots.  Mary is a powerful intercessor, and will quickly intercede for anyone that prays to her with an open heart. By the virtue of her willingly taking on the command to give birth to the Son of God she undid the first knot that was created by Eve when she defied God by eating of the Tree of Knowledge. As the Undoer of Knots she can help remove those things that are holding you back in your life. Whether the knots in your life are feuding between lovers, quarrelsome neighbors, financial troubles, a lack of peace at home she can help you.

O Virgin Mary,

Mother who never refuses to come to the help of your children in need,

Mother whose hands never stop working for the welfare of your children,

moved as they are by the loving mercy and kindness that exists in your Immaculate Heart,

cast your compassionate and merciful eyes on me and see the snarl of knots that exists in my life.

Oh Mother! You know the difficulties, sorrow and pain that I’ve had because of them.

O loving Mother, I place the ribbon of my life and this knot (these knots) into your loving hands,

hands which can undo even the most difficult knot.

Most holy Mother, come to my aid and intercede for me before God with your prayers.

I cast this knot into your hands (mention your intention/need) and beg you to undo it,

in the name of your son, Jesus Christ, and for the glory of God, once and for all.

Our Lady, Undoer of Knots, pray for us!

9 Days of Prayer

Novenas are powerful Catholic prayers that take place over nine days. It is important that you pray at the same time each day to get the fullest effect. Consistency is key to getting results in desperate times. Her Novena can be found here.

The Power of Psalms

You may also feel that you have extra baggage weighing you down as well. The Book of Psalms has useful prayers that can help remove blockages and negative energies in your way. The most powerful psalm I have found is fifty four as it works quickly to send evil back to its source. However, if you are having issues trying to end a toxic relationship I would recommend number fifty six. If you are worried about your living situation and stressing over bills I recommend number seventy three.

Be Consistent

The most important part of working through prayer alone is consistency. Prayer is a direct means of communication with your spirits, therefor you want to be a consistent as possible. Make sure that you pray at the same times each day. Setting reminders on your phone can be very helpful. The more consistent you are the faster and more consistent your results will be. 

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."

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.*

Reversing Evil and Bad Luck

It is without a doubt that in the course of your magical career you will come upon those who wish to do destroy you for reasons you may not understand. These people are oftentimes close to you, whether they are co-workers, friends, or even family. They tend to identify themselves through criticism of your every idea and advancement in your life. When you bring sunshine, they respond with rain. The worst part is that through circumstance you are forced to deal with their curmudgeonly behavior.

It even seems like their presence seems to bring a negative vibe, and that vibe seems to darken your otherwise sunny day. When your back is turned to them you can feel their eyes projecting all their hatred and jealousy towards you. After long days in their presence you feel drained, irritable, and frustrated. All the good feelings you cultivated during the day seem burned up and all you want to do is crash for the day.

Eventually, it starts to seem like nothing is going your way. Your boss is on your case about everything you do at work and now informs you that you will be put on probation. No matter what you do, you always seem to be chronically late. Your whole paycheck seems to evaporate to minor expenses. You keep catching a cold and can’t seem to get a decent night’s sleep. All-in-all it’s as if a cloud of bad luck is following you around!

It’s almost as if something unpleasant has crossed your path, and no matter what you do, you can’t seem to get away from it.

Watch out. You may be dealing with the negative projections of those unpleasant people you have to be around. There is a proverb that says, “The tongue is the strongest muscle, yet it has no bones.”

People curse with their mouths. Every word that is spoken against you and your success is a direct attack on you magically. You see we are almost always surrounded by spirits, and spirits are listening to our every command. When someone is speaking evil about you, oftentimes there is a spirit listening to their evil wishes that seeks to fulfill them. A couple of bad remarks may not go very far, but a consistent pattern of negative behavior towards you can cause a great deal of magical problems.

Magic isn’t just lighting candles, calling spirits, and making talismans or fetishes. Magic is largely the way you think, the way you speak, and the way you act. Happy people have happy thoughts, speak kind words, and behave kindly towards others. Oftentimes, happy people tend to have good luck that follows them. Many assume that happy people are happy because of their good luck, but the reality is that happy people create their good luck through their thoughts, words, and actions. 

Conversely, unhappy people who think negatively, speak negatively, and act poorly generally have bad luck. They will complain about how unfair life is, and seem to always have bad luck to accompany their bad decisions.

Back to the subject at hand: what is an effective method to deal with the negative and evil projections of others? I am going to give you a method that does not require herbal baths, expensive ingredients, or elaborate rituals. This method can be performed in the privacy of your own home and others will not know that you are doing magic. You don’t need an altar (although it can be helpful), all you need is a few quiet minutes of private time.

You may already have a copy of Jean Kent’s Master Book of Psalms, available through lulu.com, if not you can research the psalms yourself. I highly recommend this work as it comes with passwords and phrases to command the Angels behind the psalms to work for you more effectively. Even without the book, if you properly perform this method you WILL see results and improvements in your life.

For this practice you are going to utilize Psalm 54, twice a day for seven days you will do the following: First you will begin by performing the Ancestor Ceremony, followed by the Kabbalistic Cross and theMiddle Pillar, and once you are relazed you will recite Psalm 54. Close with the Kabbalistic Cross and thank the spirits for assisting you. Applying Kabbalah oil before praying is helpful as well.

Before you finish your seven days you should begin to see things clearing up for you. This psalm will return evil spirits and negativity back to their source, oftentimes with surprising results. There is no limit to how frequently you work this magic. Don’t be afraid to be proactive and use this magic before you start new projects. 

Ancestral Veneration

Ancestral Veneration: Honor and Respect

I am often asked, “Why do I need to honor my ancestors?”

The absolute foundation of your spirituality is your ancestry. They are the roots of the tree from which you have blossomed forth into this world. Within your veins flows the power of gained through the hardships your ancestors endured in life. Generation after generation toiling in hopes that their futures through their children may be rich and strong. The holiest of blood sacrifices made in your name came from the blood, sweat, and tears of their struggles. They are the allies that you may not have realized that you have always had, vigilant and ever watching protecting the blood that sustains their life.

Without you, your ancestors will cease to exist; likewise, without their positive influences all that you do will be for naught. To deny your ancestors would be to put yourself in opposition with not only the universe, but also the blood that flows through your veins. You are the vessel by which they are able to manifest in this world, and through you they are able to experience life. However small you may find your position in the world, to them, you are beyond scope and they are intimately involved in every aspect of your life. They become filled with pride at every small triumph and are ready to provide solace when life brings short-comings.

It is for all this and more that time should be dedicate to the honor and veneration of your ancestors. Their honor and respect is spiritual nourishment for your soul and the strength of your character. In the same way that you are sustained by food, your spirituality is sustained by proper care and appreciation of your ancestors. The most potent form of spiritual development you will experience will be through the veneration of your ancestors. As they elevate through your work and sacrifices to them, so will your mind elevate and open to their positive and restorative influence. They will show their appreciation with you by helping to shape your life with opportunities and as they heal so shall you.

When you begin to serve your ancestors you should begin with simple offerings of light and water. The offering of light is to bring forth illumination of not only the darkness that they dwell in, but also to bring light into the depths of your mind. Water is important as it evokes many symbols and connects you to your ancestors in many ways. The act of offering water to a guest in your home is not only to bring them something to drink, but also allowing your guest to cleanse and refresh themselves of their toil. It is also the medium by which they communicate, sleeping with a glass of water near your head will create a medium by which they can deliver messages to you in your dreams. Below is a simple yet powerful ceremony you can perform every Saturday to enhance your connection with your ancestors:

You will need: A white saucer or a white cloth placed on your nightstand or near your head where you sleep, a tea candle, and a glass of water.

Face east holding the lit tea candle and water in your hands and say, “Spirits of my family, father’s side and mother’s side, love honor respect.”

Pour a drop of water on the ground and bow by slightly lowering your knees without lowering your head. Turn right until you are facing west and say, “Spirits of my family, father’s side mother’s side, love honor respect.”

Pour a drop of water on the ground and bow again. Turn left until you are facing north and say, “Spirits of my family, father’s side mother’s side, love honor respect.”

Pour a drop of water on the ground and bow again. Turn right until you are facing south and say, “Spirits of my family, father’s side mother’s side, love honor respect.”

Pour a drop of water on the ground and bow. Take the water and candle and place them on the white cloth or saucer and go to sleep. If you are uncomfortable with having a candle burning in your sleep you may snuff it with a candle snuffer, but do not blow it out.

If you are seeking further information on proper service to your ancestors, I offer private consultations.