Sweet Dreams

After a brief hiatus no thanks to the flu, I'm back. Having had lots of free time to stare at the ceiling of my living room, being too tired to do anything all the while being unable to sleep, I spent time reminiscing on past magic I've tried. 

I've always been a big lucid dreamer, striving to achieve greater lucidity and control while most are being lead from one dream to the next. Learning to go willfully wake and control my surroundings gave me a sense of power over a state that used to haunt me with sheer terror as a child. You see, I suffered from sleep paralysis and night terrors growing up. Preparing for bed often meant exhausting myself with prayers until I would drift off hoping that each night I would not be visited by shadowy beings.

As a teen I began to develop an interest in the occult. I can no longer remember the name of the book I found in a New Age store as a kid, but I remember the techniques I learned on how to gain lucidity in my dreams. The first lucid dream I experienced was so ground-breaking that I no longer feared going to sleep at night, in fact, I couldn't wait for night to come so that I could go back to the dream world.

The first and most important practice I took on was keeping a dream diary. This is very important because it helps you to focus on images from the previous night that your mind might normal discard. Every time I would wake up, I would force myself no matter how tire, to recall every detail I could remember from the the dreams I just had. At first I was only able to write a couple of words, but after a few weeks of practice I was quickly writing detailed descriptions of everything that had transpired. 

The second practice I began was to stop and check my hands. Once an hour I would stop whatever I was doing and carefully inspect my hands. This habit always works like a charm, because inevitably when I would ingrain myself with the habit I would stop what I was doing in a dream and check my hands to see something very bizarre in place of my hands. Immediately I would become aware of the fact that I was dreaming and gain lucidity. 

Chanting was another powerful tool that I would quietly employ during my days to prepare me for sleep. I created a simple chant in high school that I still use to this day to create awareness while I am sleeping: Mind awake body asleep, controlling my dreams while I sleep.  I would sometimes hear the chant echoing in my dreams and it would cause me to wake up from my dreams and gain control. 

Finally, there was my nightly dream tea. It worked in two ways, the first way was to make sure that once asleep I stayed asleep (I have a form of insomnia that causes me to wake up throughout the night), and secondly it made my dreams more vivid and colorful. The recipe is as follows:

2 parts mugwort
2 parts chamomile
1 part lavender 
1 part Valerian root

Obviously, you should consult with a doctor before trying out different herbs to make sure that you do not have adverse effects. 

Generally, lucidity can easily be gained if you employ a bit of strategy. You may find that your dreams will gradually become more clear and the messages given to you by the spirits are more easily  remembered. The best way to gain lucidity is to make it your primary goal each night, and once you gain it you should work to refine it and make it happen every night. Good Luck!

Before You Light That Candle

Every single day on social media, I see images of people's candle work that make me cringe. It's not the composition of their spellwork (okay sometimes I see some goofy stuff), but rather the oblivious disregard for fire safety. Everybody needs to understand this simple fact: burning down your home is definitely a bad omen.

Always be present for a candle burn

When working with fire you need to use extreme care and caution. The dressing oils that are used are highly flammable and those dried herbs sprinkled around the candle can go up in flames real quick! It's important to never leave a candle unattended, it only takes seconds for a fire to get out of control. If you can only be present for fifteen minutes of the burn then that's how long you should notch your candles for. Get a candle snuffer and use it appropriately. Blowing out candles is not only bad magic for some spells but also a fire hazard.

Be aware of your surroundings 

That pretty altar cloth may not be the ideal covering for an altar where you burn a lot of incense. Most altar cloths are made of mixed materials that catch fire easily. Be mindful of curtains as well, a fan blowing on curtains could cause them to knock over a candle or even catch fire. Don't forget about your "familiar." Your kitty may be your magical lucky cat, but kitties have tendency to meddle with things and might burn themselves or knock a candle over (I know because I have several cats!).

Get a safe place to burn your candles

Please stop burning your candles on paper plates, that's just asking for a problem. Get yourself a metal bucket or a clay planter and line it with about three inches of sand. It may not be the romantic way you think candles should be burned, but it is the safe way to burn candles. If you must leave it unattended for a few minutes at least you know the candles have no where to go and will likely just snuff out. Again I emphasize: even if you are burning candles safely you should never leave them unattended, spirits can be mischievous and tragedy is the last thing you want from a money spell!

Have an emergency standby

As soon as you can afford it, by a fire extinguisher or asbestos blanket. This could be the thing that saves your possessions or your life. Fire extinguishers are not that expensive for the assurance they provide. Keep the extinguisher in your temple space and make sure you know how to use it.

Please be safe in your practices. A little not-so common sense goes a long way to ensure prosperity through your magic instead of tragedy.

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. 

An Easy Way To Increase Your Daily Blessings

Probably one of the greatest practices that someone who works conjure or magic can do is the practice of charity. As one of the greatest of virtues Charity opens the heart to those in need, heals, and demonstrates worthiness of prosperity from the spirits. As an act of penance it can alleviate the weight of misdeeds and misfortunes and return missing blessings.

What Is Charity?

Charity is the act of generosity towards those less fortunate than yourself. It is recognition of empathy that you have towards the suffering of another person and acting upon it. The act of giving a few extra dollars from your pocket to the person on the street corner, or buying a hungry person a sandwich is an act of charity. Taking the time to assist an elderly or disabled person is also an act of charity. In fact, most act of goodness towards other humans can be charitable, especially if you are someone who has a hardened heart or little sympathy.

Why Should I Be Charitable?

Those that seek the help of their ancestors, saints, and spirits are seeking the charity of beings that don't have to give of their time and energy. Beyond a merely transactional relationship with spirits, there can be an underlying element of trust being developed. The spirits watch you carefully as they bless you to see what you do with their generosity. Do you share the blessings that they give to you or do you hoard it? When the spirits give you real power do you use it to heal or to harm? These answers to these questions define your character to the spirits and may affect your future blessings.

What About The Drug Addicts/Alcoholics I see?

Charity does not discriminate what suffering is worthy or not worthy of your assistance. Even if you come upon a person in the throws of addiction, and you know that any aide that you give them may lead to them continuing in their self-abuse, you should still offer what you can to alleviate their suffering. Despite what may appear as obvious to you, your kindness to them may have an impact on their future decisions. This will not always be the case, but it's better to err on the side of goodness.

The Suffering You Alleviate May Be Your Own

There is a common expression in Afro-Caribbean Traditions that states that a single act of evil requires ten acts of good to correct. When someone that has felt powerless or has been victimized is introduced to power it is not uncommon to see them become cruel and intolerant. This type of sickness is more common than most are willing to admit. The purpose of power is to heal and correct sickness and imbalance. When the heart is hardened by life acts of charity help to open it and soften it to the world. Charity also offers a path of atonement for your misdeeds as well.

How Charitable Should I Be?

This is a difficult thing to answer for each individual. The basic guideline is to give what you can after you have taken care of yourself. It's important to remember that if you are not taking care of your own needs you will not be able to help others. Some fall into a sickness of developing a savior complex and spend their money and time fretting over the needs of others without first helping themselves. Your security in life grants you the ability to be generous with others. 

Charity Opens The Path To Blessings

As you practice the act of generosity towards others, you may notice that the spirits begin to bless you in ta variety of ways. This prosperity is meant to be shared with others around you and in your community. As you become blessed you should also bless those you encounter, not just with money alone, but with generous and kind expression. 

Edit: I change the title of this blog to get you to read about this important practice. The word "charity" should never be an aversion to you. Many of you want to claim to be empaths so start demonstrating your empathy towards others through your actions.

Protecting Yourself

Spiritual wards and protection are often treated as a sort of mystery on the web. People will ask, "how do I protect myself?" and are generally met with silence or weak answers. However, creating a general protective ward can go from quite simple to very complex. For the sake of this blog I'll discuss simple wards you can create with very little effort and cost to you.

Psalm 91

The Book of Psalms is a well known work for those in the world of conjure and Afro-Caribbean traditions. Each psalm is a sort of spell or command to divinities and are often used in supplement to spiritual work that people undertake. Psalms can do anything from reconcile love, return evil to it's source, and even protect you from very specific situations.

For the sake of general spiritual protection we will look at psalm 91, as it is considered a ward against demonic influences and witchcraft. I've included the psalm below:

¹ Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High
    will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.^[a]
2 I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
    my God, in whom I trust.”

³ Surely he will save you
    from the fowler’s snare
    and from the deadly pestilence.
⁴ He will cover you with his feathers,
    and under his wings you will find refuge;
    his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
⁵ You will not fear the terror of night,
    nor the arrow that flies by day,
⁶ nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
    nor the plague that destroys at midday.
⁷ A thousand may fall at your side,
    ten thousand at your right hand,
    but it will not come near you.
⁸ You will only observe with your eyes
    and see the punishment of the wicked.

⁹ If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,”
    and you make the Most High your dwelling,
¹⁰ no harm will overtake you,
    no disaster will come near your tent.
¹¹ For he will command his angels concerning you
    to guard you in all your ways;
¹² they will lift you up in their hands,
    so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
¹³ You will tread on the lion and the cobra;
    you will trample the great lion and the serpent.

¹⁴ “Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him;
    I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
¹⁵ He will call on me, and I will answer him;
    I will be with him in trouble,
    I will deliver him and honor him.
¹⁶ With long life I will satisfy him
    and show him my salvation.”

I'm sure that reading this psalm it is apparent that this psalm should protect from a variety of misfortunes and calamities that may befall you. So, how do we employ this psalm to create an appropriate ward?

First you will need a clean unused piece of paper, a pen, and some holy water or kabbalah oil.  First anoint yourself, then write the psalm out in it's entirety on the paper. anoint the paper with the holy water/kabbalah oil. If you wish you can light a candle and recite the psalm. After the candle burns out fold up the paper and carry it in your pocket or bra. At night sleep with the psalm on your nightstand next to your water, and be sure to recite the psalm before you go to sleep.

Saint Medallions 

For those that are not on a budget, getting a saint medal can be a quick and easy route for protection. What's convenient is that the saints have very specific powers and you can easily sort out what you need. 

Everybody knows Saint Michael the Archangel is powerful against the demonic and witchcraft. Saint George should be worn by security guards and police officers. Saint Brendan and Saint  Nicholas should be carried by sailors and those who work near or around the water. Nurses can wear Saint Agatha of Sicily. There is a patron for almost every vocation.

Saint Christopher is helpful in automobiles especially if you have a long traffic commute. In fact, about 15 years ago I was in a serious car accident. My care was completely totaled, yet I was unharmed. When I looked down the Saint Christopher medal my grandmother had given me was sitting in my lap.

It is best if you can have your medallion blessed by a priest, most will do this with no questions asked, but you can always dedicate the medallion to them with a novena.

Buying Ward or Guard

Finally, there are top tier wards for those whose spirituality may require a higher level of protection. These are made by priests of most African tradition religions and made specifically for the spirituality of the client. They are often loaded with spiritual medicines to strengthen the client and keep the spirit near them. These types of wards or guards can be cost prohibitive to some, but for those that can afford them they find them invaluable. 

However, we all must start somewhere and if you are on a budget, the psalms can be quite useful. As you advance you may and should upgrade your protection so that you are less likely to face calamity or unexpected woes.

As Fine As Possible

There are a lot of questions that beginners in conjure have beyond just spells, especially when they are trying to transition from store bought condition oils to their own. First let me say: There is nothing wrong with buying oils and products from others especially if the seller is both gifted and competent in making their product. That being said, it's important to make sure to have a few things when you want to produce your own powders.

Don't let your budget stop you from getting started by any means, you can get most ingredients in powdered form from a dollar store. These suggestions are listed as a means to advance yourself.

Mortar and Pestle 

One of the first things you want to get for yourself is a mortar and pestle. This handy dandy ancient tool will allow you to grind and process your dried herbs into powders. When you go shopping for this try looking in Asian and Indian markets, you will save a bundle than what you might spend at some grocery stores. You don't need a gigantic mortar, but you want one that is big enough to allow you to grind and blend ingredients easily.

Remember, as you beat and grind your herbs to speak your intentions over them. Always speak to the herbs, your words and breath move the spirits and instruct them on how they need to work for you.

Quality Sifters

When you process your herbs into powder, the finer the powder will generally improve your results. Especially if you plan to use the powder to lay a trick. You want it to be as fine as possible so that when you blow it into the air it virtually disappears. Get a series of sifters that get increasing fine, so that as you process your herbs and dusts they turn into the finest possible powder.

NOTE: some herbs will have a limit as to how fine you can get them by hand*

Steel File

Some herbs and roots are initially tougher to process. It can be very frustrating if you don't have the right tools for the job. A steel file  can make your world make easier. It can let you powder a hard root, gemstones, or even precious metal.

Mill



A grain mill is a little bit of an investment but it can save you quite a bit of time when you are trying to initially process your products. A coffee mill is also suitable for this purpose as well, except you won't want to ever process your coffee though it as it can contaminate future use. Whatever you decide to use make sure to clean it thoroughly after each use.  It will also save your hands and wrists from hours of processing with the mortar and pestle. Even after you run something through your mill you should still process it in the mortar and pestle.

Again, the above is merely a suggestive list of things that you should have to advance yourself and your conjure. The finer your products and ingredients, the more refined your results will be.

Why A Peaceful Home Is Important

Facebook conjure groups are riddled with questions and requests for love spells, revenge spells, money spells, and so on. I can't remember the last time someone asked, "How do I make my home peaceful?"

A peaceful home is the foundation upon which you create a quality life for yourself.

If your home is chaotic your relationships will be in turmoil, unexpected bills will keep cropping up, and your enemies will seem to be around every corner. A home that lacks peace will never let you feel restful and at ease when you need it most. Your nights may even be disturbed with restless sleep and maybe even nightmares.

Clean House

In order to cultivate a peaceful environment you must first have a clean and tidy environment. Go through your house and do your best to clean up and organize your space. The deeper you clean the better your results will be, don't be shy about getting into all the nooks and crannies to clean. That closet that you never open because of the mess? It's time to get in there.

Burn incense

Next, you want to clean the air with some form of incense. Frankincense is great for this purpose. It will raise the energy and sweeten the home. If you feel that you need something a bit more heavy duty you may wish to try burning some bay, garlic skins, and salt, but I recommend following up with frankincense. Make sure when you fumigate the house that you open all the windows first. Go deliberately from room to room and fan the smoke into the corners, cabinets and closets.

Sweeten the Home

Once you have fumigated the home you may wish to come back with some perfumes and waters to continue sweetening things. I mix some Florida water, sweet herbal waters (sorry its a proprietary recipe!), a little liquor, and seven strong men (for some extra oomf) in a spray bottle. In the same fashion as before go from room to room lightly spritzing each room and speaking your desires for peace and prosperity. 

Pray and Meditate

Your home should be feeling pretty good by this point. Now, you should place yourself before your spiritual or ancestral altar and begin to pray and meditate. Thank your ancestors, guides, and guardian spirits for bringing peace and prosperity into your life as sincerely as you can. You may also wish to clean yourself with a spiritual bath as well to fully get in touch with these energies.

Keep the Peace

At this point you are likely feeling really good about the vibe you have in your home, but what happens from this point forward will dictate how well you maintain it. A peaceful home is as peaceful as the people that cross through your threshold. 

• Be mindful of who you allow into your home. 
• If you have friends that love drama maybe it's better to meet at their place or somewhere else. 
• Consider putting up wards above your door or in your home to better protect your peace. 
• Burn incense regularly to keep the air sweet
• Keep up on the tidiness

If you can maintain your peace you will be free from distraction and allow yourself to prosper.