Not that into you . . .

My dog likes to say, "You have to drag me everywhere on a leash to keep me from running away. Maybe that's what they call a HINT, lady!" And here is the perfect witchy illustration:

Does the W in Witch Mean White?

Trigger warning: I don't respect your path if you are racist, you delicate little white flower, you!

In AHS Coven, Kathy Bates plays a resurrected slave-owning racist (like the ones we have on this plain at this time aren't enough!) and Angela Bassett's Marie Leveux gets revenge!

A few years ago, a talented musician--the one-man band Earwig Spectre--had a hit called "What Does W Stand For?" The possible answers, in the song, were "wealth, waste, war," but ultimately the fascist (now beacon of liberal hope by comparison) George W. Bush.

(For a view on times our community got it right, please see my subsequent post.)

Two more widely-used words starting with w are witch and wiccan. For some, these paths include "white magik," which sometimes includes liberal application of white light and white salt. As I mentioned in a previous post, this isn't my path, but it is a respected and valid one. The question is, do all these "w" words mean this path is only for white people?

Last night, I attended an event for a witch I have long admired. I am leaving her name and the group name out of this post, because this is not about one personality--in fact, she could little have controlled the venue and audience. The event was in a gentrified, largely white (58 percent in 2015) area of a city (a major city that isn't as major as it thinks it is).

Upon parking, I saw a woman in a black, floral-print skirt and jacket that was colorful and heavily beaded. She was looking around a bit lost, so I asked if she was okay. We had a shared concern about parking and whether there was a meter to pay and identified the entrance to the event.

Upstairs, I asked the woman about a second foray she had made to be sure about the parking issue. (This was worth doing, since this is in a city where they will tow your car for no reason whatsoever, unless you are black--in which case they shoot you and then send your estate tickets for the car.) Not having known me for 10 minutes, the woman quickly shared that the parking was okay, but she had been really worried for her safety. In fact, she has passed "slums" on her way to the venue and thought she might not be safe to park and walk to the venue. I tried to redirect her by rather gently suggesting that this was actually an area that was problematic because of gentrification and that there was nothing to fear from the surrounding, predominantly African-American neighborhoods in this hypersegregated city (whether a place is still a "city" when its residents embrace such parochial--and vile--practices as segregation is another question). The woman persisted, despite my cues, in making inappropriate comments about black people and the neighborhoods around the event, so I ended the conversation, stating that perhaps she should fear the bankers who live in her suburban oasis (which, based on census data, contains about 23 total black people).

The event itself was white. Out of about 50 people, one woman identified herself (saying she supported diversity in her comments) as indigenous American. The group is holding a festival this weekend in an area that is 67 percent white (.07 percent indigenous). Of course, they cite cost concerns, but one has to wonder if all urban neighborhoods were included in the cost analysis, or just the "safe" ones.

In contrast, I recently attended Conjure Fest in Detroit. There, I was not only in (near) a diverse city, but among a group with black people in the leadership and a consciousness of celebrating diversity. The incomparable organizer pointed to diversity as a reason for the festival--creating a culture of celebrating, not just tolerating. The efforts at inclusion were successful, blogged up beautifully here (the post that convince me to make the trip to the Fest).

White people--witch, wiccan, pagan and other--have a huge, unfulfilled obligation to stop engaging in--and tolerating--assumptions that majority-minority neighborhoods are unsafe and other racists tropes. These comments are entirely out of place in a system built on diversity and respect. As a group, we can make a big step forward by actively seeking to hold events in diverse venues. On an individual level, expressing the truth that all kinds of communities--including predominantly African-American ones--are safe, welcoming, and fulfilling places to be challenges the ethos of protecting whiteness with layer upon layer of whiteness, with white women's perception of safety being paramount (even unto the lynching of blacks who--allegedly--whistle at them). Otherwise, we might as well just bring the kindling and burn ourselves, howling our righteous whiteness as we burn.

It's Friday Witches! Booze before blog!

Tomorrow's Friday . . . Get Out Your Witchy Stuff and Your Booze

Hexing Hitler or Tricking Trump?

Mannequin dressed in Hitler uniform at a Hexing Hitler party. (How cool does that sentence look in bright pink?!)

Now and again, there are reports of modern witches getting together to curse Donald Trump. Then, there is a lot of finger-pointing and Wiccan Rede stuff, which is all fine and good when you are conjuring a knitting circle. (No hate on the Wiccans--it is a wonderful path, and I certainly don't think "Voodoo unto other's before they Voodoo unto you" works as every witch's motto.) But the finger-pointing gets a little gaggy--you might as well just crawl up on your cross and join the dominant religion if you are going to be all judgy and a downer all the time.

While cursing Trump may seem a little redundant (another witch has already been there if you go by the skin and the hair), it is not new. During World War II, people had Hexing Hitler parties. One famous one was reported on by time, partly because of the belief the target had to know about the Voodoo for it to work. Time was a print magazine; today we could just Instagram it!

The Time article is here: http://time.com/3879261/putting-a-hex-on-hitler-black-magic-party-1941/

The leader of the hexing party covered by Time was a man name Seabrook, who became famous for eating human flesh. (Humanely-harvested, naturally-dead, hospital variety.) The incident took place long before Bob's Burgers was a thing, but I'm sure it caused IRL (not just animated) outrage.

Enraged Wonder Wharf citizens storm Bob's Burgers after the burgers are found to possibly contain human flesh.

But, ultimately, the question of putting a trick on Trump gets to why this blog is here: there are some varieties of evil that do not yield to good intentions, live-and-let-live ethics, and the occasional sprinkling of protective salt. For many, that kind of evil is embodied in Trump, bringing witchcraft into play.

Observing the legal system, I see this kind of evil every day. For many reasons, we have a system that does not yield to justice. People are locked out by the high cost of hiring lawyers or even filing pleadings. Everyday wrongs often do not meet the requirements for various torts, and there is, as of this writing, no tort of general piss-offery. Judges routinely scorn damages claimed by wrongly evicted people, unwilling to allow any damages for the loss of appliances (which may have been used or alley finds) without a receipt (which landlords routinely take in the course of throwing out all of someone's stuff). Lawyers can work to actively obstruct justice, leaving litigants with almost no recourse when straightforward cases are subject to lengthy, and expensive, discovery and motion practice.

For those times, magik is an appealing alternative. It is time-tested, designed to bring about change, and is accessible to even the very poor. One need not even have a home to send some directed intentions. And, Hitler did come to a notoriously bad end.

Whether one chooses to hex Hitler or trick Trump, magik remains democratic--accessible to all.

Tomorrow's the Full Moon -- Party Down!

If the Creek Don't Rise (Book Review)

CONTAINS SPOILERS

If the Creek Don't Rise isn't a "witchy" book, unless you consider the high level of faith it takes to keep going with absolutely nothing. The title sentiment was also expressed by my Grandma as, "If I live . . . ". (Perhaps hearing, "If I live, we'll . . . " as the condition under which we would do things as mundane as making cornmeal mush made me prone to reach for a protection amulet and some lavender salt!)

However, magik is more expressly present in the book in the voice of Birdie Rocas, the neighbor (and protector) of the protagonist, Sadie Blue. Sadie Blue is in an abusive marriage, and, as such, needs a bit of help with details like delivering the baby her husband killed in utero or whipping up some hemlock root poison for . . . those who need it. Birdie Rocas tells us that her last name means crow, and that some folks call her a witch--a good thing for hunting ginseng (apparently because her appearance scares those who would steal her valuable harvest). When Birdie scrys for a dead body and the killer turns up dead himself, one begins to suspect she uses her magik for more than hunting ginseng.

Magik is sprinkled throughout the book as charms, amulets, potions, and folk wisdom. However, Birdie does share her scrying method:

--Fetch shallow bowl the color of blood

--Put on tree stump

--Pour spring water one finger width deep

--Kiss and put on personal amulet (Birdie's is a horn-shaped amulet)

--Make repeated "X" with thumb on forehead until coated with oil from skin

--Rub oil on item belonging to person you seek (handy to have crows to retrieve these for you!)

--Drop item into water

--Watch for answer to form

Although Birdie seems to get her answers, she leaves us with some lingering questions and an observation:

"Why are young girls dumb and men surprised?

"What does evil look like to crows from up in the sky?

"They're brave to play hide-and-seek with the dead."

While by no means a craft "how-to" book, this novel includes a few pages worthy of any book of shadows. It is a respectful window into the misunderstood and sometimes-popular world of granny magik or hoodoo, and deserves to be read.

The dialect in the book is southern Appalachian. It will sound "off" to readers from Kentucky or West Virginia. It does not seem to be intended disrespectfully.

Those of us not apt to find a hag stone shaped like a horn might appreciate a commercially-produced amulet like Birdie's:




(Note: links are designed to make me richer than a moonshiner with a revenuer cousin!)

Spelled Success!

Spells are tricky! It can be hard to see the work being done, the desired outcome, and timing as outcomes of magik. Often, the spell is cast and an outcome may take weeks or months to manifest--sometimes by design, sometimes because our timing is not the same as the universe's timing.

This past week though, I got to see a spell come through perfectly . . . on time, unexpected, and as requested. If drive-through windows at fast-food restaurants were as efficient as the universe was this past week, they wouldn't need those spaces for people to pull off and wait for orders! In my case, my fries were hot, fresh, and perfectly golden.

The spell was cast on August 21, the solar eclipse, with the intention of bringing truth to light. The supplies and incantations are set forth here.

In less than two weeks, a person who slandered me, the target of the spell, retired. The joy was complete and immediate, with friends making such dramatic declarationa] as that the person "can't hurt you anymore."

In gratitude, I provided Hekate and the other gods on my altar) with some apple and a lit white candle.

This is, or is very close to, the statue of the goddess on my altar:




I cannot find an image of the apple I use, but an apple cut in half horizontally will reveal a pentagram inside.

I keep a small, hollow wooden apple--something like this one:



Hekate (and other gods and goddesses) are always at work! Magik is one way of communicating with them . . . and they do answer!

No Regrets

Someone was Very, Very Bad

There's no need to mess around when enemies mess around with you. They asked for it, you gave it.

Today, an enemy became great trouble. I had given him an "out," but he refused to leave. Ungrateful little ball of nothing.

I performed the following to bind him and two colleagues, but also to irreversibly curse them. As I squeezed the packets, one bled soft black wax through a small hole, and I felt the life force draining out.

Tools

Black candle



Paper with likeness of the target (picture, signature, etc.)

Blood (given freely--there is no such thing as an unwilling sacrifice, and I used my own)

Pins



String

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Foot charms

(substitute for chicken feet)



Pepper (dried--hottest you have on hand)



For privacy of the innocent persons involved in the underlying legal matter, the unfinished packets below are made up as examples. The finished packets are the real thing, and the agony oozing from them is real.

Of course, as an initial step, call a circle and charge tools as you choose. I moved this working away from my normal altar and closer to where the underlying business took place.

First, I lit the black candle and set my intention--to utterly bind and destroy the targets.

Lit black candle. The purple appearance is from . . . me. The candle was black. 

Next, I used a piece of paper with the likeness of each target. I did each step three times, finishing one packet before starting the next.

Sample of paper representing person--a signature or picture is preferred to just writing their name.

I dripped black wax from the candle over each likeness (visage, signature, etc.) to obliterate it. One could also use ink, and I felt a momentary pull toward a fat Sharpie before settling on the wax. I preferred the wax because my intent was literally to send these three demons back to hell.

Obliterating, burning, and sealing with wax.

I placed the "feet," binding them over the likeness and setting them with more wax.

I folded the packet away from me three times, rotated it widdershins, and then folded three more times away from me.

I placed pins through the packet, aimed at the visage.

Signed, sealed, delivered . . . sucks to be you. 

I drew a small hexagram with my blood on the outside of the packet. I sealed the outside with more wax.

Packet sealing with wax over pins.

Finally, I wrapped the packet with string, binding the target. Although normally not someone who utters a verbal curse, I did so as I tied 13 knots. A sample Spell of the Cord may be found here; my words were highly specific to the working and not designed to make anyone feel good.

Completed packets.

On the way to dispose of the packets, I sprinkled them with hot pepper flakes to lend speed to the working.

I disposed of these packets in a swamp; this is an irreversible spell. I cast these demons irrevocably into hells of their own making.

Utterly Wicked: Curses, Hexes & Other Unsavory Notions by Dorothy Morrison--Book Review

From Dorothy Morrison's website . . . see link below to order the book. 

"It is good for us crones," said the fellow witch. She was recommending I read "Utterly Wicked" by Dorothy Morrison. "As they say, 'Cause no harm, but take no shit," she added.

I leaned in on my cane, clutching the Not My Fucking Problem spray I had just purchased and taking in the title: Crone. Although I am clearly a Queen, a title too often forgotten when it comes to describing women who are not maidens and not mothers, I let it sink in. I decided "Crone" was a compliment, and kept the lightening bolts inside my fingers.

I made my way to a bench and used my phone to order "Utterly Wicked: Curses, hexes & other unsavory notions":

With Amazon Prime (Try Amazon Prime 30-Day Free Trial), the order arrived quickly, though I suppose the smart crone, needing to hex in a hurry, would read online (which also reduces the price of the book) using a service like Kindle: Join Amazon Kindle Unlimited 30-Day Free Trial.

Dorothy Morrison describes her audience in the introduction, and, like this blog, it is ". . . for those folks who are sick and tired of swallowing the bullshit served up by other people. It is for those folks who are fighting mad and livid pissed. Yes, it is for those folks who are tired of taking a screwing at every turn, who are ready to wage war, and who have finally mastered the gumption to do something about it."

My only criticism is that some of the spells call for animal parts, and I prefer vegan work. However, one can always look for vegan substitutes, as I did when substituting human feet charms for chicken feet.

Morrison includes spells directed to legal disputes, including an "Opposing Attorney Hex." The hex is not too different from some of my work, but Morrison includes incantations--something I normally do not include as part of my work.

This is an excellent resource for composing work in an area shunned by many witches, cursing and hexing. It is for those of us who have what it takes "to become the things that go bump in the night."

Happy bitchcrafting! May all your unsavory notions come true!

(I may become very rich if you click on the affiliate links in this article.)

Vegan Chicken Foot Correspondence

What's a vegan witch to do when the spell calls for chicken's foot?

Well, I'm cursing a human, not a chicken. So, I went for human feet! The real thing isn't super legal and can really inconvenience the donor, so I went with this:



Watch this space for the actual curse! It's a doozy!

(If you click on the link above, I get a bunch of money.)

Completion of Solar Eclipse - Let There Be Light Spell

I completed the solar eclipse spell, Let There Be Light.

Here are some pictures.

First, the completed dolly: I soaked bottom of the corncob overnight in a ghost pepper tincture. That also helped with the rancidity mentioned in my last post. Despite being appropriate to this dolly and the person it represents, the mold and yuck made it hard to handle (like the real person's actions!), and the ghost pepper really helped with the smell. I coated it with herbs representing discomfort, banishing, and a need for change at the bottom. The top was coated (after some intention work) with salt, lavender, coriander, sugar, and the like to represent sweetness coming to the person if the truth is told.

Intentions were stuffed inside and the persons name was stuffed inside and carved on the dolly. Intentions are also written on the paper shown wrapped.

I used a white Santa Muerte candle and adorned the altar with a quick pentacle from a halved apple.

Let there be light spell underway.

I then took a break in working while waiting for the darkest part of the eclipse and drank sweet tea and ate baklava with intention. The sweet items represent the sweetness that is available and plentiful when justice is done--this is not a revenge spell, and its release is built into it. Once truth is told, sweetness and ease can return to the target.

Tea with Hecate and Santa Muerte -- focusing intention on a sweet outcome!

Finally, I took the items outside at the height of darkness. I sat near the grave of a very protective spirit and spoke the intention. The items would not burn--the air was heavy and humid. Even wrapping them in dried leaves (from around the powerful grave), the dolly, itself very damp, would not light. I will instead dispose of this working by putting all of these biodegradable items in a swamp area.