The Spellcaster's Source Hoodoo and Voodoo Witchcraft Blog of Talia Felix

Paraffin, the primary ingredient of most modern spiritual candles, was only discovered in the 19th century; and it seems that just because it was known did not instantly make it the market leader. Lard and tallow candles continued to be used for a while yet, at least until lightbulbs made non-decorative candles a thing of the past. If you want to try some old-school hoodoo, here's a recipe from the 1870s for wax for making lard candles: Dissolve a quarter pound alum, and a quarter pound saltpeter, in a half pint of water on a slow fire; then take three pounds of lard cut into small pieces, and put into the pot with this solution, stirring it constantly over a very moderate fire until all the lard is dissolved; then let it simmer until all steam ceases to rise and remove it at once from the fire. If you leave it too long it will get discolored. Lard is available at most groceries, and alum and saltpeter can be had with only a little trouble from many online retaile...

...And the lesson here is that the box your spell-supplies arrive in can be used to make something just as valuable. The original box the coffin was made from came courtesy of Lucky Mojo Curio Co. (They must know how valuable the stuff is, too -- no wonder I had to pay $11 shipping on a single 4x6 inch box of lightweight herbs!) Found objects on the street can also be quite useful. Behold, my oils and powders shelf! Admittedly, I know many magicians (often with more Wiccan or Neopagan leanings) who'd be appalled by the idea of using trash in their magical supplies -- in fact the other day I even came across a guy who was fretting about how to wash a sacred object he had; he perceived tap water to be too unclean. But I say, waste not want not; and I do enjoy the informality and slight dirtiness of hoodoo.

In The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind, Jaynes gives his supposition that man, in early times and too in some situations today, was not 'conscious' which is to say, self-conscious. Decisions were made by the alpha of the group or tribe, which others followed without too much question. As communities widened and there came to be less contact with the leader of the group, this way of thinking gradually was lost; people had to make their own decisions. During this transition, people whose brains were not wired to particularly think for themselves beyond basic animal functions (hunt, eat, sleep, frolic, etc.) would occasionally get something in their heads which most people nowadays would recognize to be an "idea." In these simple societies such a thing wasn't common, and it was not immediately recognized to be one's own thought. Thus -- this command that has suddenly entered one's brain must have been a command from God . Readi...

Many times, usually for cases of love gone badly, folks request communication spells to make someone with whom they are no longer in touch call them. Most of the time these people don't want to initiate the contact themselves for whatever reason. Some spells reputed to bring about communication are: *Put a paper with your target's name written 9 times into a container of whiskey along with some black candle tobacco, and let it sit for 7 days. When the mixture is ready, spray it on whatever you want to hear from the person through -- your phone, your mailbox, your computer, etc. *Write in cursive your name and the name of the target in a circle, without lifting your pen, such that the two names are joined together. (Go back and finish any crossed t's or dotted i's afterwards.) Jam two pins through the circle, such that the pins make an X shape crossing each other. Keep this paper by your computer, phone or whatever. *Keep a paper in your shoe with your targets name ...

A sort of visual aid to the book Mules and Men : some footage shot by Zora Neale Hurston in 1928, the same period when she was gathering information for the book. http://hnn.us/blogs/entries/130052.html Hurston's Crow/Buzzard song:

The Swallow's Heart is an old magical charm, the use of which goes back at least to the 17th century. It is traditionally held in magic to possess the power to draw love and attention. "All men will love thee, if thou carry with thee a Swallow's heart." -- John Wecker "The Heart of the Swallow... will serve to attract even that which you have lost." -- Marie Laveau (attrib.) Since the US Migratory Bird's Act makes it illegal for anyone to sell genuine swallow's hearts (which is why so many "alleged swallow's hearts" are nothing more than rocks or other small items), I have developed the following replacements. They are cruelty-free with the only animal product they contain being sweet beeswax. These swallow's heart curios are produced from a variety of traditional love drawing minerals, herbs and oils including powdered rose quartz, Come To Me oil, dragon's blood resin, elecampane and other famous items reputed...

A friend of mine -- fellow hoodoo practitioner Rev. Jim of the Church of Good Luck -- was in my town today for a convention, so we decided to visit each other and check out the local candle shop together. This was a pleasant trip, and the lady at the candle shop suggested that while in the area we should see an art gallery nearby where there was some hoodoo/voodoo/santeria themed art.  The art in question was by a woman who calls herself The Ditch Witch because a) she makes works with an occult theme, and b) she incorporates a lot of found objects discovered from local ditches. So we went to see the art show. On one wall was a little Ochun altar, full of found bottles and jewelry from the ditches, and even a little voodoo doll of a female figure. I glanced the doll and went, "Hey, I once made a doll like that!" Then I looked a little closer. "Why, I made a doll exactly like that." A closer inspection, and soon I recognized my own hand stitching. Once I notic...