Today was a mix of good and bad. But I had to navigate through the wads of shit. Quite literally. The first thing that happened was I stepped on a massive pile of dog shit. It looked like a bull had emptied his ass. I had to clean that off my shoe as throughly as possible.
Then later, my damn belt broke in the bathroom of the Olive Garden. And my pants kept falling down afterwards. I felt like I was in a fucking Cantinflas movie. With me needing to make sure I didn’t moon anybody with my fat ass. Then finally, well you don’t need to know what else happened.
Needless to say, this new moon has been kicking my ass worse than a Waffle House employee.
So here in the spirit of the fuckery that is the New Moon in Fucking Aquarius I give you new Astro links. And damn you sarcastic Aquarius sign assholes to Hell.
Oh and I forgot to mention, it’s a fucking Supermoon too. That’s what I get for being a Magus who isn’t up to date on astrology. The original Magi are rolling around in their graves right now. Fucking Hell.
Yes this is a year ruled by Obatala and Oshun (or by Exu and Oxum if you practice Quimbanda). But the sign of the year is what seems to truly be reigning this year. Already, it seems that the Ajogún are on the move bringing with them misfortune and death. Yesterday, my friend got into a car accident. A little while later, I learned that my great uncle had died suddenly.
Between yesterday and today, some of my magical charms for protection against death, started to become overwhelmed. I had to call on the spirits to reverse whatever it was that was sending death this way. And I had to cleanse, re-bless, and recharge all of my charms. And right now as I am writing this, I found out that my neighbor whom I always talked with, died from a heart attack recently. Either just before or after New Years.
I didn’t want to ask the date because that’s disrespectful and insensitive to his poor wife. But it was recent. So either just before or just after New Years. This year is not a good year. It’s not a year that we should all be cheering for.
It is the year of Otura Niko, the Foreman of the Dead.
Friends, things are only going to get worse from here. Before in 2020, COVID was the force used by the Ajogún to spread terror and disharmony. But this year they are mixing the tactics up. Now it’s more like a mix of 2020 with 2019. In 2019 it was more personalized attacks sent to different people.
Personal problems. And 2020 was a massive problem that struck us all. This seems to be a hybrid of both those years. It has all the force if not more, of 2020. But disseminated in ways that will effect us directly.
A friend of mine who has mixed white and native ancestry told me something recently. Now his magic is strong. He works with indigenous spirits. And when my ass has been in danger, he’s protected me. But he has this thing.
And he had the feeling before I even knew it, that this year would be bad. And now here we are. But it gets worse. Last month a fellow blogger named Librarian of the Multiverse had also had a conversation with me. That she sensed that death would be coming this year as well.
In my head I was like, fuck because that’s really what we need now. Maybe it is. Because clearly humanity refuses to awaken from this walking coma we’re all in. I wonder if we have fallen so deeply asleep that the Ajogún have seen us as easy prey. That we’re being targeted now because they see us as dumb sheep that are easy to take out. But now I want to move on to something else.
The Divination (letter of the year) says to stay away from lakes and rivers and even rain water. A friend of mine who is a seer told me something that spooked me. You see, she had no idea what the letter of the year had said. I didn’t have the time to tell her. But she said that something is in the water.
That something is in the water that’s going to kill people this year. No, she’s not a nut job. No, she doesn’t normally say stuff like that. For the very first time in my life, I understood the true meaning of the term “my blood ran cold”. Because I felt ice in my veins hearing her say that.
I feel a rising death wave like in 2020. But this one is worse. Part of me feels like I’m on a roller coaster. I want off of and I am screaming my head off into the void. But no matter what no one is going to save me.
So with that said, I think I am going to give you all a simplified version of the Ebbos or karmic cleansings for this year. Along with some additional advice that may come in handy.
The Ebbos given for this year include animal sacrifices. Which I am against. But I also understand traditions and what not.
I am no one to judge my people and how they follow the ways of the ancestors. I just don’t like or agree with all the ways of our ancestors. I don’t always follow those ways. I actually considered saying nothing for fear of being rebuked by other Santeros saying I am “exploiting our religion”.
Or some other horseshit that the zealots in my faith come up with to silence dissent.
My spirits and my Orisha do not care about whether or not I kill an animal. They accept fruits and vegetable offerings. But they also accept cooked animals. In other words, instead of giving them an animal that is being sacrificed and discarded I give them food. If the Ebbo asks for a roaster, I go out and find a cooked roaster.
It’s not impossible to find. There are some animals that are sacrificed in Africa that don’t exist here. So with divination and research I find what they would accept and grant them that dinner. In places that are sacred to them. I also add the fruits and vegetables anyway as an added offering.
If blood is what they want that isn’t a problem either. There are butcher shops that are willing to grant the meat and the blood. As long as they get paid they don’t care. Again, this is how I do it because my Gods and spirits allow me to. Because my Orisha allows me to.
Do a divination, meditate, and find what works for you. And if any Santeros out there have an issue with how I approach our faith, I don’t care. It has served me well up until now. And until they (the Orishas) or my spirits tell me otherwise I will continue. I am accountable to them, not to you.
Now the offerings in IFA, you can skip because that’s for the order of IFA. The practitioners of IFA divination and magic under Orula. I am going to give you a simplified version of the regular Santero offering. A medium rooster and seven colored strips.
The seven colored strips symbolize the Seven African powers. The other ingredients are only for Santeros. So this simplified version is to ask the Seven African Powers for help. Tie them into different parts of the house. Such as door knobs and in windows to ward off death.
In fact consider making a bracelet of these seven strips for yourself. As an amulet. The cooked roaster is the sacrifice that will empower the charms. They will work against death. Which will be very important because there is an article I wrote which is about charms against death.
In addition to that :
– Honey for Oshun, Brandy for Eshu, Incense or anything holy for Obatala because he’s the King of Heaven. And because Santeria is mixed with Catholicism, Christian things like blessed white candles or incense for him will do.
– And you could get another roasted chicken for Orula, his wife Odu, and the spirits of IFA and ask for their blessings and protections. If you approach them with respect, they won’t care what faith you belong to.
Leave these offerings at a crossroads with three pennies for Elegua so that he will send the offerings to the Orishas. Also this is very important, to a point even more important than the offerings mentioned before.
You need to use any form of protection the dead can give you. Sacrifice to your ancestors. Light candles and incense to them, give them Hades Money, etc… don’t be stingy. And if you don’t already have an ancestor shrine to them, now is the time to make it happen. Because our primary protection comes from the dead.
And also our non human spiritual guides such as Angels, Nature Spirits, etc..we need all of their protections. So when you have a chance give offerings at a cemetery to Oya.
– Nine Purple Grapes
– 9 Red Roses
– Nine Pennies
– A Bottle of Red Wine
For her and for all the dead. You don’t have to enter the cemetery. Oya brings the dead to the front gates. Leave the offerings there and she will share it with the dead. Ask them and her for protection and blessing.
And for mass purification in all its forms. And dedicate that entire cemetery to her and the Gods of the Dead. You should feel different. As if something negative left your body when you pray to her. When you are done, leave a candy offering to Elegua in his Eshu form.
And ask him to send these offerings to Oya and the dead. And then leave without looking back.
Now it’s important to also work within your own religion. If you don’t believe in Santeria but want protection, research these Deities and find someone in your own religion who matches them. For instance, if you’re Christian, the Archangel Gabriel is the Messenger of God (Elegua is the Messenger of the Gods) and he’s one of the Angels of Death.
So he’s perfect for this. And instead of a crossroads or all these offerings, you make a massive donation to your church for him in Jesus name. And Jesus died and rose again. So any offering to him works. And he’s the intercessor between humanity and God which makes him a messenger as well.
Any offering you give to him, give with an open heart and perfect love. If you’re Hindu, do this with Ganesha. And look up who the God of the Dead is. One you are comfortable with and work with them instead. If you are Celtic, work with Morrigan.
She hangs out at the crossroads and she’s associated with the dead. There’s so many options out there. Protect yourself well. But most importantly of all is this.
– Personal offerings to your spirit guides
Whoever your guide is. A God. An Angel. A Faerie. A Ghost. As well as all of your ancestors.
Whoever it is, divine with them and ask what they want and keep giving it to them all year long. By feeding your spirit guide, you are keeping yourself safe. And sacrifice to your loved ones Spirit guides as well. Even do it for your pets. I am.
Finally, I leave you with this. These were special warding rituals I did when the pandemic hit. They kept me and my family safe at the height of the pandemic. We survived 2020 without getting the disease. Even though my Mom is a healthcare worker and she had to enter places that weren’t safe.
Meanwhile people around us were dropping dead. Even those who were supposed to be safe. This protected us. So please, read this old blog carefully. And adapt the rituals for what’s happening now.
Just like on that blog I will keep you updated on events with updates here. Do offerings to all those spirits and Gods. And make the same kinds of charms. Do the same things I did back then. Just adapt them to whatever fresh hell we are going to suffer this year.
Happy Late Christmas Sunday everyone! Originally this post was made yesterday. But WordPress is being an ass. And it posted my report as if it was an article from last year. So I had to duplicate it for today. My apologies!
That’s the first Sunday after Christmas. So New Year’s specifically finishes with a tone of ending things that need to be ended. Or endings as new beginnings. Which is the same thing we have experienced for the last few years. It seems the Gods and the spirit folk are tired of telling us to do things more than once.
Before going forward, if you haven’t read my New Years Rituals blog you should now. To get on the right path. To clear away all unwanted things. To bring good luck. And to be blessed for the new year.
So they’re going to keep pushing this until we get all our shit together. To emphasize this, our New Year’s Day is a Sunday. The last day of the last week of the old year. And it’s a Christmas Sunday. Now technically we are still in Yuletide.
There are several Christmas in January traditions. Even ranging to the Three Kings Parade we have here in Miami. Which celebrates the Pagan Magi who visited Jesus as a child. And no, they never converted to Christianity. They remained faithful Pagans to the end.
Although the Bible doesn’t say how many Pagan Magicians visited Jesus, there are three who are specifically called Kings. Many thought this meant they were actual Kings. But in reality they were great Mages so wise and so powerful that they were considered witch kings of a sort. Mages who were on another level of magic and thus royalty amongst their brethren.
But getting back to the point, Christmas Sunday isn’t normally a Christmas in January sort of thing. It normally happens while the old year is still in progress. This adds once again, to that tone that this is a year for ending things. And I keep thinking,
“How much more shit do we need to end? Gods, can’t you bring something else to fill the void from all of this loss and reaping of the old?”
And they keep responding the same way,
“We have, you just don’t see it yet,”
To make it stranger, I noticed that barely half an hour after midnight had passed. And everyone went to bed. I can usually tell if a year will be shitty or…..extra shitty based on how long the celebrations are. Everyone went to bed early. Just like in 2019’s New Year.
You remember that year right? It was fucked up and a prelude to 2020. Again I say, how much more shit needs to be “ended”. Unfortunately, I got my answer : People need to get off their asses to change things. That means
* Militant political action, not just voting for the same assholes in both parties who change nothing. Actually stand up and protest and demand fucking change. Until then, we’ll have more years like this.
* Stop dreaming so much and wishing and hoping and praying and go do something. Actually change your life.
* Step out of your comfort zone and grow
* Try new things
* Go on Adventures
* Organize, Unite, and share information and resources
* Reject the model of materialism and self enrichment, and focus on enriching the community and the people as a whole.
I know American Capitalism teaches people the BS about the “American Dream”. And how it’s supposed to be a utopia based on all of us making money and being rich. It’s pretty obvious by now that’s bullshit. If it was true, we’d all be rich by now.
Especially those of us who actually work. Wealth comes from stealing from others and stepping atop their corpses in this country. So we need to remove ourselves from that self destructive tendency. Here we have our current New Year’s Report with all the Gods and spirits I can find. I separated them based on culture and religions.
First, we explore the Chinese pantheon and astrology. We are entering the year of the Water Rabbit. Click on the article to find your Chinese zodiac animal and see the forecast for your year.
Now we explore the Tai Sui for the year 2023. A Tai Sui or Grand Duke of Jupiter is one of 60 Divine Generals under the Jade Emperor. Once a year, one of these Gods will become the Grand Duke in charge of the planet Jupiter. The Ruling planet. What this means is that, the chosen God is the ruler of that year.
In fact, the Grand Duke of Jupiter is so important that whatever direction in Feng Shui is sacred to him needs to be appeased. If you do anything to offend the Tai Sui, it can screw up your year. Even indirectly.
Quote from the article on General Pi Shi at wofs.com
Such as by having your Zodiac animal be in contradiction to him. Or accidentally making too much noise in the direction sacred to the Tai Sui. The Ruling Grand Duke of Jupiter for the year 2023 is General Pi Shi.
General Pi Shi
The year 2023 doesn’t really sound like it’s going to be a peach. But General Pi Shi was a skilled leader in life. Both militarily and politically. And he was able to find solutions to problems very easily. Because of this, the year 2023 will have the right leaders to aid with problems.
Just don’t expect those leaders to always be political. Search for the leader inside yourself. And keep your eyes open for other leaders to work with. In life, this General had military and political commendations since he was very young. He quelled both rebellions and invasions.
And was given key appointments by the Emperor. So appealing to him for improvement and advancements are very good. Especially in making yourself better.
In many cultures, number four has a negative aspect numerologicaly speaking. Even in Santeria we are told to never light four candles in a house. Because it symbolizes death and the dead. This is from the time before electricity was being used in Cuba. When funeral parlors were using candle sticks.
Two at the head of the casket and two at the foot of the casket. However, as in many things, four has positive aspects as well. In Chinese beliefs the number rules over relationships. Whether it’s romance or friendship. Or business partnerships.
The effects will really be felt on the 4th of February. That’s when the number 4 star becomes the dominant force for 2023. This brings both blessings but also curses for the year. Besides symbolizing death, the negative number four also symbolizes betrayal of a relationship. Married couples are in danger the most this year.
If you are in a relationship, you need to proactively resist temptation in all of it’s forms. Arguments. And all other things. This may also mean divisions and betrayals even in political and business alliances. The thing to remember about the negative of any number is look at the positive.
Use the positive force of that number to cancel out the negative. It can’t fight itself. But you can resist and shield yourself with the positive attributes of that number.
Focus on its energy
Focus on it’s powers and energies. And allow it to protect you. Call for it to immunize you against its own negative aspects. Call it’s good energy into every part of your being. You can burn a golden candle with a number 4 you etch into it.
Obatala, the King of the Yoruba Gods or Orishas. And his daughter Oshun. The Goddess of love, lust, prosperity, nature, rivers, and witchcraft among other things. The King of the Gods and the Goddess of love magnify and bless every single one of us. Normally I translate the entire letter of the year but I found out Ashe Pa mi Cuba does it themselves.
The letter of the year is the results of divination for the new year. It’s done by the Babalawos or high priests of Orula. The Orisha of Divination and Magic. They call upon him to see into the future of the year. Then they give all of their predictions on the coming year.
And prescribe rituals for it to get better. The Divination of the year can be found here. Now as beautiful as it is to have Obatala and Oshun rule this year, the predictions are not beautiful at all. Remember what I said about this year being used to finish more shit? Yeah it’s about that. The reigning text or sign of IFA used in this divination is Otura Niko (The Foreman of the Dead). There’s a whole story about how Orula defeated death himself.
And shape shifts into Otura Niko the Foreman of the Dead. In the next few days I will write about that story. But for now let’s get to the Ebbo.
The sacrifices asked for protection and blessing over the New Year
Curujey is a name for the twisted air plant. Usually found in Cuba. In addition to this, Oya in the early hours of midnight asked me for something. I performed a Spanish tradition of putting 12 grapes in my mouth to ask for good luck. I had both green and purple grapes.
I ate the green grapes. But there were 9 purple grapes left. Nine is Oya’s number. And darker colors like purple are usually for her as well. I had no idea this sign was going to come up.
I just did as she asked. I took the purple grapes to a shrine for the dead I have outside. And I found a half empty bottle of Merlot on the way. She likes red wine. So I gave her the grapes and the wine.
Then asked for her and the dead to intercede on my behalf against any dangers in the new year. And to bring many blessings. When I actually took the time to read what the sign was about it left me stunned. That actually speaks to another theme of this sign : listening to your spirit guides and also following instructions. You will find many blessings that way.
There is another Ebbo for protection during this sign that I found during the study of the Oddun. It’s as follows. Warning this is only for Santeros. Don’t try this one if you aren’t, or don’t have sufficient training yet. I added this portion for purely scholarly reasons.
Ebbo (Cleansing) of Otura Niko
So that good comes. (I’ll go Umbo)
Ingredients :
1) Three bottles of brandy
2) A white plate
3) Cascarilla or blessed eggshell powder
4) Otura Niko is tied and prayed
Instructions :
This Cascarilla is poured into one of the bottles of brandy, and given to the dead, the others without the powder, one for Orunmila and the other for Eshu (Elegba). And this is the cleansing offering to ensure protection. And then of course you despose of them in accordance to divination. I have shrines for the dead and the Orishas so I know what to do with them.
It has a mix of good and bad omens for us all. This one I had to translate into English for everyone here. Or rather translate the aspects of it. Not the word for word text.
This sign is the foreman of the Eggun (dead). For which it is written on the tile when sacrifice is going to be made. Wisdom is the most refined beauty of the Babalawo.
* The agitation of the sea
* Corn
* The nervous system in the body
* That death is frightened and respects the living.
* And the Oparaldó
* The disfigurement of the human being at death.
* Eggún’s communication with Olófin
* Good and evil threaten the awó
* Send to prepare things on time
* Speak: kutone
* The country or land of Eggun where Otura Niko is the foreman
* It is an extension ifá
What does this mean?
* Orunmila lived in the Iyesá land
* In Otura Niko you do not eat caimito, zapote, octopus, or squid
* No ants or insects are killed
* It speaks of the human races
* It is an ifá of weariness and loneliness
* The son cried in the mother’s womb
* It was where Orunmila’s jars were hit
It symbolizes
* Oshun hid the money under the caimito bush and Shango his treasure
* Shango stole a thing from Olofin and hid it
* It is forbidden to go to the river
* Elegbá is for good and for bad
* There is a tendency to vices
* The most important thing is the spirit of the father
(This last one is interesting because the Letter of the Year mentions that Godsons and Godfathers should be closer to each other this year)
* It was where the king threw the raffle and Otura Niko took it out
Recommendations of the sign Otura Niko:
The children of this Oddun must be generous, because in this way they will be enriched. They will have to comply with everything, so as not to be accused of being irresponsible. For three days, bring a bottle of brandy and money to your Godfather’s Ifá. The secret of this Oddun is to feed his father’s spirit or his spiritual guide. He is given a white rooster.
The pregnant woman must make sacrifices to ensure a healthy child. Place food with syrup in the corners of the house so that the ants come and with them luck. Bathe with canutillo and other times with French macaw, red fig, and Iworiyeyé.
(Remember these are the rituals of the Yoruba people. No one is actually telling you to do this. The prescribed rituals are the ones in the screen shots I took. This is all part of the Oddun).
Another interesting thing is we are told to not kill ants. Ants are the lucky animal this year. They must be treated well. I will give an offering to the ants where I live for good luck. Also, Ants are an animal associated with Elegua.
Which I found curious. But that curiosity was later answered when looking up the Orixa Regente of 2023.
Sayings of Otura Niko
The iron wanted to fight with the candle. The Sun rises for everyone but you. He who does good in droves, will receive it in droves. The broken jar will never be filled. The broken jar will never be called justice.
The father says: If you are not happy in your house, you better come with me. Good and evil threatened the Babalawo. In the land of the dead, I am foreman. He who wept in the womb is blessed.
Prohibitions of the sign of Ifa Otura Niko
It is forbidden to eat pork. For this is offered to Eggun. No ants or insects are killed. It is forbidden to go to the river.
Ifa Otura Niko says:
“You will do a favor that you will not appreciate. In her house there is a person who has a cast womb, there is also another who is pregnant, and the child who is going to give birth is a boy and will be called a Know-it-all, because that child is going to be a Babalawo. They will send you to find a place forever, take care of your child. Where they live they have had money and today they have nothing to eat. Thank you Shangó. Feed your father’s spirit so that luck comes. If you don’t feed him, he will go where he is,”
It has a bit of Mayombe, be careful, because that slows it down. Don’t put pins in your mouth. Be careful where you eat, don’t get sick. Don’t ask for so much money, as it can be used for your burial. He cannot be stubborn and beware of treason where he can be poisoned.
Be obedient to your elders so that you can live happily. You can’t bathe in the river. You have to beg for your head. In his house there was a brunette woman with a red blanket, if he returns, he immediately gives Shango a ram and two roosters, which will then come with three very large lots.
She left her house in search of money and was introduced by three lovers, clinging to her guardian angel. In order for him to get such money, he must have an apron and buy lottery tickets, which others despised. The day you feed the saints, don’t work. He doesn’t have a son because God is angry with his behavior. Thank you, Oshun and Orunmila You can not get wet in rainwater, let alone bathe in a downpour.
While all three batches don’t arrive, be satisfied with what you have, you have to cover the holes of the mice, for your ashe,”
Characteristics of the sign Otura Niko (Ogbe)
This sign speaks of the person’s lack of awareness because he or she has suffered loss. This is where corn came down into the world, it was born. In this Ifá was born the communication of the Eggún (dead) with Olófin (God) through Oniko, who is the messenger. So Otura Niko represents the messenger of the dead or the foreman of the Eggun. This Oddun marks, the power of evil in the people of lights.
It is an Ifá of evolution for the Awó. They speak:
“The journeys of dualities to ask Ifá for recourse. Evolution to spirits, and evil threatens the Awó. This Oddun says to prepare things with time, because it is an Ifá that does not allow delay. The children of this Oddun must be generous, because in this way they will be enriched, they will have to comply with everything, so as not to be accused of being irresponsible,”
The turmoil of the sea was born. Speak: Kutoné.
“The country of the land of the dead (Eggun). This is an Oddun of life and death. Here was born the Oparaldó, which means (kill behind the body),”
This ceremony called theOparaldó is used to cast out or remove a particular dead person from “behind a person”. It’s a ritual for removing an attachment by a spirit in other words. Especially a dark ghost (eggun buruku). This may also be a sign that we need to protect ourselves from darker energies more so than usual this year. As we may see more attachments than normal.
Diseases that afflict this Oddun (sign/text) but also remedies we may be seeing this in 2023
* Diseases of the throat (tonsdolopathy), spine, nervous system, blood pressure.
* It speaks of the human race. The person lives with the opposite race (racial unity as a cure). This Oddun must receive Odduduwa, for a health problem.
Odduduwa one of the Primordial Creator Gods, one of the sons of GOD.
“There is someone in the family who hanged himself, just as there is someone who was educated in a convent or boarding school for nuns.
Otura NIko is an Odu from Ifá who speaks of boredom. The person gets tired of living. This Oddun is where the child cried in the womb. Bring a gift from nature.
This Ifá sends to bathe with canutillo and other times with French macaw, red fig and Iworiyeyé. This is the Ifá of the schoolchildren, the person grew up together with other children or lived near a school.
Ifá says:
That wisdom is the most refined beauty that Babalawo has. This is where Orunmila’s jars were actually beaten,”
As you can see, the text speaks of a great many things. There’s a mishmash of good and bad things. It feels like it’s saying this year will be a conflict between the positive and the negative.
“This Oddun is where the child cried in the womb. Bring a gift from nature. This Ifá sends to bathe with canutillo and other times with French macaw, red fig and Iworiyeyé. This is the Ifá of the schoolchildren, the person grew up together with other children or lived near a school.
Ifá says:
That wisdom is the most refined beauty that Babalawo has. This is where Orunmila’s jars were actually beaten. Here he was born: He who sometimes dies (Iku) is frightened and respects the living. The Great Power of the Awó. Here death is transformed into bone and shadow that nobody knows, and that is why the human being is disfigured when he dies and transforms,”
So we see another dynamic here : Iku and possibly the Eggun fear the living under this sign. Which means we have some power in our corner after all.
Secrets of Otura Niko
“This was where Oshún hid her money under the caimito bush and Shango hid his treasure that was: ero, obbi, kolá and ozún naború, under the canutillo. That is why the Awó Otura Niko should not miss a caimito branch behind the door and put Shangó erú, obbi, kolá, ozún naború, and cover it with canutillo. Here Shango stole a thing from Olofin from (our) religion and hid it,”
It goes on to mention again that you need to give honor to your religious Masters. With emphasis to a male religious figure. And the importance of a connection between the Godson and Godfather. And giving offerings to The Godfather’s house. The text in relation to love is very bad.
It says that finding love is a pain in the ass under this sign. Because betrayal is right around every corner. You are not to go near rivers. Or get wet by rain. And dogs are seen as special protectors.
But they should also be protected.
Many offerings should be made to your spirit guides for protection. Especially your Guardian Deities and any Eggun you have like the ancestors (thanks for watching out for me Oya). The importance of Ebbos and other special offerings and rituals for protection and blessing.
There’s another missed up story about a farmer, who gave his guardian spirit an offering so that he could gain blessings. But at the end of the story, even though he got his blessings, a sack of money fell from the air on top of him and he died.
“There was a farmer almost ruined because of the great drought that hit the region in which he lived. The plants and their animals were dying. But his guardian angel offered him a chance and said:
‘Give me a goat, but do not work or get wet with rainwater that day,’
The day that the farmer, gave the guardian angel what he asked, soon it began to rain. And the farmer forgot the warning of his guardian angel and left happy to stir the earth, (that is, he worked) at that moment came the luck of Heaven, that is, sacks of money, which fell on him and killed him,”
I’m going to say something that isn’t in that text. Okay? Don’t crucify me now. It’s an observation. He challenged the Osogbos and his own arrogance felled him. An Osogbo isn’t just bad luck.
It’s bad energy. Specifically it’s an Ajogun or demonic spirit. So it’s believed when you are resisting bad luck, you’re literally resisting an evil spirit who embodies that bad luck. So when your patron or matron Deity (guardian angel) is giving you a specific instruction to follow, do not deviate from that instruction. All this man had to do was not work for one day and stay dry.
Easiest thing in the world to do. And by the next day his crops would have been full and his Osogbos gone. What was so hard about following these instructions? Again, obey your spirit guides and Gods. That’s why death comes from disobedience this year. So there’s three things to take from that story :
1) The importance of Apotropaic Magic
Protection from evil spirits. As well as well as properly following rituals and instructions. Don’t fuck around. Follow what you are told. And do not deviate from instructions.
2) The importance of giving offerings to your spiritual guides. Following their instructions to the letter.
3) Be wary of the Osogbos
Just because you are doing a ritual to protect yourself, doesn’t mean it can’t backfire on you. And that the negative forces out there can’t hurt you.
When Orunmila went to see Olordumare
On this road, Orunmila needed to see Olordumare to resolve the situation that existed on Earth. But he could not get to where he was. Because he did not know the way or the enchantment. Faced with this situation, Orunmila divined seeing this Oddun (text, the one for this year), which Ebbó (offering cleansing) marked him with:
A rooster, needles, colored threads, fabrics, a basket, colored ribbons, eggs, little balls of faces etc. and that after he did the Ebbó he went for a walk. Shortly after walking, he met Eshu, who was disguised in torn clothes, Orunmila gave him fabrics, needles and threads to sew his clothes. Then Eshu directed him to a place where they met an old woman, who was Orishanla (Obatala in his Goddess aspect).
Orunmila, seeing her, gave her ten chicken eggs and the old woman was very happy. Because the hens had not laid there for a long time. After this, Orishanla showed him the way that would lead him to Olordumare’s house. When Orunmila arrived at the door of Olordumare’s house, he found it closed and through the bars of a window, he saw some boys, called them and fed them the buns he was carrying. Then he said to the boys,
‘Open the door for me, so you can distribute all the little balls I have in this basket.’
The boys opened the door and Orunmila was able to enter Olordumare’s house and managed to see him and ask for advice to solve the problems on Earth,”
This aspect of the text shows us that by acting honestly and in good faith, no task is impossible. Because the Gods and ultimately fate itself will help us. It again highlights the importance of doing proper magical rituals and making sure we do things correctly.
Who are the Ruling Orixas of 2023?
Oxum and Exu
This information comes from Astro Center .com I just wrote the cliff notes version in English. Umbanda and Quimbanda are both religions based on Yoruba religion. Just like Santeria. They also have Orishas (Portuguese Orixa). But their divinations and some of their rituals are different.
Mostly because Santeria and Umbanda and Quimbanda where influenced by different European cultures. So what the Yoruba practitioners lost or gained during slavery in ritual and culture depended mostly on that. It’s fascinating to see how similar they both are and yet different. That’s why I always pay attention to what all these groups say. I usually find a common theme in both divinations.
According to Umbanda and Quimbanda the Orixa Regente (Ruling Orisha) of the year 2023 are : Exu (Elegua or Eshu). Exu or Eshu is the God of the Crossroads. A messenger of the Gods, and a master of business and negotiation. A bringer of good commerce. Very similar to Hermes in the Greek pantheon.
And the other Orixa in power is, you guessed it Oxum or Oshun. Who is also one of the rulers of the year according to Santeria. As a Goddess of Prosperity as well as love, fertility, and also of good commerce, she adds to this influence. However, here’s the rub : I doubt sincerely that means you and I are going to benefit from all this prosperity. I don’t mean to be so cynical.
I believe the Gods want what is best for us. But prosperity for them and prosperity for us could have totally different definitions. That’s one, two I also sense that most of the prosperity is going to be sucked up by businesses. Not the common person. That’s what I feel.
Not because I believe the Gods favor them more than us. But because blessings are easier to get when you are already blessed. I believe that for the rest of us, we are going to have to fight like hell for those blessings. It’s not impossible. We can do it.
But be prepared to work your ass off.
From a Yoruba Priestess in the Article,
“What you can do to align with the energy of Exu, the lord of the order, is to organize yourself. The organization, discipline and good character will be necessary for you to attract the energy of the movement”, says the expert.
“Now to connect to Oxum’s energy she explains that you need to be kind to people, connect with your emotions and the emotions others, have the patience to understand the life of other people as much as yours,”
The expert adds that
“this will make all the difference in the final result so that you can connect and have a better year”.
In other words, the same thing mentioned above. If you are honest and generous you will ultimately thrive this year. The priestess also adds special baths and magic to achieve this end.
“For Exu, if you want to connect and get closer, the tip is to take prosperity baths. Try plants like Road Opener, leaf of fortune, and pitanga“, says the expert. “If you want to attract defense, take a bath of aroeira to be able to get closer to Exu’s energy and let this movement manifest itself into your life.”
“For Oxum, if you wish to manifest her sweetness and bring kindness to yourself, make a bath of fresh basil. This is a bath in which you will macerate herbs, prepare them, and wash from head to toe with them whenever you want to connect to Oxum’s energy, preferably on Saturdays”, concludes Priestess Iyá Tolomi.
Now, every Greek Temple has their own way of doing things. Our religion is not centralized like Yoruba practice. But I thought I would share what my temple believes are the Ruling Gods and Hero of the year. The two ruling Gods are Hephaestus the Black Smith and builder of the Gods. And his wife Aphrodite, a Goddess of love, wealth, fertility, bringer of good fortunes and things.
You can see some of the similarities. A Goddess of love is the common factor in the Yoruba and Greek Divinations. And the presence of Obatala, Eshu, General Pi Shi, and now Hephaestus all speak to the need for hard work for prosperity to truly come. None of us are getting shit on a silver plate. I think that’s been fairly established by now.
And Herakles was the performer of the 12 Labors. And a master of solving problems using his intellect as well as his strength. Someone similar General Pi Shi. Ultimately those are the themes of this year. I hope this will aid you in going forward this year.
– M
PS : As of 6:30pm EST my friend got into a car accident. So far they don’t know what happened to the breaks. But he crashed with a stop sign and a wall. So………the Babalawos were right as usual
There’s all manner of rituals and magic for protection and cleansing in the New Year. There’s some amazing things in tradition that one should consider adding to their practice. My witch sister (as in my actual sister) has been practicing magic here with me. Preparing for the New Year’s as well. These traditions come from different groups.
Also known as a Growth Cleansing or a New Year’s Bath, this is a bath with flowers. It opens up the spiritual channels in a person’s body. This is to allow them to release negative or unnecessary energy. While also allowing good energy to enter. The following is a formula we use in Spanish folk magic.
One prescribed by mediums for the new year.
Ingredients :
Note* ingredients must be natural and freshly harvested
1) 5 Sunflower petals
2) 5 Red rose petals
3) 5 White rose petals
4) 5 Pink rose petals
5) 1 Rue branch
6) 5 Jasmine branches
7) 2 yellow candles
8) 2 Rosemary branches
9) 5 Daisy petals
Instructions :
To start doing the bath, heat six liters of water in a pot or saucepan. You’ll have to leave the water heating about 10-20 minutes. Until it starts to boil. Once bubbles begin to appear in the water it means that it has reached the ideal temperature. Remove the pot from the heat and carefully put all the materials in the water.
Once this is done, place the pot back to heat. But this time you only raise the temperature a bit and stir the materials. After another 15 minutes, put the pot to cool. When the water cools put it in the bathtub with the other ingredients. If that water is not enough to bathe, you can put a little more water without any problem.
Essentially the water you prepared, will bless and charge the regular water.
Once everything is ready, light the two yellow candles and take a bathe. Imagine yourself illuminated by the energies of the flowers. Allow the souls of those flowers to enter you. All things are alive. And when you bathe in flowers, the souls of those beings enter you.
So this isn’t just a normal cleansing. It’s a soul cleansing. It washes through you and over you by using pure souls. Those of the flowers themselves. That’s how this works.
Embrace them. Feel the negative energy disintegrate inside you. And then be flushed out naturally from your energy pathways. Allow the calm, nourishing, energy to enter your pathways. Feeding them.
Renewing them. Once you finish the bath, dry with a white towel. This is because white is a color associated with purity. If you have a special color that empowers you, you can use that instead. Then do a regular shower.
And scrub with soap as you normally would.
As my Druid Master recently told me : in our tradition, any form of washing with water is a cleansing. And this is true in more ways than one. In Jewish mysticism, it’s said that water loves bad or impure things. It was made that way by God to absorb the impurity out of things and people. That’s why most cleansings use water as a basic ingredient.
How my sister does it
My sister’s special batch
My sister uses the same traditional flowering formula as described above. The only difference is that she uses Christian Magic to empower it further. In conjunction with the new moon prior to the new year. She also used my balcony shrine which is filled with various plants and astrological idols to empower it. She also adds a few secret ingredients to make hers stronger.
She also added some power to it from a portable altar she brought with her.
But because they are a secret taught to her by her teacher, I can’t reveal that. What I will say is that she combines it with Catholic Masses. She does a mini mass in the bathroom with a specific Gregorian chant playing on her phone. The combination of the potion with the holy music adds to the power of the cleansing. She uses special rites associated with the Catholic Church.
As well as the new moon, and Saints to empower the water. New moons are good for new beginnings.
I do it also not only with Christian Magic but with Santero magic as well. I appeal to Ossian the Orisha of nature and plants, Aroni his faithful servant, and Inle the Orisha of Medicine. I do special Santeria prayers with them. And I charge the potion on my balcony shrine as well. It’s a shrine to both nature and the astrological signs and celestial bodies.
I ask for them to charge it with their powers over night. And once I do this, I leave the potion in a plastic container for the night and allow them to fill it with their Ashe (divine grace). It’s pronounced Ahhh-sheh. Sometimes it’s spelled Ache by Cubans. Which confuses the hell out of English speakers.
I also add Cascarilla and some secret ingredients to the brew like my sister does. Though mine are different. Once charged, I wait until New Year’s Day to bathe. Like literally a few minutes after midnight. Then I try to dress in light colors.
I have a specific color I use to be empowered.
Santeria Cleansings & New Year’s Traditions
Orisha shrines to Yemaya and Oshun
These are cleansings taught to me by my Godmother in Santeria. The traditions here I also learned from my Babalawo. First up is the feeding of the Earth.
This one was taught to me by my Babalawo Warning! Do not do this ritual. Only a Babalawo or high priest of Orula cando this. I am just outlining the basic ritual and the origin. Doing this the wrong way can actually kill you. This isn’t a joke.
You’ve been warned.
According to our sacred texts, it’s said that when the daughter of God ile Oguere reincarnated, she became the planet Earth. Orula the God of Divination and Magic told her she needed to do a special cleansing called an Ebo. This is sort of like a karmic cleansing to change your fate. She did not. As a result, her children (humans) abuse and hurt her.
The Ebo would have prevented that.
Mother Earth herself
A few years later after humanity had populated the Earth, the Orishas (Gods) had invented death itself. This was to prevent overpopulation. They assigned Iku to be the Orisha of Death. And everyone hated Iku. They all wanted to live forever.
What was worse is that back then when people died, their bodies just lay around. Burying a body hadn’t become a custom yet. Imagine seeing your loved one’s body just laying on the ground. And it looks as if it’s still them. Just sleeping.
One day ile Oguere and Iku were spending time together. She complained that her human children abused her. And he complained that her children hated him for doing his job. So she had an idea. She made a pact with Iku.
“If you kill as many of my children as you can, I will absorb their bodies into my body,”
The problem was, it was going to be difficult for him to do it on his own. So he said,
“My wife Arun (disease) will have to do this work with us. She must be given power over everyone equally. The rich and the poor, the young and old, kings and their vassals, the wise and prideful, thieves and honest people. Everyone equally,”
She thought about it, and finally said,
“I accept, however I demand that all people grant me tribute of whatever food they eat. And if anyone does not do this, you will be in charge of collecting their debts,”
From that day forward, Iku sends natural disasters and all manner of unnatural death to fall on humans. And in exchange, ile Oguere will suck down human bodies into her own body. When this happened, human bodies began to decompose. Because the Earth began to call them home. Now since then, many rituals to appease the Earth have been made.
As well as many rituals to ward off Iku. And some ceremonies like this one, do both. The Jorojoro is a hole, representing the mouth of the Earth. Usually, a group of Yoruba practitioners led by a Babalawo go into a barren land. They open the Jorojoro, and perform a ritual which has many prayers and components.
But part of it is a technique called Sarayeye. Basically, this is cleansing your body or a place with a ritually charged object. This can be an idol. Food. Or even the body part of an animal like feathers.
In this case, everyone carries a plate full of food and perform Sarayeye with that food. The cleansing absorbs all the bad energy. Bad luck, death, disease, curses, obstacles in the New Year etc…then one by one, the food is dumped into the JoroJoro to feed the Earth. The Jorojoro has to be deep so that it can absorb all of the food. Then, the ritual is closed, by sealing the Jorojoro shut.
The Earth Mother will be appeased and she will give you powerful blessings. At the same time she is draining all the osorbos or bad energy away from you. Including Iku or death. This is done every new year by Babalawos. The ritual is expensive but well worth it.
But I must warn you that only a Babalawo has the authority to perform this ritual. If anyone tells you they can do it without being a Babalawo, run away. Because doing it incorrectly angers ile Oguere. And it results in death. This is because the Earth is hungry.
And the worst thing you can do, is to leave the hole open. She will devour the energy of the person who didn’t perform the ritual the right way. Pull their soul down into death.
This cleansing was taught to me by my Godmother in Santeria. Oshun and Yemaya are the Goddesses who symbolize cleansing and prosperity the most. Inle does too. But a lot of people leave Inle out. What you do is take a bottle of melao or sugar cane syrup to the beach.
And once there, you pour some in your hair. And the rest into the water. Obviously you have to be in the water when you are doing this. This is an offering to Yemaya, the Goddess of the Seas and Oceans. Really all water everywhere belongs to her.
She is the Mother of the Earth in our tradition. Because without water, no planet can survive. Now, when you do this, it’s an even more powerful cleansing than the flowering ritual mentioned above. Yemaya can open your roads to greatness and bestow blessing so powerful than no force or enemy can stop you. It may take a while with the flowering bath to disintegrate the bad energy.
As well as renew your strength. But this cleansing with the beach is faster. It’s also more powerful because this is a loci specific ritual. A ritual that uses the power of a location to help you.
A variation of this ritual, uses a honey comb or honey. Personally, I prefer to use a honey comb. You can buy those in the supermarket. It’s like a bar of soap made out of honey. You can scrub yourself with it.
They’re usually in square plastic containers like this. Though if you can’t find honey combs, just rub regular honey on yourself. Then pour the rest in your hair. Like the offerings of the sugar cane syrup. Oshun is the one you call with this cleansing.
And you are asking her to pull all the impure energy out of you. All bad luck, everything out of your energy field. Then, you toss the honey comb into the water as far as you can. That will be the offering for Oshun. But I would recommend you bring a change a clothes with you.
Bring shorts or a bikini to enter the water. Because regular clothing in sea water smells like a rotten animal. Better to remove the wet clothing and change back into your normal clothes afterwards. Bring a bag with you for your wet clothing to seal it up until you can wash it. Likewise you can do something with Inle as well.
She is the Doctor of the Orishas. And has great power to heal. What I normally use for her are vines and leaves which symbolize healing. I ask the Earth to charge it with great power. Then when I go to the Ocean, I ask Inle to drain all that is bad from me, to the vines.
And all the good energy from the earth and water to enter me. Then I toss the vines into the water far away from me. And that will be Inle’s offering.
We have already discussed the powers of the Sarayeye technique. And how ritually charged objects can be used in cleansings. This is such a cleansing. My Godmother taught me this one too. The one and only ingredient here is an egg.
If you want you can bless the egg to make it stronger. That’s up to you. On the first Monday of the new year, in the morning, rub an egg from the crown of your head to the soles of your feet. And pray to Elegua. Ask him to take all the bad energy out of you from the old year.
You will wait until you feel lighter. As if everything that was on and in you will be devoured by that egg. Eggs are living objects. They have living organisms inside them. So they are the best things to use for a sacrifice.
Once everything has been pulled from you, you throw it backwards so that it will break. Do not look behind you. Because if you do, whatever negativity you had removed, will return to you. And worse than before. Now you cannot eat eggs for seven days.
Because if you eat the same food you cleansed yourself with, it will also return the negativity to you. Seven days is the cut off point. After the egg fast the day after the seventh day, you will be able to eat them again. You can wash the egg with holy water to give it an added charge. Or anoint it with a holy oil or powder.
If you can’t do this in the morning then do it at night or the afternoon. The point is doing it while it is still Monday. Elegua is the God of the Crossroads in Yoruba religion. He opens all roads and brings success in all things. No ritual or prayer can be done without giving the first and last offerings to him.
He is the Lord of the New Year and Old Year and will open and close all doors. Doing this ritual with Elegua will be sure to remove all obstacles. He is the divine child God and Prince of our religion.
Throwing Water out the front door, the Window, or the Balcony on New Year’s Day
In Latin America and Spain, people throw out a bucket of water at the very moment of midnight of New Year’s Day. Others like the people of Uruguay, do it from December 31st. The water absorbs the old energy of the old Year. So when you cast out the water from your home, you are casting out the old year. Santeros have our own variant of the ritual.
My Godmother puts Cascarilla into the bucket so that the positive energies of the new year can be invited in. Some use a bucket of Catholic holy water.
Puerto Rican women of the older generations also did the same thing. But they would follow that up by burning church incense inside the house to bring blessings. They’d be doing this and praying deep into the early hours of the night. And to ward off evil. I burn Gold Rain incense that I dedicate to the laughing Buddha to bring in money.
The Christian Magicians in the Ozarks in Arkansas have similar beliefs. They believe in sending out the old year. And bringing in the new year. But instead of using a bucket of holy water, they open their windows. Just a crack, not open all the way.
The old year slips out through the same small opening. And at the same time the new year slips in. There are other beliefs concerning the New Year’s in the Ozarks. Namely that a visit from strangers isn’t very good. But especially not from a woman.
Why that is, has never been explained, at least not to me. Only that your year is supposed to be crap if a woman is your first New Year’s visitor. That actually happened to me once. And it wasn’t just any woman, it was an extremely neurotic neighbor. One that drove her family crazy.
Like literally every once in a while there were cops or some other trouble in that apartment. She visited us to wish us happy new year just as I was about to throw the water out the front door. I actually debated tossing the water at her.
“Maybe if I throw the water at her crazy ass it’ll exorcise the bad year or cancel it out,”
I didn’t. And man did I regret that decision. Because it really was a shitty fucking year. I don’t know if it was the power of suggestion or not. But at least that time it was right.
I know in the Ozarks it usually is right. On New Year’s Day they tend to stay home. Almost in lockdown pattern. Until the next day. They also seem to have a taboo against taking something out of their home.
They seem to believe removing anything from their houses on New Year’s Day will bring poverty. For a visitor to be allowed in, that person has to bring something inside with them. Even if it’s a twig. This symbolizes prosperity. Now with me it’s the opposite.
I throw shit out as quickly as possible. I like my energy uncluttered. But every place has its own set of rules. All of this information comes from a Folklorist known as Vance Randolph. His research on the Christian faith healers and magic users of the Ozarks is considered Gospel.
Even by the faith healers themselves. He did everything he could to properly catalog, analyze, and preserve Ozark culture. Especially the magical and mystical aspects of their folk religion. He’s in essence, the Eliphas Levi of Ozark and folklore and folk magic. His second wife was a premier folklorist named Mary Celestia Parler.
And together they created the Arkansas Folklore Society. Unfortunately the society which was started in 1950, ended in 1960. But any books or papers you can get from them are good. For they are necessary if you really want to understand the culture and faith of these amazing mountain people. I became fascinated by Ozark magic and folk religion years ago.
I thought this entry would be incomplete without mentioning them.
Chalking of the Doors : Blessing your home for the whole year with Baby Jesus and the Three Kings
The blessing formula drawn over the inside or outside of the front door to bless the home
It was once believed by Christian denominations from Europe, that Satan temporarily losses his powers. Every year around the time of New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day. Some believe it’s on Christmas Day. Still, it’s important to perform special wardings and blessings. The most common blessing during this time is the Catholic Epiphany blessing.
In fact, practitioners of Hoodoo also perform this blessing themselves. While traditional Catholics only allow a Priest or the head of the family to do it. Anyone who practices the root can do this. When a Priest does this, they do it as a representation of Christ. This is commonly referred to as in persona Christi(in the person of Christ).
This is a fascinating concept. It essentially means that the Priest is making themselves empty of their personal nature. And they ritually “become” Christ. They allow themselves to be filled with his authority. Like a form of divine possession almost.
In Christianity, divine possession doesn’t always mean that a spirit takes you over. Sometimes it refers to inspiration. Gaining prophetic visions and such. In this case it’s the actual authority of Christ being transferred to the Priest temporarily. When this happens, any blessing performed by the Priest, is the same as if Jesus himself were doing it.
Traditionally, a Priest does this. But the father of the family can also do it. I find that kind of sexist because the head of the family could be a woman. So really any head of the family can do it. As long as they are baptized.
Because then they are, they’re included in the “universal priesthood” (belief that all Christians are priests of Christ). In addition to this, practitioners of both Voodoo and Hoodoo can also perform this ritual. In fact this was an old tradition for many years. I was going to write about this. However, there are some amazing articles I found that I decided were better than anything I could write.
* Worship of Jesus in his child form (Divine Child) a theme you can find in many religions
* Worshipping him through a household ceremony as if the house was his house
* Calling on the Three Pagan Kings to aid in the warding and blessing of the home for the whole year until next year by chalking the door.
Using the Blessed Chalk to make the inscriptions
Then
* Blessing the home with Epiphany Water and special prayers.
Again this is me dumbing down the ritual for you. The actual ritual is a ceremony the whole family just participate in. And you are giving cultus to the Christ child by using an image of him. Now, the Catholic Church explains that the formula for blessing the house is Latin. And that the initials mean, Christusmansionem benedicat – (Christ bless this house).
However, these are also the initials of the Three Kings. Casper, Melchior, and Balthazar. And as I said, this is an old tradition done even by Rootworkers in the old days. Granted when we do it, it’s normally just the initials C.M.B., the plus signs are crosses and the numbers are the year the blessing is taking place in. For instance, the formula for this new year will be 2023 so the formula will be,
20+C+M+B+23
Rootworkers also believe that this chalk blessing offerings protection against witchcraft. It calls on the power of Christ and the three kings to block any malevolent influence. Be it magic or evil spirits.
How I do it
I do follow this formula almost identically to the way it’s performed by the church. I find that the chalking formula they use is better than just writing CMB. However, I don’t just write what is there. I add some things to the blessed incantation. For one, there was a Fourth Mage King known as Artaban.
He followed Jesus all his life. There are stories of heroic deeds and even people whose lives he saved along the way. But he never did catch up to Jesus. Finally he died almost at the same time Christ was crucified. And Christ himself crossed him over.
Saying that in everything he did, including saving the lives of the innocent, it was as if he had done those things for him. And There was also a Roman Witch the Magi Kings were friends with. We don’t know her true name. But she is known as La Befana in Italy. So over there it’s a Christmas Witch and not Santa Klaus who delivers gifts.
She was to join them to see Jesus as a child. However, she said she couldn’t because she was too old to make the journey. Later she regretted it. And tried to catch up to them, but it was already too late. So the sack of gifts she intended for the Child Christ, was instead given to the needy children of Rome.
So my formula is :
20+C+M+B+A+LB+23
To invoke all of their protections.
Other Traditions
There are a bunch of other New Years traditions to mention but they are all too numerous to write about here. So instead I brought you links and pictures from Atlas Obscura.
Well, we did it. We survived another shitty year. But we’re not out of the woods yet. For one thing, this year begins in a Saturday. Which is a weekend.
Symbolizing that like the year before this one, we still have things we need to finish this year. Probably because no one is listening to COVID guidelines. And we are still spreading this disease like it’s nobody’s business. Also, Saturdays are very chthonic. Which probably means we have far more work to do in the area of destroying things that do not work for us.
One thing I will say is that this year is for healing. The New Moon in Capricorn is here to tell us that we should not be holding on to our pain. This whole “tough love” stuff should take a back seat this year. Take the time to heal and be healed in turn.
The New Moon arrives Sunday January 2nd. Which as you know, new moons are times of the dead and of darker spirits. So avoid going out at night for Sunday and the remainder of the New Moon. Until you see the first sliver of the moon at least. Focus on destroying bad energy and bringing in good luck instead.
Write your wishes in paper and burn it to the Gods and spirits of this year for blessings. Here is some more advice on the New Moon tomorrow.
General He E, the Grand Duke of Jupiter for the year 2022
We are now in the Year of the Water Tiger which is considered a time for your dreams to take hold. Which makes sense considering who we have as our Tai Sui this year : General He E. This General was a bit of a hero. He solved complex crimes and even donated a treasure to the Emperor so that he wouldn’t raise taxes on the people. He was considered an honest politician. And truly Catered to the needs of his people.
The general consensus is that this is going to be a good year. But, there were other years where everything was supposed to be good. And it didn’t exactly turn out that way. Because very few people look at both sides of the Gods and spirits who rule. The shadow side.
So the good side is : honest politicians who care about their people. Who are trying to do something to make society better. Or at the very least as non shitty politicians as possible. The shadow side is what happens if exists. If we have bad politicians trying to force their way on us this year, this will clash with the ruling Tai Sui.
And the clash will be felt. So everything depends on how politicians decide to behave this year. Information on the water tiger can be found here.
On the left Oshanla the Orisha Mother of Light and Weaver of Destiny. On the Right Obatala the White Robed King, ruler of all the Orishas.
This year is ruled by the Orishas of Yoruba Gods Obatala, and his female avatar Oshanla. Obatala is the father of light. The King of the Heavens of the Orishas. He’s also the creator of humanity. The best of all Gods.
While Oshanla, his female incarnation is the Goddess of light. A guardian and sentinel protecting humanity. The weaver of our fates and destinies. So it would seem that like the Chinese Astrologers, the Yoruba believe this year will be a good year.
At least for justice. And as long as those in power don’t misuse their authority.
Phrases for the year
“King dead, king put”
“It is a mistake not to learn from the mistakes made”
Now however, we get to meat of the matter. Each year is ruled by a “Letter of the year” each letter in IFA is an Odu (sacred text). And each text has its own story and a moral at the end. The ruling sign is Baba Ejiogbe. This is the first of all signs. Father of signs hence the word “baba”.
The cliff notes version of the story is this. It talks about loss, stress. General bad things. So I was right to be skeptical of the sunny disposition of the Year in the beginning. It says that one moment you have the best luck, and the next your luck turns to shit.
I started feeling that happening the last two weeks or so. So for me it already hit hard. Perhaps many of you, my readers have already felt that. We are told in this sign that not to expect prosperity. That any good we have will not come from in high, but from the sweat of our own brow.
We are also told that this is a sign of frustration. Which is why we need Obatala’s guidance. We need an elderly mother and father to help guide us and place us in the right path. So overall it seems we will have many hardships this year. But they can be overcome with hard work and determination.
The sign tells us that we really need to control our behavior. We cannot get into conflicts. We should be tolerant of other people’s beliefs and ideologies (well, within reason obviously, Fuck Nazis and Anti-Vaxxers). But we need to avoid warlike energy at all costs. This year it will be only too easy to fall into that.
So we need to work our hardest to ensure it doesn’t happen. It also speaks of diseases. Specifically spinal and sternum problems. As well as anxiety, blood vessels and lymph, colds, breathing, the mitral valve, the stomach, health in general really. Asthma, syphilis and rheumatism, bladder, pneumonia, urinary tract, earaches, and bronchitis.
We’re also told to avoid being outside for at least seven days. They warn of not allowing children to crawl on the floor. A lot of this sign reminds me of sheltering in place and being protected from COVID. They also warn against abortions and premature deaths of children since the Abiku will have a lot of influence in this sign. And all forced good and evil are well balanced.
There’s too much on that sign to write about. So you can learn more by clicking on the link I provided for it above. The sign also warns of government coups. And given all the coups we have already had in the past two years that isn’t very surprising. But it is alarming.
The last thing we need are more. So keep your eyes peeled.
From the Yoruba Cultural Association of Cuba
Ruling prayer
“Ire Ayiku Oyale Elese Odudawa,”
(A firm blessing of health at the foot of Odudawa)
Onishe : Oshun Yalorde (so she’s also a part of this)
Aladimu Oshinshin is : Scrambled eggs, with barley, and Purslane
Ebbo for IFA Practitioners is as follows :
Two roosters, a jug (in Cuba they had clay jugs for keeping water cool), an eggplant, a white flag, a black flag, Water of Olokun, red mangrove and reef, smoked possum, smoked fish (any kind), toasted corn, a coconut, two candles, Brandy, and honey.
Ebbo for Santeros :
A rooster, reef, a sponge, ocean water, two dolls (one female, one male), trap, arrow, a small house, a coconut, brandy, honey, smoked possum and fish, and toasted corn.
Now this part, is pretty much a more condensed version of the article I posted above. The one on the meaning of Baba Ejiogbe which is here. Instead of translating I posted the entire English language article on it. Which is even more specific than what is listed here. Just click on the link and read it.
It also includes the taboos one should follow and what to watch out for this year.
Orixas Regente 2022 (Ruling Orixas of 2022)
The Orixas
Now, in Umbanda and Quimbanda as well as Condomble they are also based on the Yoruba of Nigeria. But they do their own divinations. And with different Orishas or Orixas as it’s spelled in Portuguese. I have translated the report on them here for anyone interested. Original article here.
Orixás regents of 2022
– Exú (from Yoruba Esù)
– The Ibejis (Divine Twins)
– Oxumarê (from Yoruba Òsùmáré)
– Yemanjá
“The year 2022, in all, will have the regency of 5 Orixás. Being that, 3 of them will govern every day and 2 will act at different times that will be the beginning and end of the year. In chronological order, see each of them so that we can understand when we will be according to a particular regency. Orixás, which are: Exú (beginning of the year), Oxumarê and Ibejis (all year round) and Yemanjá to end 2022. In view of this, we will see below in more detail the representativeness of each of them:
Exú (from Yoruba Esù)
We will start with the influence of Orixá Exú – different from the entity Exú also in Umbanda – which represents communication.
He’s the great messenger between deities and humans. Represents the path. Nothing better than starting the year with Exú, your energy will begin to organize all uncertainties we will bring back this year 2021. Whether in the political aspect, economic but mainly in the aspect of world health. As we enter the year 2022 still with many doubts, with fears and without knowing, in fact, which course to take or where to start again. Therefore, it will be a very propitious year for us to put our “homes up to date”, our lives, our families, jobs, health (mental, physical and spiritual) “up to date”
Because Exú will be at our side indicating to us what the best decision to be made before all the questions presented to us during this year. The day of the week dedicated to Exú is Monday, his colors are black and red (predominantly) and his elements are fire and earth.
Oxumare
(From Yoruba Òsùmáré) – orixá regent 2022 In line with Exú, Oxumarê is one of the main energies that will govern the entire 2022 from the first to the last minute. If Exú is the great messenger, Oxumaré is the Orixá who walks between heaven and earth. So much so that one of its representations in nature is the rainbow. It is also represented as a great serpent that envelops the earth and the sky, bringing and ensuring renewal. Oxumarê is recognized as “the great force that directs the movements”, that is, under the influence of Oxumarê we will have a year absolutely conducive to transformations and renewals.
It will be time to put into practice our projects that have been “shelved” due to the various crises that we still go through, because Oxumarê takes the rainwaters back to the clouds and then “the sun will shine” in 2022. It will be a very positive year for transformations in the professional sphere, as well as in the spheres of friendships and romances. To the extent that, Oxumarê represents the wealth and fortune and consequently prosperity. When we talk about prosperity we should not only focus on material prosperity that concerns money, although it is a favorable year in this regard, but especially with regard to spiritual prosperity.
This is because to the extent that we are well structured emotionally and Oxumarê will bring the conditions for this structuring. We will be very close to achieving prosperity also in the spiritual sphere because we must not forget that it is our individual energy that drives us to prosperity or failure. So let’s stick to this great opportunity to definitively take from our paths low vibration energies that are eventually afflicting us and preventing us from reaching our goals. With regard to affective relationships, Oxumarê is the “balancer of love”, so I suggest you wait a little longer for decision-making in that aspect of their lives and especially, do not lose sight of that opportunity that are awaiting possible reconciliation.
Those adjustments that are missing to put love life back on track. The day of the week dedicated to Oxumarê is Tuesday, its colors are black and yellow with regard to candomblé, jeje nation, or green and yellow with regard to to candomblé, Ketu nation, but let us not forget that Oxumarê is the representation rainbow and then all the colors of the rainbow belong to it. Its element is the sky and the earth.
(Oxumare or Oshanmare as we call him/her in Santeria is also worshipped on Sundays).
Once again we have the influence of the energy of deities who bring with them the characteristics of beginning and continuity, multiplication and riches. But they also bring with them the contradictory indicating that opposites can walk together and that all things have two sides. Ibejis will bring to us the importance of movement, of not waiting for things to happen and that it is time to “chase after what we really want” and together with Oxumarê and Exú will give us ways to achieve what we want as long as it is fair to us, that is, we cannot wait for “things to fall from heaven.”
(This is a similar sentiment to the Santero divination.)
The Ibejis (Divine Twins)
The Ibejis are two very little known and/or worshiped deities in Brazil (also in Cuba with Santeria and traditional Yoruba religion in Nigeria) although it is widely associated with two Saints of Catholic Christianity – They are Cosme and St. Damian. Therefore, Ibejis is not the same thing as St. Cosme and St. Damian. Despite the large existing similarities, including on the date of commemoration of these deities who also take place on 27 September. Ibejis will be together with Oxumaré ruling all year 2022 and with them will bring the continuity, since they represent children, especially twin children. In the Yoruba cult and with regard to this cult, children are the greatest riches in existence.
Ibejis represent the balance of the universe and thus will bring to 2022 the opportunity of mental, financial and spiritual balance inviting us to see the good because everything has two sides, as stated above and it is up to us to look to the good side, the pure and beautiful side. The day of the week we dedicate to the Ibejis is Sunday, their colors are green, light blue and pink. Their element is air.
Yemanjá
Far from being the least important, in fact is Orixá best known to Brazilians generally (and other Yoruba practitioners). Yemanjá is the GREAT MOTHER, the mother of all and almost all Orixás. That is Yemanjá is present in the life of each of us and it makes total sense for her to conduct, the end of 2022. She will follow the whole process of reunion, transformation and balance/rebalancing of her children as the great mother she is, she will be “half away” eagerly waiting for every step of ours and giving us the absolute certainty that we will be at all times rested by her love and dedication.
Yemanjá, queen of all waters (salty and sweet). Her name, in Portuguese means” mother whose children are fish” she will bring with her the energy of possibility to reinvent. And she will always be with her arms outstretched to cherish us from the whole process we encounter during the year 2022. And we will meet with that mother’s hug we need so badly. Despite being the divinity of all waters, her greatest energy is concentrated in the fresh waters of rivers that flow into the sea and so we will be, renewed and purified by their clear waters ready to cast ourselves into the seas. The day dedicated to Yemanjá is Saturday, her colors are silver, blue and green. Her element is water,”
Although this was the last forecast of 2020, this covers a whole bunch of things. The other thing that catches my attention is that it comes on a Friday. Friday is usually for ending things. Not for starting new projects. This means this next year will more than likely be about finishing projects or taking care of problems that need to be taken care of.
Not about embarking on new projects. This is about fixing our lives and ending the nastiness of these last few years. If you already did that and think you can manage embarking on new projects, awesome. More power to you. The new year has come on the back of the Long Night’s Moon.
Also called the Full Cold Moon or simply the Cold Moon. The Moon of Midwinter which reaps and destroys negativity. This Moon influences our new year. So again, this year is for ending all of the bad from the last few years. Work with the moon on this.
It does so in the sign of Cancer. This sign belongs to the negative polarity. And it’s a water sign. So it magnifies cleansing. And it’s also a psychic-empathic sign.
A total cleansing of the soul. So this year is the time for reaping. Killing the dark things that no longer serve you. And planting and preparing for the things you want. For planting in order to harvest later, but before you can do that, you need to kill all the weeds.
Capricorn Horoscope for 2021
When I was praying to the Gods of the New Year, I had this heaviness hit me from the crown of my head. This was strange because I cleansed. I protected myself well. Followed all the rituals and then some. This new year comes with heavier baggage than the last one I think.
The Babalawos from Cuba have a different and more positive take. And in their divination we are going to be ruled by the Orishas (Yoruba Gods) Olokun and Oshun. Olokun is a very mysterious Deity. It’s unknown whether Olokun is male or female. All Gods and especially the Orishas are transexual entities.
The Letter of the year in Spanish. This is the document I did the translation from
They don’t really have a gender because Gods entail all things. Deities do normally have a set gender they like to use as their default. A preferred form they like to use amongst many. But Olokun is unknown. The story goes that this Orisha had taken human form once.
And was chased away by dogs to the bottom of a river. So Olokun never leaves the water and is hidden so deep within the caves and water ways that he/she is never seen. The main belief is that Olokun represents the mysteries of water. And Oshun is the Goddess of love, prosperity, nature, magic, and many other things. She also rules rivers.
Ika Fun is the sacred text or Odu (oddun) of the year. The main message is,
“A blessing of firm and safe health on Earth that Orula will provide”
Also, this year’s flag is blue with yellow trims. The colors of Olokun and Oshun.
– A sacrifice must be made to Obatala. One quail. Sixteen slices of bread. And Cacao, Cascarilla (egg shell powder), and two white candles.
– In addition to this, we are told to mop the floors of our houses with the Eight herbs of Obatala (This is a recommended house cleaning for the new year.)
– Another sacrifice must be made on behalf of Oshun and Olokun. The sacrifice is one rooster, one river stone, river water, bread crumbs, dirt from sixteen different places, clothing drenched in your own sweat, eight strips of (cloth) of different colors, and other ingredients.
Phrases of the year :
“He who laughs last, has the best laugh,”
“Sometimes what you don’t like is exactly what you have to do,”
Orixa is the portugese spelling for Orisha. The Candomble religion is similar to Santeria. Only the slaves that went to Brazil preserved other Orishas that the slaves in Cuba didn’t. Their priests also perform a divination to see who rules the year. And in theirs it’s Oxum and Oxalá (Oshun and Obatala).
In both divinations we see Oshun take a prominent role. And even though Obatala isn’t the reigning Orisha in the Letter of the year, he’s still clearly important. Usually the divinations go in polar opposite points. Different Yoruba Deities and different messages. Which makes sense because each person divines for their own land.
And also because Candomble and Santeria have different traditions mixed with Yoruba religion. But this year it’s interesting to see just how close the divinations were.
“The ruling Orixás of 2021 are Oxum and Oxalá and, with them, the next year will benefit from protection, unity, learning and patience . Through this co-regency, you will feel the divine blessings of the two entities in different aspects of your life,”
“As the first day of the year falls on a Friday, 2021 will be ruled by Oxalá, known as the ‘father of the orixás’. However, he will not be alone in this command, as the ruling planet will be Venus, the planet that represents Oxum, called “mother of the orixás”. In addition, Oxum is represented by Odu (the numerological sum of 2021) with the number 5,”
“Therefore, the ruling Orixás of 2021 symbolize the role of mother and father of all human beings. In other words, the energy of family unity, the valorization of the sacred feminine , tranquility and harmony is expected. With Oxalá in charge, you will be blessed by his light and protection. With that, you will feel safe enough to develop personally, professionally and spiritually, as the Orixá brings wisdom and patience as virtues. On the other hand, Oxum indicates that the year will be driven by forces of prosperity, independence and balance.
In this way, the orixá will act on the self-esteem and confidence of people, especially women. Both Oxalá and Oxum as the 2021 regent Orixás carry the importance of maintaining a good family relationship as a principle. So don’t be surprised if you see that your friends are getting pregnant and raising their own families,”
“In Umbanda and Candomblé, Oxalá is the orixá that aligns the forces that connect people and nature, thus establishing harmony between all living beings. In this way, it brings, in addition to peace and quiet, the peace and calm required to end a cycle. This is because the ruling orixá of 2021 represents the end itself, that is, Oxalá defines the moment of the end of situations, periods and even lives. With the awareness that nothing is eternal, you can understand this orisha as the guardian of the balance of the Universe. Known as the ‘father of the orixás’.
He has two ‘identities’. As a young man, he receives the name of Oxaguiã and adopts paradoxical characteristics, because, while he is calm, he is also quarrelsome; already older, his name is Oxalufã and assumes a calm, patient and fair personality,“
What’s interesting here is that this part aligns with what I said in the beginning of the report. My divination with the spirits and Gods told me this year was to finish business. To reap or destroy the things we don’t need anymore. To end cycles. It seems that is what Oxala/Obatala will be doing this year.
“Oxum is the female orixá that governs feelings such as love and affection. Furthermore, it is she who maintains the natural order of the Universe, including fertility. For this reason, Oxum is symbolized as the ‘mother of the orixás’ and intercedes for all human beings as if they were their children. In Umbanda and Candomblé, the orixá is the daughter of Oxalá and her image is represented by her feminine strength and beauty. In this way, Oxum can be found in the calm of the fresh waters of rivers and waterfalls by those who seek to heal their wounds, especially those of love.
Therefore, the 2021 ruling orixá is frequently sought to resolve love issues. But Oxum is also known for bringing peace, stability and balance to distressed lives,”
“Oxalá and Oxum bring the importance of valuing both your spiritual and family side. Under the command of these two orixás, 2021 will be considered a period of closing cycles for the beginning of another, as it will be a year of personal and material growth, hard work and rewards,”
Oxalá and Oxum forecast as ruling orixás of 2021:
Spiritual peace ; Balance; Family union; Stable relationships ; Professional effort; Elimination of the superfluous; And open paths.
“In addition, with the strengths of Oxum and Oxalá, you can fulfill your dream of becoming a mother, as 2021 promises to be a very fertile year. Knowing the right moon to get pregnant, you guarantee the growth of your family, next year,”
“The last message about the influences of the ruling orixás of 2021 is that Oxalá and Oxum arrive to guide you to cut the bad by the roots. So, learn to listen to them, however difficult it may be, because, by eliminating bad energies, your life will take the right direction,”
And again, they seem to have caught onto the same energy that my spirits and I felt in the divination. Amazing. They also took a very positive stance for this year just as the Babalawos did.
Ruling Planet of the YearAstrologers from Brazil believe the ruling planet of the year is Venus. A planet love Goddesses such as Oshun rule. They believe this means that contrary to Chinese predictions, we will have peace and mutual respect. With a cool head for negotiations. Honestly, no one force rules it all.
Maybe we will have some positivity after all. But beware, I doubt we’ll have peace on Earth either. The Sun will enter Aries on March 21st of this year. Supposedly we’ll all be a lot more social and feel lightness. I’ll believe it when I see it though.
Venus favors rewards and many blessings. And again, it favors peaceful negotiations.
Strangely enough, when my Hellenic Temple and I celebrated the Athenian New Year just a few months ago, the Priests came to a similar conclusion. For my temple, the year belongs to Herakles and Aphrodite.
Herakles brings stability and strength just like Obatala and General Yang Xin. And Aphrodite is similar to Oshun in bringing love and unity. So it seems we are all tuning into the same frequency.
And finally, I finish this with a list of various New Year’s traditions
The Dead naturally rule New Moons. Several cultures view new moons as inauspicious. Though many Astrologers and members of the new age see them as times of renewal. A way of banishing old baggage and setting intentions. Which actually does work with the traditional spirit of the new moon.
Because we often do cleansings. And given that we end up with a clean slate around this time during cleansings, I can see how setting intentions can be fit into a new moon ritual. A Solar Eclipse is the symbolic and spiritual death of all Sun Deities. So this is double Cthonic power. Eclipses cause people to go into a reaping.
Our shadow self, the dark side of our souls come out to play. That means weird dreams, panic attacks, or nightmares. So be aware of such things. Try to work with it and perform a dark cleansing of the soul. If you think you can manage it, do it.
It is a great experience. But it’s not for everyone. Though I’m sure a lot of well seasoned magic users know all this already. But for the newbie or the dabbler, I wouldn’t try it. So we got that part out of the way.
According to this site, it’s joined by the Planet Mercury. Which means that we’re going to be effected in the area of communication.
Now, I don’t know if this means that we may experience a Mercury Retrograde-like disturbance during this time. Leading up to at least, the first quarter of the moon. Or even all the way to the Full Moon. What I do know is this adds even more to the reaping. If I were you, I would take special care with all the days moving up to the Full Moon.
Because we are already in Winter time, ruled by the dead and the Dubh Sidhe (Dark Fae). So all this is adding extra death energy to our world and the other side.
Sagittarius is ruled by the Centaurs, the divine warriors of Greek religion. Half human and half horse. As the article explains, this is a mutable sign. And mutable signs are bridges for a transition. So let’s say you’re in the middle of a move.
The transition where you’re packing everything up and coordinating with people to move. That is what the mutable sign would be in charge of. We’re entering the time between years. This is the planning phase. Time to prepare for the new year.
Centaurs are practical warriors. The fact that they are part horse, also means they are rooted and connected to the Earth. So this isn’t a time to simply be getting drunk, or engaging in hedonism. Although normally that’s what many of these feasts are for. This is a time to be working on projects.
Which is going to be hard if Lord Mercury is in his reaper aspect.
Preparing for the future. Based on divinations I have done with the spirits, it feels like this next year is no joke. I hope this isn’t true, but given that we’re still in a pandemic. And given that even if Biden changes some things, he’ll probably still keep a lot of Trump’s policies (he’s not exactly what I’d call a progressive. Look who he made secretary of labor) we’re in for a shit show.
Granted, no one reading this needs to be told by a psychic or a witch. But the fact that even the spirits are warning us to hunker down and prepare. That speaks for itself. Even well off people like Bill Gates are saying we’re about to enter the worst levels of the pandemic. And as bad as the economy was before Trump.
The mess he made of this country will still be felt long after he’s left office. So no matter, we’re in for the long run. At least for the first administration. And given that Biden is just another corporate lackey. More than likely just bring things back to how they were before.
Which is how we got in this mess in the first place. So (not that you needed spirits to warn you of the obvious) don’t waste all your time on partying. And if you can save money, do it. Forget the Christmas gifts. Spend your money on helping people to pay off debts or buy groceries and practical gifts. And stay at Home for God sakes.
We should never have stopped the Shelter at home practices. We need to do that to beat this thing.
Remember that Mercury is mixed with the New Moon and the Solar Eclipse, in Winter. That’s a bomb waiting to go off. Although if you consider that new moons can be used for wish fulfilment or seeding. Mercury or Hermes can help too. Not everyone agrees they are the same Deity.
But they both rule the planet regardless. Same influences. So call on Mercury as messenger of the Gods to speak to them on this new moon. For the things you want to happen. Also, the time is perfect for low magic.
For those who don’t know, low magic is earth based magic. It’s “low to the ground”. Magics based on the energies of nature and their spirits. Many people hear the term “low” and they automatically assume “demons” or “lower vibrational spirits”. These are all monotheistic bastardizations of spirituality.
Earth based magic is a lot easier to do than high magic (universal magic). Unlike the complicated rituals and symbols and even mathematical equations done in high magic, low magic is easier to access. For one, we live atop of the planet whose energy we use everyday, and because of that casting spells can be done with simple charms. With the energy of the Centaur in play, nows as good a time as ever to ground and meditate with the spirits of the land. And grounding with the land is good for planning.
Imagine that you’re dropping seeds. Farming the land. Preparing to reap your benefits. That sounds weird in winter time. But the stars are for it.
Now, in addition to all of this we have what Astrologers call “The Great Conjunction” which happens on the Winter Solstice or December 21st. The second article also mentions it. But for Astronomers interested in the science behind it I offer this.
This is Freaking Cool! On December 21st 2020 just after sunset #Saturn & #Jupiter will look like a Double Planet! This hasn't happened since the Middle Ages. Hasn't happened since the middle ages. https://t.co/8l6IqLI398
Not sense the Middle Ages has this happened. And according to Paradise Lost Astrologers, the elemental sign being changed means a new era has come. Which only backs up what the spirits told me regarding the need to plan for the future. This new era if it is to come will only happen if we work hard to make it happen. To change everything from the ground up.
It will also create a rare event known as the Christmas Star
Spiritually, a lot of Christian practitioners of magic see this as a symbol of cleansing of the soul. Redemption and many other things. Granted the original Christmas Star was a conjunction between Jupiter and Regulus. It should appear 45 mins after Sunset in the Southwest portion of the sky. The two will be so close that they will shine as one.
Enjoy it while you can. Because this won’t happen again until 2080. Finally, for anyone who enjoys Reiki, we have this ritual for the Full Moon on Monday the 28th and Tuesday the 30th.
I get not everyone likes Reiki. They think it’s new age fluffy bunny stuff. Guess what? Even tough mother fuckers love bunnies so shut the fuck up. 🐇 so enjoy and plan ahead everyone. Despite all this, try to relax as well. Oh I almost forgot.
The next year in the Chinese Calendar is the Year of the Metal Ox. Check out your horoscope :
Also, on the next Tai Sui or Grand Duke of Jupiter. This new year it is General Yang Xin. Jupiter is a planet associated with God Kings. So the Jade Emperor gives rulership of the planet to one of his divine generals for a certain amount of time. And that Grand Duke of Jupiter or Tai Sui changes things in each administration.
Now here are some things to know about this next year.
“In 2021, the Sheep is in direct clash with the Tai Sui, while Dragon and Dog are in side clash. The Ox, the animal sign of the year, is being backed by the Tai Sui, but because of its vicinity to the Tai Sui, those born under the Ox sign are also advised to pay homage to him to ensure his support continues through the year,”
But it gets worse.
“General Yang Xin’s presiding over the energies of 2021 suggests that while there will be efforts of reconciliation during the year, it will be difficult for world leaders to see eye-to-eye on many issues or to reach satisfactory compromises. The Flying Stars of the year confirm these indications, with the Violent Star making its way to the sector that represents the leader. People continue to stand by their principles, but unfortunately, different groups and different factions will have differing convictions, and some of these will be irreconcilable.
There continues to be risk of war, fighting and struggle internationally between nations, and on a micro level within firms, organizations and even within families. This is a year when the Tai Sui badly needs to be appeased and one in which harmony amulets will come in especially handy,”
In other words, if you were counting on peace and people singing Kumbaya my Lord, you were dead wrong. More factionalism and general discord will reign this year. Of course it was foolish to think the Far Right and other people would accept a loss of their power without a fight. So it’s going to be a bumpy ride.
However, my spirits also offered up another explanation. General Yang Xin refused to be humiliated and talked down to by the foreign ruler he was sent to negotiate peace with. Many may think him arrogant or stubborn. But he stood his ground and refused to be disrespected. Even by someone who was a head of state.
We live in a society, where there are constant calls for “civility” by centrists on every side. Centrist republicans, centrist democrats. Even centrist religious figures. All these different people trying to get us to all be “friends” and turn a blind eye to injustice and things that are just plain wrong. I was actually told to be “friendly” with Trumpers by centrist liberals.
Being friendly with people who are racist, ignorant, elitist, and who shove kids into cages. And separate them at the border from their parents. One liberal politician actually told us to make friends with fucking Nazis. All in an attempt to “convert them to our way of thinking.” So there’s two problems with that.
In the past when you were friendly to Fascists, you were called a collaborator. And I don’t intend to be one. And using the concept of friendship as a “conversion tool” is something a cult would do. And it cheapens the very concept of what it is to be a friend. You’re basically being an underhanded prick, using your friendship like a commodity or a tool to get what you want.
That’s not true friendship. If I become someone’s friend, it’s because I see good in them. It’s because I believe that we could be kin to each other. And allies who have each other’s back. I’m not going to suck up to someone who doesn’t even view me as a human being
Especially not to convert them. The way I see it, is I shouldn’t have to try and make another person be moral. If they want to be pond scum, that’s between them and the Gods. And the spirits on the other side who will rip them a new one once they pass. Why the fuck should I have to make them be civil? They’re supposed to be rational adults.
That’s dishonorable. And a true friendship that starts out in dishonor, isn’t likely to be real or survive. We’ve been told by liberals since the 90’s that we need to suck up to our enemies. And accept that they are “necessary”. That we need people who don’t even believe global warming is real, to have a hand in how our society is run.
And look where that has gotten us. Historical gains that union workers and civil rights activists and feminists fought for went backwards. Almost every concession fought and earned by the older generations has been overturned in this new wave of conservatism. Don’t be surprised if any day now they want to segregate everyone again. And liberals have let it happen. And ask us to not be “controversial” and fight back.
But to be patient, and just take it and wait for our complaints to go to the right people. Except that there are no right people. Because no one wants to listen to us. Even those same liberals silence us. Biden even said he doesn’t feel sympathy towards mellinials for facing the mess that people like him put us in the first place.
So my spirits tell me, General Yang Xin is here to wake us all the fuck up. For us to stop accepting evil as a normal thing. Being tolerant is only good when it’s tolerance towards good and beneficial goals for all people. Tolerating evil and treating it like it’s normal is not a good thing. Would you tell someone not to take medicine when they’re sick because they should tolerate cancer? No right? Well, these hate mongers of the right wing are a cancer in our society.
One that’s been allowed to fester and regenerate because of centrists in both parties. Even by social groups like churches who have been coddling them. But they sure don’t coddle us. In fact one might think they would willingly sacrifice us all. Young people, poor people, people of color, and just about anyone else to get what they want.
So maybe this year, the good General is telling is not to be tolerant of corruption. That it’s time to wake up.
Many don’t realize that Yuletide at least for some of us, doesn’t end on the 25th of December. Sometimes it carries on to the New Year. For example, we have Orthodox Christmas and Orthodox New Year. We have several Winter Holidays still in January. And technically it doesn’t really end till Spring.
For me, it’s a special time because I get to commune with my ancestors. I enjoy seeing Christmas lights still up in January evenings, much like the one in this picture. This is the mail room for my complex. I still revere the Winter Gods, Saints, and the Dub Sidhe (dark fae) who rule the Winter. And the Cailleach Buer (blue crone) one of the Deities of Winter still provides us wisdom and a chance to reap all dark energies.
This is also the time of the Three Kings, the Pagan Magi who visited a young Yeshua Ben Yosef (Jesus son of Joseph). Cubans in Miami and elsewhere have parades dedicated to them. I personally added them and La Befana their Witch friend from the Roman Empire. As well as the Fourth Magus King, Artaban. Here is a small bio dedicated to this great Pagan Saint,
Christians mostly try to claim they all converted to Christianity. And while some say the Magi were most likely Zoroaustrian, others claimed they still held on to their sacred ancestral teachings. Either way, they were Magicians. Which puts Christians in an akward position. The point is, January is a month of mysticism and miracles.
One need only be patient enough to see these things happen. Are you enjoying a January Christmas? If not, you should. And while you’re at it you should enjoy a nice cup of coffee or hot chocolate. Do something at home to relax. Or make an everyday vacation after work.
Something to relax you. That’s what I’m doing. Or if not, enjoy a little adventure in your time. There must be something you have always wanted to do. Also, enjoy this wonderful post from an English blogger :
First my apologies, I have written this all on my phone. And wordpress doesn’t seem to like that.
The Yoruba people of Nigeria have a very interesting and complex religion. Among the many wonderful cultural gems they have, are the Priesthood of Babalawos (Fathers of the Mysteries). The Babalwos are members of the IFA order. Fa is the Orisha (Deity) of destiny. So IFA is the way that we understand our destinies and our place in the Universe.
IFA specializes in every aspect of destiny. I have seen them help to break generation and karmic curses. I have seen them correct people’s life paths. They have done wonders with their magics. They gain their powers from Orula, the Orisha of Divination and Magic amongst other things.
Every year Cuban Babalwos in Santeria engage in the the Letra del Año or letter of the year. They do special divinatory rites in which certain letters of IFA come out. Each letter has it’s own significance. The letters are tied to ancient stories known as a Pataki, which is our version of Biblical accounts. Our Legends. Our sacred texts.
The Babalawos will then interpret these stories in order to tell us the will of the Gods or sometimes the spirits around us. They do a letter of the year to tell us what we can expect to happen in the New Year. This begins with the name of the Reigning Orishas of the year (sometimes they can reign for two years). The colors of the Orishas put together in a flag. And of course the Ebbo or cleansing of the Year.
This is a cleansing to ensure prosperity and good energy. Or to protect from negative energy and bad influences. Usually I see them in English posted on New Year’s Day. But from what I can see they’re only in Spanish now. So, I’ve taken it upon myself to translate them in English for all of you.
Some words translated aren’t Spanish at all. Because they’re in the language of the Yoruba people.
Here’s a small glossary of terms :
1) Otan
An idol made up of sacred stones in Santeria and in the older Yoruba faith. Essentially the stones are part of the representation of the Orisha being honored. They are ceremonially charged with magico-religious rituals and then become a living embodiment of the Deity. In other words, the Divine Spirit of that Deity dwells in the Otan and lives with the worshipper inside their home by means of the idol. This is not idolatry.
We know very well these are idols. We do not worship them. We venerate or respect them because they carry a spark of the Divine embued by the rituals.
2) Ebbos and Adimmus
A special set of offerings for an Orisha. Usually to achieve specific goals. There is a very good article on what these things are is or at least the various definitions given here:
A ceremonial cleansing either with herbs or by rubbing a living animal like a chicken over your body to remove negative influences.
4) Paraldo
This is a very complex ritual that can only be done by a Babalawo or high priest of Orula. It’s too complex to start talking about here. But needless to say it is more than just an herbal bath. It is transferring a dark spirit of the dead who causes harm, to an animal. There are other ingredients and things that must be observed.
I don’t think that there are any English sources on this. So I will translate as soon as I have the chance. And the animal, a chicken, has to have it’s face covered because if not, looking into it’s eyes will allow the entity to return to a person to cause harm. Do NOT attempt this on yourself because you need a high priest of Orula. And don’t go to just anyone because you’ll mess yourself up.
5) Palo Rompe Hueso (Bone Breaker Stick)
In Yoruba practice, the use of magic sticks is very common. This stick is called Bone Breaker because it causes Spiritists to enter such a trance, that sometimes in their hysteria they will hit walls or tables so hard that they break their own bones. The scientific name is Casearia sylvestris.
The original in Spanish version of this year’s Letra can be found here:
Recommendations and warnings that should be followed throughout this year to manage to protect us from all obstacles. Babalawos of different religious branches of Cuba have returned to meet led by the Yoruba Cultural Society. And the Council of Senior priests of IFA, to make known their predictions for the year beginning this Tuesday January 1: The letter of the year 2019. The ceremony began this last December 31 and has been extended until this January 1. From the IFA Oracle the following recommendations and warnings come out that should be followed throughout this year to manage to save from all the obstacles.
The enlargement of the document will be released on Wednesday 2 January at one o’clock in the headquarters of the Yoruba Cultural Society of Cuba.
Regent Sign: Oche Ogunda 1st.
Witness: Ika Ogunda
Second Witness: Osa Kuleya
Prophetic Prayer: Osorbo Iku intori Ogu.
Orula Onire: An Adimu (offering) of a yam, a coconut split into 2 halves, everything must be muddied or splashed with Coconut oil, his Coconut and his candles.
Otan Onishe Ara:
Sarayeye with a chicken which is then given to Oggun, with the other ingredients and a bath with herbs of Paraldo.
Otan governing Deity: Oshun
Accompanying Deity: Oggun Otan
Flag: Yellow with green edgings
Ebbo: 1 goat (for Elegba) 5 Güiritos, to which they are given indigo, honey, Palm oil butter, Palo Rompe Hueso, and blood of goat and hanged on the door, and the other ingredients. (1)
(Note : Güiro is a type of plant. Güiritos or “little Güiros” are the fruit of the plant which is super hard. Almost like a rock.)
Sayings of the Letter
“The Knife itself does not achieve,”
(Sort of a rough translation)
“One does not receive the arrow without first going to the Battleground,”
“What is left behind is not picked up again,”
Diseases that shall increase this year:
* Stomach and Intestine Diseases
* An increase in STD’s
* Men becoming impotent early in life due to Prostate Issues
* Malignant conditions of the colon and rectum
Events of social interest:
* Continued problems in agricultural production due to issues with the fertilization of the soil. This will of course effect production and sales in these areas.
* The Sea will enter the land which will lead to flooding and collapse of buildings or infustrature.
* Rise in the conflict over immigration
* The dangers of natural catastrophes in all it’s forms will continue.
Recommendations (as well as warnings):
* Be aware of the dangers of wasting money or resources. Needless wasting in other words.
* Avoid of the ill uses of chemical products in agricultural production.
* Be careful of epidemics and disease
* Beware of confrontations and brawls
* Maintain an appropriate religious ethic
* We must find resources and help between all of us to achieve a common goal.
* Respect the Elders and find a religious orientation.
* Avoid troubles with the law
* Venereal diseases due to sexual debauchery
* Better use the Agricultural resources we have
* Equality in all orders
* It is recommended to reinforce your Oggun (go to your Godfathers for this)
(Note: Oggun is a Warrior Orisha who is also a master of magic and protector of nature. This means any idol of Oggun would need a reinforcement ritual done by a Santero’s Godfather for extra protection. If you follow another tradition and you have any protective idols or charms, going to your own religious authority for a reinforcement of protection would be a good idea for this year.)
* Parents must beware of spoiling their children or giving them too much
* Parents must give careful attention to the care of their children’s education
* It is prohibited to self medicate oneself.
We thank these outlets of mass communication which make it possible for these predictions to reach all the corners of the world and wish everyone a Happy and Prosperous 2019!”
When I have time, I’m doing to do some serious reflections on this Letra. And I will point out the common patterns as well as things that seem to align. Although if we’re going to be honest, this has been the most straight forward and simple divination in a while. The common themes seem to be with balance and curtailing our more destructive qualities which seem to be coming out in mass this year. It seems the darker side of our natures is going to be coming out this year.
This makes sense since Oggun is one of the reigning Deities. However, Oshun is the main Deity and she helps to bring balance to his warlike energies. Oshun is the Goddess of Love, Nature, Witchcraft, Prosperity, and many other things. So it goes down to how we react to adversity this year. Yin and Yang can fight each other, or one can learn to work with both.
You can read similar things in the Umbanda religion from Brazil. Ogum (Ogun) rules this year in their faith. Here is the report on that
(1) Now, No I do not engage in Ceremonial sacrifices. I try to get creative with my offerings to the Gods. They know I love animals very much. So they normally allow me to use replacement offerings instead. I check with my Godparents in Santeria for this.
There are times when my Godparents insist due to tradition. They however do it for me. I have the Eleke of Inle, the Orisha of Medicine. Because both Inle and my guides prevent me from the use of blood shed. It’s hypocritical to love animals and yet have sacrfices done.
My sacrifice is only for my Elegua and my Godfather will cook the poor Chicken to at least be dinner instead of just killed. I also intend to bury the bones in order to honor his spirit. But after that I don’t intend to do such things again. I’m going to ask my Godparents what offerings I am to give in replacement of some of these.
Adventures of A Mage In Miami 