Ara Orun – Adventures of A Mage In Miami

The Jade Buddha

I promised I would talk about this as soon as I had the chance. And I finally did. So what exactly happened the day I brought the Buddha statue and the Guardian Lions home with me? Something weird. I knew something was off. And in hindsight, I should have listened to my gut.

But I just ignored it as me being paranoid or looking too deeply into something. My friends always say that about me. And they constantly tell me to chill out. But as I tried to perform the cleansings on them, they kept being blocked. I just assumed that they had heavy residual energy from whoever owned them before.

The objects weren’t evil or impure or whatever. But they were Haunted.

The Old Neighbor

Old Woman Praying by
Matthias Stom Dutch

late 1630s or early 1640s

So according to my Aunt, she was friends with a wonderful older resident. A few years ago this woman died of natural causes. I think she said it was cancer. Before the woman died, she gifted the Jade Buddha and Guardian Lions to my great aunt. It was as a way of saying thank you for always looking after her.

Now my Great Aunt is a Christian and doesn’t believe. But she didn’t want to disrespect this woman and shun her gift. So instead, she kept it in her home in a place of honor. Kudos for my great aunt! But it looks like the older resident didn’t leave. Apparently that elderly old woman was still watching over my aunt from beyond the grave.

While attempting to cleanse the statues, I discovered her presence within them. I kept trying to force the energy out. But whatever it was, it would not leave. So I realized this wasn’t the standard run of the mill imprint. This woman was living inside of her Buddha and Guardian Lions.

I hadn’t sensed her because she was so dormant, that she might as well not have been in those items. It was only after I took them to my house and started trying to cleanse them that she woke up. She had been protecting my great aunt all this time. But eventually she “fell asleep” so to speak because there was no danger.

Communicating with the Dead

I communicated with her soul once I realized there was person in those statues. I explained to her that my great aunt gifted them to me because I study and partially practice Buddhism. And that she believed they would be better off with me. Instead of just being a home decoration. She agreed, but was worried about my aunt.

I told her I could cross her over. And that once in Heaven, she could become a powerful guardian spirit and could return to my Aunt’s house with greater power. And greater ability to aid her. She agreed and I performed a simple crossing over ritual with a candle. She entered the light.

And the next day, I confirmed with Bone Casting that she was well and now watching over my great aunt. Acting as her new spirit guide. All’s well that ends well right?

Family

Blood doesn’t always mean family. Sometimes family is the one you make. Your tribe, your people. Those whom you stand by and who stand by you. Even in death.

There is also an old Spanish Spiritualist saying,

“What my eyes can’t see, my dead see,”

Meaning what I can’t sense, they will. And they will tell me about it. My Christian Great Aunt has a new spirit guide officially added to her guides. Whether she believes that or not. Moving on, I was finally able to cleanse the statues.

And this time the ritual took. I then began blessing them and calling the spirit of the Buddha to enter his image and live there. I also did prayers for the Guardian Lions to enter their own statues. So now I have extra house hold spirits. Extra family to watch over me.

I placed the Buddha and his Lions upon my Buddhist shrine.

And for the elderly woman, I took several stones. I cleansed them. And enlivened them for her and put them on my shrines outside. That way whenever I do religious rituals, I am feeding her spirit along with the spirits and Gods I work for. That way she will never become forgotten or unnamed dead.

And she will grow stronger with each offering. As a reward for her kind heart and generous spirit. And now I keep this Buddha statue and the Guardian Lions. As a way to honor her good deeds.

Mesolithic child burial contained bed of feathers, arrowheads and a dog or wolf

An incredible Mesolithic burial of a child contained enlightening grave goods that speak to ancient ritual interment practices. Artefacts made of …
Mesolithic child burial contained bed of feathers, arrowheads and a dog or wolf

Fascinating practice of the Ancestors!

Happy Dia De Los Muertos (Day of the Dead) All Souls Day and All Saints Day

The Mexican version of All Saints and All Souls’ Day! With some indigenous flavor. Even though I’m Cuban and not Mexican. But I celebrate this day with a particular zest as if it was a Yoruba holiday. Other Santeros do as well. It’s mostly based on the Aztec version of the days of the dead.

The month of the dead for the Aztecs was in August not November.

Miccailhuitontili (Feast of the Little Dead Ones) for dead children. And Miccailhuitl (Feast of the Adult Dead). The original dates were August 9 and August 10. But with the coming of the Colonizing Spanish Empire, trying to forcibly convert the indigenous people, they changed the dates to All Souls and All Saints Day. Which is even funnier because those days were a Christianized version of the Celtic Pagan Samhain.

So Catholics, attempting to convert Pagans from an indigenous non European Pagan background, converted their holiday to a European Pagan background instead. So for me these two days are awesome for celebrating both! I have many images and videos to show you. But first, here’s my son on Halloween!

He was a Cuban Pimp for Halloween

On this day, the traditions of the indigenous peoples, mix with Folk Catholicism and Spiritualism. As well as Spiritism. Tomorow it will be the same.

And here are some videos!

https://grannymoon.wordpress.com/2022/11/02/tis-upon-all-souls-day/

– M

Astrological Information for Tonight : The Hunter’s Moon

It’s been a long time since I have done one of these. No time like the present. The Hunter’s Moon is the Moon that follows the Harvest Moon. To strengthen its influence, it’s in the sign of Aries in 16 Degrees. From Pandora Astrology we have this.

They explain it further in their video

Paradise Lost also has a good Article on this,

Here we here have an article on Preparing for the Full Moon

Here is something from Ruby’s Readings

Negative influences during the Red October that we’re in. It’s an October that is full of warlike energy. That’s probably why everything is so messed up right now. It also causes extreme arguments and conflict between people. So please mind your mouth and your actions.

But also take advantage of this time to do Shadow Work. That is, working with your dark side. Everyone has a Shadow right? What if I told you that it’s literally a part of your mind and your spirit. The darker part. It’s your passion and ambition.

Your charisma and charismatic part of the soul. And it even contains old memories from past lives. Most people only associate it with anger and negativity. But that’s only how it starts out. Eventually when you have a good relationship with your Shadow Self, they cool down and become wise teachers.

The Shadow Self is acknowledged both in Psychology as well as Mysticism.

The best way to watch the Hunter’s Moon is from a balcony or roof top. At least in Florida. Because it’s rainy and cloudy here. You’ll need everything advantage can get to see it. Next we have Davina’s Predictions on Red October.

I saved some rain water. Then I placed stones inside of it. A Tiger’s Eye to represent the fiery energy. Moon Stone for the Moon and Water. And Lapis Lazuli for the water as well and the blue of the night.

Waiting for the night to fall to place it on the balcony. I’m also charging it with necromantic rites to the Ancestors. Besides Halloween, we’re in the middle of the Jewish high feast of Sukkot. I have already built an altar and am leaving special offerings there. And the Ushpizin or “guests”, the heavenly dead are commemorated.

For seven days they are given offerings and honor. Finally, here’s a link from Purplerays shared to us by Grannymoon. Oh! And one final thing. This one comes to us from Pandora Astrology.

Juno Direct and Venus Conjunct Sun: Rapturous Relating

Have a great night everyone!

– M

The Harvest Moon (Tonight) : Random Links of the Day & Astrological Report in one

The Moon was so bright last night that it seemed to me like a rising sun

Tonight is the Harvest Moon. The last full moon before Winter officially takes hold. The late Summer Moons in autumn around September or October. To me this is a very chthonic moon. I can feel the dead starting to crawl back into the human world from last year.

There are many times of the year when the dead come. For Romans and Sumerians May was the chthonic month. But there was something about this time of year that has always made me feel like I was half in the grave. Not in a bad way. In a spiritual way. I didn’t grow up believing in this stuff.

I was a Jehovah’s Witness. I was reminded constantly by the elders of the religion that it is “false” Pagan teachings. They were right about the Pagan part. Wrong about it being false. Something deep inside, some connected to the spiritual realm told me it was real.

That’s the problem with having a psychic child. Especially one that comes from a family of Santeros in Cuba. My Mom turned her back on her gifts. And the ancestors said eh whatever. But they waited till the next generation to see if anyone would embrace it.

My sister and I answered that call.

Also known as the Full Corn Moon and the Barley Moon, this is a time of harvesting food for the long Winter ahead. A time to be with family. And a time to give thanks for all blessings. The autumnal equinox will be coming soon on the 21st of this Month. And with it new blessings.

I took a dried up crust of bread and tossed it onto the grass. A Kentucky man told me in his family they do this for prosperity. He was one of the old Southern Conjurers who practice their own unique religion and magic. A mystical version of American Christianity based on Paganism. Though they will argue against that to the death.

Even if it is true. Near as I can tell, it’s a form of feeding the Earth spirits. And maybe the Earth itself. And the abundance and prosperity comes from the Earth and its children, giving something in return. I’m preparing to celebrate soon.

Reaping Magic

Chicomecóatl the Mexica Goddess of Agriculture and Sustenance

As I mentioned above, you can call forth prosperity during this time. Reap what you have sowed this year. Sort of like collecting on a debt owed to you by the world. of course in order to collect this debt, you would have had to have done something for yourself. Otherwise you’re collecting nothing.

Magic can’t give you something you didn’t work for. It can only help you. Unless you’re using something darker and steal it out from someone else. Or have an entity backing you. Which is not something I would recommend. Even if you steal from someone bad, whatever you take from them is tainted.

And therefore, you’ll receive a tainted gift. Like using a used tooth brush. Even if it’s fancy and was cleaned, it was already used. It can’t grant you anything new. You’re wasting your time.

I’m just putting that out there because a lot of people think it’s as simple as waving a wand. It takes physical and psychic effort to pull a successful manifestation off. There’s a really good blog written by the Crossroads Companion. It’s called Job Finding Sorcery and I whole heartedly recommend it. If you really want to manifest with magic, that’s the way to go.

Also there’s a podcast called Brujeria Y Puteria (I am not translating that lol) that talks about this.

It’s also called the Wine Moon and the Singing Moon. To me this is also one of the most Earth and Hearth centered times of the year. This is a time to work with the Earth. To tap into the inner world. Now is the time for kitchen magic.

Working with plants and herbs. Working with stones, not just crystals but actual stones. Grounding with the Earth. For the Chinese, this is a time of family gatherings. And witnessing the power of Chang’e, Goddess of the Moon.

Moon Cakes are made in her honor around this time. Unfortunately, I couldn’t cook to save my life. Unless warming up a sandwich or a hot dog counts. And try as I might, I couldn’t find any Chinese Supermarkets. So I finally settled on buying cookies that looked close enough to a full moon.

I’m doing this while making some Moon Water.

I’m going to post the links now for all to see.

Juno and Mercury Retrograde from September-October

September Harvest Moon Lore

September full moon 2022: how to take a good photograph of the harvest moon tonight on your phone or camera

Harvest Moon : September’s Full Moon

Mid-Autumn Festival : Moon Celebration

Harvest Moon in Pisces

September’s Full Moon wants you to dream big

Full Moon, Crystals, and Moon Water courtesy of Paradise Found

Full Moon in Pisces | Magical Recipes Online

Have a great night

– M

Friday June 3rd 2022 Astrological Report : Rare Alignment of Planets as well as Saturn, Mercury, and Neptune Retrograde

“The Conjunction of the Spheres,” The Witcher

I haven’t done these in a while. But I am so glad to have the energy to do it again! So here we are. Tonight is a rare planetary alignment.

Rule of the Gods

From left to right : The Roman Gods Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, and Uranus

This information comes from Magical Recipes Online. Apparently this is a 666 portal. The 6th day of the 6th month of the year resulting in 6 (2+0+2+2= 6). According to the article, these numbers align with the planets on Monday. Now even though the names of the Planets in Western Culture are of the Roman Gods, it could apply to other Gods as well.

For instance in Santeria it would Elegua, Ochun, Shango, Obatala, Iku for Kronos, and Olofi for Uranus. The point is the rulers of these cosmic forces are aligning tonight. So it’s necessary to work with them. To pray to them. To ensure that we can channel these energies for good.

Most people think of using power for themselves. Don’t do that tonight. Tonight think of humanity, the other non human animals, the trees and stones, and soil. The very air in fact. And call for a regeneration.

Ask your Gods whatever blessings they deem you are worthy of.

Numerology

This number is super misunderstood by a bunch of people thanks to Christian thinking. I’m not saying that it doesn’t have at least one demonic connotation or definition. But most of the time the number is actually positive, image from this video

In China, 666 is the number of Prosperity. It brings great wealth. And many Chinese businesses utilize the number. In conjunction with special shrines to get more customers and make more money. I first learned of this after working in a restaurant for a Chinese business woman here in Florida.

Hell, it’s even used in Gamer Slang in China. And some people pay extra just to have those numbers in their personal phone number or license plate. So starting with that, it’s a vary prosperous number. And will bring blessings to everyone. So perhaps give offerings of six pieces of food, with six candles, and six incense sticks.

It’s a simple offering that can be used as a ritual to focus your intent. And to spread the healing energies and good things everywhere.

It should be also noted that some associate the number 6 with the Goddess Venus and the literal planet Venus (others believe it’s the number 5). Venus rules over love, prosperity, healing, peace, harmony, stability, and fertility. Mercury opens the Road for us. But it’s Venus, who is the second to first Deity in the line up, who brings us these things.

Astrology

The alignment extends towards the month of June. The best time to watch the alignment of worlds is thirty minutes before sunrise. June is also the month of the highest spiritual light. Because it’s sacred to Juno, the Queen of the Roman Gods. So all of this brings blessings into the astrology.

Astronomically speaking, this type of event hasn’t happened since 2004. Tomorrow, the waning crescent moon will also be a part of the alignment. So now is the time to do all good workings. And let the Gods bless you as they will.

This is on the Saturn, Mercury, and Neptune Reyrogrades

From Pandora Astrology

That’s enough for now everyone. The only thing I will remind you is that the world will become extra liminal. This alignment will thin the veil of it hasn’t already. So protect yourself well. Spirits will try to trick you.

– M

The Halloween Moon in the sign of Aries

There’s something very strange this year’s Halloween

To say this year is weird is an understatement. It feels like a bridge between one era and another, Trump and post Trump. The Pandemic and us trying to undo it. Like a slow recovery from a long disease. And it’s fucking annoying.

But it seems to be going on overdrive as our year draws to an end. The energy lately seems poisoned. At least through some of my friends and associations. Something odd is going on. I plan to do a separate divination on that at a later time.

For now I am going to focus on the Full Hunter’s Moon in the sign of Aries. The Hunter’s Moon is a warrior’s moon. So add Aries to the mix and you have a semi violent lunar event. I say semi because I am sure many annoying people out there will talk about how it revitalized their lives. Or they experienced it differently.

Or it gave them energy and blah blah blah you must be morning people so no one gives a fuck what you think. I’m not sleeping well and I am grumpy as hell. Can you tell?

The God of War is kicking my ass right now. So perhaps this is happening to a whole mess of other people. Here are the cliff notes version. The God of war is all about self control and self discipline. Taking control over your own life.

This is something that he and his siblings all have in common with their parents Zeus and Hera. The ability to take control of one’s destiny. Of one’s life. Unfortunately, that also means you have to face the issues in your life that are after you and going at you. And that part is me speaking.

I didn’t get that from any article. My experience with Aries is that sometimes he causes conditions similar to a retrograde that causes turmoil in your life. Nor everyone feels that way. Some people find themselves energized by it and they’re jumping up and down happy ready to take on the world. I hate those people. Those people tend to be sports people or socialites or whatever the fuck.

And they tend to be so damned optimistic that you just want to strangle th- oops sorry. I feel like I’ve entered the dark side of the force. Anyways, I’m doing my best to go through it. Because for whatever reason the higher powers are sending shit my way. And not all of it is mine.

This also happens to be the Halloween full moon. So we have a triple aggressive power here. A chthonic pulse which has been slowly growing since August. And is building up to a magical explosion. Now what that explosion is? I have no idea.

Mostly because everyone has a different path to take. And also cause Aries is a God. So good luck trying to find out his secrets and plans. This is also a time for power reclaiming rituals and ceremonies. Lord Aries wants you to re-examine what does and doesn’t work in your life.

And then, to get rid of it. Burn it in the ceremonial bonfire of the soul. Destroy it so completely and utterly so that you can get out all the things you need to get out.

Let the Fire of the Ancestors burn brightly within you

It’s time to work with Chthonic Aries and the dead. Now, we don’t have any of his old names or titles as far as I know because it has been lost to time. But there are ancient accounts that say he was considered a God of the dead on the battlefield. And that the blood of the dead satisfied him. So in this way we should we honor him.

Lots of Greek Gods had a Chthonic aspect. It would be weird if he didn’t. Because the primary function of a soldier is to kill people in war. Using Bombs for peace is like fucking for virginity as the hippies say. Although I have heard that there is an aspect of him as a God of peace.

So it’s not totally unheard of. As a blood red warrior he takes us down the path of destruction. So that from that destruction we can rise again. This moon is as important as All Hallow’s Eve is. It’s the moon of our ancestors.

The moon of our blood and our kin. Here are some more articles on the moon to read. From Cherokee Billie these two articles. Article 1 and Article 2

From the New York Post comes this article.

And from Paradise Lost this article.

It should also go without saying, that all about tough love. So my advise is, enter a deep meditation and actively work with him and this moon phase. And start destroying crap you don’t need and severing ties you shouldn’t have. For that I actually do have two recommendations: Shadow Work, immediately followed by a Hoodoo Cut and Clear Ritual. And maybe a healing and cleansing ritual bath after it.

That way you replace what you have destroyed in favor of something better. With that said, I have articles here on how to do these things.

Shadow Work for Beginners

Here are some more tips on shadow work

Now I use the term “Cut and Clear” because it’s popular. But that’s actually a modern phrase that isn’t tied to traditional Root Work. It’s always been called “A Clearance” or something else. All it is, is removing negative ties that hold you back. Bad relationships, bad luck, bad things you may have done etc…So I recommend doing a clearance after each shadow work.

Why? For the same reason you take a bath after a work out. Think of the Shadow work as an exercise routine. And the cleaning up after as personal hygiene. It’s all to be clean of what you are working towards removing. In fact you can actually combine the healing bath with a clearance and do them both at once.

For that I like to use herbal soap. My Godfather in Santeria makes them. I like Rue Soap. Rue has all sorts of magical powers associated with the breaking of hexes. And warding off of evil.

So to me it’s perfect. For you, something simpler or stronger may be needed. It all depends on you. But here is a simple advise on how to do it. You should be good.

Also give Aries an offering of food. Just make sure you have washed your hands in holy water before you do it. And give the first and last part of the offering to Hestia before you give him his portion. That way she will sanctify the offering and bring it to him. Be well my friends.

Dreaming with the Dead : Grandpa’s Ghost

Usually it takes until Samhain for me to start dreaming this vividly about the dead. But then again for me, the dead are like any other guides. They can appear when they want. I wrote this down while my memory was still fresh. My Abuelo or grandpa came to visit me in the dreamscape.

Only he didn’t look decrepit as he did in his final days. He appeared to me the way I always knew him. Healthy and strong. And good natured. I saw him at my grandmother’s apartment complex strangely enough.

It was as if she too was there but in the background. Like she knew I needed the space to be with my grandfather. My grandmother was taken care of until her last dying moments. But with the exception of myself and my mother and sister, my grandfather didn’t have that. He spent his last days in a home.

It broke our heart. He died alone in his room. The nurses hasn’t figured it out until it was too late. So I always felt guilty that we hadn’t given him the same amount of attention our grandma did. But with her, she has many who took care of her.

I saw him in his regular jeans and button shirt and his olive green cap. And as soon as he saw me he was so happy.

“¡Oye! Pepito! Es tan bueno verte ¡Carajo!”

(Hey Pepito! It’s so good to see you Goddamn it!)

He was so happy to see me. He didn’t expect me to be there. He hugged me tight. And I remembered thinking this was him before he got sick enough to end up in the home. So I remembered asking a God to twist time and space for me.

I think it was Apollo. I asked him to make it so that I was living with my grandpa until he passed so he wouldn’t be living in that home.

“That’s going to take a lot of work,” he said. Not in words but in thoughts and feelings.

I replied please to do it. So in my dream my grandpa never went to that home. He never became decrepit and when he did die, he was still a strong man. He passed in a gentle sleep on a Sunday morning in my dream. Sunday, the most “boring day of the week,”.

So I suppose it was fitting he passed on that day. It would probably have been the most interesting thing about his Sunday. And I finally got to do all the things we were never able to do. But most importantly, I could just be with him. Read a book at home, make sure he was okay and went to bed early.

Get him dinner. Go on road trips together. Visit his crazy friends from Little Havana. I woke up slightly better. I still wish this had happened in real life.

But I also believe the Gods let me change it on a smaller scale. In my dreams so that I could let go of the guilt that was consuming me. The ancient Greeks believed in Incubation. A form of dream sleep that acts as a healing suspended animation. You’re not really suspended.

Your body is still working. But it does something to you to heal you. Apollo was the chief God in charge of incubation as far as I know. And I think his son Asclepius. I’m healing myself from a disease right now.

Perhaps Lord Apollon was giving me some incubation as part of my healing. In Animistic beliefs, all diseases start out as some form of energy. Actually everything does. So maybe Apollon was telling me that my cold might have some of its roots in past pains. And that was one of them.

It was a beautiful dream filled with meaning. And it was recuperative as well. Part of me was slightly sad that it wasn’t real. But I was mostly happy. It helped me face things inside. So I thank Apollon, Asclepius, and my Abuelo for this. I spoke to my mother about this and she seemed to be happy with the dream as well

She was happy. As if just telling her the dream was enough for her to experience it. Strangely enough, we watched a re-run of “Cold Case” and it deals with a dying man. And his family, and how they spent his last moments. The Gods really know how to give out signs and omens eh?

Thank you for this experience my Theoi and my Ancestors. If you’d like to know more about my grandpa, I wrote his obituary on my blog. Click the link to see.

Asclepius the God of healing and son of Apollo healing a sick person

Prophesy Fullfilled

Skull beneath autumn leaves by Lee Avison

Today I was relaxing with my family. I also meditated and did a few rituals for the Primordial Gods. And suddenly it dawned upon me : You never wrote this blog post you idiot. I’m sure all of you remembered the Prophetic dream I wrote about a few weeks ago. I dreamed of the Wild Hunt and winter coming to Miami early this year.

Well, about a few days later it happened. The weather in Miami started to get less hot. Cooler. And even the news told us a cold front was headed our way. We have also had more showers.

That damned heat isn’t leaving without a fight. But to say that I could already feel the hallowmas season upon us was an understatement. The dream turned out to be true in more than one way. I also see and feel the energy of death all around us. Already the great reaping has begone.

I’m still battling depression. But I took my spirit guide’s advice. And I am facing my issues head on and letting go of things that don’t serve me anymore. Now I know this wasn’t just a weird dream. It was a message.

And I’m happy to report that it was received and did not fall on deaf ears. Praises be to the spirits for their guidance and their love.

Tephramancy : Message from the Ash

I did a special version of a Mass today. A Cristo-Pagan Mass with Gnostic elements. I prayed to all the Gods who rule Thursday (that I know of lol). I prayed to Jesus of Nazareth, and I also prayed to Ra, Wasir, (Osiris) and his son Heru (Horus). Plus Sekhmet.

The Laughing Buddha and Agni and my ancestors and guides as well. I had the incense sticks separate for each God. I use that purple candle you see here as a type of make shift holder when I burn so many sticks. There’s no way that the ash would have mixed to form a cross like that. I still don’t know how it happened.

Because the sticks didn’t intersect like that. The Cross is a powerful symbol in many Pagan religions across the board. And besides the obvious connection to Jesus the Hebrew Alphabet or the Aleph-Bet had the Letter Tau. Which was a t shaped cross like this T. The Ancient Egyptians also had their own cross called the Ankh or “key of life” (in Latin it was the Cruz Ansata).

I believe they all choose this symbol to tell me my working was successful. I was doing a healing work for myself. I have been feeling sick. I felt good before I saw this. To me this is just further confirmation.