The Spirit of Death is loose in the year 2023 : Otura Niko

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.

From Fine Art America

 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. 

He says odd numbered years are bad luck.

Plague of Flies

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.

Offerings for the dead

Praying before the tile of the dead in Santeria

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.

Angry with the Gods – My Blog during the 2020 Pandemic

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.

– M

New Year’s Report : 2021

Venus, ruling planet of 2021. Called “The Little Treasure” in Astrology due to it’s benefits and blessings

We have a lot to cover this year. First let’s get the Tai Sui of the Year out of the way. As well as other things :


https://miamimagus.wordpress.com/2020/12/15/astrological-forecast-for-december-2020-the-last-forecast-of-the-year

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 Letter of the Year from Cuba ~

From Ile Afroboricua on Facebook https://m.facebook.com/afroboricua


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.

 
(Source : http://www.rcm.cu/dan-a-conocer-la-letra-del-ano-2021/)


Other information


– 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 Regente (Ruling Orixa) of 2021 ~

From : https://www.deviantart.com/oradiancporciuncula/art/Oxala-Obaluaie-e-Oxum-603860687

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,”

(Source: https://www.astrocentro.com.br/blog/previsoes/orixa-regente-2021)

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. 


(Source: https://www.astrocentro.com.br/blog/previsoes/influencia-planeta-regente-2021)

Hellenic New Year from last July


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

https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/new-years-traditions 


https://isiopolis.com/2020/12/31/our-lady-of-the-new-year/


New Year’s Cleansings from Puerto Rican Sancistas 


https://youtu.be/mRWuW4h7H1k

Forecast for this year

https://youtu.be/dpeqtuR_Utg


And the most important, the list of 2021 Planetary Retrogrades


https://www.findyourfate.com/astrology/year2021/2021-planetretrogrades.html

– M