A Basic House Blessing

Olokun, one of the Orishas of the Ocean. His Sopon or vessel contains actual water blessed for him, my Godmother in Santeria once cleansed me with water she personally blessed in Olokun’s name.

Tonight is Hekate’s Deipnon, and I figured I would write this. I was also asked to write this by a client who needed her home and personal space cleared of negative energies. After I took a heavy curse off of her. The following is a ritual I came up with from various practices. But I made this ritual neutral so that it can be used by any religion and any God.

The following is what you need.

Ingredients :

1) Holy Water

Image via Busted Halo

2) Aspersorium

A homemade herb Aspersorium image via Howard Scroggins

3) Vessel to contain negative energy (an idol or sacrificial representation, even a bag filled with garbage or a bag of food will do)

Replica of a Sumerian artifact, this would be perfect to trap the bad energy.

4) Offerings for whatever spirit or God will get rid of the negativity.

Offerings for Elegua, image from Josan Caballero

Instructions :

Part 1 : Pharmakos

Idols come in both genders or can appear genderless

In Ancient Greece they used sacrificial animals, people, food, or even idols called Pharmakoi. The idea was that they were vessels that retained the bad energy. And that when you sacrificed them, you were killing the bad energy. So the first part of this is a Pharmakos cleansing. You’re trapping the bad energy into a vessel.

You have to map out where you are going to go. For instance you need to know every nook and cranny in your house. Every corner. If you have an attic, start there. And make sure you go to every spot in your property and home. 

Ending in the basement as well as outside your prosperity. You have to pray, or chant, or do a spell. And you command all negative energy and bad spirits to be bound to the vessel. You do this while you are walking around. The vessel is a sacrifice that soaks up all of the bad energy around. 

You also rub yourself, all members of the house (including pets) with the vessel. This is done so that any attachments or bad vibrations can be drained into the vessel. You’ll know it’s done because you will feel the property be instantly lighter. And you and those around you will feel lighter as well. If this was a bag of garbage, toss it into a public dumpster or community dumpster ASAP. 

And say that no one will be harmed by this bag. That you consign the dark energy to its own dark world never to return. To be bound to chaos forever. Chaos meaning the primordial void. Then turn around and walk away without looking back. 

If it was food, you need to go to a crossroads, railroad, or body of water, even a pond will do. And call upon the spirits of those places (in the name of your God/Goddess) to remove the bad spirits and energies. And that as the animals eat the food, they will not be in danger. That they will destroy the negativity. Again turn around and walk away.

Position your car so that you don’t have to turn around to face the spot when getting inside. You don’t want to look at the area even by accident. Make sure you can leave and leave fast without turning around. The reason for this is that all the negativity will go to you worse than before if you do. Or worse, you might see the spirits that are going to take away the bad energy.

Which can be dangerous by itself. Another possibility is you will see the bad spirits that you bound and they will be freed instantly to haunt you. Make sure you leave the proper offerings at the site for the spirits or God you called upon. Go home. 

Part 2 : Casting Aspersions

An Asperger also known as an Aspersorium or Aspergillum, a device used to cast aspersions of holy water. This Aspersorium comes from Rowan Morrigan

The term “casting aspersions” comes from this. It’s a form of cleansing with holy water. You basically flick holy water on the walls. On the ground. On anything and on everyone even pets.

That’s what casting aspersions actually means. This is to bless everyone and everything the water touches. So with the water you blessed with your own prayers, bless the home. You will need an Aspersorium which is a fancy word for an object that you can use to flick the holy water with. The church uses fancy metal devices or even brushes or small buckets to do this.

But any object will do. You cast the aspersions from the outside in. From the front and back yard. Call on your God or Goddess and their spirits to protect and bless the property and dedicate it to them. Say,

“I dedicate this home to be your divine temple. This I holy ground and only that which you allow can enter,”

Bless the outside in. And enter the front door and bless the house from the basement all the way to every nook and cranny up into the attic. You should feel another wave of relief come upon you. Make sure you flick the water or asperse it everywhere.

Sometimes I even use the cap from the plastic bottle I keep my holy water to asperse everything. If all else fails just use your hand. You will feel the wave of relief hit and once that happens you will know the dedication ritual is done. Granted some people don’t choose to dedicate their houses to their Gods. Instead they just do normal blessings. 

I’m just not one of those people. My house is a temple to the Gods. I want them to live there. Sure the upkeep is a little more stressful but ultimately it’s better.

Part 3 : Reclaim your Authority

Think of your Will as a personal forcefield. And as a reality altering force. Your enemies, including evil spirits, have no power over you.

With this part, walk around with a holy item that represents your faith after the cleansing.

Used Horse Shoes are powerful talismans and can represent many religions and folk practices, from El Tarot De Yemaya (the tarot of Yemaya occult store)

And command that any unwelcome or negative spirits need to go. Command them to leave in the name of your God/Goddess/Gods. And say that only the Gods and their divine spirits can be in your home. Do this to reinforce and reassert your control over the home and property. It restored the natural barriers that exist to keep bad spirits out.

And it also re-empowers them to keep things out you don’t want.

Part 4 : Warding

From the Sacred Signs Archive drawing sacred symbols or hanging up magical charms is a common method of protection

This part is a long term project and it’s not something you can do in one day or night. You go through the process of learning special prayers. Or getting or making amulets to ward off negative energy. Or talismans to bring protective energy. Also drawing symbols or writing special words or letters of power is important.

You have to research your own religion. Or your culture and heritage. And find out what is useful in keeping bad influences away. This will increase the power of the dedication and/or blessing.

I hope this helps,

– M

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

Random Links of the Day : Halloween Edition

Dracula, Vlad the Impaler

Today is a special edition of Random Links of the day. Filled with creepy goodness! In this edition we take a look at everything from suspected real world Vampires, Jack of the Lanterns, King Charles being related to Vlad the Impaler, Real World Zombie Bunkers and more!

So let’s get to it!

Vampires before Dracula

Five Vampire Stories you have never heard of, and the Indian inspiration for Bram Stoker’s Dracula

King Charles III is related to the Historical Dracula (somehow I’m not surprised I always knew the Monarchy were bloodsuckers)

A female Vampire Skeleton Found with a Sickle over its neck

History’s Real Dracula

Jack of the Lanterns, also known as Jack the Smith and Jack the Sprite (spirit). A man who defied the Devil himself, and was cursed for it

The Lost History of the Jack-o’-Lantern

Halloween Spooky Stories – The Legend of Jack O’Lantern! A story – picture book, printables, worksheets, and a craft

How the Jack-O’-Lantern came to be

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

The original Lantern used by Jack was a Turnip, not a Pumpkin

Now the following Ghost Story Anthology comes from an amazing occult writer on here named Neptune’s Dolphins. Neptune’s Dolphins is the best at all the subjects he writes about. And I guarantee if you follow this writer you will not regret it!

A Mesopotamian Ghost Story Part 1

A Mesopotamian Ghost Story Part 2

A Mesopotamian Ghost Story Part 3 (Final)

How Homes in Bali Are Designed for Harmony—and to Keep Demons at Bay

Jews and the occult: 5 myth-busting insights from a NYC museum exhibit proving Judaism is not “anti magic”

Summoning Ghosts During Sukkoth

Casting Lots During Yom Kippur

October when the 3rd Dimension and Spirit World Meets

Dead Man’s Bones : A Sweet Spiritual Tradition to honor the dead

Haunted New Jersey School set to be Demolished

The Ghost Lights of Colorado’s Silver Cliff : What are they?

A Shark, an Aquarium, and a Human Arm : The Murder Mystery that has endured

10 Secure Places to Wait Out the Zombie Apocalypse

Watch Night of the Living Dead in Color here!

The Stranger Things Halloween Decoration that floats : The Floating Max, what is it? It’s not a balloon, doesn’t use magnets, and has no wires. Internet is confounded

Zombie CSU:: The Forensic Science of the Living Dead by Jonathan Maberry is one of the best comprehensive books on what a real Zombie would be like. It goes deep into the Fringe Science of how such a creature could exist. From Folklorist, And Award Winning Novelist and Writer Jonathan Maberry

His novel on Zombies : The Dead of Night Series

Indigenous Australian Monsters

Stephen King’s House

Robert the Haunted Doll

The Gas Station from Texas Chainsaw Massacre is now a weekend Vacation Spot

New Zealand is going to Tax Cow Burps for Global Warming? Seriously? Why not do something that ACTUALLY works. Like banning tech that isn’t green?

The Pigeon Tower of Saudi Arabia

Peter Stumpp running amuck in Bedburg, Germany. Serial killer or Lycanthrope?

Beware of the Skinwalker

Peter Stumpp : The Werewolf of Bedburg

The Werewolf of Bedburg

Peter Stumpp | Lycan Foundation

Peter Stumpp | Werewolf.com

Peter Stumpp | Dark Histories

Germany’s brutal Werewolf Belt, and the gut wrenching execution of Peter Stumpp

Peter Stumpp : Werewolf or Political Scapegoat?

Sing for your Halloween Candy in Scotland

The Sin Eaters of England

The 9,000 year old Jericho Skull

Living with the Dead in Madagascar

The York Ghost Merchants

And

Strange Light Formations in the Sky

12 Forests That Offer Chills and Thrills

The Curse of the Viking Sally

Why do we Bob for Apples on Halloween?

Why are Black and Orange the colors of Halloween?

This is what a Wendigo actually looks like. One of the forms anyway. No they don’t have deer heads.

Beware the Wendigo

Alaska’s Windwalker or Wendigo

The Wendigo

The Wendigo: The Cannibalistic Beast of Native American Folklore

The Wendigo : It’s origin and Legend

The Wendigo a story by Algernon Blackwood. Here I have two different audio readings which I like very much because of the sound effects.

From Nightshade and from Weird Darkness

Have a great October and Hallowmastide everyone!

– M

EXCLUSIVE: Female ‘vampire’ skeleton found in Poland with sickle over neck

A suspected vampire noblewoman has been unearthed in a grave in Poland. The complete skeleton, which had protruding teeth, was buried with a sickle …

EXCLUSIVE: Female ‘vampire’ skeleton found in Poland with sickle over neck

I declare that September is early October and that therefore NOW is the time to begin Halloween until the third of November and beyond lol. So here we begin.

St. George’s Eve (Don’t go out tonight)

All manner of Spirits, evil, neutral, and some good wander the night

The feast of Saint George the Dragon Slayer is normally a good Feast. But on the Eve or vespers of a Saint’s day, evil spirits and evil witches gain their strongest powers. It’s their way to mock holiness. But contrary to popular belief it isn’t just evil spirits out tonight. All sorts of beings are out.

Werewolves

Werewolves are out and about on this night. Some of them are good and others are bad. Some of them are shape shifting witches who learned to transform. Some are people who were cursed. And some gained an ability from a relative to enter Wolf form.

Who knows what they’re up to tonight? At least the Romanian version of Werewolves. In North America they’re active on St. Mark’s Eve not St. George’s Eve.

The Blutbad Holly Clark, from the Tv series Grimm. It basically means “big bad Wolf”

Will-O’-the-wisps

A Ghost Orb from Malaysia

Then of course we have Will-O’-the-wisps also known as Ignes Fatui (giddy flames). Also known as Ghost Lights and Corpse Lights. These are spirits that take on the form of the classic ghost orbs you have probably seen or heard of from television. Not only do they exist in European culture. But also in some indigenous American cultures.

But not all Will-O’-the-wisps are ghosts.

In Mexico they are normally Hags or Demon Witches. Practitioners of black magic who delved so deeply into the darkness that they became demons while still alive. In death they get even stronger. This is not to be confused with the title of Hag used by some Covens. This specific hag is not a human witch.

Hags in the form of fiery Will-O’-the-wisps

It refers to a whole class of formally human witches who became demons or demon-human hybrids through sinister practices.

But most of these lights are associated either with Faeries or with deceased human souls. The main belief in Europe, is as follows. When Saint George’s Eve comes around, the dead, and even spirits associated with treasures (which includes a few demons) will appear as flames or lights. These lights will then hover around places where there’s buried treasure. Really brave (or greedy) people will venture out at night hoping to find such spirits.

And then either dig up the treasure then and there. Or mark the place somehow to find it again the next day.

Corpse Lights, spirits of the dead in Orb form

Granted, this is a dangerous practice because the spirit could kill, curse, or even possess the would be treasure hunter. Something I recommend is to never steal treasures from spirits. My Native Shaman had been haunted by a spirit who buried money with her dead father. We never knew how they acquired this money together. But we figured it probably wasn’t legal.

But we let his soul stay with that money. My family had a similar run in with the spirit of a dead land owner from Spanish colonial times. The house they lived in had previously been his property. But the treasure was under some kind of Boulder. And no matter what was done, the rock wouldn’t break.

Not even with drills. My grandmother who practiced magic, correctly concluded that the treasure would never belong to us.

A Faerie creature with its ball of light behind it

Some of these spirits are dead pirates or road thieves who buried their treasures prior to death. Perhaps even being captured and hanged before they could enjoy their stolen bounty. Or sometimes regular people who hid their treasures to feed their families later. But had died before revealing their locations.

Vampires

Moroi, the human vampire born from two Strigoi

The Moroi are a type of Vampire that falls under two distinct categories. One is a physical psychic vampire that drains the energy of the living. The other is a non-corporeal Ghost Vampire. Much like the Asian Hungry Ghost, feeds on the energy of living creatures. Moroi are often the subjects of debate.

Moroi as a Parasitic Ghost. Image from DeviantArt

In one story they are mortal Vampires. In another a vengeful ghost who feeds off of energy. Sometimes the Moroi are said to be demonic spirits who possess the living. This includes animals such as Bears. Living Vampires also become undead Vampires in death.

This is probably why the Moroi appears as all three types of creatures. In death they may have the option to become a regular parasitic ghost. Or a demon.

Their Parents

Strigoi Mort are a type of witch vampire. In fact the word itself is actually for witches. Simply it has become so associated with these vampires that extra terms have been added to tell the difference. From the Latin word Strix for witch. Italian Strega.

And Slavic Shtriga. In order to differentiate from a human witch or wizard they use different terms. Such as Strigoi viu, or Strigele, living strigoi or living witch. The undead vampire witch are called Strigoi Mort or dead witch. In Romania dead evil witches tend to become vampires.

However, it’s all confusing. Because some argue that a Strigele is like a Moroi. That it is unholy and will become a vampire witch in death. But to me that’s just Christian bias. They think witches are all satanic.

Obviously not all Romanian Witches become these creatures. There are several types of benevolent witches that use sorcery to fight these creatures. And even create talismans and amulets for protection. In several legends, Romani people (Gypsies) have played key roles in fighting and defeating vampires and other demons. There are legends of Gypsy vampire hunters as a matter of fact.

But that’s a rabbit hole for another day.

Strigoi Mort are immortal and also have magical powers. They are said to control the Moroi. Some legends state that the Moroi are the living children of two Strigoi who mated. So these vampires are interrelated. Why the immortality isn’t passed on isn’t explained.

Because they are also witches, they have a wide variety of powers. From invisibility to shape shifting. The Strigoi are thought to originally have come from Dacian religion. The belief that these are condemned souls. They were unworthy to enter the heavenly Kingdom of the God Zalmoxis.

And thus spend their eternity as vampires. From the Dacians, the Romanians inherited these creatures.

Conspiracy

From LP Bestiary

It’s said that the forces of evil meet at the boundaries of their cities or towns at sunset. These could be vampires, evil human witches, evil werewolves, or straight up fallen spirits from hell. Here they plan and plot what they are going to do to people until next St. George’s Eve. The Vampires steal life essence from people and animals to power themselves up. When doing this, they also steal skills or abilities the animals or human has for themselves.

For instance, if they feed on the energy of a venomous snake, they will produce the same venom. And the poor snake is left with nothing. If they feed on a computer programmer, they will gain his or her knowledge of programming. And the knowledge will vanish from the minds of their victims. And still yet it can be something else too.

Let’s say your talents are something else. Maybe you have a special charisma with someone of the opposite or same sex. This vampire can take away your charm for themselves to mate. And you’ll be as charming as a penny on the road.

“May.—I found that my landlord had got a letter from the Count, directing him to secure the best place on the coach for me; but on making inquiries as to details he seemed somewhat reticent, and pretended that he could not understand my German. This could not be true, because up to then he had understood it perfectly; at least,

He answered my questions exactly as if he did. He and his wife, the old lady who had received me, looked at each other in a frightened sort of way. He mumbled out that the money had been sent in a letter, and that was all he knew. When I asked him if he knew Count Dracula, and could tell me anything of his castle,

Both he and his wife crossed themselves, and, saying that they knew nothing at all, simply refused to speak further. It was so near the time of starting that I had no time to ask any one else, for it was all very mysterious and not by any means comforting.

Just before I was leaving, the old lady came up to my room and said in a very hysterical way:

“Must you go? Oh! young Herr, must you go?” She was in such an excited state that she seemed to have lost her grip of what German she knew, and mixed it all up with some other language which I did not know at all. I was just able to follow her by asking many questions. When I told her that I must go at once, and that I was engaged on important business, she asked again:

“Do you know what day it is?” I answered that it was the fourth of May. She shook her head as she said again:

“Oh, yes! I know that! I know that, but do you know what day it is?” On my saying that I did not understand, she went on:

It is the eve of St. George’s Day. Do you not know that to-night, when the clock strikes midnight, all the evil things in the world will have full sway? Do you know where you are going, and what you are going to?” She was in such evident distress that I tried to comfort her, but without effect. Finally she went down on her knees and implored me not to go; at least to wait a day or two before starting.

It was all very ridiculous but I did not feel comfortable. However, there was business to be done, and I could allow nothing to interfere with it. I therefore tried to raise her up, and said, as gravely as I could, that I thanked her, but my duty was imperative, and that I must go. She then rose and dried her eyes, and taking a crucifix from her neck offered it to me.

I did not know what to do, for, as an English Churchman, I have been taught to regard such things as in some measure idolatrous, and yet it seemed so ungracious to refuse an old lady meaning so well and in such a state of mind. She saw, I suppose, the doubt in my face, for she put the rosary round my neck, and said,

“For your mother’s sake,” and went out of the room. I am writing up this part of the diary whilst I am waiting for the coach, which is, of course, late; and the crucifix is still round my neck. Whether it is the old lady’s fear, or the many ghostly traditions of this place, or the crucifix itself, I do not know, but I am not feeling nearly as easy in my mind as usual.

– Excerpt from Chapter 1 of Abraham “Bram” Stoker’s Dracula

Things to watch out for

Beware of the things that hide in the deep shadow

There will be an influx of Calling Ghosts or Calling Spirits. This is an umbrella term for paranormal entities across a wide spectrum that are well known for calling out your name. Sometimes they even make themselves sound like people you know, women and children or animals in trouble. This is all to lure you away to a secluded spot for nefarious purposes. Don’t fall for it.

In Cuba we’re even warned to never answer a voice calling your name unless you know who it is. During this time, there are vampires who call out your name to try and get you to answer. Avoid being outside especially on the road or sidewalk. But as stated before, this is a time when evil spirits congregate and plan out what they are going to do for the rest of the year. So watch out.

This is the first Eve of Saint George. But there’s another in May. So be prepared. The best way to protect yourself is with garlic which wards off evil spirits. I use garlic salt.

Best of both worlds. Spirits try to enter homes through every nook and cranny. Vampires for instance can enter through keyholes. So make sure you have warded your home and yourself. If you think all of this is old superstitions and nonsense, then good luck.

– M

Sources :

1) Vampire Universe : The Dark World of Supernatural Beings that Haunt us, Hunt us, and Hunger for us by Johnathan Maberry (2006)

2) “Beware Saint George’s Eve” Supernaturally Speaking.com

3) “Saint George and the Powers of Witches and Vampires” from Daimonologia

4) Dixie Spirits: True Tales of the Strange and Supernatural in the South by Christopher K. Coleman (August 2008)

5) “Will-o’-The-Wisp: Bioluminescence or Otherworldly Spirits?” from A Little Bit Human

6) Moroi from the Vampire Encyclopedia

7) Strigoi Mort from the Vampire Encyclopedia

8) “Calling Ghosts” from Occult World

The Mourner

I was supposed to have written this account last year. But I was so busy with everything that I couldn’t write a single word. So here I am finally committing words to blog. This happened to my baby cousin. And I was called in to help her.

What I am going to talk about is probably one of the weirdest experiences I’ve ever had. It even tops the Witch Bird case from a few years back.

Let me start by saying that the term Mourning Women is an umbrella term for a special type of spirit. They are the opposites of the Llorona or Wailing Women, they can be good or bad, human and non-human. The good or at least neutral ones, are always human souls.

Women who for whatever reason have decided to stay behind because they are mourning another person. And they decide they have to perform funerary vigils for that soul even when they themselves are dead. There’s one famous Mourning Woman in Mexico called La Dama Enlutada from San Luis de Potosi, who visits several churches just to pray for the souls of the dead. This class of Mourner are obviously good spirits, and they may even be psychopomps (guides of the dead) who cross them over.

A Mourning Woman ready for a soul. From the fake “Spirit Photography” of William Hope. Still cool though.

However, there’s a second class of Mourning Woman who are demonic. Either human souls that have been demonized in death, or pure demons that have never been human beings. For whatever reason, they enjoy the motif of a mourning woman.

They take this form as a way to mock their victims. These tend to be what Paranormal Investigators call “Soul Collectors”, evil spirits that capture the souls of the dead who have not crossed over, and enslave them. These poor souls from that point on, are bound to the soul collector until someone is able to bind the entity and free the souls. Unfortunately, this was the type of Mourner that was haunting my cousin.

For a few weeks, I started to get a bad feeling about my cousin. The dread slowly began to build. Until I finally decided to text her. I figured I was being silly right?;

Hola Mama, ¿Cómo estás?

(Hey Mama how are you?)

Eh more or less. Hanging in there,”

What’s wrong?”

I keep seeing this woman dressed in black. I don’t know if it’s for real or if I’m going crazy. But I can barely sleep. She’s in my nightmares too,

Now obviously when she said that, I said screw the texting and called her. I asked her why the hell didn’t she pick up the phone and call me. She said she wanted to but couldn’t seem to find the time for some reason.

It should be noted, these beings can manipulate humans into forgetting. Making us too tired to seek help, or making us second guess ourselves. I have no doubt that’s what was happening here. Especially with how fatigued she sounded over the phone.

I got all the details surrounding this spirit. Which wasn’t much. It was just that it appeared seemingly out of no where and didn’t leave. Then my Mom, who doesn’t practice, but has the gift said the name of a deceased family member. A nasty family member.

It’s Leona, she’s there for some reason,”. Now this family member was a witch in life. A bad one. She was my great aunt. Despite all her claims of being an Evangelical Christian, she was well known in our neighborhood and in our family as being a black witch. My mother’s side of the family are full of practitioners. So they don’t go around calling people “devil worshippers” unless they mean it.

They really meant it with her.

In pretty much every culture, when an evil witch dies, they can become these demonic or semi demonic spirits in death, then haunt the living. Some hurt the living by feeding off of their vital energy. Others just seem to be happy tormenting and killing people in strange ways.

They gave her a Christian burial thinking that would be enough to put her to rest. But even before she was buried, she had been causing trouble. Her spirit returned to haunt my cousin’s mother. It had violently pushed her to the ground.

It kept making trouble in her house with Poltergeist activity, all this before she was even buried. My older cousin suspected it was Aunt Leona. But she pretended it wasn’t real. It wasn’t until I told her that the strange activity was was due to Leona’s presence that she finally admitted she wasn’t imagining it. Leona had raised her.

So she loved her, but she also wasn’t a fool. She knew what kind of person Leona really was. Still she had no idea why Leona was attacking her in death. I had to do a major reading and call some of my strongest spirits. In life I’d never dared gone against her.

In death she would be twice as powerful. I didn’t want to face her with just my normal spirits. I conjured some extra help. The spirits told me that Leona had made a pact with something nasty. It was never officially revealed to me what that was.

Faust selling his soul to Mephisto

Not a demon per say, but something else. Maybe something that serves demons. Maybe some kind of mutated spirit. But whatever it was, it demanded one thing in exchange for the powers she sought. It wanted my cousin and her daughter.

At first, because she was my relative, my cousin asked me not to banish her. But to do special funerary prayers for her. Try to pacify her in death. For a few months it worked. But then she came back.

And this time she didn’t come back alone.

She had completely infested the house with scores of evil spirits. Some former humans and others were clearly never human to begin with. It was one room in my cousin’s house. A room, filled with Leona’s old things. It was shrouded in a dark field of energy.

As thick as pea soup even for my sight. I could not see through whatever was in that room. My cousin and her family was physically sickened just by being near it. Something attached itself to a teenage friend of my little cousin, and before you knew it she was being spiritually oppressed.

Again, it was fucking Leona whom I had seen there. With that nasty, smug, smile. Victory was practically written over her face. In death, she looked like she was in her twenties. Not the 80 yr old whom we buried months before.

The spirit was too strong to enter her friend’s body. But via oppression, it gave her enhanced strength. I had to call on the Hindu Gods and the Ancestors to force this entity to release her. She was finally freed. I told them they needed to dump all of Leona’s stuff on a crossroads far, far away from there.

That time, I had consigned Leona to hell in the name of Lord Shiva. I told her to stay there and be judged by King Yama, the judge of the dead. That time, I saw her spirit sucked into a vortex of infinite darkness. Finally she was gone. Or so I thought.

I finally know now why ancient peoples went to such extremes to keep the dead, dead. Putting boulders on their corpses. Placing blades around their necks to decapitate themselves. The whole nine. It’s because of people like her.

The dead who won’t stay dead.

My banishing and binding had worked for a few months to a year. But then, my older cousin died under mysterious circumstances. Without going into detail, we think foul play was involved. But an autopsy showed nothing out of the ordinary.

It was still a strange death though. We think to this day that it was murder. But we could never prove it with forensic evidence. So it was officially labeled an “accidental overdose” and the case was closed.

But soon after, her daughter, my little cousin began seeing that a tall strange women dressed in black mourners clothes was in her house. This happened out of the blue. It was always around her, she was afraid to sleep. Because when she did, this thing was in her sleep.

And as stated above, it was my mother who revealed the entity’s true identity.

Leona herself. But she looked so different. So different in fact that when I saw her in this form I had no idea it was her. I would never have known this was her. She had changed so much, looked so different.

When I saw Leona the first time as a ghost, she was in her younger form. She was 20 years old, dressed in a short black dress, with long reddish brown hair. She would have been beautiful if not for that sinister smile.

But that had been back when I banished her. This time was different. I had sent her straight to Hell where she belonged. Now I could see that the time spent in the abyss had perverted even more than before.

She was taller than she was in life. Unnaturally tall. Her face was covered by a black mourners’ veil. Human no more. Now she was something else.

I kept seeing her in my mind. And I couldn’t shake this horrible feeling. The feeling that if she lifted her veil, the face underneath would be something so ugly. So deformed, that it could scarcely pass as human. But then I had an even worse thought.

What if there’s no face under there? Not all Mourners have a face. The ones who are faceless, are the worst ones. More powerful for some odd reason. I think the ones who are faceless are given a higher authority. Maybe the lack of a face symbolizes the lack of humanity or compassion.

I know this sounds like a horrible thing to say about a relative. But I just wanted her to go to Hell and stay there. Permanently. So I called my cousin and we did a remote ritual together. First I sent her images of my indigenous spirit.

A near identical replica of the statue I have. I won’t take a picture of mine because the spirit inside doesn’t like it. This one was made by Samuel Lightfoot

He’s inside a statue. His soul resides there, I don’t actually know if he’s a warrior or not. I can’t tell. What I do know is he has powerful magic. He must have done many great deeds in life because he has many feathers in his headdress.

Regardless, he has never failed me. I sent an image of him and of a Animal Spirit that he has with him, a separate statue. I told her to look into his eyes and enter and accept him there with her. Moments later, she felt him and his animal appear.

The Mourner formally known as Leona was very angry. She started trying to attack my cousin. Which was a mistake. Both my spirits took the opportunity to absorb her attack and turn it on her. Restraining her in the process, but Leona wouldn’t leave.

Some power was allowing her to stay. So I needed to upgrade to an even stronger guide. I had them restrain her while I called him down. For this I used a sort of Jewish-Christian and Muslim ritual that I devised. All three religions worship the same God.

So I called on my Guardian Angel in the name of Jesus, Enoch, and Muhammad. I drew the symbols of all three faiths with Cascarilla chalk on the floor. And did separate prayers to God for each faith. Then I just sat kneeling and asking Yahweh for help. Yes, Yahweh.

The God El’s incarnation as a God of war. That’s the version of El that Christians worship. Hence why he’s kind of bloody in the Bible. But I digress. I beheld my Angel, he was cold and hot at the same time.

A warm heat on a cold day. But also a refreshing arctic wind on a hot day, an aura that reminds me of the aurora borealis. I told him the cliff notes version of what was happening, and he instantly departed.

When he did I heard my cousin give a huge sigh of relief.

From Fine Art America

This is the closest representation I could get to what he looks like. But his body is weird, he looks like a giant, like a human with the giant disease. That gives them a bigger frame.

His wings are golden and emit a kind of solar energy. But the center of his body emits a white and cold light. When he turns down his bioluminescence for me, I have seen that he looks like a dark skinned middle eastern man. His black hair slicked to the back. His eyes also glow golden.

“I can feel him,” she said as she sighed. “I feel so good right now,”. The Mourner tried to run. But even if my two other guides weren’t restraining her, she didn’t stand a chance. My Angel is too powerful.

My cousin said she felt his presence like a warm wave of positivity wash throughout the house. Like all the trouble and problems she had just washed away under that warmth. He removed her at once. This time for good. That’s what I should have done in the first place.

But I believed my necromancy and my banishing was strong enough to keep Leona down. No matter how strong in life she was. This time she wouldn’t be allowed to return. Since she had such fun in Hell and clearly had a lot of friends, we sent her somewhere else. I asked him where else in the afterlife could she be sent.

He replied.

“Her demonization must be lifted first. That will take some long time. And when it’s done, we can send her into the void of reincarnation. Let her live life times with her karma as judge and jury,”

So that’s where he took her. Good riddance to bad rubbish. Let her own sins become a burden to her when she comes back to Earth.

I also requested he stay with her for a week, healing her and removing all bad energy from her. She said she slept good for the first time in a long time. A few months had passed and she encountered another Mourner in her house. She thought it was Leona.

This one was weirder than Leona herself. But it wasn’t her. My guardian is too strong, and the place he sent her is sort of like Jewish Purgatory. Before she is to be reborn. See Jewish Reincarnation.

The Curse of the Faceless Woman,” by Urban Legends Online

I interrogated the entity and discovered she was a familiar spirit to Leona. She told us Leona had worked with Mourner Spirits before. And that’s when they met. Shortly thereafter a pact was formed between witch and her new guide. But this guide like I said before, was strange.

Leona had ordered this familiar spirit to appear as her, to act like her, and to have all her memories. In case one day her spirit would be bound or banished somehow. It was interesting to hear this from her familiar.

That Leona had become so obsessed with immortality, that she ordered her Mourner to become a backup of her. Almost like a clone. Her mind and memories absorbed by another Mourner prior to death. And unleashed the moment Leona was taken out for good. I also learned that she kept setting her free every time I banished her.

Leona ordered her to hurt my cousin. To kill her in fulfillment of some pact. On the off chance that she didn’t finish it herself. I ordered her to tell me who the pact was made with and how to break it. And she told me the name of a Demon whose name I will not repeat.

But this entity is female and well known in Jewish lore. You probably already know just by that. She’s also a demon in ancient Sumer. So I called on the Angels Sanvi, Sansanvi, and Semangelaf to empower my curse breaking ritual. It’s the same ritual for breaking generational curses that I wrote about here.

The curse was broken. But something still felt off. Turns out my cousin still had some of Leona’s belongings with her. A cross or a Bible that turned out to be cursed, can’t remember which. I told her to bury them in a separate crossroads.

After that, the hauntings had stopped. No more Mourners. Everything went back to normal. But that was one of the strongest entities I ever had to banish before and I hope to never see one again.

If you see a Mourner, know this; prayers and the normal stuff you use, won’t work. These are really nasty, and really powerful demons. Even protection spells can fall short here. Because these are the children of that demoness that I won’t mention here. But those three Angels can banish and bind her and her children.

The Mourners serve her, they are a type of hag or demon-witch hybrid like she is. So you’ll need to step up your game if you’re going to face off against one of these beings. That’s why since then I have tried to learn all that I can about fighting them back.

The names of those three Angels and also the names of Adam and Eve can be called to drive her out. Especially when written around a Star of David. Of all the Hags or demon witches I have studied, Mourners seem to be the top tier ones. I don’t know why, but they are.

I will keep you updated when I find better defenses against them. But for now, my cousin is better.

– M

Danger and Demons: Yemen’s Mysterious ‘Well of Hell’

Surrounded in mystery and tales of demons, the Well of Barhout in Yemen’s east — known as the “Well of Hell” — is a little-understood natural wonder.…

Danger and Demons: Yemen’s Mysterious ‘Well of Hell’

Halloween in September : The Haunted House That Inspired The Conjuring

In the mid-19th century, as the story goes, a woman named Bathsheba Sherman wreaked some havoc on the townspeople of Burrillville, Rhode Island. This…

For Sale: The Haunted House That Inspired The Conjuring

Ghost Month 2021 : What are Dark Souls?

A Flame Mouth is a Hungry Ghost who cannot eat food because it will turn into fiery coal in their hands. From Best Price Travel’s article

I decided to take advantage of this festival to write about a little talked of subject : Los Muertos Oscuros. The Dark Dead. This is something that is universal amongst all traditions, both old and new. Even Reiki practitioners have talked to me about the use of Reiki to help or aid the dead. Especially those lost in the darkness.

But first, what is this festival about?

Today at Sunset, the Hungry Ghost Festival begins. For those who don’t know, this is when the dark or toxic spirits of the dead are released. Specifically those who died and went to Hell for their sins. Hell isn’t entirely a Christian concept. Many faiths have their own version of Hell under different names.

Or states of hell. Sometimes referred to as “reincarnating into the lower realms.” Although lower realms isn’t always hell. Sometimes it’s limbo or even reincarnation as an animal. Though I personally don’t believe reincarnating as an animal is “lower” at all.

It’s being a part of nature. Humans after all, are animals. Typically, Hungry Ghosts are classified into three groups : Needle Mouths, Flame Mouths, and Corpse Mouths. A Needle Mouth is when a hungry ghost has a throat that is so tiny, it’s like a needle. Which is why they cannot eat food.

Flame Mouths are people that cannot eat food because it will burn up or transform into coal. And Corpse Mouths are the very worst. Those are people who were so evil in life, that they become decomposing corpses. They can’t eat because their mouths rotted away. This is a testament to their very literal rotten character.

For many generations there was very little that could be done for such people. It wasn’t until the Buddha’s two disciples, Maudgalyāyana and Sariputta had to face the fires of hell to save their mothers. Both of them had selfish and greedy mothers, who when they died, went to Hell and became Hungry Ghosts. If you want to read the whole story, go to my 2018 Article on the origins of the Festival. This also covers the rituals needed to appease them and ease their sufferings.

In addition to Buddhism, the same entity exists in Hinduism, known as a Preta. Which becomes a flesh eating undead revenant.

A depiction of a Corpse Mouth

In addition to not being able to eat because of their mouths, Hungry Ghosts have large distended bellies. This is for them to eternally starve to death without starving. Now, most religions also have what I call Dark Ghosts. Toxic spirits of the dead. They aren’t necessarily people who went to Hell.

Not everyone believes in Hell. But various religions have something akin to limbo or purgatory. And in this place a spirit with no light as we Santeros say, or divine energy, just keeps getting darker. And then more violent and nasty. Until they become something far removed from who they once were in life.

A soul that was put into a blender and so messed up that it’s unrecognizable as who it once was. In Santería we call this an Eggun Buruku. Literally the dark dead. In fact I believe the Shadow People mentioned in modern paranormal accounts are these types of spirits. Not demons but really dark souls.

Although at least some of them, do become demons according to certain folkloric beliefs. In Catholicism they are called Anima Solas or “lonely souls” that live in purgatory. In Ancient Roman beliefs they were called Lemures or Larvae. The root word meaning “mask”. Because their visage was so horrible that they were masks of fear to those who beheld them.

And of course we have the Jewish Dybbuk. The soul of a sinner who, unable to become one with God, is hunted and beaten by Angels for sport. So they must come down to our realms in order to escape. They are called Dybbuks because the root word in Hebrew is the word for “attachment”. They attach themselves to the living or outright possess them.

Whether they be animals or humans makes no difference to them. Symptoms of Dybbuk possession include speaking with someone else’s voice (dead person’s voice). Having any ailments or pains they had in life like back pain or anything else they had. Or total personality changes. In certain spiritual circles the belief of a deceased soul doing all of this to a possessed person is identical.

Dark, but not always Evil

Not all of these dark souls are evil or even punished by God through the Angels however. Some Dybbuks are just dark because of how they died. Such as suicides. And they stay in a state of constant purification until they are ready to become one with God, like the Anima Solas in Purgatory. A Rabbi once told me that such a spirit will be attracted to someone who acts like them.

So if a Dybbuk committed suicide, they will go to someone thinking of it. If a Dybbuk was a murderer, they will go to someone thinking of it. Once there, they possess and oppress the person. The person starts getting visions of this dead soul in life. And they relive all the things the deceased went through.

The person in theory, understands that killing themselves or someone else won’t give them peace. So they change their ways and live out their lives. The Dybbuk departs from the human. And they having fulfilled their duty, are fully purified. Thus allowed to enter Heaven.

This is just one of many ways that the dark dead are able to be purified. It’s not always about sin but more often than not, miasma. Negative energy from some event holding them back. And by being unable to release this bad energy, they stop themselves from going forward. Usually, what happens is that a descendant doesn’t remember their ancestors.

There’s this modern belief that the dead are automatically fine. That when they die, they go to God and that’s it. Some go to Heaven, others go to Hell, done. But it doesn’t work like that. Even in Purgatory, there are many different forms and dimensions.

Same with reincarnation. Not all reincarnation is the same either. But I digress. When people forget their ancestors, that’s a nail in their spiritual coffin. When they don’t give them offerings of food and money or drink or incense and candles etc.. the soul becomes like a homeless person.

Alone. Trapped. Always hungry and thirsting. Always cold or hot because they have no home to protect them. Always alone or in the company of spirits that make you feel alone.

This is why on Hungry Ghost Month Hades Money or Hell Money is burned. It’s a kind of fake currency that is charged with prayers or belief. Once it’s burned in honor of a specific person, that person has the spiritual version of it with them. And to them, it’s a real currency.

Here we back our currencies with gold or natural resources. Their, faith, belief, power, energy is what backs such a currency and makes it real for them. I knew one woman, who would burn the paper using a holy candle. The holiness of the blessed candle would be permanently infused into that money. So that the money would appear to the dead person she offered it to as a talisman.

It wouldn’t run out.

Warding

In many traditions we have some kind of altar or idol for the nameless and forgotten dead. In Yoruba practice, we have statues of Babalu Aye and Oro who are Orishas that have power over the nameless and forgotten dead. They are placed outside the house. And offerings are given to them to make sure these spirits are pacified and won’t harm the living. Special idols for Hekate are placed outside of household doors to ensure bad spirits stay away.

Or just plain using sea salt barriers to block anything or anyone from coming in. While everyone is in danger of being effected by them, the sick, the elderly, children, and pregnant women are most at risk. Animals should avoid being outdoors at night as well. If you keep them outdoors, you need to ward your front and backyards. As well as ward their places of sleep.

Bless their food and drink and ask the Gods to fill them with protective grace to ward off enemy spirits. By enemy I mean anything that could harm you, even if unintentionally. Do extra protections. These are some links with information with good advice on what to do during this month.

Staying safe through Hungry Ghost Month

While Vietnam had their own Hungry Ghost Festival on July 15, this is still good advice and applicable to this festival.

Ghosts and other Myths : How Vietnam celebrates the 7th Lunar Month

Hungry Ghost Month & the Star of Yin Gate (More Good Advice for this month)

Finally, if you do decide to give offerings this month you need to be very careful. The Hungry Ghosts congregate all around people giving offerings. You need to charge your food and drink for libations but ask the Gods to put a timer on when the energy can be released. So that once you put it outside, it won’t release the energy until you have left and are safe. And wait until you are outside and far from home.

Pray to the Gods and ask them to charge the food and water. And that even if it is devoured right away in the physical world, it may endlessly replicate into the spiritual world until morning. That way many souls will be free. Or alternatively for the blessings on the food and water to be a gigantic bomb that will liberate an entire night’s worth of spirits when eaten. Cleanse the whole home.

Hungry Ghosts, like most spirits will possess an animal to eat on their behalf. The Hungry Ghost eats the energy inside the food, and the animal eats the physical food. Give your home an extra strength blessing. Do it for your Cars in case you need to be out late. Wear a protective charm with you.

And anoint yourself with oil. Or holy water. Bless any food or drink you have before you eat it and pray for protection. That way you will be given divine grace to protect yourself. Don’t offer the food to them when inside your home.

Because that will be an open invitation to them. And next thing you know, you will have legions over running your house. So when you do this outside, first have protection. Cast a circle, or wear a protection around your neck, have a charm bag etc.. even a salt circle around your car will do. Make it large enough to walk inside of.

Choose a place far from your home. Then what you need to do is pray to the Gods to charge the offerings. Either to ascend or elevate whoever will eat them. And that in exchange for them being crossed, for more good spirits to enter our home instead. That’s my advice.

Also, for this month it is very good to offer incense to your Gods and spirits for good Karma. Have a good Ghost Month everybody.

– M

A play based on Hungry Ghosts I found this very interesting

Tales from the Continent: The Business Man Pt 2

After my client Alvaro told me everything

I needed to know (or so I thought) I decided to do a little divination. Nothing he told me made sense as to why someone would want to hex him. I knew he was holding something back from me. And I wasn’t going to stick my neck out for him. I took this job because I needed the money.

He was hesitant at first. But then he agreed he would give me a good donation (which also turned out to be a lie). He did go into detail about the strange hauntings in his house. A feeling of “phantom weight” he always seemed to carry, but didn’t know why. And his infant son would scream his guts out in fear at night.

At first he told his wife that it was normal for babies to be scared at night. But then he got the strange feeling that someone was inside the baby’s room. He said he thought he heard a deep voice speaking within the room one night. And a few times he had the feeling of being watched. I hate cases with kids involved.

The situation becomes more volatile. So I took a few weeks to plan and meditate. I also broke out my old spell books and charms and started experimenting with what I should do. In the end I opted for necromancy.

He did eventually tell me part of the problem

And boy was it a doozy. He went into a haunted cave at night. When he was younger he said that he went with a few friends there on a dare. The local folklore says that witches go there to do Black Sabbats. Obviously not good witches.

Or even normal witches. These are what are known as Hags. Now everyone has an opinion of what a Hag is and I want to talk about this for a second. In regular traditions a Hag is just a witch. In fact it may have been a word that the word witch evolved from.

From Haegtesse, the term Elder Hag is often used for an elder witch. But as is the case with many words and terms, there is a positive and a negative connotation. In Christian or semi Christian traditions, Hags are either demon witches. Or in the case of the Appalachian mountain people in the US, human practitioners of black magic. I understand many of my witch brethren would find that disrespectful.

Regardless, even in the South amongst the original slave populations, they had stories of Hags. The most famous being the Boo Hags. Specifically the Gullah culture talks about Boo Hags. The idea is that these were once human witches. But they delved so deeply into the practices of black magic that they eventually developed demonic powers.

They themselves becoming demons. Now I refer to such people as Demonists. In my personal practices those are witches that are beyond a normal warlock (unethical practitioner). This is another class of black witch altogether. Then there is what I call a True Demonist, someone who actually succeeds at becoming a real life demon while they’re alive.

Something which to me is rare. In that category, I put in the Native American Skinwalkers. And also the Penanggalan of the Philippines and Malay culture. Hags of this kind, the demonic kind, can be found in almost every culture. But the term also refers to positive Goddess or spirit beings as well.

So it’s important not to get it twisted. It’s important to know that this is a word that could be positive and negative. But in this case it was the negative. The demonic types of Hags are said to be the children of the Demoness, Lilith. Before she was the demon of Jewish lore, Lilith was a Sumerian Demon Goddess.

Tied to the storms and also to infant mortality. she was said to take the shape of an owl woman. I should make a post dedicated to her one of these days. But anyways, in Latin America, there are many such creatures like that. And sadly in this guy’s country, there are infestations of such beings.

As a former monotheistic Christian I used to think these were tall tales bred from superstition. But after I began to practice and learn from other people, I started to realize these were real modern accounts. Skin Walkers for example are a type of demon witch. That’s why many Native Americans have such a stigma about being called a “witch”. They associate it with unethical practitioners of magic.

Granted that’s largely due to European Christians drumming the idea that a “witch” was evil into their heads. Some more colonial brainwashing at work. Getting back to the topic, this guy said he didn’t believe in such things. He thought it was BS. So he goes into the cave to impress the girls.

Everyone in that little town he visited says that night Hags use that cave. These women shape shift into owls (again the connection to Lilith). They are so familiar in their owl forms that owls are seen as demonic animals in this country. Indigenous shape shifting witches like this exist all over Latin America. Once inside, they all smelled this godawful stench.

He said they had found these large brown paper bags that were bloody. Flies were everywhere and in some cases there were maggots protruding from these bags. These are probably sacrificed animals. They also found strange things he found hard to describe. And finally, he said they found a large Saint statue with its arms broken off.

I instantly got a flash in my mind from my spirits. And I learned that the statue had held some kind of dark spirit. In witchcraft, a popular method of exorcising a spirit, is to draw it out of a place or person and then send it into a vessel. Sometimes holy icons or idols are used. And sometimes when a dark entity enters an idol, the idol gets partially broken.

And even dark practitioners do exorcisms. For clients or sometimes even when they summon something or an entity goes out of line. And they have to trap them somewhere. Though I also think the statue was purposefully desecrated. So I ask him,

“Alvaro, by any chance did you get too close to that statue?”

Then he gets very quiet. Clears his throat and says,

“Well… I was young. And the girls thought it would be funny if I took a selfie with that statue,”

(Jesus Fucking Christ)

So it became apparent that the “phantom weight” wasn’t just whatever Sanchez had done to him. It was whatever he had absorbed from this statue. It had probably been haunting him for years before Sanchez. And he only began to notice it years later. I had my work cut out for me.

I had no idea where to start

So I decided to do a time honored tradition. I went to the dead. There’s a random roadside memorial where I used to live. Some guy whose name I will not mention here out of respect for his family. I became friends with him a few Halloween’s ago.

I didn’t have a cemetery close to me, so I decided to leave him offerings instead. I used to walk past his memorial on my way to a local mall. I left him a chocolate cupcake with a birthday candle that I blessed. I lit the candle and left it to him. Then I heard “Gracias”out loud. Now at first I jumped half way out of my skin, because I thought it was a living person who said that.

It didn’t sound psychic or telepathic. I realized then that this was a powerful spirit. I could tell he was loved. The memorial is filled with things including a cross made of plastic flowers. I turned around and said, “De nada amigo” (don’t mention it friend).

After that, I started visiting him a lot more regularly. Leaving him money in the form of pennies. So that he could buy things in the afterlife. I left him food and poured him libations, sometimes I left him Piedra de Alumbre (Stone of illumination). It’s not really a stone.

It’s this mineral thing we use in Santeria. It’s like a rock but it dissolves in water. The spirits of the dead eat it when we place it in sacred water vessels on their altars. In his case it would break into pieces until it became dust. I came to him for help.

I poured him a libation. Then I sat down with my cell turned off, pretending to be texting someone. I’m pretending that I am waiting for a car or something. He’s clearly amused by this and says,

“You must be really desperate to be making a long distance phone call like this,”

“Very funny,”

“What’s up?”

“Take a look and see for yourself,”

He enters my mind. And it feels like someone stuck a psychic USB drive in there. I can feel him looking into my memory I want him to see and hear the conversation for himself. Then he starts projecting images in my head and talks.

“This man here, Adonis, is a problem yes. But your client has other problems,”

He starts showing me all these shadow people and shadowy things all around him. It’s like a zoo of dark things. And he says,

“No offense, but you couldn’t find someone more trustworthy than this guy ? He’s even got a small portal inside his body. How much do you want to bet that he’s played with a Quija Board?,”

I was going to say that he didn’t seem like the type to own a Ouija board. But then again what do I know? I’ve never even seen this man before. We only talk via internet.

“What should I do?”

He stayed silent for a few moments then answered.

“Ask your new guide, the one you got from the Palero to deal with this. Ask him to bring an army of the dead to fight off what’s there and cleanse this guy. It’s not fancy, but it’s effective. And it will take care of this problem,”

I waited till there were almost no cars. And I buried 9 rusty pennies in the dirt near his memorial and said,

“I pay you (name redacted) in the name of Oya. Thank you for helping me. May this money given to you be an investment in your afterlife. May you never be poor. And instead always carry prosperity with you for all your needs,”

A random car came back and some lady saw me burying the coins and talking in the direction of the memorial. Fuck my life. All these nosy ass Karens in this area watching everything you do. It’s getting to the point that you can’t even fart or piss in a bush without one of them noticing. She was still staring while the car went away.

So I scratched my balls in front of her. The look of disgust was so funny that I busted out laughing. I could barely walk home from the laughter. I think most of the cars passing me by thought I was crazy or drunk. Well, I talk to dead people so maybe one of the two allegations was true.

I came home

Showered and ordered some take out. As I waited for the Chinese food to get to me, I decided to give a primary offering to Hestia. In Greek Polytheism she is the Goddess of Hearthe and Home. I also included in this offering Elegua Agbanukue, the Household version of Elegua. Who is also a God that watches the home and protects it.

I started naming the various Household Gods one by one. And the spirits that protect the home as well. I poured some olive oil in their honor. Then I sat back on the couch and rested my eyes for bit. I realized I should probably talk to my Palo guide. I got up and sat in my red chair.

I took his idol out of the Altar I have for native spirits. Even though he is a guide connected to Palo Mayombe, he’s the spirit of a dead indigenous man. I made eye contact with the idol and said,

“Hey friend, do you have some time to talk?”

I could feel him talking to me. This is a very different kind of spirit. Paleros use advanced spirits. Even their ghosts are stronger than the normal ones. He spoke not as a voice, but as feelings.

He was asking why I took so long to call on him. He was basically scolding me and telling me he was here to help. If only I would accept such help.

“Fair enough,” I replied. “I’m asking now,”

I could have done the psychic usb thing but I was tired. And when I get tired, images and information is fuzzy. So I took the time to speak to him the old fashioned way. Anyone watching me talk to this statue in my hand would have thought I was crazy. But the spirit within that vessel is very real.

He told me he had “brothers and sisters“ he could call on. That in Palo they were all one. And they would work together to help me. I bowed down my head, kissed his statue and said,

“Bless you sentinel of the home,”

Then I placed a bottle of whiskey on the altar next to him.

“I offer this to you and your Kin. It will be poured down at the crossroads when you defeat the enemy,”

After this was done, the delivery lady showed up. My family and I ate good food. Discussed our day (well I left our certain portions for obvious reason). And I hunkered down for the night. I sent Alvaro a message via the signal app.

We coordinated how we were going to handle this. We agreed upon a day, and off to work we went.

From left to right, Taino women representing the indigenous ancestors, center is an Adjule or African wild dog who is often seen as a phantom animal, and finally from Palo Mayonbe is Sarabanda, the great God of Smithery and Magic.

The final operation

I opted for sunset on a Friday. In many religions, there are times that belong to the dead. And all of those times as far as I have discovered, are at or around night time. In Santeria, the time of the dead is at Sunset. Nobody does readings at that time.

Or at least they’re not supposed to. Some Santeros I have met are so nyctophobic they wouldn’t even do Rosary prayers at night for a deceased soul. They believe Satan and his demons are all out around that time. I am one of the few Santeros who are not afraid. I had training in other religions prior to Santeria.

We did night time rituals and we learned not to fear the night. It is true that there are negative forces unleashed at night. But there are also positive forces. I learned about an exorcism ritual done by the Babalawos (priesthood of Orula) that was done for people who had spiritual attachments. It was called the Paraldo Ceremony.

The Babalawos did it at sunset. Because the Eggun (ghosts) or even demons would start coming out. The reason for this is because the spirit would be fully formed and out in the open. It would be easier to cast the entity out. But I wasn’t using that ceremony.

For one, because I’m not a Babalawo. Doing ceremonies without proper knowledge and authority is just asking for trouble. And two because I refuse to murder animals. No I am not a vegan. No I am not some kind of heretic.

But I’m one of many Santeros who won’t sacrifice animals. And that ceremony requires grabbing a rooster by its feet and smashing the head on the floor. This is for the evil to be bound to its body. If the poor creature is lucky it will die instantly. I don’t do animal sacrifices.

I know Pagans who still do them. And I don’t stick my nose into their religious practices. But I tell everyone no matter the tradition that I will not. But one thing that I did take from that ceremony, is using the sunset. I waited till that time to do this.

The enemy spirits will be fully formed at that time. But they won’t be that strong. The strongest time for the dead is actually from midnight until 2am, and dark spirits at either midnight or 3am. I have a good understanding of their power levels at various times.

At sunset they’re just waking up from a long sleep. It’s not the same level of lucidity and power as at other hours. This gives me the secondary advantage that after they fully emerge, they’ll still be dazed and confused. Demons and other wicked spirits don’t necessarily sleep during the day. But at night their powers are far stronger.

Which is why if I have to go out at night I carry amulets. And I shield to make sure no matter where I go, there’s nothing to follow me home. But at sunset they’re still just charging up. But they can’t hide nor will they try. They’re usually too overconfident for that.

And that’s what I was counting on.

I did a special ritual of protection. Necromancy with the ancestors. I can’t talk about the specifics or the name of the ceremony. But it kept me safe. I was surrounded by the protective energy.

And I brought out my Palo guide and asked for his help. Then I did a protective shielding prior to calling Alvaro. I did a few Hail Marys and Our Fathers. As well as some more ancient prayers for protection. Then I called him via the Signal App.

He was way too calm. People are normally ready to be done with this. He acted like this was just another transaction. Like shaking a hand or taking a piss. Yeah I really don’t like this guy.

I just wanted this shit to be over and done with. So we waited until sunset came. And suddenly there was a shift in the ether. I felt something on the other side of the phone with him. And I know he felt it too.

Though he seemed to enjoy playing dumb. I took a picture of the idol of my Palo guide. Then sent it to him via signal.

“This is one of my guides. Stare into the eyes of the idol and invite him to come to you,”

I got the distinct feeling he thought I was quemado. How do I say it? Burned out. He probably thought I was some kind of crazy new ager. But idol magic goes back centuries. My priest in the Hellenic Temple I attend, even told me about a form of idol divination.

I have seen people do remote magic or long distance magic with nothing but psychic abilities. What I do, is use the craft to remotely send out energy and spirits. It’s a more powerful way to do it. But Mr. Know it all didn’t know that. So he was surprised when he felt my spirit appear before him.

“I feel something in the room with me. I never felt a spirit like this before. I feel my third eye vibrating,”

He admitted that he knew enough about spirits to sense them. And to perceive them via the third eye. I wondered if he and Adonis had studied together at one point. Maybe they had once been part of a magic group. He didn’t even bother trying to hide it.

He probably surmised that I knew him by now. I asked him to connect with my spirit’s energy. I showed him how to do it. And then a massive explosion of energy occurred.

We both felt it. I felt forces coming from the four directions all over his country converging there, at his home. An army of ghosts. Indigenous warriors from his land. Spaniards.

And also slaves, particularly slaves who I think were Congolese. Even recently deceased people had joined in, an entire force of ghosts had now appeared. And these dark spirits around him were trying to fight back. He started talking about strange sensations.

“I feel weird,”

“In what way?”

“I feel an onset of relief, as if a heavy presence was released from me. And then that presence returns. It’s as if the relief is fighting the heaviness,”

What he was feeling was the dark spirit (heavy presence) being fought by the light spirits that were now there. I was seeing their energies combating each other. At first I couldn’t distinguish human features. They had gone to their purest form as energy.

The dark spirits were the smallest groups there. They appeared as balls of deep shadow. But the spheres of light numbered in the hundreds. And each had different colors depending on the energy they were using. Some were red, and I think those were soldiers or warriors. Others were yellow, and those were spirits who died of diseases.

The disease ghosts were absorbing all the dark energy that was in that house. Like a self eating cancer. I had been trained by a Wiccan teacher that dark spirits or dark energies could be put towards positive uses.

Now I was seeing in greater detail what darker energies, when put to a positive use could do. And these fallen spirits around Alvaro were dumbfounded. They had no idea how to fight back against them. They were outnumbered and out gunned. I was trying to keep my excitement down.

Overconfidence was a killer. As I had intended, they fully emerged with the dark. But they were still too weak to use their native element against us. With one final push, Alvaro described the heaviness forced from him for good. The relief stayed this time.

I did see a few spiritual doors close. He did have a small one on him that resembled a Quija board doorway. But that paled in comparison to all these larger doors in his home. In my mind’s eye I was seeing these beach ball sized vortexes floating in the air. I was going to ask him some more questions when my Palo guide spoke again.

Through empathy, he told me that other spirits were there too. Good spirits and a few neutral ones. Dead souls as well as nature spirits. They all occupied the same space. His property has become a free for all.

He did some kind of fancy ritual that he couldn’t control. And this had been the result. He had played with forces beyond his control. The haunted location he told me about and absorbing that spirit was just the beginning. And my guide also told me to not bother confronting him.

He had an answer for everything. It wasn’t my business anyway. Instead I told him that these other spirits I sent had to stay for the night. They would spend the twilight hours until dawn fixing everything. Crossing over spirits and dismissing others properly. The guide I sent also closed the doorway he had in his own body.

The other spirits closed all the other doorways. I told him to check his email. I sent him a list of instructions. I taught him a few cleansings and rituals. And finally I told him to get his property blessed by a priest after he had done these things.

By the time it was done, he had reported that not a single paranormal event had taken place in his home since all this had happened. All was well. That was the good news. The bad news is that Richie Rich skipped out on the bill. He claimed he couldn’t pay for my services because the times had gone hard and blah blah blah.

I was so pissed that before I lost control I told him that I had to call him back. Later I had a friend communicate with him that he had agreed to pay for services. And I had been more than generous with him. But he never contacted me again. All of my friends had told me to send all that shit back to him as payback.

But after all the trouble I took to remove it, sending it back just seemed like a waste. Instead I did a prayer ritual with the Gods and explained what had happened. They scolded me and told me I should have known better. But after they were done, they said they would handle it. I don’t know how they handled it.

I just know they never punish the innocent. So ,whatever they did or didn’t do, it would be just not unjust. I did end up getting something in return though. A bunch of obstacles and problems in my life left after the ritual was done. The Gods told me it was payment for services rendered.

The whole event left me tapped out. And I have spent the better part of this month trying to recharge and regenerate. That’s why it has taken me this long to write this.

I’ve had to slow down a bunch of things. And I’ve been taking long naps. Falling asleep near 7pm or 8pm like an old fart. I hope all of you will please excuse me as it’s going to be a while. I won’t be able to do a solid reading or work for anyone until I’ve regained my lost energy.

I apologize for taking so long to do that. One thing is for sure, I re-learned my lesson. Rich people suck. Unless I have a lawyer who compel them to pay up in advance, I’m not helping another wealthy person. I have better things to do than to deal with them or their demons.

Fuck them all. Just do yourselves a favor alright? Stay the fuck away from rituals you don’t understand. And don’t go to haunted locations for the fuck of it. That’s a stupid thing to do.