Folklore 📜 – Adventures of A Mage In Miami

Dracula in May

The original Dracula was an old man, who became his younger self only after consuming blood

Most people don’t realize that Dracula takes place in May. First in “Dracula’s Guest” we have Jonathan Harker arriving in Transylvania during Walpurgisnacht. He ends up needing to be rescued from other vampires in a Village of Vampires. Because the idiot didn’t heed his guide’s warnings. His guide specifically told him that the village was damned.

And abandoned for that very reason. But he thinks it’s a lovely day. And after his driver refuses to drive through that village, he decided he will walk all the way to his destination. Through said village. Not only is Harker one of the dumbest literary characters in history.

He’s also the luckiest. How he survived to the end of the book and beyond, is beyond me. So I am going to share some Dracula links with all of you. Both the literary Dracula as well as his more historical version. I thought both these articles were amazing start.

First one is this one. The epidemic in Ireland which inspired Stoker’s concept of Vampirism by contagion. Even though Vampirism by contagion is something far more ancient. Going back to several ancient civilizations.

Forget Vlad the Impaler. A 19th-century cholera outbreak in Sligo may have been Bram Stoker’s chief inspiration.

BY RONAN O’CONNELL JUNE 3, 2020

AN AFTERNOON WIND FUNNELS DOWN deserted Old Market Street, past shuttered shops and darkened restaurants. The rowdy Irish student town of Sligo has been frozen. It is two months into a strict nationwide lockdown enforced by the Irish government to combat the novel coronavirus, which has killed more people per capita in Ireland than in the U.S.

The last time Sligo was this empty—this lifeless, this restricted—was 188 years ago. Cholera was the culprit. That epidemic spawned not just death, poverty, famine, chaos, and desertion but also a legendary vampire. Yet only in late 2018 did Irish researchers make this startling discovery: Dracula was born in Sligo.

In 1832, on Old Market Street, a 14-year-old Irish girl hid in her home during the cholera outbreak, which killed more than 10 percent of the town’s population. The ghastly scenes around her—mass graves, corpses in the street, victims buried alive—she later recounted to her son. His name was Bram Stoker, and those bleak stories were a key source of inspiration for writing Dracula—one of the most influential novels in history. First published in 1897, this vampire tale has spawned dozens of movies, plays, TV shows, and books.

(Amazing eh? Now we have the real life Castle Dracula. Which was a military fortress that Vlad Dracula used as a base of operations).

EVEN WITHOUT ITS BLOODY HISTORIC ties, Poenari Castle, also known as Poenari Fortress, would be a majestic, exciting place to explore on its own merit. Architecture buffs would marvel at the 13th century mortar work, lovers of fantastic scenery would find the cliffside view mind-blowing. Poenari Castle doesn’t need a sordid story to be spectacular, but it happens to have that as well.

The story is a legendary one and to many, a confusing mixture of truth, history, legend, and fiction due to the convolution between the novel “Dracula” and the factual history of Vlad III Dracula “The Impaler”, whose name inspired the book. Bram Stoker modeled some of his main character on the more basic facts about Dracula’s actual life, but his knowledge of Romanian history and the true story of Vlad the Impaler remains suspect.

Then we have the amazing Dracula’s Guest

I tried to put the embedded video but it wouldn’t do it here. So I had to put the link instead. That’s one of my two favorite versions. Here are some images from that story.

Yes people, when caught in a snowstorm, this idiot thinks the safest place in a haunted village is……the CEMETERY

And there he sees the uncorrupted body of the Countess. Who committed suicide in life. And was cursed to become a Vampire in death. And yes, this is one of the ways in which a person can become a vampire.

The Countess shape-shifted as a Wolf, keeps Harker warm and drives off the other Vampires. She wants him for herself.

I also think this is the creepy tall vampire from the beginning of Walpurgasnacht

Other fun facts

The beginning of Dracula is set a few days after Walpurgisnacht. On St. George’s Eve. In fact, Jonathan Harker is even warned about it. By one of the people he’s traveling with on the stage coach.

“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,”

Count Dracula and The Eve of St George at The Great Hall in Toronto

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

I actually wrote a whole article on why St. George’s Eve is considered a night of evil spirits. And of black magic etc…for anyone who is interested. So enjoy your evening of Drakula.

Cheers,

– M

Astrological Forecast for May 2023

We have a few announcements to make. For one, we are entering a rare black moon tonight. This is a name granted to a small group of New Moons. So what is a Black Moon? There’s no consensus on what it is. It’s not even considered an astronomical term.

It’s pure astrology. These are a few definitions from Time and Date.com

So, either multiple new moons or the absence of a full moon or new moon. That’s basically what a black moon is. This is a time of darker energies. Not bad at all. This is basically a new moon on hyper drive.

So the same stuff applies just stronger :

Wish making, introspective thinking, destruction of curses or negative energy, cleansing and recharging charms, re-binding your spells, working with the dead, banishings, etc..

From Pandora Astrology

But now to the other stuff. Jupiter.

At the moment Jupiter is in the sign of Taurus. And will remain there until May 25th. Prosperity and Abundance will be ours this year. Or so Astrologers say. Here is a list from a fellow blogger Amor Et Mortem on how this will effect your signs.

Here are some links :

Black Moon in Taurus May 19th

New Moon in Taurus : Enjoying the pause, preparing for breakthrough

The Guardian Daimon & Astrology

Thrimilice-Monath : Three Milkings Month

This last one isn’t about Astrology. But it does have to do with ancient traditions and Anglo Saxon months. That’s about it everyone, be blessed!

– M

Preparing for St. Mark’s Eve

So I have eaten a late dinner. That way I won’t be hungry and can fast from 11pm-1am. I have cleansed and purified spiritually as well as magically. And I have give offerings to Jesus using Christian Necromancy. I am ready.

Traditionally, you are supposed to go to the porch of a church to find out who will die this year. But I have proven that this time of the year is perfect for any kind of divination. So you could find this information out regardless of what divination you choose to use. In retrospect I decided to stick with it. Either way, when I see those phantoms at the church porch, it’s hard to see who they are.

They appear faceless to me. And I think it would be a worse shock to see the face of someone I know. I mean what happens if it’s me I see down there? Plus there are other advantages. Too many churches have security systems now. Or even actual guards sometimes.

Like this, I can pluck the information I need out of the ether. I have called upon the Chthonic forces to aid me in knowing who if any will perish. Now it’s time to take out the trash. Finish watching “That’s my Jam”. And prepare to hold vigil.

Good night everyone,

– M

St. Mark’s Eve : Rituals & Death

We just got through one creepy Saint’s Eve to now enter another. Saint Mark’s Eve. That time when we see the Doppelgängers of living people march to the church. It’s said that if you fast, then go to the porch of a church between 11pm- 1am, you will see phantoms of the future dead. And it’s a sure bet that persons who manifest there will die within the year.

It’s said that those who appear die in the order that their phantom appeared. Those who appear first, die first. Those last on the ghoulish parade die later in the year. The ritual is only for two hours. It’s said, that phantoms who look into the church windows will not die.

But they will get really sick within that year though. Still, better than being dead. This is also known as the Night of Mystery. These are the nights when men and women alike try their hand at divination. The death divinations originate from England.

Specifically, Yorkshire. And see where fate takes them. I know this to be all too true. Though how they came to be is anyone’s guess.

~ Marked for Death ~

During the 2020 pandemic, I wasn’t able to sneak out to a church like I normally did. There was a curfew imposed on the city at the time. You know, the measures for keeping COVID at bay. Sadly most of these idiots in Miami didn’t obey the curfews. And even less bothered to wear the masks.

Which is what led to so many deaths down here. And which is why, contrary to what the news tells you, we still have COVID deaths. Mostly in old people’s homes and in the hospitals. And at the height of the pandemic it was worse. Way worse.

My grandfather was in a home at the time. At midnight on St. Mark’s Eve, I cast the bones instead. And I asked if someone I knew would die. On this occasion, the bones said yes. I asked if it was my grandfather and again yes.

I was so shocked by the answer that I refused to acknowledge it. I called the forces on the other side liars. Even though I had properly vetted the spirits. And used holy names of Gods to activate the bones. But these were good spirits, not evil.

And in my heart I knew what they had told me was the truth. I just didn’t want to believe it. Soon after he got sick. Pneumonia they told us. I ignored the Oracle.

And convinced myself he would be fine. I did some healing work on him instead. And he seemed like he would be fine. And then one day, my mother came home sobbing. And told me he was dead.

Later there was a scandal on the news. The media reported, that over 100 cases of COVID were at that home. And something else bothered me too. They cremated him fast. Which always made me suspicious.

Why did they do it? What were they trying to hide? After all, if he died from “pneumonia” there was no reason to cremate it so fast. Heck we didn’t even know if we wanted to cremate him. And most of not all of the residents of this home were bed ridden. So where could they have gone to get infected? The disease probably came in from one of the workers who was careless. But anyways, there are other rituals for seeking out the future dead.

For example, you have the “riddling of the ashes“. This meant that you would take ashes from the Hearth (fire place). And spread them over the floor.

Everyone in the household, even the dog trying to see if death will come by the riddling of the ashes

In the morning the household would rush down stairs. If there was a foot print that matched a family member, they would die within the year. But I have proven that this time of the year is perfect for any kind of divination. So you could find this information out regardless of what divination you choose to use. In retrospect I decided to stick with it.

When I see those phantoms at the church porch, it’s hard to distinguish who they are. They appear faceless to me. And I think it would be a worse shock to see the face of someone I know. I mean what happens if it’s me I see down there? Plus there are other advantages. Too many churches have security systems now. Or even actual guards sometimes.

Like this, I can pluck the information I need out of the ether.

~ Other Rituals of St. Mark ~

Conjuration of Future Husbands

There were other rituals. For example, finding a husband. As strange as this will sound, women left their wet laundry near a fire to dry. And the soul of their future husband would appear in order to turn the clothing. To finish drying it.

Other rituals to learn about your intended spouses can also be learned through this old charm.

Nut Divination for future husbands

“Fast from sunset on St. Mark’s Eve and during the night. Bake a cake that contains an eggshellfull of salt, wheat meal, and barley meal. Set the baked cake to cool on the table and leave the door to your home open. Sometime over the course of the night your future love will come in and turn the cake. You’ll just need to stay awake to see who it might be.

Also, just as at Halloween, there is as well a long standing tradition of divination by nuts on St. Mark’s Eve. Young women would set a row of nuts on the hot embers of the hearth, one for each girl. Each would breathe the name of her intended into the hearth and if the love was to be true, the nut would jump away as it got hotter. But if the nut sat there and was consumed by the fire, the love was not meant to be:

If you love me, pop and fly,
If not, lie there silently,”

Then we have the customs of exchanging rosebuds with lovers. It isn’t magical at all. But the story is still worth mentioning.

🌹The legend of Trancedi and Maria 💀

“In Venice on St. Mark’s Day, which is tomorrow, the 25th of April, many rosebuds will be exchanged. This custom actually has little to do with St. Mark; rather, it comes from an old story of love lost: In the eighth century, not all that long before those merchants set sail for Alexandria to steal the relics of St. Mark, there lived in Venice a troubadour of humble means named Trancedi, who fell in love with the doge’s daughter, Maria, and Maria was equally enamored of the troubadour. The doge, however, was not pleased that a man of so low a social standing was wooing his daughter.

And so Trancedi went off to war in a distant land, in hopes of returning triumphant, thereby impressing his potential future father-in-law. And Trancedi did really well for himself, but, alas, just before he was to return home to Venice, was mortally wounded in battle, and in his last moments, fell upon a rosebush. He plucked a single rosebud and gave it to his friend Orlando, who was at his side, and asked Orlando to bring the rosebud to Maria. He did. She received the blood-stained flower, and the news of her love’s fate, on St. Mark’s Day, the 25th of April, and that night, she died upon her own bed, holding Trancedi’s rosebud, a symbol of love eternal. And to this day, rosebuds are exchanged in Venice on St. Mark’s Day.,”

Others will eat a dish of rice and peas.

I intend to make use of these and other rituals I find for my magic. St. Mark’s Eve is perfect for divination and love magic. But also for looking into the wider mysteries of the Universe.

Cheers,

– M

Source :

“Does St. Mark’s Eve rival Halloween for spookiest day of the year?“

“The Legends and Mysteries of St. Mark’s Eve“

“Night of Mystery,”

Random Links of the Day : St George’s Day Edition!

I had already written a comprehensive article on St. George. On his origins as a Palestinian Soldier in the Roman Empire’s army. How he was an immortal and even a Mage for many years until he finally died. And the Dragon of Libya. Here is the article.

The Monastery of St. George in Palestine

Some links for St George

The Legend of Saint George from the Royal Mint

Saint George the Turkish Arab Guardian Newspaper

Dragons and Dragon Lore by Ernest Ingersoll, [1928] CHAPTER 15 Courtesy of Sacred Texts.com

A Palestinian Prayer Song for Saint George VIDEO courtesy of the BBC

Why Saint George is a Palestinian Hero BBC

Patron Saints of the Military The Catholic Company

The Story of Saint George, The Coventry Society

Saint George : A Saint for the Desperate Orthodox Christianity then and now

The Bible and Ellicott’s commentary for English readers Biblehub

St. George and Al-Khadir,– The Maypole of Wisdom

Dreams with San Jorge

Happy St. Girgus, Jirjis, Mar Jirys, San Giorgio, Saint Geórgios, St George Day!

Cheers,

– M

Astrological Forecast : The Stars of the Dead

Mercury retrograde is upon us once more. We approach that time of the month again. When our divine messenger becomes a psychopomp. And leads the dead away for the mysteries of the afterlife. Let’s begin.

From Witches of the Craft,

Pretty straight forward. The usual stuff about not making concrete plans or important decisions during a retrograde. However there’s another side to it. A side that is way more positive. The way of silence.

The way of silence involves using dark energy. And dark beings also. For the healing of the mind, body, and soul. It isn’t the typical new age stuff. Not that I am against the New Age.

One of the people I admire the most was Edgar Cayce, the Father of the New Age. He was a Christian Mystic and Prophet. This man had powers that baffle even the more traditional mediums. My problem is with people who have taken the New Age and perverted. Making it into the trendy, feel good, Splenda flavored crap it has become today.

Simply, dark energy does not always mean evil. It actually doesn’t ever. All energy, such as light and dark are neutral. And can be used for evil or good accordingly. Let me show you an example of the darkness being used for good.

The Path of Silence

Sister’s of Perpetual Indulgence,
Day of the Dead Shrine, at the Ceremony of Altars at SF’s Garfield Park in the Mission District on the evening of November 2.
By
Walker Dukes

This is what I call the path of silence. It’s a term I sort of self coined in my own meditations. For my own brand of shadow work. So in my shadow work, when a Retrograde comes, I try to sit still in the pain. Sit outside of my comfort zone.

Where most people don’t like to be. I think of the things I typically hold in. Like a closed fist. And I unclose that fist. I let the flood waters out.

I react in a variety of different ways. Including crying. I let myself shake even. Or sometimes I get so overwhelmed I sleep. And sleep is actually the best way to do this work.

There in the Darkness

Hermes is one of the *Theoi Khthonioi* the Gods of the Underworld

There in the darkness, I eventually quiet the voices down. Until I hear nothing. Just the empty void. As quiet as a tomb. I hear a single water drip down into a pool.

And when I open my eyes I’m in a cave. And there, walking towards me out of the infinite shadows that would drive all of us mad, is Lord Hermes. The Shadow Lord. No longer the young, clean shaven youth. But the older, darker, bearded man.

I am on the cold sandy floor crossed legged. He sits on a stone in front of me. He studies me for a long time. It makes me uncomfortable as hell. And he asks me what I wish to discuss.

And I begin my therapy with him.

Actually this is therapy and confession as well as cleansing. During this time I practice pure necromancy. I avoid anything related to the light as much as possible. And I gaze into the void we all carry within. And I try to learn more about myself.

I don’t hate myself at all. In fact it’s the opposite. I hold court with myself. Different versions of myself appear behind him. And each speak and tell me their problems.

I begin to strategize with Hermes and my guides. About what changes to make. One by one each version is purified in a ritual cleansing that is secret. Then I re-absorb them into myself. In this way I am regaining my personal power.

And doing away with negative things that only hinder me. I am also promising to myself in the name of a God, that I will at least try to be better. And to do better next time. This is a form of shadow work you can do during any retrograde. You just substitute Hermes for the whatever God of whatever planet is in Retrograde.

And of course the problems each retrograde brings out are different. Another thing to do, is perform a Necromantic Ritual. Either with your own ancestors or the God whose planet is about to enter retrograde. Asking them for a deliverance from the bad luck and other negative aspects of a retrograde.

The Shadows Grow……

but that’s not a bad thing

There’s a solar eclipse tonight. Which when combined with the New Moon and the Mercury Retrograde unleashes a lot of shadow power. When there is a solar eclipse, it’s the Sun Gods and Goddesses entering their death forms. This may sound like a contradiction right? How is it possible. How the fuck can a Sun God like Ra or Hawk Maiden or Apollon or Amaterasu be dead? Because everything dies.

Even our sun will one day die.

And then it all comes back in an endless cycle. A hoop that never breaks. The Sun Gods can and do die. In fact they appear in several funerary texts. Eternal life can also be the same as death.

In Christianity, you can only gain immortality through dying and entering Heaven. And then you become one with Jesus and therefore be eternal. So it’s not a contradiction. The Solar Deities entering their deathly aspects increase the powers of the Retrograde and the New Moon. Which is the natural time of the dead.

Now to make it even stronger, today is the feast of Baron Samedi. The Vodoun Loa (God) of the dead. And it’s also the feast of Saint Expedite.

The Stars of the Dead

This is what I am calling all the astrological forces I am seeing and sensing right now. Because I view them in my mind as stars. And they are lining up in Star form. Right now it’s a Hexagon. A six pointed Star.

The New Moon in Aries. This also means Aries the God of War is in his death aspect.

And therefore he adds his own power and wrath. Barron Samedi the Vodoun Loa (God) of the Dead and Saint Expedite. Tonight’s solar eclipse. And finally, the effects of the Mercury Retrograde. Tomorrow it drops to a trio : Mercury retrograde, and the New Moon with chthonic Aries.

Then a Pentagram with those two plus Saturn’s Day (Saturday). The day for the dead. And St. George’s Eve which is the time of the dead and phantoms. But also the dark spirits.

Demons roam the skies and land. And wicked things are everywhere. Black Witches practice their rites to Satan and Lilith on this night. Mercury Retrograde takes place on Friday. Any and all kinds of magic during this time will be powerful.

For good and bad.

Some legends say that you see Will-O’-the-wisps at night. And that these are souls of the dead that guard treasures they buried before they died. So that if you see these fiery spirits, you must mark on a map where you saw them. So that you can take the treasures. Yes this is a dark night indeed.

The veil will be at its lowest this week. So what does it actually do? I’ll make it easy. It can,

• Magnify all magic by means of lowering the Veil

• Create doorways to facilitate travel between the worlds

This goes both ways. Certain witches have been known to use times of the day or night of year to enter the spirit world. During the Wild Hunt, some witches used to astral project and join the Hunt. And this is such a time. The Stars of the Dead as I call them, will begin to fade Sunday morning.

Leaving only the New Moon in Aries and Mercury Retrograde. Then the New Moon will vanish with the first quarter moon. And it will be just Mercury Retrograde (for now). But this is just for now. I haven’t consulted my calendar in a while.

Some links and info!

From Pandora Astrology

Also from Pandora Astrology

NEW MOON 29°49’ ARIES | WEDNESDAY 4/19/2023 AT 9:12 P.M. PT

The Seven Symptoms of every Solar Eclipse By The Alchemist

It makes sense when you remember all of the positive things that the Sun embodies. So the Sun dying on us spiritually would cause all that

Three Crystals for the Solar Eclipse By The Alchemist

NEW MOON APRIL, 20 2023 AND A RARE HYBRID SOLAR ECLIPSE

Total Solar Eclipse and New Moon in Aries By The Mage

See you all soon,

– M

The White Rose of Avalon, A great Blogger and erudite of the Fae

So today I want to talk to you all about an another amazing blogger. She dedicates herself to the lore of England. To the Fae. To Arthur. And actually even to Goddesses.

So it’s not all about England either. Her latest post on Aphrodite April is amazing. So here I am showing you her best posts. Please follow her!

The Blodeuwedd and Guinevere Connection

The Morgana and Rhiannon Connection

The Mystical Femme Fatale Archetype

Flower Brides, May Queens, High Queens: Archetypes in Analysis

The 7 Gifts of Faery

Twilight Faery Living

Beauty & the Beast in Pop Culture

~ All Hail the White Rose and Enchantress of Avalon ~

– M

The Pink Moon from Miami

I’m on my Earth and Air shrine which I use for meditation and Astrology. And the view of the moon is good here. I’m waiting for it to be 12:34 am my time to get a good sight of the moon. So I figured I would show you my pictures so far.

Yesterday before I went with my Mom to her church. For a witch, going to holy ground before a ritual is both good in the sense of grounding, and also good for soaking up spiritual powers.

I’m just here on my balcony, praying to the Gods (which includes Jesus). Enjoying the night breeze with my plants. And listening to advice from my spirit guides. Grounding with the Earth, because one does not need to be on a tree or dirt to ground. You can ground from anywhere.

If you’re on planet Earth, then you could be a thousand feet in the air and still access it.

Even while one looks up at the Moon. Here, let me entertain you with some of the links on the moon sent to me today.

A Gorgeous Ritual for Tonight’s Magic

FULL MOON IN LIBRA 2023 (also courtesy of Lady Beltane forwarding that article from Vibrational Astrology.com)

Full Moon Libra April 6th 05.34am BST – A Pause in the Mayhem

Year of the Water Rabbit 2023 – Chinese Astrology Predictions

I saw a herd of animal shaped clouds from my shrine. Weird eh?

You wouldn’t see it very well from this picture. But in real life it looked like the Fiji Mermaid.

Part way through I realized I would not be able to see the moon from my shrine. As it moved, it got into place above my roof. So I had to go downstairs just to see it get to it’s peak. But I waited until the appropriate time so that I could enjoy being with my plants and spirits. Just a little while longer.

A cloud cover started to come in at the last minute.

So I decided to hurry my ass down and hope for a good image.

Look at how it shines like a beacon in the darkness

So I took out my wallet as is the custom among the old witches of England and I opened it up. And I prayed to the man in the moon to fill it up with money. And any and other forms of prosperity. I already had my Moon water prepared when the Moon began to show how big it was on Tuesday. This time I prayed also for my other charms to be blessed as well.

I also uttered a secret wish.

And I left. Oh by the way the ritual I did for protection worked. For those who are wondering. I will write that post up soon enough. But for now, I’m going to take my moon bath.

And pray some more. Good night everyone,

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Paradise Found | Santa Barbara (@paradisefoundsb)

– M

Strange Visions in the Night (Holy Week Horror)

Jesus tempted by Lucifer
from Holy Rosary Church

Many of you are probably asking why I am posting this. It’s only partially religious. Also remember I am a Christo Pagan. It’s mostly paranormal. Some weird shit that happened to me last night.

But I should start from the beginning.

Santeria and Latin America

Santeria is a mix of the Catholic religion with traditional Yoruba religion from Nigeria. It isn’t Vodou per say, but it does have some things in common. Santeria also have deep connections to Spiritualism. Spiritualism and Spiritism actually. Especially those things taught to us by Allan Kardec.

In Latin America and in Santeria, magic is usually never practiced during Holy Week. The reason for this, is do to Catholic traditions. In which the crosses and altars are hidden from view during this time. White cloths are placed over the sacred items. And we Santeros and even Spiritualists and Spiritists do the same.

To honor Christ. A spiritualist once told me that during this time, Jesus re-enters the underworld. And he’s there to cross over innocent souls still trapped in Purgatory. Until he spiritually resurrects after Good Friday. In which case he goes back to Heaven with all of the souls he has saved.

So perhaps it’s not right to say we can’t practice magic. We can. But it’s a spiritual type of magic. We pray and study scriptures or spiritual things with our spirit guides. We just don’t burn candles.

Instead we allow the energy or power of God to do it all for us. So Holy Week can be a very sweet and spiritually fulfilling time. However, as I have mentioned before and will keep mentioning, everything has a dark side.

The Dark Side of Holy Week

It’s said that on the day Christ was crucified, there were all sorts of demons reveling. They had failed to stop him from accomplishing his mission. So they decided to celebrate that he was suffering and dying. A small “victory” for their side. And that has become a tradition ever since.

Demons tend to have their own celebrations at this time. And practitioners of black magic tend to perform rituals and honor to their own evil spirits as well. I say practitioners because not every evil sorcerer is a Satanist. But the main belief is that before, after, and even during a holy day or week, they celebrate. All in order to mock whatever higher power has a feast day.

This isn’t just a Christian thing. Similar things can be found in other faiths. Where black rites and evil spirits celebrating can be found during the feast days of other Gods. The point is to commit sacrilege against the holy. We see the same on other holy days.

We see it on Walpurgisnacht (Walpurga’s night) which was originally the Christianized Beltane festival. It was believed the Devil and his followers gather on Mount Brocken in Germany. To celebrate their own black rites. To dance, and drink, and make merry. For this reason the evening of April 30th to May 1st is sacred to most Satanic groups.

Granted, this arose from the Christian perversion of Nordic religion. Even calling Odin or Wotan a “devil”. Regardless of how it arose, in the 60’s Anton LaVey made Walpurgisnacht an official satanic holiday. So it is celebrated by many modern and traditional satanists. And even they say they believe the stories of Mount Brocken are true.

There are many people who think that Satan and his horde still hold court on that mountain to this day. To mock not just the Christian God, but the Pagan Gods as well. So it’s not just the Christians getting harassed by these dark powers. It’s us too. And something similar is found in Santeria.

It’s believed that no Santero, Witch, or Spiritualist will practice magic on this day. Except someone who is intentionally trying to work with the darker spiritual forces. This doesn’t always mean a Satanist though. A Santero might break the taboo. If they think that in order to help their client, they need the aid of darker forces.

Now let me clarify, Santeros and Witches in general don’t have a black and white mentality. We believe in using whatever we can get help from depending on a situation. So if we believe that we need help from the dark side, we will get help from them. That doesn’t mean that we will engage in Devil worship. Or that we will make it a habit of working with dark things all of the time.

But in order to help an abused woman. A child being violated. A person being harassed by a landlord. Or even someone who owes money to the wrong people, we won’t hesitate to dip our toes in the darkness for it. And that is a long Judeo Christian tradition.

Going back to Moshe (Moses) who often used dark arts to help his people. As well as King Solomon who learned to bind demons and employ them against his enemies. So don’t think that we are unholy for doing this. It goes back to Biblical times.

Strange Visions in the Night

” The Flying Head ”
from Iroquois and Wyandot religion, it’s considered a demon of cannibalism

Now I am not saying I saw a Flying Head from indigenous religion. I live in Florida. And we have totally different Native groups here. But I did see something and whatever it was decided to come fuck with me in the night. It was strange.

Technically, it started Sunday night. But I didn’t put two and two together until recently. On Sunday I felt….something nasty. It made me uneasy. In the middle of the night I felt that that deep primordial fear of something nearby. It wasn’t in my room though.

But whatever it was, made me feel like a child again. I was scared. I figured it was just a bad dream. Until last night. Because last night I had strange dreams and visions.

And one of them, was of a floating head outside of my window.

It couldn’t enter my room because my house is a temple. There are shrine-altars everywhere. And the home is specifically consecrated through a dedication ritual to block things out. And my room has the most shrines of all. Even on my window.

So it couldn’t enter.

But I felt it saying something in English. It said something about “gathering souls” to eat. It unsettled me. I couldn’t make out any features because it was just a large shadow outside my window. At this point I still thought it was a nightmare and forced myself to become more awake.

I didn’t think anything of it. Until I heard weird noises all around me. Then I heard a scratching sound on the front door of the house. But again, I have protection everywhere. I didn’t do any of my normal protection spells do to Holy Week.

” Skadegamutc or Ghost-Witch ”
from the Tales of Sage and Savant

So instead I slept with a blessed confirmation Bible under my pillow. I finally realized it was all real when I used my sight. I could see the shadow of a haggard old woman with native features. She was floating above the roof top of my house.

“What the fuck?” I shouted.

I was almost waiting for an answer. My friend had recently told me she noticed a lot of dark activity near my home. And that I needed to be careful. I live on a crossroads. Which are interdimensional portals.

But besides that, the lands here always had something off with them. There are good spirits here trust me. And the Land Spirit is good too. But there’s also a lot of weird shit here. At some point I had to do a Deliverance to get rid of the spirits showing up here.

Finally, I got fed up with this shit. I took the confirmation Bible in my hands. And I focused on the energies of the entities. And I put them together in one image in my mind. A mental representation.

Similar to a Voodoo Doll. And I said,

“In the name of Adonai Tzevaot (Lord of Hosts) I command you to leave me alone and go to Gehenna (Hell) where you belong,”

Then, I focused in the image in my mind. And I smashed it over the head with the confirmation Bible in my hands. I heard multiple voices shriek in terror and pain. And anger, as if they were cursing my name in another language. And they finally fled.

But it took a good five minutes before they left. If they didn’t leave I had a plan B. After I was satisfied they were gone I began to pray. In retrospect I should have from the beginning. I commended myself and my home to God and asked for our protection.

After that all I had was peace.

I am going to do a special protection prayer and cleanse my shrine-altars again. I have some protection oil my sister got from a Hoodoo store in Georgia. And I will combine that with prayers to the Archangel Michael. But I had the strangest feeling when I woke up this morning. It was actually a memory of a dream I had after this took place.

I heard a nasty, diabolical, voice tell me I was being tested. To prove that I am as good a man as I think I am. I guess whatever it is got pissed off I drove them away. All I know for sure is that whatever this is, it isn’t over yet.

I’ll keep you all posted, be safe everyone. Some nasty shit is out and about these days. And they don’t care what God or Goddess you follow. They just want to feed.

– M

Post Script : This is the continuation of what happened.

Astrological Forecast for April : The Divine Twins, Mars and Venus hookup, The Pink Moon, Paschal Moon, Egg Moon, Peony Moon, Moon of Windbreak, Awakening Moon, and a few other things

Castor and Pollux the divine twins of the Greek religion by Baby Girl

First things first, as of tonight, we will see the Dioscuri or divine twins in the sky. They are the origin of the Star sign of Gemini ♊️. So tonight is a night of power for Geminis. As well as any and all twin spirits, Gods, or people who have any sort of duality. Apart from that, we also see that they are joined by Mars and Venus.

Mars and Venus are lovers. So the combination of love and war is in the air. Mars was also seen as a bringer of fertility to the land. Most people think of him only as a God of War. But he’s actually got a lot to do with the nature of growing and sustaining plants as well.

So when you know this, you realize that there isn’t much of a difference here after all. Virility and Fertility combined to help nature. Combine that with the nature of Castor and Pollux as Horse Demi Gods. And Demi Gods of Sailors and we have a lot of nature energy on the rise. In fact they complete the energy of Venus and Mars.

Venus is associated with water, and Mars with fire and earth. The two Demi Gods control both water and earth. And they are associated with electrical fire. Specifically, the phenomenon of St. Elmo’s fire. Plus they also have a great familial love.

So another aspect of love apart from erotic love.

St. Elmo’s Fire also known as Ball Lightning

So anything having to do with love (of any kind), fertility, or just growing your garden etc.. tonight is the night to do it.

The Pink Moon

The name comes from the sweet peas and the Wild Ground Phlox, the pink flowers that bloom in April. Although Daisies are the other flower for this month. This is the moon of Spring, when the flowers truly rise up in their full splendor. The forces of growth and nature are at their height. And with it, the life force of all living beings.

Now is the time of the Nymphs and other nature spirits as they frolic through the glades. Now is the time for not being introspective. We need to dance our asses off. To drink and be merry. I’m sure somewhere Dionysus will be throwing us a party anyways.

And in keeping with the Astrological influences of the twins, Venus, and Mars, we also have the influences of the Pink Moon. That of manifestation of dreams. Faith and positive energy in general. Now is a time for taking chances even if you fail. Doing things that scare you in order to feel alive.

For living not just surviving or existing.

The other influences including transformation. Changes of all sorts. Making new plans. Changing up everything basically. Also a time for grounding in nature.

This is also the first full moon after the spring equinox. Because of this, the Christian version of Easter falls on April 9th. Which means the Pink Moon is also the Paschal Moon. The Easter Moon of the Christians. So this is a good moon for all sorts of Christian, Jewish, or Christo Pagan magic.

Painting by Johfra Bosschart, here we see Christo Pagan imagery as the God Hermes, is holding the moon over an Angel

Or any holy magic from any holy faith in general. Marking this as an Ecclesiastical full moon.

The Pink Moon will be this Thursday, April 6th at 12:34am EST. The following is a list of names for the Pink Moon. The moon peaks at 12:12 a.m. EST on April 20th. And Sunday the 9th will be the Christian Easter. Remember that the Easter for Christians is always the Sunday after the full moon in April.

That’s how you calculate it.

The Downside

The downside to this is that you could burn yourself out. Especially if you’re one of those over achievers. As Peculiar Brunette says in her own article,

For those who are really sensitive to energy, you might feel overwhelmed. Like things are going too fast. Or perhaps you’re soaking up energy like a sponge and it will be harder to ground. In which case I suggest picking a rock from the ground, cleansing it, and then charming it as an amulet. Place it in your pocket as an anchor.

And ground on the go. Or any kind of metal will do the job as well. Hematite also does the job really well. As well as Smoky Quartz and Tiger’s Eye. Or even just a stick.

After all, it’s a piece of a tree. Besides a rock, what else grounds well?

You may need things to slow down. So you can ask your guides and Gods to slow things for a while. Or to help you catch up. Peculiar Brunette gives us links to other Native American names for the moon here and here.

From Old Farmer’s Almanac we have more alternative names,

And

Now the moon will start being seen the day before. On April 5th (Wednesday). And for many spiritual people, this is where the real power is at. Because the full moon’s power is felt three days before the actual event. And three days afterwards.

So any rituals you do, should be done the day before at sunset. For the ancients, sunset was their version of midnight. The days began and ended with sunset. This is the first full moon of the spring season. So all of the fertility and power of spring will be captured during the full moon rituals.

The folklore according to the almanac says one of two forms of weather can appear. A full Moon in April brings frost. But if the full Moon rises pale, expect rain.

Other information