Happy First Day of Spring! Today is officially the first day of Spring. And for me it’s the second day of Ostara. Normally, Ostara’s day for me is the first Sunday after the full moon in March. And per her instructions, I celebrate at sunset Sunday until sunset Monday. But it also makes sense to me that Ostara would be the first official day of Spring.
So I celebrate this day as Ostara 2.
On this random links of the day, I give you Spring articles and stuff about Ostara. I hope you like them. Also for those who don’t know, Ostara Germanic Goddess of Dawn and Nature. But it’s very hard to find more than that on her. We know that she is the origin of the word “Easter”, and that a month bares her name in the ancient German Calendar.
And we also know that Easter Eggs and Hares are associated with her as well. Legend has it that when Spring came, Ostara saw a small dove with frozen wings. Even if the frost had been taken off, the poor creature would have lost her wings. And most likely died on the spot.
So Ostara transformed the female dove into a female hare. And this hare was the only one in the world to lay eggs like a bird. As opposed to having live young.
The Hare became so associated with Ostara, that her symbol became a triquetra formed by hares running after one another. Eventually, Germanic peoples created stories about a a talking hare named the Osterhase (Easter Hare).
In 1993 for example, the BBC television show Wildlife On One had an episode called “Shadow of the Hare“. In which they claimed Ostara had a hare as her traveling familiar. And this is where the origin of the Osterhase. The Osterhase is sort of like a spring version of the Yule Goat. A sacred animal known for bringing gifts of some sort.
On paper I haven’t seen evidence of that. But I have seen these animals with her in visions. So I believe it’s true. If only because this Goddess is so associated with them. You can’t think of this animal without thinking of Ostara also.
In this case, eggs to be eaten. Festive eggs were cooked and given vinegar and salt for children and adults to eat them as treats. With the coming of Christianity, things changed a bit. The egg treats of Ostara became the eggs of Jesus (I’m trying not to make a joke here). This is kind of weird since eggs are a symbol of feminine spirituality.
Within the egg is the fetus of an animal soon to be born. Something a man and a male Deity can’t do. So how did they explain that to the people they were trying to convert? They didn’t. Not really. For them, it became about Jesus’ resurrection from the dead.
Symbolizing a spiritual spring. And the color red which is a traditional color for Ostara became the blood of Christ spilled on the cross.But, the blood of Ostara has always been the menstrual blood of the Goddess herself. Far from a painful death on a torture device, it was symbolic of the power of women to create life.
The Blood of Ostara
German communities brought these traditions to North America and even England. And eventually they were turned into chocolate eggs to market them to children. And of course over time the hare became a rabbit. And then the hare went from female to male. And sometimes wore gentlemanly clothes.
He looks so pissed here
But a male animal can’t give birth. So there’s that. Granted, no one 100% agrees on any of this. Some don’t even think that Ostara is a real Goddess. I have heard smartasses try and claim she is a “modern invention”. Because the Venerable Bede, the Christian monk who mentions the feast of Ostara doesn’t go too much into detail.
The man didn’t go too much into detail about anything. Christian scholars refused to document ancient pre Christian religions. For fear that they would accidentally create a manual for future Pagans to reconstruct their religions. Even Bede doesn’t actually say how Ostara was worshipped or how the feast was celebrated. All he says is “practices done according to the heathen rituals of the time”.
Ostara of the Dawn
And by Heathen they mean anyone who isn’t Christian. Not just actual Heathens. In conclusion I can tell you Ostara is very real and an actual Goddess. She’s answered prayers before and granted me prosperity in exchange for worship at dawn. I won’t go into the actual practice, but shes brought me wealth.
A “fake” God can’t do that.
I have seen not one, but several Hare spirits that accompany her. I don’t know if this means they are descended from the dove turned hare. Or if hares were her animal from ancient times. I’ve never asked. Mainly because no one would ever believe me.
When people ask for evidence, they’re not going to take a witch who claims to have magical powers. And who saw Ostara in a ritual when asking for help. Because to an atheist or any non believer or secular person, there’s no difference between me, and a schizophrenic. Therefore it’s useless. I know what I know. I have experienced what I experienced.
I receive answers to every prayer. Sometimes only too soon, and I know it’s real. I was borderline atheist years ago. The paranormal opened my eyes to what’s on the other side. So I don’t care if anyone believes she’s real or not.
Just like she doesn’t care. Why would a being, who can make the sun rise, transform one animal into another, bring forth spring, regenerate and heal others, is immortal and beyond our universe, care about what someone who is trapped in a flesh suit with an expiration date believes? Time for the links.
👆I’m disappointed with the time article. They use the lower case “p” for “pagan” which is pretty much any non-Christian religion. And it was kind of a lazy article to be honest. This blog post was written better.
“Praises to you O Lords and Ladies, blessings to you who answer prayers! Thank you for lifting me up high when I was low, for putting a smile on your child’s face once more!
If you remember yesterday’s post, I was in the middle of a Greek ritual. And for some reason I started spontaneously praying to the Gods for something other than my usual requests. In fact it was almost like my subconscious was coming out. Usually on Noumenia I ask for cleansing and purification with Apollon Noumenious. Or I ask Selene and Endymion for money since the moon and the Stars are associated with money.
And I work with Zeus Ktesios and Hestia on bringing prosperity to the Household. But I ended up asking for the original cold weather of my early childhood. Of waking up one morning and feeling the brisk chill. And seeing cirrus clouds in all of their feathery splendor. So I just went with it.
And this morning it was a beautiful grey day! When I was a child I loved days like this. When it would rain I used to pretend I was Captain Nemo. And I played with my maternal grandmother. Usually with a Nick Jr. cartoon or puppet show. My favorite was Eureka’s Castle.
The Tuatha de Dannan have recently been making their way back into my life. When I started out doing magic, like many I fell into Wicca. During this time, I was exposed to the many Gods and spirits of the people in the United Kingdom. And the Greek Gods. My Master even says the pantheon there is more like a “UK Pantheon”.
Because the cultures and peoples are so mixed in this area that no one culture can describe it. From the Welsh and the Irish, to the people of the Isle of Man and the West Country. I had worked as an eclectic witch for years. Then I decided that while I am very good at eclectic magic, I wanted to study and officially serve the Gods. In each of their cultures.
I had already initiated into Greek Polytheism/Paganism. But I still hadn’t reconnected to my Celtic roots. And I began to look around for a person to teach me. Properly. For a while that was a bust.
Until one day I found out that in my Greek Temple there was a Druid. And not just any Druid, but an elder in her tradition. I couldn’t believe my luck. Here she was. My Master.
Fast forward to the present. I have been studying them. And lately they have been very vocal. Besides the totem pole that I shared yesterday, I also have been giving them libations. And food.
And for some reason I thought of them when praying to Selene. The Tuatha are Faerie Gods. And many of the Fair Folk work with the moon. Maybe that’s why they entered my working. But I prayed with all my might.
Prayed for that chilly weather that makes me relive the happiest times of my early life. And the next day, they answered,
View from my balcony
Some shots from the Balcony
My Balcony Garden
The Sun partially came out near the end but that was okay
The Sun came out near the end
Now I’m sure some idiot somewhere is going to come on here and say, this proves nothing. Or it’s coincidence. Let me say this : normally I would agree that it isn’t enough to be evidence. But lately our “spring” in Miami is more like Summer. Even for Florida, we have had historically high temperatures.
Courtesy of Global Warming. Some of the heat we have experienced hasn’t been seen since past centuries.
In fact, whenever the meteorologists claim a cold front will come, we don’t bat an eye anymore. Almost all cold fronts before this one have failed miserably. And they were stronger and had more of a chance of becoming cold weather than this meek little front. But instead we all saw a grey and cool day. With heavy clouds.
A good cool wind, and a gigantic smile on my face.
Many of you know that among the many traditions I practice, is an esoteric or occult form of Christianity and Judaism. From a Judeo-Christian perspective, this is the time for magic with Rabbi Yeshua Ben Yosef (Jesus Son of Joseph). Because of the miracle of the Fish, it was later taken as an early Christian symbol for his people.
The Gospel of Yohanan (John) 21:1-14, Yeshua replicates the fish and loaves of bread to feed everyone
In modern Astrology, the new moon is seen as a time of beginnings. In ancient astrology however, it’s a time of the dead. And often considered a time of bad luck. For the Romans, the Nones or New Moon was so unlucky, it didn’t even have a God presiding over it. Which meant it was devoid of power.
One would see two different perspectives here. One is the idea of miracles repeating. In modern astrology, Wiccans and other groups perform wishing rituals in which they burn papers with wishes and desires on them using magical candles. The request is sent to the universe. And in theory, the universe obliges you.
It’s a little more complicated than that, but that’s for another time.
The Christianized version of the Celtic Imbolc festival
So the miracle of the replicating fish makes a lot of sense here. In a sense you are replicating your desires and reeling them in with a net. But more important than that is enlightenment. The idea that Yeshua and his followers would become “fishers of men” and that rather than kill them, like fish, the men caught in his net would live forever. This isn’t me trying to convert you.
I’m speaking strictly of Christo-Pagan mysticism. Yeshua’s movement started out as a mystery religion. Where members were eventually sworn to secrecy. And they taught great magics. Including the ability to command the spirits.
To exorcise entities. To heal among other things. Sometimes just by speaking it into existence. But modern Christians follow the bloody dogma of the council of Nicea. The false doctrines of the Emperor Constantine I of Rome.
And with these false doctrines, the religion was demystified. Most of the love, hope, and the wonder this faith once taught, is gone. Like a chalice of fine wine that has been drained.
Meditate with the stars. And allow your miracles to grow.
Not just financial miracles. Everyone prays for more money. But not everyone stops to ask why do we pray for more money. And the answer to that question, is that we’re addicted to it. We live in a world where in most of the planet, you don’t have access to clean drinking water without money.
And thus this is also a time for us to see if we can make our dreams come true without money. Or if we do need it, how to replicate it. But not to become engulfed in selfishness. And not to be slaves of it. And that is probably the most important part of this lesson to learn.
Instead how to use the spirit to work with the material. Because material doesn’t have to be “evil” like many religions teach. I can hear my Gnostic Christian brethren screaming “blasphemy!” but it’s true. Just because something is dense or physical, does not innately make it bad. What’s bad is how it’s used.
But this is also a time of the dead. And it coincides not only with the Roman Parentalia, but also the Greek Anthesteria. Both being times to honor the dead. So the New Moon is a perfect and auspicious time for necromancers and those who work with the ancestors. In fact it magnifies those influences.
Also, Yeshua is a very chthonic God. After all he died and rose from the dead. And was a great necromancer of his time.
Baraka, Asherah, and the Gods of Ancient Palestine
Asherah (GOD the Mother) the GODDESS, the sister and wife of Adonai. Notice her depictions even in ancient statues are very close if not identical to imagery of the Virgin Mary. She is the Supreme Queen of Heaven. She and her daughter Sophia were renamed “the Holy Spirit” in the Bible. Notice almost all descriptions of the Holy Spirit or wisdom show it as a feminine force.
Now more to the point, there is type of energy in Hebrew magic called berakhah. Sometimes written as barak, baraka, bracha, brokho, brokhe. It can be translated as blessing or benediction. One person, a Judeo Christian mystic told me it’s also used sometimes for the word “lightning“. As the energy appears almost electrical sometimes.
It is a blessing or gift we all have which comes from the Elohim (the powerful ones). The ancient Hebrew Gods. Before Monotheism took hold over Judaism. There were many types of Elohim. In fact it’s believed by many that the Greek God Adonis was originally the Hebrew God Adon.
Each of the Elohim were children of Adonai (the Lord) and his wife and sister Asherah. God the Mother, the Mother Goddess. Asherah once had her idol right next to the ark of the covenant. It was a wooden pole dressed like a palm tree, which was sacred to her. Eventually the fanatical sect that worshiped only Adonai, cut down her pole.
And they destroyed imagery associated with the other Elohim. The Bible rewrote this horrific genocide and persecution as “righteousness” and “the will of Adonai”. In my work about Ghosts in Judeo-Christian religion I talk about how King Saul banned witches across Palestine. Despite the fact that witchcraft was a fixture in the Jewish faith. Even under his rule.
And the Witch of Endor was frightened of him being in her house. She believed he would kill her where he stood. Even though he came to her for answers when Adonai would no longer speak to him. It’s interesting here because the Bible acknowledges that her powers are real. And she actually did summon the Prophet Samuel’s Ghost.
It’s even more interesting because it’s mentioned that
“He inquired of Adonai, but Adonai did not answer him by dreams, or Urim, or prophets”.
Urim is the casting of lots by the way. It was popular in the Middle East back then. These were considered acceptable ways to work with God. But when a Pagan does it to talk to their God/Goddess it’s “evil”. It isn’t the only time this happens by the way.
There are many cases of Jewish witches and wizards across the Bible. Including the prophets and priests of Israel who performed all sorts of ceremonial high magic.
The ark of the covenant attended to by one of the Kohanim, the ancient priests of Palestine descended from Aaron, the brother of Moshe (Moses)
Baraka is a divine power granted to worshippers of these Gods. Like the awen granted by the Irish Tuatha de Dannan. The ashe given by the Orishas of Nigeria. The ekat by the Netjer and Netjeru of Egypt, these are all powers. Some have the Baraka that grants prophesy.
Others material wealth. Still others healing. It all depends on the person and what they desire both in this and the other world. Now there are many Gods in this pantheon to work with. But for the sake of this article, I am specifically going to mention two :
Baal (Lord) Hammon, the God of fertility and renewer of all energy. And Dagon, originally a Sumerian God of fertility and fish. But as a Jewish mystic once told me,
“Many of the Gods in Hebrew Polytheism, originally came from the Sumerians,”
He also explained that holy symbols came from them too. The Star of David for instance. And even the Seal of the Prophets in Islam, were based on Sumerian symbols. Even the Hindus have much from the Sumerians. So as with many ancient religions of the Middle East, they are often our forefathers and foremothers.
Fertility Gods, particularly those who renew life and energy are perfect for prosperity Magic. And Lord Dagon also bring
How to work with Baraka
The Light of God Image comes from Rabbi Fryer Modzin’s meditation videos on YouTube
Judeo-Christian witches and polytheists have a radically different perspective of the following text.
“Thou shalt not worship other Gods before me,” – Shemot (Exodus) chapter 20, verse 3.
If you read the Bible, you’ll know that Adonai asks for a lot of different offerings during the whole day. But he requires offerings at the very beginning of the day. And then a final offering at the end of the day as well. Now what does that sound like? A Gatekeeper! In the Greek religion it’s Hestia. In Santeria it’s Elegua.
In Vodou it’s Papa Legba. And some Occult Catholics view St. Peter as the Gatekeeper of the Christian religion. Chosen by Jesus because of the text where Jesus grants him the key to Heaven. And of course Protestant style magic users view Yeshua himself as the Gatekeeper for God. In my case I choose either Adonai or Yeshua.
Or sometimes Simeon son of Yonah (Simon son of Jonah). The original Hebrew name for Peter, before Yeshua gave him a new name after his initiation into his Mysteries. Or I choose Chokmah (Wisdom) the daughter of Adonai and Asherah. Also known as Sophia in Gnostic Christianity. Regardless, many who use traditional Hebrew magic give a first offering to Adonai.
In his name of El-Elyon (El Most High). Which is the origin of “God the most high” in English. The first offering can be anything. Something that comes from your heart. I use a special blend of incenses based on the Ketoret (Incense of the Temple) in the Bible.
This is a combination of frankincense, galbanum (a plant found in Iran), and most importantly, opobalsamum (a rare type of amber from a myrrh tree). In fact this is a high grade extract of light myrrh. And it’s believed by many sources to be the origin of the ingredient “Stacte” from the Ketoret. Now others have other beliefs about what constitutes the temple incense. But regardless this is a simplified version of it.
Pray over it when you get the incense. And let the spirit of Adonai and Asherah flow into it. You can use an oil burner for this. Then walk around the house and purify it in the name of El-Elyon. This acts as both a purification and also an extension of the offering.
For Lord Hammon
For Baal Hammon I give him grain, a golden scented candle to symbolize his Kingship, honey, and fruits associated with male fertility. Such as mango. And anything that represents renewal of life. Save the candle for last, for this acts as the ‘ignition’ for the ritual to activate. Then pray,
“Oh Baal (Lord) of the land, sustainer of the crops, renewer of life, King of the lands, Hammon King of the Gods with power bestowed on you by the Great GOD and GODDESS, please bestow prosperity to me. In the form of…”
(Specify exactly what you want. If you have Bible paper, legal tender paper, or even bay leaves or brown paper bag, write your petition and burn it in the Golden Candle. Make sure you have a fire proof dish to burn the petition in).
When you finish say,
“Thank you O Baal for listening to my petition, I ask that if for whatever reason you not grant me what I ask, that you grant me the equivalent or something better, in the name of El Almighty, Amen,”
For Lord Dagon
A smoked fish, grain, sea iconography. Anything to do with the sea including shells. Or even symbols of fish or underwater creatures. Ironically (or perhaps not ironically at all) the Judeo-Christian fish symbol is perfect for him. It can even double as a representation of Rabbi Yeshua.
A scented blue candle that reminds you of the ocean. Prayer,
“Dagon, God who brings prosperity fromthe waves of the sea, hidden treasures on the ocean floor are yours to give and to take at your command, O divine master, bringer of fish, on this Pisces new moon, I ask you to magnify the power of prosperity and to bring unto me….”
(Make your petition, and as before, wait until the end to burn the candle).
“Father of the Sea, bringer of Prosperity, I end this work begging your guidance and any advice you have on how to acquire what I ask. If for whatever reason you not grant me what I ask for, then I ask for the equivalent or something better, Amen“
Then, give a final offering to El-Elyon. What I use for the final offering is a blessed candle. Shabbat candles, which are environmentally friendly and can be used for any ceremony. This seals the ritual. I leave the offerings on the table for three days.
Then I take Baal Hammon’s offerings to bury them on the land closest to my door to bring in blessings. But Dagon’s offerings go to any body of water. And of course I take a bottle of honey and pour a first libation for El-Elyon to send the offerings to these two Elohim. And then pour a second libation to him when I finish.
The empty candle jars I can recycle for future rituals to those Gods. Or maybe use them for talismans. I could even decorate them. Or simply dispose of them. I dispose of the wax at the areas where I bury the offerings.
This is a prosperity ritual I like to do with both these Gods. However, for some, a ritual to the Elohim might be better if it is with female Elohim. It depends on the ritual caster. And what type of prosperity you seek. I chose Fertility Gods because they can make money and other requests “fertile”.
Allowing them to replicate. Which is perfect for this time. For you, it may have to be someone else. I would look up the list of Bet-ilim and see which one is the one you are looking to work with. Though ultimately I would still pray and work with Dagon if only because this new moon is ruled by Pisces.
So now that I have written all about my particular point of view and Christo Pagan practices, I am going to add some astrological links as well.
Besides being the time of Imbolc as well as the Roman purification rituals for February, we have a lot of astrological activity. We see the Green Comet at 9:45pm EST. There hasn’t been a Green Comet around here in 50,000 years. So make sure you perform your strongest rituals.
I started this first week in the New Year in mourning. I lost my Great Uncle and my neighbor who was a good friend all at once. I’m using Santero rites to cross him over. He was a fellow practitioner. So for me, the above image makes a lot of sense.
Because death and it’s energy has been with us this beginning of the year.
And I am ready for this shit to go. Despite the darkness, I’m still hopeful for this year. So with that said, here are the astrological links. Here we have all full moon dates and names for 2023.
Happy Late Christmas Sunday everyone! Originally this post was made yesterday. But WordPress is being an ass. And it posted my report as if it was an article from last year. So I had to duplicate it for today. My apologies!
That’s the first Sunday after Christmas. So New Year’s specifically finishes with a tone of ending things that need to be ended. Or endings as new beginnings. Which is the same thing we have experienced for the last few years. It seems the Gods and the spirit folk are tired of telling us to do things more than once.
Before going forward, if you haven’t read my New Years Rituals blog you should now. To get on the right path. To clear away all unwanted things. To bring good luck. And to be blessed for the new year.
So they’re going to keep pushing this until we get all our shit together. To emphasize this, our New Year’s Day is a Sunday. The last day of the last week of the old year. And it’s a Christmas Sunday. Now technically we are still in Yuletide.
There are several Christmas in January traditions. Even ranging to the Three Kings Parade we have here in Miami. Which celebrates the Pagan Magi who visited Jesus as a child. And no, they never converted to Christianity. They remained faithful Pagans to the end.
Although the Bible doesn’t say how many Pagan Magicians visited Jesus, there are three who are specifically called Kings. Many thought this meant they were actual Kings. But in reality they were great Mages so wise and so powerful that they were considered witch kings of a sort. Mages who were on another level of magic and thus royalty amongst their brethren.
But getting back to the point, Christmas Sunday isn’t normally a Christmas in January sort of thing. It normally happens while the old year is still in progress. This adds once again, to that tone that this is a year for ending things. And I keep thinking,
“How much more shit do we need to end? Gods, can’t you bring something else to fill the void from all of this loss and reaping of the old?”
And they keep responding the same way,
“We have, you just don’t see it yet,”
To make it stranger, I noticed that barely half an hour after midnight had passed. And everyone went to bed. I can usually tell if a year will be shitty or…..extra shitty based on how long the celebrations are. Everyone went to bed early. Just like in 2019’s New Year.
You remember that year right? It was fucked up and a prelude to 2020. Again I say, how much more shit needs to be “ended”. Unfortunately, I got my answer : People need to get off their asses to change things. That means
* Militant political action, not just voting for the same assholes in both parties who change nothing. Actually stand up and protest and demand fucking change. Until then, we’ll have more years like this.
* Stop dreaming so much and wishing and hoping and praying and go do something. Actually change your life.
* Step out of your comfort zone and grow
* Try new things
* Go on Adventures
* Organize, Unite, and share information and resources
* Reject the model of materialism and self enrichment, and focus on enriching the community and the people as a whole.
I know American Capitalism teaches people the BS about the “American Dream”. And how it’s supposed to be a utopia based on all of us making money and being rich. It’s pretty obvious by now that’s bullshit. If it was true, we’d all be rich by now.
Especially those of us who actually work. Wealth comes from stealing from others and stepping atop their corpses in this country. So we need to remove ourselves from that self destructive tendency. Here we have our current New Year’s Report with all the Gods and spirits I can find. I separated them based on culture and religions.
First, we explore the Chinese pantheon and astrology. We are entering the year of the Water Rabbit. Click on the article to find your Chinese zodiac animal and see the forecast for your year.
Now we explore the Tai Sui for the year 2023. A Tai Sui or Grand Duke of Jupiter is one of 60 Divine Generals under the Jade Emperor. Once a year, one of these Gods will become the Grand Duke in charge of the planet Jupiter. The Ruling planet. What this means is that, the chosen God is the ruler of that year.
In fact, the Grand Duke of Jupiter is so important that whatever direction in Feng Shui is sacred to him needs to be appeased. If you do anything to offend the Tai Sui, it can screw up your year. Even indirectly.
Quote from the article on General Pi Shi at wofs.com
Such as by having your Zodiac animal be in contradiction to him. Or accidentally making too much noise in the direction sacred to the Tai Sui. The Ruling Grand Duke of Jupiter for the year 2023 is General Pi Shi.
General Pi Shi
The year 2023 doesn’t really sound like it’s going to be a peach. But General Pi Shi was a skilled leader in life. Both militarily and politically. And he was able to find solutions to problems very easily. Because of this, the year 2023 will have the right leaders to aid with problems.
Just don’t expect those leaders to always be political. Search for the leader inside yourself. And keep your eyes open for other leaders to work with. In life, this General had military and political commendations since he was very young. He quelled both rebellions and invasions.
And was given key appointments by the Emperor. So appealing to him for improvement and advancements are very good. Especially in making yourself better.
In many cultures, number four has a negative aspect numerologicaly speaking. Even in Santeria we are told to never light four candles in a house. Because it symbolizes death and the dead. This is from the time before electricity was being used in Cuba. When funeral parlors were using candle sticks.
Two at the head of the casket and two at the foot of the casket. However, as in many things, four has positive aspects as well. In Chinese beliefs the number rules over relationships. Whether it’s romance or friendship. Or business partnerships.
The effects will really be felt on the 4th of February. That’s when the number 4 star becomes the dominant force for 2023. This brings both blessings but also curses for the year. Besides symbolizing death, the negative number four also symbolizes betrayal of a relationship. Married couples are in danger the most this year.
If you are in a relationship, you need to proactively resist temptation in all of it’s forms. Arguments. And all other things. This may also mean divisions and betrayals even in political and business alliances. The thing to remember about the negative of any number is look at the positive.
Use the positive force of that number to cancel out the negative. It can’t fight itself. But you can resist and shield yourself with the positive attributes of that number.
Focus on its energy
Focus on it’s powers and energies. And allow it to protect you. Call for it to immunize you against its own negative aspects. Call it’s good energy into every part of your being. You can burn a golden candle with a number 4 you etch into it.
Obatala, the King of the Yoruba Gods or Orishas. And his daughter Oshun. The Goddess of love, lust, prosperity, nature, rivers, and witchcraft among other things. The King of the Gods and the Goddess of love magnify and bless every single one of us. Normally I translate the entire letter of the year but I found out Ashe Pa mi Cuba does it themselves.
The letter of the year is the results of divination for the new year. It’s done by the Babalawos or high priests of Orula. The Orisha of Divination and Magic. They call upon him to see into the future of the year. Then they give all of their predictions on the coming year.
And prescribe rituals for it to get better. The Divination of the year can be found here. Now as beautiful as it is to have Obatala and Oshun rule this year, the predictions are not beautiful at all. Remember what I said about this year being used to finish more shit? Yeah it’s about that. The reigning text or sign of IFA used in this divination is Otura Niko (The Foreman of the Dead). There’s a whole story about how Orula defeated death himself.
And shape shifts into Otura Niko the Foreman of the Dead. In the next few days I will write about that story. But for now let’s get to the Ebbo.
The sacrifices asked for protection and blessing over the New Year
Curujey is a name for the twisted air plant. Usually found in Cuba. In addition to this, Oya in the early hours of midnight asked me for something. I performed a Spanish tradition of putting 12 grapes in my mouth to ask for good luck. I had both green and purple grapes.
I ate the green grapes. But there were 9 purple grapes left. Nine is Oya’s number. And darker colors like purple are usually for her as well. I had no idea this sign was going to come up.
I just did as she asked. I took the purple grapes to a shrine for the dead I have outside. And I found a half empty bottle of Merlot on the way. She likes red wine. So I gave her the grapes and the wine.
Then asked for her and the dead to intercede on my behalf against any dangers in the new year. And to bring many blessings. When I actually took the time to read what the sign was about it left me stunned. That actually speaks to another theme of this sign : listening to your spirit guides and also following instructions. You will find many blessings that way.
There is another Ebbo for protection during this sign that I found during the study of the Oddun. It’s as follows. Warning this is only for Santeros. Don’t try this one if you aren’t, or don’t have sufficient training yet. I added this portion for purely scholarly reasons.
Ebbo (Cleansing) of Otura Niko
So that good comes. (I’ll go Umbo)
Ingredients :
1) Three bottles of brandy
2) A white plate
3) Cascarilla or blessed eggshell powder
4) Otura Niko is tied and prayed
Instructions :
This Cascarilla is poured into one of the bottles of brandy, and given to the dead, the others without the powder, one for Orunmila and the other for Eshu (Elegba). And this is the cleansing offering to ensure protection. And then of course you despose of them in accordance to divination. I have shrines for the dead and the Orishas so I know what to do with them.
It has a mix of good and bad omens for us all. This one I had to translate into English for everyone here. Or rather translate the aspects of it. Not the word for word text.
This sign is the foreman of the Eggun (dead). For which it is written on the tile when sacrifice is going to be made. Wisdom is the most refined beauty of the Babalawo.
* The agitation of the sea
* Corn
* The nervous system in the body
* That death is frightened and respects the living.
* And the Oparaldó
* The disfigurement of the human being at death.
* Eggún’s communication with Olófin
* Good and evil threaten the awó
* Send to prepare things on time
* Speak: kutone
* The country or land of Eggun where Otura Niko is the foreman
* It is an extension ifá
What does this mean?
* Orunmila lived in the Iyesá land
* In Otura Niko you do not eat caimito, zapote, octopus, or squid
* No ants or insects are killed
* It speaks of the human races
* It is an ifá of weariness and loneliness
* The son cried in the mother’s womb
* It was where Orunmila’s jars were hit
It symbolizes
* Oshun hid the money under the caimito bush and Shango his treasure
* Shango stole a thing from Olofin and hid it
* It is forbidden to go to the river
* Elegbá is for good and for bad
* There is a tendency to vices
* The most important thing is the spirit of the father
(This last one is interesting because the Letter of the Year mentions that Godsons and Godfathers should be closer to each other this year)
* It was where the king threw the raffle and Otura Niko took it out
Recommendations of the sign Otura Niko:
The children of this Oddun must be generous, because in this way they will be enriched. They will have to comply with everything, so as not to be accused of being irresponsible. For three days, bring a bottle of brandy and money to your Godfather’s Ifá. The secret of this Oddun is to feed his father’s spirit or his spiritual guide. He is given a white rooster.
The pregnant woman must make sacrifices to ensure a healthy child. Place food with syrup in the corners of the house so that the ants come and with them luck. Bathe with canutillo and other times with French macaw, red fig, and Iworiyeyé.
(Remember these are the rituals of the Yoruba people. No one is actually telling you to do this. The prescribed rituals are the ones in the screen shots I took. This is all part of the Oddun).
Another interesting thing is we are told to not kill ants. Ants are the lucky animal this year. They must be treated well. I will give an offering to the ants where I live for good luck. Also, Ants are an animal associated with Elegua.
Which I found curious. But that curiosity was later answered when looking up the Orixa Regente of 2023.
Sayings of Otura Niko
The iron wanted to fight with the candle. The Sun rises for everyone but you. He who does good in droves, will receive it in droves. The broken jar will never be filled. The broken jar will never be called justice.
The father says: If you are not happy in your house, you better come with me. Good and evil threatened the Babalawo. In the land of the dead, I am foreman. He who wept in the womb is blessed.
Prohibitions of the sign of Ifa Otura Niko
It is forbidden to eat pork. For this is offered to Eggun. No ants or insects are killed. It is forbidden to go to the river.
Ifa Otura Niko says:
“You will do a favor that you will not appreciate. In her house there is a person who has a cast womb, there is also another who is pregnant, and the child who is going to give birth is a boy and will be called a Know-it-all, because that child is going to be a Babalawo. They will send you to find a place forever, take care of your child. Where they live they have had money and today they have nothing to eat. Thank you Shangó. Feed your father’s spirit so that luck comes. If you don’t feed him, he will go where he is,”
It has a bit of Mayombe, be careful, because that slows it down. Don’t put pins in your mouth. Be careful where you eat, don’t get sick. Don’t ask for so much money, as it can be used for your burial. He cannot be stubborn and beware of treason where he can be poisoned.
Be obedient to your elders so that you can live happily. You can’t bathe in the river. You have to beg for your head. In his house there was a brunette woman with a red blanket, if he returns, he immediately gives Shango a ram and two roosters, which will then come with three very large lots.
She left her house in search of money and was introduced by three lovers, clinging to her guardian angel. In order for him to get such money, he must have an apron and buy lottery tickets, which others despised. The day you feed the saints, don’t work. He doesn’t have a son because God is angry with his behavior. Thank you, Oshun and Orunmila You can not get wet in rainwater, let alone bathe in a downpour.
While all three batches don’t arrive, be satisfied with what you have, you have to cover the holes of the mice, for your ashe,”
Characteristics of the sign Otura Niko (Ogbe)
This sign speaks of the person’s lack of awareness because he or she has suffered loss. This is where corn came down into the world, it was born. In this Ifá was born the communication of the Eggún (dead) with Olófin (God) through Oniko, who is the messenger. So Otura Niko represents the messenger of the dead or the foreman of the Eggun. This Oddun marks, the power of evil in the people of lights.
It is an Ifá of evolution for the Awó. They speak:
“The journeys of dualities to ask Ifá for recourse. Evolution to spirits, and evil threatens the Awó. This Oddun says to prepare things with time, because it is an Ifá that does not allow delay. The children of this Oddun must be generous, because in this way they will be enriched, they will have to comply with everything, so as not to be accused of being irresponsible,”
The turmoil of the sea was born. Speak: Kutoné.
“The country of the land of the dead (Eggun). This is an Oddun of life and death. Here was born the Oparaldó, which means (kill behind the body),”
This ceremony called theOparaldó is used to cast out or remove a particular dead person from “behind a person”. It’s a ritual for removing an attachment by a spirit in other words. Especially a dark ghost (eggun buruku). This may also be a sign that we need to protect ourselves from darker energies more so than usual this year. As we may see more attachments than normal.
Diseases that afflict this Oddun (sign/text) but also remedies we may be seeing this in 2023
* Diseases of the throat (tonsdolopathy), spine, nervous system, blood pressure.
* It speaks of the human race. The person lives with the opposite race (racial unity as a cure). This Oddun must receive Odduduwa, for a health problem.
Odduduwa one of the Primordial Creator Gods, one of the sons of GOD.
“There is someone in the family who hanged himself, just as there is someone who was educated in a convent or boarding school for nuns.
Otura NIko is an Odu from Ifá who speaks of boredom. The person gets tired of living. This Oddun is where the child cried in the womb. Bring a gift from nature.
This Ifá sends to bathe with canutillo and other times with French macaw, red fig and Iworiyeyé. This is the Ifá of the schoolchildren, the person grew up together with other children or lived near a school.
Ifá says:
That wisdom is the most refined beauty that Babalawo has. This is where Orunmila’s jars were actually beaten,”
As you can see, the text speaks of a great many things. There’s a mishmash of good and bad things. It feels like it’s saying this year will be a conflict between the positive and the negative.
“This Oddun is where the child cried in the womb. Bring a gift from nature. This Ifá sends to bathe with canutillo and other times with French macaw, red fig and Iworiyeyé. This is the Ifá of the schoolchildren, the person grew up together with other children or lived near a school.
Ifá says:
That wisdom is the most refined beauty that Babalawo has. This is where Orunmila’s jars were actually beaten. Here he was born: He who sometimes dies (Iku) is frightened and respects the living. The Great Power of the Awó. Here death is transformed into bone and shadow that nobody knows, and that is why the human being is disfigured when he dies and transforms,”
So we see another dynamic here : Iku and possibly the Eggun fear the living under this sign. Which means we have some power in our corner after all.
Secrets of Otura Niko
“This was where Oshún hid her money under the caimito bush and Shango hid his treasure that was: ero, obbi, kolá and ozún naború, under the canutillo. That is why the Awó Otura Niko should not miss a caimito branch behind the door and put Shangó erú, obbi, kolá, ozún naború, and cover it with canutillo. Here Shango stole a thing from Olofin from (our) religion and hid it,”
It goes on to mention again that you need to give honor to your religious Masters. With emphasis to a male religious figure. And the importance of a connection between the Godson and Godfather. And giving offerings to The Godfather’s house. The text in relation to love is very bad.
It says that finding love is a pain in the ass under this sign. Because betrayal is right around every corner. You are not to go near rivers. Or get wet by rain. And dogs are seen as special protectors.
But they should also be protected.
Many offerings should be made to your spirit guides for protection. Especially your Guardian Deities and any Eggun you have like the ancestors (thanks for watching out for me Oya). The importance of Ebbos and other special offerings and rituals for protection and blessing.
There’s another missed up story about a farmer, who gave his guardian spirit an offering so that he could gain blessings. But at the end of the story, even though he got his blessings, a sack of money fell from the air on top of him and he died.
“There was a farmer almost ruined because of the great drought that hit the region in which he lived. The plants and their animals were dying. But his guardian angel offered him a chance and said:
‘Give me a goat, but do not work or get wet with rainwater that day,’
The day that the farmer, gave the guardian angel what he asked, soon it began to rain. And the farmer forgot the warning of his guardian angel and left happy to stir the earth, (that is, he worked) at that moment came the luck of Heaven, that is, sacks of money, which fell on him and killed him,”
I’m going to say something that isn’t in that text. Okay? Don’t crucify me now. It’s an observation. He challenged the Osogbos and his own arrogance felled him. An Osogbo isn’t just bad luck.
It’s bad energy. Specifically it’s an Ajogun or demonic spirit. So it’s believed when you are resisting bad luck, you’re literally resisting an evil spirit who embodies that bad luck. So when your patron or matron Deity (guardian angel) is giving you a specific instruction to follow, do not deviate from that instruction. All this man had to do was not work for one day and stay dry.
Easiest thing in the world to do. And by the next day his crops would have been full and his Osogbos gone. What was so hard about following these instructions? Again, obey your spirit guides and Gods. That’s why death comes from disobedience this year. So there’s three things to take from that story :
1) The importance of Apotropaic Magic
Protection from evil spirits. As well as well as properly following rituals and instructions. Don’t fuck around. Follow what you are told. And do not deviate from instructions.
2) The importance of giving offerings to your spiritual guides. Following their instructions to the letter.
3) Be wary of the Osogbos
Just because you are doing a ritual to protect yourself, doesn’t mean it can’t backfire on you. And that the negative forces out there can’t hurt you.
When Orunmila went to see Olordumare
On this road, Orunmila needed to see Olordumare to resolve the situation that existed on Earth. But he could not get to where he was. Because he did not know the way or the enchantment. Faced with this situation, Orunmila divined seeing this Oddun (text, the one for this year), which Ebbó (offering cleansing) marked him with:
A rooster, needles, colored threads, fabrics, a basket, colored ribbons, eggs, little balls of faces etc. and that after he did the Ebbó he went for a walk. Shortly after walking, he met Eshu, who was disguised in torn clothes, Orunmila gave him fabrics, needles and threads to sew his clothes. Then Eshu directed him to a place where they met an old woman, who was Orishanla (Obatala in his Goddess aspect).
Orunmila, seeing her, gave her ten chicken eggs and the old woman was very happy. Because the hens had not laid there for a long time. After this, Orishanla showed him the way that would lead him to Olordumare’s house. When Orunmila arrived at the door of Olordumare’s house, he found it closed and through the bars of a window, he saw some boys, called them and fed them the buns he was carrying. Then he said to the boys,
‘Open the door for me, so you can distribute all the little balls I have in this basket.’
The boys opened the door and Orunmila was able to enter Olordumare’s house and managed to see him and ask for advice to solve the problems on Earth,”
This aspect of the text shows us that by acting honestly and in good faith, no task is impossible. Because the Gods and ultimately fate itself will help us. It again highlights the importance of doing proper magical rituals and making sure we do things correctly.
Who are the Ruling Orixas of 2023?
Oxum and Exu
This information comes from Astro Center .com I just wrote the cliff notes version in English. Umbanda and Quimbanda are both religions based on Yoruba religion. Just like Santeria. They also have Orishas (Portuguese Orixa). But their divinations and some of their rituals are different.
Mostly because Santeria and Umbanda and Quimbanda where influenced by different European cultures. So what the Yoruba practitioners lost or gained during slavery in ritual and culture depended mostly on that. It’s fascinating to see how similar they both are and yet different. That’s why I always pay attention to what all these groups say. I usually find a common theme in both divinations.
According to Umbanda and Quimbanda the Orixa Regente (Ruling Orisha) of the year 2023 are : Exu (Elegua or Eshu). Exu or Eshu is the God of the Crossroads. A messenger of the Gods, and a master of business and negotiation. A bringer of good commerce. Very similar to Hermes in the Greek pantheon.
And the other Orixa in power is, you guessed it Oxum or Oshun. Who is also one of the rulers of the year according to Santeria. As a Goddess of Prosperity as well as love, fertility, and also of good commerce, she adds to this influence. However, here’s the rub : I doubt sincerely that means you and I are going to benefit from all this prosperity. I don’t mean to be so cynical.
I believe the Gods want what is best for us. But prosperity for them and prosperity for us could have totally different definitions. That’s one, two I also sense that most of the prosperity is going to be sucked up by businesses. Not the common person. That’s what I feel.
Not because I believe the Gods favor them more than us. But because blessings are easier to get when you are already blessed. I believe that for the rest of us, we are going to have to fight like hell for those blessings. It’s not impossible. We can do it.
But be prepared to work your ass off.
From a Yoruba Priestess in the Article,
“What you can do to align with the energy of Exu, the lord of the order, is to organize yourself. The organization, discipline and good character will be necessary for you to attract the energy of the movement”, says the expert.
“Now to connect to Oxum’s energy she explains that you need to be kind to people, connect with your emotions and the emotions others, have the patience to understand the life of other people as much as yours,”
The expert adds that
“this will make all the difference in the final result so that you can connect and have a better year”.
In other words, the same thing mentioned above. If you are honest and generous you will ultimately thrive this year. The priestess also adds special baths and magic to achieve this end.
“For Exu, if you want to connect and get closer, the tip is to take prosperity baths. Try plants like Road Opener, leaf of fortune, and pitanga“, says the expert. “If you want to attract defense, take a bath of aroeira to be able to get closer to Exu’s energy and let this movement manifest itself into your life.”
“For Oxum, if you wish to manifest her sweetness and bring kindness to yourself, make a bath of fresh basil. This is a bath in which you will macerate herbs, prepare them, and wash from head to toe with them whenever you want to connect to Oxum’s energy, preferably on Saturdays”, concludes Priestess Iyá Tolomi.
Now, every Greek Temple has their own way of doing things. Our religion is not centralized like Yoruba practice. But I thought I would share what my temple believes are the Ruling Gods and Hero of the year. The two ruling Gods are Hephaestus the Black Smith and builder of the Gods. And his wife Aphrodite, a Goddess of love, wealth, fertility, bringer of good fortunes and things.
You can see some of the similarities. A Goddess of love is the common factor in the Yoruba and Greek Divinations. And the presence of Obatala, Eshu, General Pi Shi, and now Hephaestus all speak to the need for hard work for prosperity to truly come. None of us are getting shit on a silver plate. I think that’s been fairly established by now.
And Herakles was the performer of the 12 Labors. And a master of solving problems using his intellect as well as his strength. Someone similar General Pi Shi. Ultimately those are the themes of this year. I hope this will aid you in going forward this year.
– M
PS : As of 6:30pm EST my friend got into a car accident. So far they don’t know what happened to the breaks. But he crashed with a stop sign and a wall. So………the Babalawos were right as usual
There’s all manner of rituals and magic for protection and cleansing in the New Year. There’s some amazing things in tradition that one should consider adding to their practice. My witch sister (as in my actual sister) has been practicing magic here with me. Preparing for the New Year’s as well. These traditions come from different groups.
Also known as a Growth Cleansing or a New Year’s Bath, this is a bath with flowers. It opens up the spiritual channels in a person’s body. This is to allow them to release negative or unnecessary energy. While also allowing good energy to enter. The following is a formula we use in Spanish folk magic.
One prescribed by mediums for the new year.
Ingredients :
Note* ingredients must be natural and freshly harvested
1) 5 Sunflower petals
2) 5 Red rose petals
3) 5 White rose petals
4) 5 Pink rose petals
5) 1 Rue branch
6) 5 Jasmine branches
7) 2 yellow candles
8) 2 Rosemary branches
9) 5 Daisy petals
Instructions :
To start doing the bath, heat six liters of water in a pot or saucepan. You’ll have to leave the water heating about 10-20 minutes. Until it starts to boil. Once bubbles begin to appear in the water it means that it has reached the ideal temperature. Remove the pot from the heat and carefully put all the materials in the water.
Once this is done, place the pot back to heat. But this time you only raise the temperature a bit and stir the materials. After another 15 minutes, put the pot to cool. When the water cools put it in the bathtub with the other ingredients. If that water is not enough to bathe, you can put a little more water without any problem.
Essentially the water you prepared, will bless and charge the regular water.
Once everything is ready, light the two yellow candles and take a bathe. Imagine yourself illuminated by the energies of the flowers. Allow the souls of those flowers to enter you. All things are alive. And when you bathe in flowers, the souls of those beings enter you.
So this isn’t just a normal cleansing. It’s a soul cleansing. It washes through you and over you by using pure souls. Those of the flowers themselves. That’s how this works.
Embrace them. Feel the negative energy disintegrate inside you. And then be flushed out naturally from your energy pathways. Allow the calm, nourishing, energy to enter your pathways. Feeding them.
Renewing them. Once you finish the bath, dry with a white towel. This is because white is a color associated with purity. If you have a special color that empowers you, you can use that instead. Then do a regular shower.
And scrub with soap as you normally would.
As my Druid Master recently told me : in our tradition, any form of washing with water is a cleansing. And this is true in more ways than one. In Jewish mysticism, it’s said that water loves bad or impure things. It was made that way by God to absorb the impurity out of things and people. That’s why most cleansings use water as a basic ingredient.
How my sister does it
My sister’s special batch
My sister uses the same traditional flowering formula as described above. The only difference is that she uses Christian Magic to empower it further. In conjunction with the new moon prior to the new year. She also used my balcony shrine which is filled with various plants and astrological idols to empower it. She also adds a few secret ingredients to make hers stronger.
She also added some power to it from a portable altar she brought with her.
But because they are a secret taught to her by her teacher, I can’t reveal that. What I will say is that she combines it with Catholic Masses. She does a mini mass in the bathroom with a specific Gregorian chant playing on her phone. The combination of the potion with the holy music adds to the power of the cleansing. She uses special rites associated with the Catholic Church.
As well as the new moon, and Saints to empower the water. New moons are good for new beginnings.
I do it also not only with Christian Magic but with Santero magic as well. I appeal to Ossian the Orisha of nature and plants, Aroni his faithful servant, and Inle the Orisha of Medicine. I do special Santeria prayers with them. And I charge the potion on my balcony shrine as well. It’s a shrine to both nature and the astrological signs and celestial bodies.
I ask for them to charge it with their powers over night. And once I do this, I leave the potion in a plastic container for the night and allow them to fill it with their Ashe (divine grace). It’s pronounced Ahhh-sheh. Sometimes it’s spelled Ache by Cubans. Which confuses the hell out of English speakers.
I also add Cascarilla and some secret ingredients to the brew like my sister does. Though mine are different. Once charged, I wait until New Year’s Day to bathe. Like literally a few minutes after midnight. Then I try to dress in light colors.
I have a specific color I use to be empowered.
Santeria Cleansings & New Year’s Traditions
Orisha shrines to Yemaya and Oshun
These are cleansings taught to me by my Godmother in Santeria. The traditions here I also learned from my Babalawo. First up is the feeding of the Earth.
This one was taught to me by my Babalawo Warning! Do not do this ritual. Only a Babalawo or high priest of Orula cando this. I am just outlining the basic ritual and the origin. Doing this the wrong way can actually kill you. This isn’t a joke.
You’ve been warned.
According to our sacred texts, it’s said that when the daughter of God ile Oguere reincarnated, she became the planet Earth. Orula the God of Divination and Magic told her she needed to do a special cleansing called an Ebo. This is sort of like a karmic cleansing to change your fate. She did not. As a result, her children (humans) abuse and hurt her.
The Ebo would have prevented that.
Mother Earth herself
A few years later after humanity had populated the Earth, the Orishas (Gods) had invented death itself. This was to prevent overpopulation. They assigned Iku to be the Orisha of Death. And everyone hated Iku. They all wanted to live forever.
What was worse is that back then when people died, their bodies just lay around. Burying a body hadn’t become a custom yet. Imagine seeing your loved one’s body just laying on the ground. And it looks as if it’s still them. Just sleeping.
One day ile Oguere and Iku were spending time together. She complained that her human children abused her. And he complained that her children hated him for doing his job. So she had an idea. She made a pact with Iku.
“If you kill as many of my children as you can, I will absorb their bodies into my body,”
The problem was, it was going to be difficult for him to do it on his own. So he said,
“My wife Arun (disease) will have to do this work with us. She must be given power over everyone equally. The rich and the poor, the young and old, kings and their vassals, the wise and prideful, thieves and honest people. Everyone equally,”
She thought about it, and finally said,
“I accept, however I demand that all people grant me tribute of whatever food they eat. And if anyone does not do this, you will be in charge of collecting their debts,”
From that day forward, Iku sends natural disasters and all manner of unnatural death to fall on humans. And in exchange, ile Oguere will suck down human bodies into her own body. When this happened, human bodies began to decompose. Because the Earth began to call them home. Now since then, many rituals to appease the Earth have been made.
As well as many rituals to ward off Iku. And some ceremonies like this one, do both. The Jorojoro is a hole, representing the mouth of the Earth. Usually, a group of Yoruba practitioners led by a Babalawo go into a barren land. They open the Jorojoro, and perform a ritual which has many prayers and components.
But part of it is a technique called Sarayeye. Basically, this is cleansing your body or a place with a ritually charged object. This can be an idol. Food. Or even the body part of an animal like feathers.
In this case, everyone carries a plate full of food and perform Sarayeye with that food. The cleansing absorbs all the bad energy. Bad luck, death, disease, curses, obstacles in the New Year etc…then one by one, the food is dumped into the JoroJoro to feed the Earth. The Jorojoro has to be deep so that it can absorb all of the food. Then, the ritual is closed, by sealing the Jorojoro shut.
The Earth Mother will be appeased and she will give you powerful blessings. At the same time she is draining all the osorbos or bad energy away from you. Including Iku or death. This is done every new year by Babalawos. The ritual is expensive but well worth it.
But I must warn you that only a Babalawo has the authority to perform this ritual. If anyone tells you they can do it without being a Babalawo, run away. Because doing it incorrectly angers ile Oguere. And it results in death. This is because the Earth is hungry.
And the worst thing you can do, is to leave the hole open. She will devour the energy of the person who didn’t perform the ritual the right way. Pull their soul down into death.
This cleansing was taught to me by my Godmother in Santeria. Oshun and Yemaya are the Goddesses who symbolize cleansing and prosperity the most. Inle does too. But a lot of people leave Inle out. What you do is take a bottle of melao or sugar cane syrup to the beach.
And once there, you pour some in your hair. And the rest into the water. Obviously you have to be in the water when you are doing this. This is an offering to Yemaya, the Goddess of the Seas and Oceans. Really all water everywhere belongs to her.
She is the Mother of the Earth in our tradition. Because without water, no planet can survive. Now, when you do this, it’s an even more powerful cleansing than the flowering ritual mentioned above. Yemaya can open your roads to greatness and bestow blessing so powerful than no force or enemy can stop you. It may take a while with the flowering bath to disintegrate the bad energy.
As well as renew your strength. But this cleansing with the beach is faster. It’s also more powerful because this is a loci specific ritual. A ritual that uses the power of a location to help you.
A variation of this ritual, uses a honey comb or honey. Personally, I prefer to use a honey comb. You can buy those in the supermarket. It’s like a bar of soap made out of honey. You can scrub yourself with it.
They’re usually in square plastic containers like this. Though if you can’t find honey combs, just rub regular honey on yourself. Then pour the rest in your hair. Like the offerings of the sugar cane syrup. Oshun is the one you call with this cleansing.
And you are asking her to pull all the impure energy out of you. All bad luck, everything out of your energy field. Then, you toss the honey comb into the water as far as you can. That will be the offering for Oshun. But I would recommend you bring a change a clothes with you.
Bring shorts or a bikini to enter the water. Because regular clothing in sea water smells like a rotten animal. Better to remove the wet clothing and change back into your normal clothes afterwards. Bring a bag with you for your wet clothing to seal it up until you can wash it. Likewise you can do something with Inle as well.
She is the Doctor of the Orishas. And has great power to heal. What I normally use for her are vines and leaves which symbolize healing. I ask the Earth to charge it with great power. Then when I go to the Ocean, I ask Inle to drain all that is bad from me, to the vines.
And all the good energy from the earth and water to enter me. Then I toss the vines into the water far away from me. And that will be Inle’s offering.
We have already discussed the powers of the Sarayeye technique. And how ritually charged objects can be used in cleansings. This is such a cleansing. My Godmother taught me this one too. The one and only ingredient here is an egg.
If you want you can bless the egg to make it stronger. That’s up to you. On the first Monday of the new year, in the morning, rub an egg from the crown of your head to the soles of your feet. And pray to Elegua. Ask him to take all the bad energy out of you from the old year.
You will wait until you feel lighter. As if everything that was on and in you will be devoured by that egg. Eggs are living objects. They have living organisms inside them. So they are the best things to use for a sacrifice.
Once everything has been pulled from you, you throw it backwards so that it will break. Do not look behind you. Because if you do, whatever negativity you had removed, will return to you. And worse than before. Now you cannot eat eggs for seven days.
Because if you eat the same food you cleansed yourself with, it will also return the negativity to you. Seven days is the cut off point. After the egg fast the day after the seventh day, you will be able to eat them again. You can wash the egg with holy water to give it an added charge. Or anoint it with a holy oil or powder.
If you can’t do this in the morning then do it at night or the afternoon. The point is doing it while it is still Monday. Elegua is the God of the Crossroads in Yoruba religion. He opens all roads and brings success in all things. No ritual or prayer can be done without giving the first and last offerings to him.
He is the Lord of the New Year and Old Year and will open and close all doors. Doing this ritual with Elegua will be sure to remove all obstacles. He is the divine child God and Prince of our religion.
Throwing Water out the front door, the Window, or the Balcony on New Year’s Day
In Latin America and Spain, people throw out a bucket of water at the very moment of midnight of New Year’s Day. Others like the people of Uruguay, do it from December 31st. The water absorbs the old energy of the old Year. So when you cast out the water from your home, you are casting out the old year. Santeros have our own variant of the ritual.
My Godmother puts Cascarilla into the bucket so that the positive energies of the new year can be invited in. Some use a bucket of Catholic holy water.
Puerto Rican women of the older generations also did the same thing. But they would follow that up by burning church incense inside the house to bring blessings. They’d be doing this and praying deep into the early hours of the night. And to ward off evil. I burn Gold Rain incense that I dedicate to the laughing Buddha to bring in money.
The Christian Magicians in the Ozarks in Arkansas have similar beliefs. They believe in sending out the old year. And bringing in the new year. But instead of using a bucket of holy water, they open their windows. Just a crack, not open all the way.
The old year slips out through the same small opening. And at the same time the new year slips in. There are other beliefs concerning the New Year’s in the Ozarks. Namely that a visit from strangers isn’t very good. But especially not from a woman.
Why that is, has never been explained, at least not to me. Only that your year is supposed to be crap if a woman is your first New Year’s visitor. That actually happened to me once. And it wasn’t just any woman, it was an extremely neurotic neighbor. One that drove her family crazy.
Like literally every once in a while there were cops or some other trouble in that apartment. She visited us to wish us happy new year just as I was about to throw the water out the front door. I actually debated tossing the water at her.
“Maybe if I throw the water at her crazy ass it’ll exorcise the bad year or cancel it out,”
I didn’t. And man did I regret that decision. Because it really was a shitty fucking year. I don’t know if it was the power of suggestion or not. But at least that time it was right.
I know in the Ozarks it usually is right. On New Year’s Day they tend to stay home. Almost in lockdown pattern. Until the next day. They also seem to have a taboo against taking something out of their home.
They seem to believe removing anything from their houses on New Year’s Day will bring poverty. For a visitor to be allowed in, that person has to bring something inside with them. Even if it’s a twig. This symbolizes prosperity. Now with me it’s the opposite.
I throw shit out as quickly as possible. I like my energy uncluttered. But every place has its own set of rules. All of this information comes from a Folklorist known as Vance Randolph. His research on the Christian faith healers and magic users of the Ozarks is considered Gospel.
Even by the faith healers themselves. He did everything he could to properly catalog, analyze, and preserve Ozark culture. Especially the magical and mystical aspects of their folk religion. He’s in essence, the Eliphas Levi of Ozark and folklore and folk magic. His second wife was a premier folklorist named Mary Celestia Parler.
And together they created the Arkansas Folklore Society. Unfortunately the society which was started in 1950, ended in 1960. But any books or papers you can get from them are good. For they are necessary if you really want to understand the culture and faith of these amazing mountain people. I became fascinated by Ozark magic and folk religion years ago.
I thought this entry would be incomplete without mentioning them.
Chalking of the Doors : Blessing your home for the whole year with Baby Jesus and the Three Kings
The blessing formula drawn over the inside or outside of the front door to bless the home
It was once believed by Christian denominations from Europe, that Satan temporarily losses his powers. Every year around the time of New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day. Some believe it’s on Christmas Day. Still, it’s important to perform special wardings and blessings. The most common blessing during this time is the Catholic Epiphany blessing.
In fact, practitioners of Hoodoo also perform this blessing themselves. While traditional Catholics only allow a Priest or the head of the family to do it. Anyone who practices the root can do this. When a Priest does this, they do it as a representation of Christ. This is commonly referred to as in persona Christi(in the person of Christ).
This is a fascinating concept. It essentially means that the Priest is making themselves empty of their personal nature. And they ritually “become” Christ. They allow themselves to be filled with his authority. Like a form of divine possession almost.
In Christianity, divine possession doesn’t always mean that a spirit takes you over. Sometimes it refers to inspiration. Gaining prophetic visions and such. In this case it’s the actual authority of Christ being transferred to the Priest temporarily. When this happens, any blessing performed by the Priest, is the same as if Jesus himself were doing it.
Traditionally, a Priest does this. But the father of the family can also do it. I find that kind of sexist because the head of the family could be a woman. So really any head of the family can do it. As long as they are baptized.
Because then they are, they’re included in the “universal priesthood” (belief that all Christians are priests of Christ). In addition to this, practitioners of both Voodoo and Hoodoo can also perform this ritual. In fact this was an old tradition for many years. I was going to write about this. However, there are some amazing articles I found that I decided were better than anything I could write.
* Worship of Jesus in his child form (Divine Child) a theme you can find in many religions
* Worshipping him through a household ceremony as if the house was his house
* Calling on the Three Pagan Kings to aid in the warding and blessing of the home for the whole year until next year by chalking the door.
Using the Blessed Chalk to make the inscriptions
Then
* Blessing the home with Epiphany Water and special prayers.
Again this is me dumbing down the ritual for you. The actual ritual is a ceremony the whole family just participate in. And you are giving cultus to the Christ child by using an image of him. Now, the Catholic Church explains that the formula for blessing the house is Latin. And that the initials mean, Christusmansionem benedicat – (Christ bless this house).
However, these are also the initials of the Three Kings. Casper, Melchior, and Balthazar. And as I said, this is an old tradition done even by Rootworkers in the old days. Granted when we do it, it’s normally just the initials C.M.B., the plus signs are crosses and the numbers are the year the blessing is taking place in. For instance, the formula for this new year will be 2023 so the formula will be,
20+C+M+B+23
Rootworkers also believe that this chalk blessing offerings protection against witchcraft. It calls on the power of Christ and the three kings to block any malevolent influence. Be it magic or evil spirits.
How I do it
I do follow this formula almost identically to the way it’s performed by the church. I find that the chalking formula they use is better than just writing CMB. However, I don’t just write what is there. I add some things to the blessed incantation. For one, there was a Fourth Mage King known as Artaban.
He followed Jesus all his life. There are stories of heroic deeds and even people whose lives he saved along the way. But he never did catch up to Jesus. Finally he died almost at the same time Christ was crucified. And Christ himself crossed him over.
Saying that in everything he did, including saving the lives of the innocent, it was as if he had done those things for him. And There was also a Roman Witch the Magi Kings were friends with. We don’t know her true name. But she is known as La Befana in Italy. So over there it’s a Christmas Witch and not Santa Klaus who delivers gifts.
She was to join them to see Jesus as a child. However, she said she couldn’t because she was too old to make the journey. Later she regretted it. And tried to catch up to them, but it was already too late. So the sack of gifts she intended for the Child Christ, was instead given to the needy children of Rome.
So my formula is :
20+C+M+B+A+LB+23
To invoke all of their protections.
Other Traditions
There are a bunch of other New Years traditions to mention but they are all too numerous to write about here. So instead I brought you links and pictures from Atlas Obscura.
The Great Goddess herself, whom this festival is dedicated to. Hail Selene!
So after yesterday’s extensive article on day 1 of the Noumenia or “new moon” festival, we go to day 2. The actual Noumenia. Ironically this is the easiest of the three day festival. There isn’t much to unpack here. The most complicated day is the first day.
I can also tell you that today is the total opposite of Hekate’s Deipnon. Where the Deipnon is isolating to a point, where you stay in doors all night. Where you prepare your shielding and warding like crazy to keep all of the bad spirits out, this is about joy and happiness. It’s a celebration of the new lunar month. Tonight is actually the best night to have a garden party in your home with friends.
To celebrate with the Nymphs. To have good drinks, and to eat good food if you want to. It doesn’t have to be that way either. These are just ideas. This day is one of the most liberating.
And it is a festival after all.
Today at Sunset, on the day of the last quarter of the moon I had bidden farewell to the old month. And I welcomed the new lunar month. So first thing is first, besides Hestia, we’re also working with Apollon Noumenios. Little is known about this version of Apollo. Except that clearly he’s a part of the Noumenia festival.
What we do know is that he’s a cleanser of negative energy. In fact we bless the lustral waters in his name. He and Hestia preside over this ritual. This day is dedicated to the Goddess Selene, the Titan Goddess of the Moon. She’s one of the Titans who continued to have a place in the Universe.
Even after Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades took over the Universe in their rebellion. I also made slight changes and alterations in how I celebrate this day. And I will also point out what I changed and how I do it. That way you know the difference. Let’s begin.
We’re also working with Zeus Ktesios. If you remember yesterday’s article, this is a household aspect of Zeus. We make a jar that we decorate in his name for Zeus Ktesios as his idols. Here is a picture from another website on what to put inside the jar. Now yesterday we dumped the contents of the jar, today we restock it.
I like to use a special prayer from the top of my head asking Zeus Ktesios to fill the jar with the spirit of prosperity. Good energy. Hope. And General good luck. I visualize a light around me that enters the jar.
And that once I close it, the good energy is sealed with me. It is then put into the pantry to bring prosperity to us all.
Focus
The focus on this day is again, purification. The difference is the Deipnon was a deeper and more chothonic cleansing. But this is a lighter cleansing. And a powerful blessing by means of the moon. It’s a day to clean magical tools.
To bathe in the light of the dying moon. To soak up it’s final blessings. You can also charge talismans during this time. And you can make holy water. Specifically I make Noumenia Water to Apollon using this power.
These prayers I made up for my own rituals. You can either use them, or make up your own. Or even just speak from the top of your head when you do the ritual. Either way, this is something to keep around in case you’re tired and stressed and can’t think properly.
The celebration is very easy to do. First you need to cleanse with the lustral waters by washing your hands and asking Apollon Noumenios for purification. We give a libation of water first to Hestia,
“Hestia, daughter of Zeus please intercede on our behalf with the daughter of Hyperion and Theia. Prepare the way for tonight’s festivities, may the home and hearth shine with mirth and love. May the spirits of the household dance and praise the Theoi (Gods) and Theaia (Goddesses),
Yammas,”
Pour a libation of water in her honor. Now, for Apollon Noumenios.
“Hail! Apollon son of Zeus, divine messenger of the Great Father, Lord of Oracles, Master of Wisdom and Magic. Bringer of the Sun’s life giving rays, holy prince of Olympus, we call to you in your function of Priest of the Noumenia. May you intercede in our behalf with the Queen of the Moon herself. Bring to us all the blessings of this new month. Bless us Apollon Noumenios with the power of this new moon,”
Pour a libation of water. Now you can pour water to the Queen herself, Selene.
“Oh Holy One, Precious Daughter of the Titans, illuminator of the night. You bring us light in the darkness just as Apollon and Helios bring forth light in the day. You show us that we needn’t fear the dark. You provide for us and all the creations a lamp by which we can see through the deep shade of the night. Bless us with the power of this fresh new moon. May we be cleansed and purified. May you bless our new month. May we have only the good luck of the moon,”
Pour a libation for her. Now take the final portion of the water and pour a final libation to Hestia.
“Hestia, Queen of the home and the hearth, bringer of fire and comfort. High Priestess of all rituals and festivals. No celebrations can be made unless you are giving offering and worship first. We call to you to now seal this ritual and celebration. Accept this libation, Goddess who is first and last,”
And that’s it, you’re done. Now you can add stuff or change it up. I will give you a few ideas in the following. Including some additions to the liturgy. This is what I do.
Here are some of my personal changes to the ritual.
Liturgy of the Night
Besides Selene, I also worship
Nyx the Goddess of Night and her consort Erebus the God of the Night mist.
Asteria the Titan Goddess of the Stars (Hekate’s Mother)
And last but not least, the Demi God and hero Endymion. The son of Zeus and the Queen of Elis, Calyce. Endymion wasn’t a typical prince. He was a Shepard and working the land, he was also a scientist. Specifically an Astronomer.
In fact, Pliny the Elder actually credited him as the first Astronomer. At least in Greece. If this is true, it also means the lunar-solar calendars came from him. And perhaps star charts were probably based on Endymion’s own sciences as well. Even though he was the son of Zeus, Calyce’s husband King Aethlius, loved the boy as his own.
Though whether he knew about it or not we don’t know. People only figured it out when he was growing up and became almost supernaturally handsome. And this is how he relates to Selene : of all the things in the sky he loved to watch, he loved the moon most of all. And Selene began to watch him and fall in love with him. Her moon beams would caress him at night as he slept.
There are many even today who think it went beyond that. With the Goddess descending upon the Earth in human form to be with him. So Endymion is her mate. So for me, it only makes sense to worship him with her. Also I practice magic and I love science as well.
Endymion had a good heart. He loved his animals. He never once allowed his princely status to make him believe he was any better than anyone. Not even his dogs and farm animals. Is it any wonder that he was able to move a Goddess’ heart to love?
So he’s a personal hero for me. I worship Endymion as the Demi God and Hero of Science and Astrology as well as Astronomy. Obviously I worship her first and foremost. And as per Pliny and other historians, he did in fact exist. People are still try to find Prince Endymion’s tomb to this day.
Though the popular legend states that he never died. Selene loved him so much that she asked Hypnos the God of sleep to keep him asleep eternally. That way she could watch over him. Supposedly his body is hidden in a vault somewhere. Where only Selene can visit him.
Hypnos granted him the ability to sleep with his eyes open so he could gaze on her beauty. Also, him being asleep isn’t stopping him much. Apparently they still have sex. And so far he fathered a whole class of Goddesses with Selene. They’re called the Menae.
Besides water libations, sometimes I offer up cookies that resemble the full moon. Or any kind of lunar decoration. Or even just gingerbread. I don’t know why I keep feeling like I should use that. Maybe those are my household spirits giving me ideas.
I also offer up milk or cream to symbolize the moon. And my nature spirits have a sweet tooth so I am guessing that’s part of it. The Gods (at least with me) always share their food with the spirits. I always like to nurture them all. And finally I like to give silver things.
Global Warming is destroying our planet. As well as human activities meant to “better” our society. Such as this dam which was constructed by the Fascist Dictator of Spain, General Francisco Franco. Franco’s dam covered up an ancient series of dolmens, stone pillars meant to support stone roofs of ancient structures. Its believed they are at least 5000 years old.
Of course Fascists have no respect for history. So for Franco to flood such a historic site into a dam meant nothing to him. After all, in Fascist Spain, history began and ended with him. As a Theocratic Fascist, his regime was founded on the notion of Roman Catholic supremacy. Wiping away any remnant of the old Iberian religion was a must.
History be damned.
But ironically, Franco’s “God” failed. For by the hand of man’s own destructive nature we now have Global Warming. And through it, we have found many of our ancient ancestral sites and relics.
Here we see a sky view of all those arches from above
It’s nice to see something positive come out of our current global catastrophe. Maybe we can learn more from our ancestors on how not to be stupid. And how to properly live with the world around us.
I haven’t done these in a while. But I am so glad to have the energy to do it again! So here we are. Tonight is a rare planetary alignment.
Rule of the Gods
From left to right : The Roman Gods Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, and Uranus
This information comes from Magical Recipes Online. Apparently this is a 666 portal. The 6th day of the 6th month of the year resulting in 6 (2+0+2+2= 6). According to the article, these numbers align with the planets on Monday. Now even though the names of the Planets in Western Culture are of the Roman Gods, it could apply to other Gods as well.
For instance in Santeria it would Elegua, Ochun, Shango, Obatala, Iku for Kronos, and Olofi for Uranus. The point is the rulers of these cosmic forces are aligning tonight. So it’s necessary to work with them. To pray to them. To ensure that we can channel these energies for good.
Most people think of using power for themselves. Don’t do that tonight. Tonight think of humanity, the other non human animals, the trees and stones, and soil. The very air in fact. And call for a regeneration.
Ask your Gods whatever blessings they deem you are worthy of.
Numerology
This number is super misunderstood by a bunch of people thanks to Christian thinking. I’m not saying that it doesn’t have at least one demonic connotation or definition. But most of the time the number is actually positive, image from this video
In China, 666 is the number of Prosperity. It brings great wealth. And many Chinese businesses utilize the number. In conjunction with special shrines to get more customers and make more money. I first learned of this after working in a restaurant for a Chinese business woman here in Florida.
Hell, it’s even used in Gamer Slang in China. And some people pay extra just to have those numbers in their personal phone number or license plate. So starting with that, it’s a vary prosperous number. And will bring blessings to everyone. So perhaps give offerings of six pieces of food, with six candles, and six incense sticks.
It’s a simple offering that can be used as a ritual to focus your intent. And to spread the healing energies and good things everywhere.
It should be also noted that some associate the number 6 with the Goddess Venus and the literal planet Venus (others believe it’s the number 5). Venus rules over love, prosperity, healing, peace, harmony, stability, and fertility. Mercury opens the Road for us. But it’s Venus, who is the second to first Deity in the line up, who brings us these things.
Astrology
The alignment extends towards the month of June. The best time to watch the alignment of worlds is thirty minutes before sunrise. June is also the month of the highest spiritual light. Because it’s sacred to Juno, the Queen of the Roman Gods. So all of this brings blessings into the astrology.
Astronomically speaking, this type of event hasn’t happened since 2004. Tomorrow, the waning crescent moon will also be a part of the alignment. So now is the time to do all good workings. And let the Gods bless you as they will.
This is on the Saturn, Mercury, and Neptune Reyrogrades
From Pandora Astrology
That’s enough for now everyone. The only thing I will remind you is that the world will become extra liminal. This alignment will thin the veil of it hasn’t already. So protect yourself well. Spirits will try to trick you.
Adventures of A Mage In Miami 