On this addition of random links of the day, we have some interesting articles on places and magic. And magical places in some cases. I kept getting so many of these articles that I made them into a random links addition. We’ll also be exploring ghosts and at least one article on haunted objects. Let’s get started!
🔝 I’m skeptical of this to be honest. It sounds like BS like “carbon capture” which only transfers the pollution from the air to the ground. Still I figured I would add this here and take a look.
Olokun, one of the Orishas of the Ocean. His Sopon or vessel contains actual water blessed for him, my Godmother in Santeria once cleansed me with water she personally blessed in Olokun’s name.
Tonight is Hekate’s Deipnon, and I figured I would write this. I was also asked to write this by a client who needed her home and personal space cleared of negative energies. After I took a heavy curse off of her. The following is a ritual I came up with from various practices. But I made this ritual neutral so that it can be used by any religion and any God.
Idols come in both genders or can appear genderless
In Ancient Greece they used sacrificial animals, people, food, or even idols called Pharmakoi. The idea was that they were vessels that retained the bad energy. And that when you sacrificed them, you were killing the bad energy. So the first part of this is a Pharmakos cleansing. You’re trapping the bad energy into a vessel.
You have to map out where you are going to go. For instance you need to know every nook and cranny in your house. Every corner. If you have an attic, start there. And make sure you go to every spot in your property and home.
Ending in the basement as well as outside your prosperity. You have to pray, or chant, or do a spell. And you command all negative energy and bad spirits to be bound to the vessel. You do this while you are walking around. The vessel is a sacrifice that soaks up all of the bad energy around.
You also rub yourself, all members of the house (including pets) with the vessel. This is done so that any attachments or bad vibrations can be drained into the vessel. You’ll know it’s done because you will feel the property be instantly lighter. And you and those around you will feel lighter as well. If this was a bag of garbage, toss it into a public dumpster or community dumpster ASAP.
And say that no one will be harmed by this bag. That you consign the dark energy to its own dark world never to return. To be bound to chaos forever. Chaos meaning the primordial void. Then turn around and walk away without looking back.
If it was food, you need to go to a crossroads, railroad, or body of water, even a pond will do. And call upon the spirits of those places (in the name of your God/Goddess) to remove the bad spirits and energies. And that as the animals eat the food, they will not be in danger. That they will destroy the negativity. Again turn around and walk away.
Position your car so that you don’t have to turn around to face the spot when getting inside. You don’t want to look at the area even by accident. Make sure you can leave and leave fast without turning around. The reason for this is that all the negativity will go to you worse than before if you do. Or worse, you might see the spirits that are going to take away the bad energy.
Which can be dangerous by itself. Another possibility is you will see the bad spirits that you bound and they will be freed instantly to haunt you. Make sure you leave the proper offerings at the site for the spirits or God you called upon. Go home.
Part 2 : Casting Aspersions
An Asperger also known as an Aspersorium or Aspergillum, a device used to cast aspersions of holy water. This Aspersorium comes from Rowan Morrigan
The term “casting aspersions” comes from this. It’s a form of cleansing with holy water. You basically flick holy water on the walls. On the ground. On anything and on everyone even pets.
That’s what casting aspersions actually means. This is to bless everyone and everything the water touches. So with the water you blessed with your own prayers, bless the home. You will need an Aspersorium which is a fancy word for an object that you can use to flick the holy water with. The church uses fancy metal devices or even brushes or small buckets to do this.
But any object will do. You cast the aspersions from the outside in. From the front and back yard. Call on your God or Goddess and their spirits to protect and bless the property and dedicate it to them. Say,
“I dedicate this home to be your divine temple. This I holy ground and only that which you allow can enter,”
Bless the outside in. And enter the front door and bless the house from the basement all the way to every nook and cranny up into the attic. You should feel another wave of relief come upon you. Make sure you flick the water or asperse it everywhere.
Sometimes I even use the cap from the plastic bottle I keep my holy water to asperse everything. If all else fails just use your hand. You will feel the wave of relief hit and once that happens you will know the dedication ritual is done. Granted some people don’t choose to dedicate their houses to their Gods. Instead they just do normal blessings.
I’m just not one of those people. My house is a temple to the Gods. I want them to live there. Sure the upkeep is a little more stressful but ultimately it’s better.
Part 3 : Reclaim your Authority
Think of your Will as a personal forcefield. And as a reality altering force. Your enemies, including evil spirits, have no power over you.
With this part, walk around with a holy item that represents your faith after the cleansing.
Used Horse Shoes are powerful talismans and can represent many religions and folk practices, from El Tarot De Yemaya (the tarot of Yemaya occult store)
And command that any unwelcome or negative spirits need to go. Command them to leave in the name of your God/Goddess/Gods. And say that only the Gods and their divine spirits can be in your home. Do this to reinforce and reassert your control over the home and property. It restored the natural barriers that exist to keep bad spirits out.
And it also re-empowers them to keep things out you don’t want.
Part 4 : Warding
From the Sacred Signs Archive drawing sacred symbols or hanging up magical charms is a common method of protection
This part is a long term project and it’s not something you can do in one day or night. You go through the process of learning special prayers. Or getting or making amulets to ward off negative energy. Or talismans to bring protective energy. Also drawing symbols or writing special words or letters of power is important.
You have to research your own religion. Or your culture and heritage. And find out what is useful in keeping bad influences away. This will increase the power of the dedication and/or blessing.
Since writing about Otura Niko, I got curious and wanted to know more about it. I had never heard of this sign before. And I wanted to trace its origin. I think I found the possible origin. Translated from the original Spanish article here.
In the land of Yewe Inle, there was a time when there was a terrible drought. Everything was a great disaster. It was then when the main kings met with the Obá Ikú (king death), Elegua, and Iroko to deliberate in an assembly. The result of that assembly was that everyone should do Ebó. The last three, as they had no money for the Ebó, decided to ask Oba Ikú for twenty-four coins, he accepted.
But with the condition that they pay him back within three days. They formally promised to do so. When the three days passed. Obá Ikú went to Elegba’s house to collect. He found him sitting in the doorway of the house, he refused to pay.
Obá Ikú bashed him with his cane and killed him. And made a hill of crab land (Ilekan) and buried him there. Together with his hand of Ifá, he sacrificed a rooster for him, and said:
“From today onward, you will be the Orisha (God) Elegua,”
Obá Ikú continued to the house of Iroko. And found him in the heart of the mountain. He asked for his money back. But he refused. And so Obá Ikú took his cane and killed him.
Throwing two majá that Iroko had in his room, two white jars, and killing a white chicken, he sang to him:
“IROKO DILOYU, IROKO DILOYU, BABA IKU EGUN LAYE, IROKO DILOYU,”
(ROCO DILOYU, IROCO DILOYU, FATHER OF DEATH CURSED IN LIFE, IROCO DILOYU)
And he said to Iroko,
“You will become an Orisha, everyone will worship you,”
And at that moment a sacred tree rose, which is the Iroko. Obá Ikú sent an envoy to Orunmila. Who by now had made his daily divination and saw the Odu (text) Otura Niko. So he performed an Ebó, feeding his ancestors along with the land and his Ifá, and he prepared a large casserole of ajiaco.
Otura Niko becomes a child when Obá Ikú arrived
An Orula baby doll
Orunmila invited him to lunch, when they finished Obá Ikú thought:
“I killed Elegba and Iroko, I must now finish with Orunmila as well,”
Obá Ikú raised his scythe to land a blow to Orunmila. But he dodged the blow of Obá Ikú. Who then pursued him tenaciously. And while he was escaping, Orunmila performed sarayeye (cleansing by rubbing a sacred object on the body) using the stick known as Espanta Muerto (frighten the dead). A cleansing to keep him safe from death.
And he arrived at the river. Out of fear, Orunmila leaped into the River. But Obá Ikú absorbed the river to catch him. But Orunmila still escaped. Then Obá Iku, disheartened, walked away.
Leaving Orunmila the victor. The river continued its normal course. And Orunmila came out of the water singing:
“IRE IRE WANWAN LELE ASHE IFA”
(GOOD LUCK WANWAN LELE DIVINE GRACE OF IFA)
Then Orula transforms into a child, to avoid being recognized and starts crying. He stands at the foot of a laurel bush, which had a lot of curujey (West Indian tufted airplant) on top and continued to cry. At that moment he meets two women who were passing through. They prepared a jar and opened one of the jugs. And filled it and leaves, some plants and placed the child (Orunmila) inside and took him to the house of Olodumare. One of them suckled him from her breast.
When they arrived at Olofin’s (GOD’s) house, the child surprises everyone by speaking to Olofin and tells him that he wants Aiyé to take him home. She rejects this, but because it was a direct order from Olodumare, Aiyé accepted and took him. She prepared a mat next to hers. When night came Orunmila returns to her in his normal adult state and says:
“I am Otura Niko and now I am your husband. With these transformations I defeated Obá Ikú. Because I am the foreman of the Egun (dead). But never reveal this secret to anyone,”
Orula
The woman was engaged and they lived happily. Where the fame of Otura Niko began to spread throughout that land.
After some time,
Shango, Egun, and Oshumare come to visit Otura Niko. To receive them all worthily, he tells his wife, Aiyé, to cook great delicacies. She replies in front of Shango:
“I have no time,”
Then Otura Niko threatens her. And she mocks and insults him, saying:
“You are only great because you are the foreman of the Egun (dead) and capable of shape shifting,”
At the moment, Otura Niko took his Irofá and ran after her. She was on her way to Olofin. But before arriving, Otura Niko caught up with her and gave her a blow from his Irofá and killed her. Then he said,
“I killed you for violating your oath,”
(You see, his power was in that he had become the foreman of the dead. And apparently, no one knew that. Nor that he was such a mighty shape shifter. To know the secret was to share in the power. And I suspect that Orunmila also didn’t want Iku, the Orisha of death, to know the secret of his survival).
Shango and Orunmila
Immediately, he made a pact with Shango. Also giving him the secret and the ashé (power) of Otura Niko. He took Aiyé and buried her. Then he put his Ifá next to her tomb and gave 2 black chickens to the spirit of Aiyé. Along with his Ifá.
And put the chickens with Ekó to Egun. They lowered the vultures and ate them. Letting him know the power of Egun that he had.
Prayer of Otura Niko, Otura Ogbe
“Otura Niko adifafun iku alashona oumbo wa ni eshu ishonshon oba lele iroko oba lele orunmila ore lawa oba iku yen ore amaiyekun belele iya lele lokua ariku omi orunmila oun sede otura niko umbo atefa ni egun agboran iku agboran olofin yewe inle oba iku onika ododo sekun iroko segun gbogbo iya kalalu elebo owunko elebo moyeni iku orunmila akue ye akualosiña iya laye oba iku,”
(Otura Niko, the death of our child’s mother, is the God’s faith, the king, the king, the king, the king of death, the king of death, the eternal friend of the mother, the king of heaven, he is the king of heaven).
It’s unknown if Otura Niko was named after him. Since he ritually becomes the “foreman of the dead” after this. Or if the Odu (text) already existed prior to him taking on this title. But that doesn’t really matter at this point. As the Foreman of the dead, Orula is immune to death.
He’s also shown to be a masterful shapeshifter. So he could take on any variety of forms and escape Iku. And foreman is another term for supervisor. Perhaps it even means he could command the dead in this form. Or command Iku to leave him be.
I’m not sure yet. I have to ask my Babalawo about his knowledge concerning the text. And see from there what happens. Take care of everyone. And as usual, be safe.
– M
The Eggun or dead, looking at their own corpses on a battlefield
On this night, starting at midnight the spirits come out
Boy, whoo! My ass is tired. If you’re an avid reader of my blog, then you know I’ve been writing almost non stop from these last two days. For Saint George’s Eve and also for Saint George’s Day. I’m too tired to write an in-depth expose on Saint Mark. But I can do the next best thing. I can do a random links of the day!
I haven’t done one of those in a long time. Essentially, sometimes I would get random information on strange things. The paranormal, or weird history. And I thought to myself that I bet my readers would love it. So what happened is I ended up inventing this type of blog post specifically to share articles.
Or even videos etc..
So today I’m making a random links of the day. All will be about St. Mark’s Eve and it’s Folklore. The main thing to know about Saint Mark’s Eve is that churches will have a parade of future dead people. You will see the Doppelgängers of people still alive marching to the doors of a church. And whoever you recognize from that march will die this year.
Sadly I can tell you this is true. I have observed the vigil myself. In 2020 I couldn’t actually go to a physical church due to COVID. But I performed a divination by casting the bones. And the person I knew who was going to die was my grandfather. And a few days after the divination he died.
So this is very real. The whole thing shocked me to my core. I wasn’t expecting it. The reason I tell you this story is 1) Be careful when doing this. Prepare yourself for the possibility it will be someone you know.
Beware of just sitting anywhere on the Eve of Saint Mark. You might see something you don’t want to see. From DeviantArt
And 2) There is an alternate way to find out who is at the procession. Moving on let’s start with my former articles on St. Mark’s Eve :
I did a special version of a Mass today. A Cristo-Pagan Mass with Gnostic elements. I prayed to all the Gods who rule Thursday (that I know of lol). I prayed to Jesus of Nazareth, and I also prayed to Ra, Wasir, (Osiris) and his son Heru (Horus). Plus Sekhmet.
The Laughing Buddha and Agni and my ancestors and guides as well. I had the incense sticks separate for each God. I use that purple candle you see here as a type of make shift holder when I burn so many sticks. There’s no way that the ash would have mixed to form a cross like that. I still don’t know how it happened.
Because the sticks didn’t intersect like that. The Cross is a powerful symbol in many Pagan religions across the board. And besides the obvious connection to Jesus the Hebrew Alphabet or the Aleph-Bet had the Letter Tau. Which was a t shaped cross like this T. The Ancient Egyptians also had their own cross called the Ankh or “key of life” (in Latin it was the Cruz Ansata).
I believe they all choose this symbol to tell me my working was successful. I was doing a healing work for myself. I have been feeling sick. I felt good before I saw this. To me this is just further confirmation.
I have been dreading writing this post since last month
I didn’t want to because it made Shelby’s passing too real for me. That my friends, is why I haven’t been posting blogs on weird history or the Occult. Why I haven’t been writing about my favorite books or new things in my life. It all seems so empty right now. Last month, I went to get my very first shot of the Pfizer vaccine.
It was a short walk from there to my house. I went to the Navarro store near me to be vaccinated. I had learned that they were providing the vaccines for everyone. All you had to do was make an appointment. There was no waiting period or list like these other places.
CVS pharmacy had recently bought Navarro and now they were making the vaccines more accessible. When the woman had made the appointment for me in the waiting area, I thought it was my lucky day. When that day finally came, I left my home and walked there. Sheldon my other dog is younger. And he always gets nervous if I leave them alone for too long.
But I had this strange feeling of impending dread inside of my stomach. For some reason I felt that I should come back as quickly as possible. It took me a while because I hadn’t known I needed to be in a call in sheet. When I was vaccinated I had to wait to make sure I didn’t get any adverse reactions. But that same nasty feeling came back.
Something was wrong and I knew it. I don’t know how, the closest I can describe it is like this. When parents sense their kids in danger or vice versa. I don’t know any other way to say it. This was deeper and stronger than any feeling I ever had.
Like I wanted to go screaming from there back to my home. I didn’t know why, in fact I tried to ignore it and said oh that’s just paranoia, there’s nothing wrong. But I couldn’t shake this feeling. So I just said fuck it, and went back home. I wish I had listened to my inner voice sooner.
Maybe it would have made a difference. Maybe it wouldn’t have. I found Shelby in the middle of the apartment. He had crapped all over the place. But his stool was mixed with blood.
And he couldn’t move. He was paralyzed. I saw a trail of blood and feces near my bed. Shelby would often walk near my bed to make little crying noises. So I could pick him up and put him in bed with me.
He had been looking for me while he could still walk. And I wasn’t there. If I could go back and skip the vaccine. If I could have just waited until after that day. I blame myself again and again thinking that if I had been there, this could have been prevented.
I started shaking like a leaf. I called my mother to come help me. My friend George was calling up animal groups like crazy to help. But all the vets wanted serious money to help Shelby that I just didn’t have then. My first choice is an animal hospital that I will not mention.
Because I don’t want to be in legal trouble nor do I want to be unfair. Because they have helped lots of people. But I paid $33 dollars a month for a year. So he could have healthcare so that in theory, when he needed their help, they would help me. But they all said they couldn’t help him because I needed an appointment.
And any surgery or treatment would have cost thousands of dollars. So why the fuck was I paying these leaches $33 a month since last year for?
They told me I needed an animal emergency room. But they cost even more. So after begging these people and telling them I would even sign a legal document. That I pay them back. And they all still said they needed money upfront.
Dirty fucking leeches. Ghouls, feeding on the pain and suffering and death of animals. Then they get angry if someone calls them out on it. I know the reality that they do help and that funding is very scarce. I know it’s not their fault society as a whole abuses animals.
But they’re certainly contributing to that abuse by denying such a basic and necessary care to people who can’t afford it. My dog’s paralysis grew worse. He no longer had the ability to move or control his facial features. By the time a single good hearted Vet answered my call, they told me not to bother.
“Is he still releasing feces and blood by any chance? Does he have a really bad odor?”
I said yes.
“I’m sorry sir. But your dog is dying. From what you’ve told me, it could have been an aneurysm, a stroke, or even a heart attack. Dogs that old are more susceptible to health problems. If you brought him here, you’d be wasting your money because there’s nothing to be done except to put him down.
And we don’t have those services here. You need to ask a shelter or some other place that handles it. I wish I could have been better help to you. You can get a second opinion, but it’s doubtful,”
In that moment, my whole world was shattering before my eyes. For someone who doesn’t know the love of an animal, that sounds ridiculous. Childish even, the product of one who has a childish mentality. I refused to accept it. But when my mother, a nurse in the medical field came, she only confirmed what this vet had told me on the phone.
She even told me she believed for some time he would die soon. She had suspected for weeks now that he was going to pass away. Because he seemed to be more sentimental and wanting to spend more time with us. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. He was so well in the morning.
He had a hardy appetite. He was an old little dog, but very energetic. And I loved him as much as I love Sheldon. My little old man. My old baby.
Mi Chiquitin (my little one)
The Techichi Dog, the ancient Mexican ancestor of all Chihuahuas
Years ago, I had a nasty depression
And I prayed to the Gods to send me a companion. One day, my uncles were moving something from my old house. They brought us some washing machines. I was still living with my sister and mother at the time. And I noticed this tiny nose in the doorway.
I opened it thinking it was one of the cat’s outside. Instead it was my first dog, Sheldon. He was a puppy, abandoned and scrawny. And scared and hungry. And alone.
My sister and I convinced our mother to let him stay. The original plan was to find him a new home. And at first he really didn’t like me. But as soon as he saw me get the leash. And we had our first walk, he became my baby.
He never left me. And I knew the Gods had heard my prayers. Sheldon had been with me for years. My faithful companion. One day we took our usual afternoon walk.
I’d either finish working. Or if I got home early from college, I’d be studying my spell books. And Sheldon would start crying and motioning to the door. Which meant it was time for our walk. We went on our walk and we saw this tiny little chihuahua.
He was elderly. And I learned from my neighbors that he been out in the sun without food and water for a day. I had a suspicion that a family who lived there had abandoned him on purpose. I wanted to save him but I couldn’t get close enough to him to grab him. I kept telling myself that I tried and it was time to go home.
I knew I couldn’t have another dog. But Sheldon was glued to the spot. He walked on his hind legs and looked at me with his soulful eyes. He cried out with such a mournful and compassionate cry that I knew I couldn’t leave. Sheldon had reminded me that apathy is what makes the world a bad place.
Evil only exists because people don’t care enough to fight it. We live in a society where it’s everyone for themselves. And compassionate people are seen as weak, naive, or losers. I knew what Sheldon wanted. We walked towards that elderly little chihuahua.
I still couldn’t grab hold of him. He was afraid of other people. But as I had suspected, he kept gravitating towards the apartment of the family I had suspected abandoned him. Especially the backyard. I remember hearing a chihuahua growl at people from the backyard all the time. I suspected he was that dog.
Because the backyard was empty. He would run from me. But not Sheldon. Sheldon would lay on the ground and Shelby would come to him. I knew this family had a lot of chihuahuas.
They had recently gotten a new dog. And I guess this baby was sacrificed for being old. It took me five minutes to get him. I finally grabbed him when he laid down next to Sheldon. At first he tried to fight me.
But I kissed him on the top of his little head and said,
“Tranquilo Papi,” (calm down papi)
He finally did calm down. I took him home and my Mom had the classic we don’t need another damn dog reaction. Uhuh, that didn’t last very long. I put him down, and he started exploring the whole house. My Mother just said,
“Look at this little thing, walking around the house like it was his already. Where do you think you’re going?”
(Her Room lol)
My Mom had given him a bath. And she said he had a panic attack.
“This poor animal has never had a bath in his life. I’ve seen dogs who hate water. But this was different. It was like he didn’t know what a bath was,”
He was extremely malnourished. If his insane hunger to eat anything he could find wasn’t an indicator, the ribs out of his stomach told us all we needed to know. I did try to contact the family, and to inform them that they needed to take better care of him. But they wouldn’t even come to the door. I left a note with my address and number and they ignored me on purpose.
Whenever I would call Sheldon, he would come too. I think he thought I was calling him. So I named him Shelby. Everyone kept giving me shit saying it was a girl’s name. But I’ll have you know that Shelby was a man’s name as late as the 1920’s.
Not that it mattered to anyone else. I think some people figured I was trying to make a political statement (facepalm). Shelby ate dog food for what I think was the first time. That family had him living on whatever scraps came from their table we suspect. At first he didn’t recognize it as food.
I had to hand feed him at first for months. Although I admit I spoiled him feeding him things I probably shouldn’t have. We used to laugh and call him La Piraña, the piranha. He ate with such a gusto, that it was like watching a little person. Even Sheldon had moments of looking at him like You know you’re a dog right?
He slept the first night, that Friday on my arm chair. I don’t think he was used to air conditioner or having a soft place to sleep. As I was getting ready to shower, he hopped off the chair and went looking for me. As soon as he saw me next door in the shower, he went back. As if he just needed assurances that he wasn’t alone.
I remember how he lived in that yard alone for years. The only dog out there. And despite them having other dogs, I think they kept him alone. He had a weird stink and his teeth were rotten. My Mom thought he had mange or some other skin disease due to his odor.
He didn’t, it was just his anal glands that needed to be secreted. That was a Friday. He had wondered into my Mom’s room and she had made him a little bed in the corner. And she was pointing and saying “Miralo que lindo!” (Look at him how cute). Ha, didn’t want another dog eh?
The next day, we all doted on him. Even Sheldon, he had a new brother. We had a Vet come to our home to vaccinate them both and squeeze their anal glands. After just three days, Shelby had vomited all of these parasites out of his body. And that’s when he started to put on some weight.
In just a few days his little bony belly, became a chubby belly. All this had happened in just two days. That Saturday night, Sheldon decided he wanted to sleep in my mother’s room. And Shelby slept on my chair again. I was up watching a Paranormal tv show called “The Dead Man’s Gun” about a cursed gun in the old west.
And how it effects everyone it comes into contact with. When suddenly, Shelby hops down again, and walks toward the side of my bed and cries. He looked up at me with his soulful eyes. As if to say “Can I sleep with you?” and I laughed at how cute he was. How could I say no? I scooped him up into my arms and he slept in the bed with me.
He was so relaxed that he just laid down and stretched his little body. That was the first of many nights in a warm bed. And like Sheldon, he had any bed to choose from. My sister and mother would let him stay with them. He’s wake my Mom up in the middle of the night to take a piss, or drink water.
She called him the little old man. But there was a problem : he was scared of the dark. So she had to personally escort him with the lights on to pee on his pad. Then follow him to the kitchen so he could drink his water. At the time, we still thought he was just with us until we could get him adopted.
But months had passed, and he and Sheldon had become brothers. And my sister and I, and even my Mom though she wouldn’t admit it, thought of him as ours. I tried to get him adopted, but he looked at me and cried to go home. I couldn’t do it.
I saw those assholes that abandoned him once. I was walking Shelby, but as soon as he saw them, he turned around. He was like “Nope! fuck you,”It sounds funny, but his reaction was like that. He stopped and turned around so abruptly that it made my head spin. Yep, the puppet was a part of the family now.
He lived far longer than anyone expected him to. He went from being shy and fatigued, to having the energy of a puppy. My sister showered him with gifts (that Sheldon kept trying to steal). The first time he saw his first toy, a little blue duck, he had no idea what it was. He acted as if it was a smaller animal.
And he cuddled with it and protected it. He was the only non violent chihuahua I had ever met. So sweet and calm. He was loved for so many years. And he made us laugh.
I remember that somehow he opened the zipper on my sister’s purse and pulled out a cracker she left in there. That little dog could eat. My Mom nicknamed him Hambre Vieja (Old Hunger). I remember he used to be afraid of going up the stairs at first. But after a while, he would run up the stairs with such joy in his heart.
And we would play and watch tv together. We never cured him of his insatiable hunger though. But when we did feed him from the table, it was never anything that compromised his health. I used to laugh when people dressed their dogs up. But Shelby he every kind of outfit you could imagine.
My sister bought him a stripped prison outfit and even a shirt that said, “Don’t act like you’re not impressed,”
Heaven gains another Angel
My Poor Baby
Shelby was breathing erratically. He had crapped and bled again, this time on my jeans because I refused to let him go. I kept him in my arms. I stroked his little head. Sheldon would walk up to us and start crying and kissing his brother.
Sheldon was the reason Shelby was in our life. It was only fitting that he was here at the end as well. I cried and cried for hours, trying to keep the deep sobs inside. I didn’t want to worry either of them. And my mother also didn’t want me to cry.
Years ago, when things got really bad financially. When I could not longer support my family because I lost my job. And my small business failed, I had a break down. I didn’t go crazy or anything of that nature. Though no doubt the skeptics on this blog who have read my accounts or my beliefs think my brain was fried long ago.
I had a seizure and had an emotional breakdown. It happened because there was no food in the house. And I saw my mother cry. And I felt so guilty. So useless.
Since then, I suppose she treats me with silk gloves. You have no idea how hard that is for me. To go from being the responsible son who cared for his family‘s needs. To being treated as if I will break easily at the slightest sign of pressure. And that’s the hardest part.
If I could cry, scream, or be alone with myself, I know I will be okay. I could simply release the lent up emotions. But I don’t have that luxury. My family would flip a shit if they heard me wail like I did that day. I have this…..storm building up inside me some days where I want to cry for hours.
And I can’t because this damn place has no privacy. That’s what I miss the most about living alone. I could be alone with just my dogs, my spirits, and my Gods. And I could be okay. My friends don’t understand it.
I’m sort of like an urban hermit. But I go sometimes months without speaking to friends. When I’m busy with magic, or when I need to meditate. Hell or when I am reading, writing, or anything else I wish to do. I miss having that space to myself again.
Between the nosy ass neighbors here and the thin walls, it’s hard to do anything without someone else listening in. I feel trapped inside of my own sorrow. My one consultation is Sheldon. He keeps me stable. I had to control my grief because he seemed to be depressed as well.
For a few weeks now Sheldon has barely been able to eat. He lays around most of the time staring at the place where Shelby’s bed used to be. But when I feed him he does eat. I hold him in my arms and talk to him gently. I let him know that it’s all alright.
People say animals don’t know anything. But they do. They’re smarter than you would think. There was even a case of a parrot with the intelligence of a 10 year old boy. And as sure as the sun rises, he knows his brother is dead.
He mourns with me. I know this will sound like an exaggeration. But I feel Shelby’s loss as if he were truly my son. And in many ways he was. Animals are like children that never grow up.
No matter how big they get. So psychologically at least some of the same feelings are there. And I spend everyday of my life caring for Sheldon and at that time Shelby. My mother told me to lay him down in his bed. She cleaned him so that no matter what, he could be at rest.
She kept saying,
“Papi, stop holding on. Let go,”
He heard me sob again. And I don’t know how this little dog did it. Because he was paralyzed already. But some how, he took the last of his strength to move his head and turn to me. I kissed him on his head and told him I was okay.
A friend of mine from my Greek Temple put it best when he told me “He was carving your face into memory,” before leaving. I threw away my soiled clothing. And showered. I had prayed to every God there was. Those of faith have feelings about which Gods to pray to sometimes.
A little girl who was sick needed healing. And I prayed to Yemaya and she was healed. A friend had once prayed to Freya to find her lost cat. She just knew that Goddess was the one to help her. Well, I believe in and worship every God of every pantheon.
I’m initiated into different religions. But I’m also eclectic and work in my own way. I do a sort of inclusive ritual of every culture. And one of the Gods came to me. It was Jesus.
Yes a lot of my friends are flipping their shit at that sentence. But remember, some of our ancestors used to throw Christians into Lion pits. Just as those “polytheists” do not represent our faith or our Gods, many of the “christians” don’t represent their God either. And the Jesus I know and believe in, has never made me feel bad about worshipping other Gods. In sharp contrast to his fan club.
There was a period when I felt he wanted some more worship. I was so engrossed in my worship of other Gods. I think he wanted to be close again. So I became a Christo-Pagan. Anyways, I felt his presence near me.
I couldn’t see or talk to him. I just felt his energy. As I bathed, I said,
“Rabbi Yeshua, please free my son. Let him die peacefully. Release him from his pains and all his sufferings. Please sever the chord that binds the soul to the body. Give him peace, Amen”
I continued my shower. When I got out, my mother told me he finally fell asleep. When I found a vet who could euthanize him, I got a surprise. My mother knocked on my door to tell me he’d already passed. I gave her the phone and ran to his lifeless body.
That rancid smell, like acid and rot was all over him. I cried my eyes out. And I petted his small head one last time. Sheldon let out a cry too. But we didn’t let him lick Shelby’s head due to germs.
We collected his body. She washed the floor with bleach. Someone came to collect his body. He was still wearing his little shirt. And I struggled to release his body.
I knew it wasn’t him anymore. Just his shell. But knowing he was still wearing his little shirt. Just to be cremated and disposed of was killing me inside. And then I had to suck it up.
Because my mother was family began to worry. And that’s it. I haven’t entirely allowed myself to deal with it. It’s been weeks and I carry this on my soul all the time. I entered the traditional 13 day mourning period of the Ancient Greeks.
During this time, I was ritually impure. I covered up my altars. And I spent my time in prayer and contemplation with the dead. I prayed to Oya to take my dog to the other side. And each mystic I knew was also doing rituals to different Gods to cross him over.
I have dreamed of him since. And felt his presence among my guides. His energy is strong. And the knowledge that he is no longer in pain helps me. He has gained entry into the ethereal realms.
Those places where death and pain cannot truly enter. That and that Sheldon is with me are my only consolations. I’m trying to let it go. And to release the pain inside. Shelby, this is my attempt at immortality for you baby.
When my guardian altars are up again, I’ll put your picture in my guardian spirit section of my altar.
I will try not to remember you as you laid dying in your bed and in my arms. I will remember you instead as the happy, sweet little dog I called my baby. The dog who finally found a family who loved him as he deserved. Who always had every comfort we could give him. Good night Pupper,
I actually heard about this young woman by accident. I was researching something online when I found an article describing her tragic (yet heroic) death. What’s worse is that the MAGA crowd seems intent on using her as a symbol for their hate speech against Black Lives Matter. James Woods even being so disgusting as to call the unarmed protesters violent and saying they should be more like her.
Yes we all should. And maybe Woods needs to start being like her by practicing humility and trying to help other people. Since she was a natural care giver and “Mama Bear”. The poor child doesn’t need people politicizing her death. What she needs is help to rest in peace, by helping her family.
So please consider doing whatever is necessary to donate money to her family. Burying a child is not normal. It never will be. So let’s try to help her family make this less painful than it already is. Please donate even a dollar.
“Raina was loved by her family and friends. Raina loved cooking with her grandma also she loved helping take care of her siblings and cousins Raina drowned saving her younger cousins. All help will be going to help pay for all costs associated with her funeral and my family with everything. Sorry Im not great at talking about being in need but right now as we are all hurting from this loss of one of our young family members Thank you for all the support,”
The ring of fire eclipse we just had on the New Moon in 2020.
Malocchio is Italian for “evil eye”. In Spanish we say “Mal de ojo” which is the same thing. An evil inflicted from a dark gaze. A gaze full of hate directed at someone usually due to jealousy. Now, this has nothing to do with an evil eye, or actually let me take it back.
It does, just not in the traditional way. Another family member has fallen dead. This time my cousin. Her daughter called me in the late hours of the morning to tell me her heart had apparently stopped due to a medication she took. When she and her stepfather found her, she was already purple in the face. After this, I decided enough was enough.
I have written to several of my masters, from my Hellenic Priest, to my Godmother in Santeria, to a Native American Shaman who helped train me. I am also going to consult a Babalawo from Nigeria. Something isn’t right here. Initially, my teachers had all said that I was looking for meaning in what appears as senseless deaths. But all of them are now checking in to see what’s happening.
Another sad reminder that whenever I allow myself to doubt my own instincts, I am always sadly proven right or partially right in the end. I knew something was off when my grandma died. But I didn’t let myself hear my internal voice. And before my cousin died, I saw strange visions.
A week before my cousin died, I saw visions of a statue of the Virgin of Guadalupe. Her image was in the skies, floating in a storm cloud. I saw this for a whole week but I just didn’t feel like going out to divine again. And find out what the hell was happening again. I just didn’t want to.
I’m a necromancer. I work with the dead all of the time. I know and accept that this is a gift. And I do cherish it because it has helped me prepare myself, my loved ones, and others for hard times. In a sense making it easier.
But what I wouldn’t do for the power to stop something from happening for once. So now, to the point, what does all of this have to do with the title? Well I decided to soothsay for myself. And what I got was that the ring of fire new moon was more than just a cthonic time. It was more than that. I was told about ancient times.
How the ancient cultures spoke of evil spirits coming in through new moons and especially eclipses. An eclipse is a sort of astrological death. What happened is a convergence of energy. The new moon combined with the eclipse. It was a very bad sign.
I knew this since I saw all the things that align together in my last post. But this was far worse than I knew. Since I was warned by St. Mary, I did a Spiritualist Mass and called on her and her Angels to speak. I was told to do a Mystical Christian cleansing. A white Christian and Curandero cleansing to remove the energy of death from myself and my family.
It feels as if all the nasties from the other side are coming out. Spirits who bring death and harm. I am going to do further research into the old taboos and what was considered a bad sign by the ancients. I’ll record it both here and in my books and notes. Here’s to hoping I might avoid problems for once.
I am hoping that in the future, if I add a deeper study of these bad signs and omens. Of these things we take for granted as the ramblings of “superstitious and primitive minds,”, of these “wives tales” as they are derogatorily called (because it implies women were not wise). If I can add this to my list of specialities maybe I can save people from harm and pain in the future.
In the meantime, I wrote all of this because all of you should be casting Oracles and protecting and warding yourselves as well. I get the feeling a lot more people will be experiencing untimely deaths soon. And do cleansings as well. And most importantly : when you get a bad feeling, don’t ignore it like I did. Follow your instincts.
Guardian Angels crossing over their wards into the light.
I wasn’t going to write about this. I had planned that my next post would be cheerful. Something nice and sweet. I wanted to get out of this gloomy mindset not just for my own sake, but for many who read this blog. However, my spirits kept telling me that I needed to write this post.
Something about, “Someone is eventually going to need it,”. Since it’s a rarely talked about topic I decided to finally get to it today. Everyone is always on and on about getting life insurance. Letting your loved ones know what you want. What you don’t want etc…but there’s a few things that should be added to the list.
Not just if you want to be cremated or not.
Number 1) Leave a Living Will
Sounds simple enough right? And yet most people don’t do it. Make sure that you divide everything up for your descendants. When my first Grandpa died, it was painful having to go through his house. My Grandma had Alzheimer’s and couldn’t live on her own. She had no use for any of my grandpa’s things.
I felt like we were vultures going through his things. It felt down right unholy to divide his belongings. It felt like robbing the dead. I couldn’t bring myself to participate. Don’t make your loved ones go through that.
Leave a clear list of what should happen with everything and where it should go. They will feel better and you’ll avoid family fueds that way. An Indian client once asked me to ask her dead Grandmother why she hadn’t left a will. The family tore itself apart arguing over lands and homes she owned. The spirit simply responded,
“I knew that they would. But I expected them to behave like adults,”
Don’t do that. Make sure any places or economically beneficial things are also assigned to those you want to assign them to. You may think your family is above that, but remember : they are human. Prone to human mistakes. Next on our list.
2) Prepare for the Afterlife
The disposal of your earthly remains is just a tiny part of what needs to be cared for. You have to worry about your soul as well. There is a modern belief that when you die that’s it. You go to where you need to go. Not even close.
While that can and does happen, that’s not always the case. Those tend to be people who are protected by a higher power or a faith etc..or have really strong guides and ancestors. I wonder if all these Earthly ghosts are here because nobody followed the proper rites and procedures for them. So ensure that it gets followed. Get in touch with a temple or a church or a spiritual group you trust to do funerary rites for you.
Then to follow it with a mass. One trick I sort of invented to help one client was I told them to talk to a Catholic Church. And to ask how much of a donation they would need to have a funeral mass said for them…..for a hundred years. If after a 100 years you’re still in Purgatory, I don’t know what else to say. I was taught that one human year on Earth is spiritually equivalent to a hundred years.
So a hundred for us could be upwards to a thousand for them. So a thousand years of prayers done for you. Also remember to ask family members you trust to pray for you. Won’t do ancestral prayers because it’s too Pagan for you? Then do masses and light candles or incense. And if that’s too Pagan for you, you can go to a random church and ask for regular prayers said for you.
In Santeria we go a step further. We have what is known as the Itutu Ceremony. A ceremony where a divination is performed to inform the spirits and Orishas the person had with them and fed them, that their caretaker is now dead. They then ask those spirit guides the person had acquired on their earthly journey what they want. Not their own specific guardians, but new spirits they worked with.
Do they want to be set free from their vessels? Such spirits live inside charms or idols. Familiars who were acquired by the Santero. Usually egun (dead) that join the practitioner while they are alive. Either they will choose to go with another Santero or practitioner. Or a family member or even just to be released back into the spiritual world.
The idols or charms are disposed of in nature. The Santero is also dressed in the same clothing they were initiated in. And a jar is buried with them with offerings for the Earth. Now this leads me to the next part. That’s the way it’s done with Santeria.
Other practitioners may even be buried with their idols and magical items in the same way Egyptians did for themselves. Just remember : Grave robbers are alive and well. So unless you’re planning to leave something that you intentionally want someone taking your stuff, be aware. Such things could be stolen. Personally, I believe every faith should have their own version of the Itutu Ceremony.
I’m not saying steal the prayers and sacred rituals. Not that, don’t get it twisted. But ceremonially preparing the body with special clothing, burying the body with offerings. Informing the spirits and Gods inside of idols their caretaker is gone and asking them what they want, all that is good. And many cultures have similar ceremonies.
Just saying, this is a good blue print to incorporate into every system. It doesn’t have to be exact. Some cultures may choose cremation. There is no right or wrong way to do this. As long as the Gods approve.
3) Proper Funerary Rites
As before, ensure that the proper prayers are done for you. Catholics and Catholic centered faiths start with novenas. These are prayers said for nine days for the soul of a person using a rosary. This is done before any masses can be done. This is usually a preparation for the person.
Again, rosaries and novenas are not just for Catholics. Buddhists have them and there is a Magician on here called “The Digital Ambler” (really cool guy) who made his own Pagan-Christian Novenas. You can make your own for your tradition. And it is also a blessing of protection for the soul of the deceased. Various traditions have different rituals.
For Jews, there is the Kaddish Prayer. The Rabbi leads a minimum of ten people in praises to God on behalf of a deceased soul. This prayer came from Rabbi Akiba. He was a mystical Jewish Sage who met the soul of a dead man on his journeys. The man was a sinner in life and despised by his own community.
He was a tax collector for the Romans, and thus considered a traitor and collaborator. The truth is he had many sins on his soul. He was being tortured by demons who forced him to do hard labor. They made him work all day to build a pyre he would be burned on at night. Akiba asked what could be done for him.
The condemned soul told him, his son needed to be given a Bar Mitzvah. And taught to read from the Torah so that he could lead a Jewish congregation in prayer to praise God. The Kaddish prayer doesn’t mention the name of the dead or anything about death. The intention of knowing that the prayer is being done for a person’s memory is enough for God to raise them to Heaven. In theory this is enough to free any condemned soul.
Rabbi Akiba trained the boy and had prepared a Bar Mitzvah. The night before the young boy was to perform the very first Kaddish, Rabbi Akiba dreamed of him. He was freed ahead of time from his suffering by God. And his soul thanked the Rabbi for his righteousness and his love. Akiba was a contemporary of Jesus for those interested.
Who knows what divine gifts he possessed. Finally,
Step 4) Consecrated Ground
I can’t stress this enough : make sure the place your body gets buried in not only has a good reputation, but is also holy ground. Not all cemeteries are blessed. Most cemeteries are non-religious. And while they do have religious looking graves and funerary rites performed, it isn’t the same. A dedicated cemetery is a place that a priest or priestess of a religion has set aside purposefully.
The purpose is so that the spirits of our Gods and traditions may dwell there with the dead. Offering them light and healing. As well as protection from evil spirits and black magic. There are darker practitioners out there who like to find souls who haven’t quite crossed over. In some cases, there are people who rob the bones of the dead to bind them into servitude.
Burial in such a place can grant a special type of protection for the departed. Also, just because a place is dedicated and consecrated doesn’t mean it’s trustworthy. There was a controversy a few years back in Miami over a Jewish Cemetery. The owners were removing the already buried dead to re-use the burial plots for future customers. So try to find a place connected to an actual temple or church.
Not just a dedicated space that is handled by a third party.
Conclusion
Not to be morbid, when writing this. I say this to you for all of you to learn. We plan birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, and even holidays. Why not take some time out of your day to plan your departure from this world? You’ll help your loved ones. And more importantly, yourselves.
There are a lot of family members who ask mediums and witches : are they okay? And those of us who are not charlatans will always ask,
“What are you doing for your family on the other side?”
Don’t leave it all to us to handle this responsibility. Each and every one of us is responsible for what needs to be done and taken care of when we go. And don’t wait for you to be old. You could die tomorrow.
Today at Temenos Oikidios, we celebrated the Thargelia, birthday of Apollon and Artemis.
We used this ritual format, as we’ve been doing for our Zoom-facilitated festival celebrations. For things like the pharmakos portion of the ritual, for example, we used the chat feature to communicate the things we wanted the pharmakhos to purify.
Our Oracle Bones divination was very fitting for the current times, and also encouraging:
“Pythian Apollon – Stay, do not act, obey the words of the Radiant One. In the future, lie in wait for your chance, but do nothing now. There are obstacles ahead, but you will complete that which concerns you” (Dervenis, 2014, p. 145).
We each used our own thusia and theoxenia offerings in our homes. This has been working well, and we hope to continue with a blended practice once we resume practicing in person, so that those who aren’t able…
Adventures of A Mage In Miami 