Naked Magic - Part Three: Calling the Ancients Forth

(Or how to invoke the Spirits without rude words)

Couple posts back, I wrote about the art of magic and knowing some basics. The directions and what they mean. The tools of the magician. So while some folks are out shopping for the gods (or in my case, the Lwa), the real magician is sitting at his desk, pen in hand, pondering the written word. Honest, I am not making that part up.

I just finished a long article on writing as an esoteric art form. Stodgy stuff, nice and dry -- an academic article worthy of its citations, commentary and footnotes (yawn.) But it really got me thinking about the work of a magician, and just what is needed to get your Godform on. I know Goetic art is getting a real workout these days, but that's just one part of the formula. What you really need is a good speaking voice and the acting chops of a Barrymore, inorder to bring heaven down to earth.

This past weekend, we serve Ogoun with a huge feast, lots of singing and banging of machetes. The Iron Man was mighty pleased. But I began the work with a full-on evocation that a friend in Germany sent me. This person has worked with the Lwa for 40-odd years. He does a fine job of melding Vodou with ceremonial magic. And his writing is superbly point-on for evocation. A small sample for your speaking pleasure - face the East, raise your dominant hand and make a fist. Speak the following with virtue and power:

Burn all of the errors of the past with the fires of my anger and all‑consuming fire of will, for I am OGOU‑FERAY.

 Let not the shadows of the past remain upon the face of the earth, for I shall plow a million times over the ground of the dead, to destroy and create anew, for I am OGOU‑ASHADE. 

Let not history remember the names of those who have given themselves unto errors and to the causing of pain and suffering to my people, for such history I shall cause to be destroyed, for I am OGOU‑OBATALA.. . (etc.)  

Good stuff.

I wrote hundreds of rituals when I was in training for the position of Magus in the SoL. I should probably publish them someday, so they will be used by folks. I certainly wrote them for that purpose. I've become lazy in Vodou. After all, there is a liturgy to be used. The words, the songs and the invocations are all there. I just have to get them memorized. But I was so taken by this one, that I had to use it. I had the entire sosyete stand and deliver, as I orated my little fanny off. I did do the traditional invocation over the veve in service. And I said prayers at the altars during the salutes. But this just felt right. Especially since it names Ashade - that was Edgar's Met Tet. So in a way, I also invoked him into the service as well.

My point here is that evocation is all about creating space for something to be with you. The word means "to call forth", and an magical evocation is even more than that simple phrase. Chic Cicero states that if invocation is the act of inviting Something in, evocation is the act of becoming that Something. I really wanted Ogoun present. And He came forth as requested.

But not because I mumbled, or wandered around in my speech. I choose these words for their meaning and their power. I evoked with great gusto and energy. And I did it so I could become Ogoun later in the service.

Dolores was a world class actress, trained in the London Academy of Dramatic Arts. Her tone and meaning were always evoking something - her disgust, her dismay, or her delight in what we were doing. "Balcony" she'd intone seriously, after we'd all taken a turn at evoking paragraph from our manuscripts of rituals. That meant whoever was seated far away couldn't hear us. "Mean it" was another saying, when we lagged in enthusiasm.

She taught me to speak with energy, to mean what I said and to do it with style and passion. Her example was to read from anything anyone had in the room - and make it sound amazing. And that was the secret. It wasn't what was written there, it was the passion, the intent, the energy and the vocalization that made it work. It was also what wasn't said - the meaning one implied by inflection, tone and pitch that also made the evocation work.

So go ahead, decorate your temple like an HGTV host on acid; wear all the bells and smells, medals and medallions you own; burn that last ten pounds of frankincense until the EPA comes knocking at the door. In the end, if you cannot orate the evocation with great emotion and power, then you will not call anything but derision into your space.

Too bad too, cause Mr. Mojo Rising is right there, waiting for the invite. If you want to party like its 1999, then you'd best get your evocation on and learn to speak like there is no tomorrow.

Magickal Groups and their Purpose

I wanted share an article I found most worthy of reading:

The Real Magick of the Golden Dawn

In this article, Donald Michael Kraig makes a very good point of what a magickal group offers - the opportunity to learn how to do something -- and even the chance to learn how NOT to do something. Sometimes, that last sentence is even more important than the first.

It's become the norm in magick today, to poo-poo being in a group. Secret Societies, magick covens, and even sosyetes like ours are often maligned as being a waste of time. That they offer nothing of value, as they are old fashioned, stuffy and full of self-aggrandizing fools who don't couldn't tell real magick from stage fluff.

While that may be true sometimes in magickal groups, it is often in a group where the real lessons of magick are taught. Groups teach more than how to invoke a god form or where to call the Watchtowers. In a group, you learn the dynamics of power - both real and imagined.

My first step into a magical group was a Servants of the Light ritual led by my teacher, Dolores Ashcroft-Nowicki. We were working with the Black Goddess and as was her style, Dolores had us all up and on our feet, singing and moving in multiple circles. The idea was to chant until the trance held and then the Goddess would speak through one of the participants. At least, it sounded like a good idea at the time.

What really ensued was little more than magical mayhem. Each circle couldn't seem to get the beat of the chant, thus some moved faster while other lagged behind. The women were looser and more willing to just 'let go' and sing, while the guys seemed terribly self conscious, and couldn't carry the tune, remember the words or move properly without stepping on one of us. Finally, in frustration, Dolores called a halt to the proceedings and simply glared at all of us. We felt terrible. We were contrite. We begged to try again. Dolores consented but only just. We began again, this time with renewed vigor and energy. The circles formed and reformed, the men bellowed their lines with gusto and the women sang with full hearts (or with thanks for not being stepped on). In any event, it worked -- the Dark Goddess descended upon the smallest woman present, with a fury that was stunning to behold.  She verbally lashed out at some, stormed about the room with others and left quite of a few of us in a heap of quivers. With a final few words of warning, She grabbed one of the guys and gave him a solid tongue lashing of another kind and then - pop, She was gone, leaving the vessel in her own quivering heap of tears. We stood/sat/laid in silent awe for a moment. Dolores stood up dramatically from her throne and spoke en voce - "now That is how it's done, people." And with a floruish, turned and went out of the room. I was smitten and have never been the same since.

My experience of being in the Servants of the Light was a delight. I spent ten years at the knee of my teacher, soaking up everything I could about being a magician, learning the craft, working with others and developing a magical practice. When the time came for me to leave, she gave me her blessing to send me on my way.

I probably could have done it alone, through books. But it was way more fun in the group. Yes, there were spats and squabbles. What family doesn't have them? But I learned something else as well, something you can't get as a solo magician. I learned about the magic that is Love. I learned that Love can defuse the hottest argument. Love can bind you for life to people who were strangers at the first meeting. Love makes you stay up all night fixing robes so your brother/sister/husband/friend/Magus can look their best at the ritual. And that Love can repair, repaint, cook, mend, uphold, laugh and cry over bad rituals, broken wands and burning altars, often at the same time.

Being in the SoL was a life changer for me. It taught me how to make magic in the circle and outside of it. It showed me how strangers can unite behind an idea and bring it forth in shining ways to manifest in our lives. Being in the SoL also showed me how not to do certain things in magic. To not step on another person's invocation, because yours is less than ideal.  To balance the energies in the room before hand, so the work isn't one sided. Sometimes, learning what did not work, was just as important as learning what did. And that all of it wasn't worth even attempting, if you all weren't on the same page, at the same time, doing your level best so the effort would be worth the final finish.

So to those who say that groups don't work, I offer my own experiences in both the SoL and the Sosyete as proof that they do. I believe that Magickal groups are about to make a renaissance in the world today. We need some old fashioned magick to balance all this electronic and Internet who-ha. Who's with me?

Give me a moment to get the brazier smoking and let's invoke the gods for a party on the astral.

Haitian Artwork for Sale on eBay

Wanted to let (ok, ask, push, cajole, demand or whine - take your pick) folks know to head over to my eBay page and see the artwork I have up for sale. There's only so many walls to hang stuff on, and these have been languishing behind my couch for , oh I don't know - a couple years maybe? If that sounds terrible, then consider this -

If they weren't behind my couch, they'd be rotting happily in the summer sunshine and heat of Haiti. These are from Jacmel, an area with a ton of artists and no place to display the artwork. When I purchased them in 2008, they weren't just dirty - they were filthy. They had been displayed in an open air market. The canvases were so dry, they were brittle. The paint was coated with a lovely layer of dust and some pieces actually felt gritty.

Of course, this did not sway the seller one iota to lower the price for me. Her come back was that I'd be taking home a little bit of Jacmel -- and she wasn't kidding either.

I had a professional clean the art, and we mounted them just so they'd be safe and vertical. But I've been staring at them for five years now, and it's time for them to find new homes.

So if you'dlike to purchase any of them, they can be found at this link:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/181181362155?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649

And just to tease ya all, here's a couple shots of the lot: Enjoy! 1/2 of the price goes to the artists back in Jacmel, so it's a really worthy cause. And to help ease your wallet (or mind, which ever), the other 1/2 is tax deductible. So you are still making it work, regardless.

Danbala by Harry Cabe

Countryside Rara by Harry Cabe

Ezili Dantor and Danbala by Harry Cabe

Freda and Danbala by harry Cabe

Ceremony by Harry Cabe

Rara by Harry Cabe

Haitian Hillside by Parizot Domond

Graveyard by Roi David Annisey

Tambor by Roi David Annisey

Drummer by Roi David Annisey

Naked Magic - Part Two

Sorry darlings - had a wee bit of bronchitis last week. Much better now thank you, so let's continue.

Naked Magic is about doing the Great Work as it's called in western mystery circles. The Great Work is an allusion to bettering yourself, and finding conversation with your Higher Selves. Some people call them the HGAs or Holy Guardian Angels. In Vodou, we call them Met Tet or Masters of our Heads. However you label them, they accompany us for all of our lives, and help us find our way back to the Divine.

There are as many ways of talking to HGAs as there are HGAs. One that has proven very efficacious and time tested is Evocation. Now, here's where it gets interesting.

Evocation means to evoke something. It's the act of calling Like unto Like. Want Ogun to come around? Then, you'd best set a fiery red table of food he loves, liquor he drinks and incense to stink up the joint (metaphorically speaking). Have lots of metal to clang and a big ole machete ready to be brandished. And sing LOUD, because Ogoun is a LOUD spirit who comes crashing and yelling into the space at hand. Now that's the kind of evocation I can get behind.

Evocation can also mean the words and intent spoken. It's like a recital on steroids. You are asking for a Lwa to come down and be with you.  An entity that doesn't take the train or plane to arrive. Want Someone that can move through time and space to arrive in your temple? Then you'd best be prepared to speak with VIRTUE - meaning, a firm and solid voice, a big attitude and the chutzpa to back it up. There's no murmuring, mumbling or whispering in evocation. You need to project your voice to the cheap seats of the astral gallery. And MEAN what you say. Only then will the gates of the astral swing open to allow the Spirits to descend.

Dolores used to say that a year in a theater troupe was a good way to get your evocation on. The practice of strutting across a stage, putting on airs and reciting memorized lines with meaning is just like walking into a consecrated space and evoking the archangels. Both require training and practice. Both need a good voice and a great personality. And both demand that the speaker fully believe in what they are saying. An actor on a stage is just another magician doing their art. As a magician or a mambo in a ritual performance, all the stage directions and teachings apply fully. Stand up straight and tall; project with a deep voice; speak lively and mean what you say.

If you want the big guns of the astral to pay attention, you must come up to their level. And the way to begin is with a kick-ass evocation. There are other things yo can add to the production. Proper robes, correct incenses, authentic sigils and private prayers. But all if won't matter a whoot if you can't speak up and get their attention.

So make like Demosthenes speaking at the edge of the ocean. Leave out the marbles, but get your voice up to par by singing, speaking, reading out loud. A clear voice goes along way in Evocatory Ritual. Once you can speak without faltering, you are ready for the next step - preparation of the space.

Start practicing and we'll talk again next week. Be well and watch out for those rogue waves. They're a killer.

The Hidden Occult - Naked Magic

Now that I have set everyone in motion with my Naked Magic statement, let me clarify.

For the Neophytes reading, here's a basic primer as I learned it. The four tools of the magician are: the Sword, the Wand, the Chalice and the Paten (a small plate used for offerings).

These items align with the four elements of the world.  Swords = Air, Wands = Fire, Chalices = Water, Patens = Earth. You can use that as a starting point - go find a book and learn the rest of the correspondences - that's not what this post is about.

These tools are meant to align you with the energies and power of the elements they represent. For example, a Sword is the power of Air. Air is thinking, communicating, engaging in verbal exchanges. Wands are the power of Fire. Fire represents excitement, animation, uplifting and engaging acts of creativity and inspiration. Chalices are the power of Water, so intuition, psychic abilities, mental stimulation, dreamwork and visualization all fall under this category. And finally, Patens are the energy of Earth. Use them to grounding yourself, center and balance your body; it also means stabilization, solidity, solidarity.

A sword is not a device to communicate - unless you want someone to really pay attention. But our language belies our meaning - "He has a rapier wit...";  "Life is a two edged sword"; "My mind is as sharp as a sword..". Get it? When you hold a sword in hand during a magical rite, you call all the powers of your mind into play.

A chalice is not intuitive. But filled with water and used for scrying it becomes a fulcrum for your mind; beset between today, tomorrow and the past. And again, language gives us the inner meaning - "My heart was filled to overflowing..." "My cup runneth over.." All those sayings that link to emotions are embedded within the symbology of the chalice. Think about the stories of the Holy Grail and you'll get the bigger picture.

Those are just two examples.  So first off, all magical tools are just focus points for power you carry within yourself. Your wand is an extension of your body of light; your chalice is an extension of your heart; your paten is the place you stand in the world; your sword is an extension of your willpower. I said in the previous post, it all extends from yourself. The greatest magicians use only a couple of tools to help power themselves, and those are really simple foci to bring it into mainfestation.

Think about this for a moment. What's your favorite piece of jewelry? I am not talking about how you adorn yourself in ritual. I am asking what do you reach for time and again? A ring? A necklace or pendant? That object, whatever it may be, is the most powerful piece of magical equipment you own.

Why?  Because its you. It says something about you to yourself. That piece may be an expensive item -- or it can be a CrackerJack box ring. It doesn't matter. What matters is how you FEEL about it when you wear it. That connection is what makes it special.  And making it special makes it powerful. But it all begins with YOU.

Gather all the fancy adornments you can afford. Build a huge temple and stuff it full of things. In the end, the only real power a Magician owns is what s/he carries inside. And that's the really important stuff. Everything else is an exterior sign of an inner blessings.

Or in other words, Naked Magic. Tomorrow we'll talk a little about evocation and it's efficacy.

Summer Vodou and Plant Allies - Part One

I am plotting a planting party for the weekend -- and hoping not to get washed out. It's summer, and in September Vision Quest will be held. A weekend of plants allies, tinctures and spagyrics, culminating in the Visionary Feast and an overnight Vision Quest. The faint of heart (and tongue and stomach) need not apply.

So in honor of the Super Moon, I thought I'd share some of my planting tricks with you all. All good Vodouisants should have a garden. No excuses - you can grow herbs in a pot on the window sill if you must.

Let's begin by searching for the right place - a sunny location that gets early morning sunlight is best, but one with late afternoon sun works too. You don't want full sunlight on this garden. Herbs like their light in moderation. Plus you will be able to plant several varieties together this way. Choose your site with care - some plants become pretty bushy, while other remain compact. Be sure the soil is not wet - herbs like dry conditions. Even if your thumb is black, you can grow herbs - they thrive on neglect, actually.

Once you get your locale picked out, prepped the soil a bit (dig it up, turn it over so it's loose and easy). Now add some or all of the following: Coffee grounds, egg shells, fish heads and Epson salts. All are natural fertilizers/additives that will enrich the soil, giving you bigger, healthier plants without resorting to chemicals.

That's the basics (along with tools, gloves, whatever.) Now for the fun stuff - the plants.

This year, I am planting according to the Alchemical alignments, meaning I am planting according to Planetary alignment. This is part of my long range plan for September and my distillation, so it pays to do a little homework upfront. My shopping list so far reads like this -

Moon plants (Water):  Chamomile, Poppies, Mugwort, Orris root. 

Sun Plants (Fire): Bay, Hops, Hibiscus, Marigold

Mercury (Air): Cinquefoil, Damiana, Fennel, Lavendar

Venus (Air): Angelica, Feverfew, Passionflower, Pennyroyal, Vervain, Spearmint

Earth (Earth): Patchouli, Sage, Spikenard, Vetiver,

Mars (Fire): Bloodroot, Cardamon, Coriander, Dittany of Crete, Wormwood

Jupiter (Earth): Hyssop, Valerian

Saturn (earth): Fumitory, Mandrake, Monkshood (wolfbane), Solomon's Seal

The Alchemist of old did not recognize the outer planets (Uranus, Neptune and Pluto), so there are no solid alignments for those planets. I am also lining stuff up according to their elemental signatures.

Finally, I will also have a Haitian section of my garden. In there goes the following:

Banana trees (the frost hardy ones - its still Philly); Lemongrass; three kinds of Peppermint (Black, Sweet and Hot); four kinds of Basil; Bitter Melon also called Awossi in Creole; Dutchman's Pipe called Tref Carayib in Creole; Rose of Sharon.  I am still working on finding good size plants for this section.  These plants will be set under the protection of their spiritual natures. And they all have both medical as well as magical natures.

So there you go - a beginning list of plants to look for at your local garden centers. Almost everything I listed can be container grown. In fact, the folks at the Cauldron of the Allta Cailleach have some smashing pics of their magical garden - all container grown. Do check them out.






CAVEAT: We have three dogs, one of whom loves to eat stuff. As much as I'd like to reprise my Witches Garden with Henbane and Belladonna, I want my pups alive more. Please be very responsible about what you plant, particularly if you have animals who like to wallow in the greens. Even just rubbing up against a plant like Henbane will allow some of its active ingredients to enter the dog or cat's system. I'll share my own story here: I planted Henbane seeds one year, and was rewarded with a bumper crop of tiny plant-lets. When they were large enough, I transplanted them with bare hands into separate containers. Almost immediately, the scopolamine of the plant hit me, dilating my eyes and making my heart run at 100 beats a minute. It took four hours for my heart to stop jack hammering, and a full 24 hours for my eyes to return to normal. I repeat - all I did was hold the damn things in my hands. Don't do this to yourself, your pets or your children. Please plant responsibly.


I'll talk about what I'll be doing with these herbs in my next post. Happy gardening y'all.

The Hidden Occult - Part One

This is the first in a series of posts I will be writing concerning the overindulgence in mix and match magic for some of today's magickal practitioners -- to the determent of their practice.

I go subrosa for 10 days and the world can't find itself with two hands and a flashlight. The world or should I say its inhabitants, are spinning faster and faster, grasping at the golden ring of knowledge just outside of reach of their fingertips, but like the Red Queen from Alice in Wonderland, the faster they move, the less they accomplish.  People, listen up. It works likes this - both in the mundane world and the metaphysical world. You can't be good at two things. You might be okay at one and slightly better at another, but you will never be great at both.

Mozart wrote music - not street signage and music, not novels and music. Just music. Great, big archipelagos of music that shook the world to its roots and gave way to modern musical standards. Shakespeare wrote plays, sonnets and poems (pages and Pages and PAGES of stuff and who knows how much he tossed out before he got to the main course of his work? )  that continue to be expressed in a myriad of methods, ways and interpretations to this very minute.

Picasso painted with such fury that NO ONE in the art world has come close to his capacity and creativity in all the time he's been gone. And even more remarkable is the fact that EVERYONE in the art world agrees -- and that says something, cause they usually can't even look at one another across a street, let alone agree on something this big.

And now -- its the Occultists. Who's got the bigger game going on; who's conjuring tough, meaner, leaner spirits. Who's f***ing Babylon every night of the week, because they've conjured/aspected/gotten possessed or gotten their partner possessed by her/he/it/whatever. Who's throwing roots, casting circles, calling up demons, throwing down with angels and wrestling with the Devil at the Crossroads.

Excuse me while I take a shot of Nyquil to clear my addled head. I thought being an Occultist meant being "withdrawn". Isn't that what the word means? Occult - 'hidden'? And what is hidden is often of great power and importance? So why is everyone and their brother dragging the secrets of the Occult out kicking and screaming into the light of day, then wondering why their magic isn't working? Or better still, why are people treating magic like some kind of daily exercise that needs to be worked at, so their magical muscles expand into something grand and glorious.

It seems to me that the more you work at something the better you get -- but magic isn't like that. Not the magic I learned and practice. I was taught by four very competent magicians. I usually don't drag my pedigree out but it bears showing off here so everyone knows where I am coming from. I am a Magus in the Servants of the Light School, a direct initiate of Dolores Ashcroft-Nowicki, and third in line from Dion Fortune herself (yeah I am that old, just keep walking...). I am also a Mambo Asogwe in Haitian Vodou and the daughter of Gro Mambo Shakmah Winddrum of Philadelphia. And I am the granddaughter of Bon Houngan Edgar Jean Loius of Belair and Bon Houngan Lazireau Lerine of LaFond, Haiti.

And what I learned was this - to trust the universe and work with the elements. To go with the flow and not be a dam to the forces in the world. To put my magic in motion and then to set it free. Let go. Trust. In other words, get out of the way. When I hear about days of evocation and hours of oration, I can't help but feel that the individual is spending all their energy on the wrong thing. Same thing goes for the free spirited soul who just willy-nilly tosses their stuff to the winds without any forethought.

Magic is a subtle and subdued art. To really be a magician, is to become one with the universe. Literally, it's that simple. You don't need pounds of incense, fancy robes or inscribed Spirit vesssels to do real magic. Dolores always said you could do magic in the desert naked if you had to. A dear friend says everything you really need in life, you should be able to carry in two hands at a dead run. I say, combine the two, and you've got the idea.

If everything in magic proceeds from within yourself, then how much/many/ more items are needed to gain the ring of enlightenment? No one loves a magical event more than mwen. I spent a decade doing Big Events with Dolores all over the country.And even after all of those, she would always remark to me that next time, it was to be a chalice and a paten and nothing else. After nearly 30 years with her, I couldn't agree more.

So I will be blogging about Naked Magic this summer. How to mix it up without a lot of stuff. And what bears repeating and what can just be let go. Time to clear out the magical trunk. Stay tuned.