Mojo Hand Gris Gris and trick bags

Mojo Hand or Gris-Gris Bag, sometimes called Trick bag Flannel traditional color is red. Originally these bags were made from the clothes of non usable long john, which were red flannel– today you can make a more modern bag and use various colors color according to intent (green: money, red: love, white: blessing, pale blue: peaceful home, etc.) Oil – appropriate to purpose Roots Herbs Petition paper Petition paper traditionally parchment paper Miscellaneous items according to purpose: coins, charms, good luck tokens, crystals, carved amulets, etc. Charm for outside of bag according to intention (optional)

Make the flannel bag with a drawstring closure. Today you can purchase various colors including red in small flannel bag with drawstring closure. The proper way to close the bag is to wrap the drawstring around the bag once, then pull the end through the wrapped drawstring, pulling the tie tight. This also makes it easy to re-open for adding more items and "feeding" it.

 Keep total items to 3, 7, 9 or 13. You will want to focus your intention and breath it into the mojo while visioning the intention. This is repeated until you feel your intention has been sent into the bag. When you tie of the bag, tie 3 knots and repeat your intention as you do. Keep in mind not over fill your mojo, as you will be wearing it, contact with the skin is important.

After the bag is prepared and properly sealed, you will need to activate and feed the bag. It is also important not to let anyone see your mojo and never let another touch it., it will render the bag ‘dead’

If some sees you will need ‘feed the bag’ 1. Feed the bag by smoking it 2. Bless the bag with holy water or 100% rum. 3. Anoint with oil (in a 3 or 5 spot pattern) Be sure to wear for a week, the common place for a women to wear is inside her bra. Place under your pillow during sleep.

After the original weak you can place in your bag or purse, if someone see it reefed it, if someone touches it the bag is dead The Mojo hand must be fed weekly or when spirit guides you some traditional feeding ways are with: alcoholic beverage, spit or urine, perfume (Hoyt’s Cologne or Florida Water), or sexual fluids (for a love-drawing hand), etc.. You also simple feed it by smoking and anointing,

When making the bag for another, they should be present and have them feed the bag for the first time and have them blow intention into the bag.

Paket Kongo

Paket Kongo are magical bundles of Loa energy. They are filled with herbs, plants, minerals , animal essences, objects and materials, that draw the power and energy of the Spirit to the holder.

They  dressed in satin, beads, sequins and charms,a feast for the eye, a gift to  Loa . Very fragrant,  powerfully blessed and energetically intentioned, each bundle is an offering to Spirit, designed to be both beautiful, as well as functional.

It is from these  original Paket Kong, that perhaps the mojo bag, it's more rustic cousin was born.

Urban Nature

I wanted to post some Urban hot spots in my area. Don't tell me you can't work urban magic !

Check out these awesome pics for a recent family ritual we had for Spring. It was so windy up in the mountains that are located in East Phoenix. If you think you can't hunt down nature in the urban desert, think again!

This is a great example of using what the land your in provides for you. This is one my most favorite spots in the urban desert.

Hoodoo and Candle Magic A Brief Background on African-American Spellcasting Sabrina Kinckle

When African slaves were brought to America, they were stripped of their religious beliefs and familial connections. However, much of their magical practices remained. African-American rootworkers acquired herbal knowledge from Native Americans. Later, when the United States was influenced by the resurgence of Hermetic magic that spread across Europe, African-American rootworkers began studying Kabalistic traditions. The result was the mixing of folk magic with Judeo-Christian sources, such as incorporating the Book of Psalms in various spells.

Hoodoo Candle Magic

Hoodoo relies heavily on candle magic. Candles are said to manifest certain desires based on their colors. Perhaps the most influential candlemancy book to the Hoodoo tradition was Henri Gamache’s 1940s publication entitled, A Master Book of Candle Burning: How to Burn Candles for Every Purpose. Gamache was greatly influenced by spiritualist Paschal Beverly Randolph and texts from Harry Hyatt, a folklorist who documented a wealth of information on Hoodoo.

Read more at Suite101: Hoodoo and Candle Magic: A Brief Background on African-American Spellcasting http://magick-voodoo.suite101.com/article.cfm/hoodoo_and_candle_magic#ixzz0jLvcSFsO

Welcome to America

What follows is a cry out to my folks here in America and specifically all ya’ll pagan folk in the south; if that ain’t you don’t take it so big.


Welcome to America
Hoodoo you know?

Welcome to the New Age - the Age of Aquarius - the Age of Free Thought and Magic Afoot.

Welcome to the Brand New - Brave New World.

Or is it? Do you sing the throat song of the new world or are you still reaching across the waters back to lost and old homes and ages; searching for something better because it ain’t here.
The current New Age of magic seems so diverse and open, but it often appears too rooted in every place but one – America –. Yes, it’s very fashionable, and perhaps more than a little justified, to turn one’s face from the home wall and find wisdom, wit and way in –any- place but America. That being the America of the here and now and the just then; anything existing before that being perfectly acceptable for use as it is Native and Original - and the irony of that on top of what has already been claimed, destroyed, and taken is so huge as to almost be soul crushing. But before you run out and start intoning Gaelic, Latin, Etruscan, or casting circles to the proper Airt you might want to stop and consider that there is a very American magic just under the surface –all around you- not a native magic or an original magic – not a pure magic just made out of it’s own self skin – no, a quilt made up of Haint blue colors, and jinx squares all sewn up on a five spot board – a magic as American as Jazz or Chop Suey.
Hoodoo
Now before you go off and get yourself all tied up, fussing and fuming and ready to put me right in my place, - and I've probably given you plenty to be riled up about since I haven’t been oh so careful and fretful over your all’s feelings – just take a breath and hear me out. I’m not saying to you that old ways from other places or native peoples don’t have worth, aren't damn fine in fact, and I’m not forgetting all the beautiful parts that came to make up Hoodoo from amazing Africa, solemn Synagogues, humble Hexmeisters, hucksters, dreamers, slaves, freemen, bandits, rouges, revolutionaries, just plain ol’ wise mommas and papas and the roots and spirits themselves – so if your all wound and hung just take a long cool drink of shut the hell up and go, stay or do as you like because I’m going to go on.
Hoodoo
That’s right I said Hoodoo, you heard me. That ol’ time huckstery, superstitious, spookism – yup Hoodoo, Mojo Bags, Floor Washin, Black Cat Bones and all. Now a lot a folk got to look everywhere but at home for magic and truth and wisdom, cause if someone you never met and don’t know says it or does it, well then that must be right and true. But now if Gramma and Pops and Sister does it well that’s just how some folks is around here… superstitious, ignorant… backwards. Well La De Da, that’s just fine now isn't; if somebody over an ocean or 300 years back does it it’s real and valid, but if my Gramma did it it’s that old devil spookery or just plain foolishness, or that’s that ol’ evil stuff or even better, the biggest slap in the face, that something that “them” folk do and we all know what I mean by that, G-d help us.
Well it’s out there folks, all around you, in your words, in your manners, in your ways and songs and the little things you do and it’s as real and tangible as the best magic you can call up on any Sabbat Night and it’s a part of –here- our times and our air, our earth and our fires… cicada songs, gator growls, cat screams, and owl hoots all. So before ya’ll run right off to greener pastures and set all your elders on their ears, show us how we’re wrong, just stop and ask and listen – maybe around midnight down by the Crossroads or in the quiet of the Graveyard on Memorial Day or just watch what Gramma does when she drops a knife – who knows Magic might be a whole lot more damn Afoot then you ever guessed.
by Charles Porterfield a.k.a. Grandpaw Coyote