A Pagan Witches Touchstone Witchcraft And Witch Hunts In South Africa

Book: A Pagan Witches Touchstone Witchcraft And Witch Hunts In South Africa by Damon Leff

A Pagan Witches Touchstone is an important publication for a number of reasons. Certainly one of the most important is that for the first time, self-defining Pagan Witches bring into open debate their own perspectives and experiences that result from the negative consequences brought about by the dominant construction of the ‘witch’ as a practitioner of evil. These constructions mostly emerge in African religious traditions wherein witchcraft is understood as an explanatory cause behind personal and community misfortune, illness, and untimely death; and within many Christian traditions that have historically associated the practice of magic, occult traditions, and alternative conceptions of the divine, with a form of diabolic heresy. In this worldview, a person who engages in some, or all, of these practices, can be labeled 'a witch.'

The authors of TouchStone raise these issues in an undoubtedly subjective and impassioned fashion. As Pagan Witches they, and others in their community, have been negatively stereotyped and are also subject to the criminalization of their beliefs and practices under any form of witchcraft legislation. They are vehemently committed to participating in dialogue and finding a role in attempts to seek a solution to the injustices incurred through witchcraft accusations and violence.

Download Damon Leff's eBook: A Pagan Witches Touchstone Witchcraft And Witch Hunts In South Africa

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Emergency Poppet On The Fly

Perhaps something has come up in a hurry, and you feel it needs immediate magical attention. Use a piece of aluminum foil to whip together a quickie poppet -- shape it into the figure of a person. Fill with any magical components that might be handy -- bits of wood, dirt, grass, even a name scribbled on a piece of paper -- and personalize the poppet.

Source: The Gay Mage

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New Orleans Voodoo Lucky Penny Stew

For Mardi Gras, I thought it might be fun to post this recipe for Voodoo Stew from Samantha Kaye's Cajun Voodoo Love Cookin' which is available exclusively through spellmaker.com.

PURPOSE: Bring luck and money into your life!

INGREDIENTS:

* 1 quart boiling water
* 1 cup beef stew meat
* 4 cups cut up cabbage
* 1 large white onion, chopped
* 2 large tomatoes,
* 1 cup fresh spinach, washed and torn into small pieces
* 1/2 cup raisins
* 1/4 cup garlic powder
* 1/4 cup onion powder
* 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1 bay leaf
* 1/2 cup dark red wine

SPIRITUAL GIFTS:

1 white candle 1 green candle 1 white egg upon a small saucer 1 glass of white milk 38 very shiny pennies (polish them yourself and thereafter do not handle them with your fingers, but rather with a clean soft cloth) 1/2 cup of water 2 white paper bowls

BEFORE BEGINNING YOUR COOKING:

1. Line up your candles one before the other (in a vertical line) anywhere in the kitchen. Put the white one in back, and the green one in front, about 6 inches apart. Put the egg and milk between them. Surround the whole setup with 36 of the shiny pennies. (The egg, milk and candles are to remain in place overnight.)

2. Go to any corner of the kitchen with the 1/2-cup of water. Sprinkle some water from your fingertips in the corner three times.

3. Go to the candles. Stamp the floor three times. Light the white candle in back and say:

"Hey, Legba" the gate and let my words carry to the other side."

Pause a moment. Light the green candle in front, clap your hands three times and say:

"A"ida, A"ida, A"ida Ou'edo" am poor and unlucky" of the heavens, bringer of clouds, " of wealth, listen to me" want good fortune and an abundance of money"ida, I ask this of you" me in providing for my family, myself, " others that may be in need" me into your rainbow of fortune" me down to a land of abundance" me with the riches" your raindrops of success and good-luck " happiness about me" this for me."

4. Begin your food preparation with your desire for having good luck and financial means in mind. Keep this desire in mind and honor A"ida during the making of the stew either repeating over and over "I will never be hungry again," or singing Pennies from Heaven.

START COOKING:

Add all ingredients except the meat, cabbage, spinach, and raisins to the pot of boiling water and reduce to a simmer. Add in the meat and simmer for 10 minutes. Add in the rest of the ingredients and cook for 40 minutes at a low simmer.

Turn off flame and add 1/2 cup red wine to pot and stir. Remove the bay leaf before serving. Serve with black-eyed peas to insure prosperity.

AFTER COOKING:

1. Put out the front green candle and say:

"Thank you, A"ida, " hearing my cry and making my desire come true" it pleases you, you may now depart."

Pause a moment. Put out the rear white candle and say:

"Thank you, Papa Alegba" it pleases you, you may close the gate."

2. Spoon out a little of the stew into each of the paper bowls. There are two shiny pennies left. Drop one into each paper bowl of stew.

BEFORE YOU EAT (IF NOT POSSIBLE, THEN AFTERWARDS):

* Take the paper bowls outside and go to the base of a tree, telephone pole, lamppost or fence post.
* Stamp the ground three times with your foot.
* Put down one stew and say: "Papa Alegba, this is for you."
* Put down the other bowl of stew and say: "Blessings and thanks to you, Queen A"ida."
* Turn your back and walk away, leaving them there overnight.

THE NEXT DAY:

1. Bury the pennies there at the tree or post. If the stew is still there, pour the stew into the hole where you bury the pennies. Throw away the paper bowls.

2. Take the egg and milk and candles out to a street corner and place them there. Do not be noticed doing so, and leave quickly.

by Samantha Kaye at LadyFire.com

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Making Poppets

Poppets can be be fashioned from all kinds of materials, such as: carved roots, grasses, grain stalks, corn husks, fruit, wood, paper, mud, wax, clay, metal or lead, all formed into a human shape. These can then be dressed in simply made clothes and stuffed with a variety herbs, stones and other magical items needed to effect the purpose of the spell or work. Ideally personal items associated with the person the poppet is intended for, should be included in its preparation i.e. it could be dressed in material taken from clothing once worn by the person, a sample of handwriting or a photograph, personal items such as a lock of hair or nail clippings, and even bodily fluids such as blood, semen or saliva. The important thing is to create a link between the poppet and the intended recipient of the spell or work.

Poppets can be as simple or as elaborate as you like, but as they are generally made to represent another person, care should be taken to learn all you can about them, before you determine the need and purpose of your intent. Do you need to curse, heal, harm or bind? While the possibilities are endless, just like in any spell work, you'll need to set a goal and the means of achieving it. Some believed that the more work you put into preparing your spell, or the more complex it is, the stronger and more potent your focus and intent will be.

Like any ritual tool, once made, the poppet needs to be consecrated, named and dedicated to the work in hand, then infused with personal energy to bring into force your intentions. Sometimes this is be done by breathing life into the poppets mouth through a straw. In this way the poppet takes on a magical life of its own, which activates the spell or working.

Depending on the type of spell being worked, be it to curse, heal, harm or bind, various actions are performed on the poppet to cause a similar effect on the recipient. It can be pierced with pins, nails or other sharp objects to cause pain, cooled with water or heated with fire to cure a fever, or bound with cords to restrict movement. Once the spell or work is done, or success has been achieved, the poppet needs to be dismantled and ingredients used disposed of in an appropriate way, making sure that any link between it and what it represented is completely destroyed.

Source: Poppet Magick

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New Orleans Voodoo Magic

New Orleans is stock full of folk tales of Voodoo Practitioners who can transform into animals or cause animals to invade others. Rather than transforming into wolves, the Voodouns are generally reported as becoming cats.

As late as the 1940’s, stories of frogs, snakes, lizards and snails inside the bodies of the cursed flooded New Orleans. Family members’ bearing witness to these creatures expelling from the bodies and then disappearing shrouded numerous cases of unexplained deaths. In Jim Haskin’s book, “Voodoo and Hoodoo”, the author records actual spells that were supposedly used to invoke living creatures in the body. The spells usually involved the blood of the creature or a powder made from the dead creature being introduced into the food of the intended victim. Once ingested, the victim proceeds to grow living creatures in the stomach, veins or under the skin. Needless to say, there were spells for casting out living creatures in the body as well. Herbs were generally used to cleanse the body and drive away any living creatures that may have been inflicted!

One can only assume that much of the legends that have arisen in New Orleans were spawned by fear and superstition. It is human nature to fear what we do not understand. Voodoo could be perhaps, one of the most misunderstood Religions that have ever existed. Its presence in New Orleans has brought with it a veil of mysticism that has shrouded our fair city and confused its onlookers. The magical history and folklore of New Orleans even inspired local best selling author, Anne Rice, to produce a string of novels about a family of witches, The Mayfair’s. No matter what one’s opinion may be of Voodoo and Witchcraft, no one can come to New Orleans and not be curious as to its wonder.

The roots of Voodoo have been traced all the way back to Africa before 1100 AD. In his book, A Brief History of Voodoo: Slavery & the Survival of The African Gods, Mr. Andy Antippas gives an overview of this fascinating history. The Yoruba people of Southwestern and eastern Dahomey and Togo/Nigeria founded a great city called Ife. It is from the religious beliefs of Ife that Voodoo as we know it today has evolved.

The Voodoo religion is based on one main supreme deity and several demi-gods called loas or lwas. The loas are much to Voodoo as the Saints are to Catholicism. Each one serving a specific purpose. It is estimated that by the 1750’s, 30,000 slaves a year were being immigrated into Haiti bringing with them the Voodoo religion. In the language of the Dahomey tribes, the word Voodoo means Gods or Spirits. The Dahomians believed that these spirits had the ability to enter the worshippers. This was believed to be a valuable experience, warding off illness and misfortune.

One of the most supreme and powerful loas is Damballah-Wedo, the serpent god. He is represented in Voodoo rituals by a snake. The dance with the snake symbolizes the unity between our world and the world beyond. The dancer and the snake become one.

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Learn To Apply A Voodoo Love Spell And Get Back Your Lost Love

Have you lost your beautiful and attractive lover? Do you love him and want to get your lover back to your life? Look, a Voodoo love spell is very effective magical device to attract your lost soul mate. However, you must work hard to cast a Voodoo love spell with much perfection so that you will regain your lost love. You must remember one thing that Voodoo is not such a magical tool which can give you 100 percent assurance for winning back your ex-lover overnight. If any Voodoo love spell caster claims that he is much efficient and he has power and ability to bring back your life partner to you overnight, you should not trust him as he is saying the wrong thing.

Always keep one thing in mind that your sweet relationship has not broken within 24 hours. It is not that your love has been lost within a single day. Therefore to get the lost romance and love, you must perform excellently to cast a Voodoo love spell. Is there any particular time frame for gaining success? Well, it depends on the severity of the caustic relationship with your former soul mate. If it is very poor and pitiable, it will take time to revamp the broken relationship with your ex life partner. However, approximately within 2-8 weeks of manifestation of a Voodoo love spell, you will feel the difference.

There are a number of different types of Voodoo magical love spells which will help you to win the heart of your lover who has cut off the communication with you. Learn accurately how to apply the Voodoo magical love spells to serve the purpose. You can cast Voodoo magical love spells by doing a simple experiment. Pour some amount of cooking oil into the cap of the bottle. Now plug an eyelash from your eye and place it into the cap which is filled with oil.

Let it float on the oil in the cap overnight. Then invite your boy friend to touch the oil with his index finger just for a minute. If your boy friend asks the reason of dipping his finger into the cap, you will tell him that it is just a simple test to know how steadily and competently his pulse rates beat or perform. It will prove his manliness. Now, you must apply the oil to the fingertip of your lover and request him to rub your lips with his finger. It is a fantastic way of winning the lost love through the Voodoo Magic spells.

The Candlewax Cover is another fantastic way to attract your lost lover. It is an important part of Voodoo Magic Spells for reviving the lost romantic spirit. Voodoo doll is also very powerful and efficient love spell device which will fulfill your dream. In this case, please collect some portion of the apparel of your boy friend and few hair strands of your dude in designing the Voodoo doll. Attach the collected hair strands of your dude to the head of Voodoo doll. You must decorate the doll with the swatches of your lover's clothes. This toy will manipulate the mind of your boy friend. You need to perform very accurately so that you will face the least obstacle in achieving the lost love. Every step should be followed with perfection.

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Poppets In History

The use of poppets and dolls in magic date back to ancient times and occurrences of their use have be found in India, Babylonia (Chaldaea), Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece and Rome. In ancient Greece for instance, poppets called "Kolossoi" were typically used to bind deities for defensive purposes to protect one's village, home and family. Artifacts dating to 4BC found in Greece confirm the use of these 'dollies.'

"Kolossoi", were most often used to bind evil spirits rather than people (though binding people was certainly not unheard of.) Rough human forms were shaped from clay, lead or wood and then the figures would be bound, hands and feet often tied behind the back, heads turned sharply to the left or even completely around. Pins, nails and other objects would be inserted, the number 13 being a favourite to insert. These poppets would then be encased in a lead vessel and buried to bind the intended person/spirit.

Today binding spells are commonly used and targeted at specific individuals to stop or prevent then from harming others. The ancient Greeks however used binding to secure deity protection for public as well as private defence. For example, the spirit of Ares, the God of War would be bound in a poppet, which was then placed in the village square to ward off invading enemies, thus preventing war. Similarly other protective deities could be bound and the poppet buried near the home to protect buildings and family.

During the witch hysteria of the 17th century, at the infamous trial of the Lancashire Witches in 1612, Old Mother Demdike confessed and described the quickest way to murder someone by witchcraft as: _"...to make a Picture of clay, like unto the shape of the person whom they mean to kill, and dry it thoroughly: and when they would have them to be ill in any one place more than another; then take a Thorn or a Pin, and prick it in that part of the body to consume away, then take that part of the Picture, and burn it. And when they would have the whole body to consume away, then take the remnant of said Picture and burn it: and so thereupon by that means, the body shall die."_

In more recent histories, when African slaves were forced to leave their homes and sold into labour on American plantations, many brought with them small religious artefacts similar to a poppet doll called a "_fetish_". A fetish is commonly a statue or object containing magical power, used to protect the owner from evil spirits or to control the owner's destiny. In tribal Africa, these beliefs are incorporated into expressive figures that acquire their power through ritualistic carving and consecration. In addition, special herbs, sacrificial offerings and magical words are used to increase its power or appease its spirit.

Some fetishes are hollowed out to hold herbs and other magical substances, while others are adorned with special charms and talismans to ward off evil and protect the owners. However, fearing the power such beliefs had on the lives of their slaves, any slave found in possession of a fetish was likely to be killed by his owner, or at the very least have the skin removed from his back by whipping.

Finally, the late Sir James George Frazer (1854-1941) describes the use of sympathetic or imitative magic in his now classic book: The Golden Bough: a Study in Magic and Religion (first published in 1890):

"Perhaps the most familiar application of the principle that like produces like is the attempt which has been made by many peoples in many ages to injure or destroy an enemy by injuring or destroying an image of him, in the belief that, just as the image suffers, so does the man, and that when it perishes he must die. A few instances out of many may be given to prove at once the wide diffusion of the practice over the world and its remarkable persistence through the ages.

For thousands of years ago it was known to the sorcerers of ancient India, Babylon, and Egypt, as well as of Greece and Rome, and at this day it is still resorted to by cunning and malignant savages in Australia, Africa, and Scotland. Thus the North American Indians, we are told, believe that by drawing the figure of a person in sand, ashes, or clay, or by considering any object as his body, and then pricking it with a sharp stick or doing it any other injury, they inflict a corresponding injury on the person represented.

For example, when an Ojebway Indian desires to work evil on any one, he makes a little wooden image of his enemy and runs a needle into its head or heart, or he shoots an arrow into it, believing that wherever the needle pierces or the arrow strikes the image, his foe will the same instant be seized with a sharp pain in the corresponding part of his body; but if he intends to kill the person outright, he burns or buries the puppet, uttering certain magic words as he does so.

The Peruvian Indians molded images of fat mixed with grain to imitate the persons whom they disliked or feared, and then burned the effigy on the road where the intended victim was to pass. This they called "burning his soul.""

Written by George Knowles

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