blackfilmmakers · 10 months ago
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Vivziepop still being a bitch when it comes to respecting Black people and religions
what a surprise 😒😒😒
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sleepynegress · 1 year ago
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CASTEVANIA: NOCTURNE....EARLY SCREENING REVIEW
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For those who missed it,
Netflix briefly posted the first 3 episodes of CASTLEVANIA: NOCTURNE on youtube. They are gone now, but here are my thoughts...
SOME SPOILERS INCLUDED
I loved all the changes to the backstory of Annette, specifically injecting Orishas into the background of her conjuring abilities. Also, including the Haitian Revolution, 1 of only 2 depictions I've ever seen in pop culture media was a great addition.
Vampires being involved in enslavement actually being a solid signifier of the awfulness of who they are this time, instead of all the handwaved vampire confederates, we've seen in the past (Twilight's Jasper, Vampire Diaries' two male leads, and True Blood's "Beel" I'm looking at you), is another improvement here.
The character designs are gorgeous and I have never seen so many "anime-style" characters of color so well-drawn, w/ cultural signifiers and details; hairstyles, symbols, and so on, included so well. Olrox, for example, I noticed has Native colors (aka the medicine wheel) embellished in the wings of his serpent-form. Annette's conjuring used actual symbols from Yoruba/Vodun spiritual practices...(which, depending on who you are might be something you'd squint at and were specific enough to know what energies she was summoning!). I am most invested in her relationship with Edouard right now, despite him giving this:
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Loved the detail of him having synesthesia and the angsty twist there in the end, which adds some intrigue and moral conflict to their mission.
Annette really loves Edouard, but there were like one or two exchanged glances with Ritcher so, hmmm (also yea! for a Black woman having that two-men angst trope, this time!). Richter has the OG whip...and I'm just imagining Alucard finding that thing behind some corner in his castle back in the day randomly, and returning it to the Belmont fam on his land/village (fic-writers?). His opening angst scene... -Forgive me, because I have compassion for the fact of his boyhood at that time, but I wish his mom's vulnerability wasn't catalyzed by a really basic childish mistake (that I'd assume his mom would have prepped him on?!) on his part. Better fight choreo-, would have been her seeming to *need* his intervention at that moment, IMO. The development of the cast is very flashback-based. There isn't near enough banter between them to have a feel for the core group chemistry yet, for me, right now. And the action scenes aren't as detailed as the OG Castlevania. I have my issues with Warren Ellis in other ways, but I'm missing his touch here.
Still, there's enough meat for me to continue to check this out, but lower your expectations going in.
The flavor is different from the OG Castlevania.
It's giving B- for me for now, with maybe an upgrade to a solid B just because of Drolta's hoof-boots. EDIT: Rewatched and it's now a solid B to OG Castlevania's solid A.
They had better renew with that cliffhanger.
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conjuremanj · 2 years ago
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Papa Legba. Other Family Of LEGBAS. With Ritual.
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Papa Legba is the Lwa of the gates, he is not a guardian of the crossroads he opens the way to between the worker and the Spirits (Lwa) He stands at the roads (Gran Chemin) the Great Road and gives or denies permission to speak with the spirits of Lwa or Guineé.
In any Voodoo ceremony Papa Legba is saluted first and he opens the path for communication between the devotees. and is believed to speak all human languages. Within the African Traditional Religion of Voodoo, Vudu, Vodoun, or Vodun, Papa Legba is seen as an old man with a cane or crutch and smokes a pipe. who acts as an intermediary between humans and Lwa. He carries keys and dogs are secret to him
Who He Is: Divination Fortune Telling Oracles. While he's always saluted first, he does not often mount or possesses. Papa Legba is a protector of children and can be called upon for protection, to open ways, and to bring prophecy. His colors are red & white and his offerings are alcohol Rum, tobacco, coffee, sweets.
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In Catholic syncretic Voodoo practices, Papa Legba is associated with Saint Peter, Saint Lazarus, or Saint Anthony. Papa Legba sometimes associated with the orisha Eleggua from the Yoruban and Cuban Santeria or Lukumi tradition, though Eleggua is seen more of a trickster.
There are many corresponding divisions of lwa, and each has their own Legba tasked with opening the door and allowing those spirits to pass but there’s a good deal of misconception the first thing that's is done is the priye ginen. is complete, the first spirit we sing to is Hountor, the lwa of the drums, to translates our modern speech and song into the language of the drums, then the Legba...
But there isn't just one Legba but many... Legba nan Petro, or Legba in the Rada Rite, is the first of the Legba spirits served, and he's task is to open the gate on the Great Road, the doorway that allows the other spirits to come to our celebrations and rites.
For my lineage,( New Orleans) the Rada Legba wears a saint known as Saint Anthony the Abbot.
Legba Nan Petro, the Legba who opens to doorway for the hotter and rougher spirits of the Petro rite. He wears the image of Saint Lazarus (typically an emaciated and sometimes bruised man walking by means of crutches, another symbolic stand-in for the Poto Mitan). Even the nations that make up the components of the larger Rada and Petro rites also have their Legba figures (who may or may not be members of the Legba family of spirits… often times, Ogou Ossange, a wounded healer who is also always shown with crutches, can serve as the Legba nan Nago, or the Legba figure who opens the door for the Nago nation spirits, or the division that holds the spirits of the Nago people, who are now more widely known by the name of their language, Yoruba.) And a misconception is that Kalfou is legbas Twin, he is not. (See post on Kalfou.
The Ghede family, the spirits that are called at the end of every Vodou celebration, also have their own door keepers/Legbas of their group… and are also known for carrying a Baton Ghede, a walking stick that can alternately be a gentlemen’s cane.
In Haitian Vodou, the Legbas are not Crossroads spirits; To us, the Legba figures are the keepers of gates and doors, languages and communication… not the crossroads, which we have as a different being entirely.
As all of us are born with an ability to serve those spirits we inherit or who seek to build relationships with us. ALL of us have access to the Legba spirits, either for opening those doors and forging roads of communication and respect, or for working with the way we would any spirit we serve.
In Haitian Vodou there is a ceremonial protocols, rules, and heirarchies. Not everyone needs to become an initiate to work with their spirits in our religion, just as not all Catholics need to be priests, and certainly one does not need to be a priest to say the Rosary in home prayer… but for transmission of the faith, the services a clergy is required. Vodou is much the same in how it works and functions, and the faithful, while they are capable of small acts of service to their spirits at home,
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This is a Elegula altar.
INVOKING PAPA LEGBA:
Ingredients:
Red or white Candle, Rum, Cigarettes, Sweets, coffee.
Veve of Papa Once you have placed everything on the altar, light everything that needs to be lit, and start to meditate. Once you feel like you are ready, call upon Papa Legba. (Language is no barrier)
You can call him by either singing or reciting his prayer.
Papa Legba open the gate for me. Legba open the gate for me and I will thank the lwa when I return.
Once you feel his presence, ask for his assistance. Talk to him as you would to a friend. He is listening. If you feel that you have opened up as much as possible, you can now ask him to open the door so as to let the spirits or Lwas (Loas) out. Now remember to specifically mention which Loas you want to talk to.
Once you are done talking to him and asking him to open the door, offer him all the items you have laid down on the altar for him. Have some for yourself too. At this point, you should also start the process of invoking the Loa that you with to talk to. This is a whole different ritual all together and each Loa has a different ritual.
Let Candle burn for an hour.
Once you are done with the rituals in regards to the Loas, it is time to say Thank You and Good Bye to Papa Legba.
This is done by actually thanking him and saying GoodBye. You should thank him for coming, hearing you out and letting you speak to the Loa, and ask him to close the gate on his way out.
Now that you have completed this ritual, you can pack up all the offerings you can save some for later if needed.
This isn't the complete voodoo ritual that's only for initiates but if your a devotee and need his help you can do this.
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firecrackerhh · 3 months ago
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…already made a post talking about this but for reiteration does it never occur to these troglodytes that perhaps Viv is just recognizing her fandom’s fucking intelligence and the real problem is that you fucking tards are too brain damaged to fucking realize how stories fucking work?
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Alastor doesn’t even practice Vodun anymore! I’m pretty sure his power comes from Roo, not from an actual fucking religion, can you fucking self righteous assholes stop acting offended on behalf of a religion y’all don’t even fucking care about?
I know these people don’t. I’m betting Vodun isn’t even in his backstory anymore, if you’re still pissy over fucking symbols I think there’s more important shit you can care about, I don’t think any deity actually gives a fuck that bad, as long as you aren’t using said religion for harm, which she is not. 
Showing only a quarter of a pentagram isn’t gonna summon a demon, and a veve by itself is meaningless unless you like…do something with it.
I don’t think the Lwa give a single shit about cartoons, and they sure af don’t care if their symbology is being used/edited for not harmful means.
They have bigger shit to worry about. It’s like people getting mad when other people don’t care about the Abrahamic God, like I don’t think God cares what you believe as long as you’re a good person. He has more important shit to care about, I’m begging you to find actual problems.
Stop fighting on a God’s behalf, it’s kinda pathetic actually. They don’t need you to defend them.
It’s a fucking cartoon, none of this shit is real, shut the fuck up.
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kemetic-dreams · 3 years ago
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WHO DECIDES WHO AND WHAT IS AMERICAN???
Had a patient, recently say “Where are you from your name isn’t American”. I told them my name is African, and I am a citizen of The USA. So, my name is American too. And I quickly identified that person’s name as European.
Which brings up a great question, who decides what is American and not American.
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Since the expansion of Europeans into the Western Hemisphere. Europeans have dictated what was “civilized” and better now “what is American.”
When you say “that is not American”, from who’s perspective. Asians(Native Americans), Africans or Europeans.
And what does that say about, when you hear people say “I am proud to be American.”
Culturally speaking, the USA is an assimilation of cultures, just look at the foods. English may be an official language of places of business. But, I am African I speak Amharic like many others, Spanish is spoken, I personally know Natives that speak their language, Korean languages are spoken.
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Christianity is a religion born in the catacombs of Rome, Italy. Islam is born in Western Asia. Vodun comes from ethnic groups of West Africa, Buddhism, Hinduism comes from South Asia, and then traditional Native American cultures. 
Students were physically punished for speaking their Native languages. Contact with family and community members was discouraged or forbidden altogether. Survivors have described a culture of pervasive physical and sexual abuse at the schools. Food and medical attention were often scarce; many students died.
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English comes from England. John, Tom, Tyrone(Irish) Johnson etc are European names. 
Children were typically immersed in European-American culture through forced changes that removed indigenous cultural signifiers. These methods included being forced to have European-American style haircuts, being forbidden to speak their Indigenous languages, and having their real names replaced by European names to both "civilize" and "Christianize" them
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Barbacoa Yet while barbecues may be dear to the American soul, they are not native to the US. Instead, they trace their roots to the indigenous peoples of North and South America – and their troubled, often confusing, history says more about colonialism, war and migration than it does about freedom.
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Hindu-Arabic numerals, set of 10 symbols—1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 0—that represent numbers in the decimal number system. They originated in India in the 6th or 7th century and were introduced to Europe through the writings of Middle Eastern mathematicians, especially al-Khwarizmi and al-Kindi, about the 12th century.
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What makes Islam,Vodun, Santeria, Obeah, Odinani and less American than Christianity or the Catholic religion
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Nothing in the USA is really original, and hell Natives Americans are Asians. And everyone has cultural relevance here. Your an American nationalist by citizenship not some pseudo ideas of Europeans. How can a European tell a Native American who isn’t Christian, that’s not American.-KHEPRI NETERU
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robertobaoriate · 2 years ago
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Orisha, also spelled orixa or orisa, any of the deities of the Yoruba people of southwestern Nigeria. They are also venerated by the Edo of southeastern Nigeria; the Ewe of Ghana, Benin, and Togo; and the Fon of Benin (who refer to them as voduns). Although there is much variation in the details of the rituals and mythology of these deities among these West African peoples, the underlying religious concept is essentially the same. An orisha may be said to be a deity. Yet defining an orisha as a deity does not do justice to the concept, in large part because the term deity often suggests a sort of anthropomorphic supernatural entity. An orisha may be said to arise when a divine power to command and make things happen converges with a natural force, a deified ancestor, and an object that witnesses and supports that convergence and alignment. An orisha, therefore, is a complex multidimensional unity linking people, objects, and powers.
The word orisha is related to several other Yoruba words referring to the head. The main one, ori, refers, first of all, to the physical head atop a person’s body. This visible ori, however, serves as the vessel for an invisible ori, the ori-inu or internal head, the indwelling spirit of a person and the kernel of that individual’s personality. The ori-inu exists before birth; it comes from God and determines an individual’s character and fate. Just as the physical head perches atop the body, the ori-inu stands over and rules, guides, and controls a person’s actions. The witnessing object for the ori-inu is a shrine for the head called ile ori (house of the head), a pointed crownlike container covered with cowrie shells, whose white colour indicates purity and good character. In themselves the cowrie shells symbolize wealth, because they were once a medium of economic exchange. The white cowrie-shell covering of the ile ori also alludes to the white-feathered bird called eiye ororo, the symbol of the mind that God puts into the head at birth. The ile ori seems to say that a good head (i.e., good character and a good mind) constitutes true wealth.
The head also has other values associated with it that derive from the hierarchical nature of Yoruba social life. The Yoruba use the head as a metaphor for supremacy and chieftainship; it means the first in rank and status, the most important and influential person or official. Age, which is priority in time, is highly valued and respected, and it is also an important aspect of status and ranking.
Orisha, también escrito orixa u orisa, cualquiera de las deidades del pueblo yoruba del suroeste de Nigeria. También son venerados por los Edo del sureste de Nigeria; el Ewe de Ghana, Benin y Togo; y los Fon de Benin (que se refieren a ellos como voduns). Aunque hay mucha variación en los detalles de los rituales y la mitología de estas deidades entre estos pueblos de África Occidental, el concepto religioso subyacente es esencialmente el mismo. Se puede decir que un orisha es una deidad. Sin embargo, definir a un orisha como una deidad no hace justicia al concepto, en gran parte porque el término deidad a menudo sugiere una especie de entidad sobrenatural antropomórfica. Se puede decir que un orisha surge cuando un poder divino para ordenar y hacer que las cosas sucedan converge con una fuerza natural, un ancestro deificado y un objeto que es testigo y apoya esa convergencia y alineación. Un orisha, por lo tanto, es una unidad multidimensional compleja que vincula personas, objetos y poderes.
La palabra orisha está relacionada con varias otras palabras yoruba que se refieren a la cabeza. El principal, ori, se refiere, en primer lugar, a la cabeza física sobre el cuerpo de una persona. Este ori visible, sin embargo, sirve como recipiente para un ori invisible, el ori-inu o cabeza interna, el espíritu que habita en una persona y el núcleo de la personalidad de ese individuo. El ori-inu existe antes del nacimiento; viene de Dios y determina el carácter y el destino de un individuo. Así como la cabeza física se posa sobre el cuerpo, el ori-inu se para y gobierna, guía y controla las acciones de una persona. El objeto testigo del ori-inu es un santuario para la cabeza llamado ile ori (casa de la cabeza), un recipiente puntiagudo en forma de corona cubierto con conchas de cauri, cuyo color blanco indica pureza y buen carácter. En sí mismas, las conchas de cauri simbolizan la riqueza, porque alguna vez fueron un medio de intercambio económico. La cubierta blanca de concha de cauri del ile ori también alude al pájaro de plumas blancas llamado eiye ororo, el símbolo de la mente que Dios pone en la cabeza al nacer. El ile ori parece decir que una buena cabeza (es decir, un buen carácter y una buena mente) constituye la verdadera riqueza.
#aprendiendoconrobertobaoriate
#robertobaoriate
#orishas
#orisa
#orixa
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Note
Do you think people might be uncomfortable with using the term voodoo for one of the dual classes?
so we discussed it together and i don’t think it’ll be an issue?? if someone of the practice tells us it’s a problem of course we’ll change it!! but since there were various figureheads of other religions included, both in ours and in the canon classpects, i thought it would be fitting to include more than just typical christian symbols and the like. banjo thinks vodun would probably be more fitting and less potentially controversial though, so we’re gonna go with vodun instead ^^
-mod of Chance
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americangodstalk · 4 years ago
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Cultural backgrounds: Anansi
Anansi is a popular folktale character and cultural hero. He is from Ghana, originating from the tales of the Akan people. He quickly got a good place in the Ashanti mythology and his legends spread across all of West Africa, and then into the Caribbean folklore.
Sometimes called Kwaku Anansi, Kompa Nanzi or Nancy, Anansi is described as both a spider (Anansi meaning “spider” in the Akan language) and a humanoid being – his depictions ranging from fully human-looking or completely spider-like to hybrids such as a spider with human face and clothes or a man with eight limbs. He is often described as having a family: he has a wife, that bears different names according to the sources, and several sons (Ntikuma, his first-born son, Tikelenkelen, his big-headed son, Nankonhwea, his son with spindly necks and legs, and Afudohwedohwe, his big bellied son). Some story also tells of Anansewa, the beautiful daughter of Anansi that he tries to wed to the most profitable parties.
Anansi is a famous trickster, renowned for his ruses, his cunning, his talent at making speeches and his skills as an orator. The Akan consider him an Abosom (equivalent to the Yoruba orishas and Vodun loas). The Abosoms are in the Akan spirituality powerful spirits, akin to lesser gods, that helped shape the world and are a link between the mortal, earthly beings and the supreme entity that is Nyame, the Sky Father. Anansi is said to be either the son of Nyame and Asase Ya, the Earth Mother, or merely their servant and messengers. However, Anansi never received any intense worship and his divine nature was never put forward by the Akan, who felt that his role as a cultural figure and folklore hero was much more useful than his religious aspect.
Among the many legends about Anansi, two stick out the most because they each explain one of Anansi’s role in the world.
The first story explains that in the beginning the world was story-less, for all of them were kept in a box by Nyame, the Sky Father. Anansi thought the world was boring and thus went up at the top of the universe to meet with Nyame and ask from him the box of stories. Nyame, impressed that Anansi managed to reach him with his silk strings, agreed to give him the stories in exchange for the capture of extremely dangerous creatures, such as the Python, the Leopard and the Hornets. Anansi managed to capture all these deadly beings through ruses and tricks, and Nyame gave him the box. That is why today Anansi is considered the master of all stories in the world and the patron of storytellers.
The second story says that a long time ago, the clever Anansi craved for more intelligence,and set out on a quest to collect all of the knowledge in the world. Then he put all of this wisdom into a jar (or a calabash) and decided to keep it all for himself. Searching a safe place to hide his treasure, he chose to put it on top of a high tree. He tried several times to climb the tree while holding the jar, or tying it to his belly, to no use. Anansi hadn’t noticed that his son, Ntikuma, had secretly followed him, curious about what his father may be doing. When Ntikuma suddenly shouted at Anansi that to carry the pot all up to the tree, he had to carry it on his back, Anansi got a shock due to the surprise.
Here the story splits in two popular versions. In the first one, Anansi, surprised, let the jar out of his hand, and it crashed on the ground. Immediately, a storm came and its rain washed all of the world’s wisdom away in the river. Anansi, angry at his son, chased him under the rain until he realized that having all the world’s wisdom was not useful if you still needed the help of a child to do things right, and forgave Ntikuma. The other version rather has Anansi following his son’s advice, and climbing on the top of the tree with the jar, only to conclude the same thing as in the other version. He then threw the jar himself onto the ground, so that the wisdom would be free to spread in the world. This story explains why Anansi isn’t merely considered as a clever and cunning trickster, but also as a “wise” figure and the one who offered knowledge and wisdom to the world. (Some like to claim that the box of stories of Nyame and the jar of wisdom of Anansi are one and the same [1]).
But these are just two of Anansi’s many stories. Another one tells of how he created the first inanimate human body, another speaks of him as the one who brings rain in the mortal world and causes the floods. He is also considered the one who taught human how to plow and sow. A legend says he created the sun, the moon and the stars and thus was responsible for days and nights[2], and another explains that he helped Owia the Sun, youngest son of Nyame, to gain his father’s role as the chief of the world, against his two older brothers Esum the Night and Osrane the Moon, and that for his services Anansi became Nyame’s personal messenger. A last tale explains that when all of the animals in the world fought over who was the oldest, Anansi won the argument because he explained that, when his father died, he had to bury him in his own head, for the earth didn’t exist back then.
Fittingly for Anansi, master of storytelling, his survival and the spread of his popularity across the globe was due to him being part of an oral culture – unwritten traditions and stories that spread from mouth to ear in all of the western African continent before going over to the Caribbean Islands, and then the New World. Indeed, when slaves were brought over from the Caribbean and the African continent to the Americas, they told each other the stories of Anansi – the “anansesem” or “spider tales” in the Ashanti language, a specific genre of tales for children centered around the Spider adventures. Since most of these stories told of a little, weak spider turning the table on powerful oppressors through his cunning and his tricks, Anansi quickly became a symbol of resistance and survival during the slavery era – and telling his tales was a way for the slaves to keep their original identity and culture alive.
However, this transition from the Old World to the New World modified Anansi’s characterization. While in America he became a classical hero to admire, imitate and follow, originally Anansi wasn’t a paragon of moral virtues. He was a flawed character and while his stories often showed him as, indeed, the winner or the survivor of a world turned against him, sometimes Anansi brought unfortunate events upon himself or the world due to his own vices – the “anansesem” were entertaining and instructive, yes, but also a warning against how avarice and selfishness could be our own undoing.  
For example, a story explains how Anansi, supposed to find Nyame a wife among a village of beautiful maidens, decided to take all of them as his own wives without any of them for Nyame, and when the Sky Father “stole back” all of Anansi’s wives for his personal harem, the Spider unleashed all of the sicknesses existing upon the world as a way to get his revenge. Another explains that Anansi one day received meat from Death itself to feed his family. However, upon seeing that Death had endless supplies of meat (for everything living in this world belongs to Death), Anansi became greedy and stole from Death. Death, angry, followed Anansi back to punish him and while the Spider evaded it, he still brought mortality into the world of the living. A last story explains how Anansi announced to all the animals that Gun, the personification of firearms, their deadly archenemy, was dead and invited them to his funeral. What the animals didn’t know was that in fact, Gun wasn’t dead, and Anansi had borrowed him from the Hunter – thus, once all the animals were reunited, Anansi killed them all and then took their bodies to his home so that he may feast on them.
Anansi was included into the Haitan Vodou as a Gede Lwa. The Lwa or Loa, falsely called “gods” of vodou, are powerful spirits forming an in-between stage between the mortal creatures and the supreme being, while the Gede were a specific family of Loa associated with death, the afterlife and funerals. As a Loa Gede, Anansi was supposed to establish or facilitate the link between the living and their deceased ancestors. [3]
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chocolatequeen061013 · 5 years ago
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As we all know, Easter just passed. This article explains the story of a man from the Dominican Republic by the name of Amaury Telemaco, who converted from Vodun or "Voodoo" to Christianity right before he signed to the Major League Philadelphia Phillies. The article suggests that his experiences of Voodoo weren't the best. From reading about Vodun, my understanding is that it gets a bad depiction in movies and other platforms. From my own interpretation, Vodun has many similarities with other religions, but because it has ties to Africa, it was given this negative connotation to coincide with the underlying theme of "savagery". 
For example, when we look at Christianity, within the Black community, there is an aspect called "catching the holy ghost". What that means is that the Godly spirit travels through the body, creating great movement that is inspired by uncontrollable joy. However, when looking at Possession within Vodun, it is associated with an unholy spirit or demonic presence. 
Another misunderstanding would be the idea of sacrifice. Many African religions and spiritualities believe in the shedding of blood or "sacrifice" to bring balance unto the earth. However, in the old testament of the Bible, this is also a common theme. Take the Passover, which was a Jewish sacrificial practice that took the blood of a lamb and would paint the blood on the front door to keep the Spirit from killing the eldest child of every family. Nevertheless, sacrifice is still a part of western religions such as Christianity. Christians believe that one person named Jesus Christ sacrificed his whole life for the sake of the whole population of mankind, so that the killing of a lamb isn't necessary anymore. However, is it fair to judge Vodun because their religion doesn't consist of a man who died so that they don't have to sacrifice animals to keep the natural balance of the Earth? In Catholicism and Christianity symbolically eat a drink of the blood and body of their savior, which is bread and wine. But in Vodun, there is no symbolism.
After really dissecting this article, I found out that the author is a White male named Randy Miller. In the article, he emphasizes that Telemaco’s story is so inspiring because he was poor and worshipped the devil. Now, I am not sure if those were Miller's words or Telemachos' words but either way, Miller confirmed this ideology with a narrow and Westernized idea of Vodun. Miller also describes that Telemaco’s family members also converted to Christianity. People like Telemaco and his family who had ties to African Religions/Spiritualities give the world the confirmation to continue to bash African traditions. Telemaco identifies with the religion that was forced onto me (an African American), and was used to control my ancestors during slavery. So, while Telemaco deepens his knowledge in Christianity, I choose to deepen my knowledge in African-based religions. I believe this should be a learning experience for everyone. It's okay to convert to a new religion, but be mindful not to look down upon any other religion that wasn't for you. 
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blackfilmmakers · 23 days ago
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Hello! I was wondering if it was Okay to ask for some tips on how to write a black horror antagonist respectfully? I’m a horror author and I realized that my horror villains are not very diverse, but I’m afraid of falling into stereotypes.
Things to consider when making a Black Horror Antagonist:
-Who is the protagonist in relation to this Black antagonist? Is it a White kid? A group of people with fairer skin compared to the Black antagonist? If you aim to make diverse stories, you can't just make the antagonists poc and call it a day. Society already use the narrative that Black ppl are out to terrorize White neighborhoods with malicious intent, to justify killing us. Birth of a Nation glorified the Klan so well(cinema-wise) it literally brought back the Klan. We also have this ongoing rise of anti-Haitian crimes(AntiBlackness overall) because some White woman wanted to make a meme of Haitians eating cats
-If they are a magical antagonist, is the magic they used based on Black or Brown cultures that are already demonized enough? The recent rise of anti-haitian propaganda does stem from the stereotype that Haitians practice cannibalism for their "satanic" ritualsm. Which the word, "cannibal" was a slur that refers to islanders apparently. Anyways you can have your magical Black antagonist, but if they start writing in vodun symbols and wear feather headdresses, reconsider that it's just "if it's a vague Black/Brown religion it's automatically scary"
-What is their personality like? Are they cunning and creative and clever? Or are they a simple-minded beast? In The Promised Neverland we see two caretakers(they are antagonists): Isabella and Krone. Isabella is a fair-skinned woman who is presented as intelligent and cunning with her villainy. Whereas Krone's villainy depicts her as a monstrous beast. We already have enough Black antagonists that are essentially the main villain's attack dog, with very little focus on their motivations. If you wanted to write about a monster/beast that has no intelligence you could always write that instead. But if you have a Black human being, well humans can be written in so many different ways, do use that opportunity
-Consider whether or not your Black Horror antagonists are ableist narratives. Ableism is already a problem in horror stories already. But when it comes to Black neurodivergent/disabled people, you have to be extra careful with that. Sonya Massey's disability (and aave) made those cops murder her because at the end of the day, she's a Black woman they didn't bother to hear out, and needed an excuse to shoot her. What you write as a "scary" trait for your Black antagonist, could support ableist narratives that disabilities/neurodivergency are inherently dangerous
-Colorism can be an issue here as well. Even if you do have a Black protagonist, are they someone who is lighter than the villain? Dark=/=Inherently Bad, and Light=/=Inherently Good
-Horror is all about exploring a fear (societal or individual). So this is when you have to ask yourself, what do you fear? What do you think your readers' fears are when they read about this Black villain character? You can't control your readers' perception, sure, but fiction doesn't exist in a vacuum. It can challenge societal expectations or support them. So with all the points I listed down above and whatever points I didn't say, this could all attribute to the "horrors" or the "thing you need to fear" in the story. Do your readers find the Black antagonist scary because they are a well written antagonist with proper motivations? Or are they conditioned to see Black people as scary?
-In terms of how these characters speak or their motivations, that I have to advise getting several Black beta readers(that aren't just your friends) to have review your work. If your character is a disabled Black person, get a disabled Black reader. If they are Jamaican character, get a Jamaican reader. Hell, ask these readers if they even find your Black villain intimidating or compelling.
All in all, if you write about a Black character you really need to write them as you do for your White characters. The problem I think most nonblack writers have with this advice though is that they read that as "write Black characters as White(the default)". That won't work. You always have to consider a Black character's Blackness and how that interacts with the world you created
@/writingwithcolor and @/creatingblackcharacters would probably have more input
TLDR: Make the final girl a darkskinned Black woman
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the-psychic-project · 2 years ago
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Psi News 11-29-2021: The Prostitution Warfare in the Untied States Disclosed in The Passion of The Christ
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Psi News 11-29-2021: The Prostitution Warfare in the Untied States Disclosed in The Passion of The Christ
Non-Corporeal Video on 11-29-2021 at 06:00 AM CST at Meta Platforms/Facebook/Oculus - Reed Family Account
--- Prologue
"Federally Funded Cults is Government Agency Officials in Prostitution and (Loretta Lynch) Pornography of the Western United States warring Ku Klux Klan Prostitution and Pornography Rings of the Southern United States"
--- Chapter 1: Adam and Eve
Non-Corporeal Video on 11-28-2021 at 08:00 AM CST at Meta Platforms/Facebook/Oculus - Reed Family Account
“Man hid the truths of God in his ignorance”
"In the next narrative dialogue, God questions the man and the woman (Genesis 3:8–13),[15] and God initiates a dialogue by calling out to the man with a rhetorical question designed to consider his wrongdoing. The man explains that he hid in the garden out of fear because he realized his own nakedness" - Wikipedia Excerpt 
Further Reading: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_and_Eve#Expulsion_from_Eden
--- Chapter 2: The Anti-Christ Cult of the Western United States
“Federally Funded Double Speak, Stop. Subversive reason, Stop. Poorly Federally Funded Programs, Stop. Federally Funded Causes, Stop. United States Environmental Protection Agency and United States Department of Health and Human Services, Stop. Require a Female prostitute, Stop”
Content: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40hHA9n4C2o
"Bernard McGinn described multiple traditions detailing the relationship between the Antichrist and Satan. In the dualist approach, Satan will become incarnate in the Antichrist, just as God became incarnate in Jesus"
Further Reading: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antichrist#As_Satan
"In modern popular culture, 666 has become one of the most widely recognized symbols for the Antichrist or, alternatively, the devil. The number 666 is purportedly used to invoke Satan"
Further Reading: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/666_(number)#Number_of_the_beast
"Perceived similarities with Roman Catholic doctrines such as the intercession of saints and angels allowed Vodun to appear compatible with Catholicism, and helped produce syncretic religions such as Haitian Vodou" - Wikipedia Excerpt decoding 'Vodun as Federally Funded Funded' further decoding 'syncretic religion as subversive reason' further decoding backwardsly as 'Haitian Vodou as Federally Funded Programs for the Poor'
Further Reading:
(1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_African_Vodun#Theology_and_practice
(2) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haiti#Economy
"Vodun cosmology centers around the vodun spirits and other elements of divine essence that govern the Earth, a hierarchy that range in power from major deities governing the forces of nature and human society to the spirits of individual streams, trees, and rocks, as well as dozens of ethnic vodun, defenders of a certain clan, tribe, or nation. The vodun are the center of religious life" - Wikipedia Excerpt decoding 'Vodun cosmology as Federally Funded causes' further decoding 'vodun spirits as Federally funded societies' further decoding 'divine essence that govern the Earth as United States Environmental Protection Agency' further decoding ' deities governing the forces of nature and human society as United States Department of Health and Human Services'
Further Reading: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_African_Vodun#Theology_and_practice
Additional Reading:
(1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Department_of_Health_and_Human_Services#Budget_and_finances
(2) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_Health_and_Human_Services_Agency
Additional Reading:
(1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Environmental_Protection_Agency#Controversies
(2) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_Environmental_Protection_Agency
"Adherents also emphasize ancestor worship and hold that the spirits of the dead live side by side with the world of the living, each family of spirits having its own female priesthood, sometimes hereditary when it is from mother to blood daughter" - Wikipedia Excerpt decoding 'female priesthood as female prostitute'
Further Reading: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_African_Vodun#Theology_and_practice
--- Chapter 3: The Symbolic Prostitute
“Sacramento to Discipline Women and Deviants, Stop. Sacramento Disciples, Women and Deviants, Stop. Sacramento is Sacramento Main County Jail, Stop”
“Military asexual, Military lesbians, with administrative review boards, Stop. Prostitution for family support at military bases with chemical laundry or chemical refinement”
Content: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d385fB-94aU
Non-Corporeal Video on 11-29-2021 at 05:40 PM CST at Meta Platforms/Facebook/Oculus - Reed Family Account
"On June 10, 2016, the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments issued a decree which elevated Mary's liturgical commemoration from an obligatory memorial to a feast day, like that of most of the Apostles (Peter and Paul are jointly commemorated with a solemnity)" - Wikipedia Excerpt decoding backwards 'Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments as Sacramento Discipline Women and Deviants'
Further Reading: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Magdalene#Roman_Catholicism
"Magdalene asylums, also known as Magdalene laundries, were initially Protestant but later mostly Roman Catholic institutions that operated from the 18th to the late 20th centuries, ostensibly to house "fallen women". The term implied female sexual promiscuity or work in prostitution, young women who became pregnant outside of marriage, or young girls and teenagers who did not have familial support.[1] They were required to work as part of their board, and the institutions operated large commercial laundries, serving customers outside their bases" Wikipedia Excerpt decoding 'Magdalene asylums as Military asexual' further decoding 'Magdalene laundries as Military lesbians' further decoding 'board as administrative review boards' further decoding 'protestant as prostitution' further decoding 'family as family support' further decoding 'bases as military bases' further decoding 'commercial laundries as chemical laundry or chemical refinement'
Further Reading: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magdalene_asylum
--- Chapter 4: The Propaganda of Jesus
Content: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohPuw9OtuLY
Non-Corporeal Video on 11-29-2021 at 12:30 PM CST at Meta Platforms/Facebook/Oculus - Reed Family Account
Out of Order Attorney General Loretta Lynch, Stop. Federal Judges ousted Attorney General, Stop. The Government ousted Attorney General' Double Speak, Stop. Out of Order Laws, Stop. Majoring in Law regarding Pornographic Property, Stop”
"Eventually, the continued media attacks began to anger Gibson. After his father's Holocaust denial was sharply criticized in print by The New York Times writer Frank Rich,[101] Gibson retorted, "I want to kill him. I want his intestines on a stick.... I want to kill his dog." - Wikipedia Excerpt decoding with psychic intimation 'anger Gibson as attorney General' further decoding 'father's Holocaust as fascist Hollywood' further decoding 'dog as Loretta Lynch'
Further Reading: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mel_Gibson#The_Passion_of_the_Christ
"According to the arrest report, Gibson exploded into an angry tirade when the arresting officer would not allow him to drive home. Gibson said to the officer, "Fucking Jews... the Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world. Are you a Jew?" - Wikipedia Excerpt decoding 'Fucking Jews as Federal Judges'
Further Reading: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mel_Gibson#Controversies
"In July 2010, Gibson had been recorded during a phone call with Oksana Grigorieva suggesting that if she got "raped by a pack of niggers", she would be to blame.[218][219][220][221] Gibson was barred from coming near Grigorieva or their daughter due to a domestic violence-related restraining order" - Wikipedia Excerpt decoding 'Oksana Grigorieva as Ousted General'
Further Reading: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mel_Gibson#Controversies
"In 2010, Gibson offered a settlement worth approximately $15 million, but it was refused by Grigorieva.[26] In May 2011, Oksana Grigorieva dropped claims of domestic abuse against Gibson.[27] In August 2011, Grigorieva settled with Gibson and was awarded $750,000, joint legal custody, and a house in Sherman Oaks, California to live in until their daughter Lucia turns 18, at which point the house will be sold and the proceeds turned into a trust fund for Lucia" - Wikipedia Excerpt decoding 'Gibson as Government' further decoding 'Grigorieva as Ousted Attorney General' further decoding 'Lucia as Law' further decoding Lucia turns 18 as Laws majoring' further decoding 'house as pornographic property'
Further Reading: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oksana_Grigorieva#Personal_life
--- Epilogue
Non-Corporeal Video on 05-31-2021 at 01:00 PM CST at Meta Platforms/Facebook/Oculus - Reed Family Account
"Prostitution Warfare in The United States leading up to the legalization of Prostitution originated from Western Federally Funded Cults”
Explicit Details by Video on 06-01-2021 at 06:00 PM CST at Pornhub - Universal - Reed Family Account
Content: https://youtu.be/MAjPpQw0d5k 
"Social is Sexual, Stop. Jailed for Prostitution in attempts to pay for her husbands drug debts by pornographic uploads of local prostitution, Stop"
Non-Corporeal Video on 06-01-2021 at 03:20 PM CST at Meta Platforms/Facebook/Oculus - Reed Family Account
"Warranted into Los Angeles County Jail, Stop. For the  investigation for emails, Stop. Emails are Male Escorts, Stop. Bill Clinton appears undermines Loretta Lynch for the Investigation, Stop"
Further Reading: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loretta_Lynch#Hillary_Clinton_email_investigation 
Explicit Details by Video on 11-29-2021 at 06:00 PM CST at Pornhub - Universal - Reed Family Account
(Psychic Intimations are Confidential Sourcing backed by Wikipedia Reference)
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bigheadscientist · 6 years ago
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Spawn’s name is Al Simmons.  The name Al, is related to the Hebrew word, El, which is found in the names of the Angels and Demons soldiers, in the war of Heaven and Hell like, Gabri’El, Micha’El, and Sama’El.  In life, Al Simmons was an atheist and highly trained black-ops soldier and assassin for the CIA.  Once he begins to question the justification for the missions he is being sent on, his boss betrays him, and orders Al to be killed.  Al is killed by being burned alive by his friend and co-worker named Bruce Stinson, code-named, Chapel, who paints his face in the same manner as a voodoo priest who creates zombies.  Little do they know, this action by Chapel will lead to Al becoming a reanimated corpse, or Zombie, with superpowers, named Spawn.  The Spawn Comics were published by Image Comics, which also published another popular comic about Zombies called, “The Walking Dead”.  After death, Al goes to hell because he was an atheist, and because of all the killing he did as a soldier and assassin in life.  Once in hell, Al makes a deal with the devil where he promises to lead the devil’s army in return for the opportunity to see his wife Wanda, one more time.  Once Al acquiesces to the devil’s deal, he is resurrected as a hellspawn, or Spawn, infused with dark energy matter, called necroplasm, and a symbiotic suit bonded with his central nervous system, which grants him the powers of, super strength, super speed, super agility, endurance, the ability to heal, immortality, teleportation, shapeshifting, the ability to resurrect the dead, and the ability to project necroplasmic energy blasts.  Once resurrected, Spawn functions as an anti-hero.  Ultimately, Spawn refuses to lead the army of Hell against Heaven, and turns away from evil.  But also, Spawn refuses to be a pawn used by Heaven, in the war against Hell, as he realizes that both sides have “blood on their hands”.  He decides to be a holy warrior on the middle path, and fights against the forces of heaven and hell.  In one issue, Spawn fights against God and Satan, and was able to transport them to another dimension.  The colors of Spawn’s suit, red, black, and white, are the colors of the Vodun Orisha named Elegua, Esu, or Papa legba, the guard of the crossroads between life and death.  The primary color of Spawn’s suit is black, and the story of Spawn mirrors the Ancient Egyptian Osiris myth, with Osiris being known as, “the lord of the perfect Black”.  Osiris is also depicted as the color green, which is the color of Spawn’s necroplasmic energy.  In the Osiris myth, the wife of Osiris, named Isis, is the cause for his resurrection, and Al Simmons wife, name Wanda, is the cause for Spawn’s resurrection.  In the story of Osiris, he did not impregnate his wife in life, and in the story of Spawn, he also was unable to impregnate his wife in life.  The creator of the Spawn comic book character said that he originally envisioned Spawn to be from outer space, rather than the underworld.  The Ancient Egyptians, who worshipped Osiris, used the star symbol to indicate both outer space and the underworld, which they called the Duat.  In outer space, Osiris was symbolized by the constellation of Orion, which the Ancient Egyptians called, Sahu.  The Ancient Egyptians believed that the stars did not just inhabit this world, but the stars also existed in the land of the afterlife, as well. The Ancient Egyptians believed that your soul could ascend to the sky to live as a star in heaven.  The story of Spawn, from life, death, and resurrection, mirrors many other myths from antiquity of, zombie gods, or dying-and-rising deities, including, Osiris, Tammuz, and Jesus Christ.  
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adruidgarden · 7 years ago
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Herbal Masterpost
Hey guys. Just wanted to make a little masterpost for herbs. I know some of you that follow me are just witchlings or you’re just now getting into the craft, so I hope this helps. This is gonna be kinda long, so prepare yourselves lol. First off, here are a list of basic herbs that you’re gonna want in your apothecary:
Mugwort
Sage
Bay leaves
Lavender
Rosemary
Cloves
Cinnamon
Thyme
Mint
Chamomile
Yarrow
These are some of the most common and widely used herbs in witchcraft, not in any specific order. I, myself, keep all of these but mint and mugwort on hand during all of my spells. There are so many different ways you can use herbs like these and it never hurts to know all of the options and techniques. Here, here, and here are some basic glossaries of herbalist terms, and the following are a few different types of preparations you can make with herbs:
Amulet - a charm designed to be work or carried on your person.
Anointing Oil - an oil blend, usually essential oils combined with a base oil that is rubbed on candles, charms, household items, or people. Usually the effect is based on aromatherapy - the scent of the oil is its energy.
Bath Sachet - a sort of tea bag for the bath.
Beauty Products - essential oils can be added to shampoo, liquid soap, conditioner, lotion, and all manners of personal care products. Not only does it smell great but also the oils will bring their influenced to you every time you shower. Just make sure to test the mixture on a small patch of skin 24 hours before using to avoid any possible allergic reactions.
Charm - a selection of herbs, talismans and stones blended together and bound up in a cloth and carried or placed in a strategic location. When the desired effect has been manifested, untie the charm and cast its contents into a river or the wind.
Decoction - 2 tsp. of <hard-seeds/pods/fruits/rootstock/stems> bruised then soaked in 8 oz of cold water for 30 minutes and brought to a low boil for 5 to 10 minutes. The herbs are stained before drinking and sweeter is added if desired. Decoctions are to be used within 72 hours or they will loose their potency.
Dream Pillow - A cloth pouch stuffed with herbs to bring good sleep, prophetic dreams or healing.
Floorwash - an infusion of herbs added to mop water or sprayer. Most often used to purify or banish unwanted influences from the home. Borrowed from our vodun cousins.
Incense - a blend of herbs that you burn. The combination may either be for magical intent, purification, or aromatherapy.
Poppet - a small cloth doll stuffed with herbs. Usually there is a link to the person it represents - a strand of hair, piece of clothing, a picture, etc. Used for healing and occasionally for banishing. (If I catch you sticking pins in a poppet I'll personally kick your butt - for bad taste if nothing else!)
Powder - finely ground herbs that can be sprinkled about the home, car, bed, workplace, etc. May be tossed into the air for a wish or rubbed onto a candle carved with runes among other uses.
Signature Powder - a blend of herbs and other substances that symbolizes you. It is a way of magically marking your territory. Add a pinch to charms incenses, etc. so that the results of your magic will find their way to you more easily. Sets a seal on your work.
Spell Bottle - A charm under glass. Spell bottles can be buried at the perimeter of your property to protect your home or left in plane sight as a curious and powerful nick-knack. Good for long term spells and protective magic.
Teas - herbs steeped in water. Boil the water before adding the tea as to preserve the herbal potency. Strain your herbs from the water and sweeten if desired. Honey is excellent as a sweetener.
Tincture - an infusion of herbs made in alcohol instead of water. These are often consumed, added to a bath, or used in anointing. Tinctures take several weeks to make and should be stored in the fridge.
You can make any of these using your chosen herbs. Moving on, correspondences are very significant in witchcraft. Each lunar cycle, star placement, raw and tumbled crystal, season, and day of the week has its own connection in the craft. Herbs are the same. Each herb has its own correspondences. I have compiled a small list that matches those with some of the more common herbs, or herbs that I at least have had work with. Here we go.
Allspice- money, luck, healing Aloe- protection, luck Angelica- protection, purification, youth, exorcism Anise- protection, purification Basil- love, exorcism, wealth, protection, banishing negativity, spell breaking, clairvoyance, divination, money, wealth, fidelity, truth, honesty, fire Bay Leaf- protection, psychic powers, healing, physical strength, healing, prophetic visions, wisdom, prophecy, luck, money, wishes, prestige, inspiration, energy, strength, memory Burdock- purification, protection Catnip- cat magic, love, beauty, happiness Cedar- healing, purification, money, protection Chamomile- money, sleep, love, purification, peace, happiness, love, meditation, nightmare protection, alleviates depression, anti-anxiety, stress relief, water. Cinnamon- success, money, healing,  protection, spirituality, psychic powers, lust, love, protection. Cinquefoil- protection, love, prosperity, healing, power, wisdom Clove- protection, exorcism, love, money, stops gossip Dandelion- divination, wishes, calling spirits Dill- protection, money, lust, luck Dragon's Blood- love, protection, exorcism, spell enhancement. Echinacea- strengthening spells Eucalyptus- healing, protection Fennel- protection, healing, purification Frankincense- protection, exorcism, spirituality Gardenia- love, peace, spirituality, healing Garlic- protection, healing, exorcism, lust, spell breaking, clairvoyance, divination, success, money, bravery, courage, protection against storms. Ginger- love, money, success, power, mental/psychic powers/development, love, fire Jasmine- love, money, prophetic dreams Lavender- love, protection, sleep, calmness, sleep, purification, peace, love, repels pests, disperses sorrow, kindness, clairvoyance, memory, fertility, anti-anxiety, stress relief, happiness, positivity Lemon Balm- love, calming, sleep Mandrake- protection, money, fertility Marigold- protection, prophetic dreams, psychic powers Marjoram- protection, love, money Mint- money, protection, healing, travel, clairvoyance, prosperity, stress relief, air Mugwort- protection, exorcism, psychic powers Nettle- healing, protection Oregano- mental/psychic powers/development, prophetic dreams, protection, luck, growth, love, romance, marriage, heartbreak relief, peace, happiness, positivity Parsley- protection, purification, calmness, prosperity, strength Patchouli- money, love, lust, divination, sex, earth, primitive Peppermint- psychic powers, healing, protection, divination, sleep, lucid dreaming, wealth, prosperity, wishes, fire. Rosemary- protection, love, lust, mental clarity, purification, healing, banishing, cleansing, memory, wisdom, nightmare protection, beauty, meditation, air, longevity Sage- purification, wisdom, knowledge, cleansing, clairvoyance, divination, protection, wealth, prosperity, wishes, peace, longevity Spearmint- exorcism, spell enhancement, mental/Psychic powers/development, sleep, dreams, nightmare protection, prosperity, strength, positivity St. John's Wort- anti-depressive, strength, happiness Thyme- fairy attractive, psychic power, sleep, protection, banishing, curse breaking/protection, clairvoyance, divination, cleansing, purification, luck, bravery, courage, confidence, compassion, love, positivity, water, legal Issues Valerian- protection, purification, sleep, harmony, love Vanilla- love, psychic powers, harmony Vervain- money, sleep Wormwood- clairvoyance, protection, spirit work Yarrow- courage, healing, marriage, divination, protection against fear, confidence
You can cross reference and match herbs to their correspondence through many of the following resources. I have a personal list in my grimoire/BoS that adds on what parts of the herbs to use and how to use them to make them most effective in my spellwork. You take in the information that you need, and this list is minimal just to help y’all out a bit. You’re welcome to copy any information in this post for yourself. And if you need help building your own apothecary, message me. c: Thank y’all for reading. Here are some resources if you want to look a little further into the work of herbalism or know a little bit more about your craft. Enjoy~  
Books: 
Herbal Magick: A Witch's Guide to Herbal Enchantments, Folklore, and Divinations by Gerina Dunwich
Herbs In Magic and Alchemy by C. L. Zalewski
Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs by Scott Cunningham
Earth Power by Scott Cunningham
The Herb Garden 
The Magical and Ritual Use of Herbs by Richard Alan Miller
Practical Handbook of Plant Alchemy by Manfred M. Junius 
Natural Magic by Doreen Valiente 
Some Herbal Posts:
Witchtips’ Herbal Amulets
Itmovesmemorelol’s Herbs and Their Uses
Rawniesway's Herbal Chart by Use and How to Use Them
Goddessofpurple's Herbal Correspondences
Witchesofthecraft's Herbal Magickal Correspondences
Justyour-averagewitch's Herb Master List 
SacredWicca's Herbs by Name and Property
Lunaesteria's Herbs/Food/Plants by Purpose
Lunaesteria's Common Toxic Herbs and Their Affects
Flowers-n-clouds' Herbs In Magic
Sylvaetria's Magickal Properties of Herbs
Sylvaetria's List of Poisonous Herbs 
Lavenderspells' Correspondence References
Juniperwildwalk's Basic Glossary of Herbalism Techniques
Lunajournalblog's Herbal Substitutes
Kitchen-in-the-cottage’s Herbs and Spices Associated with Money Magic
Kitchen-in-the-cottage’s Herbs For Your Medicine Cabinet
Kitchen-in-the-cottage’s Magic Herbal Teas
Recommended Reading: Plants Spirits & Herbalism Magick
Other Resources:
Wicca.com’s Herbal Index 
Free Herbal Reading
The Magickal Cat's Master Herb List
Free Herb Guide: A Herbal Grimoire 
The White Goddess's Herb Correspondence List
The Magick Shop's Herb & Oil Correspondence List
Witchipedia's Herb Keyword Correspondences
Spelwerx’s Magickal Herb Correspondences
Mascon’s BoS’s Herb Correspondences Blog
Sacred Wicca’s Herb Correspondence List
Magikal Uses of Herbs
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santookoorisha · 8 years ago
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Haitian Vodou Haitian Vodou, called Sevis Gineh or “African Service”, is the primary culture and religion of the approximately 7 million people of Haiti and the Haitian diaspora. It has its primary roots among the Fon-Ewe peoples of West Africa, in the country now known as Benin, formerly the Kingdom of Dahomey. It also has strong elements from the Ibo and Kongo peoples of Central Africa and the Yoruba of Nigeria, though many different peoples or “nations” of Africa have representation in the liturgy of the Sevis Gineh, as do the Taino Indians, the original peoples of the island we now know as Hispaniola. Haitian Vodou exists in Haiti, the Dominican Republic, parts of Cuba, the United States, France, Montreal, and other places that Haitian immigrants have dispersed to over the years. Other New World traditions it is closely related to or bears resemblance to include Jeje Vodun in Brazil, La Regla Arara in Cuba, and the Black Spiritualist Christian churches of New Orleans. Haitian Vodou also bears superficial resemblances in many ways with the Nigerian Yoruba-derived traditions of Orisha service, represented by La Regla de Ocha or Lukumi, aka “Santeria”, in Cuba, the United States, and Puerto Rico as well as Candomble in Brazil. While popularly thought of as related to Haitian Vodou, what is commonly referred to as “voodoo” in New Orleans and the southern US is a variant of the word “hoodoo”, also called “rootwork” or “root doctoring”. This is a folk magical tradition from Central Africa in the Congo region in which roots, leaves, minerals, and the spirits of the dead are employed to improve the lot of the living, often including the reciting of Psalms and other Biblical prayers. Rootwork also incorporates Native American herb lore and European and Jewish magical traditions. As a folk magic tradition, New Orleans “voodoo” and southern “hoodoo” rootwork are distinct from the RELIGION of Haitian Vodou and its siblings and cousins. Haitian Voodoo History Vodou as we know it in Haiti and the Haitian diaspora today is the result of the pressures of many different cultures and ethnicities of people being uprooted from Africa and imported to Hispaniola during the transatlantic African slave trade. (1) Under slavery, African culture and religion was suppressed, lineages were fragmented, and people pooled their religious knowledge and out of this fragmentation became culturally unified. In addition to combining the spirits of many different African and Indian nations, pieces of Roman Catholic liturgy are incorporated to replace lost prayers or elements; in addition images of Catholic saints are used to represent various spirits or “misteh” [“mysteries”], and many saints themselves are honored in Haitian Vodou in their own right. This syncretism allows Haitian Vodou to encompass the African, the Indian, and the European ancestors in a whole and complete way. It is truly a “Kreyol” or Creole religion. The most historically important Vodou ceremony in Haitian history was the Bwa Kayiman (Bois Caiman) ceremony of August 1791 near the city of Cap Haitien that began the Haitian Revolution, led by the Vodou priest named Boukman. During this ceremony the spirit Ezili Dantor came and received a black pig as an offering, and all those present pledged themselves to the fight for freedom. This ceremony ultimately resulted in the liberation of the Haitian people from their French masters in 1804, and the establishment of the first and only black people’s republic in the Western Hemisphere, the first such republic in the history of the world. (2) Haitian Vodou came to the US to a significant degree beginning in the late 1960s and early 1970s with the waves of Haitian immigrants under the oppressive Duvalier regime, taking root in Miami, New York City, Chicago, and other cities mainly on the two coasts. Core Beliefs of Haitian Vodou Vodouisants believe, in accordance with widespread African tradition, that there is one God who is the creator of all, referred to as “Bondje”, from the French words “Bon Dieu” or “Good God”. Bondje is distant from his/her/its creation though, and so it is the spirits or the “mysteries”, “saints”, or “angels” that the Vodouisant turns to for help, as well as to the ancestors. The Vodouisant worships God, and serves the spirits, who are treated with honor and respect as elder members of a household might be. There are said to be twenty-one nations or “nanchons” of spirits, also sometimes called “lwa-yo”. Some of the more important nations of lwa are the Rada (from Allada in Dahomey), the Nago (from Yorubaland), and the Kongo. The spirits also come in “families” that all share a surname, like Ogou, or Ezili, or Azaka or Gede. For instance, “Ezili” is a family, Ezili Danto and Ezili Freda are two individual spirits in that family. In Vodou, spirits are divided according to their nature in roughly two categories, whether they are hot or cool. Cool spirits fall under the Rada category, and hot spirits fall under the Petwo category. Rada spirits are familial and mostly come from Africa, Petwo spirits are mostly native to Haiti and are more demanding and require more attention to detail than the Rada, but both can be dangerous if angry or upset. Neither is “good” or “evil” in relation to the other. Everyone has spirits, and each person has a special relationship with one particular spirit who is said to “own their head”, however each person may have many lwa, and the one that owns their head, or the “met tet”, may or may not be the most active spirit in a person’s life. The lwa are all said to live in a city beneath the sea called Ile Ife or Vilokan. Except for Agwe and his escort, who live in a different city below the waters. Pantheon in Haitian Vodou All of the lwa of Haiti are initiated manbos and houngans. Many are also Masons. Some of the more important spirits are as follows. RADA Pantheon in Haitian Vodou Papa Legba Atibon – He is imaged as an old man, St. Lazarus is used to represent him in the hounfo or temple. He opens the gate to the spirits, and translates between human languages and the languages of the spirits. Marasa Dosu Dosa – They are twin children, either in twos or threes. Imaged with Sts. Cosmas and Damien, or the Three Virtues. Papa Loko Atisou and Manbo Ayizan Velekete – The prototypical priest and priestess of the tradition. They confer the office of priesthood in initiation. Danbala Wedo and Ayida Wedo – The white snake and the rainbow, together they are the oldest living beings. Danbala brings people into the Vodou. St. Patrick and Moses are used for Danbala. Ogou Feray – He is a fierce general who works hard for his children but can be moody and sullen at times as well. Ogou Badagri – He is a diplomat, and is Ogou Feray’s chief rival. Ezili Freda – She is a mature light-skinned woman who enjoys the finest things, jewelry, expensive perfume, champagne etc. She is said to own all men (or she thinks she does) and can be very jealous. She gives romance and luxury. She is so pure she must never touch the bare ground. Her main rival is her sister Ezili Dantor. Agwe Tawoyo – He rules the sea and those who have crossed the ocean, and is symbolized by his boat named “Imammou”. St. Ulrich is his saint counterpart. PETWO (Petro) Pantheon in Haitian Vodou Gran Bwa Ile – His name means “Great Wood”. He is a spirit of wilderness. He is fierce and unpredictable, and a section of the grounds of a Vodou temple is always left wild for him. St. Sebastian is used to represent Gran Bwa. Ezili Dantor – a Petwo lwa, she is a strong black single mother. She does not speak, but makes a “kay kay kay” sound in possession. She is nurturing and protective but is dangerous when aroused, even to her own children. Her image is the Mater Salvatoris of Czestokowa. She often uses a dagger or bayonet, and her colors are often red and dark blue. A little known fact is that she is actually a hermaphrodite, and takes both men and women in marriage. Ti Jan Petwo – the son and lover of Ezili Dantor. Simbi – the Simbi lwa live in fresh water rivers and are knowledgeable in the areas of magic and sorcery. The Bawons – they rule the cemetary and the grave. There are three – La Kwa, Samdi, and Simitye. The Gedeh – The Gedeh spirits are all dead spirits who rule death and humor and fertility. They drink rum steeped with 21 habanero peppers and bathe their faces and genitals with this mixture also, to prove that they are who they say they are. They are sung for last at a party for the spirits. Chief of the Gedeh is Gedeh Nibo, with his wife Maman Brijit. St. Gerard represents the Gedeh. Role of Clergy in Haitian Vodou In serving the spirits, the Vodouisant seeks to achieve harmony with their own individual nature and the world around them, manifested as personal power and resourcefulness in dealing with life. Part of this harmony is membership in and maintaining relationships within the context of family and community. A Vodou house or society is organized on the metaphor of an extended family, and initiates are the “children” of their initiators, with the sense of hierarchy and mutual obligation that implies. Most Vodouisants are not initiated, referred to as being “bosal”; it is not a requirement to be an initiate in order to serve one’s spirits. There are clergy in Vodou whose responsibility it is to preserve the rituals and songs and maintain the relationship between the spirits and the community as a whole (though some of this is the responsibility of the whole community as well). They are entrusted with leading the service of all of the spirits of their lineage. Priests are referred to as “houngans” and priestesses as “manbos”. Below the houngans and manbos are the hounsis, who are initiates who act as assistants during ceremonies and who are dedicated to their own personal mysteries. One doesn’t serve just any lwa but only the ones they “have”, which is a matter of one’s individual nature and destiny, and sometimes a matter of which spirits one has met and who take a liking to oneself. Since the spirits are individuals, they respond best to those whom they know or have been personally introduced to. Which spirits a person has may be revealed at a ceremony, in a reading, or in dreams. However anyone may and should serve their own blood ancestors. That said, there are a few spirits or groups of spirits that have a particular relationship with humankind such that, it is not unreasonable to say, anyone might approach them with some confidence if a few basic forms and preferences are known, among these being Papa Legba Atibon, the gatekeeper of the spirits, Danbala Wedo, who is said to own all heads and is the oldest ancestor of all life, and Papa Gedeh, who gives voice to the spirits of the dead, and everyone has Dead. I leave it to the reader to investigate the identities of these spirits further from other sources such as the Vodouspirit Yahoo! forum. Also the Catholic saints are all very approachable to anyone who asks for their help, such as St. Anthony or St. Michael. Standards of Conduct in Haitian Vodou The cultural values that Vodou embraces center around ideas of honor and respect – to God, to the spirits, to the family and sosyete, and to oneself. There is a plural idea of proper and improper, in the sense that what is appropriate to someone with a Danbala as their head may be different from someone with an Ogou as their head, for example — one spirit is very cool and the other one is very hot. I would say that coolness overall is valued, and so is the ability and inclination to protect oneself and one’s own if necessary. Love and support within the family of the Vodou sosyete seems to be the most important consideration. Generosity in giving to the community and to the poor is also an important value. Our blessings come to us through our community and we should be willing to give back to it in turn. Since Vodou has such a community orientation, there are no “solitaries” in Vodou, only people separated geographically from their elders and house. It is not a “do it yourself” religion – a person without a relationship of some kind with elders will not be practicing Vodou. You can’t pick the fruit if you don’t start with a root. The Haitian Vodou religion is an ecstatic rather than a fertility-based tradition, and does not discriminate against gay people or other queer people in any way. Unlike in some Wiccan traditions, sexual orientation or gender identity and expression of a practitioner is of no concern in a ritual setting, it is just the way God made a person. The spirits help each person to simply be the person that they are. Way of Worship in Haitian Vodou After a day or two of preparation setting up altars, ritually preparing and cooking fowl and other foods, etc., a Haitian Vodou service begins with a series of Catholic prayers and songs in French, then a litany in Kreyol and African “langaj” that goes through all the European and African saints and lwa honored by the house, and then a series of verses for all the main spirits of the house. This is called the “Priye Gineh” or the African Prayer. After more introductory songs then the songs for all the individual spirits are sung. As the songs are sung spirits will come to visit those present by taking possession of individuals and speaking and acting through them. Each spirit is saluted and greeted by the initiates present and will give readings, advice and cures to those who approach them for help. Many hours later in the wee hours of the morning, the last song is sung, guests leave, and all the exhausted hounsis and houngans and manbos can go to sleep. On the individual’s household level, a Vodouisant or “sevite”/”serviteur” may have one or more tables set out for their ancestors and the spirit or spirits that they serve with pictures or statues of the spirits, perfumes, foods, and other things favored by their spirits. The most basic set up is just a white candle and a clear glass of water and perhaps flowers. On a particular spirit’s day, one lights a candle and says an Our Father and Hail Mary, salutes Papa Legba and asks him to open the gate, and then one salutes and speaks to the particular spirit like an elder family member. Ancestors are approached directly, without the mediating of Papa Legba, since they are in one’s blood. If a person feels like they are being “called” or approached by the spirits of Haiti, the first thing a person should begin to do is to serve their ancestors, perhaps beginning with an ancestor novena (see the links below). Monday is the day of the ancestors in our house, but ideally one speaks to their ancestors daily. If you do not honor your ancestors first, they may get upset and stand between you and other spirits. The second thing is to seek out a competent and trustworthy manbo or houngan for a reading or consultation. It may take some time of prayer, patience and effort to find a suitable person. Travel may even be necessary. They can help determine what spirit(s) if any may be involved and what if anything might need be done. Expect to pay some sort of fee for their time – unlike many Neo-Pagan traditions, in Haitian Vodou “manbo e houngan travay pa pou youn gwan mesi” (“The manbo and the houngan don’t work for a big thank you”) (3). This is true of other African-based traditions as well. Role of Initiation into Haitian Vodou Initiation in Haitian Vodou is a serious matter, and it is advised to not run off to Haiti with the first person you encounter, on the internet or elsewhere, sight unseen or otherwise, who says they will initiate you. Take the time to get to know your prospective Maman or Papa in the Vodou, and the members of their society. Attend ceremonies in person, ask questions, learn, check references. Serve your ancestors, cultivate patience, and wait. Pay attention to dreams or other messages from the spirits. For most people initiation is totally unnecessary. It may be advised to research (as you would anyone else!) and weigh carefully, but perhaps not necessarily discount out of hand, anyone actively promoting initiation into the Haitian Vodou priesthood with marketing slogans and New Age buzzwords. Haitian Vodou does not proselytize and it is not for sale although even valid initiations do cost some money, due to the time, people, materials and travel involved. If you think of the time and care it takes to make the best choice when you invest in a car or a home, or to hire a babysitter for the kids, how much more important are one’s concerns of the Spirit? At the end of the day, reputations and rumors are less important than an honest answer to one question however: “Will I be happy and satisfied having this person/these people in my life? Is this a community where I can learn and grow in a positive way?” Only the seeker can answer that question for themselves, with God’s help. And the help of the Advanced Bonewits Cult Danger Evaluation Frame (see the links below). Also there are other options besides initiation in Haitian Vodou to become closer to the spirits. While the concept of initiation gets a lot of airplay among outsiders, far more common among the Haitian community is the “maryaj mistik”, or the mystical marriage, in which the Vodouisant literally marries one or more lwa, in a ceremony complete with bridal dresses, rings, cakes, and a priest. In return they gain special protection and favor from the spiritual spouse. This is generally in exchange for one day of sexual abstinence per week in which the human spouse receives the spirit in their dreams, and any other terms spelled out in the marriage contract. Initiation for its part creates a reciprocal bond between initiator and the new initiate with obligations every bit as serious as marriage, deeper even since it cannot be undone. Initiator and initiate become family with all the joys and burdens that may entail. It also entails certain promises, responsibilities and commitments with regard to the spirits. With persistence and patience, the spirits will lead a person to the house and elders that are right for them. Vodou is not a race, so every seeker can well afford to take their time. Personal relationships are the very foundation of Vodou and there is no substitute for the time it takes to cultivate them. I knew my houngan for three years prior to my own sevis lave tet (“washing of the head”). We were friends long before I had any interest in or notion of any connection to Haitian Vodou that I might have. Some of my god-brothers waited longer than that. This is how it should be. In Haiti these would all be people you grew up with and you would just know who is who or would know someone who knew someone. In the United States, those of us who are non-Haitian have a few more obstacles to overcome, but by the grace of God and the spirits they are not insurmountable. Regleman Gineh Initiate or not, once you belong to a house and have chosen an elder, it is important to follow the guidance they provide as to the way things are done in their house, called the “Regleman Gineh”. There is a diversity of practice in Vodou across the country of Haiti and the diaspora, for instance in the north of Haiti the sevis tet or kanzwe may be the only initiation (according to my elders from Haiti in three different houses) as it frequently is in Cuba and the Dominican Republic, whereas in Port Au Prince and the south they practice the kanzo rites with three grades of initiation — senp, si pwen, and asogwe — and the latter is the most familiar mode of practice outside of Haiti. Some lineages combine both, as Manbo Katherine Dunham reports from her personal experience in her book “Island Possessed.” Kay Aboudja, my own house, is one of these lineages. Although the general structure of ritual and practice are the same across Haiti, small details of service and the spirits served will vary from house to house, and information in books or on the internet may be contradictory. When in doubt, etiquette dictates that one consult their own Maman or Papa in the Vodou, and practice as they direct according to the regleman of their lineage, since “every manbo and houngan is the head of their own house”, as a common saying in Haiti taught to me by Houngan Aboudja states. While the overall tendency in Haitian Vodou is very conservative in accord with its African roots, there is no singular, definitive, One And Only True Right And Only Haitian Vodou ™, only what is right in a particular house or lineage. In other words, if you read something on a web page or a book, and it contradicts what your manbo or houngan says to do, go with what they say. This may seem restrictive on the surface from a solitary Neo-Pagan perspective, but since you have done your homework and taken the time to build a positive relationship of trust with your elder(s) ahead of time, this will not be the case in practice. A good parallel is the way everyone practices the same way in a Wiccan coven context. Ultimately everything comes from the spirits and the ancestors however. It is not a matter of personal preferences as it often may be in popular Witchcraft or other pagan traditions, and this reality becomes clearer with experience in the Sevis Gineh. This is the most basic overview of the Haitian Vodou religion imaginable; keeping in mind that I am by no means an expert compared to my elders after only a couple of years in the religion as an hounsi, I hope it gives some general idea and understanding of what Haitian Vodou is about, since it summarizes what I have learned from my own elders in a very condensed form. The most important thing I have learned from my elders however is this: Black, red, yellow or white, a person can find beauty and fulfillment serving the spirits in the Haitian religion – the Vodou is not a religion limited by race or ethnicity since ultimately, as science has proven, we are ALL the Children of Africa, and the waters of Gineh join us all
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How to Do Voodoo
Do you want to know how to do Voodoo? So do a lot people, and most of them particularly want to know how to use Voodoo dolls. The use of Voodoo dolls has become well-known in popular culture mostly through movies, books, and television. Voodoo has also been portrayed as a dark, mysterious, and often morbid tradition. In actuality, Voodoo is simply a West African religion, which is also known by similar names like Vodun, Vodoun, Vodou, Vudu, and Voudou. Voodoo practices include much more than the use of dolls, and involve circle rituals, dancing, singing, drumming, and ancestor worship.
Voodoo Dolls But let's focus for a moment on Voodoo dolls. If you want to know how to do Voodoo you have to know something about the use of the Voodoo doll. A Voodoo doll, in more normal magical terms, is a simulacrum. A simulacrum is an object that is a likeness of something. In magical operations, if you want to affect a person without direct action, you could choose an object that resembles the person (like a small figurine) and make a psychic connection between the object and the person. To make this psychic connection, also called "keying," you just hold the object in your dominant hand and think of the person. Flow thoughts and energy about that person into the object until the object begins to feel warm or tingly. Now the object is connected to the person and, depending on how strong the connection is, anything that happens to the object also happens to the person.
For a simulacrum you can use photographs, pictures, dolls and other small models, lists, symbols, Tarot layouts, and other objects as simulacra. You can also use chess pieces or objects made of stone, ceramic, wood or glass. If you use wood be sure it is fairly dense otherwise it will not easily key. Plastic and rubber do not key well so don't use them. According to the Law of Similarity, the greater the likeness between a simulacrum and that to which the simulacrum is keyed, the greater the psychic connection will be. Photographs and pictures have a great likeness to the original subjects and they already access the original subjects. So now you know a little more about how to do Voodoo, or at least the principles of how Voodoo dolls work.
Be Careful with Simulacra Of course, be very careful about keying simulacra. If the connection between the simulacra and person is very strong, anything that happens to the object happens to the person. If something accidental happens to the simulacra and also happens to the person, according the Rules of the Road (the laws that govern magical practice) the Universe will hold you responsible. You really don't want that kind of karma on your hands. For instance, once a practitioner keyed a figurine to a person and then left the figurine on a table. While the practitioner was out of the house, his cats began playing with the figurine, batting it about and throwing it in the air. The person to whom the figurine was keyed felt horribly nauseous and dizzy until the practitioner returned home and rescued the figurine. Take this example as a warning if you want to learn how to do Voodoo. Don't key anything for which you don't want to be ultimately and forever responsible!
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tinymixtapes · 6 years ago
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Interview: Genesis Breyer P-Orridge (Throbbing Gristle, Psychic TV)
As one of the key originators of industrial music, organizer of the occult art collective Temple ov Psychick Youth, and participant in the ambitious body-altering pandrogyne project, Genesis Breyer P-Orridge has embodied the artistic process for over four decades. Observing and critiquing culture from the vantage point of a disruptor, P-Orridge draws from the teachings of William S. Burroughs and Brion Gysin, whom s/he counted as friends. Throughout the years, P-Orridge has dabbled in occult practices, pouring h/er thoughts out in a 500-page tome, Thee Psychick Bible. But h/er band Psychic TV also mastered the mainstream with the pop hit “Godstar,” which remained a number one song in Britain for months. Oh, and Psychic TV was also in the Guinness World Records for releasing the most albums in a year. That doesn’t mean P-Orridge rests on h/er prior achievements. Recently, s/he performed with Psychic TV at a rare show at this year’s Moogfest and was the subject of the documentary Bight of the Twin, which chronicled h/er experiences with Voodoo practitioners in Benin. A second documentary, A Message from the Temple, is forthcoming. --- Is there any kind of ritual or practice you undergo before going onstage with Psychic TV? No, no. There used to be a drinking ritual where we would get plastic bottles of water and put in vodka and cranberry or vodka and orange to take onstage, and that became this really ridiculous little ritual that we used to all do. And then everyone would all go and have a pee [laughs]. The band now is without any question my favorite lineup we’ve ever had. It’s basically stayed pretty stable since 2003. We’re on our third keyboard player. Our keyboard player seems to be a bit like the Spinal Tap drummer [laughs]. But we’re so bonded at this point that it’s a true organism. Everyone’s hyper aware of what’s happening in each other’s lives, what emotional journey they might be on at that given moment. So if we feel somebody needs encouragement, it just happens. Psychic TV is such an amazingly integrated organism that everything goes unsaid a lot of the time, but there’s an amazing amount of love. It really is a family in the truest sense. In Benin, when someone passes away, they say that “a twin goes to the forest to look for wood,” which is explored in Bight of the Twin. You’ve been involved with the idea of twins since at least the pandrogyne project, but there’s also a history of this in the Vodun religion. Yeah, as you carry on through life, you discover that there are twins in all sorts of hidden doctrines and groups with different belief systems. I mean, the Garden of Eden begins with twins. So we draw those into many experiences of rituals and psychedelic trips and what have you, and myself and Jaye concluded that either symbolically or literally, we were here to reunify as a species, that things like either/or, male/female, black/white, Christian/Muslim are all tools used to control us. The only way out of control is unity, where there is no difference. Therefore, no strategies are irrelevant. That’s why we felt pandrogyny was so important as an idea, and the twins idea in Africa was just confirmation on a really exciting, deep level. As the oldest continuous religion, Vodun would have the earliest concept of creation. We were asking them about their creation story. And they said, “In the beginning there was one god, Mahu, made up of both male and female parts named Segbo Lissa. Segbo is a female chameleon, and Lissa is a male python.” But they were one, or in other words, a pandrogyne. You can argue Adam and Eve is one being. In the earliest paintings of the Garden of Eden, the paintings were of God, Adam, and Eve, and they all have male and female genitals and breasts. The Vatican suppressed it, of course. So we’re not card-carrying dogma followers of anything, but we keep an extremely open mind. Psychic TV is such an amazingly integrated organism that everything goes unsaid a lot of the time, but there’s an amazing amount of love. It really is a family in the truest sense. Can you tell us about the idea of “occulture” you wrote about in Thee Psychick Bible? That was one of those words that just seemed inevitable. There’s a TOPY [Temple Ov Psychick Youth] member now in Asheville named Chandra Shukla who got involved with what we were doing on many levels when he was a teenager while living in a very traditional Asian family. He couldn’t bring himself to surrender into repetition of what his parents had lived, so he started looking for different stories. He’s working on a Psychick dictionary of all the phrases and slogans and new word definitions we’ve developed the last 50 years. Occulture was one of those words we just felt should always have existed. Even as a teenager, we’d read about Freemasons, the Process Church of the Final Judgment, different secret cabals, the Knights Templar, all these different organizations, some mythological, some actual, that were about, if you like, the real history of the world. Like what was the real reason that the first World War happened? It was a fight between two members of the same family, Queen Victoria and Kaiser Wilhelm, and they had a family argument and neither of them would back down, and then we have a war where millions die. So what were the real reasons that we went to war? Why was America so rich and powerful in the 50s? Profit came from the war where the Morgan bank financed both sides. If you start looking into the nitty gritty of where control really resides, there’s probably 100 families that tell us the primary story of what’s really gone on so far. Occulture is a great framework to think about these latent practices and organizations that have always been there throughout history outside of the mainstream. When I was a teenager, I started to daydream. “Wouldn’t it be fabulous if someone or myself identified the real history of the world?” It’s a long, big topic, but the bottom line is we’re constantly fed stimulation, but we’re not constantly fed education, and to me, that’s very suspicious. And it’s a vested interest. We want to keep the true story quiet. The real reasons that they decided to go to war in Iraq, was that for the oil or was that ego? We don’t know, but it wasn’t the reason they gave. A cult is hidden from the eye and culture is a control system. Occulture is also about people’s hidden motives. You know, Burroughs was brilliant at revealing these kinds of dynamics in society, and his work with Brion Gysin, with cutups, still to me is one of the greatest tools for breaking control, because it reveals things that cannot be revealed any other way except through what appears to be random chance. People now are surrendering on a level that we’ve never seen before. My years of mental formation were heavily influenced by the liberationist concepts of the 60s and some of the most positive changes that happened in society. Squatting, prison’s rights, organic food, gay rights, women’s rights, alternative medicine, yoga, there’s an endless list of changes that occurred. There’s a huge array of simple but identifiable improvements in the lot of humanity that came from that era, because we said, “Let’s take our daydreams really seriously. How would we like to be treated? How would we like to live? Why can’t we? There must be a way.” One of the ways we believe that has to come in the next real step of rebellion is communities. Not communes, but communities and collectives where people share their resources. So if there’s 10 of you, you don’t need 10 cars. Maybe three for emergencies. Sell the other seven and you’ve still all got access to cars. The money from those seven can buy a new computer that everyone uses or pay for the roof to be fixed. It’s always shocking to me how many people are terrified of sharing. They’ve been trained to think in terms of career as a success. You know, in the art world, which we’ve been dabbling in lately, it’s all about divine inspiration. It’s not a continuum, but in fact, everything that we make is a continuum. My life, I’m thrilled to say, is the result of all the different things that have happened and influenced me. All the people we’ve met, all the people that have spoken to me, all the places we’ve been, all the books we’ve read, all the music we’ve heard. All of that is what we then percolate and refine in order to make a response or create an object or a piece of music that we feel contains what we know so far in some way, in the hope it will inspire others to be less afraid of sharing. You were listed by Guinness World Records for the most albums released in one year. What was your work ethic like then? Well, I don’t know if it’s true anymore. I’m sure someone’s beaten us. A lot of them were live concerts released on vinyl. We were on CBS Records when we did Dreams Less Sweet, and then I wrote “Godstar,” a great little pop song, and I went in to Muff Winwood, the head of A&R, and I said, “Muff, listen to this tape.” And he went, “Hmm, it’s not weird like the other stuff.” I said, “No, but it’s a great pop song and this is what I want to do now. We’ve done the weird, now we want to do psychedelic pop.” And he said, “Oh, no, no, no. We don’t want the music to change like this. Your scene is weird music, so you’ve got to keep doing weird music.” And we said, “Muff, we just left your label. And I’m going to prove that even a monkey could make this into a hit record.” [laughs] I released it myself with a new label, Temple Records, and it was number one in the indie chart in Britain for 16 weeks, and it got into the top 30 in the national chart, too. It was our big hit. One of the ways we believe that has to come in the next real step of rebellion is communities. Not communes, but communities and collectives where people share their resources. To get the money to do a proper mix, I went to my bank manager and said, “Could you possibly loan me some money to remix this song?” And he went, “I don’t know, what’s the collateral element?” “Well, I don’t have any. I’m on the dole, living in a squat.” And I don’t know how, but the conversation changed and I was talking about bootlegs, and we came up with this idea to do a series of live albums that people collected, and each one had a token in it, and when you had all the tokens, you got a free record that was only available in that way. And on that agreement of me saying we’ll do that, he loaned me the money to do proper mixes and recordings of all the psychedelic stuff. That’s how we got in the Guinness World Records, because I was releasing a live album every month and then there were other records too, and it just built up to about 14 in a year or something, which at that time was a lot. We were next to Michael Jackson in the Guinness World Records. That’s really incredible. What’s the biggest thing you’ve learned from studying Austin Osman Spare? The potency of the orgasm. The idea that you can open up any inhibitions or gateways that might normally be closed between layers of consciousness and actually reprogram your neurology, your brain, your mind. That in fact the orgasm is a moment of absolute unity. And of course, two beings having a simultaneous orgasm is a superb image of androgyny where the two become one. Spare said that’s when you can reprogram a self. You decide how you really want to change or what you need to achieve. The choices you make afterwards, without you really being aware of it, will always be geared towards what your mind thinks is going to get you closer to the desired place. You’ll continue with certain activities, drop others, maybe end or begin a relationship, travel or stay home, whatever it is. Those decisions will be made to maximize your potential of reaching the most divine version of yourself. That’s what he taught me. Can you relate a memorable encounter you had with William S. Burroughs? Oh, god. [laughs] Memorable… I don’t know if it’s memorable. I’m trying to think… no, I can’t. I mean, there’s lots of little things, but it was the entirety that really made him so special. You know, at one point we came over to New York when we were still in England. I think it was in 1980 and we were in the bunker. William wanted to try the Raudive experiments of using a crystal radio set plugged into a tape recorder to get the voices of the dead to appear in the static. Have you ever heard about that? I haven’t, no. Konstantin Raudive — I think he’s Latvian — did a book called Breakthrough, and it’s just full of all these conversations with the dead recorded on blank tape using this little crystal set. It’s incredible, and there was a record with the book so that you could actually listen and hear some of them, but unfortunately, that’s been lost. But we recommend you have a look at that at least. Yeah, I’m definitely going to. That seems super interesting. It is. But we did it together, me and William. We still have the reel-to-reel tapes. You have to release those. Well, actually, it’s funny you should mention that, because when we did it, me and William listened to them back afterwards and, “Ah, there’s nothing.” [laughs] But now that technology’s improved we were just talking to Ryan Martin [of Dais Records], and he wants to play those tapes through really high-quality speakers and see whether we can hear things. The thing that made me a little bit unsure about Raudive is that most of the voices he heard were speaking in Latvian. And you think, “Really? Do they actually know that this is a Latvian speaking? Or is he just imagining Latvian because that’s his language?” Right, like out of all the languages, why would it be Latvian, or even something humans created? Yeah. So there’s a question mark, but it’s an interesting area. Certainly there are voices. That seems pretty definite. My hope would be that they’re voices from alternative dimensions. You know, when people take psychedelics, no one asks, “Why were you traveling? What did you want to learn that was so important and who did you want to benefit beyond yourself?” We think about all these people who now do DMT and ayahuasca as psychedelic tourists. It’s like Mount Everest, which is drowning under human feces and trash. People are leaving behind their consciousness trash. They’re popping into these other worlds where all the DMT creatures are and looking around. “Oh, wow, man. Look. Ooh.” Like they’re having a picnic at the zoo. Isn’t that really impolite? You know, in that kind of situation, we believe you should cleanse yourself, bathe, talk to the spirits, ask for permission, and really be hyper aware that you’re visiting somebody else’s world. The other thing I often wonder about is, are we ripping holes in the veil between these two alternate realities where things can come through into this apparent dimension that we didn’t invite? Now, what exactly is happening? It needs to be thought about much more seriously, in my opinion, before you do that. Now, are you letting things come back this way without even realizing it, and if you are, what are those things and what’s their agenda, and are you leaving a big mess like Mount Everest? Right, like it’s shortsighted for us to think that we can have these experiences without affecting either ourselves or another realm. Exactly, and it’s a typical short-sighted human response. It’s an aspect of the capitalist society that should be very carefully kept away from the sort of shamanic spiritual experience. If we make a mess on Everest, how dare we go somewhere even more precious until we know what we’re doing and we’re respectful? This is an example of thinking about things from different directions when you’re working, and that’s an occulture moment too, you know? What’s hidden in this process? What might be going on? And you can look at it and think of certain things that seem ridiculous. But maybe somebody’s having dinner in the DMT world and then we pop in going, “Hey, this is interesting. Oh, sorry I’ve stolen your food. Blah, blah, blah, blah.” It’s a great way to consider it. I never thought about it that way. Oh, good. Well, see, that’s what we’re here for. http://j.mp/2oLE5zt
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