The Spirit Cauldron;;
A vessel dedicated to Yayá Rosa Caveira, blessed in Holy Fire in the Little Sea that is her Queendom. I met her at the Crossroads, and danced with her in the ring of fire.
Symbolically, human cultures have painted the spider with certain overarching tropes. There a few beings (save snakes) that conjure up such a collection of frantic and frightful emotions as our eight-legged (often unwanted) house guests. Time has been unkind to the arachnid, nowadays being portrayed as horrific giant beasts or appearing in droves in any B-Rated horror movie. With that being said, however, mankind has long feared and emulated the spider’s unique brand of strengths.
Similar ideas appear throughout the world in regards to spiders, often portrayed as expert weavers (as in the Greek origins of Spiders and the nomenclature thereof — Arachne // also the Mayan Spider Goddess at Teotihuacán, thought later to be adapted by the Aztecs in the form of Xochiquetzal), as well as creative forces (Spider Grandmother in a number of Native American tribes) in regards not only to tapestry and worldly crafts, but the creation of the Stars and the Universe.
It is not hard to see why our ancestors looked onward to the spider and beheld such great beauty and strength in their art. They created their own world, so was it such a stretch to assume that they wove the silken threads that hold the cosmos together? I think not. Spiders being illusory beings with a great patience is another facet garnering worship. While many breeds do in fact hunt prey, the archetypal spider lies in wait for wayward insects to fall victim to their snares. At once, they leap into action to ensure their next meal, obliterating their prey nearly completely. They are a patient, reclusive and humble animal, in a way uniquely their own.
Another interesting facet to the spider mythos is a strange correlation to prostitution (perhaps not so strange, considering the ensnaring) across the globe. In Japan, there is the dualistic Jorōgumo (portrayed as both malevolent and benevolent, depending on location), a spider spirit-being that can take the form of an alluring female or a unassuming child that lures honorable men and warriors astray to feed on them. Alternately, she is a being known to fetch drowning men from the depths of waterfall basins. This spider correlation to water and prostitution, however, does not appear solely in Japan.
Actually, the Aztec goddess of prostitution, fertility and craftsmanship, Xochiquetzal, also correlates to this mythos. As previously mention, it is believed that Xochiquetzal is an Aztec reinvention of an earlier Mayan Goddess — portrayed most famously in Teotihuacán (colloquially known as the Great Spider Woman). Assuming she is the base for Xochiquetzal, spider connotations are easily assigned. Curiously enough, (in a story vaguely similar to the Greek Persephone) Xochiquetzal is said to have been abducted from both her husband and twin brother by Tezcatlipoca, a multi-faced God central to Aztec beliefs. One important role of Tezcatlipoca was that he reigned as chief God of Sorcery and Obsidian — an extremely important stone/glass to the Aztecs. In fact, it was used as a took for divination when placed at the bottom of a water vessel similar to “scrying.” The idea behind which being that one could see the “fire” within the “water.” Xochiquetzal was widely held to be a Goddess associated with butterflies (which were thought to be related to fire within the Aztec mythos), her predecessor connected to spiders (related to water, because waves refract and reflect light much like a spider’s web). Thereby, the fire within the water was described symbolically as a butterfly caught within a spiders web, and therein lied the means through which divination could be used.
I have found that spiders can teach us great wisdom, that of both patience and tact. We have the ability to “build our own world” and be the gatekeeper to those who may enter safely, otherwise risking destruction. She — as I have found spiders to be portrayed more often feminine than masculine — too, may reassure beliefs in fate and destiny, the invisible strands that bind all matter and spiritual paths. She reminds us that patience brings reward to those ill-equipped to bull-headedly manifest our own destiny. She is at once a being of youthful femininity, unabashed by sexual endeavors, a figure of fertility and the power of feminine wiles, and also a wise and understanding beacon, ensuring that even when all things seem to fall beyond your favor, with patience what you seek will come.
So, too, is she a symbol of resilience. When a spider’s web has been destroyed, it will buckle down and begin again, in the hopes that the world it creates will be even better than the last.
When next tested with the presence of a web-weaving spider, think before you swat. Spiders are docile beings with poor eye-sight and the animalistic urge for survival. Only when prompted with no other course of action will they strike, and even then, it will be most likely of little consequence to you. Even the most commonly maligned spider, the Black Widow, will not strike unless disturbed, and even then only a 5% chance of sustaining even slightly less than inconvenient maladies. Do not destroy something so beautiful as the keepers of fate, they are only attempting to ensure their own survival by cleaning up pest insects near you.
Youthful and elusive, creative and wise, Spider Magic gives you the chance to reshape your own destiny or look to where the strands might take you. Build a world around you over which you have control, and even when forces conspire to tear down all that you have built, remember the promise of new beginnings, erect a world even more beautiful and awe-inspiring than the last.
A bonfire (kindled with willow and charcoal — actual charcoal)
An Ash tree limb
(3) or (6) iron nails or (1) railroad spike
A scant handful of sulfur
(Optional) A personal affect of he/she you are cursing
Affix the personal affect with the iron nails or railroad spike, all while thinking of the person you wish to inflict devastation.
With the branch, trace counterclockwise (3) times, then turn on your heels and trace over the line (6) times clockwise while reciting the following incantation. Do not falter in concentration, and focus your mind like a dagger on your victim.
Feel the coals beneath your feet, The nails beneath your skin, You will seek the sun, But like the will in the swamp, It will bury you, In the Earth, And the rotted tendrils, Of the Ash, Will rectify my soul, You have walking in my shadow, And now it must consume you, Do not fear the Reaper, For my will is swift, And she the only recourse,
Willow, willow, will-o’-the-wisp, The night is setting in, Come ye now, Of Ash and Fire, Justify my soul,
Willow, willow, will-o’-the-wisp, Fulfill, fulfill my darkest desire,
*with the final words, toss the limb into the fire*
Ignus Faatus, Locutus Sum.
*toss in the handful of sulfur — and stand back, sulfur dioxide and the like*
Allow the fire to burn out, tending to it, making sure to allow all of the ash limb to burn. Retrieve the nails and either drive them in the yard of your victim, or tie them together with a length of twine, wrap them in black fabric and put them in a saltbox until your will is done.
Dolls and poppets are utilized across many faiths, however often witches neglect to “breath life” into them. Not doing so doesn’t make them wholly ineffective, however going the extra step really amps up the potency, especially when using it as sympathetic magic or creating a protective being! It’s a relatively simple step, but highly dependent upon which path you follow. I’ll briefly cover my methodology.
Foremost, I would like to specify the difference between the two types of dolls I utilize. One being sympathetic magic, the one most often thought of when people think of dolls and witchcraft. Voodoo dolls. This is a misnomer, as the common portrayal off voodoo dolls in media have skewed the original purpose of such dolls. Originally the dolls were used by practitioners not to affect people, but as a guide to the sufferers ailments and treatments – more akin to a “medical chart.” However, they have since (and really, in European magical traditions for centuries) been used to heal or harm a specific victim in which the doll was made to their likeness. This is a sympathetic doll, made in their likeness, usually incorporating some sort of personal affect (hair, clothing, blood, etc.).
The second type, and the kind I most often use, are dolls not based on any individual, but instead exist to act as a guardian of sorts or facilitate change/growth/health/etc. These are unique and very much a product of your imagination. Create them to be whatever you see fit.
That being said, let’s begin;;
Sympathetic Dolls: Begin by first, stitching the doll together in the likeness of he/she you wish to influence. You can be as general or as specific as you want – matching hair, eyes, facial features, build are all common concepts. Traditionally the dolls were stuffed with Spanish Moss (most probably due to the abundance in the American South) however you can stuff it with anything you have on hand. If you have anything of the persons, now would be the time to use it, hair can be wrapped and stuffed in the doll, pieces of their clothes can be folded and placed inside, blood should be on a scrap of cloth, dried and then added.
Once the doll is complete and you’re satisfied with its image (in truth, dolls have been made out of anything and everything, the only crucial step is the following), you must give it life. For sympathetic dolls, this can be as simple or difficult as you wish. I prefer to take the simple route and sit with the doll and focus intently on the person you wish to connect to it. I then mentally stitch the spirit of the person to the doll (either at the heart or at the feet – as a short of shadow). Vocalize your intent and revel in your creation.
Conceptual Dolls/Guardians: These are my personal favorites to create, in all honesty. I find poppets to be a lot of extra work, however they are useful in remote healing/hexing. These, as I mentioned, are beings of your thoughts. Tulpas, in a way. Begin by gathering your materials and ideas. Create a doll to symbolize whatever you wish to accomplish. As far as this tutorial goes, I’ll use the example of a Guardian or a doll for protection. It can look however you wish, and be as simple as sticks tied together, to the most intricately created doll you could muster. I, personally, stick with a small doll (no bigger than 8 or 10 inches) with yarn hair, simple clothing and a painted face. I often stuff mine with herbs associated with my will, as well as batting and sometimes stray scraps of fabric.
After your doll is complete, take it to the Crossroads. It can be a door, a gate (I use the gate of a remote cemetery near me), a cemetery, even a maternity ward if you’re that committed and light a candle. Fill your mind with intention, then connect with the energy of your crossroads. Feel the planes converge, and bend this erratic energy to your will, funneling it through your consciousness and into your doll. See the energy shape, bend, coalesce into a being of your intent and give it a Name, as there is much power in a Name. Connect its energy to our physical plane by allowing it refuge within the fabric of the doll you have created. Leave a gift at the Crossroads, and blow out your candle, sealing in the doll’s spirit. Use it as you desire, but do not neglect it.
This spell is used to 1) keep a lover from straying, 2) break a couple up by causing friction between them.
Collect a handful of dog hair and cat hair, making sure to keep them separate. It’s best to collect hair from two animals that very much dislike one another, so if you happen to have a dog and a cat that get along well, look elsewhere.
On a sheet of paper, write the following:
Come ‘round, come ‘round, Black cat bone, Stray cat, stray cat, Go on home, Snap your neck, Under dog tooth groan, Stray cat, stray cat, Go on home, Sticks and stones, Sticks and stones, Flay the slack, Sink to the bone,
Come ‘round, come ‘round, Stray cat roam, Hound’s tooth, hound’s tooth, To the bone.
Fold the paper 5 times, and arrange the bag in the following manner:
Dog Hair xx Folded Paper xx Cat Hair
To this add powdered slug (salt/borax a slug, collect it after it has shriveled almost entirely. Remove from the elements, allow it to dry completely— in the oven, if you’re in a hurry – then powder it)
Collect the corners and tie the bag with a length of black string/yarn/twine. After, drag the bag through a “snake water” (the peroxide/water mixture used to strip the flesh away from the bones of a snake) and roll it in salt, then allow it to crystallize. Seal the bag with black wax and keep tucked away until your desires come to fruition.
(6) dried rose petals (red for love, yellow for friendship, pink for romance, peach for adoration, or any combination thereof)
(1) slightly smaller square of white fabric adorned with your blood
A needle and thread
A length of twine
White chalk
(Optional) Personal affect of he/she you wish to influence
Instructions;;
Take your bloodied cloth (in what matter you bleed yourself depends on your preference) and your needle and thread. With your needle and thread, stitch the name of you would be lover into the cloth while intently focusing on them, making sure to use enough thread so that their first and last time can be sewn without have to stop and add more thread.
After you have readied your bloody cloth, with the white chalk sketch the following symbol onto the blue square of fabric.
Place the bloodied cloth atop the symbol, then add your six rose petals one by own, still focusing on the person and speaking aloud what you seek from the ritual.
When they have all been added, gather the corners on of blue fabric and tie it with your twine around the “neck.”
The ritual is complete. You can carry the gris-gris around by wearing it or keeping it in your purse/pocket or you can keep it near your bed. Remember to “feed” the bag (holding it and thinking longingly for your beloved). Do this until the ritual comes to fruition, after which it can be buried near your home.
You can bless it in the name of Erzulie Fréda or Pomba Gira Cigana, if you are familiar with the procedure.
I have gone by many names in my time, but Qedava’s the easiest. I used to run Mugwort&Mayhem, until life got the best of me and I began slacking in my responsibilities to my community. So, after a brief period of spiritual homelessness, I’ve decided to take root here.
Some bits about me;;
I’m my own witch. I follow no specific faith save my own, that I have built based on experience. I am not Wiccan, I follow no Crede, but I’m also not fixed in my ways like Traditional Witchcraft. My faith is fluid, through each experience brings new light, and I find this to be an undeniable truth and one that facilitates the survival of the Old Religion. It was the first and it will be the last. It grows along side the human race, it evolves with us, and unlike major religion, is stands in arm of science instead of in opposition.
I am an agnostic witch. I do not claim the existence of God(dess), nor do I reject the concept. I’ve always said, if there is a God, he/she/it is way above my pay grade. I pull on Deistic principles and view Old World Deities to be separate (well, as separate as anything can really be – I pull on Sufism and Hinduism in part) entities, as the next stepping stone of the human soul.
I work (or have worked with) the Dead, Spirit Guides (though not necessarily the traditional [or neo-traditional, rather] sense), Lwas, Pomba Giras, “deities” from many faiths (though I try to avoid it at all costs) and most importantly (to me) Past Lives.
Much of my faith centers around Past Lives, however I feel like I should note that my understanding of Past Lives is not really like any Eastern Faith, save from general concept. I do not uphold any concept of Karma, but do heavily align myself with the principles of Soul Planning and Destiny. I believe in Reincarnation as a series of learning experiences, tests, etc. to not only connect to the physical plane and to grasp the truth of limits in an otherwise limitless realm. I do not believe in trans-species migration, “No, I don’t believe you were a Bengal tiger in a past life.” Humans exist (spiritually) in their own unique sentient group, animals and other beings exist in their own separate groups.
I specialize in cursing and hexing, mediumship and love magic. I have a fondness for Afro-Caribbean faiths (like Voodoo, Vodun, Santeria and Quimbanda), but I work pretty freely from any one group.
I read Cards, Bonesand Stones — bones are my favorite.
I keep a spell book, but only use it to record spells I’ve already done, as I write my own rituals and never use the same one twice.
If there are any questions, feel free to ask! I’ll be using this as an outlet to record my happenings, give advice to any who seek it and share my faith.
The Qedavian Apocrypha 